Packaged beverage having excellent taste thickness

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a technology for enhancing taste thickness of a packaged beverage.　The problem is solved by adding ethyl nonanoate at a concentration of 5-5,000 ppb to a packaged beverage. The beverage may have an alcohol content of 0-9 v / v%. The beverage may or may not contain a sweetener component. The beverage may have a fruit juice content of 13 w / v% or less. The beverage may or may not contain carbon dioxide.

Description

Container-packed beverage with excellent richness of flavor

[0001] The present invention relates to a container-packed beverage with enhanced richness of flavor and a method for producing the same.

[0002] In container-packed beverages, richness of flavor is one of the major factors in consumer acceptance. As means for imparting or enhancing richness of flavor to container-packed beverages, it is known to blend saccharides, artificial sweeteners, or fruit juices. Also, in carbonated beverages with a high alcohol content, it has been disclosed that richness of flavor can be enhanced by adding borneol and / or terpinyl acetate at a predetermined concentration (Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-085180

[0004] When a container-packed beverage is non-juice or low-juice, or sugar-free, it tends to be difficult to obtain richness of flavor. Although richness of flavor can be imparted by adding saccharides as described above, it is difficult to meet the needs of consumers who want to limit their intake of carbohydrates due to recent health-conscious trends. Also, means for enhancing richness of flavor are required for carbonated beverages with a high alcohol content and other beverages. In view of such circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for enhancing the richness of flavor of container-packed beverages.

[0005] As a result of intensive studies to solve the above problems, the present inventors have found that when ethyl nonanoate is blended at a predetermined concentration, the richness of flavor of a container-packed beverage can be enhanced, and have thus completed the present invention.

[0006] In other words, the following inventions are disclosed herein: [1] A bottled beverage containing ethyl nonanoate at a concentration of 5 to 5000 ppb. [2] The bottled beverage according to [1], wherein the alcohol content is 0 to 9 v / v%. [3] The bottled beverage according to [1] or [2], wherein the sweetener is contained in a sweetener. [4] The bottled beverage according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the fruit juice content is 13 w / v% or less. [5] The bottled beverage according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the carbon dioxide is contained in a beverage. [6] A method for producing a bottled beverage, comprising adjusting the concentration of ethyl nonanoate in the beverage to 5 to 5000 ppb. [7] A method for enhancing the depth of flavor in a bottled beverage, comprising adjusting the concentration of ethyl nonanoate in the beverage to 5 to 5000 ppb. [8] A flavor enhancer containing ethyl nonanoate as an active ingredient.

[0007] The present invention provides a technology that can enhance the depth of flavor of a bottled beverage across a wide range of alcohol content, regardless of the presence or concentration of fruit juice, and regardless of whether it is sugared or unsweetened.

[0008] Next, the present invention will be described in detail. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and can be freely modified within the scope of the present invention. In this specification, numerical ranges indicated by "~" include the numbers before and after "~". For example, the range 5 to 5000 ppb indicates 5 ppb or more and 5000 ppb or less. In this specification, the unit "ppb" is synonymous with "μg / L".

[0009] The packaged beverage of the present invention contains ethyl nonanoate at a concentration of 5 to 5000 ppb, preferably 10 to 4000 ppb, more preferably 30 to 3000 ppb, even more preferably 100 to 2000 ppb, and particularly preferably 200 to 1000 ppb. Ethyl nonanoate is a compound generally known as an aromatic component. The packaged beverage of the present invention can be manufactured by adjusting the concentration of ethyl nonanoate to 5 to 5000 ppb during the manufacturing process of the packaged beverage. The concentration of ethyl nonanoate may be adjusted by adding ethyl nonanoate to the beverage or its raw materials, or by blending a raw material containing ethyl nonanoate into the beverage or its raw materials, or by increasing or decreasing the amount of such blending.

[0010] The concentration of ethyl nonanoate in a beverage can be measured by a method known in the art, such as a method using GC / MS-MS. Specifically, the beverage is stirred with a stirrer to remove air, extracted with chloroform, and the target component (ethyl nonanoate) is concentrated. The concentration of ethyl nonanoate can then be measured by performing GC / MS-MS analysis on the resulting liquid. The conditions for GC / MS-MS analysis can be as shown in Table 1. In this method, it is preferable to use an internal standard. Furthermore, for more accurate concentration measurement, it is preferable to use a calibration curve created based on measurement values ​​of several control samples with known concentrations.

[0011]

[0012] The packaged beverage of the present invention may be an alcoholic beverage or a non-alcoholic beverage. In this specification, "alcoholic beverage" means a beverage with an alcohol (ethanol) concentration of 1 v / v% or more. In contrast, a non-alcoholic beverage means a beverage that is not an alcoholic beverage, that is, a beverage with an alcohol (ethanol) concentration of less than 1 v / v%. The alcohol concentration of the packaged beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0 to 9 v / v%, and if it is an alcoholic beverage, is preferably 1 to 9 v / v%, more preferably 1 to 7 v / v%, and even more preferably 3 to 5 v / v%. The alcohol concentration in this specification can be measured using gas chromatography in accordance with the method prescribed by the National Tax Agency of Japan (the "National Tax Agency's Prescribed Analytical Method" issued by the National Tax Agency of Japan).

[0013] The alcohol concentration may be adjusted by blending ethanol itself into the beverage of the present invention, by adding an ethanol-containing material whose safety as a food has been confirmed, or by blending a raw material that generates ethanol during the manufacturing process of the beverage of the present invention. These adjustments may be performed individually or in combination of two or more. When increasing or decreasing the content of ethanol-containing raw materials in the beverage of the present invention, such ethanol-containing raw materials are not particularly limited as long as they are raw materials whose safety as a food has been confirmed, and examples include raw alcohol, distilled spirits, and fermented products of grains or fruit components (e.g., fruit juice). The ethanol-containing raw materials may be used individually or in combination of two or more. As for distilled spirits, for example, vodka, shochu, tequila, rum, gin, whiskey, etc. can be used. In one embodiment, the alcohol concentration of the beverage of the present invention is adjusted by blending raw alcohol into the beverage of the present invention.

[0014] The gin that can be incorporated into the beverage of the present invention is a distilled spirit made from grains such as barley, rye, and potatoes, which are saccharified, fermented, and distilled. The distillate is then flavored with botanical components, and contains juniper berries as a botanical component. Therefore, the gin that can be incorporated into the beverage of the present invention uses botanicals as raw materials and contains at least juniper berries as a botanical component. Other botanical components that can be used include, for example, coriander seeds, angelica root, angelica seeds, cardamom seeds, cinnamon, bitter orange peel, lemon peel, or yuzu, green tea, and ginger. In addition, other botanical components that can be used include the fruits, juices, pulp, peels, and bark of citrus species. Examples of such citrus species include oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes, mandarins, yuzu, kabosu, and iyokan. Furthermore, the gin that can be incorporated into the beverage of the present invention may be a macerated liquor obtained by macerating fruit in alcohol, or a distilled liquor obtained by further distilling the macerated liquor. When macerating fruit in alcohol, the entire fruit may be macerated, or only a part of the fruit, such as the peel, may be macerated. Alternatively, the entire fruit or a part of the fruit, such as the peel, may be cut into appropriate sizes, frozen or crushed, and then macerated in alcohol. In addition, the gin contained in the beverage of the present invention may be, for example, a distilled liquor obtained by macerating and distilling lemon peel, and it is also possible to use gin as a citrus macerated distilled liquor.

[0015] Examples of beverages in the present invention include mixed alcoholic beverages, brewed alcoholic beverages, and distilled alcoholic beverages, with mixed alcoholic beverages being preferred. Mixed alcoholic beverages are a general term for alcoholic beverages that are not brewed alcoholic beverages or distilled alcoholic beverages themselves (for example, chuhai, sours, RTD (Ready To Drink), RTS (Ready To Serve), macerated alcoholic beverages, liqueurs, etc.), and include "mixed alcoholic beverages" as defined by the Liquor Tax Law of Japan.

[0016] The beverages of this invention include those classified as liqueurs and spirits. Spirits, as defined by Japan's Liquor Tax Law, are alcoholic beverages that do not fall under any of the categories from sake to whiskey and have an extract content of less than 2% (2 w / v%). Liqueurs, as defined by Japan's Liquor Tax Law, are alcoholic beverages made from alcoholic beverages, sugars, and other items (including alcoholic beverages) and have an extract content of 2% (2 w / v%) or more.

[0017] The packaged beverage of the present invention may or may not contain a sweetening agent. In a preferred embodiment, if the beverage of the present invention contains a sweetening agent, the amount is not particularly limited, but may be greater than 0 when expressed as a sweetness level in terms of sucrose, preferably 1 or more, and more preferably 2 or more.

[0018] In this specification, "sweetness in sucrose equivalent" refers to the value calculated by the following formula: [Sweetness] = [Sweetness component content] (g / 100g) × [Relative sweetness of that sweetness component] The "sweetness component content" (g / 100g) above represents the concentration (g / 100g) of sweetness components (g) contained in 100g of the packaged beverage of the present invention, and the "relative sweetness" above represents the relative strength of sweetness of a particular type of sweetness component, with the sweetness of sucrose at 20°C set to 1. Therefore, the "sweetness" above in this invention represents the concentration (g / 100g) of sweetness components in sucrose equivalent, and reflects the degree of sweetness as perceived by a person who consumes the packaged beverage of the present invention. If the packaged beverage of the present invention contains two or more types of sweetening components, the value of "sweetening component content ( / 100g) × relative sweetness" is calculated for each type of sweetening component, and the sum of the calculated values ​​is taken as the sweetness of the packaged beverage of the present invention. The content of sweetening components in the packaged beverage of the present invention can be measured by applying known methods such as HPLC or LC-MS.

[0019] In this invention, "sweetening component" refers to a component that can impart sweetness to food and beverages. For example, a sweetening component with a relative sweetness of 0.05 or higher is preferably used. In this invention, "sweetening component" includes not only sweetening components that are commonly used as food and beverage additives, but also sweetening components (sucrose, glucose, fructose, etc.) derived from fruit juice, fruit pieces, vegetable juice, vegetable pieces, etc. Examples of sweetening components that are commonly used as food and beverage additives include crystalline sugars such as monosaccharides like fructose, glucose, tagatose, and arabinose, disaccharides such as lactose, trehalose, maltose, and sucrose, and polysaccharides such as powdered starch syrup, as well as amorphous sugars such as oligosaccharides like maltooligosaccharide and galactooligosaccharide, starch syrup, and isomerized liquid sugar (e.g., fructose-glucose liquid sugar). Sugar alcohols such as maltitol, lactitol, sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, and erythritol can also be mentioned. Furthermore, high-intensity sweeteners (also called high-intensity sweeteners or artificial sweeteners) such as sucralose, stevia, licorice extract, thaumatin, glycyrrhizin, saccharin, aspartame, and acesulfame K are also suitably used. In addition, the sweeteners in this invention may be expressed as sugars. In this specification, "sugars" refers to "sugars" as defined in the Food Labeling Standards of the Consumer Affairs Agency of Japan, i.e., a general term for monosaccharides and disaccharides, and may include those that overlap with the crystalline sugars mentioned above. In this specification, "sugar-free" means that the sugar content is less than 0.5 g / 100 mL, which corresponds to "zero sugars" as defined in the Food Labeling Standards.

[0020] The sugar content in the beverage of the present invention may be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the amount of monosaccharides and / or disaccharides blended into the alcoholic beverage of the present invention, by increasing or decreasing the amount of raw materials containing monosaccharides and / or disaccharides blended into the alcoholic beverage of the present invention, or by increasing or decreasing the amount of raw materials that produce monosaccharides and / or disaccharides in the manufacturing process of the alcoholic beverage of the present invention. These adjustments may be made individually or in combination of two or more.

[0021] The sugar content in beverages can be measured, for example, by high-performance liquid chromatography (HCM). More specifically, first, 1 g of the alcoholic beverage sample is neutralized with sodium hydroxide, concentrated and dried, and then water is added to a final volume of 50 mL. Next, the mixture is filtered through a membrane filter, and the resulting filtrate is subjected to HCM analysis to measure the sugar content. The HCM apparatus, detector, column, and conditions can be as follows: Apparatus: ICS-6000 (Thermo Fisher Scientific) Detector: Pulsed amperometry detector ED (Thermo Fisher Scientific) Column: CarboPac PA1 I.D. 4.0 mm x 250 mm (Thermo Fisher Scientific) Column temperature: 32°C Mobile phase: Solution A: Water, Solution B: 0.2 mol / L sodium hydroxide aqueous solution, Solution C: Mixture of 0.1 mol / L sodium hydroxide aqueous solution and 0.1 mol / L sodium acetate aqueous solution (1:1) Gradient: Solution A: 0 min to 100%, 18 min to 50%, 40 min to 0% Solution B: 0 min to 0%, 18 min to 50%, 40 min to 0% Solution C: 40 min to 100% Flow rate: 1 mL / min Injection volume: 5 μL

[0022] The packaged beverage of the present invention may or may not contain fruit juice and / or fruit flavor (flavoring). Here, the fruit juice or fruit flavor (flavoring) may be the juice or fruit flavor (flavoring) of any fruit, and the type is not particularly limited, but citrus fruits or soft fruits are preferred. Examples of citrus fruits include grapefruit, lemon, orange, mandarin, shikwasa, bitter orange, mandarin orange, Satsuma mandarin, summer mandarin, hassaku, iyokan, pomelo, kumquat, ponkan, bergamot, lime, yuzu, sudachi, kabosu, etc. Grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange, mandarin orange, yuzu, shikwasa are preferred, and grapefruit or lemon are more preferred. The citrus fruit flavor or juice may be used alone or in combination of two or more types.

[0023] In this specification, "soft fruit" means fruits other than citrus fruits (non-citrus fruits). Examples of soft fruits include berries such as grapes, figs, and raspberries; pome fruits such as apples and pears (e.g., Japanese pears, European pears, etc.); drupes such as apricots, peaches, plums, Japanese apricots, and cherries; tropical fruits such as mangoes, pineapples, guavas, bananas, lychees, kiwifruit, papayas, passion fruit, and acerola; and fruit-like vegetables such as strawberries, melons, and watermelons. Preferably, grapes, peaches, apples, pears, Japanese apricots, mangoes, pineapples, lychees, and strawberries can be used, and more preferably grapes or peaches. The fruit flavors and juices of soft fruits may be used individually or in combination of two or more types.

[0024] The concentration of fruit juice in the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited and may be adjusted as appropriate depending on the strength of the flavor of the specific fruit juice used, but it can usually be 0.1 to 30 w / v%, preferably 0.5 to 15 w / v%, more preferably 0.5 to 10 w / v%, and even more preferably 0.5 to 5 w / v%. Furthermore, in the beverage of the present invention, the richness of the flavor is enhanced even with a low fruit juice content, so the concentration of fruit juice may be 13 w / v% or less, 10 w / v% or less, 5 w / v% or less, or even contain no fruit juice (0 w / v%). The concentration of fruit flavor (flavoring) in the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited and may be adjusted as appropriate depending on the strength of the flavor of the specific fruit flavor (flavoring) used, but it can usually be 0.001 to 5 w / v%, preferably 0.005 to 3 w / v%, and more preferably 0.01 to 2 w / v%. Fruit flavors (concentrates) may be included in beverages in place of or in addition to fruit juice.

[0025] The acidity of the beverage of the present invention can be 0.01 w / v% or higher, preferably 0.01 to 2.0 w / v%, and more preferably 0.05 to 1.0 w / v%. The acidity as used herein is expressed as the amount of acid contained in 100 mL of the beverage converted to citric acid in grams (g / 100 mL citric acid equivalent, w / v%). This acidity can be measured by degassing the carbon dioxide gas by a conventional method, and then by the method specified in the Japanese Agricultural Standards for Acidity Measurement of Fruit Beverages, specifically by a neutralization titration method (quantitative formula) using a 0.1 mol / L sodium hydroxide standard solution as the alkaline solution.

[0026] The packaged beverage of the present invention may or may not contain carbon dioxide. If carbon dioxide is contained, it can be made into a carbonated beverage by injecting carbon dioxide under pressure, and the gas pressure can be adjusted as appropriate according to preference. For example, the gas pressure at 20°C can be preferably adjusted to 0.1 to 0.4 MPa, more preferably to 0.1 to 0.3 MPa.

[0027] The pH of the packaged beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but can be 2.5 to 4.5, more preferably 2.5 to 4.0, at 20°C.

[0028] The packaged beverage of the present invention may optionally contain other ingredients commonly used in the manufacture of beverages. Such other ingredients may include, for example, acidulants (e.g., tartaric acid, itaconic acid, fumaric acid, adipic acid, acetic acid, citric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, succinic acid, or their salts), colorants, flavorings, food additives (e.g., foaming and foam retention enhancers, bittering agents, preservatives, antioxidants, thickening and stabilizing agents, emulsifiers, dietary fiber, pH adjusters, various vitamins, ascorbic acid (salt), gluconic acid (salt), etc.) as appropriate.

[0029] The container used for the packaged beverage of the present invention may be any container that is normally used for filling beverages, such as metal cans, barrels, plastic bottles (e.g., PET bottles, cups), paper containers, bottles, pouches, etc., with metal cans / barrels, plastic bottles (e.g., PET bottles), and bottles being more preferred.

[0030] The packaged beverage of the present invention can be manufactured according to the usual method for manufacturing packaged beverages, except for adjusting the concentration of ethyl nonanoate. For example, first, in a tank, a sweetener, fruit juice and / or fruit flavor (flavoring), and acidulant are added to an aqueous solution containing alcohol to adjust the flavor. Then, carbon dioxide is added to the flavored aqueous solution to produce a carbon dioxide-containing alcoholic beverage. The beverage of the present invention can be manufactured by appropriately adding ethyl nonanoate or a raw material containing ethyl nonanoate at any stage of such a manufacturing process.

[0031] The beverage of the present invention has enhanced depth of flavor and superior depth of flavor compared to beverages that do not contain ethyl nonanoate. In this specification, "depth of flavor" means that when the beverage is consumed, multiple flavors are perceived, resulting in a complexity of taste, and the intensity of those flavors is increased, giving a satisfying drinking experience. It has not been previously known that such taste-related effects can be obtained by adding ethyl nonanoate, which is generally known as an aroma component.

[0032] The aforementioned enhancement of flavor depth is an effect imparted by ethyl nonanoate. Therefore, as another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for enhancing flavor depth in a bottled beverage, comprising adjusting the concentration of ethyl nonanoate in the beverage to 5 to 5000 ppb. This other aspect can also be described as the use of ethyl nonanoate in enhancing flavor depth in a bottled beverage. In such use, the concentration of ethyl nonanoate in the beverage is adjusted to 5 to 5000 ppb.

[0033] Furthermore, this specification provides new uses for ethyl nonanoate. Specifically, another aspect of the present invention provides a flavor enhancer containing ethyl nonanoate as an active ingredient. This other aspect can also be rephrased as ethyl nonanoate used to enhance flavor depth. The flavor enhancer of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is usually used by adding it to a bottled beverage. The concentration of addition and the details of the bottled beverage to which it is added are as described above in the invention of the bottled beverage.

[0034] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0035] [Example 1] Confirmation of the flavor-enhancing effect of ethyl nonanoate in lemon juice-containing alcoholic beverages (1) Preparation of beverage samples A base solution of 3 w / v% lemon juice and 5 v / v% alcohol was adjusted to a sweetness level of 3 (sucrose equivalent) and an acidity level of 0.35 w / v% (citric acid equivalent). Ethyl nonanoate was then added to prepare beverages containing 0 to 5000 ppb. (2) Sensory evaluation Each beverage sample prepared in (1) above was subjected to a sensory evaluation test. The temperature of the beverages during evaluation was 5°C. The evaluation was conducted by six well-trained panelists skilled in evaluating beverages such as chuhai, who tasted the beverages. The average value and standard deviation of the evaluation scores of the six panelists were calculated. The evaluation scores were compared to the beverage sample without ethyl nonanoate (0 ppb) (No. 1), with its evaluation score set to 1. The intensity of the flavor-enhancing effect of each beverage sample was evaluated on the following five-point scale. In the evaluation, "flavor richness" refers to the complexity of flavors, where multiple flavors are perceived in addition to the main flavor, and the intensity of the flavor increases during consumption. 1: Not perceived 2: Slightly perceived 3: Perceived 4: Strongly perceived 5: Very strongly perceived (3) Results The results are shown in Table 2. In the range of ethyl nonanoate concentration from 5 to 5000 ppb, an increase in flavor richness was observed compared to the case without ethyl nonanoate.

[0036]

[0037] [Example 2] Confirmation of the thickness-adding effect of ethyl nonanoate depending on the alcohol content (1) Preparation of beverage samples A base solution of 3 w / v% lemon juice and 0-9 v / v% alcohol was adjusted to a sweetness level of 3 (sucrose equivalent) and an acidity level of 0.35 w / v% (citric acid equivalent). Ethyl nonanoate was then added to a total of 300 ppb to prepare beverages with different alcohol content. (2) Sensory evaluation Each beverage sample prepared in (1) above was subjected to a sensory evaluation test. The evaluation was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1. However, in the 5-point evaluation scale, the evaluation score of the beverage sample without ethyl nonanoate (0 ppb) at each alcohol content was set to 1, and the evaluation score of the beverage sample with 300 ppb of ethyl nonanoate and 5 v / v% alcohol (same as sample No. 5 in Example 1) was set to 5. (3) Results The results are shown in Table 3. The addition of ethyl nonanoate resulted in an enhanced richness of flavor, regardless of alcohol concentration, and even in non-alcoholic beverages, compared to those without ethyl nonanoate.

[0038]

[0039] [Example 3] Confirmation of the thickness-adding effect of ethyl nonanoate with or without sweetening components (1) Preparation of beverage samples A base solution of 3 w / v% lemon juice and 5 v / v% alcohol was adjusted to an acidity of 0.35 w / v% (citric acid equivalent), and the sweetness was further adjusted with sugar-free (no added sweetening components), artificial sweetener (sweetness level 3 (sucrose equivalent)), or with sugar (sweetness level 3 (sucrose equivalent)). Ethyl nonanoate was added to prepare a beverage containing 300 ppb of ethyl nonanoate. (2) Sensory evaluation Each beverage sample prepared in (1) above was subjected to a sensory evaluation test. The evaluation was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1. However, in the 5-point evaluation scale, the evaluation score of the beverage sample without ethyl nonanoate (0 ppb) in each sweetening component group was set to 1, and the evaluation score of the beverage sample No. 5 from Example 1 was set to 5. (3) Results The results are shown in Table 4. In all three cases—sugar-free, sugared, and with added artificial sweeteners—an enhancement of flavor richness was observed compared to the case without ethyl nonanoate.

[0040]

[0041] [Example 4] Confirmation of the effect of ethyl nonanoate on imparting thickness depending on the presence and concentration of fruit juice (1) Preparation of beverage samples A base solution containing 0 to 13 w / v% lemon juice and 5 v / v% alcohol was adjusted to a sweetness of 3 (in terms of sucrose) and an acidity of 0.35 w / v% (in terms of citric acid). Further, ethyl nonanoate was added to a concentration of 300 ppb to prepare beverages with different fruit juice concentrations. For the beverage with 0 w / v% lemon juice (no fruit juice), 0.1 w / v% lemon flavor was added. (2) Sensory evaluation Each beverage sample prepared in (1) was subjected to a sensory evaluation test. The evaluation was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1. However, in the five-point evaluation, the evaluation score of the beverage sample without ethyl nonanoate (0 ppb) in each fruit juice concentration group was set to 1, and the evaluation score of the beverage sample of Sample No. 5 in Example 1 was set to 5. (3) Results The results are shown in Table 5. In all cases of no fruit juice, low-concentration fruit juice, and high-concentration fruit juice, an enhancement in the thickness of the taste was observed compared to the case without ethyl nonanoate.

[0042]

[0043] [Example 5] Confirmation of the effect of ethyl nonanoate on imparting thickness depending on the presence of carbonation (1) Preparation of beverage samples A base solution containing 3 w / v% lemon juice was adjusted to a sweetness of 3 (in terms of sucrose) and an acidity of 0.35 w / v% (in terms of citric acid). Further, ethyl nonanoate was added to a concentration of 300 ppb to prepare non-alcoholic beverages with or without carbon dioxide gas. In addition, those with 0.1 w / v% lemon flavor added and those without added lemon flavor were prepared respectively. (2) Sensory evaluation Each beverage sample prepared in (1) was subjected to a sensory evaluation test. The evaluation was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1. However, in the five-point evaluation, the evaluation score of the beverage sample without ethyl nonanoate (0 ppb) in each fruit juice concentration group was set to 1, and the evaluation score of the beverage sample of Sample No. 5 in Example 1 was set to 5. (3) Results The results are shown in Table 6. Regardless of the presence or absence of carbon dioxide gas, an enhancement in the thickness of the taste was observed compared to the case without ethyl nonanoate. In the non-alcoholic beverage without carbonation, an effect of enhancing the thickness of the taste was observed compared to the case without added flavor.

[0044]

[0045] [Example 6] Confirmation of the effect of ethyl nonanoate on imparting thickness to fruit flavor beverages other than lemon <Experimental method>(1) Preparation of beverage samples Ethyl nonanoate at 300 ppb was added to fruit juice-containing alcoholic carbonated beverages (commercially available) having the compositions shown below to prepare beverage samples. Grapefruit juice-containing alcoholic beverage: 4 w / v% grapefruit juice, 5 v / v% alcohol Grape juice-containing alcoholic beverage: 3 w / v% grape juice, 5 v / v% alcohol Peach juice-containing alcoholic beverage: 1 w / v% peach juice, 3 v / v% alcohol (2) Sensory evaluation Each beverage sample prepared in (1) above was subjected to a sensory evaluation test. The evaluation was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1. However, in the five-level evaluation, the evaluation score of the beverage sample without ethyl nonanoate (0 ppb) in each fruit juice-containing alcoholic beverage group was set to 1, and the evaluation score of the beverage sample of Sample No. 5 in Example 1 was set to 5. (3) Results The results are shown in Table 7. In alcoholic beverages containing fruit juices of citrus fruits and soft fruits other than lemon, an enhancement in the thickness of the taste was also observed as compared to the case without ethyl nonanoate.

[0046]

Claims

1. A bottled beverage containing ethyl nonanoate at a concentration of 5 to 5000 ppb.

2. The bottled beverage according to claim 1, wherein the alcohol content is 0 to 9 v / v%.

3. The packaged beverage according to claim 1, which contains a sweetening agent.

4. The packaged beverage according to claim 1, wherein the fruit juice content is 13 w / v% or less.

5. The packaged beverage according to claim 1, which contains carbon dioxide.

6. A method for producing a bottled beverage, comprising adjusting the concentration of ethyl nonanoate in the beverage to 5 to 5000 ppb.

7. A method for enhancing the depth of flavor in a bottled beverage, comprising adjusting the concentration of ethyl nonanoate in the beverage to 5 to 5000 ppb.

8. A flavor enhancer containing ethyl nonanoate as an active ingredient.

Images