JP2008182948A - Zinc-containing drink - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a zinc-containing drink adjusted in pH to 6.5-2.0 with citric acid, in spite of being a drink to be added with zinc gluconate, leaving no uncomfortable aftertaste, and suppressing occurrence of precipitate for a long period. <P>SOLUTION: This zinc-containing drink is obtained by including in drinking water 1 excluding distilled water, zinc gluconate 2 specified as a food additive and an edible acid substance 3 which is adjusted in pH to 6.5-2.0 and can hinder production of precipitate likely to be caused by reaction of zinc ion and an inorganic compound contained in the drinking water 1. The edible acid substance 3 is citric acid 3a, and the drinking water 1 is land-based mineral water 1a. It is possible to expect further effect by including an ingredient 4 derived from deep seawater. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a beverage that contains zinc gluconate and an edible acidic substance in drinking water, and has a delicious and unpleasant aftertaste.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, health drinks (green tea, oolong tea, tea and other beverages) containing plants that exhibit specific pharmacological effects have formed an extremely large market with increasing consumer health awareness.
On the other hand, it is known that elemental zinc is necessary for the growth of plants and animals, it is well known that it is useful for nutritional supplementation, and as a case where zinc deficiency affects humans In addition, male sexual development disorder, wound healing disorder, taste disorder, anorexia, etc. have been reported.
Since zinc is taken into the body through food, zinc deficiency in humans has been considered to be low, but nutritional zinc deficiency is developing due to dependence on plant-based beverages (eg cereals, beans, etc.) It is widely seen by people in the country, and even in developed countries, it has been reported that the reserve arm of zinc deficiency is spreading due to dietary restrictions, increased consumption of alcohol and cereal proteins, and increased consumption of purified beverages with low trace minerals. Yes.

Chronic deficiency of zinc can be considered as a regular diet of cereals from which germ parts such as polished rice have been removed, and the use of purified salts. Moreover, it is thought that the person with many irregular meals and unbalanced meals has a risk. Zinc intake is performed to prevent skin disorders and taste disorders based on zinc deficiency.
On the other hand, edible acidic substance solutions (for example, citric acid, malic acid, etc.) are known to have a logarithmic increase in the amount of free hydrogen ions due to a decrease in pH value accompanying an increase in the amount added.

Zinc causes unpleasant flavors such as “bad taste”, “mutant taste” and “oral irritation”, and when mixed with beverage, sensory stimulus responsiveness is allowed, is utilized by humans, and is highly safe zinc gluconate (C ₁₂ H ₂₂ O ₁₄ Zn.nH ₂ O molecular weight 509 · 73 (trihydrate)) is employed. However, even when zinc gluconate is used, it may have undesirable effects such as changes in aftertaste and flavor. Moreover, although the safety | security of the amount of zinc of the grade supplemented from a normal food is fully proven, it is said that an excessive amount of zinc exhibits copper absorption inhibition.
Zinc gluconate is a white powder (grain), which is the only zinc compound recorded in the official food additives, and is a substance that is easily dissolved in water. A white precipitate may form after a few days. No precipitation occurs when dissolved in distilled water. The reason seems to be that an insoluble zinc compound is produced by a reaction with an inorganic compound dissolved in water.
Patent No. 3224767 Japanese Patent No. 3251287

Zinc has a role necessary for life support in a debilitating state, and zinc deficiency acts on sickle cell anemia, which is a feature of growth stagnation and sexual development failure. In recent years, zinc collection has been found to also help reduce acute inflammation for rheumatoid arthritis. This indicates that this lack of metabolism resulting from the lack of zinc nutrients basically requires zinc for cell division and protein synthesis.
However, when the zinc compound is provided in a beverage, there is a problem that a chemical reaction is caused with an inorganic substance in water, resulting in white turbidity and precipitation, and the appearance of the product is impaired. Therefore, in the case of a containerd drink intended for long-term distribution, it has been a factor that causes a decrease in consumers' willingness to purchase. There was a problem in flavor and aftertaste, and further improvements were required.

When zinc gluconate is dissolved in tap water, well water, etc., zinc gluconate is ionized and it is essential that a large number of zinc ions exist in the solution. It seems that the addition of a substance that hinders precipitation can suppress the occurrence of precipitation.
It has been experimentally confirmed that when an edible acidic substance solution is added to an aqueous solution of zinc gluconate, the expression of precipitation is suppressed in the region of pH 6.5 or lower. This seems to be because hydrogen has a higher ionization tendency than zinc and suppresses ionization of zinc.
Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of such problems of the prior art, and the object of the present invention is to adjust the pH to 6.5 with citric acid even for beverages to which zinc gluconate is added. An object of the present invention is to provide a zinc-containing beverage that is adjusted to ˜2.0, does not leave an unpleasant aftertaste, and can suppress the generation of precipitates over a long period of time.

As a result of intensive studies to achieve the above object, a zinc-containing beverage that has no unpleasant aftertaste and is extremely easy to drink has been found, even if the beverage contains zinc.
The zinc-containing beverage according to claim 1 is prepared by adding zinc gluconate, which is designated as a food additive, to a drinking water other than distilled water, and a pH of 6.5 to 2.0, and zinc ions and drinking water. It is characterized by containing an edible acidic substance capable of preventing the formation of a precipitate that is thought to be caused by the reaction with the contained inorganic compound.
A second aspect of the present invention is the zinc-containing beverage according to the first aspect, wherein the edible acidic substance is citric acid.
A third aspect of the present invention is the zinc-containing beverage according to the first or second aspect, wherein the drinking water is terrestrial mineral water.

Here, the zinc-containing beverage is a beverage containing zinc gluconate and having a pH of 6.5 to 2.0, which has no unpleasant aftertaste and can effectively prevent the occurrence of precipitation. Is an unpleasant taste by itself.
Here, the edible acidic substance is prepared by adjusting the pH of the whole beverage to 6.5 to 2.0, reducing the influence on the flavor caused by the inclusion of zinc gluconate, stabilizing, and overcoming the problem of discoloration. Citric acid, fumaric acid, tartaric acid or malic acid are known, but citric acid is particularly preferable in terms of quality stability of the added food.
Here, the drinking water refers to water that can be drunk as it is, and mineral water that is taken in from underground on land, which contains few inorganic compounds, is particularly preferable.
Here, the precipitate refers to a hardly water-soluble solid material, such as zinc silicate, produced by a chemical reaction between zinc gluconate and an inorganic component contained in drinking water.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is the zinc-containing beverage according to any one of the first, second and third aspects, characterized in that it contains a component derived from deep ocean water.
Here, the deep seawater-derived component means at least one of fresh water, mineral water, and concentrated salt water obtained by separating multi-stage electrodialysis from the Japan Sea cold water collected in Toyama Bay. It has characteristics slightly different from deep ocean water and some advantages.
A, Toyama Bay is the largest open oceanic bay in the Sea of Japan, with an area of 2120 km2, with a depth of more than 1000 km near the center of the bay, deep shore, steep slope, and development of the continental shelf. It is scarce and is characterized by the fact that there are many sea valleys called “Dragon Valley” on the seabed.
B, Toyama Bay is composed of coastal surface water with low salinity affected by inland water such as river water, Tsushima warm current water with a thickness of 200-300m below it, and deeper than 300m deep cold natural water of the Sea of Japan. About 65% of Toyama Bay's volume is occupied by the cold water of the Sea of Japan.
C, the characteristics of the cold water of the Sea of Japan with these characteristics, there is almost no change in water temperature at temperatures below 2 ° C throughout the year, and the salinity (34.0 to 34.1 psu) is stable, compared to surface seawater. Therefore, it is characterized by being extremely rich in nutrients and very little organic matter and bacteria.
E, the cold water of the Sea of Japan in Toyama Bay has more dissolved oxygen than the deep water of the North Pacific Ocean at Cape Muroto in Kochi Prefecture, and the cold water of the Sea of Japan in Toyama Bay is younger as a deep water. In addition, comparing each deep water with surface water, Toyama Bay has more inorganic nutrients such as phosphate phosphorus and nitrate nitrogen, and fewer general viable bacteria. It is lower than the deep water in Kochi Prefecture.

Since the zinc-containing beverage of the present invention has the above structure, it has the following effects.
The zinc-containing beverage according to claim 1 contains zinc gluconate, but the pH is adjusted to 6.5 to 2.0 with an edible acidic substance, so that the zinc ion and the inorganic compound contained in the drinking water It may prevent the formation of a precipitate that appears to be due to the reaction. As a result, zinc can be replenished without an unpleasant aftertaste. That is, it is possible to provide a stable beverage with a high commercial value in which the generation of precipitates is suppressed.
The zinc-containing beverage of the present invention supplements zinc that can be ingested from other food sources (with a reasonably balanced food).

In addition to the features of claim 1, the edible acidic substance of claim 2 is citric acid, so that it is precipitated over a long period of time without lowering the taste and active ingredients by adjusting the pH with citric acid. Generation of an object can be suppressed.
In addition to the features of claims 1 and 2, the zinc-containing beverage according to claim 3 is terrestrial mineral water, so it is more careful to generate sediment than sea-based drinking water with a large amount of trace elements. There is no need.
In addition to the features of claims 1, 2 and 3, the zinc-containing beverage of claim 4 is convenient for supplementing minerals since the components separated from deep sea water contain abundant trace elements in a well-balanced manner. is there.

  The best mode of the zinc-containing beverage according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1. To the drinking water 1 other than distilled water, zinc gluconate 2 designated as a food additive, and the pH to 6.5 to 2.0 Prepared and containing an edible acidic substance 3 capable of preventing the formation of a precipitate that is believed to be due to the reaction between zinc ions and the inorganic compound contained in the drinking water 1, and as the drinking water 1 an inorganic compound The terrestrial mineral water 1a with a small amount of citric acid 3a is used as the edible acidic substance 3 for flavor reasons.

  Since the zinc-containing beverage of the present invention has the above-described configuration, it is optimal in the first step in the range of 4 to 400 mg / 1000 ml, preferably 6 to 200 mg / 1000 ml of zinc gluconate 2 in 500 ml of mineral water 1a. Is added in the range of 8 to 100 mg / 1000 ml, and citric acid 3a is added in the range of 0.01 to 3 g / l, preferably in the range of 0.1 to 2 g / l, optimally 0.1 to Mix evenly in the range of 1 g / l and cool to 20 ° C. or less, filter the mixture with a filter cloth in the second step, remove impurities, and then fill the PET bottle container in the third step, In the fourth step, a 73 ° C. hot water shower is applied for 4 minutes to sterilize, and in the fifth step, natural cooling to 40 ° C. or lower is performed.

The pH of the zinc-containing beverage of the present invention is preferably adjusted to 6.5 to 2.0, particularly preferably pH 6.0 to 4.0 from the viewpoint of the precipitation preventing effect. If the pH is 2.0 or less, the effect of preventing precipitation is lowered and unnecessary sourness may appear. If the pH is 6.5 or more, an unpleasant alkaline taste appears.
When the content of zinc gluconate 2 is constant, the mixing ratio of citric acid 3a is preferably an amount such that the pH is 6.5 to 2.0, particularly 6.0 to 4.0. However, there may be some differences depending on the components of the drinking water 1.

「アルプス精水」に含まれるミネラル成分は、以下の通りである。
グルコン酸亜鉛２には、扶桑化学工業株式会社の「ヘルシャスＺｎ」を用いた。
クエン酸３ａには、田辺製薬株式会社の「クエン酸（結晶）３２Ｍ」を用いた。
ｐＨの測定には、東亜電波工業株式会社の「ＨＭ−３０Ｖ」を用いた。 Experimental example 1
As the mineral water 1a, “Alps purified water” manufactured and sold by the applicant was used.

The mineral components contained in “Alps Semen” are as follows.
As the zinc gluconate 2, “Healthy Zn” manufactured by Fuso Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. was used.
As the citric acid 3a, “citric acid (crystal) 32M” manufactured by Tanabe Seiyaku Co., Ltd. was used.
For the measurement of pH, “HM-30V” manufactured by Toa Denpa Kogyo Co., Ltd. was used.

1A ・ Test sample (Mineral water 1a: 500ml)
Control product = zinc gluconate 2 (3 mg)
Sample 1 = zinc gluconate 2 (3 mg) + citric acid 3a (0.004%)
Sample 2 = zinc gluconate 2 (3 mg) + citric acid 3a (0.005%)
Sample 3 = zinc gluconate 2 (3 mg) + citric acid 3a (0.006%)
Sample 4 = zinc gluconate 2 (3 mg) + citric acid 3a (0.007%)
Sample 5 = Zinc gluconate 2 (3 mg) + citric acid 3a (0.008%)
Sample 6 = zinc gluconate 2 (3 mg) + citric acid 3a (0.015%)

1B · Measurement of pH and investigation of formation of precipitate Immediately after the production of the zinc-containing beverage of the present invention, the pH of the control product and samples 1 to 6 were measured, and then stored at 37 ° C. for 1 to 5 weeks. When the generation time and amount of sediment were investigated, the results shown in Table 1 were obtained.

Experimental example 2
2A ・ Test sample (Mineral water 1a: 500ml)
Control product = zinc gluconate 2 (15 mg)
Sample 1 = zinc gluconate 2 (15 mg) + citric acid 3a (0.004%)
Sample 2 = zinc gluconate 2 (15 mg) + citric acid 3a (0.005%)
Sample 3 = zinc gluconate 2 (15 mg) + citric acid 3a (0.006%)
Sample 4 = zinc gluconate 2 (15 mg) + citric acid 3a (0.007%)
Sample 5 = zinc gluconate 2 (15 mg) + citric acid 3a (0.008%)
Sample 6 = zinc gluconate 2 (15 mg) + citric acid 3a (0.015%)

2B · Measurement of pH and investigation of precipitate formation Immediately after the production of the zinc-containing beverage of the present invention, the pH of the control product and samples 1 to 6 were measured, and then stored at 37 ° C. for 1 to 5 weeks, followed by precipitation. As a result of investigating the generation time and the amount of precipitation, the results shown in Table 2 were obtained.

As is apparent from Tables 1 and 2, the control product produced precipitates in one week, whereas the product of the present invention produced no precipitates even after 5 weeks.
Therefore, the precipitation prevention effect for beverages is unique to citric acid 3a, and removal of inorganic salts with chelating agents other than citric acid 3a such as EDTA and ion exchange resins does not provide such a precipitation prevention effect. I understood.
It has been found that when the pH exceeds 6.5, the effect of preventing precipitation is weakened. In particular, the formation of precipitates was remarkable at pH 6.7 or higher.

(Evaluation of bitter taste)
In order to evaluate the flavor and taste of Experimental Example 1 and Experimental Example 2, first, bacterial tests of the product of the present invention and the control product, specifically, Escherichia coli and general bacteria were performed. The results are shown in Tables 3 and 4.

口当たりと飲みやすさ、及び後味について、良い、普通、悪いの３段階指標で評価を行った。その結果を表５と表６に示す。 Next, sensory evaluation of 20 panelists was performed on the product of the present invention after completion of the bacterial test according to the following indices.
1. Subjects A questionnaire regarding bowel movements was conducted in advance for employees working for the applicant's company, and a sensory evaluation was performed by a panel of 20 people who understood and agreed to the main points of this study.
The structure of the panel of 20 people is as follows.

The mouthfeel, ease of drinking, and aftertaste were evaluated with good, normal, and bad grades. The results are shown in Tables 5 and 6.

表５と表６で明らかなように、本発明品は対照品と比べ、飲料の風味に与える重要な要素である苦渋味について増加することがなかった。
クエン酸３ａの添加により、飲料の風味、亜鉛の生理活性を減ずることなく製造時、保存時における沈殿を防止することができたものと思われる。

As is apparent from Tables 5 and 6, the product of the present invention did not increase in bitterness and astringency, which is an important factor given to the flavor of the beverage, as compared with the control product.
It seems that the addition of citric acid 3a could prevent precipitation during production and storage without reducing the flavor of the beverage and the physiological activity of zinc.

The first embodiment of the zinc-containing beverage according to the present invention will be described in terms of differences from the best mode. The best mode as shown in FIG. 2 is derived from deep ocean water separated by the multistage electrodialysis method previously invented by the applicant. Component 4 is newly added, and 0.008 g of mineral concentrate 4b is mixed in 500 ml as component 4 derived from deep ocean water. Although the optimum mixing ratio of the mineral concentrate 4b is under examination from the test examples, it seems to be 5% or less, preferably 2 to 0.01%.
As shown in FIG. 3, the multistage electrodialysis method separates the Japan Sea cold water W into the concentrated deep water 14 and the fresh water 4a by the first electrodialysis apparatus 5 using the ion exchange membrane 15, thereby improving the monovalent ion selectivity. In the second electrodialysis apparatus 6 using the excellent ion exchange membrane 16, the concentrated deep water 14 separated by the first electrodialysis apparatus 5 is concentrated into the salt water 4c (monovalent chlorine ions, sodium ions, etc. are concentrated). And mineral concentrated water 4b (a useful trace mineral mainly composed of polyvalent ion minerals obtained by removing monovalent ions).

Experimental example 3
As the mineral water 1a, “Alps purified water” manufactured and sold by the applicant was used.
As the zinc gluconate 2, “Healthy Zn” manufactured by Fuso Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. was used.
As the citric acid 3a, “citric acid (crystal) 32M” manufactured by Tanabe Seiyaku Co., Ltd. was used.
As the component 4 derived from deep ocean water, mineral concentrated water 4b produced by the applicant was used.
For the measurement of pH, “HM-30V” manufactured by Toa Denpa Kogyo Co., Ltd. was used.

3A ・ Test sample (mineral water 1a: 500ml)
Control product and samples 1 to 6 = zinc gluconate 2 (7 mg)
Sample 1 = citric acid 3a (0.004%) + mineral water 4b (0.008%)
Sample 2 = citric acid 3a (0.005%) + mineral water 4b (0.008%)
Sample 3 = citric acid 3a (0.006%) + mineral water 4b (0.008%)
Sample 4 = citric acid 3a (0.008%) + mineral water 4b (0.008%)
Sample 5 = citric acid 3a (0.009%) + mineral water 4b (0.008%)
Sample 6 = citric acid 3a (0.015%) + mineral water 4b (0.008%)

3B ・ Test sample (mineral water 1a: 500ml)
Control product and samples 1 to 6 = zinc gluconate 2 (10 mg)
Sample 1 = citric acid 3a (0.004%) + mineral water 4b (0.008%)
Sample 2 = citric acid 3a (0.005%) + mineral water 4b (0.008%)
Sample 3 = citric acid 3a (0.006%) + mineral water 4b (0.008%)
Sample 4 = citric acid 3a (0.007%) + mineral water 4b (0.008%)
Sample 5 = citric acid 3a (0.008%) + mineral water 4b (0.008%)
Sample 6 = citric acid 3a (0.015%) + mineral water 4b (0.008%)

  As in the best mode, the zinc-containing beverage of the first embodiment was subjected to actual measurement of pH and investigation of precipitate formation. The results shown in Tables 7 and 8 were obtained.

Moreover, as a result of performing the bacterial test and the bitter and astringent taste evaluation (sensory evaluation) in the same manner, the results almost the same as the best form product were obtained.
This seems to be because the amount of mineral concentrated water 4b added was as small as 0.008 g, so the amount of mineral concentrated water 4b added was increased step by step, and experimental results for each added amount were obtained. Add results later.

The zinc-containing beverages of the present invention may contain small amounts of vitamin and mineral supplements that are nutritionally supplemented, but the amount depends on the level of supplement desired for the final product and the consumer. It varies widely depending on your taste. That is, if necessary, various sugars, emulsifiers, thickeners, sweeteners, acidulants, fruit juices, etc. are added as appropriate as auxiliary ingredients to make lemon flavor, limon flavor, orange flavor, slightly sweet, and sweet enough It can be prepared as well as diluted with water or carbonated water.
The zinc-containing beverage of the present invention is filled in a transparent container such as a PET bottle, a paper container, a can container, etc., and performs post-sterilization depending on the container form.

It is also possible to use edible phosphoric acid, acetic acid, butyric acid, and maleic acid, or fruit juices such as lemon juice and orange juice, or vinegar as substitutes for citric acid 3a.
As citric acid 3a, chemically safe, good compatibility with the flavor when added to beverages, monosodium citrate, trisodium citrate, which is considered to be highly safe from past eating experience, It is also possible to use monopotassium citrate, tripotassium citrate, magnesium citrate and the like.
The pH can be adjusted by adding an appropriate amount of citric acid 3a and then using another pH adjusting agent.

It is a schematic block diagram which shows the best component form of the zinc containing drink by this invention. It is a schematic block diagram which shows 1st embodiment of a zinc containing drink. It is a block diagram which shows the isolation | separation form of deep sea water.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Drinking water, 1a Mineral water 2 Zinc gluconate 3 Edible acidic substance, 3a Citric acid 4 Deep sea water origin component, 14 Concentrated deep water 4a Fresh water, 4b Mineral concentrate, 4c Concentrated salt water 5 1st electrodialysis apparatus, 15 ion Exchange membrane 6 Second electrodialyzer, 16 Ion exchange membrane with excellent monovalent ion selectivity W Japan Sea cold water

Claims (4)

Zinc gluconate (2) designated as a food additive in drinking water (1) other than distilled water,
Edible acidic substance (3) that can be adjusted to pH 6.5 to 2.0 and that can prevent the formation of precipitates that may be caused by the reaction between zinc ions and inorganic compounds contained in drinking water (1) A zinc-containing beverage characterized by comprising   The zinc-containing beverage according to claim 1, wherein the edible acidic substance (3) is citric acid (3a).   The zinc-containing beverage according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the drinking water (1) is terrestrial mineral water (1a).   The zinc-containing beverage according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that it contains a component derived from deep ocean water (4).

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