Method for producing beverage with enhanced aroma of citrus fruit

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of providing: a beverage in which the concentrations of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol are improved and the aroma of a citrus fruit is enhanced; a method for producing the same; and a method for improving the concentrations of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol in a beverage and enhancing the aroma of a citrus fruit. Moreover, the "concentrations of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol" may be the "concentrations of β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol" or the "concentrations of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol".　The present invention pertains to: a method for producing a beverage using a plant raw material, the method comprising a step for adding a food composition having lipase activity; and a beverage produced by said production method.

Description

Method for producing beverage with enhanced citrus fruit aroma

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing a beverage having an enhanced citrus fruit aroma, a beverage produced by the production method, and a method for enhancing the citrus fruit aroma of a beverage.

[0002] Due to global warming, geopolitical risks, etc., raw material prices are rising and raw material procurement is becoming increasingly difficult. To avoid these issues as much as possible, there is a demand for technology that can, for example, produce fragrant beverages using small amounts of raw materials.

[0003] Common methods for enhancing the fruitiness of beverages include using raw materials with a strong fruity flavor or increasing the raw material usage unit, but these methods have the aforementioned problems. Meanwhile, numerous techniques have been reported for enhancing the fruitiness of beverages by subjecting raw materials to special processing. For example, Patent Document 1 (JP 2013-132275 A) describes a "method for producing a fermented malt beverage using hops as a raw material, wherein the hops are preheated at a temperature of 65°C or higher but lower than 90°C for 1 minute or longer but shorter than 60 minutes, and the hops are added to the raw material mixture after all steps involving heating included in the method have been completed and the heated raw material mixture has been cooled." Furthermore, Patent Document 2 (JP 2004-081113 A) describes a "method for producing a fermented malt beverage, comprising using fresh hops or their pulverized product frozen without drying after harvest as a hop raw material or as a fresh hop flavor in the production of a fermented malt beverage." However, the methods described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have problems such as requiring complicated steps, using a large amount of energy, and having high processing costs.

[0004] Meanwhile, regarding the use of lipase in beverage production, for example, Patent Document 3 (JP 2002-045166 A) describes a "brewing method for aromatic alcoholic beverages, characterized by adding lipase or an enzyme preparation containing lipase to mash and increasing the ethyl caproate content in the alcoholic beverage while fermenting." Furthermore, Patent Document 4 (JP 2020-103245 A) describes a method for reducing purines by adding lipase and lactic acid to the raw material liquid in the saccharification step, allowing the lipase to act on the raw material liquid under conditions of pH 4.4 or higher and lower than 5.5, and then fermenting the raw material liquid with yeast and treating it with activated carbon. Patent Document 4 also describes that such treatment not only reduces purines but also increases the concentrations of ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate. It is known that ethyl acetate has a pineapple-like aroma, and isoamyl acetate has a banana-like aroma.

[0005] JP 2013-132275 A JP 2004-081113 A JP 2002-045166 A JP 2020-103245 A

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a beverage having an increased concentration of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol (hereinafter also referred to as "β-citronellol, etc.") and an enhanced citrus fruit aroma, a method for producing the same, and a method for increasing the concentrations of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol in a beverage and enhancing the citrus fruit aroma. In this specification, "concentration of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol" and "concentration of β-citronellol, etc." may also be "concentration of β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol" or "concentration of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol."

[0007] The present inventors conducted extensive research to solve the problems of the present invention and found that, in the production of beverages using plant ingredients, adding a food composition having lipase activity to a liquid raw material can improve the "concentrations of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol," "the concentrations of β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol," and / or "the concentrations of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol," thereby enhancing the aroma of citrus fruits, leading to the completion of the present invention. It was surprising even for those skilled in the art that, in the production of beverages using plant ingredients, adding a food composition having lipase activity to a liquid raw material can improve the concentrations of β-citronellol and the like.

[0008] That is, the present invention provides the following inventions: (1) A method for producing a beverage using a plant raw material, the method comprising step A of adding a food composition having lipase activity to a raw material liquid; (2) The method according to (1) above, in which a food composition having lipase activity is added so that the lipase activity per mL of raw material liquid is 0.01 U or more; (3) The method according to (1) or (2) above, in which step A of adding a food composition having lipase activity to a raw material liquid is carried out at one or more stages selected from the group consisting of preparation of a pre-fermentation solution, before the start of fermentation, during fermentation, and after the end of fermentation; (4) The method according to any of (1) to (3) above, in which the beverage is selected from the group consisting of a beer-taste beverage, a fruit wine beverage, an alcoholic beverage containing fruit juice, and whiskey; (5) The method according to any of (1) to (4) above, in which the beverage is a beer-taste beverage or a fruit wine beverage; (6) In the case where the beverage is a beverage in which the production comprises a heating step and a cooling step of a raw material liquid, (7) The production method according to any one of (1) to (5) above, in which step A of adding a food composition having lipase activity to a raw material liquid is performed after the cooling step of the raw material liquid; (7) The production method according to any one of (1) to (6) above, in which the plant raw material is one or more selected from the group consisting of hops, malt, wheat and barley other than malt, grains, potatoes, beans, fruit juice, fruits, and spices; (8) The production method according to any one of (1) to (7) above, which includes a step of subjecting the raw material liquid to microbial metabolism; (9) A beverage produced by the production method according to any one of (1) to (8) above; (10) A method for producing a beverage using a plant raw material, which method includes step A of adding a food composition having lipase activity to a raw material liquid, and which increases the concentrations of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol in the beverage and enhances the aroma of citrus fruits; (11) A method for producing a beverage using a plant raw material, comprising a step A of adding a food composition having lipase activity to a raw material liquid, thereby increasing the total concentration of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol in the beverage and enhancing the aroma of citrus fruits;(12) A method for producing a beverage using a plant raw material, comprising a step A of adding a food composition having lipase activity to a raw material liquid, thereby increasing the total concentration of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol in the beverage and enhancing the aroma of citrus fruits;

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a beverage having increased concentrations of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol and an enhanced citrus fruit aroma, a method for producing the same, and a method for increasing the concentrations of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol in a beverage and enhancing the citrus fruit aroma. Note that the above-mentioned "concentration of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol" may also be "concentration of β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol" or "concentration of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol."

[0010] The present invention includes the following embodiments: [1] a method for producing a beverage using plant raw materials, the method comprising adding a food composition having lipase activity to a liquid raw material (hereinafter also referred to as the "production method of the present invention"); [2] a beverage produced by the production method of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as the "beverage of the present invention"); [3] a method for enhancing the aroma of citrus fruits by increasing the "concentrations of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol," "concentrations of β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol," and / or "concentrations of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol" in the beverage, the method comprising adding a food composition having lipase activity to a liquid raw material (hereinafter also referred to as the "enhancing method of the present invention"); In addition, the upper limit and lower limit values ​​exemplified in this specification can be formed into numerical ranges by appropriately combining the upper limit and lower limit values ​​that can constitute a numerical range, and these numerical ranges are deemed to be disclosed in the present specification.

[0011] (Food composition having lipase activity) The "food composition having lipase activity" is not particularly limited as long as it has lipase activity and can be added to food. The lipase includes an enzyme that hydrolyzes one or more fatty acids from lipids, and the lipase activity includes the activity of hydrolyzing an ester bond between a fatty acid and a hydroxyl group of glycerol.

[0012] Specific examples of the "food composition having lipase activity" include food additives having lipase activity, and foods and ingredients having lipase activity, with food additives having lipase activity being preferred. Examples of lipases contained in the food composition include microbial lipases and plant-derived lipases, and these may be used in combination.

[0013] The "food additive having lipase activity" mentioned above includes lipase enzyme preparations and the like. Commercially available lipase enzyme preparations can be used. Examples of commercially available enzyme preparations that can be used as lipases include Lipase AY "Amano" 30SD (manufactured by Amano Enzyme Inc.), Lipase DF "Amano" 15 (manufactured by Amano Enzyme Inc.), Lipase MER "Amano" (manufactured by Amano Enzyme Inc.), and Lipase MHA "Amano" 10SD (manufactured by Amano Enzyme Inc.). The origins of the lipases in these commercially available enzyme preparations are listed in Table 5 below. Lipases can be derived from fungi of the genus Candida, Rhizopus, and Mucor, and preferably from Candida cylindracea, Rhizopus oryzae, and Mucor javanicus.

[0014] Examples of the above-mentioned "foods or ingredients having lipase activity" include vegetables such as corn, tomato, radish, cauliflower, celery, and pumpkin; fruits such as strawberry, grapefruit, and fig; and spices such as bell pepper, paprika, fennel, thyme, sage, chili pepper, and coriander (see JP 02-200163 A).

[0015] The lipase activity of the "food composition having lipase activity" used in the present invention may be 0.001 U or more, 0.01 U or more, 0.1 U or more, 0.3 U or more, 0.5 U or more, 0.8 U or more, 1 U or more, 3 U or more, 5 U or more, 8 U or more, or 10 U or more, or may be 100,000 U or less, 90,000 U or less, 80,000 U or less, 70,000 U or less, or 60,000 U or less.

[0016] As used herein, lipase activity refers to the relative enzyme amount, where 1 unit (U) is the amount of enzyme required to convert 1 μmol of substrate to produce p-nitrophenol per second under the following conditions. A premix was prepared by mixing 5 mM 4-nitrophenyl decanoate (Sigma-Aldrich) dissolved in acetonitrile with four volumes of 100 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) and four volumes of ultrapure water. 90 μL of this mixture was dispensed into a 96-well plate and incubated at 40°C. 10 μL of a "food composition with lipase activity" serially diluted with 100 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) was added, and the reaction was initiated under conditions where the concentration of the substrate, 4-nitrophenyl decanoate, was adjusted to 0.5 mM. The A415 of the reaction solution was measured over time, and the relationship between reaction time and the change in A415 was plotted. The amount of reaction product produced per unit time was considered to be the enzyme activity, and the activity was calculated from the slope of the linear range. The activity per unit weight of the "food composition having lipase activity" is calculated by defining the amount of enzyme that converts 1 μmol of substrate per second and produces p-nitrophenol as 1 unit. The p-nitrophenol produced from the reaction solution can be quantified by comparing with the absorbance of a standard sample (Kanto Chemical).

[0017] (Beverages of the Present Invention) The beverages of the present invention are not particularly limited as long as they are produced by the production method of the present invention. Examples of the beverages of the present invention include beer-taste beverages, fruit wine beverages, alcoholic beverages containing fruit juice, whiskey, other alcoholic beverages, and sake. Among these, beer-taste beverages, fruit wine beverages, alcoholic beverages containing fruit juice, whiskey, and other alcoholic beverages are preferred, and among these, beer-taste beverages and fruit wine beverages are more preferred. The beverages of the present invention may be beverages that have not undergone a fermentation process using a microorganism such as yeast, but are preferably fermented beverages (preferably alcohol-fermented beverages) that have undergone a fermentation process using a microorganism such as yeast (preferably yeast). Preferred examples of the beverages of the present invention include beverages using hops (preferably fermented beverages, more preferably alcohol-fermented beverages), beverages using malt (preferably fermented beverages, more preferably alcohol-fermented beverages), and beverages using hops and malt (preferably fermented beverages, more preferably alcohol-fermented beverages). Fermentation in this specification includes alcoholic fermentation, lactic acid fermentation, acetic acid fermentation, and the like, with alcoholic fermentation being preferred. As used herein, "alcoholic fermentation" refers to the production of alcohol from sugar through the metabolism of microorganisms, "lactic acid fermentation" refers to the production of lactic acid from sugar through the metabolism of microorganisms, and "acetic acid fermentation" refers to the production of acetic acid from alcohol through the metabolism of microorganisms.

[0018] The alcohol content of the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, and may be either an alcoholic beverage or a non-alcoholic beverage. The lower limit of the alcohol content of the alcoholic beverage may be, for example, 1 v / v% or more, 1.5 v / v% or more, 2 v / v% or more, 2.5 v / v% or more, 3 v / v% or more, 3.5 v / v% or more, 4 v / v% or more, 4.5 v / v% or more, 5 v / v% or more, 5.5 v / v% or more, 6 v / v% or more, 6.5 v / v% or more, 7 v / v% or more, 7.5 v / v% or more, 8 v / v% or more, 8.5 v / v% or more, 9 v / v% or more, or v / v% or more, 9.5 v / v%, 10 v / v% or more, 11 v / v% or more, 12 v / v% or more, 13 v / v% or more, 14 v / v% or more, 15 v / v% or more, 16 v / v% or more, 17 v / v% or more, 18 v / v% or more, 19 v / v% or more, 20 v / v% or more, 25 v / v%, 30 v / v% or more, 35 v / v% or more, 40 v / v% or more, 45 v / v% or more, or 50 v / v% or more. Furthermore, the upper limit of the alcohol content of the above-mentioned alcoholic beverage may be, for example, 60 v / v% or less, 50 v / v% or less, 35 v / v% or less, 20 v / v% or less, 15 v / v% or less, 10 v / v% or less, 9.5 v / v% or less, 9 v / v% or less, 8.5 v / v% or less, 8 v / v% or less, 7.5 v / v% or less, 7 v / v% or less, 6.5 v / v% or less, 6 v / v% or less, 5.5 v / v% or less, 5 v / v% or less, 4.5 v / v% or less, 4 v / v% or less, 3.5 v / v% or less, or 3 v / v% or less.

[0019] The non-alcoholic beverage is a beverage that does not substantially contain alcohol. The alcohol content of the non-alcoholic beverage may be less than 1 v / v%, may be 0.5 v / v% or less, may be 0.1 v / v% or less, may be less than 0.05 v / v% (0.0 v / v%), or may be less than 0.005 v / v% (0.00 v / v%). The non-alcoholic beverage may be a non-alcoholic beverage that has not undergone a fermentation process using microorganisms such as yeast, but a non-alcoholic fermented beverage that has undergone a fermentation process using microorganisms such as yeast is preferred.

[0020] In this specification, "beer-taste beverage" refers to a beverage with a beer-like flavor and includes "beer," "happoshu," "other brewed alcoholic beverages," "liqueurs," and "miscellaneous alcoholic beverages" as defined in the Liquor Tax Act (as of October 1, 2020). A beer-taste beverage may be a beer-taste alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of 1% v / v or more, or a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage with an alcohol content of less than 1% v / v.

[0021] The non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage may be a beverage that has not undergone a fermentation process using microorganisms such as yeast, but is preferably a beverage that has undergone a fermentation process (preferably alcoholic fermentation) using microorganisms such as yeast (preferably yeast). Non-alcoholic beer-taste beverages that have undergone a fermentation process using microorganisms such as yeast include beverages obtained by a method that shortens the alcoholic fermentation period using microorganisms such as yeast compared to the production method of conventional alcohol-containing beer-taste beverages, beverages obtained using microorganisms such as yeast that have low or no alcohol-producing ability, beverages obtained by inhibiting alcoholic fermentation by microorganisms such as yeast at low temperatures, beverages obtained by removing microorganisms such as yeast during alcoholic fermentation, and beverages obtained by dealcoholizing an alcohol-containing beer-taste beverage. In this specification, "alcohol" refers to ethanol unless otherwise specified.

[0022] The beer-taste beverage of the present invention is preferably a beer-taste fermented beverage that has undergone a fermentation process (preferably alcoholic fermentation) with yeast. The beer-taste beverage of the present invention may be a beer-taste beverage that uses hops and malt, a beer-taste beverage that uses hops but not malt, a beer-taste beverage that uses malt but not hops, or a beer-taste beverage that uses neither hops nor malt, but is preferably a beer-taste beverage that uses hops and malt, a beer-taste beverage that uses hops but not malt, or a beer-taste beverage that uses malt but not hops, and among these, a beer-taste fermented beverage that uses hops and malt (preferably a beer-taste alcoholic fermented beverage), a beer-taste fermented beverage that uses hops but not malt (preferably a beer-taste alcoholic fermented beverage), or a beer-taste fermented beverage that uses malt but not hops (preferably a beer-taste alcoholic fermented beverage) is more preferred, and among these, a beer-taste fermented beverage that uses hops and malt (preferably a beer-taste alcoholic fermented beverage) is even more preferred.

[0023] The beverages such as the beer-taste beverage of the present invention do not necessarily contain an alcoholic ingredient, but may contain one. Examples of alcoholic ingredients include brewer's alcohol, spirits (rum, vodka, gin, etc.), liqueurs, whiskey, brandy, and shochu (continuously distilled shochu, pot-distilled shochu, etc.). When the beverage of the present invention is a beer-taste beverage and contains an alcoholic ingredient, spirits are preferred as the alcoholic ingredient.

[0024] As used herein, the term "fruit liquor beverage" refers to a beverage obtained by fermenting fruit juice (preferably alcoholic fermentation). The fruit used to make the fruit liquor is not particularly limited, but may be at least one fruit selected from the group consisting of grapes, apples, pears, peaches, lychees, plums, and apricots. Examples of fruit liquor beverages include wine, cider, and fruit wine, with wine being preferred. Specifically, fruit liquor beverages are "fermented using fruit (and water) as the raw material," including those fermented by adding sugars to fruit (and water). Fruit liquor beverages also include those "fermented using fruit (and water) as the raw material" to which alcohol or flavorings have been added. Furthermore, fruit liquor beverages are not limited to those defined as fruit liquor under the Liquor Tax Act, but also include sweet fruit liquor, happoshu (low-malt beer), other brewed alcoholic beverages, spirits, liqueurs, and miscellaneous alcoholic beverages under the Liquor Tax Act, as well as alcoholic beverages produced using "fermented using fruit (and water)" as the raw alcoholic beverage. Fruit liquor beverages also include, for example, chuhai-flavored beverages, cocktail beverages, sour beverages, and low-malt beer beverages that use "fermented fruit (and water) as an ingredient." As long as the beverage contains fruit as an ingredient and is fermented, there are no particular limitations on the other ingredients.

[0025] As used herein, "wine" refers to a fermented beverage made primarily from grape juice. Such "wine" includes "a product fermented from grapes (and water)," "a product fermented from grapes (and water) with added sugars," and "a product fermented from grapes (and water) with added alcohol and flavorings." Furthermore, it is not limited to fruit wine as defined by the Liquor Tax Act, but also includes sweet fruit wine, happoshu (low-malt beer), other brewed alcoholic beverages, spirits, liqueurs, and miscellaneous alcoholic beverages, as defined by the Liquor Tax Act, and also includes alcoholic beverages made from "a product fermented from grapes (and water)." Note that "wine" in the present invention may be a fermented beverage made primarily from grape juice, but is not a "fruit wine" or "sweet fruit wine" as defined by the Liquor Tax Act. Furthermore, wine in the present specification also includes, for example, chuhai-flavored beverages, cocktail beverages, sour beverages, and happoshu (low-malt beer) beverages made from "a product fermented from grapes (and water)." The grape juice used to produce "wine" may be straight juice, concentrated juice, or a mixture of these. Furthermore, there are no particular limitations on the other ingredients, as long as grapes are included as ingredients and fermented.

[0026] In this specification, "cider" refers to a fermented beverage made primarily from apple juice. Such "cider" includes "a product fermented from apples (and water)," "a product fermented from apples (and water) with added sugars," and "a product fermented from apples (and water) with added alcohol and flavorings." Furthermore, it is not limited to fruit wines as defined by the Liquor Tax Act, but also includes sweet fruit wines, happoshu (low-malt beer), other brewed alcoholic beverages, spirits, liqueurs, and miscellaneous alcoholic beverages, as defined by the Liquor Tax Act, and alcoholic beverages made from "a product fermented from apples (and water)." Note that "cider" in the present invention may be a fermented beverage made primarily from apple juice, but may not be a "fruit wine" or "sweet fruit wine" as defined by the Liquor Tax Act. The apple juice used to make "cider" may be pure apple juice, concentrated apple juice, or a mixture of these. Furthermore, as long as apples are included as ingredients and fermented, there are no particular limitations on the other ingredients.

[0027] As used herein, "fruit wine" refers to a fermented beverage made primarily from fruit juice other than grape juice or apple juice. Such "fruit wine" includes "a beverage fermented from fruits other than grapes and apples (and water)," "a beverage fermented from fruits other than grapes and apples (and water) with the addition of sugars," and "a beverage fermented from fruits other than grapes and apples (and water) with the addition of alcohol and / or flavorings." Furthermore, it is not limited to fruit wines as defined by the Liquor Tax Act, but also includes sweet fruit wines, happoshu (low-malt beer), other brewed alcoholic beverages, spirits, liqueurs, and miscellaneous alcoholic beverages, as defined by the Liquor Tax Act, and alcoholic beverages made from "a beverage fermented from fruits other than grapes and apples (and water)." Note that "fruit wine" in the present invention may be a fermented beverage made primarily from fruit juice other than grape juice or apple juice, but is not a "fruit wine" or "sweet fruit wine" as defined by the Liquor Tax Act. The fruit juice other than grape juice and apple juice used in the production of "fruit wine" may be straight fruit juice, concentrated fruit juice, or a mixture of these. Furthermore, there are no particular restrictions on the other raw materials, as long as fruit juice other than grape juice and apple juice is included as a raw material and fermented.

[0028] As used herein, "fruit juice-containing alcoholic beverage" refers to an alcoholic beverage containing unfermented (preferably unalcoholically fermented) fruit juice. More specifically, fruit juice-containing alcoholic beverages are beverages containing fruit juice as an alcoholic ingredient, and are produced by mixing water, flavorings, sugars, sweeteners, acidulants, and other food additives, as needed, with other ingredients. Examples of such beverages include spirits such as chuhai, cocktails, fizz, and wine coolers, as well as liqueurs. The alcoholic ingredient is not particularly limited, and examples include brewed alcohol, spirits (rum, vodka, gin, etc.), liqueurs, whiskey, brandy, and shochu (continuously distilled shochu, pot-distilled shochu, etc.), and even brewed alcoholic beverages such as wine and beer. While these alcoholic ingredients can be used alone or in combination, it is preferable to select an alcoholic ingredient that maximizes their flavor. A preferred example of the fruit juice-containing alcoholic beverage of the present invention is a fruit juice-containing alcoholic beverage made using alcohol that has undergone an alcoholic fermentation process using yeast.

[0029] The beverages of the present invention, such as beer-taste beverages, fruit wine beverages, fruit juice-containing alcoholic beverages, and other alcoholic beverages, may be sparkling or non-sparkling. In this specification, the term "sparkling" refers to a beverage that has a gas pressure of 0.049 MPa (0.5 kg / cm) at 20°C. ２ ) or more, and non-foaming refers to a foam having a gas pressure of 0.049 MPa (0.5 kg / cm) at 20°C. ２ ) or less.

[0030] (Plant raw material) In this specification, the term "plant raw material" is not particularly limited and may be in any form as long as it is a plant that can be used as a raw material for producing a beverage. Examples of plant raw materials include hops; grains such as malt, wheat other than malt, corn, rice, and sorghum; potatoes such as potatoes and sweet potatoes; beans such as soybeans, peas, adzuki beans, mung beans, and broad beans; fruit juices, fruits; chili peppers, mustard, wasabi, Japanese pepper, pepper, ginger, saffron, coriander, cardamom, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, mace, nutmeg, allspice, bay leaves, oregano, melissa, basil, laurel, caraway, dill, eucalyptus, fennel, garlic, chamomile, juniper berries, lavender, marjoram, peppermint, and lo Examples of plant ingredients include spices such as rosemary, star anise, tarragon, thyme, valerian, paprika, anise, fenugreek, horseradish, leek, onion, parsley, sage, savory, sesame seeds, turmeric, vanilla, gardenia, poppy seeds, perilla (shiso), mugwort, wormwood, radish, celery, bouquet garni, carte épices, chili powder, garam masala, pickling spice, Shichimi pepper, Wuxiang, Tabasco sauce, and curry powder; as well as carbohydrate ingredients (sugars) such as starch, grits, and liquid sugar. Plant ingredients may be processed products, such as plant-derived proteins or protein hydrolysates. These plant ingredients may be used alone or in combination. Among these plant ingredients, it is preferable to use at least hops, or hops and malt.

[0031] The above-mentioned hops are not particularly limited in terms of variety, processing state, amount used, stage at which they are used in the manufacturing process, and the like.

[0032] Hop varieties include, for example, Cascade, Magnum, Kirin No. 2, Galaxy, Saaz, Hallertau Tradition, Bullion, Brewers Gold, Chinook, Cluster, East Kent Golding, Fuggles, Hallertau, Mount Hood, and Northern Brewer. Brewer, Perle, Styrian, Target, Tettnanger, Willamette, Hersbrucker, Bravo, Columbus, Herkules, Millennium, Nugget, Summit, Tomahawk, Warrior, Zeus, Hallertau Perle, and the like. Hops may be used alone or in combination.

[0033] Examples of processed hops include dried hops, pressed hops, hop pellets, fresh hops, hop powder, hop oil, hop extract, isomerized hops, low hops, tetrahops, hexahops, etc. Hops in the same processed state may be used alone, or multiple types in different processed states may be used in combination.

[0034] The amount of hops used, when converted into the amount (g) of hop pellets used relative to the volume (L) of the raw material liquid, can be, for example, 0.01 g / L or more, 0.1 g / L or more, 0.5 g / L or more, 1 g / L or more, 2.5 g / L or more, or 5 g / L or more, and can also be 50 g / L or less, 30 g / L or less, or 20 g / L or less.

[0035] When the beverage of the present invention is a beverage that uses hops, the stage in the production process in which hops are used may be any stage, as described above, such as "during preparation of the raw material liquid (preferably during preparation of the raw material liquid before fermentation)," "before the start of fermentation (preferably alcoholic fermentation)," "during fermentation (preferably alcoholic fermentation)," or "after completion of fermentation (preferably alcoholic fermentation)."

[0036] The malt can be obtained by germinating barley. Examples of barley include barley, wheat, rye, oats, oats, pearl barley, and oats, with barley being preferred. Malt contains malt extract. One type of malt may be used alone, or multiple types may be used in combination.

[0037] Examples of the above-mentioned barley other than malt include barley, wheat, rye, oats, adlay, etc.; and barley processed products such as barley extract. Barley extract is obtained by extracting barley extract components containing sugars and nitrogen from barley. As the barley other than malt, one type may be used alone, or multiple types may be used in combination.

[0038] The fruit juice may be a processed fruit juice such as concentrated fruit juice. The fruit may also be a processed fruit such as dried or boiled fruit. Examples of fruit juices and fruits include citrus fruits (oranges, Satsuma mandarins, grapefruits, lemons, limes, yuzu, iyokan, natsumikan, hassaku citrus, ponkan, kumquats, yuzu, shiikuwasha, kabosu, sudachi, etc.), pome fruits (apples, pears, etc.), stone fruits (peaches, plums, apricots, plums, cherries, etc.), cherries (grapes, black currants, blueberries, etc.), tropical, subtropical, or temperate fruits (pineapples, guavas, bananas, mangoes, lychees, kiwis, etc.), and fruit-like vegetables (strawberries, melons, watermelons, etc.). The fruit juices and fruits may be used singly or in combination.

[0039] The ratio of malt in the raw materials for the beverage of the present invention (e.g., a beer-taste beverage) (malt usage ratio) is not particularly limited and may be 100% by weight, 90% by weight or more, 67% by weight or more, 50% by weight or more, or 25% by weight or more, or may be less than 100% by weight, less than 90% by weight, less than 67% by weight, less than 50% by weight, or less than 25% by weight. In this specification, the ratio of malt in the raw materials (malt usage ratio) refers to the ratio of the total weight of malt to the total weight of the raw materials.

[0040] (Raw material liquid) In this specification, the term "raw material liquid" refers to a raw material liquid containing at least water, a liquid raw material, or a mixture thereof, among the raw materials used in producing the beverage of the present invention, and specifically includes "water itself," "fruit juice itself," "a liquid containing water and one or more raw materials other than water," "a liquid containing fruit juice and one or more raw materials other than fruit juice," "a liquid containing fruit juice and water," "a liquid containing fruit juice, water, and one or more raw materials other than fruit juice and water," etc. For convenience, in this specification, any liquid from the start of production until just before the completion of the beverage product (for example, a post-fermentation liquid) will be referred to as raw material liquid.

[0041] The raw material liquid of the present invention to which the food composition having lipase activity is added may or may not contain a plant material, but even if it does not contain a plant material, the plant material will come into contact with the food composition having lipase activity at some stage in the production process. The food composition having lipase activity may be brought into contact with all of the plant materials used in the production of the beverage of the present invention, or may be brought into contact with only some of the plant materials used, as long as the effects of the present invention are obtained.

[0042] The beverage of the present invention may be a packaged beverage. Such a container refers to a sealed container that can prevent contact between the contents and the outside air, and examples thereof include metal cans, barrels, plastic bottles (e.g., PET bottles and cups), paper containers, bottles, and pouches.

[0043] (Production method of the present invention) The production method of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is a method for producing a beverage using a plant raw material, comprising step A of adding a food composition having lipase activity to a raw material liquid. The production method of the present invention can be a conventional method for producing the beverage, except that it further comprises step A.

[0044] (Step A) Step A in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is step A in which a food composition having lipase activity is added to a raw material liquid. The food composition having lipase activity may be added to the raw material liquid, or may be added to other raw materials and then added all at once to the raw material liquid. Alternatively, the raw material liquid may be added to the food composition having lipase activity.

[0045] Step A, in which a food composition having lipase activity is added to a raw material liquid, may be added at any stage in the production process of the beverage of the present invention, as long as the effects of the present invention are obtained. Examples include "during preparation of a pre-fermentation (preferably alcoholic fermentation) solution," "before the start of fermentation (preferably alcoholic fermentation)," "during fermentation (preferably alcoholic fermentation)," and "after the end of fermentation (preferably alcoholic fermentation)." The above "end of fermentation (preferably alcoholic fermentation)" also includes "before the start of storage," "during storage," "after storage," "before filtration," "during filtration," "after filtration," and "before sterilization." Furthermore, "during preparation of a pre-fermentation (preferably alcoholic fermentation) solution" also includes "during cooling of a raw material liquid such as wort" and "after cooling of a raw material liquid such as wort." Furthermore, the food composition having lipase activity may be added in multiple batches at multiple different stages.

[0046] Since lipase is inactivated at high temperatures, it is preferable to add the lipase to the raw material liquid at a stage when the raw material liquid is not at such a high temperature during the production process of the beverage of the present invention. Alternatively, if the raw material liquid is added at a high temperature, it is preferable to quickly cool the raw material liquid to a temperature at which the lipase is not inactivated. The temperature of the raw material liquid when adding the food composition having lipase activity can be appropriately set with reference to the optimal temperature of the lipase contained in the food composition having lipase activity. Since the optimal temperature of lipase is usually 60°C or less, the temperature of the raw material liquid is preferably, for example, 60°C or less or 50°C or less. However, even if the temperature is above 60°C and below 95°C, for example, the raw material liquid can be quickly cooled after adding the food composition having lipase activity so that at least some lipase activity remains. Furthermore, the lower limit of the temperature of the raw material liquid when adding the food composition having lipase activity to the raw material liquid is not particularly limited, and examples include, for example, -10°C or higher, -5°C or higher, 0°C or higher, 3°C or higher, 5°C or higher, 10°C or higher, and 15°C or higher.

[0047] When the beverage of the present invention is a beer-taste beverage (for example, a beer-taste beverage using malt), a preferred stage for adding a food composition having lipase activity to a raw material liquid is after cooling the raw material liquid such as wort. Specific examples of after cooling the raw material liquid such as wort include any of the following stages: "after cooling the raw material liquid such as wort," "before the start of fermentation (preferably alcoholic fermentation)," "during fermentation (preferably alcoholic fermentation)," and "after the end of fermentation (preferably alcoholic fermentation)." More specific examples include any of the following stages: "after cooling the raw material liquid such as wort," "before the start of fermentation (preferably alcoholic fermentation)," "during fermentation (preferably alcoholic fermentation)," "before the start of storage," "during storage," "after storage," "before filtration," "during filtration," "after filtration," and "before sterilization."

[0048] The time period during which lipase activity acts on the raw material liquid is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention can be obtained, but examples of the lower limit of the time period include 2 hours or more, 1 day or more, 3 days or more, 1 week or more, 2 weeks or more, 1 month or more, 2 months or more, 3 months or more, 4 months or more, 6 months or more, 8 months or more, 10 months or more, 1 year or more, 1 year and 6 months or more, 2 years or more, and 3 years or more; and examples of the upper limit of the time period include 10 years or less, 8 years or less, 6 years or less, 5 years or less, 4 years or less, 3 years or less, 2 years or less, 1 year and 6 months or less, 1 year or less, 10 months or less, 8 months or less, 6 months or less, 4 months or less, 3 months or less, 2 months or less, 1 month or less, 3 weeks or less, 2 weeks or less, and 1 week or less.

[0049] The amount of the "food composition having lipase activity" used in the production method of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention can be obtained, and the lipase activity value of the "food composition having lipase activity" added in the production method of the present invention may be 0.1 U or more, 0.3 U or more, 0.5 U or more, 0.8 U or more, 1 U or more, 3 U or more, 5 U or more, 8 U or more, or 10 U or more, or may be 100,000 U or less, 90,000 U or less, 80,000 U or less, 70,000 U or less, or 60,000 U or less.

[0050] In another embodiment, the "amount of food composition having lipase activity" used in the production method of the present invention is such that, when all the ingredients of the beverage of the present invention are used to prepare a raw material liquid and the "food composition having lipase activity" is added to the raw material liquid, the lipase activity in the raw material liquid is, for example, 0.001 U / mL or more, 0.01 U / mL or more, 0.1 U / mL or more, or 0.5 U / mL or more, preferably 1 U / mL or more. There is no particular upper limit to the amount of the "food composition having lipase activity" used, and examples include 10,000 U / mL or less, 1,000 U / mL or less, 100 U / mL or less, 10 U / mL or less, 5 U / mL or less, 3 U / mL or less, and 2 U / mL or less. More specifically, the amount of the "food composition having lipase activity" used may be 0.001 to 10,000 U / mL, 0.001 to 1,000 U / mL, 0.001 to 100 U / mL, 0.001 to 10 U / mL, 0.001 to 5 U / mL, 0.001 to 3 U / mL, 0.001 to 2 U / mL, 0.01 to 10,000 U / mL, 0.01 to 1,000 U / mL, 0.01 to 100 U / mL, 0.01-10U / mL, 0.01-5U / mL, 0.01-3U / mL, 0.01-2U / mL, 0.1-10000U / mL, 0.1-1000U / mL, 0.1-100U / mL, 0 .1-10U / mL, 0.1-5U / mL, 0.1-3U / mL, 0.1-2U / mL, 0.5-10000U / mL, 0.5-1000U / mL, 0.5-100U / mL, 0.5-10U / mL, 0.5 to 5 U / mL, 0.5 to 3 U / mL, 0.5 to 2 U / mL, 1 to 10,000 U / mL, 1 to 1,000 U / mL, 1 to 100 U / mL, 1 to 10 U / mL, 1 to 5 U / mL, 1 to 3 U / mL, and 1 to 2 U / mL are examples thereof, and examples thereof include 0.1 to 10,000 U / mL, 0.1 to 1,000 U / mL, 0.1 to 100 U / mL, 0.1 to 10 U / mL, 0.1 to 5 U / mL, 0.1 to 3 U / mL, 0.1 to 2 U / mL, 0.5 to 10,000 U / mL, 0.5 to 1,000 U / mL, 0.5 to 100 U / mL, 0.5 to 100 U / mL, 0.5 to 10 U / mL, 0.5 to 5 U / mL, 0.5 to 3 U / mL, 0.5 to 2 U / mL, 1 to 10,000 U / mL, 1 to 1,000 U / mL, 1 to 100 U / mL, 1 to 10 U / mL, 1 to 5 U / mL, 1 to 3 U / mL, and 1 to 2 U / mL are preferred.

[0051] The production method of the present invention may further include an optional step in addition to step A. Such optional steps include a step of subjecting the raw material liquid to microbial metabolism, a heat sterilization step, and a step of filling the raw material liquid into a container, and a preferred example is a step of subjecting the raw material liquid to microbial metabolism.

[0052] The above-mentioned "step of inducing microbial metabolism on the raw material liquid" is not particularly limited as long as it is a step of inducing microbial metabolism on the raw material liquid, but a preferred example is a step of contacting the raw material liquid with a microorganism to allow the microorganism to assimilate the raw material liquid, and a more preferred example is a step of contacting the raw material liquid with a microorganism to cause alcoholic fermentation by yeast. Furthermore, a preferred embodiment of the above-mentioned "step of inducing microbial metabolism on the raw material liquid" is a step of inducing microbial metabolism on the raw material liquid in the presence of a food composition having lipase activity. The type of the above-mentioned "microorganism" is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention are obtained, and yeast is a preferred example. The amount of microorganism to be used can be appropriately determined by one skilled in the art.

[0053] The type of microorganism is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention can be obtained, and examples thereof include one or more types selected from the group consisting of yeast and bacteria. The microorganism used in the present invention may be a microorganism capable of producing alcohol by fermentation, or may not be a microorganism capable of producing alcohol, as long as the effects of the present invention can be obtained.

[0054] The type of the above-mentioned "yeast" is not particularly limited as long as it is a species that can be used in foods and beverages, and examples include the genera Saccharomyces, Torulopsis, Mycotorula, Torulaspora, Candida, Rhodotorula, Pichia, Saccharomycopsis, and Brettanomyces, with the genus Saccharomyces being preferred.Specific examples of yeast species that can be used in the present invention include Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces carlsbergensis, Saccharomyces uvarum, Saccharomyces rouxii, Saccharomyces lipolytica, Saccharomyces ludwigii, Saccharomyces pastorianus, Saccharomyces bayanus, Torulopsis utilis, Torulopsis candida, Mycotorula japonica, and the like. japonica), Mycotorula lipolytica, Torulaspora delbrueckii, Torulaspora fermentati, Candida sake, Candida tropicalis, Candida utilis, Pichia anomala, Pichia suaveolens, Pichia farinosa, Rhodotorula rubra, Saccharomycopsis fibligera, Brettanomyces anomalus, and Brettanomyces bruchsellensis. bruxellensis), and preferred examples include Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces pastorianus.

[0055] The type of the above-mentioned "bacteria" is not particularly limited, but may include one or more species selected from the group consisting of lactic acid bacteria, Bifidobacterium bacteria, and Clostridium bacteria, and preferably includes one or more species selected from the group consisting of lactic acid bacteria and Bifidobacterium bacteria.

[0056] (Lactic acid bacteria) "Lactic acid bacteria" is a general term for all those taxonomically recognized as lactic acid bacteria, and is not limited by genus, species, strain, etc. Such "lactic acid bacteria" include bacteria that lactic acid ferment sugar to produce a large amount of lactic acid (preferably 50% or more of the lactic acid consumed), such as bacteria of the genus Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, and Enterococcus.

[0057] The genus or species of lactic acid bacteria is not particularly limited, but examples include one or more bacteria selected from the group consisting of Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, and Enterococcus, preferably one or more bacteria selected from the group consisting of Lactococcus and Lactobacillus, more preferably one or more bacteria selected from the group consisting of Lactococcus lactis and Lactobacillus paracasei, and even more preferably one or more bacteria selected from the group consisting of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis.

[0058] More specific preferred embodiments of the lactic acid bacteria of the present invention include Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis (Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM 5805, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NBRC12007, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NRIC 1150, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM20101, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM7638, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis ATCC11454, etc.), Lactococcus lactis biovariant diacetylactis (Lactococcus subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis), Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris (Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris JCM 16167, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris NBRC100676, etc.), Lactococcus raffinolactis, Lactococcus piscium, Lactococcus plantarum, Lactococcus garvieae (Lactococcus garvieae NBRC100934, etc.), Lactococcus lactis subsp. hordniae) (Lactococcus lactis subsp. hordniae JCM1180, Lactococcus lactis subsp. hordniae JCM11040, etc.), Lactobacillus acidophilus (Lactobacillus acidophilus L-92, etc.),Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. delbrueckii, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus paracasei (Lactobacillus paracasei KW3110 strain, Lactobacillus paracasei MCC1849 strain, etc.), Lactobacillus gasseri Lactobacillus gasseri (SBT2055 strain), Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus johnsonii, Lactobacillus plantarum (Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 strain, etc.), Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus casei subsp. rhamnosus (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG strain), Lactobacillus pentosus, Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus fructivorans fructivorans), Lactobacillus hilgardii, Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus, Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris,Leuconostoc lactis, Pediococcus damnosus, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Pediococcus acidilactici (Pediococcus acidilactici JCM8797 strain and Pediococcus acidilactici K15, etc.), Enterococcus faecalis, Pediococcus cellicola, Pediococcus claussenii, Pediococcus ethanolidurans, Pediococcus inopinatus inopinatus), Pediococcus parvulus, Pediococcus stilesii, and Enterococcus faecium, and preferably, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, Lactococcus lactis biovariant diacetylactis, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, Lactococcus raffinolactis, Lactococcus pythium, Lactococcus plantarum, Lactococcus garvieae, Lactococcus lactis subsp. holdoniae, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, Lactococcus lactis biovariant diacetylactis, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, Lactococcus raffinolactis, Lactococcus pythium, Lactococcus plantarum, Lactococcus garvieae, Lactococcus lactis subsp. holdoniae, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactococcus lactis subsp. Lactobacillus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. delbrueckii, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus johnsonii, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus casei subsp. rhamnosus, Lactobacillus pentosus,Examples of the bacteria include one or more bacteria selected from the group consisting of Lactobacillus fermentum, Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus, Leuconostoc mesentroides subsp. cremoris, and Leuconostoc lactis, and more preferably Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, Lactococcus lactis biovariant diacetylactis, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, Lactococcus raffinolactis, Lactococcus pythium, Lactococcus plantarum, Lactococcus garvieae, Lactococcus lactis subsp. holdoniae, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. delbrueckii, Lactobacillus casei , Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus johnsonii, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus casei subsp. rhamnosus, Lactobacillus pentosus, and Lactobacillus fermentum, and more preferably Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis and Lactobacillus lactis JCM5805, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM20101, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NBRC12007, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NRIC1150, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM 7638, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis ATCC11454, Lactobacillus paracasei KW3110, and Lactobacillus paracasei MCC1849.Particularly preferred is one or more bacteria selected from the group consisting of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM5805, Lactobacillus paracasei KW3110, and Lactobacillus paracasei MCC1849, and more preferably Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM5805.

[0059] Of the above lactic acid bacteria strains, the JCM strain can be obtained from the Microbial Materials Development Division, RIKEN BioResource Center (3-1-1 Takanodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture), the NBRC strain can be obtained from the Biological Genetic Resources Division, National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (2-5-8 Kazusa Kamatari, Kisarazu, Chiba Prefecture), the NRIC strain can be obtained from the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Culture Collection (1-1-1 Sakuragaoka, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo), and the ATCC strain can be obtained from the American Type Culture Collection (USA). The Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM5805 strain can be obtained from the Microbial Materials Development Division, RIKEN BioResource Center, as mentioned above, but in the present invention, the same strain as JCM5805 stored in a collection institution other than the Microbial Materials Development Division, RIKEN BioResource Center, can also be used. Specifically, strains identical to the JCM5805 strain can be obtained from the Biological Genetic Resources Division of the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (2-5-8 Kazusa Kamatari, Kisarazu City, Chiba Prefecture), the Strain Collection of Tokyo University of Agriculture (1-1-1 Sakuragaoka, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo), the American Type Culture Collection (USA), and other sources.

[0060] (Bifidobacterium genus bacteria) The species of Bifidobacterium bacteria is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum, Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. animalis, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis, Bifidobacterium adolescentis, and the like. adolescentis), Bifidobacterium angulatum, Bifidobacterium catenulatum, and Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum, and preferably, one or more bacteria selected from the group consisting of Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum, Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. animalis, and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis.

[0061] (Clostridium bacteria) Examples of Clostridium bacteria include species that can be used in foods and beverages, and specific examples include Clostridium butyricum, known as butyric acid bacteria.

[0062] The production method of the present invention may include a treatment step with activated carbon, but preferably does not include a treatment step with activated carbon, such as a step of contacting activated carbon with a post-fermentation liquid, such as a liquid after alcoholic fermentation.

[0063] (Beverages with Enhanced Citrus Fruit Aroma) In this specification, "citrus fruit aroma" means the aroma of citrus fruits, and more specifically, examples thereof include aromas of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol, citrus fruit aromas including aromas of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol, aromas of β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol, citrus fruit aromas including aromas of β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol, aromas of β-citronellol and nerol, citrus fruit aromas including aromas of β-citronellol and nerol, aromas of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol, and citrus fruit aromas including aromas of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol.

[0064] The beverage of the present invention is a beverage in which the concentrations of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol have been increased and the citrus fruit aroma has been enhanced, or a beverage in which the concentrations of β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol have been increased and the citrus fruit aroma has been enhanced, or a beverage in which the concentrations of β-citronellol and nerol have been increased and the citrus fruit aroma has been enhanced, and preferably a beverage in which the "concentrations of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol," "concentrations of β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol," and / or "concentrations of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol" have been increased, thereby enhancing the citrus fruit aroma. The above-mentioned "concentration of β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol" includes "the total concentration of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol," and the above-mentioned "concentration of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol" includes "the total concentration of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol."

[0065] As used herein, a beverage with elevated concentrations of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol refers to a beverage with elevated concentrations of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol compared to a tea beverage produced using the same raw materials and the same production method, except that a food composition having lipase activity was not added to the raw material liquid (hereinafter also referred to as the "control beverage of the present invention"). Also, as used herein, a beverage with elevated concentrations of β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol refers to a beverage with elevated concentrations of β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol compared to the control beverage of the present invention. Also, as used herein, a beverage with elevated concentrations of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol refers to a beverage with elevated concentrations of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol compared to the "control beverage of the present invention."

[0066] The concentrations of β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol in a beverage, and the concentrations of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol can be measured, for example, by gas chromatography with a mass spectrometer (GC-MS) after appropriately diluting the beverage.

[0067] In this specification, a beverage with an enhanced citrus fruit aroma means a beverage in which the citrus fruit aroma is enhanced compared to the control beverage of the present invention.

[0068] A trained panel can easily and clearly determine the level of citrus fruit aroma in a given beverage and how that level of citrus fruit aroma compares to a control beverage of the present invention (e.g., whether it is enhanced).

[0069] (Enhancement Method of the Present Invention) The enhancement method of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is a method for enhancing the aroma of citrus fruits by increasing the "concentration of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol," "concentration of β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol," and / or "concentration of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol" of the beverage, in which a food composition having lipase activity is added to a raw material liquid in the production of a beverage using a plant raw material. The above-mentioned "concentration of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol" and "concentration of β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol" include "the total concentration of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol," and the above-mentioned "concentration of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol" include "the total concentration of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol."

[0070] Step A and optional steps are the same as those described above (Production method of the present invention).

[0071] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0072] [Test 1] Effect of adding a food composition having lipase activity on aroma components of citrus fruits in beverages The following test was conducted to investigate the effect of adding a food composition having lipase activity on aroma components of citrus fruits in beverages.

[0073] (Production of 100% Malt Sample Beverage) Malt was coarsely crushed and dissolved in raw material hot water. The resulting liquid was saccharified, and the husks were separated to obtain wort. Next, 0.2 g / L of hop extract for the purpose of imparting bitterness was added to this wort, and the mixture was boiled for 60 minutes. After boiling, the wort was recovered and cooled. Next, water was added appropriately to adjust the sugar content, and wort with a sugar content of 11°P was obtained. This wort was 100% malt wort, i.e., all-malt wort. 5 g / L of Cascade hop pellets for the purpose of flavoring was added to this wort, followed by addition of yeast to a concentration of approximately 11 million cells / mL and addition of a lipase enzyme (Lipase AY "Amano" 30SD; manufactured by Amano Enzyme Inc.) to a concentration of 3 U / mL, followed by alcoholic fermentation for 7 days. The beverage was then stored for 7 days, cooled, and filtered to obtain a sample beverage (Example 1).

[0074] A comparative sample beverage (Comparative Example 1) was also obtained using the same production method except that no lipase enzyme preparation was added. The sample beverages of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 are beer-flavored beverages made from 100% malt.

[0075] (Production of a 50% malt sample beverage) Malt was coarsely crushed and dissolved in raw material hot water. The resulting liquid was saccharified, the husks were separated, and then a liquid sugar containing maltose as a main component (manufactured by Nihon Shokuhin Kako Co., Ltd.) was added to the resulting liquid so that the malt content was 50% to obtain a raw material liquid. Next, 0.2 g / L of hop extract for imparting bitterness was added to the resulting wort, and the resulting mixture was boiled for 60 minutes. Water was added appropriately to adjust the sugar content, yielding a wort with a sugar content of 11°P. This wort was 50% malt. 5 g / L of cascade hop pellets for flavoring were added to the resulting wort, followed by the addition of yeast to a concentration of approximately 11 million cells / mL, and the addition of a lipase enzyme (Lipase AY "Amano" 30SD; manufactured by Amano Enzyme Inc.) to a concentration of 3 U / mL, followed by alcoholic fermentation for 7 days. The beverage was then stored for 7 days, cooled, and filtered to obtain a sample beverage (Example 2).

[0076] A comparative sample beverage (Comparative Example 2) was also obtained using the same production method except that no lipase enzyme preparation was added. The sample beverages of Example 2 and Comparative Example 2 were beer-taste beverages containing 50% malt.

[0077] (Production of a sample beverage containing 0% malt) A liquid sugar containing maltose as the main component (manufactured by Nihon Shokuhin Kako Co., Ltd.) was added to water to obtain a raw material solution. 0.2 g / L of hop extract, intended to impart bitterness, was added to this raw material solution and boiled for 60 minutes. Water was added appropriately to adjust the sugar content to obtain a raw material solution with a sugar content of 11°P. This raw material solution contained 0% malt. 5 g / L of Cascade hop pellets, intended to impart flavor, were added to this raw material solution, followed by the addition of yeast to a concentration of approximately 11 million cells / mL and lipase enzyme (Lipase AY "Amano" 30SD; manufactured by Amano Enzyme Inc.) to a concentration of 3 U / mL, followed by alcoholic fermentation for 7 days. The resulting solution was then stored for 7 days, cooled, and filtered to obtain a sample beverage (Example 3).

[0078] A comparative sample beverage (Comparative Example 3) was also obtained using the same production method except that no lipase enzyme preparation was added. The sample beverages of Example 3 and Comparative Example 3 are beer-taste beverages containing 0% malt.

[0079] (Measurement of Concentration of Specific Terpenes) The concentrations (ppb) of β-citronellol, nerol, geraniol, and linalool in each of the sample beverages of Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 were measured by gas chromatography with a mass spectrometer (GC-MS), and the results are shown in Table 1. In this specification, "ppb" represents mass per unit mass.

[0080] (Measurement of Ethyl Acetate and Isoamyl Acetate Concentrations) In order to clarify the differences from Patent Document 4, which is the background art, the concentrations (ppm) of ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate for each of the sample beverages of Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 were measured using a headspace gas chromatograph equipped with an FID (flame ionization detector). The results are also shown in Table 1.

[0081] (Sensory Evaluation Test for Citrus Fruit Aroma) A sensory evaluation test was conducted by four trained expert panelists to assess the level of citrus fruit aroma for each of the sample beverages of Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3. The sensory evaluation scores were on a 51-point scale ranging from 0.0 to 5.0 in increments of 0.1, with the level of citrus fruit aroma for the Comparative Example corresponding to that Example being a relative evaluation score of 2.0. Note that "citrus fruit aroma" as used here refers to an aroma reminiscent of citrus fruits. The level of citrus fruit aroma for each example sample beverage was evaluated by rounding the average of the panel's evaluation scores to one decimal place. Note that for each example sample beverage in all tables of the present invention, the deviation in the evaluation scores for the level of citrus fruit aroma between the panels was within 0.6.

[0082] The results of the sensory evaluation test for each of the sample beverages of Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 are shown in Table 1.

[0083]

[0084] As can be seen from the results in Table 1, when lipase enzyme preparations were added, the linalool concentration remained almost unchanged, while the concentrations of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol (β-citronellol, etc.) increased, and the sensory evaluation test showed that the citrus fruit aroma was actually enhanced. It was also shown that these effects of lipase enzyme preparations were obtained regardless of the malt ratio.

[0085] Next, the results for ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate will be described. In the production method described in Patent Document 4 of the background art, the concentrations of both ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate were clearly increased by adding lipase enzyme (and by treating with activated carbon after alcoholic fermentation), etc. In contrast, in the production method of the present invention, as can be seen from the results in Table 1, the concentrations of both ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate did not clearly increase, but rather both decreased. This demonstrates that the production method of the present invention is clearly different from the production method described in Patent Document 4 of the background art.

[0086] [Test 2] Effect of the timing of addition of a food composition having lipase activity on the aroma components of citrus fruits in a beverage The following test was conducted to investigate the effect of the timing of addition of a food composition having lipase activity on the aroma components of citrus fruits in a beverage.

[0087] The sample beverage of Example 1 and the sample beverage of Comparative Example 1 were obtained using the method described in [Test 1] above. In the sample beverage of Example 1, a food composition having lipase activity was added to wort before alcoholic fermentation.

[0088] On the other hand, the sample beverage of Example 4 was prepared using the same preparation method as the sample beverage of Example 1, except that the food composition having lipase activity was added to the beverage after alcoholic fermentation but before storage, rather than to the wort before alcoholic fermentation.

[0089] (Measurement of specific terpene concentrations) The concentrations (ppb) of β-citronellol, nerol, geraniol, and linalool for each of the sample beverages of Examples 1 and 4 and Comparative Example 1 were measured using gas chromatography with a mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The results are shown in Table 2.

[0090] (Measurement of ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate concentrations) In order to clarify the differences from Patent Document 4, which is background art, the concentrations (ppm) of ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate for each sample beverage of Examples 1 and 4 and Comparative Example 1 were measured using a headspace gas chromatograph equipped with an FID (flame ionization detector). The results are also shown in Table 2.

[0091] (Sensory Evaluation Test for Citrus Fruit Aroma) A sensory evaluation test was conducted in the same manner as described in the above [Test 1] to determine the level of citrus fruit aroma in each of the sample beverages of Examples 1 and 4, and Comparative Example 1. The results of the sensory evaluation test for these sample beverages are shown in Table 2.

[0092]

[0093] As can be seen from the results in Table 2, the addition of lipase enzyme preparations, whether before or after alcoholic fermentation of the raw material liquid, increased the concentration of β-citronellol and other substances, and actually enhanced the citrus fruit aroma.

[0094] Next, the results for ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate will be described. In the production method described in Patent Document 4 of the background art, the concentrations of both ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate were clearly increased by adding lipase enzyme (and by treating with activated carbon after alcoholic fermentation), etc. In contrast, in the production method of the present invention, as can be seen from the results in Table 2, the concentrations of both ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate did not clearly increase, but rather both decreased. This demonstrates that the production method of the present invention is clearly different from the production method described in Patent Document 4 of the background art.

[0095] [Test 3] Effect of the hop variety used together with the food composition having lipase activity on the aroma components of citrus fruits in beverages The following test was conducted to investigate the effect of the hop variety used together with the food composition having lipase activity on the aroma components of citrus fruits in beverages.

[0096] The sample beverage of Example 1 and the sample beverage of Comparative Example 1 were obtained by the method described in [Test 1] above. The sample beverages of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 used Cascade hops.

[0097] On the other hand, sample beverages of Example 5 and Comparative Example 4 were prepared using the same preparation methods as those for the sample beverages of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1, respectively, except that Magnum hops were used instead of Cascade hops.

[0098] In addition, the sample beverages of Example 6 and Comparative Example 5 were prepared using the same preparation methods as those for the sample beverages of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1, respectively, except that Kirin No. 2 hops were used instead of Cascade hops.

[0099] (Measurement of specific terpene concentrations) The concentrations (ppb) of β-citronellol, nerol, geraniol, and linalool for each of the sample beverages of Examples 1, 5, and 6, and Comparative Examples 1, 4, and 5, were measured using gas chromatography with a mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The results are shown in Table 3.

[0100] (Sensory Evaluation Test for Citrus Fruit Aroma) A sensory evaluation test was conducted on the level of citrus fruit aroma for each of the sample beverages of Examples 1, 5, and 6, and Comparative Examples 1, 4, and 5, using the same method as described in [Test 1] above. The results of the sensory evaluation test for these sample beverages are shown in Table 3. The level of citrus fruit aroma for the comparative examples was assigned a score of 2.0 for Comparative Example 1 and 1.0 for Comparative Examples 4 and 5, depending on the level of citrus fruit aroma for each comparative example sample.

[0101]

[0102] As can be seen from the results in Table 3, regardless of the variety of hop used, the lipase enzyme preparation increased the concentration of β-citronellol and the like, and actually enhanced the citrus fruit aroma.

[0103] [Test 4] Effect of the timing and amount of hop addition on the aroma components of citrus fruits in beverages The following test was conducted to investigate the effect of the timing and amount of hop addition on the aroma components of citrus fruits in beverages.

[0104] The sample beverage of Example 1 and the sample beverage of Comparative Example 1 were obtained using the method described in [Test 1] above. In the sample beverage of Example 1, a food composition having lipase activity was added to wort before alcoholic fermentation.

[0105] On the other hand, the sample beverage of Example 7 was prepared by the same preparation method as the sample beverage of Example 1, except that 5 g / L of Cascade hop pellets, which had been added before the addition of yeast, were added during wort boiling. Also, the sample beverage of Comparative Example 6 was prepared by the same preparation method as the sample beverage of Example 7, except that no food-grade composition having lipase activity was added.

[0106] The sample beverage of Example 8 was prepared by the same preparation method as that of the sample beverage of Example 1, except that the amount of hops used was 0.5 g / L instead of 5 g / L. The sample beverage of Comparative Example 7 was prepared by the same preparation method as that of the sample beverage of Example 8, except that no food composition having lipase activity was added.

[0107] (Measurement of specific terpene concentrations) The concentrations (ppb) of β-citronellol, nerol, geraniol, and linalool for each of the sample beverages of Examples 1, 7, and 8 and Comparative Examples 1, 6, and 7 were measured using gas chromatography with a mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The results are shown in Table 4.

[0108] (Sensory Evaluation Test for Citrus Fruit Aroma) A sensory evaluation test was conducted in the same manner as described in [Test 1] above to determine the level of citrus fruit aroma in each of the sample beverages of Examples 1, 7, and 8 and Comparative Examples 1, 6, and 7. The results of the sensory evaluation test for these sample beverages are shown in Table 4.

[0109] The results of the sensory evaluation test for each of the sample beverages of Examples 1, 7, and 8 and Comparative Examples 1, 6, and 7 are shown in Table 4. The level of citrus fruit aroma of the comparative examples was assigned a score of 2.0 for Comparative Example 1, 1.5 for Comparative Example 6, and 0.5 for Comparative Example 7, depending on the level of citrus fruit aroma of each comparative example sample.

[0110]

[0111] As can be seen from the results in Table 4, regardless of the timing or amount of hop addition, the addition of lipase enzyme preparation increased the concentration of β-citronellol and other compounds, and actually enhanced the citrus fruit aroma.

[0112] [Test 5] Effect of type of lipase enzyme preparation on aroma components of citrus fruits in beverages The following test was conducted to investigate the effect of type of lipase enzyme preparation on aroma components of citrus fruits in beverages.

[0113] Malt was coarsely crushed and dissolved in raw material hot water. The resulting liquid was saccharified, and the husks were separated to obtain wort. Next, 0.2 g / L of hop extract for the purpose of imparting bitterness was added to this wort, and the mixture was boiled for 60 minutes. After boiling, the wort was recovered and cooled. Water was then added appropriately to adjust the sugar content, yielding a wort with a sugar content of 11°P. This wort was 100% malt wort, i.e., all-malt wort. 5 g / L of Cascade hop pellets for flavoring were added to this wort, followed by the addition of yeast to a concentration of approximately 11 million cells / mL and lipase enzyme (Lipase AY "Amano" 30SD; manufactured by Amano Enzyme Inc.) to a concentration of 3 U / mL, followed by alcoholic fermentation for 7 days. The resulting mixture was then stored for 7 days, cooled, and filtered to obtain a sample beverage (Example 9).

[0114] A comparative sample beverage (Comparative Example 8) was also obtained using the same production method except that no lipase enzyme preparation was added. The sample beverages of Example 9 and Comparative Example 8 are beer-flavored beverages made from 100% malt.

[0115] On the other hand, the sample beverage of Example 10 was prepared using the same preparation method as the sample beverage of Example 9, except that Lipase DF "Amano" 15 (manufactured by Amano Enzyme Co., Ltd.) was used instead of Lipase AY "Amano" 30SD.

[0116] In addition, the sample beverage of Example 11 was prepared using the same preparation method as the sample beverage of Example 9, except that Lipase MER "Amano" (manufactured by Amano Enzyme Co., Ltd.) was used instead of Lipase AY "Amano" 30SD.

[0117] In addition, the sample beverage of Example 12 was prepared using the same preparation method as the sample beverage of Example 9, except that Lipase MHA "Amano" 10SD (manufactured by Amano Enzyme Co., Ltd.) was used instead of Lipase AY "Amano" 30SD.

[0118] The amount of lipase enzyme preparation added was 3 U / mL in all of Examples 9 to 12. The origin of the lipase enzyme and the lipase activity of each lipase enzyme preparation are shown in Table 5 below.

[0119]

[0120] (Measurement of lipase activity of lipase enzyme preparations) The lipase activity of each lipase enzyme preparation was measured by colorimetrically quantifying p-nitrophenol produced from the p-nitrophenyl derivative using the absorbance at 415 nm (A415). The specific method is described below.

[0121] (1) Preparation of Enzyme Reaction Solution: 5 mM 4-nitrophenyl decanoate (Sigma-Aldrich) dissolved in acetonitrile was mixed with four volumes of 100 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) and four volumes of ultrapure water to prepare a premix. 90 μL of this mixture was dispensed into a 96-well plate and incubated at 40°C. 10 μL of the enzyme preparation serially diluted with 100 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) was added, and the reaction was initiated under conditions where the concentration of the substrate, 4-nitrophenyl decanoate, was 0.5 mM.

[0122] (2) Colorimetric Determination of Activity The A415 of the reaction solution was measured over time using a microplate reader (Molecular Devices), and the relationship between reaction time and the change in A415 was plotted. The amount of reaction product produced per unit time was considered to be the enzyme activity, and activity was calculated from the slope of the linear range. The activity per unit weight of each enzyme preparation was calculated by defining the amount of enzyme that converts 1 μmol of substrate per second and produces p-nitrophenol as 1 unit. The p-nitrophenol produced from the reaction solution was quantified by comparing it with the absorbance of a standard sample (Kanto Chemical).

[0123] (Measurement of specific terpene concentrations) The concentrations (ppb) of β-citronellol, nerol, geraniol, and linalool for each of the sample beverages of Examples 9 to 12 and Comparative Example 8 were measured using gas chromatography with a mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The results are shown in Table 6.

[0124] (Sensory Evaluation Test for Citrus Fruit Aroma) A sensory evaluation test was conducted using the same method as described in [Test 1] above to determine the level of citrus fruit aroma in each of the sample beverages of Examples 9 to 12 and Comparative Example 8. The results of the sensory evaluation test for these sample beverages are shown in Table 6.

[0125] (Measurement of Ethyl Caproate Concentration) In order to clarify the differences from Background Art Patent Document 3, the ethyl caproate concentration (ppm) of each of the sample beverages of Examples 9 to 12 and Comparative Example 8 was measured by gas chromatography with a mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The results are shown in Table 6.

[0126]

[0127] As can be seen from the results in Table 6, regardless of the type of lipase enzyme, the addition of lipase enzyme increased the concentration of β-citronellol and the like, and actually enhanced the citrus fruit aroma.

[0128] Furthermore, as can be seen from the results in Table 6, the ethyl caproate concentration was not particularly improved by the addition of the lipase enzyme preparation, indicating that the ethyl caproate concentration is not related to the effects of the present invention. These results demonstrate that the production method of the present invention is clearly different from the production method described in Patent Document 3, which is a background art.

[0129] [Test 6] Effect of the amount of lipase enzyme preparation used on aroma components of citrus fruits in beverages The following test was conducted to investigate the effect of the amount of lipase enzyme preparation used on aroma components of citrus fruits in beverages. In addition, the concentration of ethyl caproate was also measured to clarify the difference from Patent Document 3, which is the background art.

[0130] The sample beverage of Example 9 and the sample beverage of Comparative Example 8 were obtained using the method described in [Test 5] above. In the sample beverage of Example 9, the amount of lipase enzyme preparation used was 3 U / mL.

[0131] On the other hand, the sample beverage of Example 13 was prepared using the same preparation method as the sample beverage of Example 9, except that the amount of lipase enzyme used was 0.1 U / mL instead of 3 U / mL.

[0132] In addition, the sample beverage of Example 14 was prepared using the same preparation method as the sample beverage of Example 9, except that the amount of lipase enzyme used was 1 U / mL instead of 3 U / mL.

[0133] (Measurement of specific terpene concentrations) The concentrations (ppb) of β-citronellol, nerol, geraniol, and linalool for each of the sample beverages of Examples 9, 13, 14, and Comparative Example 8 were measured using gas chromatography with a mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The results are shown in Table 7.

[0134] (Sensory Evaluation Test for Citrus Fruit Aroma) A sensory evaluation test was conducted in the same manner as described in [Test 1] above to determine the level of citrus fruit aroma in each of the sample beverages of Examples 9, 13, and 14 and Comparative Example 8. The results of the sensory evaluation test for these sample beverages are shown in Table 7.

[0135] (Measurement of Ethyl Caproate Concentration) The ethyl caproate concentration (ppm) of each of the sample beverages of Examples 9, 13, and 14 and Comparative Example 8 was measured by gas chromatography with a mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The results are shown in Table 7.

[0136]

[0137] As can be seen from the results in Table 7, regardless of the amount of lipase used, the addition of lipase increased the concentration of β-citronellol and other components, and actually enhanced the citrus fruit aroma. Furthermore, it was shown that the greater the amount of lipase used, the greater the improvement in the level of citrus fruit aroma.

[0138] Furthermore, as can be seen from the results in Table 7, the ethyl caproate concentration does not depend on the amount of lipase enzyme added, indicating that the ethyl caproate concentration is not related to the effects of the present invention. These results demonstrate that the production method of the present invention is clearly different from the production method described in Patent Document 3, which is a background art.

[0139] [Test 7] The effect of grape varieties used together with a food composition having lipase activity on the aroma components of citrus fruits in a fruit wine beverage The following test was conducted to investigate the effect of grape varieties used together with a food composition having lipase activity on the aroma components of citrus fruits in the fruit wine beverage of this specification.

[0140] (Production of Sample Beverages, the Fruit Wine Beverages of the Present Specification) Three types of concentrated grape juices were prepared: a concentrated juice of Chardonnay grapes, which is a light-colored grape, a concentrated mixed juice of four light-colored grape varieties, and a concentrated juice of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, which is a red grape. Each of the three concentrated juices was diluted with water and adjusted to a sugar content of 16°P to prepare three types of diluted juices.

[0141] Rehydrated dry yeast was added to the diluted Chardonnay juice to a concentration of 200 ppm, and a lipase enzyme (Lipase AY "Amano" 30SD; manufactured by Amano Enzyme Co., Ltd.) was added to a concentration of 9 U / mL, followed by alcoholic fermentation for 14 days. The mixture was then cooled and centrifuged to obtain a sample beverage (Example 15), a fruit wine beverage. The sample beverage of Example 16 was prepared using the same preparation method as the sample beverage of Example 15, except that a diluted juice of a mixed concentrated juice of four light-colored grapes was used instead of the diluted juice of light-colored Chardonnay grapes. The sample beverage of Example 3 was prepared using the same preparation method as the sample beverage of Example 15, except that a diluted juice of red Cabernet Sauvignon grapes (hereinafter also referred to as "Cabernet S") was used instead of the diluted juice of light-colored Chardonnay grapes. Additionally, sample beverages of Comparative Examples 9 to 11 were prepared using the same preparation method as the sample beverages of Examples 15 to 17, except that no lipase enzyme preparation was added.

[0142] (Measurement of specific terpene concentrations) For each of the sample beverages of Examples 15 to 17 and Comparative Examples 9 to 11, the concentrations (ppb) of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol were measured using gas chromatography with a mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The results are shown in Table 8.

[0143]

[0144] As can be seen from the results in Table 8, regardless of the variety of grape juice used, the addition of lipase enzymes increased the "concentration of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol" or "concentration of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol." Although the addition of lipase enzymes sometimes reduced the concentration of geraniol somewhat (Example 15), in all of Examples 15 to 17, the "total concentration of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol" and the "total concentration of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol" were shown to be significantly higher than in Comparative Example 9, in which no lipase enzyme was added.

[0145] [Test 8] Effect of the timing of addition of a food composition having lipase activity on the aroma components of citrus fruits in a fruit wine beverage The following test was conducted to investigate the effect of the timing of addition of a food composition having lipase activity on the aroma components of citrus fruits in the fruit wine beverage of this specification.

[0146] (Production of sample beverages, which are fruit wine beverages in this specification) The sample beverages of Examples 15 to 17 and the sample beverages of Comparative Examples 9 to 11 were obtained using the method described in [Test 7] above. In the sample beverages of Examples 15 to 17, a food composition having lipase activity was added to diluted grape juice prior to alcoholic fermentation.

[0147] On the other hand, the sample beverages of Examples 18 to 20 were each prepared using the same preparation method as the sample beverages of Examples 15 to 17, except that the food composition having lipase activity was added to the beverage after alcoholic fermentation, rather than to the diluted grape juice before alcoholic fermentation.

[0148] (Measurement of specific terpene concentrations) For each of the sample beverages of Examples 15 to 20 and Comparative Examples 9 to 11, the concentrations (ppb) of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol were measured by gas chromatography with a mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The results are shown in Tables 9 and 10.

[0149]

[0150]

[0151] As can be seen from the results of Tables 9 and 10, the addition of lipase enzyme preparations, whether before or after alcoholic fermentation of diluted grape juice, which is the raw material liquid, "linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol concentration" or "β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol concentration" was shown to increase. Note that, although the addition of lipase enzyme preparations sometimes reduced the concentration of geraniol somewhat (Example 15), in any of Examples 15 to 20, "β-citronellol, nerol, geraniol total concentration" and "linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, geraniol total concentration" were shown to be clearly higher than Comparative Examples 9 to 11 in which no lipase enzyme preparation was added.

[0152] [Test 9] Effect of the amount of lipase enzyme used on the aroma components of citrus fruits in fruit wine beverages The following test was conducted to investigate the effect of the amount of lipase enzyme used on the aroma components of citrus fruits in fruit wine beverages.

[0153] (Production of Sample Beverages, which are Fruit Wine Beverages in the Present Specification) A mixed concentrated juice of four light-colored grape varieties and a concentrated juice of red Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were prepared. Each of these two types of concentrated juices was diluted with water and adjusted to a Brix of 16°P to prepare two types of diluted juices.

[0154] Rehydrated dry yeast was added to a diluted juice of a concentrated mixture of four light-colored grape juice varieties at 200 ppm, and a lipase enzyme (Lipase AY "Amano" 30SD; manufactured by Amano Enzyme Co., Ltd.) was added at 3 U / mL, followed by alcoholic fermentation for 14 days. The mixture was then cooled and centrifuged to obtain a sample beverage (Example 23), a fruit wine beverage. The sample beverages of Examples 22 and 21 were prepared using the same method as the sample beverage of Example 23, except that the lipase enzyme was added at 1 U / mL (Example 22) or 0.1 U / mL (Example 21) instead of 3 U / mL. The sample beverage of Comparative Example 12 was prepared using the same method as the sample beverage of Example 23, except that the lipase enzyme was not added.

[0155] Furthermore, the sample beverage of Example 26 was prepared by the same preparation method as the sample beverage of Example 23, except that diluted juice of red Cabernet Sauvignon grapes ("Cabernet S") was used instead of diluted juice of a mixed concentrated juice of four light-colored grape varieties. The sample beverages of Examples 25 and 24 were prepared by the same preparation method as the sample beverage of Example 26, except that lipase enzyme preparation was added to 1 U / mL (Example 11) or 0.1 U / mL (Example 10) instead of 3 U / mL. The sample beverage of Comparative Example 13 was prepared by the same preparation method as the sample beverage of Example 26, except that no lipase enzyme preparation was added.

[0156] (Measurement of specific terpene concentrations) For each of the sample beverages of Examples 21 to 26 and Comparative Examples 12 to 13, the concentrations (ppb) of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol were measured by gas chromatography with a mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The results are shown in Table 11.

[0157] (Sensory Evaluation Test for Citrus Fruit Aroma) A sensory evaluation test was conducted by four trained expert panelists to assess the level of citrus fruit aroma for each of the sample beverages of Examples 21-26 and Comparative Examples 12-13. The sensory evaluation scores were on a 51-point scale ranging from 0.0 to 5.0 in increments of 0.1, with the level of citrus fruit aroma for the Comparative Example corresponding to that Example being a relative evaluation score of 2.0. Note that "citrus fruit aroma" here refers to an aroma reminiscent of citrus fruits. The level of citrus fruit aroma for each example sample beverage was evaluated by rounding the average of the panel's evaluation scores to one decimal place. For each example sample beverage listed in Table 11 of the present application, the deviation in the evaluation scores for the level of citrus fruit aroma between the panels was within 0.3.

[0158] The results of the sensory evaluation test for each of the sample beverages of Examples 21 to 23 and Comparative Example 12 are shown in Table 11, and the results of the sensory evaluation test for each of the sample beverages of Examples 24 to 26 and Comparative Example 13 are shown in Table 12.

[0159]

[0160]

[0161] As can be seen from the results of Tables 11 and 12, regardless of the amount of lipase enzyme used, the addition of lipase enzyme increased the "concentration of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol" or "concentration of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol," and it was shown that the citrus fruit aroma was actually enhanced. Note that, although the addition of lipase enzyme sometimes reduced the concentration of geraniol somewhat (Example 26), in all of Examples 24 to 26, the "total concentration of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol" and the "total concentration of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol" were clearly higher than in Comparative Example 13, in which no lipase enzyme was added, and it was shown that the citrus fruit aroma was actually enhanced. Furthermore, when mixed juice of light-colored grapes was used, the level of citrus fruit aroma was roughly the same regardless of the amount of lipase enzyme used, but when juice of Cabernet S, a red grape, was used, the level of citrus fruit aroma improved more significantly as the amount of lipase enzyme used increased.

[0162] [Test 10] Effect of type of lipase enzyme preparation on citrus fruit aroma components, etc. in fruit wine beverages The following test was conducted to investigate the effect of type of lipase enzyme preparation on citrus fruit aroma components, etc. in fruit wine beverages.

[0163] (Production of sample beverages, which are fruit wine beverages in this specification) The sample beverage of Example 23 and the sample beverage of Comparative Example 12 were obtained using the method described in [Test 9] above. In the sample beverage of Example 23, Lipase AY "Amano" 30SD (manufactured by Amano Enzyme Inc.) was added as a lipase enzyme preparation to diluted grape juice prior to alcoholic fermentation.

[0164] On the other hand, the sample beverage of Example 27 was prepared using the same preparation method as the sample beverage of Example 23, except that Lipase DF "Amano" 15 (manufactured by Amano Enzyme Co., Ltd.) was used instead of Lipase AY "Amano" 30SD.

[0165] In addition, the sample beverage of Example 28 was prepared using the same preparation method as the sample beverage of Example 23, except that Lipase MER "Amano" (manufactured by Amano Enzyme Co., Ltd.) was used instead of Lipase AY "Amano" 30SD.

[0166] In addition, the sample beverage of Example 29 was prepared using the same preparation method as the sample beverage of Example 23, except that Lipase MHA "Amano" 10SD (manufactured by Amano Enzyme Co., Ltd.) was used instead of Lipase AY "Amano" 30SD.

[0167] In all of Examples 23, and 27 to 29, the amount of lipase enzyme preparation added was 3 U / mL.

[0168] (Measurement of specific terpene concentrations) For each of the sample beverages of Examples 23, 27 to 29, and Comparative Example 12, the concentrations (ppb) of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol were measured by gas chromatography with a mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The results are shown in Table 13.

[0169] (Sensory Evaluation Test for Citrus Fruit Aroma) A sensory evaluation test was conducted using the same method as described in [Test 9] above to determine the level of citrus fruit aroma in each of the sample beverages of Examples 23, 27 to 29, and Comparative Example 12. The results of the sensory evaluation test for these sample beverages are shown in Table 13.

[0170]

[0171] As can be seen from the results in Table 13, regardless of the type of lipase enzyme, the addition of lipase enzyme increased the "concentration of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol" or "concentration of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol," and it was shown that the citrus fruit aroma was actually enhanced. Although the addition of lipase enzyme sometimes reduced the geraniol concentration somewhat (Examples 23, 28), in all of Examples 23, 27-29, the "total concentration of β-citronellol, nerol, geraniol" and the "total concentration of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, geraniol" were clearly higher than in Comparative Example 12, in which no lipase enzyme was added, and it was shown that the citrus fruit aroma was actually enhanced.

[0172] [Test 11] Effect of the color of a fruit liquor beverage (e.g., red or white) on the aroma components of citrus fruits in a fruit liquor beverage The following test was conducted to investigate the effect of the color of a fruit liquor beverage on the aroma components of citrus fruits in a fruit liquor beverage.

[0173] (Production of sample beverages, which are fruit wine beverages in this specification) The sample beverages of Examples 23 and 26 and the sample beverages of Comparative Examples 12 and 13 were obtained using the method described in [Test 9] above. The sample beverages of Example 23 and Comparative Example 12 used a mixed juice of four light-colored grape varieties, while the sample beverages of Example 26 and Comparative Example 13 used red-colored Cabernet Sauvignon grape juice.

[0174] (Measurement of specific terpene concentrations) For each of the sample beverages of Examples 23 and 26 and Comparative Examples 12 and 13, the concentrations (ppb) of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol were measured by gas chromatography with a mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The results are shown in Table 14.

[0175] (Sensory Evaluation Test for Citrus Fruit Aroma) A sensory evaluation test was conducted in the same manner as in the above-mentioned [Test 9] to determine the level of citrus fruit aroma in each of the sample beverages of Examples 23 and 26 and Comparative Examples 12 and 13. The results of the sensory evaluation test for these sample beverages are shown in Table 14.

[0176]

[0177] As can be seen from the results in Table 14, regardless of the color of the fruit wine beverage (e.g., red or white), the addition of lipase enzymes increased the "concentration of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol," and the citrus fruit aroma was actually enhanced. In Examples 23 and 26, the addition of lipase enzymes slightly reduced the geraniol concentration, but in both Examples 23 and 26, the "total concentration of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol" and the "total concentration of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol" were clearly higher than in Comparative Examples 12 or 13, in which no lipase enzyme was added, and the citrus fruit aroma was actually enhanced.

[0178] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a beverage having increased concentrations of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol and an enhanced citrus fruit aroma, a method for producing the same, and a method for increasing the concentrations of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol in a beverage and enhancing the citrus fruit aroma. Note that the above-mentioned "concentration of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol" may also be "concentration of β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol" or "concentration of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and / or geraniol."

Claims

1. A method for producing a beverage using a plant raw material, comprising step A of adding a food composition having lipase activity to a raw material liquid.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a food composition having lipase activity is added so that the lipase activity per 1 mL of the raw material liquid is 0.01 U or more.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step A of adding a food composition having lipase activity to the raw material liquid is carried out at one or more stages selected from the group consisting of during preparation of a pre-fermentation liquid, before the start of fermentation, during fermentation, and after the end of fermentation.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the beverage is selected from the group consisting of beer-flavored beverages, fruit wine beverages, alcoholic beverages containing fruit juice, and whiskey.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the beverage is a beer-flavored beverage or a fruit wine beverage.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein, when the beverage is a beverage in which the production process includes a heating step and a cooling step of the raw material liquid, step A of adding a food composition having lipase activity to the raw material liquid is performed after the cooling step of the raw material liquid.

7. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the plant raw material is one or more selected from the group consisting of hops, malt, wheat and barley other than malt, grains, potatoes, beans, fruit juice, fruit, and spices.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of subjecting the raw material liquid to the action of microbial metabolism.

9. A beverage produced by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A method for producing a beverage using plant raw materials, comprising step A of adding a food composition having lipase activity to a raw material liquid, thereby increasing the concentrations of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol in the beverage and enhancing the citrus fruit aroma.

11. A method for producing a beverage using plant raw materials, comprising step A of adding a food composition having lipase activity to a raw material liquid, thereby increasing the total concentration of β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol in the beverage and enhancing the citrus fruit aroma.

12. A method for producing a beverage using plant ingredients, comprising step A of adding a food composition having lipase activity to a raw material liquid, thereby increasing the total concentration of linalool, β-citronellol, nerol, and geraniol in the beverage and enhancing the aroma of citrus fruits.

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