Plum juice-containing carbonated beverage

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a plum juice-containing carbonated beverage that does not easily bubble over. In one aspect, the present invention provides a carbonated beverage containing plum juice and at least about 0.1 g / L of salt. By including a certain amount of salt, bubbling over is reduced and the filling amount of carbonic acid can be increased. In addition, by including the salt, the umami of the plum can be enhanced. In one embodiment, the plum juice may be a squeezed juice of plum fruits. In one embodiment, the plum juice may be "sugar-extracted plum juice" produced by pickling plum fruits in sugar and extracting plum fruit components in sugar.

Description

Plum juice carbonated drink

[0001] The present invention relates to a carbonated drink containing plum juice.

[0002] Slightly carbonated drinks containing plum juice are known. Carbonated drinks containing plum juice have the risk of boiling over due to the sugar content and components specific to the plum, and therefore there is a limit to the amount of carbonation that can be added to carbonated drinks containing plum juice.

[0003] The present inventors have found that adding salt to a carbonated drink containing plum juice can prevent the drink from boiling over and increase the amount of carbon dioxide added. The addition of salt also improves the flavor of the drink.

[0004] Accordingly, the present invention provides the following: (Item 1) A carbonated beverage comprising plum juice and salt at a concentration of at least about 0.1 g / L. (Item 2) The carbonated beverage according to any of the above items, wherein the carbonated beverage comprises salt at a concentration of about 0.5 to about 5 g / L. (Item 3) The carbonated beverage according to any of the above items, wherein the salt is sodium chloride. (Item 4) The carbonated beverage according to any of the above items, wherein the plum juice is a sugar extract of plums. (Item 6) The carbonated beverage according to any of the above items, wherein the carbonated beverage further comprises alcohol. (Item 7) A method for producing a carbonated beverage comprising plum juice, the method comprising the steps of mixing plum juice and salt in water, and filling with carbon dioxide. (Item 8) The carbon dioxide is produced by mixing the plum juice and salt in water at an internal gas pressure of at least about 2 kg / cm. ３ The method according to any one of the preceding items, wherein the filling is carried out so that

[0005] It is contemplated that the present disclosure may provide one or more of the above-described features in combinations other than those explicitly stated. Still further embodiments and advantages of the present disclosure will be recognized by those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description, if necessary.

[0006] The present invention provides a plum juice-containing carbonated beverage that is less likely to boil over, and can also provide a plum juice-containing carbonated beverage with an increased amount of carbon dioxide.

[0007] Figure 1 shows a graph of the time (seconds) measured from the time when a carbonated plum juice beverage containing no sodium chloride or containing 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, or 3 g / L of sodium chloride was poured into a container until the foam disappeared. Figure 2 shows a graph of the time when a carbonated plum juice beverage containing no sodium chloride or containing 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, or 3 g / L of sodium chloride was poured into a container. The foam height for the salt-free beverage was set to 1. Figure 3 shows a photograph of a carbonated plum juice beverage containing no sodium chloride or containing 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, or 3 g / L of sodium chloride at the time when the beverage was poured into a container. Figure 4 shows a graph of the time (seconds) measured from the time when a carbonated plum juice beverage containing no sodium chloride or containing 0.5, 1, 2, or 3 g / L of sodium chloride was poured into a container until the foam disappeared. Figure 5 shows a graph of the time (seconds) from the time when a carbonated lemon juice beverage containing no sodium chloride or containing 0.5, 1, 2, or 3 g / L of sodium chloride was poured into a container until the foam disappeared. Figure 6 shows a graph of the time (seconds) from the time when a carbonated yuzu juice beverage containing no sodium chloride or containing 0.5, 1, 2, or 3 g / L of sodium chloride was poured into a container until the foam disappeared. Figure 7 shows a graph of the time (seconds) from the time when a carbonated plum juice beverage containing no sodium chloride or containing 0.5, 1, 2, or 3 g / L of sodium chloride was poured into a container until the foam disappeared. Fig. 8 shows a graph of the results of measuring the time (seconds) from the time when a carbonated plum juice drink containing no sodium L-ascorbate or containing 0.4, 0.8, 1.2, 1.6, or 2 g / L (equivalent to sodium salt) of sodium L-ascorbate was poured into a container until the foam disappeared. Fig. 9 shows a graph of the results of measuring the time (seconds) from the time when a carbonated plum juice drink containing no sodium citrate or containing 0.4, 0.8, 1.2, 1.6, or 2 g / L (equivalent to sodium salt) of sodium citrate was poured into a container until the foam disappeared.

[0008] It should be understood that the terms used in this specification are used in the meanings commonly used in the relevant field unless otherwise specified.Therefore, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this specification have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure belongs.In the event of any discrepancy, this specification (including definitions) shall prevail.

[0009] First, we explain the terms and general techniques used in this disclosure.

[0010] As used herein, "about" means ±10% of the indicated value.

[0011] As used herein, "salt" refers to the amount of salt contained in a carbonated beverage. As used herein, salt refers to sodium chloride. Unless otherwise specified, the salt concentration indicated refers to the final concentration of salt in the carbonated beverage.

[0012] As used herein, "ume juice" refers to the juice of ume fruits or an extract of a specific component thereof, and includes diluted or concentrated forms. Unless otherwise specified, the concentration of ume juice indicated refers to the final concentration in a carbonated beverage.

[0013] As used herein, "carbonated beverage" refers to a beverage that contains carbon dioxide gas (CO ２ ) refers to beverages containing

[0014] In this specification, "sugar plum juice" refers to juice obtained by soaking plums in sugar to extract plum components, which is then mixed with sugar. Unless otherwise specified, the concentration of sugar plum juice indicated refers to the final concentration in a carbonated beverage.

[0015] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. The embodiments provided below are provided for a better understanding of the present disclosure, and it is understood that the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to the following description. Therefore, it is clear that those skilled in the art can make appropriate modifications within the scope of the present disclosure in light of the description herein. It is also understood that the following embodiments of the present disclosure can be used alone or in combination.

[0016] In one aspect, the present invention provides a carbonated beverage containing plum juice and at least about 0.1 g / L of salt (e.g., sodium chloride). The inclusion of a certain amount of salt reduces overflow and increases the amount of carbonation. The inclusion of salt also enhances the umami flavor of the plum.

[0017] In one embodiment, the plum juice may be the juice squeezed from plum fruits. In one embodiment, the plum juice may be "plum sugar extract," which is produced by soaking plum fruits in sugar and extracting the plum fruit components into the sugar. Typically, plum sugar extract can be produced by soaking plum fruits in sugar at a weight ratio of about 1:1 for about three weeks to extract the plum fruit components. As the plum sugar extract, Ume Sugar Extract Juice (trademark) (Nakano BC Co., Ltd.) may be used.

[0018] In one embodiment, the carbonated beverage of the present invention may contain alcohol. The alcohol may be contained in the carbonated beverage separately from the plum juice, or plum wine may be contained as the plum juice. Any alcohol may be used, including, but not limited to, shochu (class A), shochu (class B), vodka, and spirits.

[0019] Umeshu can be produced by mixing plum fruit, alcohol, and rock sugar, and aging the mixture for several months. Commercially available plum liquor may also be used.

[0020] In one embodiment, the carbonated beverage of the present invention may further contain sugars, sugar alcohols (xylitol, erythritol, etc.), high-intensity sweeteners (acesulfame K, sucralose, aspartame, stevia, etc.), organic acids (citric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, succinic acid, gluconic acid, tartaric acid, acetic acid, etc.) or salts thereof, phosphoric acid or salts thereof, vinegar, dietary fiber, coloring agents (caramel color, gardenia color, fruit juice color, etc.), bittering agents, seasonings (amino acids, etc.), antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E, etc.), pH adjusters, emulsifiers, etc.

[0021] In one embodiment, the carbonated beverage of the present invention may contain sugars, such as, but not limited to, glucose, fructose, galactose, sucrose, maltose, lactose, oligosaccharides, high fructose corn syrup, and trehalose. In a specific embodiment, the sugar may be high fructose corn syrup.

[0022] In one embodiment, the carbonated beverages of the present invention may comprise a salt content (e.g., sodium chloride) of at least about 0.1 g / L, e.g., from about 0.1 to about 20 g / L, from about 0.5 to about 2.5 g / L, or any range with lower and upper limits set forth herein. In certain embodiments, the carbonated beverage is about 0.1 g / L, about 0.2 g / L, about 0.3 g / L, about 0.4 g / L, about 0.5 g / L, about 0.6 g / L, about 0.7 g / L, about 0.8 g / L, about 0.9 g / L, about 1 g / L, about 1.1 g / L, about 1.2 g / L , about 1.3 g / L, about 1.4 g / L, about 1.5 g / L, about 2 g / L, about 2.5 g / L, about 3 g / L, about 3.5 g / L, about 4 g / L, about 4.5 g / L, about 5 g / L, about 6 g / L, about 7 g / L, about 8 g / L, about 9 g / L, about 10 g / L. From the viewpoint of the effect of preventing the beverage from boiling over, the salt concentration in the beverage is preferably about 0.5 or more, and from the viewpoint of flavor, it is preferably about 2.5 g / L or less.

[0023] In one embodiment, the carbonated beverage of the present invention has a viscosity of at least 1 kg / cm ３ , for example, about 1 kg / cm ３ ~Approx. 5kg / cm ３ , about 2kg / cm ３ ~ approx. 4 kg / cm ３ , about 2kg / cm ３ ~Approx. 3kg / cm ３ Alternatively, carbon dioxide (CO ) can be produced at an internal gas pressure within a range of any internal gas pressure described herein. ２ In certain embodiments, the carbonated beverage of the present invention may contain a stoichiometric amount of about 1 kg / cm ３ , about 1.5kg / cm ３ , about 2kg / cm ３ , about 2.1kg / cm ３ , about 2.2kg / cm ３ , about 2.3kg / cm３ , about 2.4 kg / cm ３ , about 2.5kg / cm ３ , about 2.6kg / cm ３ , about 2.7kg / cm ３ , about 2.8kg / cm ３ , about 2.9 kg / cm ３ , about 3kg / cm ３ , about 3.5kg / cm ３ , about 4 kg / cm ３ , about 4.5kg / cm ３ , about 5kg / cm ３ , or about 10 kg / cm ３ At an internal gas pressure of ２ ) gas. ２ The preferred range of the internal gas pressure is about 2 kg / cm ３ ~ approx. 4 kg / cm ３ The internal gas pressure is preferably about 2 kg / cm. ３ ~Approx. 3kg / cm ３ It could be.

[0024] In one embodiment, the carbonated beverage of the present invention may contain plum juice at a concentration of at least about 10 g / L, e.g., from about 10 to about 300 g / L, from about 50 to about 150 g / L, or any range with lower and upper limits set forth herein. In certain embodiments, the carbonated beverage may contain plum juice at a concentration of about 10 g / L, about 20 g / L, about 30 g / L, about 40 g / L, about 50 g / L, about 60 g / L, about 70 g / L, about 80 g / L, about 90 g / L, about 100 g / L, about 110 g / L, about 120 g / L, about 130 g / L, about 140 g / L, about 150 g / L, about 200 g / L, about 250 g / L, or about 300 g / L. A preferred range for the concentration of plum juice may be about 50 to 150 g / L.

[0025] In one embodiment, the carbonated beverage of the present invention may comprise plum sugar extract at a concentration of at least about 10 g / L, e.g., from about 10 to about 300 g / L, from about 50 to about 150 g / L, or any range of concentrations with lower and upper limits as described herein. In certain embodiments, the carbonated beverage may comprise plum sugar extract at a concentration of about 10 g / L, about 20 g / L, about 30 g / L, about 40 g / L, about 50 g / L, about 60 g / L, about 70 g / L, about 80 g / L, about 90 g / L, about 100 g / L, about 110 g / L, about 120 g / L, about 130 g / L, about 140 g / L, about 150 g / L, about 200 g / L, about 250 g / L, or about 300 g / L. A preferred range for the concentration of plum sugar extract may be from about 50 to about 150 g / L.

[0026] In one embodiment, the carbonated beverage of the present invention may contain sugars separate from the plum juice, and may contain sugars in a range of at least about 10 g / L, e.g., from about 10 to about 200 g / L, from about 40 to about 120 g / L, or any range with lower and upper limits of any concentration described herein. In certain embodiments, the carbonated beverage may contain about 10 g / L, about 20 g / L, about 30 g / L, about 40 g / L, about 50 g / L, about 60 g / L, about 70 g / L, about 80 g / L, about 90 g / L, about 100 g / L, about 110 g / L, about 120 g / L, about 130 g / L, about 140 g / L, about 150 g / L, or about 200 g / L of sugars. A preferred range of sugar concentrations may be from about 40 to about 120 g / L.

[0027] In one embodiment, the carbonated beverage of the present invention may contain high fructose corn syrup separately from the plum juice, and may contain high fructose corn syrup at a concentration of at least about 10 g / L, e.g., from about 10 to about 200 g / L, from about 40 to about 120 g / L, or any range with lower and upper limits of any concentration described herein. In certain embodiments, the carbonated beverage may contain high fructose corn syrup at a concentration of about 10 g / L, about 20 g / L, about 30 g / L, about 40 g / L, about 50 g / L, about 60 g / L, about 70 g / L, about 80 g / L, about 90 g / L, about 100 g / L, about 110 g / L, about 120 g / L, about 130 g / L, about 140 g / L, about 150 g / L, or about 200 g / L. A preferred range for the concentration of high fructose corn syrup may be from about 40 to about 120 g / L.

[0028] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0029] The present disclosure will be further described below with reference to examples, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0030] (Example 1: Measuring the tendency of a carbonated drink containing plum juice to boil over) In this example, the time (seconds) from the time the carbonated drink containing plum juice was poured into a container until the bubbles disappeared was measured as an indicator of the tendency of the carbonated drink to boil over.

[0031] (Method and Materials) 20 g of plum sugar extract (manufactured by Nakano BC Co., Ltd.), 16 g of high-fructose corn syrup (manufactured by Showa Sangyo Co., Ltd.), and sodium chloride were diluted to 200 mL with carbonated water to give concentrations of 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 4, 8, 12, 16, or 20 g / L. The carbon dioxide filling amount of the carbonated water used was 4 kg / m ３ The carbonated drink was stored in the refrigerator overnight, and then the process of pouring into a glass was filmed. The carbonated drink was poured into the glass at a constant rate, and the time from the end of pouring until the bubbles disappeared (the liquid surface was exposed) was measured. Care was taken to ensure that the time from opening the bottle to starting to pour was consistent for each experiment.

[0032] (Results) The results are shown in Figure 1. Compared to carbonated drinks that did not contain sodium chloride, carbonated drinks that contained sodium chloride took significantly less time for the bubbles to disappear. This indicates that the inclusion of sodium chloride reduced the tendency for foaming, and as a result, made the drink less likely to boil over.

[0033] Example 2: Measurement of foam height of carbonated drink containing plum juice In this example, foam height was measured as an index of the tendency of carbonated drinks to boil over.

[0034] Carbonated beverages were prepared in the same manner as in Example 1. The foam height at the time when the sodium chloride-free carbonated beverage was completely poured was set to 1, and the relative foam height at the time when the sodium chloride-containing carbonated beverage was completely poured was measured.

[0035] The results are shown in Figures 2 and 3. It was shown that the inclusion of sodium chloride resulted in a lower foam height. The results of measuring the foam disappearance time in Example 1 and the foam height in Example 2 show that the inclusion of sodium chloride reduced the risk of boiling over.

[0036] (Example 3: Production Example) Extracted plum juice (about 100 g / L) (manufactured by Nakano BC Co., Ltd.), high fructose corn syrup (about 100 g / L), and sodium chloride (about 0.8 g / L) were mixed with water and heated under a pressure of about 3 kg / m 3 of carbon dioxide. ３ The resulting mixture was then filled into bottles and sealed with caps.

[0037] The carbonated beverage containing plum sugar extract juice and containing no sodium chloride boiled over, whereas the carbonated beverage of Example 3, which contained a certain amount of sodium chloride, was less likely to boil over, and the plum flavor was more pronounced and the flavor was improved.

[0038] Example 4: Comparison with citrus juice Using the same method as in Example 1, the time (seconds) from the time when the carbonated drink was completely poured into the container until the bubbles disappeared was measured.

[0039] (Method and Materials) Sweetened fruit juice was prepared by adding 10 g of sugar (granulated sugar) to 10 g of fruit juice (plum, lemon, yuzu, hassaku) filtered through diatomaceous earth and dissolving it completely. 20 g of sweetened fruit juice, 16 g of high-fructose corn syrup, and sodium chloride at concentrations of 0, 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 g / L were added to carbonated water to make a 200 mL solution, and a fruit juice carbonated drink was prepared. The carbon dioxide filling volume of the carbonated water used was 4.5 GV (3.5 kg / cm). ２ The temperature was (12°C). The carbonated beverage was thoroughly chilled in a refrigerator, and the process of pouring into a glass was filmed. The carbonated beverage was poured into the glass at a constant rate, and the time from the end of pouring until the foam disappeared (the liquid surface was exposed) was measured. Care was taken to ensure that the time from opening the bottle to starting to pour was consistent for each experiment.

[0040] (Results) As shown in Figures 4 to 6, carbonated beverages containing salt-free plum juice took longer for the bubbles to disappear than carbonated beverages containing salt-free citrus juice. As shown in Figure 4, carbonated beverages containing plum juice had a significantly shorter time to disappear when they contained 0.5 g / L or more of salt compared to carbonated beverages containing no salt. On the other hand, carbonated beverages containing citrus fruits such as lemon, yuzu, and hassaku juice had a shorter time to disappear, regardless of whether they contained salt, and no effect of adding salt was observed. Note that for carbonated beverages containing hassaku juice, the bubbles had almost disappeared by the time the beverage was poured, regardless of the salt concentration, and measurement was not possible.

[0041] (Discussion) Carbonated beverages containing salt-free plum juice take significantly longer for the bubbles to disappear than carbonated beverages containing salt-free citrus juice, and the problem of overflow can be said to be a problem unique to carbonated beverages containing plum juice. Furthermore, in carbonated beverages containing salt-free plum juice, the addition of salt at a concentration of 0.5 g / L or more significantly reduced the time until the bubbles disappeared. Such a reduction was not observed in carbonated beverages containing citrus juice.

[0042] Example 5: Comparison with sodium salts other than sodium chloride Using the same method as in Example 1, the time (seconds) from the time when the carbonated drink was completely poured into the container until the foam disappeared was measured.

[0043] (Method and Materials) Sweetened fruit juice was prepared by adding 10 g of sugar (granulated sugar) to 10 g of plum juice filtered through diatomaceous earth and dissolving it completely. 20 g of sweetened fruit juice, 16 g of high-fructose corn syrup, sodium chloride, sodium L-ascorbate, or sodium citrate were diluted to 200 mL with carbonated water to prepare a plum juice carbonated drink. The carbon dioxide filling volume of the carbonated water used was 4.5 GV (3.5 kg / cm). ２The temperature was (12°C). The carbonated beverage was thoroughly chilled in a refrigerator, and the process of pouring into a glass was filmed. The carbonated beverage was poured into the glass at a constant rate, and the time from the end of pouring until the bubbles disappeared (the liquid surface was exposed) was measured. Care was taken to ensure that the time from opening the bottle to starting the pour was consistent for each experiment. Similar experiments were also conducted with sodium bicarbonate and magnesium chloride, but measurements were not taken because a large amount of bubbles were generated when mixed with carbonated water, and the carbon dioxide gas escaped when poured into a container.

[0044] (Results) As shown in Figure 7, the addition of sodium chloride to a carbonated plum juice beverage significantly shortened the time until the bubbles disappeared compared to when no sodium chloride was added. On the other hand, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the addition of sodium L-ascorbate or sodium citrate hardly shortened the time until the bubbles disappeared compared to when no sodium chloride was added. At certain concentrations, the time until the bubbles disappeared was actually longer. Note that the concentrations (g / L) of sodium L-ascorbate or sodium citrate are based on the salt equivalent. Sodium bicarbonate and magnesium chloride were not suitable for the experiment because they generated a large amount of foam when mixed with carbonated water and the carbon dioxide gas escaped when poured into a container, and data for these substances are not shown.

[0045] (Discussion) When sodium chloride was added to a carbonated drink containing plum juice, the time it took for the bubbles to disappear was shortened. Although sodium salts such as sodium L-ascorbate or sodium citrate were converted into salt equivalents, no shortening of the time it took for the bubbles to disappear was observed. Furthermore, sodium bicarbonate and magnesium chloride produced large amounts of bubbles when mixed with carbonated water, suggesting that they are substances that actually promote overflow. The effect of suppressing overflow in carbonated drinks containing plum juice is unique to sodium chloride, and can be said to be an unexpectedly excellent effect not observed with other sodium salts.

[0046] As described above, the present disclosure has been illustrated using preferred embodiments thereof, but it is understood that the scope of the present disclosure should be interpreted solely by the claims. It is understood that the patents, patent applications, and literature cited in this specification are to be incorporated by reference into this specification in their entirety as if the contents themselves were specifically set forth herein. This application claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-32141, filed March 4, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0047] The present invention provides a carbonated drink containing plum juice that is less likely to boil over. The present invention can be used in the food industry.

Claims

1. A carbonated beverage comprising plum juice and a salt concentration of at least about 0.1 g / L.

2. The carbonated beverage of claim 1, wherein the carbonated beverage comprises a salt concentration of about 0.5 to about 5 g / L.

3. The carbonated beverage of claim 1, wherein the carbonated beverage comprises a salt concentration of about 0.5 to about 2.5 g / L.

4. The carbonated beverage of claim 1, wherein the salt is sodium chloride.

5. The carbonated beverage according to claim 1, wherein the plum juice is a sugar extract of plum.

6. The carbonated beverage of claim 1, wherein the carbonated beverage further comprises alcohol.

7. A method for producing a carbonated beverage containing plum juice, the method comprising the steps of mixing plum juice and salt in water and charging with carbon dioxide.

8. The carbon dioxide has an internal gas pressure of at least about 2 kg / cm ３ The method of claim 7, wherein the filling is carried out so that