Fruit beverage with improved flavor and reduced sugar content, and method for producing the same.

Abstract

To provide a novel reduced-sugar fruit beverage having an improved flavor, and a method for producing the same.SOLUTION: The present invention provides a fruit beverage in which the ratio of the sugar concentration to the acidity of the beverage (sugar concentration / acidity ratio) is 0.92 or less with respect to the sugar concentration / acidity ratio of a straight juice, wherein the fruit beverage is obtained by containing one or more sugar components selected from the group consisting of starch, a degradation product of starch and trehalose. The present invention also provides a method for producing the fruit beverage which is obtained by adding the sugar component to a reduced-sugar fruit juice.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

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[0003]

[0001] The present invention relates to a saccharide-reduced fruit beverage with improved flavor and a method for producing the same. The present invention also relates to a method for improving the flavor of a saccharide-reduced fruit beverage.

Background Art

[0002] With the recent increasing trend towards health consciousness, it is desired to reduce the intake of carbohydrates when consuming food and beverages, and reducing carbohydrate intake is said to be a future social issue. Fruit beverages are widely favored by consumers for maintaining health because they allow easy intake of fruits. However, since these beverages contain carbohydrates derived from fruits, it can be said that it is desirable to reduce the carbohydrate content as much as possible from the perspective of reducing carbohydrate intake.

[0003] Regarding fruit beverages, there have been proposed techniques for removing monosaccharides and disaccharides from fruit juice by membrane treatment of the fruit juice to reduce calories (Patent Documents 1 and 2), and techniques for reducing calories by treating fruit juice with a crude fructosyltransferase enzyme agent (Patent Document 3).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

[0005] The inventors have now discovered that fruit juices with reduced sugar content (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "reduced-sugar fruit juice"), where the ratio of sugar concentration to acidity is disrupted, tend to have a worse flavor balance compared to straight fruit juices with a typical composition, and that the deterioration of flavor balance caused by reduced sugar content can be improved by adding specific sugar components to reduced-sugar fruit juice. The inventors have also discovered that the flavor balance of reduced-sugar fruit juice deteriorates further due to heat sterilization for packaging, and that the deterioration of flavor balance caused by heat sterilization can also be improved by adding specific sugar components to reduced-sugar fruit juice. The present invention is based on these findings.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a novel low-sugar fruit beverage with improved flavor and a method for producing the same. The present invention also aims to provide a method for improving the flavor of a low-sugar fruit beverage.

[0007] The present invention provides the following inventions. [1] A fruit beverage in which the ratio of sugar concentration to acidity of the beverage (sugar concentration / acidity ratio) is 0.92 or less compared to the sugar concentration / acidity ratio of straight fruit juice, and which contains one or more carbohydrate components selected from the group consisting of starch, starch hydrolysates, and trehalose. [2] A fruit beverage containing reduced-sugar fruit juice, comprising one or more carbohydrate components selected from the group consisting of starch, starch hydrolysates, and trehalose. [3] The fruit beverage described in [1] or [2] above, wherein the sugar content of the beverage is 0.005 to 0.10% by mass. [4] The beverage according to any one of [1] to [3] above, wherein the fruit comprises one or more fruits selected from the group consisting of oranges, grapefruits, Satsuma mandarins and pineapples. [5] The fruit beverage described in [4] above, wherein the oligosaccharide concentration of the beverage is 0.10 g / 100 mL or more on a Brix 11° basis. [6] A beverage as described in any of [1] to [5] above, having a fruit juice content of 30% or more. [7] A beverage that is in a container, as described in any of [1] to [6] above. [8] A method for producing a fruit beverage as described in any of [1] to [7] above, comprising adding one or more sugar components selected from the group consisting of starch, starch hydrolysates, and trehalose to a sugar-reduced fruit juice. [9] The method for producing the product according to [8] above, comprising adjusting the sugar content of the beverage to 0.005 to 0.10% by mass.

[10] The method for manufacturing according to [8] or [9] above, further comprising a step of reducing the sugars in the raw fruit juice.

[11] The manufacturing method according to

[10] above, wherein the sugar reduction step is carried out by one or more treatments selected from the group consisting of enzymatic treatment, membrane filtration, catalytic treatment and fermentation treatment.

[12] The manufacturing method according to any one of [8] to

[11] above, wherein the fruit comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of oranges, grapefruits, Satsuma mandarins and pineapples.

[13] A method for improving the flavor of a fruit beverage containing sugar-reduced fruit juice, comprising adding one or more carbohydrate components selected from the group consisting of starch, starch hydrolysates, and trehalose to the beverage.

[14] The method for improving the flavor of fruit beverages as described in

[13] above, wherein the fruit beverage is a bottled beverage. The beverages described in [1] and [2] above may be referred to as "the beverages of the present invention" in this specification.

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the flavor balance, which tends to deteriorate in low-sugar fruit beverages. In other words, the present invention is advantageous in that it can provide low-sugar fruit beverages (especially bottled low-sugar fruit beverages) that have a flavor comparable to regular fruit juice while being low in calories. Specific description of the invention

[0009] <<Invented Beverage>> In this invention, "fruit beverage" means a beverage made from fruit juice, and includes fruit juice, mixed fruit juice, fruit juice with fruit pulp, concentrated fruit juice, and fruit juice beverages. The beverage of this invention may be a non-alcoholic beverage that does not contain alcohol. The beverage of this invention may also be a sweetener-free fruit beverage that does not contain sweeteners (excluding trehalose) such as high-intensity sweeteners in order to pursue a taste closer to natural fruit juice.

[0010] In the present invention, "fruit" can refer to citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, and Satsuma mandarins, as well as pineapples, apples, grapes, peaches, strawberries, bananas, mangoes, melons, and apricots. Preferably, oranges, grapefruits, Satsuma mandarins, and pineapples can be used.

[0011] In this invention, "Brix value" (sometimes simply referred to as "Brix" herein) is an index representing the total concentration of soluble solids (e.g., sugars, proteins, peptides, etc.) contained in a solution. It is the value obtained by converting the refractive index of the solution measured at 20°C into mass / mass% of the pure sucrose solution using the ICUMSA (International Committee for Uniform Methods of Sugar Analysis) conversion table. The refractive index at 20°C can be measured using a commercially available sugar refractometer, such as an Atago refractometer.

[0012] In this invention, "Brix A° equivalent" refers to a quantitative value in a beverage adjusted so that its Brix value is A°. For example, "fruit beverage with a sucrose concentration of 1.4 g / 100 mL or less when converted to Brix 11°" means a fruit beverage whose sucrose concentration is 1.4 g / 100 mL or less when the Brix value is adjusted to 11° by dilution or concentration.

[0013] In the present invention, "saccharide reduction" means that the saccharide content is reduced compared to the fruit or fruit juice used as the raw material. As will be described later, the reduction of saccharides can be achieved by processing the raw material fruit juice, namely, enzyme treatment, membrane filtration treatment, catalyst treatment, fermentation treatment, and the like. The degree of saccharide reduction can be represented by the saccharide reduction rate calculated by the following formula.

Chemical formula

[0014] The saccharide reduction rate of the beverage of the present invention or the saccharide reduction rate of the saccharide-reduced fruit juice which is the raw material of the beverage of the present invention can have a lower limit value of 8%, 16% or 20%, and an upper limit value of 50%, 75% or 80%. These lower limit values and upper limit values can be arbitrarily combined respectively, and the content range can be 8 - 50% or 16 - 80%.

[0015] In the present invention, "saccharides" means monosaccharides and disaccharide carbohydrates, and examples thereof include glucose, fructose, sucrose, and maltose. The saccharide concentration can be measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC method).

[0016] In the present invention, "acidity" means that calculated based on the method for measuring acidity defined in Japanese Agricultural and Forestry Standards (Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Notice No. 1127, August 8, 2006). Specifically, in terms of the citric acid conversion value, the percentage calculated by the following formula can be used as the acidity. Acidity (%) = A × f × 100 / W × 0.0064 A: Titration volume (ml) with 0.1 mol / L sodium hydroxide solution f: Titer of 0.1 mol / L sodium hydroxide solution W: Sample weight (g) 0.0064: Weight (g) of anhydrous citric acid corresponding to 1 ml of 0.1 mol / L sodium hydroxide solution

[0017] The beverage of the present invention is a fruit beverage containing a sugar-reduced fruit juice. The degree of sugar reduction can be specified by the ratio of the sugar concentration to the acidity of the beverage (sugar concentration / acidity ratio). Since the sugar content of the beverage of the present invention is reduced compared to non-sugar-reduced fruit juice, the sugar concentration / acidity ratio of the beverage of the present invention can be set such that the ratio of the sugar concentration / acidity ratio of the beverage to that of straight juice is 0.92 or less, preferably 0.84 or less, 0.82 or less, or 0.80 or less.

[0018] In the beverage of the present invention, the sugar concentration / acidity ratio can also be determined for each type of fruit juice. For example, for the orange juice beverage (orange juice) among the beverages of the present invention, the sugar concentration / acidity ratio of the beverage can be less than 12.8, preferably less than 11.0 or less than 10.0. For the unshu mikan juice beverage (unshu mikan juice) among the beverages of the present invention, the sugar concentration / acidity ratio of the beverage can be less than 14.6, preferably less than 12.0 or less than 11.0. For the grapefruit juice beverage (grapefruit juice) among the beverages of the present invention, the sugar concentration / acidity ratio of the beverage can be less than 9.1, preferably less than 7.3 or less than 6.8. For the pineapple juice beverage (pineapple juice) among the beverages of the present invention, the sugar concentration / acidity ratio of the beverage can be less than 16.3, preferably less than 13.9 or less than 13.4.

[0019] The beverage of the present invention is characterized by containing one or more carbohydrate components selected from the group consisting of starch, starch hydrolysates, and trehalose. In the present invention, starch prepared from cereals (e.g., corn, high-amylose corn, waxy corn, wheat, rice, peas, etc.) or potatoes (e.g., potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, etc.) can be used as the starch. Starch hydrolysates (sometimes referred to as "dextrin" in the present invention) refer to glucose polymers obtained by hydrolyzing starch with enzymes, acids, heat, etc. In the present invention, acyclic starch hydrolysates can be used. In the present invention, starch hydrolysates with a DE greater than 0 and 40 or less, or starch hydrolysates with a DE greater than 0 and 20 or less can be used. Here, "DE (Dextrose Equivalent)" is also called dextrose equivalent and is an indicator of the degree of decomposition (degree of low molecular weight) of the starch hydrolysate. DE is a value expressed as the percentage of reducing sugars (quantified as glucose) relative to the solid content, and can be measured, for example, by the Laing-Einon method.

[0020] The carbohydrate content of the beverage of the present invention can have a lower limit of 0.005% by mass or 0.010% by mass, and an upper limit of 0.10% by mass or 0.020% by mass. These lower and upper limits can be combined in any way, and the range of the content can be 0.005 to 0.10% by mass or 0.010 to 0.020% by mass.

[0021] The carbohydrate content in a beverage can be measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Furthermore, the carbohydrate content of the beverage according to the present invention can be the sum of the concentrations of starch, starch hydrolysates, and trehalose.

[0022] The carbohydrate components in the beverage of the present invention may be purified, but they may also be used in a crudely purified form, as long as they do not adversely affect the flavor of the beverage of the present invention.

[0023] The beverage of the present invention may contain oligosaccharides (excluding starch hydrolysates). In the present invention, "oligosaccharide" refers to oligosaccharides with a degree of polymerization of 3 to 10, and includes fructooligosaccharides such as 1-kestose, nystose, neokestose, and fructofuranosylnistose, as well as galactooligosaccharides and lactulose, with fructooligosaccharides being preferred. The beverage of the present invention can be specified as containing oligosaccharides at a predetermined concentration. The oligosaccharide concentration in the beverage can be measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

[0024] The oligosaccharide concentration of the beverage of the present invention can be 0.10 g / 100 mL or more, calculated as Brix 11°. Furthermore, the oligosaccharide content of the beverage of the present invention can be 1 to 30% by mass.

[0025] In the beverages of the present invention, the oligosaccharide concentration can also be determined for each type of fruit juice. For example, the orange juice beverage of the present invention may contain oligosaccharides at a Brix 11° equivalent of 0.7 g / 100 mL or more (for example, 0.7 to 2.0 g / 100 mL), and preferably at a Brix 11° equivalent of 0.9 g / 100 mL or more (for example, 0.9 to 1.5 g / 100 mL).

[0026] The grapefruit juice beverage among the beverages of the present invention may contain oligosaccharides at a concentration of 0.1 g / 100 mL or more (for example, 0.1 to 1.0 g / 100 mL) on a Brix 9° basis, and preferably at a concentration of 0.2 g / 100 mL or more (for example, 0.2 to 0.5 g / 100 mL).

[0027] The Satsuma mandarin orange juice beverage of the present invention may contain oligosaccharides at a concentration of 0.6 g / 100 mL or more (for example, 0.6 to 2.5 g / 100 mL) on a Brix 9° basis, and preferably at a concentration of 0.9 g / 100 mL or more (for example, 0.9 to 2.0 g / 100 mL).

[0028] The pineapple juice beverage among the beverages of the present invention may contain oligosaccharides at a concentration of 0.5 g / 100 mL or more (for example, 0.5 to 3.0 g / 100 mL) on a Brix 11° basis, and preferably at a concentration of 0.8 g / 100 mL or more (for example, 0.8 to 2.0 g / 100 mL).

[0029] The fructooligosaccharides contained in the beverage of the present invention are, in a specific embodiment of the present invention, products obtained by in situ conversion of sucrose contained in fruit juice to fructooligosaccharides by enzymatic treatment. That is, the production of fructooligosaccharides in the beverage can be achieved by enzymatic treatment during the processing of the raw fruit juice, or during or after the blending process of the raw fruit juice with other raw materials, as described later. Therefore, the beverage of the present invention can be made without the addition of fructooligosaccharides as a raw material.

[0030] The beverage of the present invention may contain beverage additives commonly used in the formulation design of beverages. Examples of such additives include sweeteners (including high-intensity sweeteners), acidulants, seasonings, spices, flavorings, colorants, thickeners, stabilizers, emulsifiers, nutritional fortifiers, pH adjusters, antioxidants, and preservatives. These beverage additives can be mixed with other ingredients in the blending process described later.

[0031] As described above, the beverage of the present invention is a fruit juice beverage characterized by containing a predetermined carbohydrate component. However, as long as it contains the predetermined carbohydrate component, it is within the scope of the present invention regardless of whether it is a concentrated or diluted beverage. In other words, the beverage of the present invention includes both so-called concentrated beverages that are more concentrated than 100% fruit juice and so-called diluted beverages that are less concentrated than 100% fruit juice.

[0032] In the beverages of the present invention, the Brix value can be determined based on approximately 100% fruit juice content, and can be, for example, 6 to 15°Bx (preferably 7 to 13°Bx). The Brix value of the beverages of the present invention can also be determined for each type of fruit juice. Among the beverages of the present invention, the Brix value of the orange juice beverage can be, for example, 8 to 15°Bx, preferably 9 to 13°Bx. Among the beverages of the present invention, the Brix value of the grapefruit juice beverage can be, for example, 6 to 13°Bx, preferably 7 to 11°Bx. Among the beverages of the present invention, the Brix value of the Satsuma mandarin juice beverage can be, for example, 6 to 13°Bx, preferably 7 to 11°Bx. Among the beverages of the present invention, the Brix value of the pineapple juice beverage can be, for example, 8 to 15°Bx, preferably 9 to 13°Bx.

[0033] The fruit juice content of the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but its lower limit (above or below) can be 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, or 70%, and its upper limit (below or below) can be 150%, 120%, or 100%. These lower and upper limits can be combined arbitrarily, and the above ratio range can be, for example, 30-150% (preferably 40-120% or 50-100%). Here, fruit juice content refers to the ratio of fruit juice (generally also called 100% juice, straight juice, or 100% fruit juice) to the total amount of beverage. According to the JAS standard (Japanese Agricultural Standard for Fruit Beverages), as shown in Table 1, a standard (°Bx) for the reading of a sugar refractometer for fruit juice is determined for each fruit, and the fruit juice content of the beverage can also be calculated based on this standard. For example, according to JAS standards, the Brix value of 100% orange juice is 11°Bx. If 10% by mass of concentrated orange juice with a Brix value of 44°Bx is added to a beverage, the juice content of the beverage will be 40%. When calculating the juice content, if sugar is added to the fruit juice, the refractive index of the added sugars and honey should be excluded.

[0034] [Table 1]

[0035] As shown in the examples below, in sugar-reduced fruit juice beverages, the flavor balance deteriorates due to the reduction in sugar, and a deterioration in flavor balance due to sugar reduction was also observed due to heat sterilization for packaging. The beverage of the present invention can improve all of these deteriorations in flavor balance caused by sugar reduction. In other words, according to the present invention, the deterioration in flavor balance caused by sugar reduction can be improved in sugar-reduced fruit beverages (especially packaged sugar-reduced fruit beverages). Here, "flavor balance" means that the flavor, which consists of "initial acidity," "after-acidity," "smoothness," "fullness," and "sweetness," is in harmony as in fruit juice that has not undergone sugar reduction treatment, and "deterioration of flavor balance" means that the flavor balance is unbalanced compared to fruit juice that has not undergone sugar reduction treatment, and includes a decrease in flavor balance.

[0036] <<Method for manufacturing the beverage of the present invention>> The beverage of the present invention can be produced by adding one or more carbohydrate components selected from the group consisting of starch, starch hydrolysates, and trehalose to sugar-reduced fruit juice.

[0037] The manufacturing method of the present invention (particularly the method for manufacturing a fruit beverage containing reduced-sugar fruit juice) may further include a step of reducing the sugar content of the fruit beverage (sugar reduction step). The reduction of sugar concentration (sugar reduction) can be carried out by one or more treatments selected from the group consisting of enzymatic treatment, membrane filtration, catalytic treatment, and fermentation treatment. The sugar reduction step can be carried out in the processing step of the raw fruit juice, or it can be carried out during or after the blending step of the raw fruit juice with other raw materials.

[0038] In the present invention, enzymes used in the enzymatic treatment include sucrose-based glycosyltransferases. Examples of sucrose-based glycosyltransferases used in the production method of the present invention include fructosyltransferase, levanscurase, dextranscurase, and inuroscurase. One or more of these can be used, and fructosyltransferase is preferred.

[0039] The fructosyltransferase used in the production method of the present invention is an enzyme that has the activity to produce fructooligosaccharides from sucrose. In the present invention, commercially available fructosyltransferase can be used. In the present invention, a microorganism that produces fructosyltransferase may also be cultured, and the enzyme may be purified or crudely purified from the culture to obtain it.

[0040] In the present invention, a fructosyltransferase that is substantially devoid of pectinase activity can be used. Here, "substantially devoid of pectinase activity" means that it does not have the activity to cause a significant clarification effect and / or viscosity reduction effect when fruit juice is treated with it. For example, in an enzyme treatment test using orange juice, if fructooligosaccharides are produced at a sugar composition ratio of 10% or more and the turbidity after treatment is maintained at 35% or more compared to before treatment, then it is considered to be substantially devoid of pectinase activity.

[0041] In the production method of the present invention, when a fructosyltransferase substantially lacking pectinase activity is used for enzymatic treatment, the produced beverage is characterized by maintaining a high level of turbidity and / or viscosity. The ratio of turbidity after enzymatic treatment to turbidity of the fruit juice before enzymatic treatment, i.e., the turbidity retention rate, can be 35% or more, preferably 50% or more, and particularly preferably 70% or more. Fruit juice with the above turbidity retention rate, which has been enzymatically treated with a fructosyltransferase substantially lacking pectinase activity, can be used in the present invention.

[0042] In the present invention, fructosyltransferase can be used in the form of a crude enzyme preparation. Here, "crude enzyme preparation" refers to enzyme preparations that are commonly used in the industrial production of food products, obtained by relatively inexpensive and safe reagents or separation and extraction methods such as filtration membrane separation, and does not include enzyme preparations prepared using advanced and costly separation and purification methods such as fractionation and purification by liquid chromatography.

[0043] In this invention, enzymatic treatment with fructosyltransferase can be performed by adding at least 1 U per gram of sucrose in the fruit juice, preferably 5 U / 1g sucrose, and particularly preferably 10 U / 1g sucrose. After adding the enzyme, the reaction is carried out at 25°C for approximately 4 hours, but the temperature and time can be adjusted as appropriate according to the type of fruit juice and the amount of enzyme added, and it should be noted that prolonged reactions at high temperatures will lead to the decomposition of sugar. When using two or more types of fruit juice, such as in mixed juice, either enzymatic treatment of each type before mixing, or enzymatic treatment of each type after mixing, can be used. When treating concentrated fruit juice, the treatment can be performed before, during, or after concentration.

[0044] In the present invention, membrane filtration can be performed on the raw fruit juice. Examples of usable filtration membranes include nanofiltration membranes, dialysis membranes, ultrafiltration membranes, and reverse osmosis membranes, with nanofiltration membranes being preferred. The filtration membrane used in the present invention can be selected to have a transmittance of trisaccharides or more that is lower than that of monosaccharides and disaccharides. Preferably, a membrane can be selected in which the transmittance of trisaccharides or more is lower than that of monosaccharides and disaccharides, with a transmittance difference of 10% or more. More preferably, a membrane can be selected with a molecular weight cutoff of about 100 to 1000 Da.

[0045] In the present invention, sugar reduction may be achieved by performing either enzymatic treatment or membrane filtration treatment alone, or by combining these treatments. When enzymatic treatment and membrane filtration treatment are performed in combination, membrane filtration treatment may be performed on the fruit juice before or after enzymatic treatment, or it may be performed simultaneously with enzymatic treatment.

[0046] The beverage of the present invention may further include a step of adjusting the carbohydrate content of the beverage to 0.005 to 0.10% by mass. In the manufacturing method of the present invention, multiple types of carbohydrate components may be used, and when multiple types of carbohydrate components are included in the beverage, the adjustment of the content of each carbohydrate component may be carried out individually or simultaneously, and if carried out individually, the order of adjustment may be any. In the manufacturing method of the present invention, the adjustment of the carbohydrate content may be carried out on the fruit juice before the sugar reduction treatment or on the fruit juice after the sugar reduction treatment, or it may be carried out simultaneously with the sugar reduction treatment.

[0047] The raw materials used in the manufacturing method of the present invention may be either straight juice or concentrated juice. If the target beverage is low in concentration, diluted juice mixed with water or other drinkable liquid may also be used as a raw material. Furthermore, the raw materials used in the manufacturing method of the present invention may be a mixed juice of two or more types of fruit juice.

[0048] In the manufacturing method of the present invention, except for the sugar reduction treatment and aroma component concentration adjustment described above, the process can be carried out according to known manufacturing procedures for fruit beverages. That is, the juice extraction process can be carried out before the sugar reduction treatment to prepare the fruit juice. If commercially available concentrates or pastes are used as raw materials, the juice extraction process can be omitted. In addition, the fruit juice subjected to the sugar reduction treatment can be blended with other raw materials such as additives in the blending process. The aroma component concentration may be adjusted in the blending process, or it may be done before or after the blending process. The blended liquid obtained in the blending process can be bottled after a sterilization process and a filling process. The bottled beverage of the present invention can be subjected to a sealing process and a cooling process as needed.

[0049] <<The present invention: a method for improving flavor>> According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for improving the flavor of a sugar-reduced fruit beverage is provided, comprising adding one or more carbohydrate components selected from the group consisting of starch, starch hydrolysates, and trehalose to the beverage. The flavor improvement method of the present invention can be carried out in accordance with the description of the beverage and the method for producing the beverage and the method for producing the beverage of the present invention. The flavor improvement method of the present invention can improve the deterioration of the flavor balance in sugar-reduced fruit juice caused by the reduction of sugars. [Examples]

[0050] The present invention will be described more specifically based on the following examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0051] Measurement of sugar concentration, sugar composition, total sugar concentration, and Brix In the following example, the sugar concentrations (monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides) in the sample beverages were analyzed using an absolute calibration curve method with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Specifically, the measurements were performed as follows.

[0052] The sample solution was diluted with water to obtain a solution containing about 1% sugar. Next, the solution was filtered through a syringe filter and then analyzed by HPLC (JASCO Corporation) according to the conditions described in WO 2019 / 004054 to calculate the sugar concentration (each sugar concentration, saccharide concentration, total sugar concentration). The saccharide concentration was defined as the total value of the monosaccharide concentration and the disaccharide concentration.

[0053] <HPLC analysis conditions> Column: YMC-Pack Polyamine II (YMC) Mobile phase: 67% (v / v) acetonitrile solution Column temperature: 30 °C Flow rate: 1.0 mL / min Detection: differential refractive index detector

[0054] Measurement of acidity In the following examples, the analysis of the acidity in the sample beverage was calculated based on the method for measuring acidity defined in Japanese Agricultural Standard (Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Notice No. 1127, August 8, 2006), as described above. Specifically, 10.0 g of the sample was dispensed into a beaker and made up to 150 mL with water. Next, it was titrated using 0.10 mol / L NaOH solution, and the acidity was calculated from the titration volume of the NaOH solution. The end point was in accordance with the automatic potentiometric titrator (AT-610, Kyoto Electronics Industry Co., Ltd.).

[0055] The Brix value was measured using a saccharimeter (Rx-5000α, Atago Co., Ltd.).

[0056] Example 1: The effect of various carbohydrate components on the flavor of reduced-sugar orange juice (1) Preparation of sample beverage Orange juice (65 °Bx, Cutrale) was diluted to 45 °Bx. 100 g of the diluted orange juice was dispensed into a 200 mL beaker. Next, fructosyltransferase (Aspergillus AspergillusA solution derived from the genus (from Shin Nippon Chemical Industries, hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "FTase") was added to sucrose at a concentration of 10 U / 1g, and after thorough stirring to ensure homogeneity, the mixture was allowed to stand at 25°C for 4 hours to carry out the enzymatic reaction. After the enzymatic reaction was complete, the solution was diluted to 11°Bx, filled into steel cans, and heated at 80°C for 10 minutes to inactivate the enzyme, thereby preparing a sample beverage (sample number 1) with reduced sugar concentration. Next, sugar-reduced beverages (samples 2-10) were prepared by adding carbohydrate components such as dextrin (L-SPD, DE value: 16.5, Showa Sangyo Co., Ltd., hereafter the same), starch (potato starch (unprocessed starch), Maruboshi Co., Ltd., hereafter the same), trehalose (TOMIZ, cuoca Co., Ltd.), cyclodextrin (Celldex B-100, Nippon Shokuhin Kako Co., Ltd.), or indigestible dextrin (E-Fiber, Mitsubishi Corporation) to the sugar-reduced beverage (sample number 1) at the concentrations (mass%) shown in Table 3.

[0057] (2) Flavor evaluation The flavor of the sample beverage prepared in (1) above (Sample No. 1) and orange juice with a typical composition (11°Bx, unreduced sugar beverage) with a sugar concentration of 8.33 g / 100 mL (disaccharide concentration of 3.99 g / 100 mL) was evaluated (specifically, whether there was any difference in taste compared to drinking orange juice with a typical composition). ○ was used if there was no difference, and × if there was a difference.

[0058] (3) Sensory evaluation The sample beverages prepared in (1) above (sample numbers 1-10) were subjected to sensory evaluation. The sensory evaluation was conducted by five trained panelists, and the evaluation items were "initial acidity," "aftertaste," "smoothness," "fullness," "sweetness," and "overall deliciousness." Sample number 1 was used as the control beverage, and the extent to which the sample beverages (sample numbers 2-10) deviated from the control beverage (increase or decrease) was evaluated according to the evaluation criteria below. In addition, a positive sign was added to the values ​​below if each evaluation item increased, and a negative sign was added if it decreased. The score of the control beverage was set to 10, and the signed value was added to 10 to obtain each panelist's score. <Evaluation Criteria> 0-0.4: The difference in increase or decrease compared to the control beverage is barely noticeable. 0.5~1.0: Allows for careful comparison with the control beverage to determine the difference in increase or decrease. 1.1~2.0: The difference in increase or decrease compared to the control beverage is clearly visible. 2.1~: Differences in increase or decrease can be determined without comparing with a control beverage.

[0059] Panelists rated each sample beverage to the nearest whole number, calculated the average score for all panelists, and divided the average score by 10 to determine the evaluation score (the control beverage's evaluation score was 1). An evaluation score exceeding 0.05 was judged to be "effective." In addition, any comments about the beverages were noted in the table. Here, "initial acidity" refers to the intensity of acidity from the top to the middle. "Aftertaste" refers to the intensity of acidity felt at the end. "Smoothness" refers to the breadth of flavor when taken into the mouth. "Fullness" refers to the complexity of flavor when taken into the mouth. "Sweetness" refers to the intensity of sweetness. "Overall deliciousness" refers to the closeness (lack of discomfort) to a typical fruit juice composition with unreduced sugar concentration.

[0060] (4) Results The results are shown in Tables 2 and 3. [Table 2]

[0061] [Table 3] TIFF0007894209000005.tif86142

[0062] Table 2 shows that in orange juice with reduced sugar concentration (11°Bx) with a sugar concentration / acidity of less than 12.8, the flavor balance deteriorated compared to orange juice with a general composition that did not have reduced sugar concentration (unreduced sugar beverage). Table 3 shows that in orange juice with reduced sugar concentration (11°Bx) with a sugar concentration / acidity of less than 12.8, the deteriorated flavor could be improved by adding a predetermined amount of dextrin, starch, or trehalose. On the other hand, when indigestible dextrin or cyclodextrin was added to the orange juice with reduced sugar concentration, the flavor balance improved, but off-flavors were noted. These results suggest that carbohydrates other than indigestible dextrin and cyclodextrin are suitable as carbohydrate components in the beverage of the present invention.

[0063] Example 2: Effects of various carbohydrate components on the flavor of reduced-sugar orange juice after heat sterilization. (1) Preparation of sample beverages The sample beverages were prepared according to the method described in Example 1(1), and a beverage with unreduced sugar content was prepared, as well as a sample beverage with reduced sugar content (Sample No. 11).

[0064] (2) Packaging and sterilization of beverages The sample beverage prepared in (1) above (Sample No. 11) was filled into a retort bottle and pasteurized at 65°C for 10 minutes to prepare a packaged sample beverage (Sample No. 12). Next, dextrin was added to the packaged sample beverage (Sample No. 12) to the concentration (mass%) shown in Table 5 to prepare a packaged sample beverage with added dextrin (Sample No. 13).

[0065] (3) Flavor evaluation The flavors of the sample beverages prepared in (1) and (2) above (sample numbers 11 and 12) and orange juice with a typical composition of 8.33 g / 100 mL (disaccharide concentration 3.99 g / 100 mL) (11°Bx, unreduced sugar beverage) were evaluated according to the method described in Example 1(2). Any comments regarding the beverages are noted in the table.

[0066] (4) Sensory evaluation The sample beverages prepared in (1) and (2) above (sample numbers 11 and 13) were subjected to sensory evaluation. The sensory evaluation was conducted by five trained panelists according to the criteria and methods described in Example 1(3).

[0067] (5) Results The results are shown in Tables 4 and 5. [Table 4]

[0068] [Table 5]

[0069] Table 4 shows that in sterilized orange juice (11°Bx) (Sample No. 12) with reduced sugar concentration (sugar concentration / acidity less than 12.8), the flavor balance deteriorated compared to orange juice with a typical composition (unreduced sugar beverage), and the acidity was perceived as sharper compared to unsterilized orange juice with reduced sugar concentration (Sample No. 11). Table 5 shows that in sterilized orange juice (11°Bx) with reduced sugar concentration (sugar concentration / acidity less than 12.8), the deteriorated flavor could be improved in a beverage with a predetermined amount of dextrin added (Sample No. 13), and the flavor improvement by dextrin was more effective compared to unsterilized juice (Sample No. 3).

[0070] Example 3: Effects of various carbohydrate components on the flavor of reduced-sugar grapefruit juice, Satsuma mandarin juice, and pineapple juice. (1) Preparation of sample beverages Except for using grapefruit juice (61°Bx, Citrus World, unreduced sugar beverage), Satsuma mandarin juice (64°Bx, Ichikai Co., Ltd., unreduced sugar beverage), and pineapple juice (60°Bx, Dole, unreduced sugar beverage), enzymatic treatment was performed according to the method described in Example 1(1) to prepare grapefruit beverage (sample number 14), Satsuma mandarin beverage (sample number 15), and pineapple beverage (sample number 16) with reduced sugar concentrations. The Brix values ​​of these beverages were adjusted to 9°Bx for grapefruit juice, 9°Bx for Satsuma mandarin juice, and 11°Bx for pineapple juice. Next, dextrin or starch was added to the sample beverages (sample numbers 14-16) to the concentrations (mass%) shown in Tables 7-9 to prepare reduced sugar beverages (sample numbers 17-23) containing carbohydrate components.

[0071] (2) Flavor evaluation The flavors of the sample beverages prepared in (1) above (sample numbers 14-16), grapefruit juice with a typical composition of 6.8 g / 100 mL (disaccharide concentration 2.14 g / 100 mL) (9°Bx, control beverage), Satsuma mandarin juice with a typical composition of 14.6 g / 100 mL (disaccharide concentration 4.05 g / 100 mL) (9°Bx, control beverage), and pineapple juice with a typical composition of 9.93 g / 100 mL (disaccharide concentration 5.61 g / 100 mL) (11°Bx, control beverage) were evaluated according to the method described in Example 1(2).

[0072] (3) Sensory evaluation The sample beverages prepared in (1) above (sample numbers 14-23) were subjected to sensory evaluation. The sensory evaluation was conducted by four trained panelists according to the criteria and methods described in Example 1(3).

[0073] (4) Results The results are shown in Tables 6-9. [Table 6]

[0074] [Table 7]

[0075] [Table 8]

[0076] [Table 9]

[0077] Table 6 shows that the reduced sugar content grapefruit juice (9°Bx) with a sugar concentration / acidity of less than 6.8, the reduced sugar content Satsuma mandarin juice (9°Bx) with a sugar concentration / acidity of less than 14.6, and the reduced sugar content pineapple juice (11°Bx) with a sugar concentration / acidity of less than 16.3 exhibited a worsened flavor balance compared to the juices with a typical composition (unreduced sugar beverages). Furthermore, Table 7 shows that the reduced sugar content grapefruit juice (9°Bx) with a sugar concentration / acidity of less than 6.8 could be improved by adding a predetermined amount of dextrin or starch. Table 8 shows that the reduced sugar content Satsuma mandarin juice (9°Bx) with a sugar concentration / acidity of less than 14.6 could be improved by adding a predetermined amount of dextrin or starch. The results in Table 9 confirm that in pineapple juice with reduced sugar concentration (11°Bx) where the sugar concentration / acidity ratio is less than 16.3, the deteriorated flavor can be improved by adding a predetermined amount of dextrin.

[0078] Example 4: The effect of dextrin on the flavor of orange juice (1) Preparation of sample beverages Concentrated orange juice (65°Bx, Cutrale Co.) was adjusted to 11°Bx to prepare orange juice with a typical composition (unreduced sugar content) and a sugar concentration of 8.4 g / 100 mL. Next, L-ascorbic acid was added to this orange juice to the concentrations (mass%) shown in Table 10 to prepare acidic beverages (sample numbers 24-27). Then, dextrin was added to the acidic beverage (sample number 26) containing 0.50 mass% ascorbic acid to the concentrations (mass%) shown in Table 11 to prepare beverages containing carbohydrate components (dextrin) (sample numbers 28-31).

[0079] (2) Flavor evaluation The flavors of the sample beverages prepared in (1) above (sample numbers 24-27) and orange juice of a typical composition (11°Bx, unreduced sugar beverage) were evaluated according to the method described in Example 1(2).

[0080] (3) Sensory evaluation The sample beverages prepared in (1) above (sample numbers 26 and 28-31) were subjected to sensory evaluation. The sensory evaluation was conducted by three trained panelists according to the criteria and methods described in Example 1(3).

[0081] (4) Results The results are shown in Tables 10 and 11. [Table 10]

[0082] [Table 11]

[0083] The results in Table 10 show that orange juice with a sugar concentration / acidity of less than 12.5 (11°Bx) had a worse flavor balance compared to orange juice with a typical composition (unreduced sugar beverage). The results in Table 11 show that adding a predetermined amount of dextrin to orange juice with a sugar concentration / acidity of less than 12.5 (11°Bx) could improve the worsened flavor.

[0084] Example 5: The effect of fructooligosaccharides and dextrin on the flavor of orange juice (1) Preparation of sample beverages Orange juice with a typical composition (11°Bx) containing 8.33 g / 100 mL of sugars was prepared by adding ascorbic acid to a concentration of 0.50% by mass to create a beverage with a altered sugar concentration / acidity ratio (a beverage with added acidity). Next, fructooligosaccharides (MeiOligo P, Meiji Food Materia Co., Ltd.) were added to this beverage at the concentrations (by mass) shown in Table 12, and then adjusted to 11°Bx to prepare a sample beverage (Sample No. 32). Subsequently, dextrin was added to this sample beverage (Sample No. 32) at the concentrations (by mass) shown in Table 13 to prepare a sample beverage (Sample No. 33) containing a carbohydrate component (dextrin).

[0085] (2) Sensory evaluation The acid-flavored beverages prepared in (1) above and the sample beverages (sample numbers 32 and 33) were subjected to sensory evaluation. The sensory evaluation was conducted by four trained panelists according to the criteria and methods described in Example 1(3).

[0086] (3) Results The results are shown in Tables 12 and 13. [Table 12]

[0087] [Table 13]

[0088] The results in Tables 12 and 13 show that adding fructooligosaccharides to high-acidity orange juice (11°Bx) did not significantly improve the deteriorated flavor. On the other hand, it was confirmed that adding fructooligosaccharides and dextrin to high-acidity orange juice (11°Bx) improved the deteriorated flavor compared to adding only fructooligosaccharides.

[0089] Example 6: The effect of dextrin on the flavor of low-juice oranges (1) Preparation of sample beverages Orange juice of a typical composition (65°Bx, Cutrale Co.) was mixed with enzyme-treated orange juice (45°Bx) obtained by performing an enzymatic reaction according to the method described in Example 1(1), and then inactivating the enzyme by heat treatment at 95°C for 30 seconds, to prepare orange juice with a sugar concentration of 5.5 g / 100 mL and a sugar concentration / acidity of 8.5. Next, this orange juice was adjusted to 5.5°Bx (juice content 50%) to prepare a low-juice beverage, which was used as a control beverage (sugar concentration 2.75 g / 100 mL, sugar concentration / acidity 8.3). Next, dextrin was added to the control beverage at the concentrations (mass%) shown in Table 14 to prepare a sample beverage containing carbohydrate components (dextrin) (Sample No. 34, sugar concentration 2.75 g / 100 mL, sugar concentration / acidity 8.3).

[0090] (2) Sensory evaluation The sample beverage (sample number 34) prepared in (1) above and the control beverage were subjected to sensory evaluation. The sensory evaluation was conducted by three trained panelists according to the criteria and methods described in Example 1(3).

[0091] (3) Results The results are shown in Table 14. [Table 14]

[0092] The results in Table 14 confirm that the flavor can be improved by adding dextrin to orange juice with a sugar concentration / acidity ratio of less than 12.5 (5.5°Bx).

Claims

1. A reduced-sugar fruit beverage in which the ratio of sugar concentration to acidity of the beverage (sugar concentration / acidity ratio) is 0.92 or less compared to the sugar concentration / acidity ratio of straight fruit juice, and which contains one or more sugar components selected from the group consisting of starch, starch hydrolysates, and trehalose, and in which the straight fruit juice and the fruit beverage are derived from the same type of fruit, and which is a packaged beverage (excluding reduced-sugar fruit beverages obtained by removing ethanol from a fermented product fermented with yeast).

2. A fruit beverage containing reduced-sugar fruit juice, comprising one or more carbohydrate components selected from the group consisting of starch, starch hydrolysates, and trehalose, and being a packaged beverage (excluding reduced-sugar fruit beverages obtained by removing ethanol from a fermented product fermented with yeast).

3. The fruit beverage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sugar content of the beverage is 0.005 to 0.10% by mass.

4. The beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the fruit comprises one or more fruits selected from the group consisting of oranges, grapefruits, Satsuma mandarins, and pineapples.

5. The fruit beverage according to claim 4, wherein the oligosaccharide concentration of the beverage is 0.10 g / 100 mL or more, calculated on a Brix of 11°.

6. A beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the fruit juice content is 30% or more.

7. The beverage according to any one of claims 1 and 3 to 6, wherein the fruit beverage is one or more selected from the group consisting of an orange juice beverage with a sugar concentration / acidity ratio of less than 12.8, a Satsuma mandarin juice beverage with a sugar concentration / acidity ratio of less than 14.6, a grapefruit juice beverage with a sugar concentration / acidity ratio of less than 9.1, and a pineapple juice beverage with a sugar concentration / acidity ratio of less than 16.

3.

8. A method for producing a fruit beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising adding one or more sugar components selected from the group consisting of starch, starch hydrolysates, and trehalose to sugar-reduced fruit juice.

9. The manufacturing method according to claim 8, comprising adjusting the content of the sugar component in the beverage to 0.005 to 0.10% by mass.

10. The manufacturing method according to claim 8 or 9, further comprising a step of reducing the sugars in the raw fruit juice.

11. The manufacturing method according to claim 10, wherein the sugar reduction step is carried out by one or more treatments selected from the group consisting of enzymatic treatment, membrane filtration treatment and catalytic treatment.

12. The manufacturing method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the fruit comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of oranges, grapefruits, Satsuma mandarins, and pineapples.

13. A method for improving the flavor of a fruit beverage containing reduced-sugar fruit juice, comprising adding one or more sugar components selected from the group consisting of starch, starch hydrolysates, and trehalose to the beverage, wherein the beverage is a packaged beverage (excluding a method for improving the flavor of a reduced-sugar fruit beverage obtained by removing ethanol from a fermented product fermented with yeast).

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