JP2020198816A - Tea beverage containing milk component and methyl salicylate - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a milk component-containing tea beverage having a sweetness of 1 to 6, where the reduction of the freshness of milk due to a heat sterilization treatment is suppressed.SOLUTION: A milk component-containing tea beverage having a sweetness of 1 to 6 is provided with 50 ppb or more of methyl salicylate and subjected to a heat sterilization treatment.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

The present invention relates to a tea beverage containing a milk component, and more particularly to a heat-sterilized tea beverage containing a milk component having an improved freshness of milk.

Compared to conventional tea beverages that do not contain milk components, tea beverages that contain milk components, such as milk black tea, have a high palatability because they can feel the original taste of tea as well as the freshness and richness of milk. It is one of the beverages. Packaged beverages in which a tea beverage containing a milk component is filled in a sealed container are also widely sold so that consumers can easily drink such a tea beverage containing a milk component.

Today, in the market for packaged beverages, refillable and lightweight PET bottle containers are the mainstream, and there are many styles in which people drink for a long time while carrying them while moving. According to such a style, in recent years, there has been a tendency that tea beverages containing a rich milk component with a strong sweetness are preferred to those having a refreshing taste with less sweetness.

On the other hand, in the manufacturing process of a milk component-containing beverage to be packed in a container, a heat sterilization step for guaranteeing microorganisms is required, and it is conventionally known that this heat sterilization step generates a heat-deteriorated odor derived from the milk component. Was there. As a technique for improving the unpleasant flavor due to heat deterioration of milk components, for example, milk-heated odor generated when ethyl isovalerate is added to a beverage containing milk and the beverage is sterilized at high temperature and / or stored in a heated state. And a method of suppressing an oxidative odor are disclosed (Patent Document 1). Further, as a method for preventing deterioration of milk-containing foods and drinks due to heating, a method of adding a refined product obtained by purifying an extract of black tea leaves with an adsorbent to a milk-containing beverage is disclosed (Patent Document 2). .. Further, a method of adding an extract of a Labiatae plant belonging to the genus Menta to a black tea beverage containing milk to suppress a deteriorated odor due to heating of a food or drink containing milk is disclosed (Patent Document 3). Further, a method of adding tocopherol, rutin and ascorbic acid to a milk beverage to suppress deterioration of milk components under conditions of heating or exposure to light is also disclosed (Patent Document 4). However, these methods are not always sufficient as a method for improving the freshness of milk.

By the way, methyl salicylate is a component contained in many essential oils such as winter green oil, and is used as a flavor for toothpaste, oral fragrance, root beer type, strawberry, and grapefruit type. As a method for improving the flavor of a beverage using methyl salicylate, it is disclosed that methyl salicylate is effective in suppressing the unpleasant taste of lycopene during drinking in a tomato-containing beverage (Patent Document 5).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-75178 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-2000569 JP-A-2009-45021 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-86216 JP-A-2018-27100

In the process of developing a milk component-containing tea beverage to be heat-sterilized, the present inventors significantly reduce the freshness of milk in the milk component-containing tea beverage by the heat sterilization treatment when the sweetness of the beverage is 1 to 6. I found that. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a tea beverage containing milk components having a sweetness of 1 to 6 in which reduction in freshness of milk due to heat sterilization is suppressed.

As a result of diligent studies to solve the above problems, the present inventors reduced the freshness of milk after heat sterilization in the tea beverage by adding methyl salicylate to the tea beverage containing a milk component to be sterilized by heating. It was found that a particularly excellent effect was obtained with respect to the improvement of. Based on such findings, the present inventors have completed the present invention.

The present invention is not limited to this, but relates to the following.
(1) A tea beverage that has been heat sterilized and contains milk components.
(A) The sweetness of the beverage is 1 to 6,
(B) Contains 50 ppb or more of methyl salicylate.
The above tea beverage.
(2) The beverage according to (1), which comprises a black tea extract.

According to the present invention, in a tea beverage containing a milk component having a sweetness of 1 to 6, it is possible to suppress a reduction in the freshness of milk due to heat sterilization treatment. Thereby, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a heat-sterilized packaged tea beverage having a refreshing taste with suppressed sweetness while also feeling the freshness and richness of milk as well as the taste of tea.

The beverage of the present invention will be described below. Unless otherwise specified, "%" and "ppb" used in the present specification mean% of weight / weight (w / w) and ppb, respectively. Further, in the present specification, the numerical range represented by the lower limit value and the upper limit value, that is, "lower limit value to upper limit value" shall include those lower limit value and upper limit value. For example, the range represented by "1-2" includes 1 and 2.

One aspect of the present invention is a heat-sterilized tea beverage containing a milk component.
(A) The sweetness of the beverage is 1 to 6,
(B) Contains 50 ppb or more of methyl salicylate.
The above tea beverage. As described above, the tea beverage of the present invention can suppress the reduction of the freshness of milk due to the heat sterilization treatment. Here, in the present specification, the freshness of milk means a bluish fresh aroma derived from milk. Although not bound by any particular theory, the reduction in the freshness of milk by heat sterilization is such that the sweet aroma of milk produced by heating and the aroma of tea combine to produce when rice is cooked. Smell is generated, which is thought to mask the bluish fresh scent.

(Milk component)
The beverage of the present invention contains a milk component. Here, the milk component is a component derived from milk and is a component added to give a milk flavor or a milky feeling to a tea beverage. In the present invention, the raw material containing a milk component is not particularly limited, but for example, milk, condensed milk, skim milk, reduced milk (reduced milk reduced from whole milk powder, skim milk powder or prepared milk powder), concentrated whey, concentrated milk, Creams and vegetable milks (soy milk, almond milk, etc.) can be used. As the raw material containing a milk component, only one kind may be used, or two or more kinds may be used in combination as needed. Further, as the raw material, not only a liquid but also a powder can be used. In the present invention, milk is preferably used as a raw material containing a milk component.

The content of the milk component in the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the concentration is such that the flavor of milk can be perceived. The content of the milk component in the beverage of the present invention can be defined by the amount of milk protein contained in the milk component. Here, in the present specification, the milk protein refers to a protein derived from a milk component, that is, a polymer compound in which amino acids are polymerized, and the polymer compound in the milk protein in the present invention is decomposed by treatment with an enzyme or the like. Various peptides and various amino acids are also included. The milk protein in the present invention also includes a protein derived from a milk component contained in vegetable milk.

The content of milk protein in the beverage of the present invention is, for example, 0.1 g / 100 mL or more, preferably 0.2 g / 100 mL or more, and more preferably 0.3 g / 100 mL or more. If the milk protein content in the beverage is less than 0.1 g / 100 mL, the perceived milk flavor in the beverage tends to be unsatisfactory. The content of milk protein in the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 2.0 g / 100 mL or less, preferably 1.5 g / 100 mL or less, and more preferably 1.2 g / 100 mL or less. If the content exceeds 2.0 g / 100 mL, the effect of suppressing microbial growth in long-term storage by heat sterilization may be insufficient depending on the distribution form of the beverage. The content of the milk component in the beverage of the present invention can be adjusted so that the content of the milk protein is within the above range. The content of milk protein in the beverage of the present invention can be calculated by measuring each protein in the milk component contained in the beverage by a method known to those skilled in the art, or "Food Labeling Standards (Heisei). It can be measured by the nitrogen quantitative conversion method (combustion method, etc.) described in "Analysis method of attached nutritional components, etc." of "September 21, 2018 Food Consumption Table No. 492)".

(Sweetness)
The sweetness of the beverage of the present invention is 1-6. As described above, when the sweetness of the tea beverage containing the milk component is 1 to 6, the freshness of the milk is remarkably reduced by the heat sterilization treatment, and the problem of the present invention is remarkably shown. When the sweetness of the beverage is less than 1, the reduction in the freshness of milk by the heat sterilization treatment tends to be hardly perceived. On the other hand, when the sweetness of the beverage exceeds 6, the freshness of the milk itself in the tea beverage containing a milk component is weak, so that the reduction of the freshness of the milk by the heat sterilization treatment tends not to be a problem. The sweetness of the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 2 to 6, more preferably 3 to 5, and even more preferably 3 to 4.

The degree of sweetness in the present specification is an index showing the sweetness of a beverage, in which the sweetness of a beverage containing 1 g of sucrose in 100 g of the beverage is set to "1". The sweetness of the beverage is such that the content of each sweet component is converted into an equivalent amount of sucrose based on the relative ratio of the sweetness of the sweet component to the sweetness 1 of sucrose, and then all contained in the beverage. It is obtained by totaling the amount of sucrose sweetness equivalent (including sweetness components derived from fruit juice and extracts) of the sweetness component of. The relative ratio of sweetness of various typical sweetness components to sweetness 1 of sucrose is shown in the table below. For sweetness components not listed in the table below, the sweetness degree presented by the manufacturer that manufactures or sells the sweetness component can be used, or the sweetness degree can be obtained from the sensory evaluation.

In the beverage of the present invention, the sweetness of the beverage can be adjusted by using the sweetness component. As the sweetness component, for example, the sweetness components listed in the above table can be used, but other sweetness components may be used. Further, these sweetening components may be directly added to the beverage as a sweetener, or raw materials containing the sweetening components, such as fruit juice and extracts, may be added. The preferred sweetness component of the beverage of the present invention is a monosaccharide (glucose, fructose) and a disaccharide (maltose, sucrose, lactose), and a more preferable sweetness component is sucrose. The beverage of the present invention preferably does not contain a high-sweetness sweetener, but when a high-sweetness sweetener is used, the sweetness derived from the high-sweetness sweetener is preferably 50 with respect to the total sweetness in the beverage. It is desired to adjust it so that it is% or less, more preferably 30% or less, and further preferably 10% or less. Although the effect of the present invention is not lost even if a high-sweetness sweetener is contained, the high-sweetness sweetener may mask the freshness of milk and make it difficult to perceive. The high-sweetness sweetener referred to in the present specification means an artificial or natural sweetener having a sweetness ten times or more that of sucrose, and examples thereof include sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, and stevia. Be done.

The beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention are exhibited, but the total content of monosaccharides and disaccharides in the beverage, that is, glucose, fructose, maltose, sucrose and lactose is, for example, 1. It can be adjusted to be ~ 7% by weight, preferably 2-6% by weight, more preferably 3-5% by weight.

The beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but the type and concentration of the sweetening component are adjusted so that the Brix value is 2 to 12 ° Bx, preferably 3 to 9 ° Bx, and more preferably 5 to 7 ° Bx. Can be adjusted. The Brix value of a beverage can be measured using a commercially available sugar content meter, refractometer, or the like. In the present specification, the Brix value means a value obtained by converting the refractive index measured at 20 ° C. into the mass / mass percent of the sucrose solution based on the conversion table of ICUMSA (International Sugar Analysis Unified Committee). .. The unit of the Brix value is displayed as "° Bx", "%" or "degree".

(Methyl salicylate)
The beverage of the present invention contains a specific amount of methyl salicylate. This makes it possible to improve the reduction of the freshness of milk due to the heat sterilization treatment in the milk component-containing tea beverage. Methyl salicylate is a type of phenol and is a compound specified by CAS Registry Number 119-36-8 (IUPAC name: methyl 2-hydroxybenzoate). The content of methyl salicylate in the beverage of the present invention is 50 ppb or more, preferably 110 to 1500 ppb, more preferably 120 to 1000 ppb, still more preferably 130 to 500 ppb. If the content of methyl salicylate in the beverage is less than 50 ppb, the effect of the present invention tends not to be sufficiently obtained. On the other hand, if the content of methyl salicylate in the beverage exceeds 1500 ppb, the flavor derived from methyl salicylate may become too strong and the taste of the beverage itself may be impaired, and as a result, the effect of the present invention tends not to be sufficiently obtained. It is in.

In the beverage of the present invention, the ratio of the methyl salicylate content to the milk protein content (methyl salicylate content / milk protein content) is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 0.002 × 10 ^-3 or more, preferably 0.002 × 10 ^-3 or more. It is 0.014 × 10 ^-3 or more, more preferably 0.019 × 10 ^-3 or more.

The content of methyl salicylate in the beverage of the present invention can be measured by a known GC-MS method. However, in the present invention, the column is a highly polar column (manufactured by Azilent Technologies, DB-WaxUI), the extraction method is a solid-phase microextraction method (manufactured by CTC Analytics, SPME-Arrow Carbon WR / PDMS), and the detector is high. It is preferable to use a resolution mass spectrometer (Q Active GC Orbitrap manufactured by Thermo Fisher Scientific Co., Ltd.).

The methyl salicylate used in the present invention is not particularly limited, but may be a crude product or a crude product. For example, it may be a natural product containing methyl salicylate or a processed product thereof (plant extract, essential oil, fermented plant product, concentrate thereof, etc.). More specific examples include fruit juices and extracts in addition to flavors containing methyl salicylate. Since the amount added to the beverage as a raw material is small, the use of a flavor containing methyl salicylate is a preferable example.

(Tea drink)
The beverage of the present invention is a tea beverage containing a milk component. As used herein, the term tea beverage means a beverage containing a tea extract. Here, the tea extract is a concept that includes a tea extract, a concentrate thereof, and a purified product thereof, and these can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The tea extract consists of teas such as green tea, black tea, oolong tea, and puer tea produced mainly using leaves and stems of tea plant (scientific name: Camellia sinensis), and brown rice, wheat, and other various plant materials. It can be obtained by extracting a blended material or raw materials such as leaves, stems, underground stems, roots, flowers, and fruits of various plants other than tea plants, or a blended product thereof with an aqueous solvent. Further, the concentrate of the tea extract is obtained, for example, by removing a part of water from the tea extract extracted from tea leaves with hot water or a water-soluble organic solvent and, in some cases, purifying the tea extract, and the form thereof is solid. , Aqueous solution, slurry and the like. The tea extract contained in the tea beverage of the present invention is preferably a black tea extract because of its compatibility with milk components.

The content of the tea extract in the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited. When a tea extract is used as the tea extract, its content is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 1 to 50% by weight from the viewpoint of tea flavor. When a concentrated or purified product of the tea extract is used, the content thereof is not particularly limited, but can be 0.05 to 10% by weight. When a black tea extract is used as the tea extract, the beverage of the present invention contains tannins. In that case, the content of tannin in the beverage is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 0.02 to 0.25% by weight, preferably 0.03 to 0.2% by weight, and more preferably 0.04 to 0% by weight. .15% by weight. The content of the black tea extract in the beverage of the present invention can be adjusted so that the content of tannin is within the above range. The content of tannin in beverages can be measured according to the official method (iron tartrate acid test method) described in "Explanation of the 5th Edition Japanese Food Standard Ingredients Analysis Manual" (Central Regulations; July 2001, p. 252). it can.

(Heat sterilization)
The beverage of the present invention is a tea beverage that has been heat sterilized. The conditions of the heat sterilization treatment in the present invention are not particularly limited, but can be, for example, a heating temperature and a heating time such that the F value is 4 to 100. The F value is a heating time (minutes) required to kill a certain number of microorganisms at a reference temperature (121.1 ° C.), and is defined as a heating time at 121.1 ° C. For example, the sterilization condition equivalent to F = 1 is 10 minutes at 111.1 ° C., 1 minute at 121.1 ° C., and the sterilization condition equivalent to F = 20 is 20 minutes at 121.1 ° C., 137. At 2 ° C, it can be set to 30 seconds. In the present invention, the heating temperature of the heat sterilization treatment is not particularly limited, but can be adjusted to, for example, 110 to 150 ° C. As a specific example, when a heat-resistant container (metal can, glass, etc.) is used as the container, retort sterilization (110 to 140 ° C., for 1 to several tens of minutes) can be performed. When a non-heat resistant container (PET bottle, paper container, etc.) is used as the container, for example, the preparation solution is sterilized in advance at a high temperature for a short time using a plate heat exchanger or the like (UHT sterilization: 110-150 ° C., 1 to several. After cooling to a certain temperature for 10 seconds), the non-heat resistant container can be filled.

(PH)
The pH of the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 5.0 to 8.0, and more preferably 6.0 to 7.0, from the viewpoint of guaranteeing microorganisms in the beverage. The pH of the beverage can be appropriately adjusted by using a pH adjusting agent such as sodium citrate, sodium hydroxide, or baking soda. The pH of the beverage can be measured using a commercially available pH meter.

(Other ingredients)
In addition to the various ingredients shown above, the beverage of the present invention can contain ingredients generally used in beverages. For example, although not particularly limited, flavors, acidulants, minerals, nutrient enhancers, antioxidants, emulsifiers, preservatives, extracts, dietary fiber, quality stabilizers and the like are added as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired. be able to.

(Beverage in a container)
The beverage of the present invention is preferably a packaged beverage in a state of being packed in a container. The container for filling the beverage is not particularly limited, and for example, PET bottles, aluminum cans, steel cans, paper packs, chilled cups, bottles and the like can be used. From the viewpoint of convenience or convenience, a container that is lightweight, easy to carry, and can be re-plugged, for example, a container such as a PET bottle is preferable.

(Production method)
The beverage of the present invention can be produced by appropriately blending the above-mentioned components. In the production of the beverage of the present invention, the blending order of various components is not particularly limited. Further, in the production of the beverage of the present invention, a step of blending the above-mentioned components and materials and a step of adjusting their contents can also be included. Various factors such as the types of components in the beverage and the content thereof in the production of the beverage of the present invention are as described above for the beverage of the present invention, or are obvious from them.

Further, in the production of the beverage of the present invention, a step of heat-sterilizing the beverage is included, and a step of bottling the beverage as needed can also be included. can do. The methods and conditions for heat sterilization and containerization of the beverage of the present invention are also as described above for the beverage of the present invention, or are obvious from them.

Hereinafter, the details of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to experimental examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Further, in the present specification, unless otherwise specified, the numerical range is described as including the end points thereof.

<Reference example>
In water, black tea extract ("Instant Tea CWS509"; Marubeni food; tannin content 17% by weight), milk (milk protein 3.3 g / 100 mL, milk solids 11.9 g / 100 mL, lactose 5 g / 100 mL), and Sugar was added to prepare a milk-containing tea beverage totaling 1 kg. Then, various beverages were heat-sterilized under the condition that the F value was 4, and filled in a 500 mL PET bottle container to prepare a packaged beverage. The final concentrations of various components in the beverage are shown in the table below. The pH of the beverage was 6.6.

A sensory evaluation was performed on the freshness of the milk of various beverages before the heat sterilization treatment and various beverages after the heat treatment. The sensory evaluation was evaluated by three specialized panelists according to the following criteria.
4: Very strong milk freshness 3: Strong milk freshness 2: Weak milk freshness 1: No milk freshness

The results of the sensory evaluation were as described above, and the evaluation results of all the panelists were in agreement. From the above results, it was found that the freshness of milk was reduced by the heat sterilization treatment in the tea beverage containing milk components having a sweetness of 1 to 6.

<Experimental example 1>
Various tea beverages containing 1 kg of milk components shown in the table below were prepared, heat-sterilized under the condition that the F value was 4, and filled in a 500 mL PET bottle container to prepare a packaged beverage. The same tea extract and milk as above are used as raw materials, and in addition to milk, skim milk powder (milk protein 34 g / 100 g, lactose 48 g / 100 g) and soy milk (milk protein 3.6 g / 100 mL, sucrose 0) are used. .8 g / 100 mL) was used. The isomerized sugar used had a sugar content of 75% by weight and a ratio of fructose to glucose (fructose: glucose) of 55:45. The final concentrations of various components in the beverage are shown in the table below.

A sensory evaluation was performed by three specialized panelists on the change in the freshness of milk in the beverage after the heat sterilization treatment as compared with the beverage before the heat sterilization treatment. The sensory evaluation was evaluated by each panelist based on a four-level evaluation standard (1: reduced to 4: similar), and then all panelists discussed and decided the final evaluation result. The standard for the score 1 was sample 2-1.

The results are as described above, and it was shown that when a specific amount of methyl salicylate was contained in a tea beverage containing a milk component, the reduction in the freshness of milk due to the heat sterilization treatment was suppressed.

<Experimental example 2>
As shown in the table below, a black tea beverage containing a total amount of 1 kg of black tea fragrance and milk components is prepared, heat sterilized under the condition that the F value is 60, and filled in a 500 mL PET bottle container to prepare a packaged beverage. did. As the raw material black tea extract, a black tea extract prepared by extracting commercially available black tea leaves with hot water and having a Brix of 1.5 was used. Moreover, the same milk and skim milk powder as in Experimental Example 1 were used. The final concentrations of various components in the beverage are shown in the table below. In addition, in Sample 3-2, methyl salicylate was added so that the concentration of methyl salicylate in the beverage was increased by 150 ppb with respect to Sample 3-1.

Using the same method and evaluation criteria as in Experimental Example 1, sensory evaluation was performed on the change in the freshness of milk in the beverage after the heat sterilization treatment as compared with the beverage before the heat sterilization treatment.

The results are as described above, and it was shown that when a specific amount of methyl salicylate was contained in a black tea beverage containing a milk component, the reduction in the freshness of milk due to the heat sterilization treatment was suppressed.

Claims (2)

A tea beverage that has been heat sterilized and contains milk components.
(A) The sweetness of the beverage is 1 to 6,
(B) Contains 50 ppb or more of methyl salicylate.
The above tea beverage. The beverage according to claim 1, which comprises a black tea extract.