JP2014036594A - Coffee beverage - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for suppressing bitterness of a coffee beverage, in particular, a method for effectively suppressing bitterness of a coffee beverage due to niacin or roast flavor, for example, when using deeply roasted beans or when using a large amount of coffee solid to make a strong coffee beverage.SOLUTION: A coffee beverage contains niacin and caffeine, has 50 mg or more of the caffeine per 100 g of the beverage and 0.005 or more of the weight ratio of the niacin to the caffeine, and contains cacao-derived extract.

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for suppressing the bitterness of a coffee beverage. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for suppressing the bitterness of a coffee drink, characterized by adding a cacao-derived extract.

  Caffeine is a bitter component known to be contained in coffee, and its presence to some extent may cause a pleasant irritation during drinking, but may cause unpleasant feelings such as bitterness.

  So far, techniques for suppressing the bitter taste caused by caffeine have been studied. For example, a method for suppressing the bitter taste of caffeine is known in which at least one member of the group consisting of gati gum, pullulan, gum arabic and soybean polysaccharide is blended in a composition containing caffeine (Patent Document 1). ). In particular, as a method for reducing the bitterness of a coffee beverage, a method using an α-linked galactooligosaccharide (Patent Document 2), a method using a hesperidin glycoside (Patent Document 3), and the like are known. In particular, a method using a potassium salt is known as a method for reducing the bitterness of a coffee beverage having a remarkable bitterness such as espresso (Patent Document 4).

JP2011-78363 JP 2003-250486 A JP 11-318379 A JP 2010-119386

  The caffeine content of a typical commercially available can coffee beverage is about 40 mg or more per 100 g of beverage, whereas the caffeine content is often about 50 mg or more in the case of a coffee beverage with a pronounced espresso-type bitterness. .

  In recent years, deep roasted coffee using deep roasted beans has come to be preferred. However, the use of ultra-deep roasted beans with a higher degree of roasting caused a problem that the bitterness attributed to niacin, which increases due to roasting, became significant, and it became difficult to drink due to the bitterness derived from roasted aroma. A typical commercially available canned coffee beverage has a niacin content of about 0.3 to 3 mg per 100 g of beverage, and about 0.5 to 3 mg for an espresso type.

  Furthermore, when a retort sterilization process is performed when providing such a drink as a can drink, the problem that the heating odor and miscellaneous taste by a retort process will become remarkable, and the quality as a coffee drink will fall.

  In particular, when increasing the amount of coffee beans used (the amount of coffee solids in the beverage), the richness of the coffee is increased, and the use of super-roasted beans to produce coffee that is high in level, the caffeine contained in the coffee beverage In addition, since the amount of niacin increases, the above problem becomes significant.

However, there has been no suggestion of a method for reducing the bitterness derived from niacin or roasted incense in coffee beverages.
In view of such a situation, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for suppressing the bitterness of a coffee beverage. In particular, the present invention provides a method for effectively suppressing the bitterness of a coffee beverage caused by niacin or roasted incense when deeply roasted beans are used, or when the coffee beverage has a high coffee solid content and is rich. For the purpose.

  The inventors of the present invention have made extensive studies to solve the above problems, and by adding a cacao-derived extract to a coffee beverage containing caffeine, while suppressing the bitter taste of caffeine, ultra-deep roasted beans The present inventors have found that the bitterness derived from niacin and roasted incense derived from the above is significantly suppressed, and the present invention has been completed.

The present invention has been developed based on such findings, and is not limited thereto, but includes the following embodiments.
(1) A coffee beverage containing niacin and caffeine, having a caffeine content of 50 mg or more per 100 g of beverage and a niacin / caffeine weight ratio of 0.005 or more, and comprising a cacao-derived extract .
(2) The beverage according to (1), wherein the weight ratio of niacin / caffeine is 0.015 or more.
(3) The beverage according to (1) or (2), wherein the theobromine content per 100 g of beverage is 0.003 mg or more.
(4) The beverage according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the caffeine content per 100 g of beverage is 60 mg or more.
(5) The beverage according to any one of (1) to (4), which is a packaged beverage.
(6) The beverage according to any one of (1) to (5), which is a heat-sterilized beverage.
(7) A method for producing the beverage according to any one of (1) to (6), which comprises adding a cacao-derived extract to a coffee extract.
(8) A method for suppressing the bitterness of a coffee beverage containing niacin and caffeine, wherein the caffeine content per 100 g of beverage is 50 mg or more and the weight ratio of niacin / caffeine is 0.005 or more, The above method comprising adding a derived extract.

  According to the present invention, a coffee beverage having a good flavor can be obtained while significantly suppressing the bitterness of the coffee beverage. In particular, according to the present invention, when deeply roasted beans are used or when the coffee solid content is large, the bitterness of the coffee beverage caused by niacin or the like can be effectively suppressed.

In addition, the coffee beverage of the present invention does not increase bitterness and miscellaneous taste even by retort sterilization, and can easily taste rich and rich coffee.
Conventionally, in coffee beverages containing 50 mg or more of caffeine per 100 g of beverage and having a niacin / caffeine ratio of 0.005 or more, bitterness was often felt at the time of drinking. According to the present invention, Bitterness can be effectively suppressed, and an unprecedented taste can be realized.

FIG. 1 is a graph plotting the caffeine content and the niacin / caffeine weight ratio (N / C ratio) for the coffee beverage of Experimental Example 1.

  The present invention relates to coffee beverages. The “coffee beverage” as used in the present invention refers to a beverage product produced using coffee as a raw material. The type and standard of the product are not particularly limited, but the coffee drink according to the present invention is defined as “Coffee”, “Coffee drink” and “ Includes soft drinks with coffee. Also, beverages that use coffee as a raw material have a milk solid content of 3.0% by weight or more and are treated as “milk beverages” under the “Fair Competition Rules for Labeling of Drinking Milk”. Are also included in the coffee beverages referred to in the present invention.

  Here, the coffee content refers to a liquid containing a component derived from coffee beans, for example, a coffee extract, that is, a liquid obtained by extracting roasted and pulverized coffee beans using water or hot water. Can be mentioned. Moreover, the liquid which adjusted the coffee extract which concentrated the coffee extract, the instant coffee which dried the coffee extract, etc. with water or warm water etc. to an appropriate quantity is also mentioned as a coffee part.

  In the coffee beverage of the present invention, the type of coffee beans used as a raw material is not particularly limited. Coffee beans mean seeds extracted from the fruit of the coffee tree, regardless of the cultivated tree species or production area. Examples of coffee cultivated tree species include arabica, Robusta, and Riberica varieties. Examples of production areas and types include Mocha, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Blue Mountain, Kona, Mandelin, Kilimanjaro, Mexico, Ethiopia, and Jamaica. And so on. As will be described later, since the present invention can be particularly suitably applied to a coffee beverage having a high content of niacin, in the present invention, an arabica species having a high content of trigonelline, which is a precursor of niacin, is used. Is preferably used as a raw coffee bean.

  For example, roasting, drying, and pulverization can be performed on the coffee beans as a raw material of the coffee beverage by a conventional method. In general, the chromaticity (hunter L value) of beans is used as an index of the roasting degree of coffee beans. In the present invention, for example, coffee beans roasted to an L value of about 20 or less can be used. .

  Further, how much roasted beans are used in the coffee extract can be estimated by the amount of niacin per coffee solid content. This is because trigonelline in the coffee beans is changed to niacin by roasting, and the amount of niacin per coffee solid content is increased in the coffee extract produced using well roasted deep roasted beans. Are known.

  The richness of coffee in a coffee beverage can be evaluated using the caffeine content as an index. In general, caffeine is rarely decomposed by roasting, so that the amount of caffeine in the coffee beverage increases according to the amount of coffee beans used in the coffee beverage. Therefore, the amount of caffeine derived from coffee beans can be used as an index for the richness of the coffee beverage.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to effectively suppress bitterness in a relatively concentrated coffee beverage, and the caffeine content of the coffee beverage is 50 mg or more per 100 g of beverage, preferably 60 mg or more, and 70 mg. It may be the above. The upper limit of the caffeine content is not particularly limited, but is preferably 200 mg / 100 g or less, more preferably 150 mg / 100 g or less, and may be 120 mg / 100 g or less.

Niacin The coffee beverage of the present invention contains niacin at a certain ratio or more with respect to caffeine. Specifically, in the coffee beverage of the present invention, the weight ratio (N / C ratio) of the content of niacin and caffeine is preferably 0.005 or more, and more preferably 0.015 or more. . The upper limit of the N / C ratio is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.060 or less from the viewpoint of flavor, is preferably 0.050 or less, and more preferably 0.040 or less from the viewpoint of the effect of the cacao extract. In general, if the degree of roasting is increased in order to increase the amount of niacin, the coffee beans will be carbonized. Therefore, it is better that the N / C ratio is not too high from the viewpoint of flavor.

The niacin (naiacin) referred to herein, is also called, the compound also known as pyridine-3-carboxylic acid and vitamin B ₃ of nicotinic acid represented by the following formula (1) (nicotinic acid). Niacinamide is also called nicotinamide and is represented by the following formula (2). In the present invention, the term niacin includes not only niacin but also its amide (niacinamide) unless otherwise specified.

  Niacin is produced when trigonelline in coffee beans is decomposed by heat such as roasting of coffee beans. Trigonelin is a kind of alkaloid having a pyridine ring represented by the following formula (3), and is a compound also called 1-methylpyridine-1-ium-3-carboxylate, N-methylnicotinic acid, or caffealine.

  The niacin contained in the coffee beverage of the present invention is a mixture containing a commercially available reagent, pure product, food containing these, for example, an extract of roasted coffee beans, or a concentrate thereof. It may be present in the beverage. When a desired amount of niacin is contained in the coffee beverage by extraction from roasted coffee beans that are used as raw materials when the coffee beverage is produced, it is preferable that niacin or the like need not be added additionally. In that case, there is an advantage that a coffee beverage can be produced without using an additive or the like, or by suppressing the use thereof to a small amount.

  Whether or not niacin contained in coffee beverages is derived from roasted coffee beans (whether or not it is included as “coffee content” in coffee beverages) is a component that changes as roasting of coffee beans proceeds The content in the beverage can be estimated using the index. For example, since the trigonelline content and the chlorogenic acid content decrease as the roasting of coffee beans proceeds, the amount of niacin derived from coffee can be estimated based on the content of these substances. Further, niacin and / or niacinamide in a coffee beverage can be quantified by a conventional method by those skilled in the art, but can be quantified using, for example, HPLC.

  In the coffee beverage of the present invention, niacin is preferably 0.5 mg or more per 100 g of beverage, more preferably 0.8 mg or more, and even more preferably 1.0 mg or more.

  In the present invention, for example, a coffee beverage containing a predetermined concentration of niacin can be produced by setting roasting conditions for coffee beans and extraction conditions for roasted coffee beans. Specifically, for example, by roasting coffee beans at 180 to 300 ° C. for 1 to 60 minutes, preferably 10 to 40 minutes, trigonelin contained in the coffee beans is efficiently decomposed into niacin, which is preferable. At a temperature of 180 ° C. or lower, niacin is not sufficiently generated, and at a temperature higher than 300 ° C., carbonization of the coffee beans proceeds and the taste of the coffee beverage may be impaired. Under such conditions, roasted coffee beans have an L value measured by a color difference meter of 20 or less, preferably an L value of 18 or less, more preferably an L value of 16 or less. In the coffee beverage of the present invention, one kind of deep roasted roasted coffee beans containing niacin and having a high roasting degree may be used as a raw material. However, depending on the desired flavor of the coffee beverage, the taste, aroma, etc. A plurality of types of roasted coffee beans having different umami tastes, for example, coffee beans producing regions and roasting degrees may be blended.

  The inventors of the present invention have confirmed that niacinamide is produced in addition to niacin when roasting coffee beans under the above conditions. Since a coffee beverage containing niacin and niacinamide is considered to act additively and / or synergistically as a coenzyme in a redox reaction in a living body, one of the preferred embodiments of the coffee beverage of the present invention. One.

  Niacinamide is known as a bitter vitamin, and the bitter taste is noticeable when dissolved in water, such as in a coffee beverage. However, in the method for reducing the bitterness of a coffee beverage using the cocoa-derived extract of the present invention, the bitterness derived from niacinamide can also be reduced. Therefore, according to the coffee beverage of the present invention, the bitterness is suppressed and it is easy to drink. Yes, a functional drink with high physiological activity containing niacinamide can be produced. In addition, the upper limit of niacinamide is usually preferably about 3.0 mg per 100 g of beverage from the flavor point of view. When niacinamide exceeding 3.0 mg / 100 g is contained, the bitterness suppressing action by the cacao-derived extract may not be sufficiently exhibited.

  In the present invention, roasted coffee beans can be extracted by a conventional method to obtain a coffee extract, and a coffee beverage can be produced using the coffee extract. Usually, pulverized coffee beans are used for extraction, but the degree of pulverization is not particularly limited. For example, pulverized beans having various particle size distributions such as coarsely ground, medium ground, finely ground, and medium ground ground may be used. it can.

  Since niacin is water-soluble and is a heat-resistant component, from roasted coffee beans, high-temperature water of about 50 to 130 ° C. (preferably 60 to 100 ° C., more preferably 65 to 95 ° C.) is used. Extraction is preferable from the viewpoint of extraction efficiency. As the extraction device, any device such as a drip method, a siphon method, a boiling method, a jet method, a continuous method, or the like may be used. The drip type referred to here is also called a down-flow type extraction, and is an extraction method in which hot water is showered and flowed through a roasted and ground coffee bean layer and passed through the raw material. In drip extraction, the coffee beans are usually placed on a metal mesh. However, the coffee beans can be separated from the coffee bean layer by supporting the coffee bean layer, such as cloth or paper. If there is no particular limitation. It should be noted that the extraction device may be sealed and extraction may be performed by applying pressure. In the drip-type extraction, usually, coffee is extracted by adding 5 to 15 parts by weight, preferably 7 to 10 parts by weight of hot water to 1 part by weight of ground coffee beans. The extraction time varies depending on the type and size of the extraction device, but is usually 15 to 50 minutes, preferably about 20 to 40 minutes.

  The extraction may be performed in air, but may be performed in an inert gas in consideration of the fact that the aroma component of coffee is easily oxidized. Alternatively, the entire industrial extraction apparatus may be purged with an inert gas, or a method may be used in which the entire apparatus is once depressurized to remove oxygen and then brought to atmospheric pressure with an inert gas.

  As a coffee component of the coffee beverage of the present invention, one type of coffee extract may be used alone, or a coffee bean extract (including concentrated solution) or instant coffee with different raw materials and extraction methods depending on the desired flavor. It is also possible to use a mixture of a plurality of types (coffee powders in powder form).

Cocoa-derived extract The coffee beverage of the present invention contains a cacao-derived extract. The cacao extract used in the present invention is an extract using cacao as a raw material, and can be extracted using a cacao nib, cacao mass, cocoa powder or the like as a raw material using a solvent. The cocoa extract may be used as it is, or may be used as a concentrated powder concentrated by means of centrifugation, ultrafiltration or the like, or as a dry powder by freeze drying or the like. The cacao-derived extract used in the present invention may be a commercially available one, and examples thereof include MT-LR manufactured by Meiji Co., Ltd.

  In the present invention, the addition amount of the cacao-derived extract is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate, but it is preferably 0.1% by weight or more, more preferably 0.5% by weight or more. It is preferable from the viewpoint of reducing the bitterness of beverages. In addition, if the amount of the cocoa-derived extract is excessively increased, the astringency and flavor of the cocoa become undesirably strong as a coffee beverage, so the cocoa-derived extract is added in an amount of 0.5% by weight or less. It is desirable.

  Further, the theobromine amount contained in the cocoa-derived extract can be used as an index of the amount of the cocoa-derived extract added. Commercially available cacao-derived extracts often contain 10 mg / 100 g of theobromine (per cacao extract), so by measuring theobromine content in the coffee drink, the cacao extract added to the coffee drink Can be estimated. The theobromine content in the coffee beverage of the present invention is preferably 0.003 mg or more per 100 g of beverage, more preferably 0.01 mg or more, further preferably 0.05 mg or more, and may be 0.07 mg or more. With such an amount, the effect of the present invention is great and the merit of the present invention can be enjoyed to the maximum.

The theobromine can be quantified by a conventional method known by those skilled in the art. For example, the theobromine can be quantified by the following measurement method and conditions. That is, 0.5 g of a sample is made up to 20 ml with distilled water, and then filtered through a 0.45 μm filter, and the filtrate can be analyzed by a liquid chromatography mass spectrometer. Analysis conditions can be set as follows.
<Operation conditions of liquid chromatography mass spectrometer>
Column: Mightysil PR-18 GP, φ4.6 mm × 250 mm
-Mobile phase: 2.5% acetic acid and methanol mixture-Flow rate: 1.0 ml / min
-Column temperature: 40 ° C
・ Ionization method: Electrospray (positive ion detection mode)
Other Components The coffee beverage of the present invention may contain chlorogenic acids. In the present invention, when referring to the content of chlorogenic acids in the coffee beverage, the monocaffeoylquinic acid component (3-caffeoylquinic acid, 4 -Caffeoylquinic acid, 5-caffeoylquinic acid), ferulacic acid component (3-ferlaquinic acid, 4-ferlaquinic acid, 5-ferlaquinic acid) and dicaffeoylquinic acid component (3,4-dicaffeoylquinic acid) , 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid).

  Chlorogenic acids have a unique bitter taste and greatly influence the original flavor formation of coffee. Therefore, if chlorogenic acid is completely removed from the coffee content, the original flavor of the coffee will be impaired. Therefore, the content of chlorogenic acids in the coffee beverage of the present invention is preferably 100 mg or less, more preferably 80 mg or less, and even more preferably 60 mg or less per 100 g of beverage. Although the lower limit of chlorogenic acids is suitably selected according to the desired flavor of the coffee beverage, it is preferably 10 mg or more, more preferably 20 mg or more, further preferably about 30 mg or more per 100 g of beverage. If the chlorogenic acid content exceeds 100 mg per 100 g of beverage, the bitter taste of chlorogenic acids may be too strong and may not be suitable as a beverage from the viewpoint of flavor. The content of chlorogenic acids in the coffee beverage can be appropriately measured by those skilled in the art using, for example, HPLC.

  In addition, the coffee beverage of the present invention may contain a trigonelline that is a precursor such as niacin, but if the bitterness or bitterness of trigonelin is too strong, it has a negative effect from the viewpoint of bitterness suppression in the coffee beverage of the present invention. Therefore, it is preferable that the amount is not more than a predetermined amount. Therefore, the trigonelline content in the coffee beverage of the present invention is preferably 20 mg or less per 100 g of beverage, more preferably 15 mg or less, and an embodiment that does not contain trigonelin (or a detection limit or less). Note that the content of trigonelline in the coffee beverage can be appropriately measured by those skilled in the art using, for example, HPLC.

  In the present invention, a predetermined concentration of potassium may be contained, whereby the bitterness of the coffee beverage can be suppressed and the drinkability can be enhanced. Potassium can be added, for example, as a potassium salt. With regard to potassium in coffee beverages in the present invention, when the concentration or content is indicated, except for special cases, regardless of the form in which potassium is added or present, a value converted or measured as potassium Say. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, potassium can be blended so as to be 90 mg or more per 100 g of coffee beverage, preferably 100 mg or more, more preferably 120 mg or more, and 250 mg or less, for example, 200 mg or less. . More specifically, it can mix | blend so that it may become 120-250 mg, Preferably it is 130-250 mg, More preferably, it is 140-250 mg, Most preferably, it is 150-250 mg.

  Potassium can be adjusted to a predetermined concentration with potassium extracted from roasted coffee beans, potassium contained in sweeteners, milk ingredients, pH adjusters, etc. that are usually blended in coffee beverages. From the viewpoint of easiness, it is preferable to add a potassium salt. Examples of potassium salts include potassium carbonate, dipotassium hydrogen phosphate, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, tripotassium phosphate, potassium hydroxide, potassium lactate, potassium tartrate, potassium succinate, and potassium malate. From the viewpoint, it is particularly preferable to use potassium carbonate and / or potassium hydroxide. When adjusting potassium so that it may become a predetermined density | concentration using potassium carbonate, although it depends on the kind and quantity of the other component mix | blended with the roasted coffee beans and coffee drink to be used, normally the compounding quantity of potassium carbonate is 0.00. It is about 05 to 0.20% by weight, preferably about 0.10 to 0.18% by weight. If it exceeds 0.20% by weight, the bitter taste of potassium may affect the taste of the coffee beverage itself. The potassium content in the coffee beverage can be appropriately measured by those skilled in the art using, for example, an ICP emission spectroscopic analyzer.

  The coffee beverage of the present invention preferably further contains a predetermined concentration of milk protein. By blending milk protein, the bitterness suppressing effect of potassium can be increased. The milk protein is one or more selected from milk, whole milk powder, skim milk powder, partially skimmed milk powder, concentrated milk, cream and the like, and the milk protein mass relative to the whole beverage is 0.3 to 0.6 weight. %, Preferably 0.4 to 0.5% by weight.

  In the coffee beverage of the present invention, in addition to the above-mentioned components, components usually blended in the coffee beverage, such as sugars (sucrose, isomerized sugar, glucose, fructose, lactose, maltose, etc.), oligosaccharides, and sugar alcohols Sweeteners such as natural sugars, or high-intensity sweeteners such as natural non-sugar sweeteners (stevia extract, licorice extract, etc.) and synthetic non-sugar sweeteners (sucralose, acesulfame K, etc.) Sweeteners, pH adjusters such as sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate and sodium hydroxide, various emulsifiers / stabilizers for the purpose of suppressing the generation of precipitates and aggregates, flavors and the like can be blended.

  In the coffee beverage of the present invention, the coffee solid content is preferably 1.3% by weight or more based on the total weight of the beverage, more preferably 1.5% by weight or more, and further preferably 1.8% by weight or more. Here, the coffee solid content represents a soluble solid content derived from coffee beans, and among the soluble solid content that can be contained in the coffee beverage, a component not derived from coffee beans such as a sweetening component, a milk component, a pH adjuster, and a fragrance. The coffee solid content in the coffee extract is obtained by measuring Brix (%) using a saccharimeter. In a preferred embodiment of the coffee beverage of the present invention, the coffee solid content can be 1.8 to 2.2% by weight based on the total weight of the beverage.

  Furthermore, the coffee beverage according to the present invention preferably has a pH of about 4-8. This is because when the pH of the coffee beverage is low, the bitterness and taste of the back mouth due to the heated odor and taste accompanying retort sterilization may become significant. The pH of the coffee beverage of the present invention is more preferably pH 5.4 to 8.0, and further preferably about pH 5.4 to 7.5.

  The coffee beverage of the present invention is suitable because it can be stably stored for a longer period of time by making it into a packaged beverage. The container for the container-packed beverage is not particularly limited, and any commonly used container such as a metal container, a resin container, a paper container, or a glass container can be used. Specific examples include metal containers such as aluminum cans and steel cans, resin containers such as PET bottles, paper containers such as paper packs, and glass containers such as glass bottles.

  Moreover, this invention relates to the manufacturing method of a coffee drink, and can manufacture a container-packed drink by a conventional method. Specifically, the method for producing a coffee beverage according to the present invention includes adding a cacao-derived extract to a coffee extract. In one embodiment, the present invention is a method for producing a coffee beverage in which the weight ratio of niacin to caffeine is 0.005 or more, wherein roasted coffee beans are pulverized and a coffee extract is obtained from the pulverized coffee beans A process, the process of adding a cacao origin extract to a coffee extract. Moreover, in this invention, well-known additives, such as a sweetener, a milk component, a pH adjuster, and potassium salt, can be added.

  When producing a container-packed drink according to the present invention, the present invention includes a step of filling a container with a coffee drink. Moreover, when it is set as a container-packed drink, when a coffee drink is sterilized before or after filling a container with a coffee drink, it is preferable because long-term storage becomes possible. For example, when making a canned coffee beverage, a predetermined amount of the coffee beverage can be filled in the can, and for example, retort sterilization can be performed at 120 to 125 ° C. for about 5 to 20 minutes for heat sterilization. In addition, in the case of PET bottles, paper packs, bottled beverages, for example, UHT sterilization held at 130 to 145 ° C. for about 2 to 120 seconds, etc., and aseptic filling at a predetermined amount with hot pack filling or low temperature, A packaged beverage can be obtained.

  Here, heat sterilization of coffee beverages is sterilization accompanied by severe heating for coffee beverages, and particularly in coffee beverages with high coffee solids, the odor and miscellaneous taste become noticeable due to heating and the quality as coffee beverages decreases. However, the coffee beverage of the present invention retains the original flavor of the coffee beverage even after sterilization treatment, that is, the problem of reducing the drinkability in combination with the bitterness derived from the coffee content, While strongly maintaining the coffee feeling, it has the advantage of suppressing the bitter taste derived from the coffee component and the heat smell and miscellaneous taste caused by heat sterilization.

  Moreover, from another viewpoint, this invention can also be set as the taste improvement method which suppresses the bitterness etc. in a coffee drink. Therefore, in one embodiment, the present invention suppresses the bitterness of coffee beverages that contain niacin and caffeine, the caffeine content per 100 g of beverage is 50 mg or more, and the weight ratio of niacin / caffeine is 0.005 or more. And adding a cacao-derived extract. Here, the bitterness and miscellaneous taste of coffee beverages (a general term for unpleasant tastes in coffee such as astringency and sashimi) should be implemented by sensory evaluation of a test coffee beverage at an appropriate temperature by a specialized panelist. Can do. Specifically, bitterness and miscellaneous taste are the bitterness intensity (bitterness attack strength), the bitterness after drinking (the strength of the bitterness of the back mouth) and the miscellaneous taste after drinking. The taste (strength of back-taste) may be evaluated by comparison with a control that does not contain potassium or contains a lower amount if necessary.

Hereinafter, the contents of the present invention will be specifically described using the following experimental examples.
However, the present invention is not limited to these experimental examples.
Experimental example 1
First, in order to investigate the balance between coffee feeling and bitterness, nine coffee drinks with different caffeine content and niacin / caffeine weight ratio (N / C ratio) using coffee extracts extracted from beans with different roasting degrees It was created. Each coffee beverage was mixed with 5% sugar and 10% milk (Takanashi Co., Ltd., Takanashi 3.6 milk), and the pH was adjusted to about 7 with sodium bicarbonate.

  These 9 points were measured for caffeine content (mg / 100 g) and niacin content (mg / 100 g) and subjected to sensory evaluation. The sensory evaluation was carried out by two trained panelists who evaluated the bitterness in 10 stages (1; feel no bitterness, 10; feel bitterness strongly).

  The amount of niacin and / or niacinamide is measured according to the Microbial Quantification Method of the Japan Food Research Center (http://www.jfrl.or.jp/bunsekiflow/) as follows. The total amount of niacin and niacinamide The amount was defined as the niacin content. That is, 100 ml of 0.5 M sulfuric acid was added to a sample (1 to 4 g), extracted at 121 ° C. for 30 minutes, cooled, and adjusted to pH 6.8, diluted to 200 ml with distilled water. A test solution was filtered through a 45 μm filter. A preculture solution of Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014 strain was added to a niacin standard solution or an appropriately diluted test solution and cultured at 37 ° C. for 18 hours, and the amount of niacin and / or niacinamide was measured based on the presence or absence of cell growth.

  The results are shown in Table 1, and it was found that samples having a caffeine content of less than 50 mg / 100 g have poor bitterness due to low caffeine concentration. Moreover, it turned out that the sample whose N / C is less than 0.005 has poor bitterness because the niacin concentration is low. On the other hand, samples with a caffeine content of 50 mg / 100 g or more and an N / C ratio of 0.005 or more felt the richness of the coffee and the roastedness due to roasting. there were. For reference, the relationship between caffeine content, N / C and bitterness is shown in FIG.

Experimental example 2
For the seven types of coffee beverages (other than A and F) whose sensory evaluation value for bitterness was 3 or more in Experimental Example 1, the bitterness suppressing effect of the cacao extract was examined. Specifically, with respect to the coffee beverage prepared in Experimental Example 1, the cacao extract (cacao extract manufactured by Meiji Co., Ltd., theobromine content: about 100 g per cacao extract) so as to be 0.01 to 0.1% by weight per beverage. 10 mg) was added, and the inhibitory effect on bitterness was evaluated in the same manner as in Experimental Example 1. Moreover, sensory evaluation was simultaneously performed about the cacao astringency which arises by adding a cacao extract, and the cacao flavor which causes the loss of coffee feeling. The cacao astringency and cacao flavor were evaluated in five levels (1; not felt, 5; felt strongly).

  Although a result is shown to Tables 2-4, the bitterness of the coffee drink was able to be reduced by adding a cacao extract. For coffee beverages B and G with weak bitterness (sensory evaluation value of bitterness: 3), it was difficult to evaluate the effect because it was difficult to feel the bitterness originally, but the addition of 0.10% by weight of cacao extract caused bitterness. It almost disappeared. In addition, in the coffee beverages C · D · H (bitter sensory evaluation value: 4 to 6), the bitterness of the coffee beverage was reduced by adding 0.5% by weight or more of the cacao extract. Furthermore, about the coffee drink E * I (bitter sensory evaluation value: 7-10) which feels a strong bitterness, the bitterness reduction effect was seen by adding 0.10 weight% of cacao extracts.

Claims (8)

  A coffee beverage containing niacin and caffeine, having a caffeine content of 50 mg or more per 100 g of beverage and a niacin / caffeine weight ratio of 0.005 or more, and comprising a cacao-derived extract.   The beverage according to claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of niacin / caffeine is 0.015 or more.   The beverage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the theobromine content per 100 g of beverage is 0.003 mg or more.   The drink in any one of Claims 1-3 whose caffeine content per 100g of drinks is 60 mg or more.   The beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is a packaged beverage.   The beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which is a beverage that has been heat sterilized.   It is a method of manufacturing the drink in any one of Claims 1-6, Comprising: The said method including adding a cacao origin extract to a coffee extract.   A method for suppressing the bitterness of a coffee beverage containing niacin and caffeine, having a caffeine content per 100 g of beverage of 50 mg or more and a niacin / caffeine weight ratio of 0.005 or more, comprising: The above method comprising adding.

Images