JP2014064488A - Low ph beverage - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a bitter substance-containing low pH beverage which has improved taste.SOLUTION: Addition of glycerol improves the taste of a bitter substance-containing beverage with a pH of 4.0 or less.

Description

  The present invention relates to a beverage having a relatively low pH and improved flavor alteration. Specifically, the present invention relates to a technique for improving taste defects such as monotonic flavor quality and reduced bitterness / complexity in beverages having a pH of 4.0 or less.

  Bitterness is one of the five basic tastes of taste, but it functions as a signal for harmful substances because many poisonous substances are bitter, and is generally avoided. However, it is known that a strong palatability is acquired by “getting used” through continuous eating and drinking, and some of the palatable beverages have a specific bitter taste. For example, green tea, coffee and beer each have a characteristic bitterness. Thus, bitterness is one of the important factors that determine the flavor characteristics of a favorite beverage.

  Recently, so-called beer-taste non-alcoholic beverages that contain almost no alcohol have gained popularity. Among them, those with alcohol content of less than 0.01% and “Alcohol 0.00%” displayed on the product have attracted particular attention and have led to the establishment of a new drink genre. Even in such non-alcoholic beer-taste beverages (including those displayed as "alcohol 0.00%" on the product), the bitterness of iso-alpha acid, which is one of the bitter components contained in hops, causes The taste is tightened and a favorable flavor is formed.

  On the other hand, since non-alcohol beer-taste beverages contain almost no alcohol, there is a problem that various microorganisms are likely to grow. In order to suppress the growth of microorganisms, there is a method to increase the heat sterilization strength, but if the beverage pH is lowered, there is no need to enhance the heat sterilization strength, so many non-alcohol beer-taste beverages are adjusted to a low pH. (For example, less than pH 4.0). Moreover, while the beer base cocktail produced by mix | blending fruit juice with a beer taste drink has the bitter taste derived from a beer taste drink, the pH of the whole drink is falling with the organic acid contained in fruit juice.

  In such a low pH beverage having a bitter substance, the sharp acidity due to the acid may be noticeable or the flavor of the whole beverage may become monotonous due to the mismatch between the bitterness and the acidity resulting from the low pH. , It may be difficult to manufacture according to the target design quality. Especially in low-calorie or sugar-free beverages that are gaining popularity recently, the amount of raw materials that can be blended is greatly limited, so the taste of the beverage as a whole tends to be thin, and the taste change is even greater. It becomes.

  Several techniques for solving problems mainly in beer-taste beverages have been disclosed with respect to the flavor problems of beverages associated with such a bitter and sour mismatch. In Patent Document 1, in an unfermented beer-flavored malt beverage having a pH of less than 4.0 with a pH adjuster, the intense and unpleasant sourness due to the pH adjuster can be reduced or alleviated by the presence of a nucleic acid-based seasoning component. In addition, it is disclosed that the harmony of taste as a beer-flavored drink can be realized. Patent Document 2 discloses a specific sour taste in a non-alcohol beer-taste type beverage that does not include any alcohol produced without adding a sweetener, a sour agent, a bitter agent, and a fragrance without passing through a fermentation process. It is disclosed that a non-alcohol beer-taste beverage that suppresses a sense of variation in sweetness, sourness, and bitterness can be obtained by the combined use of a food and sodium gluconate.

JP2011-072228A JP 2011-217706 A

  As described above, when the pH of the beverage is lowered, the flavor of the beverage may become monotonous or the acidity due to the acid may become too strong. In particular, in the case of a beverage containing a bitter substance such as a beer-taste beverage or a beer-based cocktail, it has been technically difficult to maintain a good flavor of the entire beverage when the pH of the beverage is lowered.

  In view of the circumstances as described above, the present invention is a beverage having a bitter taste substance and having a pH of 4.0 or less, which has improved taste defects such as sharp sourness and a monotonous flavor of the whole beverage. It is another object of the present invention to provide a manufacturing method thereof.

  As a result of earnestly examining the above problems, the present inventors can solve the above-mentioned taste problem by adding a trace amount of glycerol in a beverage containing a bitter substance and having a pH of 4.0 or less. It was found that preferred bitterness was imparted and the complexity and depth of the flavor increased, and the present invention was completed.

That is, although not limited to this, this invention includes invention of the following aspects.
(1) A beverage having a pH of 4.0 or less, comprising 1 to 3500 ppm of glycerol and a bitter substance.
(2) The beverage according to (1), wherein the bitter substance is one or more substances selected from the group consisting of naringin, quassin, caffeine and hop-derived components.
(3) The beverage according to (2), wherein the hop-derived component is α acid and / or iso α acid.
(4) The beverage according to any one of (1) to (3), further comprising one or more sour substances selected from the group consisting of citric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, phosphoric acid and tartaric acid .
(5) The beverage according to any one of (1) to (4), which is a malt beverage.
(6) The beverage according to any one of (1) to (5), which contains carbon dioxide gas.
(7) The beverage according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the beverage has a soluble solid content concentration of 0.1 to 5 degrees.
(8) The beverage according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein the alcohol content is less than 0.01%.
(9) A method for producing a beverage containing a bitter substance and having a pH of 4.0 or less, comprising blending 1 to 3500 ppm of glycerol.
(10) A method for improving the taste of a beverage containing a bitter substance and having a pH of 4.0 or less, comprising blending 1 to 3500 ppm of glycerol.

  According to the present invention, in beverages containing a bitter substance and having a pH of 4.0 or less, taste defects such as sharp sourness protrusion and monotonization of the flavor of the entire beverage can be improved. Further, according to the present invention, preferred bitterness is imparted to the beverage, and the complexity and depth of the flavor can be enhanced.

The beverage of the present invention contains glycerol and a bitter substance and has a pH of 4.0 or less.
Glycerol The beverage of the present invention contains 1-3500 ppm of glycerol. Glycerol is a trivalent alcohol represented by the molecular formula C ₃ H ₈ O ₃ and is also called glycerin. It is a colorless transparent viscous liquid and is soluble in water and ethanol. In addition to being used in cosmetics because it has hygroscopicity and water retention, it can be used as an additive in foods and pharmaceuticals, such as colorants, flavoring agents, moisturizers for dried foods and confectionery, chewing gum softeners, glycerin fatty acid esters, etc. Widely used as a raw material for emulsifiers.

  As described above, glycerol is widely used for the purpose of an extraction solvent, a humectant, a softener, etc., but in the present invention, a small amount of glycerol of 1 to 3500 ppm contains a bitter substance and a pH of 4.0 or less. In, the taste improvement effect is exhibited. In addition, since glycerol does not significantly increase the viscosity of a beverage if it is in a small amount, even if it is blended in a small amount in a beverage, the design quality of the beverage is not impaired. It is a characteristic.

  If the quantity of glycerol which can be mix | blended with the drink of this invention is in the range of 1-3500 ppm, it can determine without being specifically limited according to the quality characteristic of the drink. The amount of glycerol in the present invention can be relatively less than the amount for conventional applications such as extraction solvents, humectants, softeners and the like. For example, in certain embodiments, the amount of glycerol can be 1-2000 ppm in the beverage, 10-2000 ppm, and even 50-1500 ppm. In addition, when there is too much quantity of glycerol, there exists a possibility that the viscosity of a drink may become large too much and there exists a possibility of changing design quality, it is unpreferable.

  Any known method such as HPLC may be used as a method for measuring the blending amount of glycerol in the beverage. As one of the analysis methods, an F-kit (manufactured by Roche Diagnostics) can be preferably used.

Bitter substance In the present invention, the bitter substance may be any substance that perceives the bitter taste by blending it into a beverage, and specific examples include naringin, quassin, caffeine, hop-derived components, and the like. Naringin and quassin are more preferable.

  Examples of the hop-derived bitter component include iso α acid and α acid, and iso α acid is more preferable. The hop-derived component may be blended with an extract from hops, or may be blended with a commercially available iso α acid or α acid preparation. As a hop extraction means, any known technique can be used without any limitation. In addition, one or two or more bitter substances can be used in combination.

  The amount of the bitter substance that can be blended in the present invention can be freely set according to the design quality of the intended beverage, but can be 0.05 to 50 ppm in the beverage, and can be 0.1 to 30 ppm. Good.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, when naringin is blended, it is preferably contained at 0.1 to 50 ppm, more preferably at 1 to 30 ppm, and further preferably at 1 to 20 ppm. When mix | blending quassin, it is preferable when it contains 0.05-10 ppm, it is more preferable when it is 0.1-10 ppm, and it is still more preferable when it is 0.1-5 ppm. When mix | blending caffeine, it is preferable when it contains 0.1-50 ppm, It is more preferable when it is 1-30 ppm, It is still more preferable when it is 1-20 ppm. When mix | blending a hop origin component with a drink, as a total amount of a hop origin component, 0.1-20 ppm is preferable, it is more preferable when it is 1-20 ppm, and it is still more preferable when it is 1-15 ppm.

The content of each of the above bitter substances can be measured using any known method such as HPLC.
pH
The beverage of the present invention has a pH of 4.0 or less. Generally, the pH of a beverage is lowered by adding a sour substance or the like. According to the study by the present inventors, in beverages containing a bitter substance, when the pH is 4.0 or less, taste defects such as sharp sourness protrusion and monotonic quality of the whole beverage become remarkable. However, when a small amount of glycerol is blended according to the present invention, the flavor of the beverage can be improved. Moreover, since the effect of this invention becomes larger when pH of a drink is 3.8 or less, especially pH is 3.5 or less, it is preferable. Although the minimum of pH is not specifically limited, It is preferable that it is 2.8 or more on the balance of the flavor as a drink.

  As a method for measuring pH, a known method can be used. For example, the method described in the National Tax Agency Prescription Analysis Method Comment can be used. According to JIS Z 8802 pH measurement method, it measures at 20 degreeC using a pH meter (JIS Z 8805 pH measurement glass electrode).

  In the present invention, a beverage having a pH of 4.0 or less can be prepared by various methods. For example, the pH can be lowered using various acids. If it can use for edible, there will be no restriction | limiting in particular in the acid to be used, Inorganic acids, such as hydrochloric acid, and an organic acid can be used suitably, However, The organic acid is more preferable. Specific examples include organic acids such as citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, phosphoric acid, succinic acid, formic acid, pyroglutamic acid, and acetic acid. Citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, phosphoric acid, etc. Are more preferable, and citric acid and malic acid are more preferable. Moreover, 1 type, or 2 or more types of sour substances can also be used in combination.

  In this invention, although the quantity of a sour substance can be freely set according to the design quality of the target drink, it can be 100-7000 ppm in a drink, for example, and it is good also as 200-5000 ppm. In one embodiment, when citric acid is blended in the beverage, it is preferably contained at 100 to 7000 ppm, more preferably at 200 to 5000 ppm. When mix | blending malic acid, it is preferable when it contains 100-7000 ppm, and it is more preferable when it is 200-5000 ppm.

As a method for measuring the content of the sour substance in the present invention, the following HPLC method using an organic acid analysis system can be used. In this organic acid analysis system, after separating the organic acid by ion exclusion chromatography, a pH buffering reagent is continuously added to the column eluate to bring the organic acid into a dissociated state by bringing the pH close to neutrality. Measure the degree. In this specification, unless otherwise specified, analysis is performed under the following conditions:
(Column) Shim-pack SCR-102H (8 mm ID × 300 mmL, Shimadzu Corporation). Depending on the sample, two are connected in series. In addition, a corresponding guard column, for example, SCR-102H (6 mm ID × 50 mmL, Shimadzu Corporation) is mounted as necessary (column temperature) 45 ° C.
(Mobile phase) 5 mM p-toluenesulfonic acid aqueous solution (pH buffering reagent) 5 mM p-toluenesulfonic acid aqueous solution containing 100 μM EDTA and 20 mM Bis-Tris (flow rate) 0.8 mL / min (detection) Measure electrical conductivity Detection The above conditions can be executed using a commercially available HPLC system such as LC-10A (Shimadzu Corporation). As various organic acid standard solutions, for example, commercially available carboxylic acid analytical reagents (manufactured by Nacalai Tesque Co., Ltd.) are appropriately diluted with distilled water to prepare standard solutions having a plurality of concentrations. Measure the amount.

Other Raw Materials The beverage of the present invention may contain sugar, various additives, etc., as in the case of ordinary beverages. As various additives, for example, fragrances, vitamins, pigments, antioxidants, emulsifiers, preservatives, seasonings, extracts, pH adjusters, quality stabilizers and the like can be blended.

Beverages The present invention can be applied to various types of beverages. Specific examples of such an embodiment include malt beverages, carbonated beverages, low solute beverages, various alcoholic beverages, and non-alcoholic beverages.

  The beverage of the present invention may contain a malt-derived component to make a malt beverage. The malt beverage is a beverage made from malt, and may be a fermented alcoholic beverage or a non-alcoholic beverage. The malt-derived component is suitable because it can impart a beer-like flavor to a beverage, but can give more depth to the preferred bitterness and flavor complexity obtained by blending the glycerol of the present invention.

  As a malt origin component as used in the field of this invention, what was extracted from malt using hot water etc., such as wort, can be used, for example. It also includes a food additive such as a malt extract obtained in a manufacturing process such as beer and a malt extract obtained by extracting and concentrating malt dried and roasted and pulverized. That is, the present invention can be suitably applied to malt beverages, and can be suitably applied to malt fermented beverages such as beer and happoshu as well as non-fermented malt beverages such as non-alcoholic beer. .

  The beverage of the present invention can be made into a carbonated beverage by containing carbon dioxide gas. When the present invention is applied to a carbonated beverage, in addition to improving the taste defects of beverages containing a bitter substance and having a low pH, the irritation caused by carbon dioxide gas can be moderately moderated. This is one of the more preferred embodiments.

  Carbon dioxide can be provided in the beverage using methods commonly known to those skilled in the art, such as, but not limited to, carbon dioxide may be dissolved in the beverage under pressure, or Carbon dioxide and beverages may be mixed in the pipe using a mixer such as a carbonator, or the beverage may be absorbed by spraying the beverage into a tank filled with carbon dioxide. It is also possible to mix the beverage and carbonated water. When a fermented liquor such as brewed liquor is used as one of the raw materials, carbon dioxide accompanying fermentation can be added to the beverage. The carbon dioxide pressure is adjusted by appropriately using these means.

The carbonated beverage of the present invention preferably has a carbon dioxide gas pressure of 1.0 to 3.5 kg / cm ² , more preferably 1.2 to 2.5 kg / cm ² . In the present invention, the carbon dioxide pressure can be measured using a gas volume measuring device GVA-500A manufactured by Kyoto Electronics Industry. For example, the sample temperature is set to 20 ° C., and the gas volume measuring device measures the degassing (snift) in the air in the container and shakes, and then measures the carbon dioxide pressure.

  In addition, the present invention exhibits an excellent effect even when the soluble solid content (solute) concentration contained in the beverage is low. In this specification, a beverage having a soluble solid content concentration of 5 degrees or less is also referred to as a “low solute beverage”. However, in a low solute beverage, since the amount of sugar, fruit juice, etc. is small, the beverage flavor is reduced. It may be difficult to make it better. In particular, in beverages containing a bitter substance and having a low pH, it is difficult to mask undesirable tastes such as sharp acidity and monotonous taste. Even in such a case, according to the present invention, since the flavor of the beverage can be improved without depending on components such as sugars and fruit juice, the low solute beverage is one of the more preferred embodiments of the present invention. One.

  The soluble solid content concentration of the low solute beverage referred to in the present invention is defined by the soluble solid content concentration (SS) calculated from the Brix value obtained using a saccharimeter, a refractometer or the like. . The Brix value is a value obtained by converting the refractive index measured at 20 ° C. to the mass / mass percent of the sucrose solution based on the conversion table of ICUMSA (International Sugar Analysis Committee). Represents the partial concentration. The unit is displayed in “° Bx”, “%” or “degree”.

In non-alcoholic beverages, the Brix value may be directly used as the soluble solid content concentration. However, in alcoholic beverages, the alcohol affects the refractive index, so the soluble solid content concentration is calculated from the Brix value using the following equation.
・ Soluble solid content concentration (SS) = MV-CV
[Wherein, MV (Measured Value) is a measured Brix value of a beverage, and CV (Calculated Value) is a Brix value in an alcohol aqueous solution having the same frequency as the measured alcohol content of the beverage]
Here, when the CV is obtained using a neutral spirit diluted with pure water as an alcohol aqueous solution, there is a relationship of “CV = 0.39 × alcohol content of the beverage”, so the soluble solid content concentration of the beverage (SS) can be expressed as follows, and this formula can also be used when the alcohol content is 0%.
-Soluble solid content concentration (SS) of beverage = MV−0.39 × measured value of alcohol content of beverage The low solute beverage in the present specification refers to one having an SS of 5 ° or less. When SS is 0.1 to 5 degrees, the taste improving effect is strongly felt and preferable, and when SS is 0.1 to 3 degrees, the taste improving effect is more strongly felt and more preferable.

  The low solute beverage includes an embodiment of a so-called calorie-off type beverage that is displayed as “zero sugar, zero sugar, calorie off” or the like. In addition, indications such as “saccharide zero, carbohydrate zero, calorie off” are defined in the nutrition labeling standards according to the provisions of the Health Promotion Law. For example, the display of “zero saccharide” is given to a beverage in which the amount of saccharide (monosaccharide or disaccharide that is not a sugar alcohol) contained in the beverage is less than 0.5 g per 100 g of the beverage. Is.

  Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to non-alcoholic beverages and beverages containing alcohol (alcoholic beverages). Non-alcoholic beverages can be preferably applied to those having an alcohol content of less than 0.01% by the alcohol content analysis method described below. As a drink of such an aspect, what is indicated as 0.00% alcohol content is included.

  In this specification, unless otherwise specified, alcohol means ethyl alcohol (ethanol). Further, the alcohol content refers to the volume% of alcohol in the aqueous alcohol solution. Alcohol is preferred for its light flavor, while the alcohol irritation may be pointed out as a drawback. When alcohol is blended with the beverage of the present invention to obtain an alcoholic beverage, in addition to the above-described excellent effects, a sense of irritation caused by the alcohol can be reduced.

  The kind of alcohol that can be used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is drunk as a normal alcoholic beverage. Distilled liquors such as whiskey, vodka, rum, shochu and spirits, brewed liquors such as sake, wine and beer, and mixed liquors such as liqueurs can be used. A single type of alcohol may be used, or a plurality of types of alcohol may be used for the purpose of changing the flavor characteristics of the beverage of the present invention.

  The alcohol content (volume%) in the present invention can be measured by the method described in the National Tax Agency Predetermined Analysis Method (Heisei 19 National Tax Agency Instruction No. 6, revised on June 22, 2007). Specifically, it can measure with the following method about what added saccharides, such as sucrose, and what has not added.

  (In the case of a sample to which saccharides such as sucrose are not added) Samples of 100 to 150 mL are accurately collected at 15 ° C. using a measuring flask. This is transferred to a 300-500 mL flask, each of the volumetric flasks is washed twice with 15 mL of water, and the cleaning solution is also transferred into the flask. Perform direct-fire distillation using the volumetric flask used for sample collection as the receiver. After 70% or more of the sample is distilled, add water to the distillate and return to the original volume at 15 ° C. A sample.

  (In the case of a sample to which sugars such as sucrose are added) An analysis sample is prepared by a steam distillation method. That is, 100-150 mL of samples are accurately collected at 15 ° C. using a volumetric flask. This is transferred to a 500 mL double flask, each of the volumetric flasks is washed twice with 15 mL of water, and the cleaning solution is also transferred into the flask. Steam distillation is performed using the volumetric flask used for collecting the sample as a receiver, and after 98% or more of the collected amount is distilled, water is added to the distillate to return to the original volume at 15 ° C. And

  The density at 15 ° C. of the analysis sample prepared as described above was measured with a vibration type densitometer. The alcohol content can be obtained by conversion using the “° C.) conversion table”. For example, as a vibration type density meter, a vibration type density meter DA-310 manufactured by Kyoto Electronics Industry Co., Ltd. can be used.

  The beverage of the present invention can be a container-packed beverage. Containers for container-packed drinks are not particularly limited. For example, plastic containers such as plastic bottles, paper containers such as paper packs, glass containers such as glass bottles, metal containers such as aluminum cans and steel cans, and aluminum pouches are usually used. Any container can be used as long as it is a container used for a beverage composition.

From the viewpoint of another beverage production method , the present invention is a beverage production method. The method is characterized by blending 1 to 3500 ppm of glycerol with a beverage containing a bitter substance and having a pH of 4.0 or less. The form and method of adding glycerol are not particularly limited, and glycerol or an article containing glycerol can be added as a raw material at any timing in the production process.

  In the production of the beverage of the present invention, the method of blending the raw materials is not limited. For example, a raw material can be mix | blended in a drink using a well-known method. If necessary, steps such as sterilization and container filling can be appropriately provided. In a preferred embodiment, the beverage of the present invention can be made into a container-packed beverage through a beverage filling step, and can be made into a sterilized container-packed beverage. For example, a sterilized container-packed beverage can be produced by filling a beverage composition into a container and then performing heat sterilization such as retort sterilization or sterilizing the beverage composition and filling the container.

  More specifically, in the case of a beverage packed in a metal container such as a can, a predetermined amount of the beverage composition of the present invention can be filled into a container and sterilized (for example, 65 ° C., 10 minutes). When it is set as a bottle, a paper pack, a bottled drink, a can drink, and a pouch drink, FP or UHT sterilization hold | maintained at 90-130 degreeC for 1 to several dozen seconds can be filled, for example. When the beverage composition of the present invention is used as a container-packed beverage, either a hot pack filling method or an aseptic filling method can be used.

Method for improving taste of beverage From another viewpoint, the present invention is a method for improving the taste of a beverage containing a bitter substance and having a pH of 4.0 or less. The method is characterized in that 1-3500 ppm of glycerol is blended in a beverage containing a bitter substance and having a pH of 4.0 or less.

  According to the method of the present invention, in a beverage containing a bitter substance and having a low pH, it is preferable to improve unfavorable taste of the beverage with little change in design quality, for example, sharp sourness protrusion and monotonization of the overall flavor of the beverage. Can add bitterness and increase the complexity and depth of flavor.

  Hereinafter, although the content of the present invention is explained in detail, referring to the example of the present invention, the present invention is not limited to the following example. Unless otherwise specified, numerical ranges in this specification are described as including the end points, and ppm when expressing the amount of components such as glycerol and bitter substances refers to the weight of the substance relative to the beverage volume (L) ( mg) (mg / L).

Example 1
The flavor improving effect by glycerol was confirmed using a commercially available non-alcoholic beverage.
(Preparation of beverages) The following beverages were used.
・ Non-alcoholic cocktail drink (non-alcoholic <Mediterranean lemon>, made by Suntory Liquor)
・ Non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage (all-free, made by Suntory Liquor)
Since the non-alcoholic cocktail beverage does not contain a bitter substance, 10 ppm naringin and 1.5 ppm quassin were added as a bitter substance. The pH was 3.3, the gas pressure of carbon dioxide was about 2.1 kg / cm ² , and the soluble solid content concentration (Brix value) was 0.4 degrees.

Moreover, since the non-alcohol beer-taste beverage uses malt, hops and acidulants as raw materials, it contains malt-derived components as bitter substances, pH is 3.8, and the gas pressure of carbon dioxide is 2.1 kg / cm ^2. It was about. Moreover, the soluble solid content concentration (Brix value) was 0.4 degree.

  Citric anhydride (manufactured by San-Ei Gen FFI Co., Ltd.) is added to a commercially available non-alcoholic cocktail beverage to which a bitter substance is added and a commercially available non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage to adjust the pH to 2.6 / 2.9 / 3. Beverage samples were prepared at 5 levels of 2 / 3.5 / 3.8 (no glycerol added). Furthermore, a sample in which glycerol (food additive glycerin, manufactured by Sakamoto Yakuhin Kogyo Co., Ltd.) was blended to a concentration of 100 ppm in the beverage was prepared (with glycerol added).

(Evaluation of Beverage) Each sample adjusted to each pH was subjected to sensory evaluation by five trained professional panelists to examine the effect of adding glycerol. The sensory evaluation was performed on the samples (without glycerol addition) and (with glycerol addition) from the two viewpoints of “(1) strength of sourness” and “(2) sharp sourness protrusion”, respectively. The standard of the score is as follows, and the average value of the score of five professional panelists was obtained. When the difference between the average score of the glycerol-free sample and the average score of the glycerol-added sample is 1 point or more, it can be evaluated that the improvement effect by adding glycerol is particularly large. The same applies to the case where the improvement effect due to the addition of glycerol is judged in the following examples.
(1) Strength of sourness: 5 points = very strong, 4 points = slightly strong, 3 points = strong, 2 points = slightly strong, 1 point = moderate (2) Sharp sour protrusion: 5 points = feel strong 4 points = feel 3 points = feel slightly 2 points = hardly feel 1 point = never feel

  Table 1 shows the evaluation results. The difference between the scores of the sample to which glycerol was not added and the sample to which glycerol was added was taken as the improvement effect by adding glycerol. As can be seen from the table, especially when the pH of the beverage is 3.8 or less, the flavor improvement effect by adding glycerol is clear for two points of “(1) strength of sourness” and “(2) sharp sourness”. Recognized by About these samples, preferred bitterness was felt, and it was confirmed by sensory evaluation that the complexity and depth of the flavor increased as a whole beverage. That is, it has become clear that the present invention not only improves the quality related to acidity but also improves the flavor quality of the entire beverage. In addition, when the pH of the beverage was 2.9 to 3.8, the effect of improving flavor by adding glycerol was particularly strongly recognized.

Example 2
Using the same commercially available non-alcoholic beverage as in Example 1, the relationship between the flavor improving effect of glycerol and the glycerol concentration was evaluated.

  Add citric anhydride (manufactured by San-Ei Gen FFI Co., Ltd.) to a commercial non-alcoholic cocktail beverage with 10 ppm naringin added as a bitter substance and a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage to bring the pH of the beverage to 3.2 Adjusted (no glycerol added). Further, a sample was prepared in which glycerol was blended so that the concentration in the beverage was 1/10/50/100/500/1000/1500/2000/3000 ppm.

  Sensory evaluation was conducted by five trained professional panelists to examine the effect of glycerol concentration in the beverage. The method of sensory evaluation was the same as in Example 1, and evaluation was performed from two viewpoints of “(1) strength of acidity” and “(2) sharp sourness protrusion”. The difference between the average score of the sample with glycerol concentration of 0 ppm and the average score of the sample with glycerol added was defined as the flavor improving effect by adding glycerol.

  Table 2 shows the evaluation results. As is apparent from the table, in the sample having a glycerol concentration of 1 ppm or more in the beverage, the effect of improving the flavor by adding glycerol was observed for “(2) Sharp sour taste”, and in the sample having a glycerol concentration of 10 ppm or more, “ The flavor-improving effect was clearly observed for both (1) sourness "and" (2) sharp sourness ". In particular, a remarkable effect was observed in a sample having a glycerol concentration in the beverage of 50 ppm or more.

  In addition, it was confirmed by sensory evaluation that the product of the present invention felt a good bitterness and increased the complexity and depth of the flavor of the whole beverage. That is, it became clear that the present invention not only improves the quality related to acidity but also improves the flavor quality of the entire beverage.

  In the sample having a glycerol concentration of 2000 ppm or more in the beverage, a change in texture was observed due to an increase in viscosity due to glycerol. In addition, in the sample having a glycerol concentration of 3000 ppm or more, not only the texture change but also the taste of glycerol itself was recognized.

Example 3
Using commercially available beer-taste non-alcoholic beverages, the flavor improving effect by glycerol was confirmed. As beer taste non-alcoholic beverages, those using malt as raw materials (all free, manufactured by Suntory Liquor) and those not using malt (dry zero, manufactured by Asahi Breweries) were used. Since all the beer-taste drinks used here use hops as a raw material, they contain the bitter substances referred to in the present invention, but the latter does not contain malt-derived ingredients and is not a malt drink. The alcohol content is 0.00 and 0.00%, the pH is 3.8 and 3.7, and the gas pressure of carbon dioxide is about 2.1 and 2.3 kg / cm ² , respectively. Moreover, the soluble solid content concentration (Brix value) was 0.4 degrees and 3.7 degrees.

  To the above beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage, anhydrous citric acid (manufactured by Saneigen FFI Co., Ltd.) was added to adjust the pH to 3.5 to prepare a sample without addition of glycerol. Further, a sample to which glycerol was added was prepared by blending glycerol to a concentration of 100 ppm in the beverage.

  Sensory evaluation was performed in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the number of specialized panelists was four, and the effect of adding glycerol was examined.

  As shown in Table 3, especially in samples containing malt-derived components, the flavor improvement effect by adding glycerol was clearly recognized with respect to “(1) sourness strength” and “(2) sharp sourness protrusion”. It was. That is, the difference between the average score of the glycerol-free sample and the average score of the glycerol-added sample was 1 point or more, and the flavor improvement effect by adding glycerol was large.

Moreover, although it was not as much as the sample containing a malt origin component, the some flavor improvement effect was recognized also in the sample which does not contain a malt origin component.
Furthermore, for samples containing malt-derived components, it is felt that a bitter bitterness is felt, and it is pointed out that the complexity and depth of the flavor has increased as a whole beverage, and not only the quality improvement but also the overall flavor quality can be improved. It became clear.

Example 4
The flavor improvement effect by glycerol with respect to the drink containing various bitter substances was confirmed. Beverages used were non-alcoholic cocktails that did not contain bitter substances (non-moist feeling <Mediterranean lemon>, manufactured by Suntory Liquor), and caffeine, naringin or quassin as bitter substances in the beverages at concentrations of 10, 10, and Formulated to 1.5 ppm (no glycerol added). Furthermore, a sample containing glycerol at a concentration of 100 ppm in the beverage was prepared (with glycerol added). At this time, the pH of the sample beverage was 3.3 and the alcohol content was 0.00%.

  The prepared samples were subjected to sensory evaluation by four trained professional panelists in the same manner as in Example 3 to examine the difference in the effect of the present invention due to the bitter substances.

  As is apparent from Table 4, even when caffeine, naringin and quassin are blended as bitter substances, two points of “(1) sourness” and “(2) sharp sourness” are obtained by adding glycerol. A flavor improving effect was clearly recognized. Also about these samples, the favorable bitterness was felt, and it was confirmed by sensory evaluation that the complexity and depth of the flavor increased as a whole beverage. That is, it has become clear that the present invention not only improves the quality related to acidity but also improves the flavor quality of the entire beverage.

Example 5
The flavor improvement effect by glycerol with respect to the drink containing various sour substances was confirmed. Specifically, non-alcoholic cocktail beverages that do not contain bitter substances (non-moist feeling <Mediterranean lemon>, manufactured by Suntory Liquor) added with 10 ppm naringin as a bitter substance, citric acid, lactic acid, phosphoric acid or Malic acid was added to adjust the pH of the beverage to 3.5 (no glycerol added). Furthermore, glycerol was blended to a concentration of 100 ppm in the beverage, and a sample to which glycerol was added was prepared.

  In the same manner as in Example 3, sensory evaluation was conducted by four trained specialized panelists, and the difference in the effect of the present invention due to the sour substance in the beverage was examined.

  As is apparent from Table 5, when citric acid, lactic acid, phosphoric acid and malic acid are blended as sour substances, two points of "(1) strength of sourness" and "(2) sharp sourness protrusion" In addition, the flavor improvement effect by adding glycerol was clearly recognized. About these samples, the favorable bitterness was felt, and it was confirmed that the complexity and depth of flavor increased as a whole beverage. That is, it has become clear that the present invention not only improves the quality related to acidity but also improves the flavor quality of the entire beverage.

Claims (10)

  A beverage having a pH of 4.0 or less, comprising 1 to 3500 ppm of glycerol and a bitter substance.   The beverage according to claim 1, wherein the bitter substance is one or more substances selected from the group consisting of naringin, quassin, caffeine and hop-derived components.   The drink of Claim 2 whose hop origin component is alpha acid and / or iso alpha acid.   The beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising one or more sour substances selected from the group consisting of citric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, phosphoric acid and tartaric acid.   The beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is a malt beverage.   The beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising carbon dioxide gas.   The drink of any one of Claims 1-6 whose soluble solid content concentration of a drink is 0.1-5 degree | times.   The beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the alcohol content is less than 0.01%.   A method for producing a beverage containing a bitter substance and having a pH of 4.0 or less, comprising blending 1 to 3500 ppm of glycerol.   A method for improving the taste of a beverage containing a bitter substance and having a pH of 4.0 or less, comprising blending 1 to 3500 ppm of glycerol.