JP2009112227A - Capsaicin-containing drink - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a capsaicin-containing drink excellent in palatability with moderate hot taste, and having good feeling in the throat, reduced in stimulation to the throat, and refreshing aftertaste. <P>SOLUTION: This drink contains capsaicin and glutamic acid of an amount allowing to improve taste of capsaicin. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a beverage containing capsaicin as a pungent component, and more specifically, by adding a specific amount of glutamic acid, or by adding a specific amount of glutamic acid and alanine, while maintaining a moderate pungent taste. The present invention relates to a capsaicin-containing beverage with reduced irritation from capsaicin, particularly irritation to the throat.

  Chili has long been used as an ingredient in various seasonings and processed foods because it has the effect of increasing appetite. In recent years, attention has been focused on the physiological functions of capsaicin, which is a pungent component of chili, such as fat burning, improvement of blood circulation, and promotion of adrenaline secretion, and various capsaicins are included due to the increase in health consciousness. Food and drink are being developed. A capsaicin-containing container-packed beverage in a form in which a fixed amount of capsaicin can be easily ingested daily or periodically with a container-packed beverage filled in the container is also commercially available. For example, a beverage containing 3 mg of capsaicin (Product name: Drinking chili, Copis Co., Ltd.) and beverages containing capsaicin, amino acids (leucine, isoleucine and valine) and vitamins (trade name: Takara Bio Drinking Agar Calorie Off Lemon Flavor, Takara Bio Inc.) There is.

  Since these capsaicin-containing foods and drinks have a strong pungent taste derived from capsaicin, the amount of capsaicin used is limited, and the use of food and drinks may be limited. Thus, various methods for improving the taste of capsaicin-containing foods and drinks have been reported. For example, Patent Document 1 is a liquid food containing capsaicins, which contains sucralose, and is controlled by heat treatment after adjusting the pH to 4.6 or less, which suppresses the pungent taste derived from capsaicin. Liquid foods that have a mild pungent taste or are difficult to feel the pungent taste are disclosed. Patent Document 2 describes a multi-purpose pungent seasoning that contains a raw material containing a large amount of amino acid salt-based, nucleic acid salt-based, and organic acid salt-based umami ingredients in a spice mainly composed of dried chili. A sensory delicious natural seasoning having a pungent taste and a savory taste is disclosed that utilizes the synergistic effect of the savory taste. Further, Patent Document 3 discloses the structure of a capsinoid-like substance contained in “CH-19 sweet”, which is a non-paste-fixed variety of chili, and Example 5 shows this capsioid-like capsinoid-like structure. Sports drinks containing substances are illustrated. Furthermore, Patent Document 4 discloses that capsaicin is microencapsulated to suppress the pungent taste, and Test Example 3 exemplifies a delicious lemon beverage having no sense of resistance using this microcapsule.

On the other hand, a method for improving the taste of a food or drink containing a pungent component by adding an amino acid known as an umami component, in particular, sodium glutamate, has been reported. For example, Patent Document 5 discloses a mustard containing grains obtained by adding a water-based raw material and an amino acid to mustard seeds and holding them under a temperature condition of 35 to 65 ° C., and this mustard does not feel strongly pungency. It has been described that it has sufficient umami and flavor. Further, Patent Document 6 discloses a seasoning containing 100 parts by weight of powdered pepper and 600 to 650 parts by weight of powdered sodium glutamate, and this seasoning contains “pungency” of pepper and “sweetness” of sodium glutamate. Describes that it can bring out the “taste” of a dish in a balanced manner.
JP 2006-320265 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-33201 Japanese Patent No. 3690370 JP 2003-47432 A JP 2001-103922 A JP 2005-328840 A

  There are five basic tastes (sweet, salty, umami, sour, bitter) in the taste of food, but in addition to these, things related to flavors such as pungent, astringent, and rich are also regarded as important. There is an increasing demand for foods and drinks having a moderate pungent taste.

  As described above, various methods for improving the taste of capsaicin-containing foods and drinks have been proposed, but in beverages where a clear aftertaste is a factor in taste, the taste is improved while maintaining the pungency. There was no suggestion or disclosure about the method. And the drink of capsaicin did not have a sufficiently satisfactory flavor.

  Capsaicin-containing beverages may cause inconvenience ingestion because capsaicin-derived pungency and irritation are directly felt in the throat as compared to capsaicin-containing foods. In addition, since the beverage has a short transit time from the throat to the stomach, when a capsaicin-containing beverage is ingested, it may cause irritation to burn from the throat into the stomach.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a capsaicin having physiological activity, a beverage having a moderate pungent taste and excellent palatability, and having a refreshing throat and aftertaste with reduced irritation to the throat and the like. It is in.

  As a result of intensive studies to solve the above problems, the present inventors have found that a beverage that has a moderate pungent taste and reduced irritation to the throat by blending a specific amount of glutamic acid with capsaicin. It was found that it can be obtained. Moreover, in addition to glutamic acid, it discovered that the effect was enhanced by mix | blending alanine and / or containing a specific amount of sodium ion, and came to complete this invention.

The present invention preferably includes the following aspects.
1. A packaged beverage containing capsaicin and glutamic acid in an amount that improves the taste of capsaicin,
2. The beverage according to 1 above, wherein the content of glutamic acid is 600 to 220,000 parts by mass with respect to 1 part by mass of capsaicin.
3. The container-packed beverage according to 1 or 2 above, wherein the concentration of capsaicin is 1.0 × 10 ^{−5 to} 2.5 × 10 ⁻³ mass%.
4). Furthermore, the container-packed drink as described in any one of said 1-3 containing alanine,
5). Furthermore, the container-packed drink as described in any one of said 1-4 containing a vegetable component and / or a meat component,
6). The packaged beverage according to any one of 1 to 5 above, containing sodium ions at a concentration of 0.001 to 0.5 mol / L,
7). The container-packed drink according to any one of 1 to 6, which is a drink for drinking at room temperature or higher,
8). The container-packed beverage according to any one of 1 to 7, wherein the beverage is a soup beverage,
9. The container-packed drink as described in any one of said 1-8 whose total amount of fats and oils is 0.5 mass% or less with respect to the whole drink,
10. 10. The container-packed drink according to any one of 1 to 9 above, wherein the container is a can; The packaged beverage according to any one of 1 to 10 above, wherein capsaicin is added as a habanero extract.

  Since the irritation | stimulation to the throat derived from capsaicin is reduced, the drink of this invention is a drink excellent in the throat. In addition, since there is no pungent taste or irritation later (they may be collectively referred to as “pumping of pungent taste”), the beverage has a refreshing aftertaste. The beverage of the present invention can be used as a hot beverage because it can realize a clean aftertaste without irritation to the throat even when heated.

  The beverage of the present invention can be routinely used as a beverage having a moderate pungent taste derived from capsaicin and as a functional beverage expecting the physiological activity of capsaicin by taking the form of a container-packed beverage filled in a container. Can be taken continuously.

  Since the pungent taste of capsaicin and the umami taste of glutamic acid (preferably sodium glutamate) are well balanced and synergistically enhanced, the beverage of the present invention is particularly suitably provided as a soup drink.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

  The beverage of the present invention contains capsaicin and glutamic acid. Capsaicin is N-vanillyl-8-methyl-6-nonenamide, and is a pungent component contained about 2% in the fruit of capsicum annuum L. Moreover, the capsaicin of the present invention includes a capsaicinoid having the same physiological activity and pungent taste as capsaicin for convenience. Here, capsaicinoid refers to a homologue to an aliphatic residue of capsaicin.

  For the beverage of the present invention, either chemically synthesized capsaicin or capsaicin extracted and purified from a natural product can be used. Moreover, using raw materials (hereinafter referred to as “capsaicin-containing raw materials”) containing capsaicin as a part of its constituents, such as bulk powder of plants containing capsaicin and extracts containing capsaicin obtained from such plants, etc. The beverage of the present invention can also be produced. Here, the extract is a solvent extract of a capsaicin-containing plant obtained by a process comprising an extraction step of bringing a solvent into contact with a plant such as pepper and a concentration step of concentrating as necessary, or a capsaicin-containing plant. An aqueous solution containing capsaicin-containing plant bulk powder obtained by adding bulk powder (dried pulverized product, etc.) to water and stirring and mixing. Examples of the extraction solvent for the extract include one or a mixture of two or more selected from water, alcohols such as methanol and ethanol, and organic solvents such as ethyl acetate and acetone. The method for producing the extract is not particularly limited, and the extract can be produced by a commonly used method.

  As plants containing capsaicin, chinense species of the genus Chilli species having a strong pungent taste can be used in addition to the above-mentioned annuum species such as chili. An example of the chinense species of the genus Pepper is habanero (Capsicum chinense). In the beverage of the present invention, this habanero extract is suitably used as a capsaicin-containing raw material. This is because the citrus fruity fragrance unique to Habanero is suitable as a palatability drink. In addition, although the pungent taste does not appear immediately after taking capsaicin, it may appear after a while, but the habanero pungent taste appears relatively soon, i.e., the onset of pungent taste is early Since the sharpness is good, there is also an advantage that it is easy to use for a drink having a moderate pungent taste and a clean aftertaste.

The amount of capsaicin contained in the beverage of the present invention may be appropriately selected depending on the desired physiological activity, flavor, etc., but the daily intake for adults (body weight 60 kg) is 0.01 to 100 mg, preferably 0 in terms of capsaicin. It is good to mix | blend with a drink so that it may become about 0.05-10 mg. In the beverage of the present invention having a moderate pungent taste, the capsaicin concentration is usually 1.0 × 10 ^{−6 to} 2.5 × 10 ⁻³ mass%, preferably 1.0 × 10 ^{−5 to} 1.5 × 10. Capsaicin is blended so as to be ⁻³ mass%, more preferably 3.0 × 10 ^{−5 to} 1.0 × 10 ⁻³ mass%.

  By adding a specific amount of glutamic acid to the above-mentioned beverage containing capsaicin, the present invention can reduce the pungent and irritation of capsaicin-derived throat and achieve a clean aftertaste while having an appropriate pungent taste. It is characterized by. Glutamic acid is 2-aminopentanedioic acid (also called 2-aminoglutaric acid), a kind of amino acid that is most abundant in the human body and plays an important physiological role in many in vivo metabolisms. It is.

  In general, amino acids are known as umami components, and it is also known that they can impart sweet taste and the like, but it has not been known that they have an effect of reducing irritation, particularly irritation to the throat. Moreover, this action is high in glutamic acid among amino acids, and further, when glutamic acid is used, it is possible to obtain a refreshing aftertaste drink by suppressing the pungent taste that appears after a while or after ingestion. This is the first finding found by the present inventors.

The glutamic acid contained in the beverage of the present invention may be either one added to the beverage as glutamic acid or one added to the beverage as a salt of glutamic acid.
In the beverage of the present invention, either glutamic acid or glutamate can be used. From the viewpoint of stability and availability, it is preferable to use a sodium salt of glutamic acid (sodium glutamate). As the glutamic acid or salt thereof used in the beverage of the present invention, any one produced by a known method can be used as long as it can be used for food and drink. Examples of known ones include those produced by hydrolyzing gluten, those produced by synthesis of petroleum-derived components, and those produced by fermentation using glutamic acid-producing bacteria. Further, it is obtained from natural raw materials containing glutamic acid or a salt thereof (for example, seaweed such as kelp, tomatoes, cheese, green tea, wheat, soybeans, peanuts, almonds, sesame, etc.) itself or a pulverized product thereof, or such natural raw materials. The beverage of the present invention can also be produced using a raw material containing glutamic acid or a salt thereof as a part of its constituents (hereinafter referred to as a “glutamic acid-containing raw material”), such as an extract containing glutamic acid or a salt thereof, a purified product, etc. .

In addition, as sodium glutamate used suitably for the drink of this invention, both DL-sodium glutamate and sodium L-glutamate can be used.
The amount of glutamic acid added in the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it can improve the taste of capsaicin. For example, 600 to 220,000 parts by mass of glutamic acid is added to 1 part by mass of capsaicin. This addition amount corresponds to 700 to 250,000 parts by mass of sodium glutamate with respect to 1 part by mass of capsaicin when sodium glutamate is used as glutamic acid.

In the beverage containing 7 × 10 ⁻⁵ mass% capsaicin, the present inventors improve the postprandial aftertaste by adding about 1100 parts by mass or more of glutamic acid to 1 part by mass of capsaicin. It has been confirmed that there is an effect (reducing backward pulling). Moreover, in the drink containing the same amount of capsaicin, it has been confirmed that adding 6000 parts by mass or more of glutamic acid to 1 part by mass of capsaicin produces an effect of reducing irritation to the throat. Furthermore, in a beverage containing 7 × 10 ⁻⁴ mass% capsaicin, about 2000 parts by mass or more of glutamic acid with respect to 1 part by mass of capsaicin, and about 0.07 parts by mass of alanine with respect to 1 part by mass of glutamic acid. By adding, it has been confirmed that there is an effect of reducing pungent pulling after drinking and irritation to the throat. Therefore, the lower limit of the preferable blending amount of glutamic acid is about 1200 parts by mass or more, more preferably about 2000 parts by mass or more, particularly preferably about 6000 parts by mass or more with respect to 1 part by mass of capsaicin. This addition amount corresponds to about 1400 parts by mass or more, more preferably about 2500 parts by mass or more, particularly preferably about 7000 parts by mass or more of sodium glutamate with respect to 1 part by mass of capsaicin when sodium glutamate is used as glutamic acid. .

In addition, the present inventors have confirmed that even if the amount of glutamic acid is increased, the effect is not increased at a certain amount or more. For example, in a beverage containing 7 × 10 ⁻⁵ mass% capsaicin, the effect of improving the postprandial aftertaste (reducing the postpaste) is that the amount of glutamic acid added to 1 part by mass of capsaicin is about 30000 mass Up to the part, the effect increases as the addition amount increases, but when the addition amount increases, the effect tends to remain unchanged even if the addition amount increases. The effect of reducing irritation to the throat is maximized when the amount of glutamic acid added is about 21,000 parts by mass with respect to 1 part by mass of capsaicin, and the effect is reduced when the amount added is larger or smaller than that. There is a tendency. Therefore, the upper limit of the amount of glutamic acid to be added is about 30300 parts by mass or about 21200 parts by mass with respect to 1 part by mass of capsaicin. This addition amount corresponds to about 35800 parts by mass or about 25000 parts by mass of sodium glutamate with respect to 1 part by mass of capsaicin when sodium glutamate is used as glutamic acid.

  That is, the preferable blending ratio of glutamic acid is 1200 to 30300 parts by mass, more preferably 2000 to 21200 parts by mass or 6000 to 21200 parts by mass with respect to 1 part by mass of capsaicin.

  As described above, the beverage of the present invention has a taste of reducing irritation to capsaicin-derived throat and the like while maintaining a moderate pungent taste by blending a specific amount of glutamic acid (preferably sodium glutamate) with capsaicin. Although it has an improvement effect, a more preferable taste improvement effect can be produced by using alanine together. Alanine includes DL-alanine chemically synthesized from acetaldehyde and L-alanine obtained by hydrolyzing protein, any of which can be used. The amount of alanine added may be appropriately selected depending on the desired effect, but is usually 0.05 to 10% by mass, preferably 0.1 to 3% by mass with respect to the whole beverage. Moreover, it is 0.01-10 mass parts with respect to 1 mass part of glutamic acid, Preferably it is about 0.05-2 mass parts.

  Further, the beverage of the present invention contains sodium ions in an amount of 0.001 to 0.5 mol / L, preferably 0.01 to 0.3 mol / L, more preferably 0.03 to 0.08 mol / L. Good. When sodium ions in the above range are contained, the capsaicin has an effect of increasing the pungent start of capsaicin, reducing the trailing of the pungent taste and improving the sharpness of the aftertaste. In addition, in the case of a beverage with a small amount of fats and oils (total fat and oil amount is 0.5% by mass or less with respect to the whole beverage), it may be difficult to drink and express excessive pungent taste, but by adding sodium ions, It is possible to additively or synergistically enhance the effect of glutamic acid to round off excess pungent taste and improve sharpness. Sodium ion can be added to the beverage of the present invention as a salt containing sodium ions such as salt (when salt is used, the salt concentration corresponds to the sodium ion concentration). In addition, when using sodium glutamate as said glutamic acid, a sodium ion source, such as salt, may be added in consideration of the other desired taste in consideration of the sodium ion concentration contained therein.

  The container-packed beverage of the present invention is prepared by mixing capsaicin (or a capsaicin-containing raw material) and glutamic acid (or a glutamic acid-containing raw material) in a beverage part suitable for drinking, and the beverage is put into a container. It can be manufactured by filling. In addition, in the production of the packaged beverage of the present invention, the above-mentioned alanine and sodium ions, and raw materials used in ordinary beverages, for example, acidulants, vitamins, other amino acids, seasonings and flavors, as appropriate, Can be used.

  Here, the container filled with the beverage of the present invention is not limited at all, and any bottle, can, paper pack, synthetic resin, aluminum pouch or the like can be used. Moreover, there is no restriction | limiting in particular also as a capacity | capacitance of a container. For example, a can container having a capacity of 50 mL to 350 mL or a paper pack container having a capacity of 200 mL to 2 L can be used.

  The beverage part is not particularly limited as long as it is suitable for drinking, and for example, water, soft drinks, tea beverages, coffee beverages, alcoholic beverages, and the like can be used. Moreover, a drink part can be made into the soup drink containing a vegetable component and / or a meat component.

  The above vegetable component and / or meat component refers to livestock meat extract, seafood extract, vegetable extract, vegetable juice, and the like, and those that are commercially available or manufactured by known methods can be used. Examples of vegetable juices include, for example, vegetable juices such as tomato juice, spinach, peppers, corn, etc. Examples of vegetable extracts include extracts made by boiling water by adding water, spices, etc. Examples thereof include extracts obtained by extracting a water-soluble solid from bouillons such as chicken, pork and beef, that is, chicken, pork, beef and / or bones thereof, and the like. More than one species can be used in combination.

  Generally, hot beverages that are drunk at a temperature of normal temperature (about 20 ° C.) or higher, preferably 50 ° C. or higher, more preferably 60 ° C. or higher, and even more preferably 70 ° C. or higher are compared with cold beverages that are drunk at normal temperature or lower. It may give a strong irritation derived from capsaicin to the throat and the like, and may generate a stimulating odor derived from capsaicin. Therefore, hot beverages containing capsaicin have a problem that the taste during drinking is reduced. However, the beverage containing capsaicin and glutamic acid according to the present invention and, if necessary, alanine and / or sodium ion, has the effect of reducing irritation to the throat and the like while maintaining a moderate pungent taste even when drunk at a temperature of room temperature or higher. Therefore, it can be suitably used as a hot beverage.

  Generally, retort foods that are manufactured by filling the contents (beverages) into containers and subjected to pressure heating treatment (retort sterilization), mainly canned beverages, beverages filled in synthetic resin or aluminum pouches It is known that a heating odor peculiar to retort processing called a retort odor appears and the flavor is lowered. In particular, soup beverages containing vegetable components and / or meat components develop a different flavor such as potato odor and stuffy odor (a unique odor expressed as a odor of fermented food) in addition to a retort odor. There are many cases. And the unusual flavor becomes strong during storage, especially during high temperature storage in a hot bender, and greatly affects the commercial value. However, the beverage containing capsaicin and glutamic acid according to the present invention has a property that, surprisingly, a retort odor is not generated even when a pressure heating treatment is performed. In particular, in the soup beverage containing capsaicin and glutamic acid according to the present invention, even if it is subjected to pressure heating treatment and stored at a high temperature in a hot bender, it does not exhibit an unusual flavor such as a retort odor, potato odor, or stuffy odor. , Has a great feature of less deterioration of flavor. Therefore, the beverage of the present invention is a beverage that is subjected to warming and pressurizing treatment, a soup beverage containing vegetable components and / or meat components, and stored at high temperature (for example, at a temperature of 50 ° C. or higher for 1 hour or longer). ) It can be suitably used in beverages and the like.

  Furthermore, when the pH of the beverage of the present invention is 3.0 to 7.5, preferably 4.5 to 6.5, it is possible to further suppress the expression of different flavors such as the above-mentioned retort odor, potato odor and stuffy odor. Therefore, it is preferable.

  As described above, the container-packed beverage of the present invention can suppress the expression of a different flavor during warming and pressurization treatment or storage, but if the fat and oil content in the beverage is large, the flavor deterioration is caused by the oxidation of the fat and oil. Sometimes. Moreover, when there are many fats and oils, fats and oils may isolate | separate and aggregate during storage and cause problems, such as solidification. Therefore, in the container-packed beverage of the present invention, the total amount of fats and oils is preferably 0.5% by mass or less, preferably 0.2% by mass, more preferably 0.1% by mass or less based on the whole beverage. . As described above, the pungent taste of capsaicin that is excessively expressed in a beverage with a small amount of fats and oils can be suppressed by adding a specific amount of sodium. Moreover, it can suppress also by combined use of alanine, and can also suppress by addition of a vegetable component and / or a meat component, saccharides, etc.

  The beverage of the present invention is characterized by having a refreshing aftertaste that reduces irritation to the throat and the like while having a moderate pungent taste, but the solid content (Brix) of the beverage of the present invention is 0.00. When the angle is 01 to 18.0 °, preferably 1.0 to 15.0 °, more preferably 5.0 to 10.0 °, the effect can be remarkably exhibited.

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.
Example 1 Production and evaluation of soup beverage < Manufacture of soup beverage>
Using the habanero extract containing capsaicin, the soup broth containing sodium glutamate, alanine and salt, and the tomato paste containing glutamic acid, the ingredients were mixed according to the following formulation to produce the soup beverage of the present invention. In addition, as a habanero extract in this specification, the liquid mixture (habanero content 1 mass%) which added water to the dry ground material of a habanero (Capsicum chinense) was used. The soup broth used was an extract obtained by extracting a water-soluble solid from meat (chicken, pork) and added with salt, sugar, sodium glutamate, and alanine.

[Prescription of soup beverage]
Habanero extract 0.5% by mass
Soup bouillon 7.0% by mass
Tomato paste 2.3% by mass
Remaining water (100% by mass in total)
And the soup beverage contains 7 × 10 ⁻⁵ mass% of capsaicin, 2.0 mass% of L-glutamic acid (including 0.04 mass% of L-glutamic acid derived from tomato juice), L- It contained 0.3% by mass of alanine. Moreover, the sodium ion density | concentration in a soup drink was 0.05 mol / L, and the amount of fats and oils was 0.2 mass%. (Brix of soup beverage: 7.8, pH: 5.2)
<Evaluation>
As a result of sensory evaluation of this soup beverage, it was a soup beverage with a refreshing aftertaste that had a moderately pungent habanero but had no pungent trailing. In addition, it was a delicious soup beverage that was easy to drink and had no irritation to the throat or stomach at the time of drinking or after drinking.

  Next, this soup beverage was filled into cans in 190 g portions and subjected to retort sterilization treatment (125 ° C., 20 minutes). The retort sterilized soup beverage was subjected to sensory evaluation after cooling, and it was confirmed that there was no significant difference in flavor from the beverage before retort sterilization and there was no retort odor.

  Further, this retort sterilized soup beverage was warm-stored (60 ° C., 3 hours) with a hot bender and subjected to sensory evaluation as a hot beverage. Even if it was drunk as a hot beverage, it did not irritate the throat or other irritating odors and was a delicious beverage that was easy to drink. Moreover, the expression of different flavors such as potato odor and stuffy odor accompanying warming storage was not observed, and it was confirmed that the soup beverage had good flavor.

Example 2 Taste-improving action of glutamic acid (1)
Various amino acids and sodium chloride shown in Table 1 were added to a habanero extract containing a fixed amount of capsaicin prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 to prepare an amino acid-containing beverage. That is, after mixing the raw materials shown in Table 1, water was added to a total amount of 1000 g, this was heated to 90 ° C., and then cooled to obtain a beverage containing capsaicin and various amino acids (Sample 2 to Sample 2). 6). As a control, an amino acid-free beverage was also prepared (Sample 1). When the amount of fats and oils in a sample was measured, all were less than 0.1 mass%. In Table 1, the unit of the blending amount of each raw material is gram (g) (the same applies to Tables 2 to 6).

About this drink (samples 1-6), sensory evaluation was performed by three specialized panelists. The evaluation was performed by the five-point method for the taste of pungent taste and the intensity of irritation to the throat and stomach during and after drinking, and the average score was calculated. Specific evaluation items are as follows.
(Paste taste)
5 points: moderately spicy while drinking, no pungent after-drinking after drinking, very favorable 4 points: moderately pungent during drinking, less pungent after-drinking, slightly preferred 3 points: during drinking It has a moderate pungent taste and has a pungent trail after drinking. 2 points: It feels a little excessive pungent taste while drinking, and there is a pungent trail after drinking.
Slightly unfavorable 1 point: Feels excessive pungent taste while drinking and has a pungent pull after drinking, which is very undesirable (irritation to throat and stomach)
5 points: No irritation to throat or stomach 4 points: No irritation to stomach, but slight irritation to throat 3 points: No irritation to stomach, but irritation to throat 2 points: Slight irritation to the stomach and irritation to the throat 1 point: both irritation to the stomach and irritation to the throat

表１に、結果を示す。飲料１０００ｇあたりカプサイシンを０．０００７ｇ（７×１０^-5質量％）含有する飲料（試料１）では、飲用中は適度な辛味であるが、飲用後に辛味の後引きがあった。これに対し、グルタミン酸ナトリウムを配合した飲料（試料２）やアラニンを配合した飲料（試料３）では、飲料中の適度な辛味を保持しながらも、辛味の後引きが改善（低減）され、飲料としての呈味が向上した。特に、グルタミン酸ナトリウムを配合した飲料で大きく呈味が向上した。このグルタミン酸ナトリウム及びアラニンにおいて確認された辛味の後引き改善効果は、他のアミノ酸（アスパラギン酸、アルギニン、リシン）では、みられなかった。

Table 1 shows the results. The beverage (sample 1) containing 0.0007 g (7 × 10 ⁻⁵ mass%) capsaicin per 1000 g of beverage had a moderate pungent taste during drinking, but had a pungent aftertaste after drinking. In contrast, in beverages containing sodium glutamate (sample 2) and beverages containing alanine (sample 3), while maintaining an appropriate pungent taste in the beverage, the pungent pulling is improved (reduced), and the beverage As the taste improved. In particular, the taste was greatly improved in beverages containing sodium glutamate. The effect of improving the afterpaste improvement confirmed with sodium glutamate and alanine was not observed with other amino acids (aspartic acid, arginine, lysine).

  Moreover, the irritation | stimulation to a throat was able to be reduced by mix | blending sodium glutamate or alanine. The effect was particularly great with sodium glutamate. Again, other amino acids (aspartic acid, arginine and lysine) had no effect.

Example 3 Taste improving effect of glutamic acid (2)
Various amounts of sodium glutamate and sodium chloride shown in Table 2 were added to the habanero extract containing a certain amount of capsaicin prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, and the mixture was hydrated to a total amount of 1000 g, which was heated to 90 ° C. After cooling, beverages containing capsaicin and glutamic acid were obtained (Samples 2, 7 to 11). As a control, an amino acid-free beverage was also prepared (Sample 1). About this drink (sample 1, 2, 7-11), it carried out similarly to Example 2, and sensory evaluation was performed.

表２に、結果を示す。辛味の好ましさ（辛味の後引き）は、飲料１０００ｇあたりグルタミン酸ナトリウム１ｇ（０．１質量％）を含む試料で改善された（試料１１）が、喉への刺激については低減がみられなかった。喉への刺激が低減されたのは、グルタミン酸ナトリウム５ｇ（０．５質量％）を含む試料であった（試料１０）。これより、辛味の後引き改善に好ましいグルタミン酸量は、カプサイシン１質量部に対し約１２００質量部以上であり、喉への刺激低減に好ましいグルタミン酸量は、カプサイシン１質量部に対し約６０００質量部以上であることが示唆された。

Table 2 shows the results. Preference for spiciness (postpumping of spiciness) was improved with a sample containing 1 g (0.1% by weight) of sodium glutamate per 1000 g of beverage (Sample 11), but no reduction was observed for throat irritation It was. It was a sample containing 5 g (0.5% by mass) of sodium glutamate that reduced irritation to the throat (Sample 10). Accordingly, the preferable amount of glutamic acid for improving the afterpaste of spiciness is about 1200 parts by mass or more per 1 part by mass of capsaicin, and the preferable amount of glutamic acid for reducing irritation to the throat is about 6000 parts by mass or more per 1 part by mass of capsaicin. It was suggested that

  Moreover, as apparent from Table 2, the preference for pungent taste (postpaste for pungent taste) depends on the content of sodium glutamate in an amount exceeding 25 g (2.5% by mass) per 1000 g of beverage. In addition, the reduction of throat irritation is greatest when 17.5 g (1.75% by mass) of sodium glutamate is contained (sample 7), and a larger amount is added. But the effect did not increase. In addition, in the sample whose amount of sodium glutamate is 2.5 mass% and 1.75 mass%, glutamic acid is contained in about 30300 mass parts and about 21200 mass parts with respect to 1 mass part of capsaicin, respectively.

Example 4 Taste-improving action of glutamic acid and alanine To a habanero extract containing a certain amount of capsaicin prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, sodium glutamate and sodium chloride, an amount of alanine shown in Table 3 was added, and the whole amount was obtained by adding water. Was heated to 90 ° C. and then cooled to obtain a beverage containing capsaicin, glutamic acid and alanine (samples 12 and 13). In addition, as a control, a beverage with no amino acid added (Sample 1) and a beverage to which only glutamic acid or alanine was added (Sample 7 or Sample 3) were also prepared. These beverages were subjected to sensory evaluation in the same manner as in Example 2.

表３に、結果を示す。表３から明らかなとおり、辛味の好ましさ（辛味の後引き）、喉への刺激の低減のいずれにおいても、それぞれ単独で使用した場合よりも大きな効果を発揮した。上述のとおり、特定量以上のグルタミン酸ナトリウムは、単に増量しても呈味改善作用が大きくならないが、表３より明らかなとおり、少量のアラニンを併用することで、グルタミン酸ナトリウム単独の効果よりも高い効果を得ることができた。グルタミン酸ナトリウムとアラニンを併用することで、相乗的に呈味改善効果を発揮することが示唆された。

Table 3 shows the results. As is clear from Table 3, both the taste of pungent taste (after pungent pulling) and the reduction of irritation to the throat exhibited a greater effect than when used alone. As described above, a certain amount or more of sodium glutamate does not increase the taste-improving effect even if the amount is increased, but as is clear from Table 3, the use of a small amount of alanine is higher than the effect of sodium glutamate alone. The effect was able to be acquired. It was suggested that the combination of sodium glutamate and alanine synergistically exerts a taste improving effect.

Example 5 Taste-improving action of sodium ions To the habanero extract containing a certain amount of capsaicin prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, sodium glutamate and alanine, the amount of sodium chloride shown in Table 4 was added, and the total amount was obtained by adding water. After making it 1000g and heating this to 90 degreeC, it cooled and the drink containing a capsaicin, glutamic acid, and alanine was obtained (samples 12-17). These beverages were subjected to sensory evaluation in the same manner as in Example 2.

表４に、結果を示す。ナトリウムイオンの添加により、辛味の好ましさ（辛味の後引き）は向上した。特に、飲料がナトリウムイオンを０．０５ｍｏｌ／Ｌ以上の濃度で含む場合に辛味の好ましさが向上し、辛味のキレがよくなった。また、喉への刺激は、ナトリウムイオンの添加により改善がみられるが、ナトリウムイオン濃度が０．０８１ｍｏｌ／Ｌ以上では、逆に刺激を感じる傾向にあった。そのため、喉への刺激の低減を図るには、ナトリウムイオン濃度を０．０８ｍｏｌ／Ｌ以下程度にするのがよいことがわかった。

Table 4 shows the results. The addition of sodium ions improved the taste of pungent taste (postpumping of pungent taste). In particular, when the beverage contains sodium ions at a concentration of 0.05 mol / L or more, the pungent taste is improved and the pungent sharpness is improved. Moreover, although irritation | stimulation to a throat improved by addition of a sodium ion, when the sodium ion concentration was 0.081 mol / L or more, there existed a tendency to sense irritation | stimulation conversely. Therefore, it was found that the sodium ion concentration should be about 0.08 mol / L or less in order to reduce irritation to the throat.

Example 6 Amount of capsaicin In the ratio shown in Table 5, Habanero extract containing a fixed amount of capsaicin, sodium glutamate and alanine, and sodium chloride prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 were mixed and added to a total amount of 1000 g. After heating this to 90 degreeC, it cooled and obtained the capsaicin containing drink of various density | concentration (samples 12, 18-20). As a control, an amino acid-free beverage (Sample 1) was also prepared. These beverages were subjected to sensory evaluation in the same manner as in Example 2.

結果を表５に示す。飲料１０００ｇあたりハバネロエキス０．５〜５０ｇ（カプサイシン含量として７×１０^-6〜７×１０^-4質量％）を含む飲料では、グルタミン酸ナトリウム、アラニン及び食塩を添加することで、辛味の好ましさ（辛味の後引き）および喉への刺激のいずれもが改善され、呈味が向上した。

The results are shown in Table 5. In beverages containing 0.5 to 50 g of habanero extract per 1000 g of beverage (7 × 10 ^{−6 to} 7 × 10 ⁻⁴ mass% as capsaicin content), the addition of sodium glutamate, alanine and salt makes the taste of pungent Both (spicy afterpaste) and throat irritation were improved and taste was improved.

Example 7 Capsaicin amount (2)
Habanero extract containing a certain amount of capsaicin, sodium glutamate, alanine and sodium chloride prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 at the ratio shown in Table 6 was mixed and added to a total amount of 1000 g, which was heated to 90 ° C. Then, it was cooled to obtain capsaicin-containing beverages having various concentrations (Samples 21 and 22).

  As a result of sensory evaluation of this beverage, all of the beverages had an appropriate pungent taste, no irritation to the stomach, and good taste with little irritation to the throat. This result suggests that even a beverage containing capsaicin at a relatively high concentration (0.0014% by mass) can obtain a beverage having a good taste by adding sodium glutamate, alanine and sodium chloride. is there.

  From the results of Table 5 and Table 6, when alanine and sodium chloride (sodium ion) are used in combination, about 600 parts by mass to about 220,000 parts by mass of glutamic acid with respect to 1 part by mass of capsaicin, containing capsaicin and having an appropriate pungent taste It was found that a beverage with excellent palatability with reduced irritation from capsaicin, particularly irritation to the throat, was obtained while holding.

Claims (11)

  A packaged beverage containing capsaicin and an amount of glutamic acid that improves the taste of the capsaicin.   The drink of Claim 1 whose content of glutamic acid is 600-220,000 mass parts with respect to 1 mass part of capsaicin. The container-packed drink of Claim 1 or 2 whose density | concentration of a capsaicin is 1.0 * 10 < ^-5 > -2.5 * 10 < ^-3 > mass%.   Furthermore, the container-packed drink of any one of Claims 1-3 containing alanine.   Furthermore, the container-packed drink of any one of Claims 1-4 containing a vegetable component and / or a meat component.   The packaged beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising sodium ions at a concentration of 0.001 to 0.5 mol / L.   The container-packed drink of any one of Claims 1-6 which is a drink for drinking at normal temperature or more.   The container-packed drink of any one of Claims 1-7 whose drink is a soup drink.   The container-packed drink of any one of Claims 1-8 whose total amount of fats and oils is 0.5 mass% or less with respect to the whole drink.   The container-packed drink of any one of Claims 1-9 whose container is a can.   The packaged beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein capsaicin is added as a habanero extract.