AU2019222274B2

AU2019222274B2 - Beverage, packaged beverage, and method for enhancing milk flavor and tea flavor of beverage

Info

Publication number: AU2019222274B2
Application number: AU2019222274A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Wataru Yamaguchi
Original assignee: Asahi Soft Drinks Co Ltd; Asahi Group Holdings Ltd
Current assignee: Asahi Soft Drinks Co Ltd; Asahi Group Holdings Ltd
Priority date: 2018-02-19
Filing date: 2019-02-12
Publication date: 2023-11-23
Anticipated expiration: 2039-02-12
Also published as: AU2019222274A1; TWI783120B; JP2019140950A; TW201940069A; WO2019159869A1; JP7117112B2

Abstract

A beverage includes fructose, whey minerals, salt, and tea flavor, and satisfies the following conditions 1 and 2. Condition 1: If the beverage does not contain sucrose (sugar), the content (g) {fructose/(monosaccharides + disaccharides)} of fructose in relation to the total content (g) of monosaccharides and disaccharides is 0.8 or greater. Condition 2: If the beverage contains sucrose (sugar), the total content (g) {(fructose + sucrose (sugar))/(monosaccharides + disaccharides)} of fructose and sucrose (sugar) in relation to the total content (g) of monosaccharides and disaccharides is 0.8 or greater, and the content (g) (fructose/sucrose (sugar)) of fructose in relation to the content (g) of sucrose (sugar) is 0.3 or greater.

Description

SPECIFICATION BEVERAGE, PACKAGED BEVERAGE, AND METHOD FOR ENHANCING MILK FLAVOR AND TEA FLAVOR OF BEVERAGE TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001]

The present invention relates to a beverage, a packaged beverage,

and a method for enhancing milk flavor and tea flavor of a beverage.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002]

Conventionally, beverages such as black tea and powdered green

tea have been consumed with milk, including cow milk. However, when

milk is added to beverages such as black tea and powdered green tea,

some of the milk ingredients precipitate and there is a problem in

storage stability. Therefore, for example, Patent Document 1

discloses a technique relating to an umami taste improving agent

consisting of a gallic acid ester. Patent Document 2 discloses a

milk-flavoredbeverage includingwheyminerals andhaving a specified

sweetness.

RELATED DOCUMENT PATENT DOCUMENT

[0003]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No.

2012-110246

[Patent Document 2] Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No.

2010-227095

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION TECHNICAL PROBLEM

[0004]

However, the milk-flavored beverage disclosed in Patent

Document 1 is only intended to have a milk flavor without reducing

the bitterness or astringency of black tea and the like, and the

milk-flavored beverage disclosed in patent document 2 is only

intended to obtain the same level of flavor as cow milk. That is,

none of the documents enhances the milk flavor, or focuses on the

improvement of tea flavor.

[0005]

Therefore, the present inventor has found a new problem of

enhancing both tea flavor and milk flavor in order to develop a

beverage having higher palatability. As a result of intensive

studies to solve the problem, it has been found that the difference

in the type of saccharides is an important factor. Furthermore, the

presentinventor focusedon the presence or absence ofsucrose (sugar)

among saccharides, and found for the first time that both tea flavor

and milk flavor can be enhanced by appropriately controlling the

blending of the saccharides in a beverage including whey minerals

and a tea flavor, thereby completing the present invention.

SOLUTION TO PROBLEM

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided a beverage including fructose, whey minerals, salt, and tea flavor, and satisfying the following conditions 1 and 2:

Condition 1: when the beverage does not include sucrose (sugar),

a content (g) of the fructose relative to a total content (g) of

monosaccharide and disaccharide {fructose/(monosaccharide

+ disaccharide)} is 0.8 or more; and

Condition 2: when the beverage includes sucrose (sugar), a total

content (g) of the fructose and the sucrose (sugar) relative to a

total content (g) of monosaccharide and disaccharide {(fructose

+ sucrose (sugar))/(monosaccharide + disaccharide)} is 0.8 or more,

and a content (g) of the fructose relative to a content (g) of the

sucrose (sugar) (fructose/sucrose (sugar)) is 0.3 or more.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is further provided

a packaged beverage in which the above beverage is filled in a

transparent container.

[0008]

According to the present invention, there is further provided

a method for enhancing milk flavor and tea flavor of a beverage, which

includes adding fructose, whey minerals, salt, and tea flavor so as

to satisfy the following conditions:

Condition 3: when sucrose (sugar) is not added to the beverage,

a content (g) of the fructose relative to a total content (g) of

monosaccharide and disaccharide {fructose/(monosaccharide +

disaccharide)} is 0.8 or more; and

Condition 4: when sucrose (sugar) is added to the beverage, a

total content (g) of the fructose and the sucrose (sugar) relative to a total content (g) of monosaccharide and disaccharide { (fructose

+ sucrose (sugar))/ (monosaccharide + disaccharide) } is 0.8 or more,

and a content (g) of the fructose relative to a content (g) of the

sucrose (sugar) (fructose/sucrose (sugar)) is 0.3 or more.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

[00091

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide

a technique relating to abeverage capable ofenhancingbothteaflavor

and milk flavor.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0010]

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be

described in detail. As used herein, the notation "a to b" in the

description of numerical ranges represents a to b inclusive unless

otherwise specified.

[0011]

A beverage of the present embodiment includes fructose, whey

minerals, salt, and tea flavor, and satisfies the following

conditions 1 and 2:

Condition 1: when the beverage does not include sucrose (sugar),

a content (g) of the fructose relative to a total content (g) of

monosaccharide and disaccharide {fructose/(monosaccharide +

disaccharide)} is 0.8 or more; and

Condition 2: when the beverage includes sucrose (sugar), a total content (g) of the fructose and the sucrose (sugar) relative to a total content (g) of monosaccharide and disaccharide {(fructose

+ sucrose (sugar))/(monosaccharide + disaccharide)} is 0.8 or more,

and a content (g) of the fructose relative to a content (g) of the

sucrose (sugar) (fructose/sucrose (sugar)) is 0.3 or more.

The beverage of the present embodiment is the first to focus

on the effects of difference in the type and blending ratio of

saccharides on milk flavor and tea flavor, on the premise ofinclusion

of whey mineral, tea flavor, and salt. In addition, the beverage

of the present embodiment can enhance the milk flavor and the tea

flavor by satisfying the above Conditions 1 and 2.

[0012]

In Condition 1, fructose/(monosaccharide + disaccharide) is

preferably 0.85 or more, more preferably 0.90 or more, still more

preferably 0.95 or more, and most preferably 1. As a result, the

tea flavor and milk flavor can be further enhanced and the balance

with drinkability becomes good.

In Condition 2, (fructose + sucrose (sugar))/(monosaccharide

+ disaccharide) is preferably 0.85 or more, more preferably 0.90 or

more, still more preferably 0.95 or more, and most preferably 1. As

a result, the tea flavor and milk flavor can be further enhanced and

the balance withdrinkabilitybecomes good. In Condition2, the lower

limit of (fructose/sucrose (sugar)) is preferably 0.50 or more, more

preferably 0.70 or more, still more preferably 0.80 or more, and the

upper limit is preferably 2.4 or less, more preferably 1.7 or less,

and still more preferably 1.3 or less. As a result, the tea flavor

and the milk flavor can be further enhanced, and the balance with the sourness, the aftertaste, and the drinkability becomes good.

[0013]

Hereinafter, details of the beverage of the present embodiment

will be described.

[0014]

[Whey minerals]

Whey minerals are one of the food additives known in the food

and beverage industry. Whey minerals are sometimes referred to as

whey minerals or whey salts. Since the beverage of the present

embodiment includes wheymineral, it is possible to obtain milk flavor

while increasing transparency.

[0015]

Whey minerals are generally produced from milk or whey by

removing as much protein and lactose as possible. Therefore, whey

minerals generally include a high concentration ofmilk ash (mineral),

and the ratio of ash in the solid content is extremely high. In

addition, the mineral composition has a ratio close to that of the

mineral composition in the milk or whey from which it is made.

The ash content in the solid content of the whey mineral is,

for example, 30 mass% or more, and specifically 50 mass% or more.

Higher ash content is preferred.

[0016]

As a specific method for producing whey minerals, the whey

minerals may be obtained by using milk or whey as a raw material and

removing the protein and lactose by membrane separation and/or

ion-exchange, cooling, and the like.

In the above production method, examples of whey when whey is used as a raw material include, but not particularly limited to, whey obtained as abyproduct ofcheese production usingmilk, whey obtained as a byproduct of casein production, and whey obtained by ultrafiltration of milk.

In the above production method, examples of the membrane

separation method include microfiltration membrane separation,

ultrafiltration membrane separation, nanofiltration membrane

separation, reverse osmosis membrane separation, and dialysis

membrane separation.

In the above production method, examples of the ion-exchange

method include electrodialysis membrane separation using a cation

exchange membrane method or an anion exchange membrane method, and

a method using an ion exchange resin.

[0017]

The whey mineral obtained by the above production method or the

like may remain in liquid form, or may be concentrated and/or dried

for better storage and handling. Examples of the concentration

method include a vacuum concentration method using an evaporator.

As a drying method, generally used methods such as spray drying and

freeze drying may be selected as appropriate.

[0018]

For example, ADEKA Corporation's commercially available

products (product name: Miruku no Mineral (minerals of milk) L10,

P10, and the like) may be used as whey minerals.

[0019]

The concentration (addition amount) of whey minerals in the

beverage is not particularly limited, but the amount of solid content

(ingredients other than water) of whey minerals is usually 0.01 to

2 g/L, preferably 0.02 to 1.5 g/L, more preferably 0.05 to 1 g/L,

and still more preferably 0.08 to 0.6 g/L. In this amount, a proper

milk flavor can be obtained.

[0020]

Here, since wheyminerals generallyinclude ahighconcentration

of milk ash (mineral) as described above, the concentration of

potassium ions (K+), which is particularly abundant as ash, can be

used as an index for estimating the concentration of whey minerals.

[0021]

Specifically, the potassium ion concentration in the beverage

is preferably 1 mg/100 mL or more, more preferably 2 mg/100 mL or

more, and still more preferably 2.5 mg/100 mL or more, from the

viewpoint of obtaining milk flavor while obtaining transparency. On

the other hand, the potassium ion concentration in the beverage is

preferably 100 mg/100 mL or less, more preferably 50 mg/100 mL or

less, still more preferably 30 mg/100 mL or less, and particularly

preferably 20 mg/100 mL or less, from the viewpoint of maintaining

the balance of palatability of the beverage.

[0022]

The potassium ion concentration here means not only potassium

derived from whey minerals but also the concentration of total

potassium ions included in the beverage.

The potassium ion concentration in the beverage may be

determined, for example, by an atomic absorption spectrophotometric

analysis. Alternatively, it may be determined from the potassium

concentration in the raw materials of the beverage and the amount of the raw material used.

[0023]

Whey minerals also include calcium ions (Ca 2 +). The calcium ion

concentration in the beverage is preferably 0.001 mg/100 mL or more,

more preferably 0.002 mg/100 mL or more, and still more preferably

0.003 mg/100 mL or more, from the viewpoint of obtaining milk flavor

while obtaining transparency. On the other hand, the calcium ion

concentration in the beverage is preferably 50 mg/100 mL or less,

more preferably 5 mg/100 mL or less, still more preferably 0.5 mg/100

mL or less, and particularly preferably 0.05 mg/100 mL or less, from

the viewpoint of maintaining the balance of palatability of the

beverage.

[0024]

[Fructose]

Fructose is an ingredient of the so-called sweetener and is a

monosaccharide. Fructose may be included in isomerized sugars such

as high-fructose liquid sugar and fructose-glucose liquid sugar, or

in natural products such as fruit juice as long as the effects of

the present invention are not affected.

The concentration of fructose is preferably 5 g/L or more, more

preferably 10 g/L or more, and is preferably 60 g/L or less, more

preferably 50 g/L or less, with respect to the whole beverage. By

setting the concentration of fructose in such a numerical range, it

is possible to enhance tea flavor and milk flavor while obtaining

good palatability.

[0025]

[Sucrose (sugar)]

Sucrose is an ingredient of the so-called sweetener and is a

disaccharide. The formincludingsucrose is notparticularlylimited,

and sucrose may be included in natural products such as fruit juice.

The concentration of sucrose is preferably 5 g/L or more, more

preferably 10 g/L or more, and is preferably 60 g/L or less, more

preferably 50 g/L or less, with respect to the whole beverage. By

setting the concentration of sucrose in such a numerical range, it

is possible to enhance tea flavor and milk flavor while obtaining

good palatability.

[0026]

[Salt]

The term "salt" refers to an edible salt whose main ingredient

is sodium chloride. The salt may be sodium chloride itself such as

purified salt, sea salt, rock salt, natural sea salt, mountain salt,

or the like. These may be used alone or in combination of two or

more.

[0027]

The concentration of salt is preferably 0.001 g/L or more, more

preferably 0.01 g/L or more, and still more preferably 0.05 g/L or

more, from the viewpoint of enhancing tea flavor and milk flavor.

On the other hand, the concentration of salt is preferably 2.0 g/L

or less, more preferably 1 g/L or less, and still more preferably

0.6 g/L or less, from the viewpoint of maintaining good palatability

of the beverage.

[0028]

The salt concentration can be analyzed by the Mohr method. That

is, the chloride ion concentration in the beverage serves as an index of the salt concentration.

[0029]

Further, the sodium ion concentration in the beverage is

preferably 1 mg/100 mL or more, more preferably 3 mg/100 mL or more,

and still more preferably 5 mg/100 mL or more, from the viewpoint

ofenhancingmilk flavor and teaflavor. On the otherhand, the sodium

ion concentration in the beverage is preferably 100 mg/100 mL or less,

more preferably 50 mg/100 mL or less, and still more preferably 30

mg/100 mL or less, from the viewpoint ofmaintaining good palatability

of the beverage.

It should be noted that the sodium ion concentration in the

beverage is not limited to those derived from the above-mentioned

salt, but also includes those derived from additives such as sodium

citrate.

[0030]

The sodium ion concentration in the beverage may be determined,

for example, by an atomic absorption spectrophotometric analysis.

Alternatively, it may be determined by calculation from the sodium

ion concentration in the raw materials of the beverage and the amount

of the raw material used.

[0031]

[Tea flavor]

The tea flavor is used to impart a tea flavor to the beverage

of the present embodiment. Tea flavors can be any flavor that, when

included in a beverage, has a flavor reminiscent of teas, and is not

particularly limited.

Teas typically includes tea products processed using a plant of the Camellia sinensis as a raw material, and examples thereof include non-fermented teas such as sencha, deep-steamed sencha, gyokuro, kabusecha, bancha, tamaryokucha, konacha, mecha, houjicha, genmaicha, and matcha, and fermented teas such as yellow tea, white tea, oolong tea, english black tea, and chinese black tea (Pu'er tea).

Without being limited thereto, examples thereof further include

barley tea, Houttuynia cordata tea, bean tea, tian cha, burdock tea,

buckwheat tea, and blended tea.

As the tea flavor, one kind or two or more kinds thereof may

be used.

The tea flavor preferably includes at least one or more aroma

ingredients such as (Z)-3-hexenol, dimethyl sulfide, B-ionone,

3-methyl-2,4-nanondione, furaneol, methional, indole, methyl

jasmonate, linalool, geraniol, methyl salicylate, B-damascenone, phenethyl alcohol, hotrienol, 2,4-heptadienal, and 1-octen-3-ol.

Among them, from the viewpoint of further enhancing the effect

of thebeverage of the present embodiment, the tea flavor ispreferably

a flavor reminiscent of so-called green tea represented by sencha.

From the viewpoint of giving a green tea flavor, the tea flavor

preferably includes at least one or more aroma ingredients such as

(Z)-3-hexenol, dimethyl sulfide, B-ionone, 3-methyl-2,4-nanondione,

furaneol, methional, and linalool.

[0032]

[Other ingredients]

The beverage of the present embodiment may include various

ingredients other than the above as long as the effects of the present

invention can be obtained. For example, a flavor other than the above tea flavor, a sweetener other than the fructose and sucrose, an acidulant, a pH adjuster, fruit juice, various nutritional ingredients, a colorant, a diluent, an antioxidant, a thickening stabilizer, or the like may be contained.

However, from the viewpoint of transparency, it is preferable

that the beverage include substantially little, if any, colorant.

[00331

Examples of sweeteners other than the above fructose and sucrose

include saccharides such as glucose, granulated sugar, lactose, and

maltose, low-sweetness sweeteners such as xylitol and D-sorbitol,

and high-sweetness sweeteners such as thaumatin, stevia extract,

disodium glycyrrhizate, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, aspartame,

saccharin, neotame, and sodium saccharin. The sweetener may be used

alone or in combination of two or more.

[0034]

Examples of the above acidulant include citrate such as

trisodiumcitrate, anhydrous citricacid, adipicacid, gluconicacid,

succinic acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, fumaric acid, malic acid,

phytic acid, ascorbic acid or salts thereof.

[00351

[pH]

The pH of the beverage of the present embodiment at 200C is

preferably less than 4.6, more preferably 3.6 to 4.5, and even more

preferably 3.7 to 4.2.

Conventionally, in an acidic region where the pH is less than

4. 6, the tea flavor and milk flavor tend to be reduced. On the other

hand, the beverage of the present embodiment enables the tea flavor and the milk flavor to be enhanced even if the pH is less than 4.6.

Also, in Japan, the law requires that the severity of sterilization

conditions of beverages should be increased especially if the pH of

the beverage is 4.6 or higher, but by setting the pH to less than

4.6, the sterilization condition can be relaxed, which is

advantageous from the viewpoints of production cost, maintaining

flavor, suppressing browning, and the like.

On the other hand, by setting the pH of the beverage to 3.6 or

more, it ispossible toprevent the sourness frombecoming distinctive

too much and further enhance the milk flavor and the tea flavor.

The pHmaybe measuredbyusing acommercially available pHmeter.

The pH may be adjusted, for example, by changing the amount of the

specific acid or using a pH adjuster.

[00361

[Acidity (acidity in terms of citric acid)]

The acidity of the beverage of the present embodiment is not

particularly limited, but the milk flavor and the tea flavor can be

further enhanced by adjusting the acidity to an appropriate value.

Specifically, the upper limit of the value converted as an

equivalent amount of citric acid (acidity in terms of citric acidity)

is preferably less than 0.03% or less, more preferably 0.025% or less,

and stillmore preferably 0.02% or less. There is no particular lower

limit, and the value is greater than 0%.

[0037]

[Transparency]

The absorbance at a wavelength of 660 nm of the beverage of the

present embodiment is preferably 0.06 or less, more preferably 0.04 orless, and stillmore preferably 0.01or less. Thatis, the beverage of the present embodiment is a highly transparent beverage.

Conventional beverages known to have tea flavor and milk flavor are

cloudy and less transparent due to milk ingredients and the like,

but the beverage of the present embodiment enables the tea flavor

and the milk flavor to be enhanced even when the absorbance at a

wavelength of 660 nm is 0.06 or less.

The absorbance at a wavelength of 420 nm is preferably 0.1 or

less, more preferably 0.05 or less, and still more preferably 0.01

or less. Here, ordinary green tea beverages without special

materials or producing methods are prone to browning due to the

catechins included in the tea leaves, but the beverage of the present

embodiment enables transparency at a wavelength of 420 nm to be

obtained, thus suppressing the browning, discoloration, and the like

seen in so-called green tea beverages and achieving greater

transparency.

[00381

From the viewpoint of transparency, the beverage of the present

embodiment preferably has a low protein content. Specifically, the

content of protein included in the beverage of the present embodiment

is, for example, 0 to 0.2 g/L, preferably 0 to 0.05 g/L, and more

preferably 0 to 0.03 g/L.

[00391

[Brix value]

The Brix value of the beverage of the present embodiment is

preferably 1 to 200, more preferably 2 to 10°, and still more

preferably 2 to 8° from the viewpoint of improving the palatability of the beverage.

The Brix value may be adjusted by, for example, adjusting the

amount of the above-mentioned sweetener, the amounts of other various

ingredients, and the like.

[0040]

[Production method, container, and the like]

The beverage of the present embodiment can be obtained by

uniformly mixing fructose (optionally with sucrose), whey minerals,

and salt, and, if necessary, other ingredients in water according

to an established method.

The beverage of the present embodiment may be sterilized by

heating and made into a packaged beverage packaged in a container.

Examples of the container include a sealed container made of a single

material such as glass, paper, plastic (polyethylene terephthalate

and the like), aluminum, and steel, or a composite material or a

laminated material thereof. The type of the container is not

particularly limited, and examples thereof include a PET bottle, an

aluminum can, a steel can, a paper pack, a chilled cup, and a bottle.

Further, from the viewpoint of enabling the beverage to be

observed from the outside to confirming transparency, color, and the

like, it is preferable that the container be transparent, and

specifically, a PET bottle or a colorless bottle is preferable.

Further, from the viewpoint of handleability, distributability,

portability, and the like, the container is preferably a PET bottle.

[0041]

Since the beverage of the present embodiment has a pH of less

than 4.6, the conditions for heat sterilization can be relaxed. The conditions for heat sterilization may be, for example, instantaneous sterilization at 90 to 1350C or sterilization for 30 seconds.

[0042]

Amethod for enhancing milky flavor and tea flavor of a beverage

of the present embodiment includes adding fructose, whey minerals,

salt, and tea flavor so as to satisfy the following Conditions 3 and

4:

Condition 3: when sucrose (sugar) is not added to the beverage,

a content (g) of the fructose relative to a total content (g) of

monosaccharide and disaccharide {fructose/(monosaccharide

+ disaccharide)} is 0.8 or more; and

Condition 4: when sucrose (sugar) is added to the beverage, a

total content (g) of the fructose and the sucrose (sugar) relative

to a total content (g) of monosaccharide and disaccharide { (fructose

+ sucrose (sugar))/ (monosaccharide + disaccharide) } is 0.8 or more,

and a content (g) of the fructose relative to a content (g) of the

sucrose (sugar) (fructose/sucrose (sugar)) is 0.3 or more.

[0043]

Themethodforenhancingmilk flavor and teaflavor ofthe present

embodiment can enhance the milk flavor and tea flavor by satisfying

the above conditions 3 and 4.

[0044]

In Condition 3, fructose/(monosaccharide + disaccharide) is

preferably 0.85 or more, more preferably 0.90 or more, still more

preferably 0.95 or more, and most preferably 1. As a result, the

tea flavor and milk flavor can be further enhanced and the balance with drinkability becomes good.

In Condition 4, (fructose + sucrose (sugar))/(monosaccharide

+ disaccharide) is preferably 0.85 or more, more preferably 0.90 or

more, still more preferably 0.95 or more, and most preferably 1. As

a result, the tea flavor and milk flavor can be further enhanced and

the balance withdrinkabilitybecomes good. In Condition 4, the lower

limit of (fructose/sucrose (sugar)) is preferably 0.50 or more, more

preferably 0.70 or more, still more preferably 0.80 or more, and the

upper limit is preferably 2.4 or less, more preferably 1.7 or less,

and still more preferably 1.3 or less. As a result, the tea flavor

and the milk flavor can be further enhanced, and the balance with

the sourness, the aftertaste, and the drinkability becomes good.

[0045]

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been

described above, these are only examples of the present invention,

and various configurations other than the above can also be adopted.

EXAMPLES

[0046]

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with

reference to Examples and Comparative Examples, but the present

invention is not limited thereto.

[0047]

[Experimental Example 1] Verification of difference in sugar raw

material

Beverages were prepared by uniformly mixing the ingredients in

water so that those would be in the blending ratios shown in Table

1, and the obtained beverages were sterilized by instantaneous

sterilization at 950C and packaged in a container. Thereby, packaged

beverages were obtained.

The following measurements and evaluations were performed on

the obtained beverages, and the results are shown in Table 1.

[0048]

Brix value (0): The Brix value was measured using a sugar

refractometer reading "RX-5000a" manufacturedby Atago Co., Ltd. The

liquid temperature of the beverage was 20°C.

pH: Measured (at 200C) with GST-5741C manufactured by DKK-TOA

Corporation.

Absorbance (wavelength 420 nm, 660 nm): Measured by a

commercially available spectrophotometer after placing a beverage

in a cell having an optical path length of 1 cm. The absorbance

measurement was performed using a quartz cell under a temperature

condition of 20°C.

Sodium ion (Na+), ash, potassium ion (K+), calcium ion (Ca 2 +)

concentration (mg/100 mL): Calculated from these ingredients

included in the raw materials and the amounts of the raw materials

used. The ash content was calculated from the amount of whey mineral

used.

[0049]

Sensory evaluation: Five skilled panelists tasted each of the

beverages (40 C) of Examples and Comparative Examples, and 7-point

scale (1 to 7 points) evaluation was carried out for each of "intensity of tea flavor", "intensity of milk flavor", "intensity of sourness",

"intensity of aftertaste", and "drinkability", and the average scores

thereof were obtained. At the time of evaluation, the beverage of

Comparative Example 1 was used as a control product (reference value

4 points). In the evaluation, the larger the value is, the better

the result is.

[00501

Evaluation criteria

"Intensity of tea flavor", "Intensity of milk flavor",

"Intensity of sourness", "Intensity of aftertaste"

7 points: Much stronger than the control product

6 points: Stronger than the control product

5 points: Slightly stronger than the control product

4 points: Intensity equivalent to that of the control product

3 points: Slightly weaker than the control product

2 points: Weaker than the control product

1 point: Much weaker than the control product or not sensed at

all

"Drinkability"

7 points: Much better than the control product

6 points: Better than the control product

5 points: Slightly better than the control product

4 points: About the same as that of the control product

3 points: Slightly worse than the control product

2 points: Worse than the control product

1 point: Much worse than the control product

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[0052]

[Experimental Example 2] Verification of difference in salt

concentration

Beverages were prepared by uniformly mixing the ingredients in

water so that those would be in the blending ratios shown in Table

2, and the obtained beverages were sterilized by instantaneous

sterilization at 950C and packaged in a container. Thereby, packaged

beverages were obtained.

The obtained beverages were measured and evaluated in the same

manner as in the above Experimental Example 1, and the results are

shown in Table 2.

It should be noted that "-" in Table 2 indicates that the beverage

of Comparative Example 5 does not include salt.

[0053]

[Table 2]

Example 2 Comparative Example 5 Example 6 Example 5 Ingredients Sugar 17.5 17.5 17.5 17.5 (g/L) Fructose 17.5 17.5 17.5 17.5 Whey minerals: manufactured by ADEKA Corporation 1 1 1 1 "Miruku no Mineraru (0.1) (0.1) (0.1) (0.1) 10" (solid content of whey minerals) 85% phosphoric acid 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.13

Sodium gluconate 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2

Salt 0.1 - 0.2 0.3

Green tea flavor 1 1 1 1

Milk flavor 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4

Measurement Brix value (°) 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.6 Values pH 3.8 3.8 3.8 3.8 Acidity in terms of 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 citric acid (%) Absorbance (wavelength 420 nm) Absorbance (wavelength 0.002 0.001 0.001 0.001 660 nm)

Na' (mg/100 mL) 6.75 2.82 10.68 14.61

Ash (mg/100 mL) 7.4 7.4 7.4 7.4

K' (mg/100 mL) 2.67 2.67 2.67 2.67

2 Ca (mg/100 mL) 0.006 0.006 0.006 0.006

Evaluation Intensity of tea flavor 4 4.0 4.6 4.6

Intensity of milk 4 3.2 4.6 4.4 flavor Intensity of sourness 4 4.6 3.4 4.6

Intensity of 4 4.0 4.0 4.6 aftertaste

Drinkability 4 3.0 4.2 3.8

[0054]

[Experimental Example 3] Verification of difference in whey mineral

concentration

Beverages were prepared by uniformly mixing the ingredients in

water so that those would be in the blending ratios shown in Table

3, and the obtained beverages were sterilized by instantaneous sterilization at 950C and packaged in a container. Thereby, packaged beverages were obtained.

The obtained beverages were measured and evaluated in the same

manner as in the above Experimental Example 1, and the results are

shown in Table 3.

[00551

[Table 31

Example 2 Example 7 Example 8 Ingredients Sugar 17.5 17.5 17.5 (g/L) Fructose 17.5 17.5 17.5

Whey minerals: manufactured by ADEKA Corporation"Miruku no 1 2 4 Mineraru Li" (solid content of (0.1) (0.2) (0.4) whey minerals)

85% phosphoric acid 0.13 0.13 0.13

Sodium gluconate 0.2 0.2 0.2

Salt 0.1 0.1 0.1

Green tea flavor 1 1 1

Milk flavor 0.4 0.4 0.4

Measurement Brix value (°) 3.6 3.6 3.6 Values pH 3.8 3.9 4

Acidity in terms of citric acid (%) 0.01 0.01 0.01

Absorbance (wavelength 420 nm) 0.007 0.007 0.007

Absorbance (wavelength 660 nm) 0.002 0.001 0.001

Na' (mg/100 mL) 6.75 7.46 8.88

Ash (mg/100 mL) 7.4 14.8 29.6

K4 (mg/100 mL) 2.67 5.34 10.68

2+ Ca (mg/100 mL) 0.006 0.012 0.024

Evaluation Intensity of tea flavor 4 4.0 4.0

Intensity of milk flavor 4 4.6 4.8

Intensity of sourness 4 4.6 5.0

Intensity of aftertaste 4 5.0 5.0

Drinkability 4 4.2 4.4

[00561

This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent

Application No. 2018-027181 filed on February 19, 2018, the contents

of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0057]

Reference to any prior art in the specification is not an

acknowledgement or suggestion that this prior art forms part of the

common general knowledge in any jurisdiction or that this prior art

could reasonably be expected to be combined with any other piece of

prior art by a skilled person in the art.

Claims

1. A beverage including fructose, whey minerals, salt, and tea

flavor,

wherein the beverage has a green tea flavour and an absorbance

at a wavelength of 660 nm of 0.01 or less,

a sodium ion concentration in the beverage is 8.88 mg/100 mL

or more and 100 mg/100 mL or less,

and satisfying the following Conditions 1 and 2:

Condition 1: when the beverage does not include sucrose (sugar),

a content (g) of the fructose relative to a total content (g) of

monosaccharide and disaccharide {fructose/(monosaccharide

+ disaccharide)} is 0.8 or more; and

Condition 2: when the beverage includes sucrose (sugar), a

total content (g) of the fructose and the sucrose (sugar) relative

to a total content (g) of monosaccharide and disaccharide { (fructose

+ sucrose (sugar))/ (monosaccharide + disaccharide) I is 0.8 or more,

and a content (g) of the fructose relative to a content (g) of the

sucrose (sugar) (fructose/sucrose (sugar)) is 0.3 or more.

2. A beverage including fructose, whey minerals, salt, and tea

flavor,

wherein the beverage an absorbance at a wavelength of 660 nm

of 0.01 or less,

a sodium ion concentration in the beverage is 8.88 mg/100 mL

or more and 10.68 mg/100ml or less, and the beverage satisfying the following Conditions 1 and 2:

Condition 1: when the beverage does not include sucrose (sugar),

a content (g) of the fructose relative to a total content (g) of

monosaccharide and disaccharide {fructose/(monosaccharide

+ disaccharide)} is 0.8 or more; and

Condition 2: when the beverage includes sucrose (sugar), a

total content (g) of the fructose and the sucrose (sugar) relative

to a total content (g) of monosaccharide and disaccharide { (fructose

+ sucrose (sugar))/ (monosaccharide + disaccharide) I is 0.8 or more,

and a content (g) of the fructose relative to a content (g) of the

sucrose (sugar) (fructose/sucrose (sugar)) is 0.3 or more.

3. The beverage according to any one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the

beverage has a pH at 20°C of less than 4.6.

4. The beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which has

an absorbance at a wavelength of 420 nm of 0.01 or less.

5. The beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a

potassium ion concentration in the beverage is 1 mg/100 mL or more

and 100 mg/100 mL or less.

6. A packaged beverage in which the beverage according to any one

of claims 1 to 5 is filled in a transparent container.

7. A method for enhancing milk flavor and tea flavor of a beverage,

wherein the beverage has a green tea flavour and an absorbance

at a wavelength of 660 nm of 0.01 or less, a sodium ion concentration in the beverage is 8.88 mg/100 mL or more and 100 mg/100mL or less, and the method including: adding fructose, whey minerals, salt, and tea flavor so as to satisfy the following Conditions 3 and 4:

Condition 3: when sucrose (sugar) is not added to the beverage,

a content (g) of the fructose relative to a total content (g) of

monosaccharide and disaccharide {fructose/(monosaccharide

+ disaccharide)} is 0.8 or more; and

Condition 4: when sucrose (sugar) is added to the beverage,

a total content (g) of the fructose and the sucrose (sugar) relative

to a total content (g) of monosaccharide and disaccharide { (fructose

+ sucrose (sugar))/ (monosaccharide + disaccharide) I is 0.8 or more,

and a content (g) of the fructose relative to a content (g) of the

sucrose (sugar) (fructose/sucrose (sugar)) is 0.3 or more.

8. A method for enhancing milk flavor and tea flavor of a beverage,

wherein the beverage an absorbance at a wavelength of 660 nm

of 0.01 or less,

a sodium ion concentration in the beverage is 8.88 mg/100 mL

or more and 10.68 mg/100 mL or less, and

the method including:

adding fructose, whey minerals, salt, and tea flavor so as to

satisfy the following Conditions 3 and 4:

Condition 3: when sucrose (sugar) is not added to the beverage,

a content (g) of the fructose relative to a total content (g) of

monosaccharide and disaccharide {fructose/(monosaccharide +

disaccharide)} is 0.8 or more; and

Condition 4: when sucrose (sugar) is added to the beverage,

a total content (g) of the fructose and the sucrose (sugar) relative

to a total content (g) of monosaccharide and disaccharide { (fructose

+ sucrose (sugar))/ (monosaccharide + disaccharide) I is 0.8 or more,

and a content (g) of the fructose relative to a content (g) of the

sucrose (sugar) (fructose/sucrose (sugar)) is 0.3 or more.