Protein-containing beverages

Abstract

To provide a protein-containing beverage reduced in protein odor and powderiness.SOLUTION: A protein-containing beverage is produced by a method that includes adding powdered protein so that the amount of protein becomes 3.5-8.0 g per 100 g of the beverage and adding a purified product of γ-aminobutyric acid containing 80 mass% or more γ-aminobutyric acid so that the amount of γ-aminobutyric acid becomes 5-70 mg per 100 g of the beverage.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a protein-containing beverage.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, due to the increasing health awareness of consumers including sports enthusiasts and the elderly, the desire to efficiently ingest protein has been increasing. Therefore, food and beverages containing protein have been developed and are provided in forms such as noodles, bread, candies, jellies, cookies, soups, beverages, etc. Among them, from the viewpoint of convenience such as ease of ingestion and ease of carrying, many beverages (also referred to as "protein-containing beverages" in this specification) have been developed.

[0003] Protein sources for protein-containing beverages include various food-derived proteins, but all proteins have a unique smell of protein (protein odor), and there is a problem that when a large amount is blended, it has an adverse effect on the flavor of the beverage. Therefore, various beverages with reduced protein odor have been proposed. For example, a peptide-containing beverage with suppressed peptide odor characterized by containing cyclodextrin (Patent Document 1), a protein-containing beverage in which the protein odor is masked by blending glycine and / or aspartame (Patent Document 2), a soy protein-containing beverage in which the unique flavor of soy protein is improved using a sugar-heated product powder containing maltose as the main carbohydrate (Patent Document 3), a protein-containing beverage with reduced fishy flavor containing 0.5 w / v% or more of protein and 0.3 mg / L or more of keto-octadecadienoic acid (Patent Document 4), etc.

[0004] On the other hand, it has also been reported that the flavor of beverages can be improved by adding gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a type of amino acid widely distributed in nature, including plants and animals, and an inhibitory neurotransmitter present in the brains and spinal cords of mammals. For example, it has been reported that by incorporating GABA, non-fermented alcohol-flavored beverages such as beer-flavored beverages, wine-flavored beverages, shochu-flavored beverages, and cocktail-flavored beverages have been enhanced in terms of richness, smoothness, and depth of flavor, while suppressing acidic stimulation (Patent Document 5). Furthermore, it has been reported that by incorporating GABA, oral liquid compositions containing iron compounds, such as syrups and drinks, have been reduced in terms of astringency derived from iron ions, making them easier to drink and leaving no unpleasant aftertaste (Patent Document 6). [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-75064 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-141559 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-236678 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-226521 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-184697 [Patent Document 6] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004-315441 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] In beverages containing high concentrations of protein, problems can arise not only from a protein odor but also from a powdery texture felt in the mouth, tongue, and throat after consumption. The present invention aims to provide a protein-containing beverage with reduced protein odor and powdery texture. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] As a result of diligent research to solve the above problems, the present inventors have discovered that by adding a certain amount of γ-aminobutyric acid to a beverage containing a high concentration of protein, it is possible not only to reduce the protein odor but also to reduce the powdery texture caused by the protein, thus completing the present invention.

[0008] The present invention is not limited thereto, but includes the following embodiments. [1] A protein-containing beverage containing 3.5 to 8.0 g of protein and 5 to 70 mg of gamma-aminobutyric acid per 100 g of beverage. [2] The beverage according to [1], wherein the protein is milk protein and / or soy protein. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to easily provide a flavorful protein-containing beverage with reduced protein odor and powderiness. Conventionally, to reduce unpleasant odors such as protein odor in beverages, it was common to mask the unpleasant odor by emphasizing other flavors such as sourness or sweetness. Also, to improve the powderiness of a beverage, it was common to mask the powderiness by thickening the beverage or adding carbon dioxide. In the present invention, by adding a certain amount of GABA to a protein-containing beverage, it is possible to reduce protein odor and powderiness, and there is no need to emphasize sourness or sweetness, or to thicken or add air as in the past, which has the advantage of making it easier to design a beverage with the desired flavor. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] (Protein-containing beverage) In this invention, a protein-containing beverage refers to a highly nutritious beverage whose protein content has been increased by adding protein. The beverages of this invention include liquid beverages such as soups and soft drinks, gel beverages such as jellies and yogurts, and powdered beverages of the type in which these beverages are dried and powdered and dissolved in cold or hot water before consumption. From the viewpoint of ease of consumption, liquid beverages or gel beverages are preferred. Among these, liquid beverages tend to have a more noticeable powdery texture due to the protein compared to gel beverages. Since this invention can improve the powderiness of beverages that tend to have such a powdery texture, liquid beverages are particularly suitable as the subject of this invention. Furthermore, in the case of packaged beverages that are stored in warehouses or stores for a certain period after manufacturing and before consumption, powderiness usually tends to appear, but since this invention can improve the powderiness as described above, packaged beverages are also suitable as the subject of this invention.

[0011] The protein added to the beverage of the present invention may be any protein commonly used in beverages and is not particularly limited. For example, it may be animal protein derived from animals, plant protein derived from plants, fish protein, yeast, protein derived from microorganisms such as lactic acid bacteria, or a combination thereof. Among these, it is preferable to contain at least one type of animal protein or plant protein. Examples of the above animal protein include protein derived from animal milk (cow's milk, goat's milk, sheep's milk, etc.) (hereinafter referred to as milk protein), egg protein derived from chicken eggs, pig protein, and cow protein. Examples of the above plant protein include protein derived from plant seeds such as soy protein, wheat protein, rice protein, adlay protein, and corn protein. It is also possible to use proteins that have been physically, chemically, or enzymatically hydrolyzed. Only one type of protein may be used, or two or more types may be mixed and used.

[0012] Among the proteins mentioned above, milk protein and soy protein, in particular, have very high digestibility and absorption rates. It is not only a useful protein for efficient protein intake, but it is also preferable to use it because it exhibits the effects of the present invention even more significantly. Examples of milk proteins include total milk protein (TMP), milk protein concentrate (MPC), milk protein isolate (MPI), whey protein concentrate (WPC), whey protein isolate (WPI), and micellar casein isolate (MCI). Examples include micellar casein concentrate (MCC), and special WPC and WPI are preferably used. Examples of soy protein include isolated soy protein and concentrated soy protein.

[0013] Furthermore, powdered proteins (also referred to as "powdered proteins" in this specification) can develop an unpleasant flavor due to heating during drying, and the aggregation of proteins can cause a powdery texture and flavor. When powdered proteins are used as a protein in beverages, the beverage usually tends to have a higher protein odor and powdery texture. Since the present invention can reduce such protein odor and powdery texture in beverages, beverages using powdered proteins as a protein are suitable targets for the present invention.

[0014] The beverage of the present invention contains 3.5 to 8.0 g, preferably 4.0 to 8.0 g, more preferably 4.5 to 8.0 g, more preferably 5.0 to 8.0 g, and even more preferably 5.5 to 8.0 g of protein per 100 g of beverage, due to the addition of the above-mentioned protein. The protein content in the beverage can be measured by the Kjeldahl method.

[0015] (γ-aminobutyric acid) The beverage of the present invention contains γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which reduces the unpleasant protein odor caused by formulating proteins at high concentrations and also reduces the powdery feeling. Here, the powdery feeling refers to the powdery feeling (texture) perceived in the mouth, on the tongue, or in the throat when or after consuming the beverage. When the powdery feeling is strong, it is difficult to swallow, and there is a feeling of slight irritation as if the throat is thirsty after drinking. In the beverage of the present invention with reduced powdery feeling, there is no powdery feeling from the time of ingestion to after ingestion, and a smooth swallowing can be enjoyed.

[0016] GABA is a type of amino acid widely contained in vegetables, fruits, grains, fermented foods, etc. The GABA used in the present invention is not particularly limited, and for example, GABA extracted from vegetables, fruits, grains, etc., GABA produced by fermentation, GABA obtained by organic synthesis, etc. can be used. In order to enjoy the effect of the present invention while minimizing the influence on the flavor of the beverage itself, as the GABA used in the beverage of the present invention, it is preferable to use a purified product of GABA containing 80% or more, preferably 85% or more, more preferably 90% or more of GABA. As the form of the purified product, various forms such as solid, aqueous solution, slurry form, etc. can be used. Commercially available purified products of GABA include GABA 100% Pure Powder (NOW FOODS) and Oryza GABA Extract HC-90 (Oryza Oil Co., Ltd.).

[0017] In the present invention, it is added so that the concentration of GABA in the beverage is 5 mg / 100 g or more, preferably 10 mg / 100 g or more, more preferably 20 mg / 100 g or more, and even more preferably 25 mg / 100 g or more. Also, the content of GABA is preferably 70 mg / 100 g or less, and more preferably 65 mg / 100 g or less. The content of GABA can be measured using an amino acid analyzer.

[0018] (Other components) In addition, as long as it does not deviate from the intended purpose of the present invention, the beverage of the present invention may contain, in addition to the above components, components generally blended in beverages, such as sweetening components, pH adjusters, antioxidants, acidulants, fruit juices, extracts, flavors, colorants, vitamins, emulsifiers, thickening stabilizers, etc., as appropriate.

[0019] (Beverage in a container) As described above, the beverage of the present invention may be in the form of a liquid beverage such as soup or soft drink, a gel-like beverage such as jelly or yogurt, or a powdered beverage that is dried and powdered and dissolved in cold water, hot water, etc. for drinking, and it is not necessary to be packed in a container. However, as described above, the container-packed beverage is one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention. Here, the container-packed beverage is a beverage packed in a container and sealed, and is used almost synonymously with RTD beverage (RTD = Ready To Drink: PET bottle, can, bottle, paper, etc. container-packed beverage that can be drunk immediately after opening the lid). There are two types of RTD beverages: those that are consistently refrigerated and those that can be stored at room temperature, and the beverage of the present invention may be either. The container-packed beverage may be heat-sterilized according to a known method. The heat-sterilization method is not particularly limited, and examples include high-temperature short-time sterilization (UHT; 120 to 150 °C, 1 to 120 seconds), retort sterilization (110 °C to 130 °C, 10 to 30 minutes), etc.

Examples

[0020] Hereinafter, the details of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to experimental examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Also, in this specification, unless otherwise specified, numerical ranges are described as including their endpoints.

[0021] The protein content in the beverage of the example was measured by the Kjeldahl method. The GABA content was measured by taking a measurement sample, centrifuging it, treating the supernatant with 0.02N hydrochloric acid, filtering it using a cylinder with a 0.45 μm filter, and quantifying it with a fully automatic amino acid analyzer (manufactured by JEOL Ltd., JLC-500 / V).

[0022] Example 1: Effects of protein supplementation (1) Acidic drinks A commercially available peach-flavored acidic beverage (pH 3.5, ingredients: sugar, sweetener (sucralose), flavoring, citric acid, sodium citrate) is to which powdered concentrated whey protein (WPC / 80, Nutra Food Ingredients, LLC) (hereinafter abbreviated as WPC) is added to achieve the amounts shown in Table 1. The mixture was then stirred slowly and dissolved, taking care not to create foam, to produce a protein-containing beverage. A panel of five experts was presented with pairs of beverages: one without WPC and one with added WPC. The panel evaluated which beverage in each pair had a protein odor. They also evaluated whether they perceived the WPC-added beverage to be powdery. As shown in Table 1, a protein odor was perceived when 3.5g / 100g or more of protein was added, and both a protein odor and powderiness were clearly perceived when 4.5g / 100g or more of protein was added.

[0023] [Table 1]

[0024] (2) Reduced milk A WPC-added beverage was prepared in the same manner as in (1), except that the commercially available peach-flavored beverage used in (1) above was replaced with reduced milk (pH 7.0), and evaluated in the same manner as in (1) above. Reduced milk was prepared by adding water to 40g of commercially available skim milk powder to make a total volume of 500g, and then heating and dissolving it. The evaluation results are shown in Table 2. In the case of reduced milk as well, a protein odor was perceived when 3.5g / 100g or more of protein was added, and when 5.5g / 100g or more of protein was added, both a protein odor and a powdery texture were clearly felt.

[0025] [Table 2]

[0026] Experimental Example 1: Flavor Improvement Effect of GABA Addition (1) (1) Acidic drinks A peach-flavored beverage containing 4.5g / 100g of protein was prepared by adding WPC prepared in Reference Example (1). GABA (purity 99% or higher) in the amounts shown in Table 3 was then added and completely dissolved to prepare a GABA-containing beverage. The resulting GABA-containing beverage was subjected to sensory evaluation by a panel of five experts. The evaluation focused on the protein content of an acidic beverage containing WPC but no GABA (negative control, WPC 4.5g / 100g) (Sample No. 1-1). Odor and powderiness were assigned a score of 0, and the protein odor and powderiness of commercially available acidic beverages (positive control) (Sample No. 1-2) that do not contain WPC or GABA were assigned a score of 2. The evaluation score for the prepared GABA-containing beverage was set to 0 points, and a score of 1 was assigned when the result approached the evaluation score of the positive control (2 points), with the result being somewhere in between the two. 0 points: Similar protein odor and powdery texture to the negative control. 1 point: Protein odor, stronger than the positive control but weaker than the negative control, powdery Looks like Points 2: Similar protein odor and powdery texture to the positive control. The number of panel members who performed the evaluation was counted. The results are shown in Table 3.

[0027] [Table 3]

[0028] As shown in Table 3, adding 5 mg / 100g or more of GABA resulted in a reduction of protein odor and powderiness. The reduction of protein odor became more pronounced with the addition of 10 mg / 100g or more of GABA, and the reduction of both protein odor and powderiness became even more pronounced with the addition of 25 mg / 100g of GABA.

[0029] (2) Reduced milk Reduced milk containing 7.5g / 100g of protein by adding WPC prepared in Reference Example (2) was then mixed with the amount of GABA (purity 99% or higher) shown in Table 4 and completely dissolved to prepare GABA-containing reduced milk. Reduced milk containing WPC but no GABA (WPC 7.5g / 100g) (Sample No. 2-1) was used as a negative control, and WPC was also used. Reduced milk without GABA (Sample No. 2-2) was used as a positive control. The prepared GABA-containing beverage was subjected to sensory evaluation in the same manner as in Experimental Example 1(1).

[0030] [Table 4]

[0031] As shown in Table 4, adding 5 mg / 100g or more of GABA resulted in a reduction of protein odor and powderiness. The reduction of protein odor became more pronounced with the addition of 10 mg / 100g or more of GABA, and the reduction of both protein odor and powderiness became even more pronounced with the addition of 25 mg / 100g or more of GABA.

[0032] Experimental Example 2: Flavor Improvement Effect of GABA Addition (2) In the reduced milk of Experimental Example 1(2), the powdered protein was changed from WPC to concentrated milk protein (MPC480, Fonterra Japan) (hereinafter abbreviated as MPC), and reduced milk containing MPC was prepared and evaluated in the same manner as in Experimental Example 1(2). The results are shown in Table 5. Even when MPC was used as the protein, the addition of GABA effectively reduced the protein odor and powdery texture.

[0033] [Table 5]

[0034] Experimental Example 3: Flavor Improvement Effect of GABA Addition (3) In the reduced milk of Experimental Example 1(2), the powdered protein was changed from WPC to soy protein (Bakers Nutrisoy; ADM), resulting in reduced milk containing 5.5g / 100g of protein. Milk was prepared. It was divided into two parts; one part was used as a reference sample without any additions, and the other part was mixed with 10 mg / 100 g of GABA to create a GABA-containing beverage. The flavor of the GABA-containing beverage was evaluated by sensory assessment to determine the presence or absence of the characteristic protein odor of soy protein and the presence or absence of powderiness. All members of the expert panel evaluated that the GABA-containing beverage had a reduced protein odor and did not feel powdery.

Claims

[Claim 1] Add powdered protein so that the amount of protein per 100g of beverage is 3.5 to 8.0g, and Add refined gamma-aminobutyric acid so that the amount of gamma-aminobutyric acid per 100g of beverage is 5-70mg. Includes, The powdered protein is milk protein, A method for producing a protein-containing ready-to-drink (RTD) beverage in which the purified product of gamma-aminobutyric acid contains 80% or more gamma-aminobutyric acid.

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