Method for producing packaged beverage

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a packaged beverage containing water-insoluble particles that have a 90% cumulative particle diameter (D90) of 1-500 μm, wherein the packaged beverage allows for reduction in unpleasant mouthfeel that remains on the tongue after drinking.　The production of a packaged beverage containing water-insoluble particles includes: a step for preparing a beverage by including a plant raw material containing water-insoluble particles and dihydrochalcones so that the 90% cumulative particle diameter (D90) of the water-insoluble particles is 1-500 μm; and a step for heat-sterilizing the beverage.

Description

Manufacturing method of packaged beverages

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing a packaged beverage. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for producing a packaged beverage containing water-insoluble particles.

[0002] In today's beverage market, cloudy beverages containing water-insoluble particles (e.g., green tea containing matcha, fruit juice drinks containing pulp, soy beverages, etc.) are products that not only offer an enjoyable texture but also give the impression of richness and authenticity from their appearance, and are therefore highly satisfying to consumers.

[0003] When beverage products (especially packaged beverage products) are marketed, a heat sterilization process is fundamentally required to ensure microbial integrity. However, when beverages containing relatively large water-insoluble particles are heat-treated, the beverage tends to have an unpleasant, rough texture felt on the tongue after drinking. In particular, large-volume thirst-quenching beverages are difficult to gulp down, resulting in a decrease in palatability.

[0004] For these reasons, several methods for reducing the rough texture caused by water-insoluble particles have been reported. For example, a method for reducing the roughness of tea-derived particles in tea beverages containing high concentrations of tea-derived particles by adjusting the theanine and glutamic acid concentrations within a predetermined range has been disclosed (Patent Document 1). Furthermore, a method for suppressing the roughness (bad mouthfeel) of soybean foods and beverages caused by heat treatment during production using a sugar composition containing tri- to tetrasaccharides with a branched structure has been disclosed (Patent Document 2).

[0005] JP 2018-78912 A JP 2006-280310 A

[0006] As described above, in packaged beverages containing relatively large water-insoluble particles, there is a need for a technology to suppress the roughness caused by the water-insoluble particles. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to reduce the unpleasant rough texture remaining on the tongue after drinking in packaged beverages containing water-insoluble particles having a 90% cumulative particle diameter (D90) of 1 to 500 μm.

[0007] As a result of intensive research to solve the above problems, the present inventors have focused on dihydrochalcones from among various materials and found that blending dihydrochalcones with a beverage obtained from a plant raw material containing water-insoluble particles, followed by heat sterilization, reduces the roughness of the beverage after consumption. Based on this finding, the present inventors have completed the present invention.

[0008] The present invention relates to, but is not limited to, the following: (1) A method for producing a packaged beverage containing water-insoluble particles, comprising the steps of: preparing a beverage by incorporating dihydrochalcones and a plant material containing water-insoluble particles so that the 90% cumulative particle size (D90) of the water-insoluble particles is 1 to 500 μm; and heat-sterilizing the beverage. (2) The method according to (1), wherein the plant material is a grain. (3) The method according to (1) or (2), wherein the dihydrochalcones are phloretin.

[0009] According to the present invention, in a packaged beverage containing water-insoluble particles having a 90% cumulative particle diameter (D90) of 1 to 500 μm, the unpleasant rough texture (also referred to as "grindiness") remaining on the tongue after drinking can be reduced. By utilizing the method of the present invention, a packaged beverage containing relatively large water-insoluble particles but with little roughness can be produced. The technology of the present invention can provide, for example, a large-volume thirst-quenching beverage that can be consumed briskly, even while containing water-insoluble particles.

[0010] The present invention will be described below. Unless otherwise specified, the terms "wt %," "ppm," and "ppb" used in this specification refer to weight % of weight / volume (w / v), ppm, and ppb, respectively. Furthermore, a numerical range expressed by a lower limit and an upper limit in this specification, i.e., "lower limit to upper limit," includes both the lower limit and the upper limit. For example, a range expressed by "1 to 2" includes both 1 and 2.

[0011] One aspect of the present invention is a method for producing a packaged beverage containing water-insoluble particles, the method comprising: preparing a beverage by incorporating a plant material containing water-insoluble particles and dihydrochalcones so that the water-insoluble particles have a 90% cumulative particle size (D90) of 1 to 500 μm; and heat-sterilizing the beverage.

[0012] (Water-insoluble particles) In the present invention, the packaged beverage contains water-insoluble particles. The 90% cumulative particle diameter (D90) of the water-insoluble particles contained in the beverage may be 1 μm or more and 500 μm or less. Here, the 90% cumulative particle diameter (D90) is measured by the D90 method using a laser diffraction particle size distribution analyzer, and refers to the particle diameter that includes the smallest 90% of the particles in terms of volume fraction.

[0013] In the present invention, the 90% cumulative particle size of the water-insoluble particles contained in the packaged beverage is not particularly limited as long as it is 1 μm or more, but is preferably 2 μm or more, more preferably 3 μm or more, or 5 μm or more, even more preferably 10 μm or more, or 20 μm or more, still more preferably 30 μm or more, or 50 μm or more. Furthermore, the 90% cumulative particle size is not particularly limited as long as it is 500 μm or less, but is preferably 200 μm or less, more preferably 100 μm or less, even more preferably 70 μm or less, and still more preferably 60 μm or less. If the 90% cumulative particle size of the water-insoluble particles is less than 1 μm, the rough texture that occurs after heat sterilization of the beverage tends to be difficult to perceive, and if the 90% cumulative particle size exceeds 600 μm, the effects obtained by the present invention may be insufficient.

[0014] The water-insoluble particles may be particles that are insoluble in water, and may be particles that precipitate or particles that are dispersed and suspended in a liquid. Examples of water-insoluble particles that are dispersed and suspended in a liquid include colloidal particles. Although not particularly limited, the water-insoluble particles may be water-insoluble solid particles.

[0015] In the present invention, water-insoluble particles are blended as a plant material. More specifically, a plant material containing water-insoluble particles is used in the method of the present invention. The plant material is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include grains (beans (soybeans (including soy milk), peas, cacao beans, etc.), nuts (almonds, cashew nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios, coconuts, etc.), wheat (oats, etc.), rice, fruits (grapefruit, oranges, etc.), vegetables (carrots, tomatoes, kale, etc.), tea leaves (tencha, etc.), and coffee beans. Grains are preferably used, particularly in beverages blended with grains, since a rough texture is not preferred. Among grains, soybeans and oats are particularly preferably used. At least one of these plant materials can be used. Alternatively, a combination of several types may be used. The plant raw material may be a finely pulverized plant, a liquid or paste obtained by soaking the plant in water and then grinding it, or a product obtained by purifying the plant by centrifugation or the like, or a powder obtained by drying. When soybeans are used as the plant raw material, soy flour may be used, soy milk may be used, or both may be used. In the present invention, it is particularly preferable to use soy flour or to use soy flour and soy milk in combination, since it is easy to adjust the 90% cumulative particle size (D90) of the water-insoluble particles to 1 μm or more.

[0016] In the present invention, it is preferable to use a plant material containing protein. The richness caused by plant-derived proteins tends to be suppressed by the addition of dihydrochalcones, making it possible to provide an easy-to-drink beverage with a reduced richness and a reduced rough texture. In the case of grain materials such as soy protein or oats, the content of plant-derived protein in the beverage is, for example, 0.1 to 2.5 wt%, preferably 0.2 to 1.0 wt%. The protein content in the beverage can be measured using known methods such as a method calculated from the blending ratio or the Kjeldahl method.

[0017] (Dihydrochalcones) In the method of the present invention, dihydrochalcones are used. Dihydrochalcones are blended with the plant material containing the water-insoluble particles described above to prepare a beverage. Dihydrochalcones refer to dihydrochalcone and its derivatives. Dihydrochalcones may be in the form of glycosides. Examples of dihydrochalcones include phloridzin, phloretin, trilobatin, naringin dihydrochalcone, neohesperidin dihydrochalcone, hesperetin-7-glucoside-dihydrochalcone, hesperetin dihydrochalcone glucoside, hesperetin dihydrochalcone xyloside, hesperetin dihydrochalcone galactoside, and naringenin dihydrochalcone rhamnosylgalactoside. In the beverage of the present invention, one type of dihydrochalcone may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination. In the present invention, the dihydrochalcone is preferably phloretin or trilobatin, and more preferably phloretin. Phloretin has the molecular formula C １５ H １４ O ５ Trilobatin is a compound represented by the molecular formula C ２１ H ２４ O １０ The compound has the CAS registry number 4192-90-9.

[0018] In the present invention, the concentration of dihydrochalcones incorporated into a beverage is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 0.01 to 100 ppm, preferably 0.5 to 50 ppm, more preferably 1 to 30 ppm, and even more preferably 10 to 20 ppm. The concentration of dihydrochalcones contained in a beverage can be measured by known methods, for example, by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS / MS). When the dihydrochalcone is phloretin, it can be analyzed under the following conditions:

[0019] The target beverage is diluted 10-fold with water, and 0.2 mL of the solution is added with 0.8 mL of methanol. The mixture is vortexed and centrifuged to obtain the supernatant. The resulting supernatant is filtered, and the filtered solution is measured by LC-MS / MS. A quality control (QC) sample is prepared by adding a standard so that the concentration in the sample is 1 μg / mL during methanol extraction. HPLC apparatus: Nexera manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation; column: ODS column; column set temperature: 40°C; flow rate: 0.3 mL / min; mobile phase A: 0.1% formic acid water; mobile phase B: 0.11% formic acid-containing methanol; MS apparatus: Triple Quad 5500 manufactured by AB SCIEX; ionization method: ESI method - positive ion mode; measurement mode: Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM); monitor ions: Q1 (m / z) 275.0, Q3 (m / z) 107.0

[0020] (Preparation Step) The method of the present invention comprises the step of preparing a beverage by incorporating a plant material containing water-insoluble particles and dihydrochalcones so that the 90% cumulative particle size (D90) of the water-insoluble particles is 1 to 500 μm. The order in which the plant material containing water-insoluble particles and the dihydrochalcones are blended is not particularly limited, and they may be blended simultaneously. The 90% cumulative particle size of the water-insoluble particles in the beverage can be adjusted by the blending amount of the plant material. The 90% cumulative particle size of the water-insoluble particles in the prepared beverage is the same as the 90% cumulative particle size of the water-insoluble particles in the final bottled beverage.

[0021] The method of the present invention is characterized by blending a plant material containing water-insoluble particles with dihydrochalcones before the heat sterilization step. The effects of the present invention can be achieved by heat sterilization in a state where the water-insoluble particles and dihydrochalcones coexist. The mechanism is not clear, and we are not bound by any particular theory, but it is thought that by heating the water-insoluble particles together with the dihydrochalcones, even if the size of the water-insoluble particles themselves remains unchanged, some reaction with the dihydrochalcones affects the shape of the particles, which affects the texture after drinking.

[0022] The preparation step in the method of the present invention can be rephrased as a step of preparing a beverage containing a plant material containing water-insoluble particles and dihydrochalcones, the 90% cumulative particle size (D90) of the water-insoluble particles being 1 to 500 μm, as long as the desired beverage is obtained by the step. Furthermore, focusing on the adjustment of the 90% cumulative particle size of the water-insoluble particles, the preparation step can also be rephrased as a step of adjusting the 90% cumulative particle size (D90) of the water-insoluble particles in a beverage containing a plant material containing water-insoluble particles and dihydrochalcones to 1 to 500 μm.

[0023] (Heat Sterilization Step) The method of the present invention includes a step of heat sterilizing the beverage. The conditions for the heat sterilization treatment are not particularly limited, but are, for example, 80°C or higher (preferably 100°C or higher, more preferably 110°C or higher) and 160°C or lower (preferably 150°C or lower) for 0.01 minute or longer (preferably 0.03 minute or longer) and 60 minutes or shorter (preferably 30 minutes or shorter). The heat sterilization method can be appropriately selected depending on the container. When a heat-resistant container (metal container, glass, etc.) is used, retort sterilization can be performed. When a non-heat-resistant container (PET bottle, paper container, etc.) is used, for example, the prepared liquid can be sterilized at high temperature for a short time in a plate-type heat exchanger or the like, cooled to a certain temperature, and then filled into the container.

[0024] (Filling Step) The method of the present invention may include a step of filling a container with a beverage. The beverage filled into the container may be a beverage that has been heat-sterilized or a beverage that has not yet been heat-sterilized. That is, the order of the heat-sterilization step and the filling step is arbitrary, and either step may be performed first. For example, when filling a container with a heat-sterilized beverage, the heat-sterilization step is performed first, followed by the filling step. The container into which the beverage is filled is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include PET bottles, aluminum cans, steel cans, paper cartons, chilled cups, and bottles. Since the present invention is suitable for producing beverages that are distributed at room temperature, PET bottles, aluminum cans, and steel cans are preferred, and PET bottles are particularly preferred because they are lightweight and easy to carry. The capacity of the container is also not particularly limited, but since the method of the present invention is suitable for use with thirst-quenching, easily drinkable beverages, it is, for example, 2000 to 1000 mL, preferably 350 to 750 mL, and more preferably 450 to 600 mL.

[0025] (Tannin) In the present invention, it is preferable to further include tannin in the beverage, since this will have a more significant effect in reducing the rough, unpleasant texture after drinking. Although the mechanism behind this is not clear and we are not bound by any particular theory, it is thought that the presence of tannin has the effect of further strengthening the reaction between the water-insoluble particles and the dihydrochalcones.

[0026] As used herein, "tannin" refers to a colorless, relatively high-molecular-weight polyphenol component found in the roots, branches, trunks, leaves, skin, fruit, etc. of plants, which combines with proteins to form sparingly soluble salts. Tannins may be derived from any plant source, but are preferably derived from coffee, tea, cacao, wine, fruit, and other plant materials. Of these, coffee, tea, and cacao are particularly preferred. For example, coffee may be prepared using an extract of roasted coffee beans or finely ground roasted coffee beans. For example, tea may be prepared using one or more of oolong tea, a semi-fermented tea, or black tea, a fermented tea, in the form of a tea leaf extract or finely ground tea leaves. Finely ground green tea leaves (matcha) are particularly preferred. For cacao, in addition to a cacao bean extract or finely ground product, processed cacao products such as cocoa mass and cocoa powder may also be used.

[0027] The concentration of tannin blended into a beverage is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 0.01 to 0.3 g / 100 g, preferably 0.03 to 0.25 g / 100 g, and more preferably 0.05 to 0.2 g / 100 g. In this specification, "tannin concentration (content)" refers to the value determined by the FOLIN-DENIS method using a tannic acid solution as the standard solution, and may also be expressed as "as tannic acid" or "calculated as tannic acid."

[0028] (Caffeine) In the present invention, the beverage may further contain caffeine. Since the dihydrochalcones used in the present invention also have the effect of mellowing the bitterness of caffeine, caffeine-containing coffee beverages and tea beverages (green tea beverages, black tea beverages, etc.) are preferred embodiments of the present invention.

[0029] The concentration of caffeine added to a beverage is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 1 to 100 mg, preferably 3 to 50 mg, and more preferably 5 to 40 mg per 100 mL of beverage. The concentration of caffeine in a beverage can be measured, for example, using high-performance liquid chromatography. The form of caffeine added to a beverage is not particularly limited, but for example, caffeine-containing coffee extract, tea (green tea, black tea, oolong tea) extract, or caffeine preparations can be used. When using coffee extract or tea extract, either liquid or powder form can be used.

[0030] (Other Ingredients) In addition to the above ingredients, in the method of the present invention, sweeteners, flavorings, emulsifiers, pH adjusters, antioxidants, etc. may be contained in the beverage to the extent that they do not affect the effects of the present invention.

[0031] (Type of beverage) In the present invention, the type of beverage produced is not particularly limited, but may be a soft drink, such as a soybean beverage, an oat beverage, a nutritional beverage, a functional beverage, a flavored water beverage, a tea beverage (green tea, black tea, etc.), a fruit juice beverage, a coffee beverage, or a carbonated beverage.

[0032] In one embodiment, the beverage produced by the method of the present invention is a soy beverage containing water-insoluble soybean particles. As used herein, the soy beverage refers to any beverage containing a soybean material (such as soy flour or soy milk) as a main ingredient. The amount of soybean solids in the beverage is not limited, but from the viewpoint of significantly enjoying the effects of the present invention, the amount of soybean material can be adjusted to, for example, 0.1 to 4% by weight, preferably 0.2 to 3% by weight, and more preferably 0.5 to 2% by weight.

[0033] In another embodiment, the beverage produced by the method of the present invention is an oat beverage containing water-insoluble oat particles. Here, the oat beverage in this specification may be any beverage containing oats as a main ingredient, and the amount of oat solids in the beverage is not limited, but from the viewpoint of significantly enjoying the effects of the present invention, the amount of oat raw material blended can be adjusted to, for example, 0.05 to 4 wt %, preferably 0.1 to 2 wt %, more preferably 0.2 to 1 wt %.

[0034] In another embodiment, the beverage produced by the method of the present invention is a coffee beverage containing water-insoluble coffee bean particles. As used herein, a coffee beverage refers to any beverage containing coffee extract as a main ingredient. The concentration of coffee-derived insoluble solids in the beverage is not limited, but from the perspective of significantly enjoying the effects of the present invention, the concentration can be adjusted to preferably 0.001 to 1 wt %, more preferably 0.01 to 0.5 wt %, by adding, for example, an appropriate amount of ground roasted coffee beans. The water-insoluble solids of a coffee beverage refer to the solids (weight) obtained by collecting the insoluble solids in the beverage on filter paper and drying it.

[0035] In another embodiment, the beverage produced by the method of the present invention is a green tea beverage containing water-insoluble matcha particles. The content of matcha in the beverage is preferably adjusted so that the turbidity of the beverage is 0.05 to 2.0, more preferably 0.2 to 1.5, and even more preferably 0.3 to 1.2. Note that, in this specification, turbidity refers to the absorbance at a wavelength of 680 nm (OD680).

[0036] In another embodiment, the beverage produced by the method of the present invention is a fruit juice beverage. Fruit juice beverages may contain cloudy fruit juice, comminuted fruit juice, puree, or fruit-derived pulp as insoluble solids (water-insoluble solid particles), and the amount of water-insoluble solids in the beverage is preferably 0.01 to 15 wt %, more preferably 0.1 to 10 wt %. The water-insoluble solids in a fruit juice beverage refer to the solids (weight) obtained by collecting the insoluble solids in the beverage on filter paper and drying it.

[0037] The present invention can provide a packaged beverage produced by the method of the present invention described above. That is, another aspect of the present invention is a packaged beverage. Various elements related to the packaged beverage, such as the components contained in the packaged beverage and their contents, are as described above with respect to the method of the present invention or are obvious from them.

[0038] The present invention will be specifically described in detail below by showing experimental examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0039] Experimental Example 1 Soy beverages were prepared according to the table below. Sample 1 was not heat-sterilized, while samples 2 to 6 were heat-sterilized at 125°C for 13 minutes. Phloretin was added to sample 3 after heat-sterilization, and to samples 4 to 6 before heat-sterilization. For the soy beverages, soy flour (Nissin Oillio Group, soy protein: 37%, soy solids: 92%), soy flour (Marukome, soy protein: 37%, soy solids: 92%), and soy milk (Fukuren, soy protein: 4%, soy solids: 9.3%) were used. Instant coffee with a caffeine content of 5.5 g / 100 g was also used. Each of the prepared samples was filled into a 500 mL PET bottle. The 90% cumulative particle size (D90) of water-insoluble particles in the beverage was measured in multiwave wet mode using a laser diffraction / scattering particle size distribution analyzer LS 13 320 manufactured by Beckman Coulter, Inc. The concentration of tannin in the beverage was measured using the FOLIN-DENIS method with a tannic acid solution as the standard solution.

[0040] A sensory evaluation was carried out by eight expert panelists for each sample. The sensory evaluation was carried out on the roughness of the texture after drinking. Each expert panelist carried out the sensory evaluation on a five-point scale based on the following criteria, and the average score of the eight panelists was used as the evaluation score. 5 points: No roughness felt at all 4 points: Very slight roughness felt 3 points: Slight roughness felt 2 points: Roughness felt 1 point: Strong roughness felt (same as sample 2 or more)

[0041]

[0042] The results are as described above. Heat sterilization of soy beverages results in a rough texture after drinking, but it was confirmed that adding 0.1 ppm or more of phloretin to the soy beverage before heat sterilization reduces the roughness.

[0043] Experimental Example 2 Oat beverages were prepared according to the table below. Sample 8 was not heat-sterilized, while Samples 9 and 10 were heat-sterilized at 125°C for 13 minutes. Phloretin was added to Sample 10 before heat-sterilization. Concentrated Oat Milk T (Kosei Sangyo, oat protein: 2.7%, oat solids: 2.7%) was used for the oat beverages. Instant coffee with a caffeine content of 4.4 g / 100 g was also used. Each prepared sample was filled into a 500 mL PET bottle. The 90% cumulative particle size (D90) of water-insoluble particles in the beverages was measured using a Beckman Coulter LS 13 320 laser diffraction particle size analyzer in multiwave wet mode. The tannin concentration in the beverages was measured using the FOLIN-DENIS method with a tannic acid solution as the standard solution.

[0044] A sensory evaluation of the roughness of the texture after drinking was carried out using the same method and criteria as in Experimental Example 1. The evaluation score of 1 was based on Sample 9.

[0045]

[0046] The results were as described above. As with soybean drinks, heat sterilization of oat drinks results in a rough texture after consumption, but it was confirmed that the roughness can be reduced by adding 0.1 ppm or more of phloretin before heat sterilization.

[0047] Experimental Example 3: The effects were also examined for soy milk beverages, green tea beverages, coffee beverages, and pulp-containing fruit juice beverages. Phloretin was added to these beverage products to the final concentrations shown in the table below, followed by heat sterilization at 125°C for 13 minutes. After heat sterilization, each beverage was filled into a 200g can. A control beverage was also prepared by heat sterilizing the beverage without phloretin at 125°C for 13 minutes and filling it into a can. The 90% cumulative particle size (D90) of water-insoluble particles in the beverage was measured using a laser diffraction / scattering particle size distribution analyzer LS 13 320 manufactured by Beckman Coulter in multiwave wet mode.

[0048] A sensory evaluation was carried out by eight expert panelists on the beverages obtained as described above. The sensory evaluation was carried out on a three-point scale regarding the roughness after drinking (〇: no roughness, △: slight roughness, ×: roughness). The evaluation results were decided by a discussion among all the expert panelists after each expert panelist had performed the sensory evaluation.

[0049]

[0050] It was found that for beverages containing water-insoluble particles with a cumulative particle diameter D90 of 1 to 500 μm, regardless of the type of beverage, when heat sterilization is performed, the grittiness after drinking can be reduced by adding phloretin before heat sterilization.

Claims

1. A method for producing a packaged beverage containing water-insoluble particles, comprising the steps of: preparing a beverage by mixing a plant material containing water-insoluble particles with dihydrochalcones so that the 90% cumulative particle size (D90) of the water-insoluble particles is 1 to 500 μm; and heat sterilizing the beverage.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plant material is a grain.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dihydrochalcones are phloretin.

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