Green beverages

Abstract

To provide an easily drinkable green beverage that can retain excellent green color with no use of coloring agent, and has reduced unpleasant odor.SOLUTION: A green beverage includes a green plant, contains arabinoxylan of 100 mg / 100 g or more and 1300 mg / 100 g or less, and has a centrifugal precipitation amount of 3.00 g / 100 g or more and 14.5 g / 100 g or less, and a zinc content of 1.0 mg / 100 g or more and 3.8 mg / 100 g or less.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to green-colored beverages.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, due to the increasing health consciousness, the market for green-colored beverages that can easily incorporate green plants such as vegetables has been growing.

[0003] The green liquid color of green-colored beverages is also important from the perspective of promoting palatability. However, there has been a problem in that the green color deteriorates and an unpleasant odor is generated due to the action of enzymes and the like derived from green plants. In response, generally, the green color has been maintained by adding coloring agents. However, due to the recent increasing health consciousness, there has been a tendency to avoid additives, and the retention of the green color by adding zinc or the like has been attempted.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that the coexistence of zinc and vitamins maintains the green color, Patent Document 2 discloses that the coexistence of zinc and ascorbic acid suppresses discoloration by light, and Patent Document 3 discloses that the coexistence of zinc and copper maintains the green color even at high temperatures.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The methods described in Patent Documents 1 to 3 disclose how to maintain a green color by combining a predetermined amount of zinc with other components. However, the inclusion of zinc and other components can sometimes result in an unpleasant odor similar to a metallic smell in beverages. Therefore, there is a need to develop beverages that are less likely to produce such unpleasant odors.

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a drinkable green beverage that can maintain a good green color without using coloring agents and has suppressed unpleasant odors. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The inventors diligently studied to solve the above problems. As a result, they found that the above problems could be solved by adjusting the arabinoxylan content, the amount of centrifugation precipitate, and the zinc content in a green beverage containing green plants, and thus completed the present invention.

[0009] In other words, the present invention encompasses the following: [1] Includes green plants, The arabinoxylan content is between 100 mg / 100g and 1300 mg / 100g. The amount of sedimentation after centrifugation is between 3.00 g / 100 g and 14.5 g / 100 g. The zinc content is between 1.0 mg / 100g and 3.8 mg / 100g. Green drink. [2] The aforementioned green plants include one or more species selected from the group consisting of barley grass, kale, and tea. [1] The green beverage described above. [3] The amount of the barley grass juice is 0.500 to 15.0 parts by mass per 1 part by mass of the barley grass powder. [2] The green beverage described above. [4] The amount of barley grass powder contained in the aforementioned barley grass powder is 0.01g / 100g or more and 2.00g / 100g or less per 100g of the aforementioned green beverage. Green beverages as described in [2] or [3]. [5] The 50% particle size of the barley grass powder in the beverage is 1.0 μm or more and 30 μm or less. A green beverage listed in any of [2] to [4]. [6] The zinc content is 0.001 parts by mass or more and 0.100 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of arabinoxylan. A green beverage as described in any of [1] to [5]. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a green beverage that maintains a good green color without the use of coloring agents and is easy to drink, while suppressing unpleasant odors. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The following describes in detail embodiments of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "this embodiment"), but the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications are possible without departing from its essence. In the following, when "g / 100g" or "mg / 100g" is mentioned, it refers to the content of each component when the entire green beverage is considered to be 100g.

[0012] 1.Green drinks The green beverage of this embodiment (hereinafter also referred to as "green juice beverage") contains green plants, has an arabinoxylan content of 100 mg / 100g or more and 1300 mg / 100g or less, a centrifugal precipitate amount of 3.00 g / 100g or more and 14.5 g / 100g or less, and a zinc content of 1.0 mg / 100g or more and 3.8 mg / 100g or less.

[0013] Generally, green-colored beverages such as green juice drinks tend to be favorably consumed from the viewpoints of palatability and nutritional value. However, due to the action of enzymes and the like contained in green plants, the green color easily deteriorates, and there are problems with the quality retention. On the other hand, although it is known that such quality retention can be improved by combining zinc with other components, there has been a problem that an unpleasant odor similar to a metallic odor is generated when a predetermined amount of zinc is used. In contrast, the green-colored beverage of the present embodiment, by having the above configuration, can maintain a good green color without using a coloring agent, and is an easy-to-drink beverage with suppressed unpleasant odor.

[0014] The green-colored beverage containing green plants in the present embodiment includes green plants, water, and other optional additive components as necessary. This will be described in detail below.

[0015] 1.1. Green plants In the present embodiment, the green plants refer to green vegetables generally used mainly as raw materials for green juice drinks. As aspects of the green plants of the present embodiment, for example, a dry powder form obtained by drying and then pulverizing the green plants, a squeezed juice extracted from the tissue of the green plants, a liquid or paste form obtained by pulverizing the green plants as they are, etc. can be used.

[0016] The green plants are not particularly limited, and examples include leafy vegetables containing chlorophyll such as young barley leaves, spinach, tea, spirulina, kale, komatsuna, parsley, young wheat leaves, ashitaba, young mulberry leaves, purslane, mibuna, button bok choy, broccoli, daikon leaves, and perilla. The green plants may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0017] Among these, it is preferable to contain at least one selected from the group consisting of young barley leaves, kale, and tea, and more preferably to contain young barley leaves and tea. By using such green plants, the throat feel and dispersibility tend to be further improved, and a vivid green color tends to be maintained.

[0018] Furthermore, the form of these green plants is not particularly limited, but for example, barley grass can be used in powder or juice form, and either powder or juice may be used or both may be used in combination from the viewpoint of adjusting the amount of centrifugal sedimentation and the 50% particle size. Barley grass can also be used in the form of a puree obtained by adding water or crushing. Kale may be used in liquid form such as juice or puree, and tea may be used in powder form.

[0019] 1.1.1. Green plant powder The green beverage used in this embodiment contains powder from green plants. Powder from green plants can be obtained by drying the entire plant or a part thereof, for example, the edible parts such as stems and leaves, and then grinding them using mechanical methods such as a mill and mortar, or by grinding the entire plant or a part thereof and then drying the resulting powder. Alternatively, dried powder may be obtained by drying the juice extracted from the entire plant or a part thereof.

[0020] In this embodiment, the type of green plant included in the green beverage as a powder is not particularly limited, but examples include barley grass, kale, komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach), parsley, spinach, and tea. Among these, barley grass and tea are preferred from the viewpoint of ease of handling.

[0021] When using powdered barley grass as the raw material, for example, the 50% particle size of the barley grass powder dispersed in the green beverage is preferably 1.0 μm to 30 μm, more preferably 5.0 μm to 20 μm, and even more preferably 7.0 μm to 18 μm. In particular, when using barley grass powder and juice in combination, the 50% particle size of the powder is preferably 1.0 μm to 30 μm, more preferably 7.5 μm to 20 μm, and even more preferably 10 μm to 18 μm. When the 50% particle size of the barley grass is within the above range, the amount of centrifugation sediment and the 50% particle size are easily adjusted to a predetermined range, which tends to improve dispersibility and green color retention, and suppress unpleasant odors.

[0022] "50% particle size" refers to the particle size corresponding to 50% of the integrated particle size distribution curve based on volume, and can be measured using a laser diffraction particle size distribution analyzer.

[0023] The total amount of green plant powder contained in green beverages is preferably 0.10g / 100g to 3.00g / 100g per 100g of the green beverage, more preferably 0.15g / 100g to 2.50g / 100g, and even more preferably 0.20g / 100g to 2.00g / 100g. When the total amount of green plant powder is within the above range, the dispersibility and mouthfeel tend to be improved while retaining the original taste and aroma of the green beverage.

[0024] The barley grass powder content is preferably 0.01g / 100g to 2.00g / 100g per 100g of green beverage, more preferably 0.05g / 100g to 1.75g / 100g, and even more preferably 0.10g / 100g to 1.50g / 100g. By having the barley grass powder content within the above range, the original taste and aroma of the green beverage are retained while the dispersibility and mouthfeel tend to be improved.

[0025] The amount of tea powder per 100g of green beverage is preferably 0.05g / 100g to 1.00g / 100g, more preferably 0.05g / 100g to 0.75g / 100g, and even more preferably 0.05g / 100g to 0.50g / 100g. By having the tea powder content within the above range, the original taste and aroma of the green beverage are retained while the dispersibility and mouthfeel tend to be improved.

[0026] 1.1.2. Sap of green plants The green beverage of this embodiment contains the juice of a green plant. The juice of a green plant may include, for example, juice obtained by directly extracting juice from the green plant, or juice obtained by adding water to the green plant and then extracting the nutrients from the plant.

[0027] In this embodiment, the type of green plant included in the green beverage as juice is not particularly limited, but examples include barley grass, kale, komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach), spinach, etc. Among these, from the viewpoint of ease of handling and improved taste, it is preferable that the green beverage includes barley grass juice and kale juice.

[0028] The total amount of green plant juice contained in green beverages is preferably 0.20g / 100g to 3.50g / 100g per 100g of the green beverage, more preferably 0.25g / 100g to 3.00g / 100g, and even more preferably 0.30g / 100g to 2.50g / 100g. When the amount of green plant juice is within the above range, the original taste and aroma of the green beverage tend to be preserved while improving its dispersibility and mouthfeel.

[0029] The content of barley grass juice is preferably 0.50 to 15.0 parts by mass, more preferably 0.50 to 10.0 parts by mass, even more preferably 0.70 to 5.0 parts by mass, and even more preferably 0.80 to 3.0 parts by mass, per 1 part by mass of barley grass powder. When the content of barley grass juice is within the above range, the dispersibility and mouthfeel tend to be improved while retaining the original taste and aroma of the green beverage.

[0030] The kale juice content is preferably 0.01g / 100g to 2.00g / 100g per 100g of green beverage, more preferably 0.05g / 100g to 1.00g / 100g, and even more preferably 0.10g / 100g to 0.50g / 100g. By having a kale juice content within the above range, the original taste and aroma of the green beverage are retained while the dispersibility and mouthfeel tend to improve.

[0031] 1.2. Arabinoxylan The green beverage of this embodiment contains arabinoxylan. Arabinoxylan (hereinafter also referred to as "Ax") is a polysaccharide whose constituent sugars are arabinose and xylose, and in this embodiment, when "arabinoxylan" is referred to, it means water-insoluble arabinoxylan. In this embodiment, arabinoxylan may be present in the green beverage derived from green plants. Examples of green plants containing arabinoxylan include barley grass, kale, and tea.

[0032] The arabinoxylan content is 100 mg / 100g to 1300 mg / 100g per 100g of green beverage, preferably 200 mg / 100g to 1200 mg / 100g, and more preferably 300 mg / 100g to 800 mg / 100g. An arabinoxylan content of 800 mg / 100g or less suppresses the aggregation of insoluble fiber, improving dispersibility and resulting in a better appearance for the green beverage, as well as a refreshing and smooth taste. This allows for the production of a green beverage that is easy to drink. Furthermore, keeping the arabinoxylan content within the above range prevents excessive loss of the unique flavor derived from green plants, as well as their palatability and nutritional value.

[0033] The measurement of arabinoxylan content is not particularly limited, but for example, it can be calculated from the content of arabinose (Ala), galactose (Gal), and xylose (Xyl) using the following formula. Another method for measuring arabinoxylan content is to add an acid to the sample to be measured, hydrolyze the polysaccharides contained in the sample, and then calculate the amount of arabinoxylan based on the amount of arabinose contained in the resulting liquid. However, since green juice also contains arabinogalactan, which is composed of arabinose and galactose, the method of hydrolyzing polysaccharides may also detect arabinose derived from arabinogalactan, potentially impairing the accuracy of the quantitative determination of arabinoxylan. Therefore, in this embodiment, the content of arabinose and xylose derived from arabinoxylan is calculated by correcting with the quantitative result of galactose. For further information on this method, please refer to the publicly available literature (e.g., Li, M.; Du, J.; Zheng, Y. Non-Starch Polysaccharides in Wheat Beers and Barley Malt beers: A Comparative Study. Foods 2020,9, 131. and CM Courtin and JA Delcour Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 1998 46 (10), 4066-4073 DOI: 10.1021 / jf980339t). Arabinoxylan (Ax) = 0.88 [(Arabinose Ala - 0.7 × Galactose Gal) + Xylose Xyl]

[0034] While not limited to specific methods, adjusting the arabinoxylan content can be achieved by appropriately selecting the barley used as the raw material. The arabinoxylan content in barley is known to be influenced by cultivation conditions such as variety, harvest time, and water supply, as well as processing conditions. For example, regarding cultivation conditions, the arabinoxylan content tends to be low in the early stages of cultivation and increases from the middle stages onward. Also, for example, increasing the water supply during the cultivation period tends to increase the arabinoxylan content. Regarding processing conditions, in the case of young barley leaves, the content tends to increase more in powder form than in juice form.

[0035] 1.3. Amount of sedimentation by centrifugation In this embodiment, "centrifugation sediment amount" refers to the percentage (%) of the amount of sediment (g) obtained by taking 50 ml of a green beverage into a 50 ml centrifuge tube, processing it in a centrifuge at 3000 rpm for 10 minutes, and then removing the supernatant. The detailed measurement method will be as described in the examples below.

[0036] The amount of centrifugation precipitate in green beverages is 3.00g / 100g or more and 14.5g / 100g or less per 100g of green beverage, preferably 3.20g / 100g or more and 14.5g / 100g or less, and more preferably 3.40g / 100g or more and 14.5g / 100g or less. A centrifugation precipitate of 14.5g / 100g or less improves dispersibility, improves mouthfeel, and tends to further improve the appearance of green beverages. Furthermore, a centrifugation precipitate of 3.00g / 100g or more helps to suppress excessive impairment of the unique flavor derived from green plants, as well as the palatability and nutritional value related thereto.

[0037] 1.4. Zinc Green beverages must contain at least zinc. Zinc may be added as a single substance, or in the form of salts such as zinc oxide, zinc stearate, zinc hydroxide, zinc gluconate, zinc sulfate, zinc chloride, or zinc citrate. Zinc may also be added in the form of zinc-containing yeast (sometimes called zinc yeast or yeast zinc). As is well known to those skilled in the art, using yeast makes it possible to incorporate zinc at a higher concentration more easily. Zinc that is commercially available as a food additive or zinc-containing preparations may also be used.

[0038] The zinc content is 1.0 mg / 100g to 3.8 mg / 100g per 100g of green beverage, preferably 1.2 mg / 100g to 3.6 mg / 100g.

[0039] The zinc content is preferably 0.001 to 0.100 parts by mass, and more preferably 0.001 to 0.050 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of arabinoxylan. A zinc content within this range tends to result in a good green color and reduced unpleasant odor. While the addition of copper also produces a vivid green color, it is undesirable because it is excessive and gives consumers an artificial impression.

[0040] 1.5. Other ingredients The green beverage of this embodiment may, if necessary, contain other ingredients besides powder or juice of green plants. These other ingredients are not particularly limited, but include, for example, known additives that can be used in beverages, such as thickeners, organic acids, sugars, amino acids, flavoring components, pH adjusters, fruit juice, various nutritional components, colorants, diluents, antioxidants, and inorganic salts.

[0041] Organic acids are not particularly limited, but examples include citrates such as trisodium citrate, anhydrous citric acid, adipic acid, gluconic acid, succinic acid, tartaric acid, acetic acid, fumaric acid, malic acid, phytic acid, ascorbic acid, or salts thereof.

[0042] The sugars are not particularly limited, but examples include glucose, granulated sugar, lactose, and sugars such as maltose and fructose, as well as low-intensity sweeteners such as xylitol and D-sorbitol.

[0043] Examples of inorganic salts include copper salts such as gluconates and sulfates. Alternatively, microorganisms that are rich in copper and can be incorporated into food and beverages, such as lactic acid bacteria and yeast, may be selected and used instead.

[0044] The amino acids are not particularly limited, but examples include glutamine, glutamic acid, asparagine, aspartic acid, serine, alanine, arginine, methionine, tryptophan, and GABA.

[0045] 1.5.1. Thickening Agents The green beverage of this embodiment preferably contains a thickening agent. By including a thickening agent in the green beverage, the viscosity of the green beverage can be adjusted. Examples of thickening agents include polysaccharides such as fermented cellulose, xanthan gum, gellan gum, guar gum, pectin, carrageenan, and carboxymethylcellulose, insoluble dietary fiber such as citrus fiber, and soluble dietary fiber such as agar. The thickening agent may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0046] The amount of thickener is preferably 0.01g / 100g or more and 0.50g / 100g or less per 100g of green beverage, more preferably 0.03g / 100g or more and 0.40g / 100g or less, and even more preferably 0.04g / 100g or more and 0.30g / 100g or less.

[0047] 2. Method for producing green beverages The green beverage of this embodiment is not particularly limited, but can be prepared, for example, by mixing green plants, water, and other additives such as thickeners as needed. [Examples]

[0048] The present invention will be described more specifically below using examples and comparative examples. The present invention is not limited in any way by the following examples.

[0049] (Barley grass powder) The harvested barley grass was cut to a length of approximately 2-8 cm and then heated in 90°C hot water for 60 seconds. After cooling with water and draining, the moisture content was reduced through a rough kneading process in which dry hot air was blown in while pressure was applied. Finally, the moisture content was reduced to 5% in a shelf dryer, which promotes drying by blowing in hot air, and then ground in a ball mill to obtain barley grass powder.

[0050] (Barley grass juice) The harvested barley grass was cut into pieces approximately 1 cm long, washed, heated in 95°C hot water for 3 minutes, and then cooled with water. After being finely processed to an average length of approximately 2.0 mm using a Comitrol processor (manufactured by Urschel Japan), the resulting barley grass puree was extracted using a decanter-type centrifuge to obtain barley grass juice.

[0051] (Kale juice) The harvested kale was cut into pieces approximately 1 cm long, washed, heated in 95°C hot water for 3 minutes, and then cooled with water. After being finely processed to an average length of approximately 2.0 mm using a Comitrol processor (manufactured by Urschel Japan), the resulting kale puree was extracted using a decanter-type centrifuge to obtain kale juice.

[0052] (Green tea powder) After harvesting the tea leaves, the crude tea was processed using a general crude tea processing method. Finally, the moisture content was reduced to 5% in a shelf dryer that uses hot air to promote drying. Then, it was ground in a ball mill to a particle size of approximately 15 μm with a particle size of 50%, thereby obtaining powdered green tea.

[0053] [Examples 1-9 and Comparative Examples 1-4] (Preparation of green beverages) Samples were prepared by adding various ingredients such as barley grass powder, barley grass juice, kale juice, tea powder, zinc yeast, and a thickener (Sun Artist PN, San-Ei Gen F.F.I. Co., Ltd.) in the proportions shown in the table below, and then diluting the mixture to a total mass of 100g.

[0054] (Measurement of arabinoxylan content) The arabinoxylan content was quantified using an HPLC sugar analyzer after acid hydrolysis with hydrochloric acid, and the value obtained was used for calculation. 200 μl of the solution of each example and comparative example composition was placed in a 2 ml Eppendorf tube, and 200 μl of 1.5 M HCl was added. This was incubated in a heating block (90°C) for 90 minutes to hydrolyze. After this, it was neutralized with an aqueous NaOH solution (5% aqueous solution), and further diluted with pure water to a total volume of 2000 μl for quantification (reaction solution). Furthermore, a mixed solution was prepared by passing the reaction solution, or 100 μL of an aqueous solution of a sugar standard for calibration, with 100 μL of internal standard solution (2-Deoxyglucose 100 ppm) and 800 μL of ultrapure water through a Bond Elute SAX (Agilent Technologies) to prepare the analytical sample.

[0055] Next, the analytical samples were subjected to quantitative sugar analysis (internal standard method) using the following apparatus and conditions to obtain the content of arabinose, xylose, and galactose. The arabinoxylan content was then calculated based on the following formula. The arabinoxylan content was calculated by taking into account the sample dilution ratio and other factors as appropriate. The resulting arabinoxylan content is shown in Table 1. Arabinoxylan (Ax) = 0.88 [(Arabinose Ala - 0.7 × Galactose Gal) + Xylose Xyl]

[0056] Equipment: Thermo Scientific ICS-5000 Column: Thermo Scientific Carbopack PA1 φ4×250mm (+guard column φ4×50mm) Column temperature: 30℃ Mobile phase: (A phase) 200mM NaOH aqueous solution (Phase B) 1000 mM sodium acetate aqueous solution (C phase) Ultrapure water Flow rate: 1.0mL / min Injection volume: 25μL Detection: Pulsed amperometry method Program: Gradient Program

[0057] (Measurement of centrifugal sediment volume) 50 ml of the prepared green beverage was placed in a 50 ml centrifuge tube and processed in a centrifuge at 3000 rpm for 10 minutes. The supernatant was then removed, and the amount of precipitate (g) was weighed.

[0058] <Evaluation: Liquid color> A "good green color" was defined as a naturally vibrant green liquid. Five expert panelists visually assessed the color of each prepared green beverage, rating it on a scale of 5 points ("Excellent"), 4 points ("Good"), 3 points ("Average"), 2 points ("Slightly Poor"), and 1 point ("Poor"), and calculated the average score. Based on the average score, the following criteria were used for evaluation. ×: Average score is 1 or higher but less than 2. △: Average score is 2 or higher but less than 3 ○: Average score is 3 or higher but less than 4 ◎: Average score between 4 and 5

[0059] <Rating: Unpleasant odor> A metallic odor was defined as an "unpleasant odor," and five expert panelists judged the degree of unpleasant odor in each prepared green beverage. They evaluated it on a scale of 5 points: "No unpleasant odor," 4 points: "Unpleasant odor is not noticeable," 3 points: "Average," 2 points: "Unpleasant odor is noticeable," and 1 point: "Unpleasant odor is strongly felt." The average score was calculated. Based on the average score, the following criteria were used for evaluation. ×: Average score is 1 or higher but less than 2. △: Average score is 2 or higher but less than 3 ○: Average score is 3 or higher but less than 4 ◎: Average score between 4 and 5

[0060] <Overall Rating> Based on the sum of the average values ​​of the above evaluations, an overall evaluation of the green beverage as one that maintains a good green color and suppresses unpleasant odors was performed according to the following criteria. ×: The sum of the average scores is 2 or more and less than 4. △: The sum of the average scores is 4 or greater and less than 6. ○: The sum of the average scores is 6 or more and less than 8. ◎: The sum of the average scores is between 8 and 10.

[0061] [Table 1]

[0062] Examples 1-9 in Table 1 show a higher overall evaluation compared to Comparative Examples 1-4, demonstrating that they can maintain a good green color while suppressing unpleasant odors, resulting in easy-to-drink green beverages. [Industrial applicability]

[0063] This invention has industrial applicability as a green beverage.

Claims

1. containing green plants including squeezed juice and powder of young barley leaves, squeezed juice of kale, and tea powder, where the amount of the squeezed juice of the young barley leaves is 0.500 to 15.0 parts by mass with respect to 1 part by mass of the powder of the young barley leaves, the content of the squeezed juice of the kale is 0.01 g / 100 g or more and 2.00 g / 100 g or less, the content of the tea powder is 0.10 g / 100 g or more and 0.50 g / 100 g or less, the content of arabinoxylan is 100 mg / 100 g or more and 1300 mg / 100 g or less, the centrifugal sedimentation amount is 3.00 g / 100 g or more and 14.5 g / 100 g or less, the content of zinc is 1.0 mg / 100 g or more and 3.8 mg / 100 g or less, a green-colored beverage.

2. where the content of the powder of the young barley leaves is 0.01 g / 100 g or more and 2.00 g / 100 g or less with respect to 100 g of the green-colored beverage, the green-colored beverage according to Claim 1.

3. where the 50% particle size of the powder of the young barley leaves in the beverage is 1.0 μm or more and 30 μm or less, the green-colored beverage according to Claim 1 or 2.

4. where the content of the zinc is 0.00 one to 0.100 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of arabinoxylan, the green-colored beverage according to any one of Claims 1 to 3.

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