Soft fruit juice-containing beverage

Abstract

The present invention provides a means for suppressing the astringent taste of a beverage that is apparent in a beverage having a low content of soft fruit juice and a low degree of sweetness.　A frozen pulverized product of fruits and / or vegetables or an alcohol immersion liquid of the frozen pulverized product is used.

Description

Soft fruit juice-containing beverage

[0001] The present invention relates to a soft fruit juice-containing beverage having a low juice content and a low sweetness, and related methods.

[0002] In alcoholic beverages containing fruit juice such as Chu-Hi, many contain citrus fruit juice. However, in recent years, beverages containing fruit juice other than citrus fruits, particularly soft fruit juice, have also increased. And some technologies related to such beverages are known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technique for reducing the pungency of alcohol using furfural in a soft fruit-flavored alcoholic beverage.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-099303

[0004] Not limited to beverages containing fruit juice, in the beverage field, influenced by the recent trend towards health, beverages with a reduced amount of fruit juice that provides carbohydrates and beverages with a reduced sweetness are popular. However, the carbohydrates contained in fruit juice itself have the effect of suppressing negative flavors derived from other components. Also, sweetening components other than carbohydrates have such an effect. Therefore, when the amount of fruit juice and the sweetness are low, the negative flavors of fruit juice beverages tend to become apparent.

[0005] In fact, the inventors of the present invention confirmed that when the amount of fruit juice is reduced and the sweetness is lowered in a beverage containing soft fruit juice, the astringent taste derived from the soft fruit juice becomes apparent.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide means for suppressing the astringent taste of a beverage that becomes apparent in a beverage having a low content of soft fruit juice and a low sweetness. Incidentally, as shown in the examples described later, this problem is hardly recognized when using citrus fruit juice.

[0007] As a result of intensive studies, the present inventors have found that when using a freeze-ground product of fruits and / or vegetables, or an alcohol immersion solution of the freeze-ground product, it is possible to suppress the astringent taste that occurs in a beverage having a low content of soft fruit juice and a low sweetness.

[0008] The present invention relates to, but is not limited to, the following: 1. A beverage comprising soft fruit juice in an amount equivalent to 0.1 to 5 w / w% of fruit juice content, and one or more frozen pulverized raw material foods selected from the group consisting of fruits and vegetables, or an alcohol-immersed liquid of said frozen pulverized material, and having a sweetness level of 3 or less. 2. The beverage according to 1, wherein the sweetness level is 0.01 to 2. 3. The beverage according to 1 or 2, wherein the soft fruit in the soft fruit juice is at least one selected from the group consisting of apples, pineapples, kiwifruits, acerola, grapes, pears, plums, mangoes, and peaches. 4. The beverage according to any one of 1 to 3, which contains alcohol. 5. The alcoholic beverage according to 4, which has an alcohol content of 1 to 10 v / v%. 6. The beverage according to any one of 1 to 3, which does not contain alcohol. 7. A method for suppressing astringency in a beverage containing soft fruit juice in an amount of 0.1 to 5 w / w% in terms of fruit juice content and having a sweetness level of 3 or less, the method comprising the step of mixing raw materials such that the beverage contains a frozen pulverized product of one or more raw food ingredients selected from the group consisting of fruits and vegetables, or an alcohol immersion liquid of said frozen pulverized product. 8. The method according to 7, wherein the step of mixing raw materials comprises the steps of: freezing the one or more raw food ingredients to obtain a frozen product; pulverizing the frozen product to obtain the frozen pulverized product; immersing the pulverized product as is, or after thawing it into a paste, in an alcohol-containing liquid to obtain the alcohol immersion liquid; and mixing the immersion liquid with other raw materials. 9. The method according to 7, wherein the step of mixing raw materials comprises the steps of: freezing the one or more raw food ingredients to obtain a frozen product; pulverizing the frozen product to obtain the frozen pulverized product; and mixing said frozen pulverized product with other raw materials. 10. A method for producing the beverage described in item 1 above, comprising the step of mixing raw materials such that the beverage contains the freeze-dried pulverized material or an alcohol-infused liquid thereof.11. The method according to 10, wherein the step of mixing raw materials includes: freezing one or more raw material foods to obtain a frozen product; finely grinding the frozen product to obtain a frozen finely ground product; immersing the finely ground product, either as is or after thawing it into a paste, in an alcohol-containing liquid to obtain an alcohol-soaked liquid; and mixing the soaked liquid with other raw materials. 12. The method according to 10, wherein the step of mixing raw materials includes: freezing one or more raw material foods to obtain a frozen product; finely grinding the frozen product to obtain a frozen finely ground product; and mixing the frozen finely ground product with other raw materials.

[0009] The present invention can suppress astringency in beverages with a low soft fruit juice content and low sweetness. In this specification, "astringency" as used in reference to soft fruit juice-containing beverages refers to the bitter or astringent taste that one feels when drinking the beverage, which makes one want to pucker their lips.

[0010] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the present invention can also suppress the harshness of alcohol in alcoholic beverages. In this specification, "harshness of alcohol" as used in reference to alcoholic beverages refers to the bitter aftertaste or burning sensation in the throat that is felt when drinking the beverage.

[0011] The beverage and related methods of the present invention are described below. The term "alcohol" as used herein means ethanol unless otherwise specified. (Fruit Juice) The beverage of the present invention contains a relatively small amount of soft fruit juice. The soft fruit juice content in the beverage is 0.1 to 5 w / w%, preferably 0.1 to 3 w / w%, and more preferably 0.1 to 2 w / w%, in terms of juice content. When the soft fruit juice content is low, the astringent taste of the beverage derived from the soft fruit juice tends to become more apparent. For clarification, the fruit juice content in this specification refers to the total amount. Therefore, if the beverage contains only one type of soft fruit juice, the content refers to the content of only that juice; if the beverage contains multiple types of soft fruit juice, the content refers to the total amount of those juices.

[0012] In this specification, "soft fruit juice" means juice obtained from soft fruit. In this specification, "fruit juice" means juice obtained from fruit, and may be in the form of straight juice, which is juice obtained by squeezing fruit, or concentrated juice, which is obtained by concentrating straight juice. Clear juice and cloudy juice may also be used, as well as whole fruit juice obtained by crushing the whole fruit including the outer skin and removing only particularly coarse solids such as seeds, fruit puree obtained by straining the fruit, or juice obtained by crushing or extracting the pulp of dried fruit.

[0013] In this specification, "soft fruit" means fruits other than citrus fruits (non-citrus fruits). Therefore, for example, soft fruit juices include juices from grapes (red grapes, white grapes), apples, pineapples, kiwifruit, acerola, peaches, apricots, watermelons, melons, persimmons, strawberries, bananas, pears (Japanese pears, European pears), lychees, mangoes, berries, passion fruit, cherries, and plums. Juices from at least one soft fruit selected from the group consisting of apples, pineapples, kiwifruit, acerola, grapes, pears, plums, mangoes, and peaches are preferred, and juices from at least one soft fruit selected from the group consisting of apples, pineapples, kiwifruit, acerola, and grapes are more preferred. These soft fruit juices may be used individually or in combination of two or more types.

[0014] The beverage of the present invention may or may not contain other fruit juices in addition to soft fruit juice. The type of such additional fruit juice is not particularly limited, but examples include citrus fruit juices (orange, Satsuma mandarin, grapefruit, lemon, lime, yuzu, iyokan, natsumikan, sudachi, hassaku, ponkan, shikwasa, kabosu, etc.), and examples include orange, lemon, grapefruit, and lime juices. These fruit juices may be used individually or in combination of two or more types.

[0015] The content of fruit juice, including soft fruit juice, in the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the content of soft fruit juice is within the above range, but for example, it is 5 w / w% or less, preferably 3 w / w% or less, when converted to a fruit juice ratio. In one embodiment, the beverage of the present invention does not contain fruit juice of fruits other than soft fruit.

[0016] In this invention, the "fruit juice content" in a beverage is calculated using the amount of fruit juice (g) added to 100 ml of the beverage, according to the following conversion formula. When calculating the concentration ratio, the JAS standard shall be followed, and the refractometer readings for sugars such as sugars and honey added to the fruit juice shall be excluded.

[0017] Fruit juice content (w / w%) = <Amount of fruit juice (g)> × <Concentration ratio> / 100 mL / <Density of beverage> × 100 (Sweetness level) The beverage of the present invention has a low sweetness level, which is 3 or less, preferably 2 or less, more preferably 1 or less, and even more preferably 0.5 or less. When the sweetness level is low, the problem of astringency tends to become apparent, so the present invention is particularly useful.

[0018] In this specification, the term "sweetness level" as used in reference to beverages does not refer to the sweetness level of the sweetener itself, but rather to an index representing the sweetness of a beverage, where the sweetness of a beverage containing 1 g of sucrose per 100 g of beverage is set to "1". The sweetness level of a beverage is determined by multiplying the content of each sweetening component (including sweetening components derived from fruit juice or extracts, etc.) contained in the beverage by the relative ratio of the sweetness level of that sweetening component to the sweetness level of sucrose to determine the sucrose equivalent, and then summing up the sucrose equivalents of each sweetening component. The relative ratios of the sweetness of representative sweetening components to the sweetness level of sucrose (1) are shown in Table 1. For sweetening components not listed in Table 1, the sweetness level provided by the manufacturer or distributor of that sweetening component may be used, or the sweetness level may be determined by sensory evaluation.

[0019]

[0020] For example, if 100g of a beverage contains 1g of glucose and 1g of fructose, the total sucrose equivalent of these two amounts is (1g × 0.6 + 1g × 1.2) = 1.8g, which means the sweetness level of the beverage is 1.8.

[0021] To adjust the sweetness level, the amount of sweetening components in the beverage can be adjusted. (Frozen pulverized material and its alcohol immersion liquid) The beverage of the present invention contains frozen pulverized material of one or more raw food ingredients selected from the group consisting of fruits and vegetables, or an alcohol immersion liquid of said frozen pulverized material. The content is not limited, but if the frozen pulverized material is included, its content in the beverage is, for example, 0.001 w / v% or more, preferably 0.005 to 0.5 w / v%, and more preferably 0.01 to 0.1 w / v%. If the alcohol immersion liquid is included, its content in the beverage is, for example, 0.1 v / v% or more, preferably 0.1 to 10 v / v%, and more preferably 0.05 to 5 v / v%. For clarification, the content of the alcohol immersion liquid in this specification refers to the total amount. Therefore, if the beverage contains only one type of alcohol maceration solution, the content refers to the content of only that maceration solution; if the beverage contains multiple types of alcohol maceration solutions, the content refers to the total amount of those maceration solutions. Furthermore, the beverage of the present invention may contain both the freeze-dried pulverized material and the alcohol maceration solution.

[0022] The frozen pulverized material is obtained by a process of freezing one or more raw food ingredients to obtain a frozen product, and then pulverizing the frozen product. The alcohol immersion solution is obtained by a process of immersing the pulverized material, either as is or after thawing it into a paste, in an alcohol-containing solution.

[0023] The fruits used to produce the freeze-dried pulverized material and alcohol immersion solution are not limited, but include, for example, citrus fruits (oranges, Satsuma mandarins, grapefruits, lemons, limes, yuzu, iyokan, natsumikan, sudachi, hassaku, ponkan, shikwasa, kabosu, etc.), pome fruits (apples, pears (Japanese pears, European pears), etc.), drupes (peaches, plums, apricots, Japanese apricots, cherries, etc.), berries (grapes (white grapes, red grapes), blackcurrants, blueberries, etc.), tropical and subtropical fruits (pineapples, guavas, bananas, mangoes, lychees, etc.), fruit-like vegetables (strawberries, melons, watermelons, etc.), kiwifruit, and acerola. These fruits may be used individually or in combination of two or more. In addition, fruits and vegetables may be used in combination as raw material foods.

[0024] The vegetables used to produce the alcohol-infused solution include, except in special cases, leafy and stem vegetables, fruit vegetables (excluding those treated as fruits in the market), flowering vegetables, root vegetables, as well as legumes and edible plant seeds, and also include perilla, ginger, chili peppers, herbs (e.g., mint, lemongrass, coriander, Italian parsley, rosemary), and wasabi. Preferred vegetables include tomatoes, celery, carrots, parsley, spinach, watercress, bell peppers, lettuce, cabbage, beets, ginger varieties (ginger, leaf ginger), and perilla (green perilla, red perilla). These vegetables may be used individually or in combination of two or more.

[0025] The raw food used to obtain the immersion solution is preferably a soft fruit, and examples include grapes, apples, pineapples, kiwifruit, acerola, peaches, apricots, watermelons, melons, persimmons, strawberries, bananas, pears (Japanese pears and European pears), lychees, mangoes, berries, passion fruit, cherries, and plums. The raw food is preferably at least one soft fruit selected from the group consisting of apples, pineapples, kiwifruit, acerola, grapes, pears, plums, mangoes, and peaches, and more preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of apples, pineapples, kiwifruit, acerola, and grapes.

[0026] The raw material food may be the same as, or different from, the fruit used as the raw material for the soft fruit juice contained in the beverage of the present invention, but is preferably the same. In this specification, when "fruit" or "vegetable" is used in relation to the raw material, it refers to raw fruit or vegetable containing juice and solids, or cut pieces thereof, except in special cases, and these are distinguished from "fruit juice" or "vegetable juice." When the terms "fruit juice" or "vegetable juice" are used, it refers to the juice of fruit or vegetable obtained in advance by processes such as pressing, except in special cases, and does not include the juice of fruit and / or vegetable that is included in the final product, etc., as a result of using the fruit and / or vegetable itself or cut pieces thereof as a raw material.

[0027] The manufacturing process for the frozen pulverized material and its alcohol immersion solution is described below. In the freezing process, the raw food material is frozen and solidified. The freezing machine and freezing method used are not limited, and any of the following may be used: air freezing, air blast freezing, contact freezing, brine freezing, or freezing using liquid nitrogen. The preferred freezing method is freezing using liquid nitrogen. The temperature of liquid nitrogen is -196°C. The freezing temperature is preferably below the embrittlement temperature of the raw food material used. In this specification, "embrittlement temperature" means the temperature at which the material rapidly becomes embrittle (brittle and easily broken) at low temperatures. The embrittlement temperature can be determined by applying known methods used for polymers, etc.

[0028] The size of the raw food ingredients to be subjected to the freezing process is not limited as long as they can be placed in the freezer. However, in order to freeze as quickly as possible, it may be more appropriate to cut them into smaller pieces, while in order to freeze them with as little damage as possible and without exposure to air, it may be more appropriate not to cut them too much. Fruits and vegetables, which are raw food ingredients, can be subjected to the freezing process as a whole, including the peel and seeds, or they can be subjected to the freezing process after removing inedible parts or parts containing undesirable components. Such removal can also be performed after the freezing process. After the freezing process, frozen raw food ingredients can be obtained.

[0029] In the fine grinding step, the frozen material is finely ground. The grinder and grinding method used in this step are not limited. Fine grinding is preferably carried out at a low temperature, preferably under freezing conditions using liquid nitrogen, so as to maintain the solidified state of the frozen material. The temperature of liquid nitrogen is -196°C. The degree of fine grinding is not particularly limited, but it is carried out until the average particle size of the resulting finely ground material is preferably about 1 μm to about 1000 μm, more preferably about 1 μm to about 200 μm, and more preferably about 1 μm to about 100 μm. In this specification, the average particle size refers to the median diameter (the particle size corresponding to 50% of the distribution curve on the sieve; also called the mid-size or 50% particle size). After the fine grinding step, a frozen finely ground raw food product can be obtained.

[0030] The obtained frozen pulverized material is then subjected to an immersion process. Specifically, the frozen pulverized material is immersed in an alcohol-containing solution. The frozen pulverized material may be subjected to the immersion process as is, or it may be thawed and made into a paste before being subjected to the immersion process. The temperature of the immersion process is not particularly limited as long as heat is not applied, but is typically -30°C to 40°C, or -10°C to 30°C. The immersion period is also not limited, but is typically 1 hour to several months, or 1 hour to about 3 days, and may be several months.

[0031] An alcohol-containing liquid means a liquid containing alcohol that is potable or can be used in food production, and may contain water. Typically, an alcohol-containing liquid is a mixture of alcohol and water, and may include distilled spirits or fermented alcoholic beverages. In this process, the alcohol-containing liquid is preferably a distilled spirit. The alcohol content of the alcohol-containing liquid used in this process is preferably about 15.0 v / v% to about 100.0 v / v%, and more preferably about 25.0 v / v% to about 60.0 v / v%.

[0032] The immersion ratio is not limited, but typically it is about 1g to 500g, 5g to 300g, or 10g to 200g of freeze-dried pulverized material per liter of alcohol-containing liquid. After the immersion process, an alcohol-immersed solution of freeze-dried pulverized raw food material is obtained. This immersion solution may be used as is, or solid matter may be removed by means of filtration or other means before use. Specific methods for removing solid matter include diatomaceous earth filtration, activated carbon filtration, filter filtration, membrane filtration, and centrifugal separation.

[0033] For the production of the beverage of the present invention, the finely ground material or the alcohol-soaked liquid may be mixed with other materials. (Alcohol) The beverage of the present invention may or may not contain alcohol.

[0034] If the beverage of the present invention contains alcohol, the alcohol content of the beverage is preferably 10 v / v% or less, preferably 0.1 to 10 v / v%, more preferably 1 to 10 v / v%, and more preferably 1 to 8 v / v%.

[0035] In this specification, the alcohol content in liquids such as beverages can be measured by any known method, but for example, it can be measured by a vibrating densimeter. Specifically, a sample is prepared by removing carbon dioxide from a beverage or liquid as needed by filtration or ultrasound, and then the sample is steam distilled. The density of the resulting distillate at 15°C is measured, and the specific gravity can be determined by converting it using "Table 2: Alcohol Content and Density (15°C) and Specific Gravity (15 / 15°C) Conversion Table," which is an appendix to the National Tax Agency's prescribed analytical method (National Tax Agency Instruction No. 6 of 2007, revised June 22, 2007).

[0036] If the alcohol content is low, other analytical methods such as gas chromatography may be used. When the beverage of the present invention contains alcohol, the alcohol may be added to the beverage by any means, but typically, the beverage contains alcohol by containing an alcohol raw material. There are no particular limitations on the alcohol raw material, but examples include spirits (rum, vodka, gin, tequila, etc.), liqueurs, whiskey, brandy, or shochu, and may also be brewed alcoholic beverages such as beer. Preferably, the alcohol raw material is whiskey, brandy, or neutral spirits. These alcohol raw materials can be used individually or in combination.

[0037] When the present invention relates to an alcoholic beverage, that is, a beverage containing alcohol, the type is not particularly limited, but is preferably a chuhai (in relation to the present invention, meaning an alcoholic carbonated beverage made by diluting distilled spirits with another beverage such as water, juice, or tea), a cocktail (in relation to the present invention, meaning a beverage containing spirits or liqueurs, acidic fruit juice such as citrus fruits, a sweetener, and carbonation if necessary), or a sour (in relation to the present invention, meaning a beverage containing spirits, acidic fruit juice such as citrus fruits, a sweetener, and carbonation).

[0038] The present invention may also be a non-alcoholic beverage, that is, a beverage that does not contain alcohol. The type is not particularly limited, but an example is an alcohol-flavored beverage that has a taste similar to an alcoholic beverage. Examples of alcohol-flavored beverages include, but are not limited to, beer-flavored beverages, chuhai-flavored beverages, non-alcoholic cocktails, sour-flavored beverages, wine-flavored beverages, and sake-flavored beverages. To explain in more detail using chuhai-flavored beverages, non-alcoholic cocktails, and sour-flavored beverages as examples, these beverages refer to beverages that, while being non-alcoholic, achieve a taste similar to the model chuhai, cocktail, and sour, respectively.

[0039] It should be noted that the non-alcoholic beverages of the present invention do not exclude beverages containing trace amounts of alcohol that are undetectable. Preferably, the alcohol content of the non-alcoholic beverages of the present invention is 0.00 v / v%. To clarify, "0.00 v / v%" includes values ​​such as 0.001 v / v% which round to 0.00 v / v%.

[0040] (Carbon dioxide) The beverage of the present invention may contain carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide can be added to the beverage by methods commonly known to those skilled in the art, for example, but not limited to these, by dissolving carbon dioxide in the beverage under pressure, mixing carbon dioxide and the beverage in a pipe using a mixer such as a carbonator from Zuhenhagen, or by spraying the beverage into a tank filled with carbon dioxide to allow the beverage to absorb the carbon dioxide, or by mixing the beverage with carbonated water. The carbon dioxide pressure is adjusted using these means as appropriate.

[0041] When the beverage of the present invention contains carbon dioxide, the carbon dioxide pressure is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.7 to 4.5 kgf / cm². ２ More preferably 0.8 to 2.8 kgf / cm² ２ In this invention, the carbon dioxide pressure can be measured using the GVA-500A gas volume measuring device manufactured by Kyoto Electronics Manufacturing Co., Ltd. For example, the sample temperature is set to 20°C, and after degassing (snifting) and shaking the air inside the container using the gas volume measuring device, the carbon dioxide pressure is measured. In this specification, unless otherwise specified, carbon dioxide pressure refers to the carbon dioxide pressure at 20°C.

[0042] (Other ingredients) In addition to the above, the beverage of the present invention may also contain additives that are normally added to beverages, such as flavorings, vitamins, colorants, antioxidants, preservatives, seasonings, extracts, pH adjusters, citric acid, quality stabilizers, etc., as long as they do not impair the effects of the present invention.

[0043] (Beverage in a container) The beverage of the present invention can be provided in a container-packed form. The forms of the container include, but are not limited to, metal containers such as cans, PET bottles, paper packs, bottles, pouches, etc. For example, a sterilized container-packed product can be manufactured through a method of performing heat sterilization such as retort sterilization after filling the beverage of the present invention into a container, or a method of sterilizing the beverage and then filling it into a container.

[0044] (Method) In another aspect, the present invention is a method for manufacturing a beverage, which contains soft fruit juice at 0.1 to 5 w / w% in terms of juice ratio, and a freeze-ground product of one or more raw food materials selected from the group consisting of fruits and vegetables, or an alcohol immersion solution of the freeze-ground product, and has a sweetness of 3 or less. The method includes a step of mixing raw materials such that the beverage contains the freeze-ground product or its alcohol immersion solution.

[0045] Further, the method may include a step of mixing raw materials such that the beverage contains soft fruit juice at 0.1 to 5 w / w% in terms of juice ratio and has a sweetness of 3 or less.

[0046] The raw materials include soft fruit juice, the ground product, the alcohol immersion solution, water, etc. Other raw materials are obvious from the above description regarding the beverage. Since this method can suppress the astringent taste in the beverage, in another aspect, it is also a method for suppressing the astringent taste in the beverage.

[0047] The method of adjusting the content of juice in the beverage, the content of the ground product or the immersion solution, sweetness, alcohol content, etc. is obvious from the above description regarding the beverage. Also, the preferred ranges of the contents of the above components are as described above regarding the beverage. Furthermore, the specific examples and amounts of additional other components are also as described above regarding the beverage.

[0048] For example, if the beverage contains an alcohol-soaked liquid of the frozen pulverized material, the step of mixing the raw materials may include: a step of freezing one or more raw food ingredients to obtain a frozen product; a step of finely grinding the frozen product to obtain a frozen pulverized product; a step of soaking the finely ground product, either as is or after thawing it into a paste, in an alcohol-containing liquid to obtain the alcohol-soaked liquid; and a step of mixing the soaked liquid with other raw materials.

[0049] Furthermore, if the beverage contains the freeze-dried pulverized material, the step of mixing the raw materials may include: a step of freezing one or more raw food ingredients to obtain a frozen product; a step of pulverizing the frozen product to obtain a freeze-dried pulverized material; and a step of mixing the freeze-dried pulverized material with other raw materials.

[0050] (Numerical Range) For clarity, a numerical range as defined herein includes its endpoints, i.e., the lower and upper limits.

[0051] The present invention will be described below based on test examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. (Test Example 1) Problems with low sweetness and the effect of alcohol immersion solution (FCI) of freeze-dried pulverized material Fruit juice was prepared for each of apple, white grape, pineapple, kiwi fruit, and acerola, and an alcohol immersion solution (FCI) of freeze-dried pulverized material was prepared.

[0052] First, for each of the above fruits, fruit juice, acidulant, and flavoring were mixed with water and neutral spirits to prepare a beverage with an alcohol content of 6 v / v%. The sweetness was adjusted using high-fructose corn syrup. Next, FCI was added during the preparation of the beverage to a final concentration of 50 mL / L (5 v / v%) to prepare an FCI-added beverage.

[0053] The preparation method for the FCI is as follows: The raw fruit was frozen using liquid nitrogen at -196°C. The resulting frozen material was then put into a freeze grinder (Linlex Mill: Liquid Gas Co., Ltd.) and finely ground while still frozen to obtain a white powdery frozen pulverized material with a particle size of approximately 30 μm. The particle size was measured using the method described in the examples of WO2006 / 009252. The obtained frozen pulverized material was then immersed in an aqueous alcohol solution with an alcohol content of 59 v / v% for 15 hours at 20°C. The resulting solution was filtered to remove solids and obtain the immersion solution. The aqueous alcohol solution used was a mixture of water and neutral spirits.

[0054] For each of the beverages listed above, three expert panelists conducted a sensory evaluation of the astringency, and the average score was calculated. Higher scores indicate better results. Specifically, a score of 1 indicates the strongest astringency, and a score of 5 indicates the weakest astringency. Next, the improvement in score was calculated by subtracting the score before FCI addition (simply labeled "Score" in the table below) from the score after FCI addition. In addition, to minimize individual differences in evaluation, each panelist established a common understanding of the relationship between each score and taste beforehand using a standard product corresponding to each score.

[0055] The evaluation criteria and methods described above were also used in other test examples. The fruit juice content, sweetness level, and sensory evaluation results for each beverage are shown in the table below.

[0056]

[0057]

[0058]

[0059]

[0060]

[0061] As shown in the table above, the problem of astringency became apparent in beverages containing low amounts of soft fruit juice and having a low sweetness level. Adding FCI to such beverages resulted in a significant improvement in astringency. The improvement was particularly noticeable when the improvement in astringency was 2.0 or higher. Furthermore, it was confirmed that adding FCI improved the harshness of the alcohol in all beverages.

[0062] (Test Example 2) Effects of FCI under various conditions The same experiment as in Test Example 1 was conducted, except that the juice content, sweetness level, and alcohol content were varied.

[0063] The fruit juice content, sweetness level, alcohol content, and sensory evaluation results for each beverage are shown in the table below. In the table below, "ALC (%)" refers to the alcohol content (v / v%).

[0064]

[0065]

[0066]

[0067]

[0068]

[0069] As shown in the table above, excellent improvement effects of FCI were observed within a certain range of fruit juice content and sweetness. Furthermore, this effect was also observed when the alcohol content was varied.

[0070] (Test Example 3) When using citrus juice: Instead of soft fruit juice, citrus juice was used to prepare a beverage that did not contain FCI in the same manner as in Test Example 1. Specifically, lemon juice, acidulant, and flavoring were mixed with water and neutral spirits to prepare a beverage with an alcohol content of 6 v / v%. The sweetness was adjusted using high fructose corn syrup. Sensory evaluation was performed on the obtained beverages in the same manner as in Test Example 1. The fruit juice content, sweetness, and sensory evaluation results for each beverage are shown in the table below.

[0071]

[0072] Unlike when using soft fruit juice, when using lemon juice, the astringent taste of the beverage did not become apparent even under conditions of low juice content and low sweetness.

Claims

1. A beverage containing soft fruit juice in an amount equivalent to 0.1 to 5 w / w% of fruit juice content, and one or more raw food ingredients selected from the group consisting of fruits and vegetables, or an alcohol-immersed liquid of said frozen and pulverized ingredients, with a sweetness level of 3 or less.

2. The beverage according to claim 1, wherein the sweetness level is 0.01 to 2.

3. The beverage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the soft fruit in the soft fruit juice is at least one selected from the group consisting of apple, pineapple, kiwi fruit, acerola, grape, pear, plum, mango, and peach.

4. The beverage according to claim 1 or 2, which contains alcohol.

5. The alcoholic beverage according to claim 4, wherein the alcohol content is 1 to 10 v / v%.

6. The beverage according to claim 1 or 2, which does not contain alcohol.

7. A method for suppressing astringency in a beverage containing soft fruit juice in an amount of 0.1 to 5 w / w% in terms of fruit juice content and having a sweetness level of 3 or less, the method comprising the step of mixing raw materials such that the beverage contains one or more frozen pulverized raw material selected from the group consisting of fruits and vegetables, or an alcohol-immersed solution of said frozen pulverized material.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the step of mixing raw materials includes: freezing one or more raw material foods to obtain a frozen product; finely grinding the frozen product to obtain a frozen finely ground product; immersing the finely ground product, either as is or after thawing it into a paste, in an alcohol-containing liquid to obtain an alcohol-soaked liquid; and mixing the soaked liquid with other raw materials.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the step of mixing raw materials includes a step of freezing one or more raw material foods to obtain a frozen product; a step of finely grinding the frozen product to obtain a frozen pulverized product; and a step of mixing the frozen pulverized product with other raw materials.

10. A method for producing the beverage described in claim 1, comprising the step of mixing raw materials such that the beverage contains the freeze-dried pulverized material or an alcohol-infused liquid thereof.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of mixing raw materials includes: freezing one or more raw material foods to obtain a frozen product; finely grinding the frozen product to obtain a frozen finely ground product; immersing the finely ground product, either as is or after thawing it into a paste, in an alcohol-containing liquid to obtain an alcohol-soaked liquid; and mixing the soaked liquid with other raw materials.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of mixing raw materials includes a step of freezing one or more raw material foods to obtain a frozen product; a step of finely grinding the frozen product to obtain a frozen pulverized product; and a step of mixing the frozen pulverized product with other raw materials.

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