Beverage with enhanced richness, method for producing same, and method for enhancing richness of beverage

Abstract

A beverage containing dead beneficial bacteria and at least one of fruit juice and vegetable juice, the dead bacteria concentration of the beneficial bacteria being 5 hundred million / L or more.

Description

Beverage with enhanced aromatic sensation, method for producing same, and method for enhancing the aromatic sensation of beverage

[0001] The present invention relates to a beverage with enhanced aromatic sensation, a method for producing the same, and a method for enhancing the aromatic sensation of a beverage, and more particularly to a beverage containing at least one of fruit juice and vegetable juice.

[0002] Beverages containing fruit juice or vegetable juice are widely used as beverages for easily and efficiently ingesting nutrients such as dietary fiber and various vitamins. Due to palatability, these beverages are sometimes required to have an excellent flavor similar to that of raw fruits or vegetables. In particular, deterioration of such flavor can be problematic during heat sterilization or long-term storage. To compensate for such flavor deterioration, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a grape juice-containing beverage that contains a predetermined amount of hexyl acetate and acetic acid to improve flavor intensity while maintaining or improving a smooth aftertaste.

[0003] Furthermore, for example, Patent Document 2 discloses a method for producing a fruit and vegetable beverage, which includes the steps of uniformly stirring a certain proportion of fruits and vegetables, pure water, and glucose or a sugar substitute to obtain a fruit and vegetable juice, sterilizing the cooled fruit and vegetable juice, inoculating the juice with a certain proportion of Lactobacillus casei probiotics, and fermenting the juice under specific conditions. It is described that the fruit and vegetable beverage has an excellent flavor and improved nutritional balance due to the fermentation with probiotics.

[0004] JP 2023-094907 A JP 2021-136984 A

[0005] However, the conventional methods described above have room for further improvement in terms of enhancing the mellow flavor of beverages containing at least one of fruit juice and vegetable juice. Furthermore, the method described in Patent Document 2 requires fermentation of probiotics, which increases the time and equipment required for this, leaving room for improvement in terms of productivity.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a beverage containing at least one of fruit juice and vegetable juice, which has an enhanced mellow flavor.

[0007] The present inventors have conducted extensive research aimed at solving the above problems and have found that not only live but also dead beneficial bacteria have the effect of improving the flavor of food. Further research led to the discovery that adding a certain concentration or more of dead beneficial bacteria to beverages containing at least one of fruit juice and vegetable juice can improve the mellow flavor of the beverage, thereby completing the present invention.

[0008] That is, the present invention aims to advantageously solve the above-mentioned problems, and the present invention provides [1] a beverage comprising killed beneficial bacteria and at least one of fruit juice and vegetable juice, wherein the concentration of the killed beneficial bacteria is 500 million / L or more. If the concentration of the killed beneficial bacteria is equal to or higher than the lower limit, the mellow flavor of the beverage can be improved.

[0009] [2] In the beverage of [1] above, the concentration of dead bacteria of the beneficial bacteria is preferably 400 billion / L or less. If the concentration of dead bacteria of the beneficial bacteria is equal to or less than the upper limit, the odor originating from the beneficial bacteria can be suppressed.

[0010] [3] In the beverage of [1] or [2] above, it is preferable that the beneficial bacteria are one or more species selected from the group consisting of bacteria of the genus Lactobacillus and bacteria of the genus Lactococcus.

[0011] [4] In any of the beverages [1] to [3] above, it is preferable that the beneficial bacteria are one or more species selected from the group consisting of Lactobacillus rhamnosus CRL1505, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM5805, and Lactobacillus paracasei KW3110.

[0012] [5] In any of the beverages [1] to [4] above, it is preferable that the fruit juice contains at least one of apple juice, orange juice, and grape juice, and the vegetable juice contains at least one of tomato juice and carrot juice.

[0013] [6] It is preferable that any of the beverages [1] to [5] above further contains a non-aqueous solvent, and that the concentration of the non-aqueous solvent is 1 ppm or more. If the concentration of the non-aqueous solvent is equal to or greater than the lower limit, the mellow flavor of the beverage can be further improved. In this specification and the present invention, the unit "ppm" is synonymous with "mg / L."

[0014] [7] In the beverage of [6] above, when the concentration of the nonaqueous solvent is X ppm and the dead cell concentration of the beneficial bacteria is Y billion / L, it is preferable that the value of X / Y is 0.10 or more and 500 or less.

[0015] [8] In the beverage of [6] or [7] above, the non-aqueous solvent preferably contains at least one of nitrous oxide, acetone, ethanol, glycerin, ethyl acetate, methyl acetate, diethyl ether, cyclohexane, dichloromethane, 1,1,2-trichloroethene, edible fats and oils, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, 1-butanol, 2-butanol, 2-butanone, butane, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, propane, propylene glycol, hexane, and methanol. If the non-aqueous solvent contains at least one of the above non-aqueous solvents, the mellow flavor of the beverage can be further improved.

[0016] [9] In any of the beverages [1] to [8] above, the sugar content of the fruit juice and / or vegetable juice is preferably 0.5°Brix or more. If the sugar content of the fruit juice and / or vegetable juice is equal to or higher than the lower limit, the mellow flavor of the beverage can be further improved.

[0017]

[10] The beverage according to any one of [1] to [9] above is preferably a packaged beverage. If the beverage is a packaged beverage, the beverage has excellent distribution availability.

[0018]

[11] The beverage according to any one of [1] to

[10] above is preferably for distribution at room temperature. When the beverage is for distribution at room temperature, depending on the storage conditions, it is possible to more effectively suppress the occurrence of a deteriorated flavor and a decrease in mellow taste even when the beverage deteriorates during storage.

[0019]

[12] The present invention also provides a method for producing a beverage containing killed beneficial bacteria and at least one of fruit juice and vegetable juice, the method comprising the step of blending the at least one of fruit juice and vegetable juice with the beneficial bacteria so that the concentration of killed beneficial bacteria in the beverage is 500 million / L or more. This production method can provide a beverage containing at least one of fruit juice and vegetable juice with an enhanced mellow flavor.

[0020]

[13] In the manufacturing method of

[12] above, it is preferable that the sugar content of at least one of the fruit juice and the vegetable juice blended in the step is 0.5°Brix or more. This is because a beverage with an even more mellow flavor can be provided.

[0021]

[14] Furthermore, the present invention provides a method for enhancing the mellow flavor of a beverage containing killed beneficial bacteria and at least one of fruit juice and vegetable juice, the method comprising blending the killed beneficial bacteria with the at least one of fruit juice and vegetable juice so that the concentration of the killed beneficial bacteria in the beverage is 500 million cells / L or more. This enhancement method makes it possible to provide a beverage containing at least one of fruit juice and vegetable juice with an enhanced mellow flavor.

[0022] According to the present invention, a beverage containing at least one of fruit juice and vegetable juice with an enhanced mellow flavor can be provided.

[0023] (Beverage) The beverage of the present invention contains killed beneficial bacteria and at least one of fruit juice and vegetable juice, with a concentration of killed beneficial bacteria of 500 million / L or more. According to the present invention, the mellow flavor of the beverage can be enhanced. Although the mechanism by which the mellow flavor of the beverage is enhanced by the present invention is unclear, it is presumed that by including the killed beneficial bacteria at or above the lower limit, the flavor of the killed beneficial bacteria itself imparts a rich flavor to the flavor of the fruit juice or vegetable juice contained in the beverage, resulting in a mellow flavor when consumed. Due to the above-described effects of the killed beneficial bacteria, the present invention can enhance the mellow flavor of the beverage without reactions such as fermentation. Therefore, the present invention enables the production of beverages with high productivity without the large-scale equipment and time required for fermentation. The beverage of the present invention may not contain fermented milk, in other words, it may be a non-yogurt beverage. The beverage of the present invention may also not contain sea salt or potassium gluconate. If the beverage of the present invention is a non-yogurt beverage, the mellow flavor of the beverage will not be impaired by the flavor unique to yogurt. Furthermore, if the beverage of the present invention does not contain sea salt or potassium gluconate, it can be a beverage with a less salty taste.

[0024] In this specification, the term "mellow flavor" refers to the richness of fruit juice, the richness of vegetable juice, the vegetable flavor, the fruit flavor, the vegetable flavor, the fruit flavor, and the complex taste that can be felt when drinking a beverage.

[0025] In this specification, the term "odor derived from beneficial bacteria" refers to a specific odor resulting from the addition of beneficial bacteria.

[0026] In the present invention, killed bacteria of useful bacteria are used. Examples of useful bacteria include, but are not limited to, bacteria of the genus Oenococcus, Bifidobacterium, Weissella, Tetragenococcus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, acetic acid bacteria, and Bacillus.

[0027] The Lactobacillus bacteria of the present invention include bacteria that were classified into the genus Lactobacillus before the reclassification of the genus Lactobacillus. For example, with the reclassification of the genus Lactobacillus, the following genera have been newly added: Acetilactobacillus, Agrilactobacillus, Amylolactobacillus, Apilactobacillus, Bombilactobacillus, Companilactobacillus, Dellaglioa, Fructilactobacillus, Furfurilactobacillus, Holzapfelia, Lacticaseibacillus, Lactiplantibacillus, and Lapidilactobacillus. This includes bacteria classified into the genera Lapidilactobacillus, Latilactobacillus, Lentilactobacillus, Levilactobacillus, Ligilactobacillus, Limosilactobacillus, Liquorilactobacillus, Loigolactobacillus, Paralactobacillus, Paucilactobacillus, Schleiferilactobacillus, Secundilactobacillus, and the like.

[0028] Among the above, the useful bacteria are preferably Oenococcus, Bifidobacterium, Lentilactobacillus, Weissella, Tetragenococcus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, and Lactiplantibacillus.Furthermore, from the viewpoint of further enhancing the mellow flavor of the beverage, it is more preferable that the useful bacteria include one or more species selected from the group consisting of Lactobacillus and Lactococcus.

[0029] Examples of the Oenococcus include Oenococcus oeni, etc. Specific examples of the Oenococcus include Oenococcus oeni JCM6125, etc.

[0030] Examples of the Bifidobacterium bacteria include Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis and Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis. Specific examples of the Bifidobacterium bacteria include Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis JCM10602 and Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis JCM1222.

[0031] Examples of the Weissella genus include Weissella paramesenteroides and Weissella viridescens. Specific examples of the Weissella genus include Weissella paramesenteroides JCM9890 and Weissella viridescens JCM1174.

[0032] Examples of the Tetragenococcus bacteria include Tetragenococcus halophilus, etc. Specific examples of the Tetragenococcus bacteria include Tetragenococcus halophilus NRIC0098, etc.

[0033] Examples of the Lactococcus bacteria include Lactococcus lactis, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, Lactococcus garvieae, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, Lactococcus lactis subsp. hordniae, and Lactococcus plantarum.

[0034] Specific examples of the Lactococcus bacteria include Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM5805, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NBRC12007, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NRIC1150, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM20101, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM7638, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis ATCC11454, Lactococcus garvieae NBRC100934, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris JCM16167, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris NBRC100676, Lactococcus lactis subsp. holdoniae JCM1180, Lactococcus lactis subsp. holdoniae JCM11040, and Lactococcus plantarum JCM11056.

[0035] Examples of the Leuconostoc bacteria include Leuconostoc carnosum and Leuconostoc lactis. Specific examples of the Leuconostoc bacteria include Leuconostoc carnosum JCM9695 and Leuconostoc lactis NBRC12455.

[0036] Examples of the Pediococcus bacteria include Pediococcus acidilactici, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Pediococcus cellicola, Pediococcus claussenii, Pediococcus damnosus, Pediococcus ethanolidurans, Pediococcus inopinatus, Pediococcus parvulus, and Pediococcus stilesii. Specific examples of the Pediococcus include Pediococcus acidilactici JCM8797, Pediococcus acidilactici K15, and Pediococcus damnosus JCM5886.

[0037] Examples of the genus Streptococcus include Streptococcus thermophilus, etc. Specific examples of the genus Pediococcus include Streptococcus thermophilus SBC8781, etc.

[0038] Examples of the Enterococcus bacteria include Enterococcus alcedinis.

[0039] Examples of the Lactobacillus bacteria include Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus fructivorans, Lactobacillus hilgardii, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, and Lactobacillus parakeefilii. parakefiri), Lactobacillus plantarum, and Lactobacillus pentosus.

[0040] Specific examples of Lactobacillus bacteria include Lactobacillus paracasei KW3110, Lactobacillus paracasei MCC1849, Lactobacillus paracasei K71, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, Lactobacillus rhamnosus CRL1505, Lactobacillus gasseri SBT2055, Lactobacillus acidophilus L-92, Lactobacillus bulgaricus OLL1073R-1, Lactobacillus parakephili (new classification: lentilactobacillus parakephili) JCM8573, Lactobacillus plantarum (new classification: lactipranchibacillus plantarum) L-137, Lactobacillus pentosus (new classification: lactipranchibacillus pentosus) ONRICb0240, and the like.

[0041] The acetic acid bacteria are not particularly limited, but examples thereof include bacteria of the genus Gluconacetobacter, Acetobacter, and Gluconobacter, preferably bacteria of the genus Gluconacetobacter, more preferably Gluconacetobacter hansenii, and even more preferably Gluconacetobacter hansenii GK-1.

[0042] The Bacillus bacteria are not particularly limited, but include, for example, Bacillus coagulans, etc. Specific examples of Bacillus bacteria include Bacillus coagulans SANK70258 strain, etc.

[0043] Among the above, from the viewpoint of further enhancing the mellow flavor of the beverage, it is preferable to include one or more useful bacteria selected from the group consisting of Lactobacillus rhamnosus CRL1505, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM5805, and Lactobacillus paracasei KW3110.

[0044] In the present invention, the killed useful bacteria are not particularly limited and may be dried or non-dried, but are preferably dried from the viewpoint of storage stability of the killed useful bacteria. Of these, the killed useful bacteria are preferably a dried powder of the killed useful bacteria.

[0045] The method for preparing killed useful bacteria is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a method in which the medium in which the useful bacteria have been cultured is sterilized and then the cells are collected by filtration, centrifugation, etc., or a method in which the medium in which the useful bacteria have been cultured is filtrated, centrifugation, etc., and then the cells are collected and sterilized. Among useful bacteria, for example, lactic acid bacteria can be cultured using a culture medium for lactic acid bacteria known to those skilled in the art, such as MRS (de Man-Rogosa-Sharpe) medium, which contains glucose, protein hydrolysate, yeast extract, etc. Generally, the culture temperature is 30°C to 37°C, the culture period is 2 to 3 days, and the culture can be performed under anaerobic conditions.

[0046] The cells collected after the culture can be further dried and crushed as necessary. The sterilization method is not particularly limited, and conventional methods for killing bacteria, such as heating, ultraviolet light, or gamma-ray irradiation, can be used.

[0047] The concentration of killed beneficial bacteria contained in the beverage of the present invention must be 500 million / L or more, preferably 1 billion / L or more, more preferably 2 billion / L or more, preferably 400 billion / L or less, more preferably 200 billion / L or less, even more preferably 130 billion / L or less, even more preferably 100 billion / L or less, even more preferably 50 billion / L or less, and even more preferably 20 billion / L or less. If the concentration of killed beneficial bacteria is above the above lower limit, the mellow flavor of the beverage can be improved. Furthermore, if the concentration of killed beneficial bacteria is below the above upper limit, the odor caused by the useful bacteria can be suppressed. The concentration of killed beneficial bacteria contained in the beverage can be controlled by adjusting the amount of killed beneficial bacteria added to the beverage. Furthermore, the concentration of dead bacteria of beneficial bacteria contained in a beverage can be measured by any known method for measuring bacterial count, without any particular limitation, such as direct microscopy, particle electrical detection zone method, PCR method, or flow cytometry method, with flow cytometry method being preferred.

[0048] When the useful bacteria contained in the beverage of the present invention is Lactobacillus rhamnosus, the essential range and preferred range of the concentration of killed useful bacteria in the beverage of the present invention are as described above. Also, when the useful bacteria contained in the beverage of the present invention is Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, the concentration of killed useful bacteria in the beverage of the present invention must be 500 million cells / L or more, preferably 1 billion cells / L or more, more preferably 2 billion cells / L or more, preferably 400 billion cells / L or less, more preferably 350 billion cells / L or less, and more preferably 200 billion cells / L or less.

[0049] <Fruit Juice and Vegetable Juice> The fruit juice contained in the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include apple juice, citrus juice (e.g., orange juice, mandarin orange juice, grapefruit juice, and lemon juice), grape juice, muscat juice, pineapple juice, peach juice, and strawberry juice. Furthermore, the vegetable juice is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include tomato juice, carrot juice, and pumpkin juice. One type of fruit juice and one type of vegetable juice may be used, or multiple types may be mixed and used. The fruit juice and / or vegetable juice contained in the beverage of the present invention may be any of fruit juice (straight fruit juice) as a juice obtained by squeezing fruit, vegetable juice (straight vegetable juice) as a juice obtained by squeezing vegetable, fruit juice concentrated, reconstituted from a concentrate, or diluted with water, and vegetable juice concentrated, reconstituted from a concentrate, or diluted with water.

[0050] The pH of the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but the lower limit is 3.0 or higher, preferably 3.2 or higher, more preferably 3.5 or higher, and the upper limit is less than 7.0, preferably less than 4.6, more preferably less than 4.2.

[0051] [Brix Sugar Content] In a beverage, the sugar contents of the fruit juice and vegetable juice are preferably 0.5°Brix or higher, more preferably 1.0°Brix or higher, and even more preferably 2.0°Brix or higher. When a beverage contains both fruit juice and vegetable juice, the sugar content of the mixture of fruit juice and vegetable juice is preferably equal to or higher than the lower threshold value. Here, the Brix value is not the value of the undiluted fruit juice or vegetable juice (straight fruit juice) to be blended into the beverage, but the value of the diluted solution obtained by diluting the fruit juice with water or the like when blending into the beverage. The upper limit of the sugar content of the fruit juice and vegetable juice is not particularly limited, but can generally be 20°Brix or lower. If the sugar content of the fruit juice and vegetable juice is equal to or higher than the lower limit, the mellow flavor of the beverage can be further improved. The sugar content of the fruit juice and vegetable juice can be measured by the method described in the Examples.

[0052] <Other Ingredients> The beverage of the present invention may contain one or more additives selected from the group consisting of acidulants, flavorings, colorings, sweeteners, preservatives, thickeners, stabilizers, emulsifiers, dietary fiber, bittering agents, antioxidants, pH adjusters, vitamins, nutritional fortifiers, umami components, dietary fiber, extracts, solvents, minerals, water-soluble functional ingredients, and fat-soluble functional ingredients, to the extent that the effects of the present invention are not impaired.

[0053] [Non-aqueous solvent] The beverage of the present invention contains a non-aqueous solvent, and the concentration of the non-aqueous solvent is preferably 1 ppm or more, more preferably 10 ppm or more, even more preferably 50 ppm or more, and particularly preferably 80 ppm or more. The upper limit of the concentration of the non-aqueous solvent is not particularly limited, but is generally less than 10,000 ppm, preferably 9,000 ppm or less, and more preferably 5,000 ppm or less. If the concentration of the non-aqueous solvent in the beverage is equal to or greater than the above-mentioned lower limit, the mellow flavor of the beverage can be further improved.

[0054] Here, when the concentration of the non-aqueous solvent is X ppm and the dead cell concentration of the beneficial bacteria is Y billion / L, the value of X / Y is preferably 0.10 or more, more preferably 0.20 or more, more preferably 0.70 or more, even more preferably 1.0 or more, preferably 500 or less, and more preferably 450 or less. If the value of X / Y is within the above range, the mellow flavor of the beverage can be further improved.

[0055] The non-aqueous solvent preferably contains at least one of nitrous oxide, acetone, ethanol, glycerin, ethyl acetate, methyl acetate, diethyl ether, cyclohexane, dichloromethane, 1,1,2-trichloroethene, edible oils and fats, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, 1-butanol, 2-butanol, 2-butanone, butane, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, propane, propylene glycol, hexane, and methanol, and more preferably contains at least one of ethanol and propylene glycol. The concentrations of ethanol and propylene glycol in the beverage can be measured by the method described in the Examples. The concentrations of other non-aqueous solvents can be measured according to standard methods using gas chromatography.

[0056] The beverage of the present invention may contain the non-aqueous solvent together with a solute such as a flavoring, or may contain the non-aqueous solvent without a solute such as a flavoring.

[0057] The beverage of the present invention may also be an immunostimulating composition. An immunostimulating composition is a composition having immunostimulating ability (immune activation ability). Immunostimulating ability (immune activation ability) refers to the stimulating effect (activation effect) of the innate immune system on cells or living organisms. The immunostimulating composition according to one embodiment may be a composition for activating dendritic cells, or a composition for activating plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs).

[0058] The beverage of the present invention as an immunostimulating composition may be a pharmaceutical composition or a quasi-drug. The beverage of the present invention as an immunostimulating composition contains an effective amount of killed bacteria of the above-mentioned beneficial bacteria. Here, "effective amount" refers to the content of the beverage of the present invention such that when ingested in a normally consumed amount, the killed bacteria of the beneficial bacteria are ingested to an extent that the effects of immunostimulation, etc. are exerted. When the beverage of the present invention is an immunostimulating composition, the beverage of the present invention may be a health food, functional food, nutritional supplement, health functional food (e.g., specified health food, nutritional functional food, functional food), special purpose food (e.g., food for infants, food for pregnant women, food for sick people), or supplement.

[0059] When the beverage of the present invention is provided as an immunostimulating composition, the beverage of the present invention may be, in particular, a health food, functional food, nutritional composition, dietary supplement, health food, food for specified health uses, food with nutrient functions, or food with functional claims, etc. When the beverage of the present invention is an immunostimulating composition, the beverage of the present invention can be labeled, for example, for supporting the maintenance of immune function in healthy people (immune care), for those concerned about a decline in immune function, for suppressing a decline in immune function, for those concerned about sunburn, for those concerned about damage to the skin in daily life, for those concerned about dry skin, for those concerned about hot flashes, for those concerned about erythema of the skin, for those concerned about redness of the skin, for those concerned about rosy face, for those concerned about rough hands, etc.

[0060] Furthermore, when the beverage of the present invention is an immunostimulating composition, the beverage of the present invention can be consumed by a subject in need of immunostimulation, which is not particularly limited and may include, for example, a subject infected with a virus, a subject suffering from a cold, or a subject aged 65 or over.

[0061] (Method for producing beverage) The beverage production method of the present invention is a method for producing a beverage containing killed useful bacteria and at least one of fruit juice and vegetable juice. The production method of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it includes a step of blending at least one of fruit juice and vegetable juice with killed useful bacteria so that the concentration of killed useful bacteria in the beverage is 500 million / L or more. In other words, the beverage can be produced according to a conventionally known method for producing a beverage as long as it includes the above steps.

[0062] When blending at least one of fruit juice and vegetable juice with killed beneficial bacteria, a process for achieving a concentration of killed beneficial bacteria in the beverage of 500 million / L or more can be exemplified by adding at least one of fruit juice and vegetable juice, optionally water, and other optional ingredients to a mixing tank, and then adding killed beneficial bacteria to the mixture at a rate of 500 million / L or more. Alternatively, a process can be exemplified by simultaneously adding killed beneficial bacteria, at least one of fruit juice and vegetable juice, water, and optional ingredients to a mixing tank. Of course, the manner of addition and the order of blending are not limited to those described above.

[0063] In the above process, the sugar content of at least one of the fruit juice and vegetable juice to be blended is preferably 0.5°Brix or higher, more preferably 1.0°Brix or higher, and even more preferably 2.0°Brix or higher. Blending a fruit juice or vegetable juice with such a sugar content, or a mixture thereof, can provide a beverage with an even more excellent mellow flavor.

[0064] The beverage of the present invention does not necessarily have to be a packaged beverage, but is preferably a packaged beverage. Examples of such containers include containers made of plastic materials (plastic bottle containers) such as PET bottles, polypropylene bottles, and polyvinyl chloride bottles, as well as glass bottles, paper cartons, and cans. The capacity of the container is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 100 mL or more, preferably 200 mL or more, and for example, 1000 mL or less, preferably 500 mL or less.

[0065] A packaged beverage can be produced by filling the beverage obtained according to the above-described production method of the present invention into a container such as those listed above and sealing it in a known manner.

[0066] The beverage of the present invention may not be heat-sterilized, but is particularly useful as a heat-sterilized beverage. The heat-sterilization method and conditions may be those typically used for beverages such as packaged beverages, but are preferably retort sterilization, UHT (Ultra High Temperature) sterilization, HTST (High Temperature Short Time) sterilization, or pasteurizer sterilization.

[0067] <Distribution Form of Beverage> The beverage of the present invention may be distributed at room temperature or chilled. However, the beverage of the present invention is particularly useful as a room temperature distributed product (hereinafter also referred to as a dry distributed product). This is because room temperature distributed products must ensure commercial sterility, and therefore undergo harsher heat sterilization conditions than chilled distributed products, making them more susceptible to flavor deterioration. Furthermore, while the development of deteriorated flavors during long-term storage is a problem with room temperature distributed products, the development of deteriorated flavors can be reduced with the beverage of the present invention, depending on the conditions. The reason for this is unclear, but it is presumed that the beverage of the present invention contains a predetermined concentration or more of killed beneficial bacteria, which act to suppress the development of deteriorated flavors due to vegetable or fruit juice that may occur in the beverage when stored under dry distribution storage conditions, or to mask any deteriorated flavors that do occur.

[0068] In this specification, "deteriorated flavor" of a beverage refers to an unpleasant flavor, such as an odor, that may occur when the fruit or vegetable juice contained in the beverage deteriorates when the beverage is stored under dry distribution conditions.

[0069] (Method for enhancing the mellow flavor of a beverage) The method for enhancing the mellow flavor of a beverage containing killed useful bacteria and at least one of fruit juice and vegetable juice according to the present invention is not particularly limited, as long as it includes blending at least one of fruit juice and vegetable juice with killed useful bacteria so that the concentration of killed useful bacteria in the beverage is 500 million / L or more.

[0070] When blending at least one of fruit juice and vegetable juice with killed beneficial bacteria, the method of ensuring that the concentration of killed beneficial bacteria in the beverage is 500 million / L or more can be the same as the process described in relation to the method of producing the beverage of the present invention.

[0071] The present invention will be specifically described below based on examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. For each test plot described below, various measurements and evaluations were carried out by the following methods.

[0072] <Physical property measurement>

[0073] <<Brix Sugar Content of Fruit Juice and Vegetable Juice>> The sugar content of fruit juice and vegetable juice was measured as the refractive index of the fruit juice and vegetable juice at 20° C. using a refractometer (digital refractometer Rx-5000α; manufactured by Atago Co., Ltd.).

[0074] <<Non-aqueous Solvent Concentration>> [Ethanol Concentration] The ethanol concentration in each test group was quantified by standard addition method using gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Specifically, the GC-FID analysis was carried out as follows. Each beverage sample and the internal standard substances tert-butanol and ethanol were added to a headspace vial, diluted, and sealed to prepare an analytical sample. Here, the internal standard in the analytical sample was prepared to have a constant concentration, and ethanol was prepared to have each calibration point concentration. This analytical sample was measured to determine the ethanol concentration in each beverage sample.

[0075] [Propylene glycol concentration] The propylene glycol concentration in each test plot was measured by gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Specifically, the GC-FID analysis was performed as follows. First, a standard solution for the calibration curve was prepared by adding methanol to propylene glycol to dilute it to each calibration point concentration. Next, the standard solution for the calibration curve was injected into a gas chromatograph, and a calibration curve was created from the peak area. Thereafter, each methanol-extracted beverage sample was injected into the gas chromatograph, and the propylene glycol concentration in each beverage sample was determined from the obtained peak area and the calibration curve.

[0076] (Test 1) Changes in mellow flavor and odor derived from beneficial bacteria by adding killed beneficial bacteria The following test was conducted to examine the changes in mellow flavor and odor derived from beneficial bacteria by adding killed beneficial bacteria to fruit juice and vegetable juice compared to when killed beneficial bacteria were not added.

[0077] <Sample preparation> 350 billion / g of live rhamnosus bacteria powder (including one or more species of Lactobacillus rhamnosus) was diluted 35 times with water and sterilized at 80 ° C for 60 minutes to prepare a 10 billion / g rhamnosus killed bacteria aqueous solution. In addition, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM5805 killed bacteria powder was added to water to prepare a 10 billion / g JCM5805 killed bacteria aqueous solution. Hereinafter, "useful bacteria killed aqueous solution" refers to the above-prepared rhamnosus killed bacteria aqueous solution or JCM5805 killed bacteria aqueous solution. A solution containing clear apple juice at a final concentration of 2 ° Brix was prepared, and this was designated as test group 1 (control). Additionally, an aqueous solution of clear apple juice was prepared to have a final concentration of 2°Brix, and the aqueous solution of killed beneficial bacteria was added to achieve the final concentrations of killed beneficial bacteria shown in Tables 1-1 and 1-5, to prepare test plots 2 to 10 and test plots 55 to 58. Similarly, aqueous solutions of orange juice, grape juice, tomato juice, and carrot juice were prepared to achieve the fruit juice sugar content or vegetable juice sugar content and final concentrations of killed beneficial bacteria shown in Tables 1-1 to 1-3 and 1-5 to 1-7, to prepare test plots 11 to 50 and test plots 59 to 74. Test plots 11, 21, 31, and 41 served as controls. Furthermore, tomato juice, carrot juice, apple juice, orange juice, and grape juice were mixed to a final concentration of 1°Brix, 1°Brix, 1°Brix, 1°Brix, and 1°Brix, respectively, to prepare an aqueous solution (mix) with a final concentration of 5°Brix, which was designated as Test Plot 51 (control). Furthermore, the mix was prepared to a final concentration of 5°Brix, and the aqueous solution of killed useful bacteria was added to the aqueous solution to achieve the final concentrations of killed useful bacteria shown in Tables 1-4 and 1-8, to prepare Test Plots 52 to 54 and Test Plots 75 to 77.

[0078] <Sensory Evaluation> Five trained panelists with sensory discrimination abilities evaluated the beverages prepared in each test group at approximately 20°C for mellow flavor and the lack of odor derived from beneficial bacteria based on the following evaluation criteria, and the average of the five panelists' scores was calculated. The standard error of the average values ​​for all panelists was 0.2 or less. The results are shown in Tables 1-1 to 1-8. The evaluation criteria were set as follows for each type of beneficial bacteria. For mellow flavor, for each fruit juice, vegetable juice, and mix, a sample without added killed beneficial bacteria was assigned a score of 1, and a sample with added 100 billion killed beneficial bacteria / L was assigned a score of 4. The interval from 1 to 4 was equally divided to set a standard for each score of "1 point," and the beverages were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 based on these standards (higher scores are more preferable). That is, for the samples with added killed Rhamnosus bacteria, the evaluation was based on a sample without added killed Rhamnosus bacteria and a sample with added 100 billion killed Rhamnosus bacteria / L, and for the samples with added killed JCM5805 bacteria, the evaluation was based on a sample without added killed JCM5805 bacteria and a sample with added 100 billion killed JCM5805 bacteria / L. Regarding the lack of odor derived from beneficial bacteria, for each fruit juice, vegetable juice, and mix, the sample without added killed beneficial bacteria was given a fixed score of 5, and the sample with added 200 billion killed beneficial bacteria / L was given a fixed score of 2. The interval from 2 to 5 points was divided equally to set a standard for each rating of "1 point," and the samples were evaluated on a scale of 1 to 5 based on this standard (higher scores are preferable). That is, the sample with added killed Rhamnosus bacteria was evaluated using a sample without added killed Rhamnosus bacteria and a sample with added 200 billion killed Rhamnosus bacteria / L as the standard, and the sample with added killed JCM5805 bacteria was evaluated using a sample without added killed JCM5805 bacteria and a sample with added 200 billion killed JCM5805 bacteria / L as the standard.

[0079] (Test 2) Effect of sugar content of fruit juice and vegetable juice on the mellow flavor of the beverage and the odor derived from beneficial bacteria The following test was conducted to investigate the effect of sugar content of fruit juice and vegetable juice on the mellow flavor of the beverage and the odor derived from beneficial bacteria.

[0080] <Sample preparation> 350 billion / g live rhamnosus bacteria powder (including one or more species of Lactobacillus rhamnosus) was diluted 35 times with water and sterilized at 80 ° C for 60 minutes to prepare a 10 billion / g rhamnosus killed bacteria aqueous solution. In addition, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM5805 killed bacteria powder was added to water to prepare a 10 billion / g JCM5805 killed bacteria aqueous solution. Clear apple juice or tomato juice was prepared in an aqueous solution containing a final concentration of 0.5 ° Brix, and these were designated as test groups 78 and 82 (control), respectively. In addition, clear apple juice or tomato juice was prepared in an aqueous solution containing a final concentration of 0.5°Brix, and a killed useful bacteria aqueous solution was added to contain either killed Rhamnosus bacteria at a final concentration of 2 billion / L or killed JCM5805 bacteria at a final concentration of 200 billion / L, to prepare test plots 79, 83, 86, and 88. Similarly to the above, clear apple juice was prepared in an aqueous solution containing a final concentration of 10°Brix, or tomato juice in an aqueous solution containing a final concentration of 4.5°Brix, and a killed useful bacteria aqueous solution was added to obtain the final concentrations of killed useful bacteria listed in Tables 2-1 and 2-2, to prepare test plots 80 and 84 (control), and test plots 81, 85, 87, and 89.

[0081] <Sensory Evaluation> Five trained panelists with sensory discrimination abilities evaluated the beverages obtained in each test group, which had been prepared at approximately 20°C, for mellowness and lack of odor derived from beneficial bacteria, based on the following evaluation criteria, and the average scores of the five panelists were calculated. In the evaluation, the standard error of the average scores for all panelists was 0.2 or less. The results are shown in Tables 2-1 and 2-2. In addition, in the evaluation, the following evaluation criteria were set for each type of beneficial bacteria. For each fruit juice and vegetable juice, the mellowness was evaluated for each sugar content (i.e., apple juice 0.5°Brix, apple juice 10°Brix, tomato juice 0.5°Brix, and tomato juice 4.5°Brix), with a fixed score of 1 for samples without added killed beneficial bacteria and a fixed score of 4 for samples with added 100 billion killed beneficial bacteria / L (data not shown). The interval from 1 to 4 was equally divided to set a standard for each score "1 point," and the samples were evaluated on a scale of 1 to 5 (higher scores are more preferable). That is, the samples with added killed Rhamnosus bacteria were evaluated based on the standard samples without added killed Rhamnosus bacteria and with added 100 billion killed Rhamnosus bacteria / L, and the samples with added killed JCM5805 bacteria were evaluated based on the standard samples without added killed JCM5805 bacteria and with added 100 billion killed JCM5805 bacteria / L. The low odor derived from beneficial bacteria was evaluated for each fruit and vegetable juice by sugar content as follows. For Rhamnosus, samples without added killed Rhamnosus bacteria were given a score of 5, and samples with added 200 billion killed Rhamnosus bacteria per liter were given a fixed score of 2 (data not shown). The interval between 2 and 5 was divided equally to set a standard for each "1" point, and the juices were evaluated on a scale of 1 to 5 (higher scores are more preferable). For JCM5805, samples without added killed JCM5805 bacteria were given a score of 5, and samples with added 400 billion killed JCM5805 bacteria per liter were given a fixed score of 1 (data not shown). The interval between 1 and 5 was divided equally to set a standard for each "1" point, and the juices were evaluated on a scale of 1 to 5 (higher scores are more preferable).

[0082] (Test 3) Effect of the inclusion of a non-aqueous solvent on the mellow flavor of the beverage and the odor derived from beneficial bacteria The following test was conducted to examine the effect of a non-aqueous solvent on the mellow flavor of the beverage and the odor derived from beneficial bacteria.

[0083] <Sample Preparation> 350 billion / g of live rhamnosus bacteria powder (including one or more species of Lactobacillus rhamnosus) was diluted 35 times with water and sterilized at 80 ° C for 60 minutes to prepare a 10 billion / g rhamnosus killed bacteria aqueous solution. In addition, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM5805 killed bacteria powder was added to water to prepare a 10 billion / g JCM5805 killed bacteria aqueous solution. An aqueous solution containing clear apple juice was prepared to a final concentration of 2 ° Brix, and the useful bacterial killed bacteria aqueous solution and ethanol and / or propylene glycol were added to achieve the final concentrations of useful bacterial killed bacteria and ethanol and / or propylene glycol shown in Tables 3-1 and 3-3, and anhydrous citric acid was added to achieve a final pH of about 4.0 to prepare a preparation. Each preparation was filled into a can and sterilized in a pasteurizer at 80°C for 10 minutes to prepare test plots 90-101 and test plots 122-129. Similarly, aqueous solutions containing orange juice or grape juice at a final concentration of 2°Brix, tomato juice at a final concentration of 7°Brix, or carrot juice at a final concentration of 4°Brix were prepared. To these aqueous solutions, killed beneficial bacteria solutions and ethanol and / or propylene glycol were added to achieve the final concentrations of killed beneficial bacteria and ethanol and / or propylene glycol shown in Tables 3-1 to 3-4, and anhydrous citric acid was added to achieve a final pH of approximately 4.0 to prepare the preparations. Each preparation was filled into a can and sterilized in a pasteurizer at 80°C for 10 minutes to prepare test plots 102-119 and test plots 130-140. Furthermore, tomato juice, carrot juice, apple juice, orange juice, and grape juice were mixed to a final concentration of 1°Brix, 1°Brix, 1°Brix, 1°Brix, and 1°Brix, respectively, to prepare an aqueous solution (mix) with a final concentration of 5°Brix. To this was added an aqueous solution of killed useful bacteria and ethanol to achieve the final concentrations of killed useful bacteria and ethanol shown in Tables 3-2 and 3-4, respectively, and anhydrous citric acid was added to adjust the final pH to about 4.0 to prepare a preparation. The preparation was filled into cans and sterilized in a pasteurizer at 80°C for 10 minutes to prepare test plots 120, 121, and 141.

[0084] <Sensory Evaluation> Five trained panelists with sensory discrimination abilities evaluated the beverages prepared in each test group at approximately 20°C for mellowness and the absence of odors derived from beneficial bacteria based on the following evaluation criteria, and the average scores of the five panelists was calculated. The standard error of the average scores for all panelists was 0.2 or less. The results are shown in Tables 3-1 to 3-4. The following evaluation criteria were set for each type of beneficial bacteria. For mellowness, for each fruit juice, vegetable juice, and mix, a sample containing no non-aqueous solvent and no killed beneficial bacteria was assigned a score of 1, and a sample containing no non-aqueous solvent and 100 billion / L of killed beneficial bacteria was assigned a score of 4 (data not shown). The interval from 1 to 4 was equally divided to set a standard for each score of "1 point," and the beverages were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 based on these criteria (higher scores are preferable). That is, for the samples with added killed Rhamnosus bacteria, the evaluation was based on a sample without added killed Rhamnosus bacteria and a sample with 100 billion killed Rhamnosus bacteria / L as the standard, and for the samples with added killed JCM5805 bacteria, the evaluation was based on a sample without added killed JCM5805 bacteria and a sample with added 100 billion killed JCM5805 bacteria / L as the standard. The low odor derived from beneficial bacteria was evaluated for each fruit juice, vegetable juice, and mix as follows. For Rhamnosus, a sample without added killed Rhamnosus bacteria and containing no non-aqueous solvent was assigned a fixed score of 5, and a sample with added 200 billion killed Rhamnosus bacteria and containing no non-aqueous solvent was assigned a fixed score of 2 (data not shown). The interval from 2 to 5 points was divided equally to set a standard for each score of "1 point," and the samples were evaluated on a scale of 1 to 5 based on this standard (the higher the score, the better). For JCM5805, a sample containing no non-aqueous solvent and no killed JCM5805 bacteria was assigned a fixed score of 5, and a sample containing no non-aqueous solvent and 400 billion / L of killed JCM5805 bacteria was assigned a fixed score of 1 (data not shown).The range from 1 to 5 points was equally divided to set a standard for each score of "1 point," and the sample was evaluated on a scale of 1 to 5 points (the higher the score, the more preferable).

[0085] (Test 4) Influence of beverage distribution conditions on beverage aroma The following test was conducted to investigate the influence of storage conditions during beverage distribution on the beverage aroma.

[0086] <Sample preparation> 350 billion / g of live rhamnosus bacteria powder (including one or more species of Lactobacillus rhamnosus) was diluted 35 times with water and sterilized at 80 ° C for 60 minutes to prepare a 10 billion / g rhamnosus killed bacteria aqueous solution. In addition, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM5805 killed bacteria powder was added to water to prepare a 10 billion / g JCM5805 killed bacteria aqueous solution. Aqueous solutions containing clear apple juice to a final concentration of 2 ° Brix or tomato juice to a final concentration of 7 ° Brix were prepared, and the useful bacteria killed bacteria aqueous solution was added to achieve the final concentration of useful bacteria killed bacteria listed in Tables 4-1 and 4-2, and anhydrous citric acid was added to make the final pH about 4.0, to prepare a preparation. Each preparation was filled into a can and sterilized in a pasteurizer at 80°C for 10 minutes to prepare test plots 142, 144, 148, and 150. For these test plots, samples were prepared in the same manner except that the killed beneficial bacteria aqueous solution was not added, and these served as controls. Furthermore, tomato juice (final concentration 1°Brix), carrot juice (final concentration 1°Brix), apple juice (final concentration 1°Brix), orange juice (final concentration 1°Brix), and grape juice (final concentration 1°Brix) were mixed to prepare an aqueous solution (mix) with a final concentration of 5°Brix. The killed beneficial bacteria aqueous solution was added to achieve the final concentrations of killed beneficial bacteria listed in Tables 4-1 and 4-2, and anhydrous citric acid was added to adjust the final pH to approximately 4.0 to prepare the preparations. Each preparation was filled into a can and sterilized in a pasteurizer at 80°C for 10 minutes to prepare test plots 146 and 152. For these test plots, samples were prepared in the same manner except that the aqueous solution of killed useful bacteria was not added, and these were used as controls. Test plots 142, 144, 146, 148, 150, and 152, as well as the corresponding controls without added killed useful bacteria, were left to stand in an incubator at 5°C for two weeks. In addition, a sample identical to test plot 142 was prepared and left to stand in an incubator at 50°C for two weeks, which was used as test plot 143.Similarly, the same sample as in test plot 144 was prepared and stored in an incubator at 50°C for two weeks to produce test plot 145, and the same sample as in test plot 146 was prepared and stored in an incubator at 50°C for two weeks to produce test plot 147. Similarly, the same samples were prepared for test plots 148, 150, and 152, respectively, and stored in an incubator at 50°C for two weeks to produce test plots 149, 151, and 153. Controls corresponding to test plots 143, 145, 147, 149, 151, and 153, to which no killed useful bacteria had been added, were also stored in an incubator at 50°C for two weeks.

[0087] <Sensory Evaluation> Five trained panelists with sensory discrimination abilities evaluated the beverages obtained from each test group, which had been prepared at approximately 20°C, for the increase in the mellowness of the samples from each test group based on the following evaluation criteria, and the average of the scores of the five panelists was calculated. The standard error of the average scores for all panelists was 0.3 or less. The results are shown in Tables 4-1 and 4-2. In addition, the following evaluation criteria were set for each type of beneficial bacteria during the evaluation: The increase in mellow flavor (hereinafter also referred to as "Δ mellow flavor") of test plots 142, 144, 146, 148, 150 and 152 with the addition of killed useful bacteria compared to the control without killed useful bacteria stored at 5°C for 2 weeks was defined as 3 points, and the increase in mellow flavor of the control without killed useful bacteria stored at the same conditions was defined as 1 point.The Δ mellow flavor of test plots 143, 145, 147, 149, 151 and 153 with the addition of the same type of killed useful bacteria stored at the same conditions compared to the control without killed useful bacteria stored at 50°C for 2 weeks was evaluated on a scale of 1 to 5.

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[0104] Tables 1-1 to 1-8 show that the mellow flavor was enhanced in test plots 2 to 10, 12 to 20, 22 to 30, 32 to 40, 42 to 50, 52 to 54, and 55 to 77, which contained killed beneficial bacteria and at least one of fruit juice and vegetable juice, and where the killed beneficial bacteria concentration was 500 million / L or more. Tables 2-1 and 2-2 show that the mellow flavor was enhanced in test plots 79, 81, 83, 85, and 86 to 89, which contained 500 million / L or more killed beneficial bacteria and where the sugar content of at least one of fruit juice and vegetable juice was 0.5°Brix or more. Tables 3-1 to 3-4 suggest that the mellow flavor can be enhanced by adjusting the amount of non-aqueous solvent (specifically, ethanol and / or propylene glycol). It is also suggested that the mellow flavor can be enhanced by adjusting the value of [non-aqueous solvent concentration X (ppm)] / [killed bacteria concentration Y billion / L]. Tables 4-1 and 4-2 show that in test plots 142-153, which contained 500 million or more killed beneficial bacteria per L, the mellow flavor was enhanced in the killed beneficial bacteria-added plot compared to the non-killed beneficial bacteria-added plot when stored at 5°C and 50°C. Furthermore, comparing test plots 142 and 143, for example, it can be seen that even when the same concentration of killed beneficial bacteria was added, the effect of imparting a mellow flavor was more pronounced at a storage temperature of 50°C than at 5°C.

[0105] According to the present invention, a beverage containing at least one of fruit juice and vegetable juice with an enhanced mellow flavor can be provided.

Claims

1. A beverage comprising dead beneficial bacteria and at least one of fruit juice and vegetable juice, the dead beneficial bacteria concentration being 500 million / L or more.

2. The beverage according to claim 1, wherein the concentration of dead beneficial bacteria is 400 billion / L or less.

3. The beverage according to claim 1, wherein the beneficial bacteria is one or more species selected from the group consisting of Lactobacillus and Lactococcus.

4. The beverage according to claim 1, wherein the beneficial bacteria is one or more species selected from the group consisting of Lactobacillus rhamnosus CRL1505, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM5805, and Lactobacillus paracasei KW3110.

5. The beverage of claim 1, wherein the fruit juice comprises at least one of apple juice, orange juice, and grape juice, and the vegetable juice comprises at least one of tomato juice and carrot juice.

6. The beverage according to claim 1, further comprising a non-aqueous solvent, the concentration of which is 1 ppm or more.

7. The beverage according to claim 6, wherein when the concentration of the nonaqueous solvent is X ppm and the dead cell concentration of the beneficial bacteria is Y billion / L, the value of X / Y is 0.10 or more and 500 or less.

8. The beverage of claim 6, wherein the non-aqueous solvent comprises at least one of nitrous oxide, acetone, ethanol, glycerin, ethyl acetate, methyl acetate, diethyl ether, cyclohexane, dichloromethane, 1,1,2-trichloroethene, edible fats and oils, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, 1-butanol, 2-butanol, 2-butanone, butane, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, propane, propylene glycol, hexane, and methanol.

9. The beverage according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the fruit juice and the vegetable juice has a sugar content of 0.5°Brix or more.

10. The beverage according to claim 1, which is a packaged beverage.

11. The beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 10, which is intended for distribution at room temperature.

12. A method for producing a beverage containing dead useful bacteria and at least one of fruit juice and vegetable juice, the method including a step of blending the dead useful bacteria with the at least one of the fruit juice and vegetable juice so that the concentration of the dead useful bacteria in the beverage is 500 million / L or more.

13. The method for producing a beverage according to claim 12, wherein at least one of the fruit juice and the vegetable juice blended in said step has a sugar content of 0.5°Brix or more.

14. A method for enhancing the mellow flavor of a beverage containing killed useful bacteria and at least one of fruit juice and vegetable juice, comprising blending the killed useful bacteria with the at least one of the fruit juice and vegetable juice so that the concentration of the killed useful bacteria in the beverage is 500 million / L or more.

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