JP2022115178A - Coffee beverage - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a technique relating to a coffee beverage both improved in richness and lessened in unfavorable tastes.SOLUTION: A coffee beverage has the following values, when A is a ratio of caffeine concentration to chlorogenic acid concentration (caffeine concentration/chlorogenic acid concentration, B (ppb) is guaiacol concentration, and C (ppb) is 4-ethylguaiacol concentration, (i) 4.0 or more of A and (ii) 85-300 of B/A and/or 45-200 of C/A.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

The present invention relates to coffee beverages. More specifically, it relates to a coffee beverage, a method for producing the same, and a method for reducing the unpleasant taste of coffee beverages.

Coffee beverages have a unique flavor and are widely popular as palatable beverages. Flavors that are preferred for coffee beverages include various aspects such as richness, aftertaste, and balance between sourness and sweetness. Conventionally, research and development of coffee beverages according to desired flavor have been conducted.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a coffee beverage containing specific amounts of 2-methylfuran, guaiacol and propanal from the viewpoint of obtaining strong and good coffee flavor and good aftertaste. Further, Patent Document 2 discloses that furfural and at least one selected from guaiacol, 4-ethylguaiacol and 4-vinylguaiacol are combined with each other from the viewpoint of obtaining a rich roasted aroma and a good aftertaste. A coffee extract is disclosed that contains a certain proportion of

JP 2019-146526 A JP 2011-125283 A

On the other hand, with regard to the richness of coffee beverages, it is known to increase the degree of roasting of coffee beans as a method of increasing the richness, but there is a tendency that increasing the degree of roasting to increase the richness tends to cause an unpleasant taste. rice field.
Therefore, the present inventors focused on the aroma components contained in coffee in order to achieve both improvement of richness and reduction of unpleasant taste, and conducted new intensive studies, and found that there is a ratio of caffeine concentration to chlorogenic acid concentration. Surprisingly, it was found that when the level is exceeded, the specific aroma component can effectively improve the richness of the coffee beverage while reducing the unpleasant taste.

According to the invention,
When the ratio of caffeine concentration to chlorogenic acid concentration (caffeine concentration / chlorogenic acid concentration) is A, the concentration of guaiacol is B (ppb), and the concentration of 4-ethylguaiacol is C (ppb),
(i) A is 4.0 or more;
(ii) A coffee beverage is provided having a B/A of 85-300 and/or a C/A of 45-200.

Moreover, according to the present invention,
A method for producing a coffee beverage, comprising:
When the ratio of caffeine concentration to chlorogenic acid concentration (caffeine concentration / chlorogenic acid concentration) is A, the concentration of guaiacol is B (ppb), and the concentration of 4-ethylguaiacol is C (ppb),
(i) A is 4.0 or more;
(ii) A method for producing a coffee beverage is provided, comprising the step of adjusting B/A to 85-300 and/or C/A to 45-200.

Moreover, according to the present invention,
A method for reducing the unpleasant taste of a coffee beverage,
When the ratio of caffeine concentration to chlorogenic acid concentration (caffeine concentration / chlorogenic acid concentration) is A, the concentration of guaiacol is B (ppb), and the concentration of 4-ethylguaiacol is C (ppb),
(i) A is 4.0 or more;
(ii) A method for reducing an unfavorable taste of a coffee beverage is provided, which comprises the step of adjusting B/A to 85-300 and/or C/A to 45-200.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the technique regarding the coffee drink which can make both improvement of richness and reduction of an unfavorable taste compatible can be provided.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. In this specification, the notation "a to b" in the description of numerical ranges means from a to b, unless otherwise specified.

In the present specification, "rich" means the umami and richness of the coffee drink, and "miscellaneous taste" means the discomfort and bitterness that remain on the tongue when the coffee drink is in the mouth. intended to

The concentration (content) of chlorogenic acid and the concentration (content) of caffeine in the coffee beverage can be quantified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The concentration (content) of aroma components in coffee beverages can be measured by the GC-MS method.

<Coffee drink>
In the coffee beverage of the present embodiment, the ratio of caffeine concentration to chlorogenic acid concentration (caffeine concentration/chlorogenic acid concentration) is A, guaiacol concentration is B (ppb), and 4-ethylguaiacol concentration is C (ppb). when
(i) A is 4.0 or more;
(ii) B/A is 85-300 and/or C/A is 45-200;

Here, the above chlorogenic acid and caffeine are components contained in coffee beans and contained in coffee beverages. Generally, it is known that chlorogenic acid decomposes as the roasting degree of coffee beans progresses, while caffeine remains in the coffee beans without being decomposed. Therefore, as the degree of roasting of coffee beans increases, that is, as the L value of roasted coffee beans decreases, the concentration of caffeine/chlorogenic acid contained in coffee beans increases.
Both guaiacol and 4-ethylguaiacol are known as one of the aroma components that characterize coffee beverages, and are generally contained in coffee beverages.
According to studies by the present inventor, adding guaiacol or 4-ethylguaiacol to various coffee extracts (base liquids) obtained using coffee beans reduces or increases the unpleasant taste of coffee beverages. It was found that there is Therefore, the present inventor focused on guaiacol and 4-ethylguaiacol in a certain coffee extract (base liquid), and controlling their concentrations is effective in controlling the richness and unpleasant taste of coffee beverages. I made a hypothesis and examined it. As a result, by simultaneously controlling the ratio of caffeine concentration to chlorogenic acid concentration and guaiacol concentration, or the ratio of caffeine concentration to chlorogenic acid concentration and 4-ethylguaiacol concentration, it is possible to improve richness and reduce unpleasant taste. It was found that it can be effectively realized, and the coffee beverage of this embodiment was completed.

[Caffeine concentration/chlorogenic acid concentration]
In the coffee beverage of the present embodiment, (i) A is 4.0 or more. A is preferably 4.2 or more, more preferably 4.5 or more. As a result, it is possible to achieve both an improvement in richness and a reduction in off-flavours, as well as a good coffee feeling and a satisfying drink. On the other hand, the upper limit of A is not particularly limited, but is preferably 12 or less, more preferably 10 or less, and still more preferably 9 or less from the viewpoint of maintaining coffee-like flavor.
A tends to increase as the degree of roasting of coffee beans progresses (the L value decreases). On the other hand, the above (i) can be satisfied by adding a caffeine component using a caffeine preparation or the like.

In addition, in the coffee beverage of the present embodiment, the caffeine concentration is preferably 10 to 200 mg/100 ml, more preferably 20 to 150 mg/100 ml, still more preferably 40 to 100 mg/100 ml, even more preferably 50 to 80 mg/100 ml. .
By setting the caffeine concentration to be equal to or higher than the above lower limit, it becomes easier to improve the richness. On the other hand, by setting the caffeine concentration to be equal to or less than the above upper limit, a good balance can be maintained between improving the richness and reducing the unpleasant taste.

[guaiacol]
Guaiacol, also known as 2-methoxyphenol, is used in the artificial synthesis of vanillin and the like, and is an aroma component known as a dark-roasted coffee-like aroma component.
Further, in the coffee beverage of the present embodiment, (ii) B/A is 85 to 300, preferably 90 or more, more preferably 100 or more. As a result, it is possible to improve the richness while reducing the unpleasant taste. In addition, it is possible to improve the balance between the feeling of coffee and the chewiness of the drink. On the other hand, B/A is preferably 280 or less, and more preferably 250 or less from the viewpoint of obtaining more richness.
Further, the concentration B of guaiacol in the coffee beverage of the present embodiment is preferably 100-2500 ppb, more preferably 200-2000 ppb.

[4-ethylguaiacol]
4-Ethylguaiacol, also called 2-methoxy-4-ethylphenol, is an aroma component known as a dark-roasted coffee-like aroma component.
In the coffee beverage of the present embodiment, C/A is 45-200, preferably 50 or more, more preferably 70 or more. As a result, it is possible to improve the richness while reducing the unpleasant taste. In addition, it is possible to improve the balance between the feeling of coffee and the chewiness of the drink. On the other hand, C/A is preferably 160 or less.
The concentration C of 4-ethylguaiacol in the coffee beverage of the present embodiment is preferably 50 to 2000 ppb, more preferably 80 to 1500 ppb, even more preferably 100 to 1200 ppb.

In this embodiment, the above A, B/A, and C/A are caffeine, guaiacol, and 4-ethyl for a coffee extract obtained by a known method for adjusting the degree of roasting of coffee beans. It is adjusted by adding guaiacol separately.

[Coffee drink]
The coffee beverage of the present embodiment is a beverage made from ingredients extracted or eluted from coffee beans (coffee content) and a beverage to which other ingredients are added, and a beverage that gives a coffee flavor when drunk. is. In addition, as stated in the "Fair Competition Code Concerning Labeling of Coffee-Containing Beverages" enacted in 1977, beverages made from coffee beans, sugars, dairy products, emulsified edible oils and fats, etc. edible beverages in sealed containers. In this embodiment, even if the amount of coffee beans used is less than 1% by weight in terms of green beans, a beverage that gives a coffee flavor when drunk is treated as a coffee beverage.

The above coffee beans are not particularly limited, and include cultivated tree species such as Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica. In addition, types of coffee beans are not particularly limited, and include Mocha, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Blue Mountain, Kona, Mandelin, and Kilimanjaro. One type of coffee beans may be used, or two or more types may be blended and used.
Conditions such as roasting temperature and roasting environment of coffee beans are not particularly limited, and ordinary methods can be adopted. In addition, the extraction method using roasted coffee beans is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include drip, siphon, boiling, jet, and continuous methods.

Here, the method for adding coffee to the coffee beverage of the present embodiment is not particularly limited and can be appropriately set by those skilled in the art. For example, using a solution (coffee extract) obtained by extracting ground roasted coffee beans with water or hot water, a coffee extract obtained by concentrating coffee extract, or instant coffee obtained by drying coffee extract, these A method of adding one or two or more of them to a beverage can be exemplified.
The ground roasted coffee beans include coarse ground, medium ground, fine ground, etc., and are not particularly limited.
On the other hand, according to the "Fair Competition Code Concerning Labeling of Drinking Milk", as of 2017, those containing ingredients with a milk solids content of 3.0% or more by weight percentage will be treated as milk beverages. However, since the coffee beverage according to the present embodiment is a beverage made from coffee beans, it is treated as a coffee beverage even if it contains a component with a milk solid content of 3.0% or more by weight percentage. It is assumed that

The lower limit of the content of coffee-soluble solids in the coffee beverage is preferably 0.5% by mass or more, more preferably 0.9% by mass or more, and still more preferably 1% by mass in order to obtain coffee-like flavor and deliciousness. % or more.
On the other hand, the upper limit of the content of coffee-soluble solids in the coffee beverage is preferably 2.5% by mass or less, more preferably 2.3% by mass or less, from the viewpoint of maintaining a good coffee feeling. , more preferably 2.0% by mass or less.

The coffee beverage may be a milk-free black coffee beverage (whether sugar-containing or sugar-free), and if necessary, a milk-containing coffee beverage containing one or more types of milk. There may be.

[Other ingredients]
Furthermore, the coffee beverage of the present embodiment contains aroma components other than the above, milk, sweeteners, acidulants, emulsifiers, pH adjusters (sodium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate, etc.), as long as the effects of the present invention can be obtained. , fruit juice, various nutritional components, coloring agents, diluents, antioxidants, thickening stabilizers, and the like.

Examples of the milk include raw milk, whole milk powder, skimmed milk powder, fresh cream, concentrated milk, partially skimmed milk, condensed milk, powdered milk, and fermented milk. These may be used individually by 1 type, and may be used in mixture of 2 or more types.
In the case of a milk-containing coffee beverage, the milk content is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of obtaining a good milk flavor and a good richness, milk solids (milk fat and non-fat milk solids combined) The amount is preferably 0.5 to 3.5% by mass, more preferably 0.8 to 2.5% by mass, and the milk solids content is 1.5% by mass. More preferably 0 to 2.0% by mass.

Examples of the sweeteners include saccharides composed of monosaccharides and disaccharides, oligosaccharides (about 2 to 10 monosaccharides combined), fructose-glucose liquid sugar, high-fructose liquid sugar, honey, sugar alcohols, xylitol, and D- low intensity sweeteners such as sorbitol; high intensity sweeteners such as thaumatin, stevia extract, disodium glycyrrhizinate, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, aspartame, saccharin, neotame, and sodium saccharin; These may use only 1 type and may use 2 or more types together.

In particular, the coffee beverage of the present embodiment preferably contains sugars of 2.0 g/100 ml or less, more preferably 1.5 g/100 ml or less, and even more preferably 1.3 g/100 ml or less. This makes it possible to more significantly improve the richness and reduce the unpleasant taste.
Here, it is generally known that the inclusion of saccharides in coffee beverages tends to improve the richness of the beverage and mask the off-flavours. On the other hand, in the coffee beverage of the present embodiment, in order to satisfy the conditions shown in (i) and (ii) above, even if the sugar content is 2.0 g/100 ml or less, both improvement in richness and reduction in off-flavours are achieved. can do.
Examples of the above sugars include monosaccharides such as glucose, galactose and fructose, and disaccharides such as sucrose (including sugar and granulated sugar), lactose, maltose, and starch syrup (including glucose and maltose). .

[container]
The container used for the coffee beverage of the present embodiment includes a sealed container made of a single substance such as glass, paper, plastic (polyethylene terephthalate, etc.), aluminum, steel, or a composite or laminated material thereof. The type of container is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include PET bottles, aluminum cans, steel cans, paper packs, chilled cups, and bottles. Steel cans are preferable from the viewpoint of retaining the flavor of the coffee beverage, and capped PET bottles, steel cans, and aluminum cans are preferable from the viewpoint of being lightweight and capable of being re-plugged.
The volume of the coffee beverage is not particularly limited, but is preferably 100 to 2000 g, more preferably 100 to 500 g from the viewpoint of easy drinking.

The method of heat sterilization of a packaged coffee beverage is not particularly limited, but in Japan, it is heat sterilized in accordance with the provisions of the Food Sanitation Law. Specifically, after sterilizing at a high temperature for a short time, a method of filling a storage container that has been sterilized under aseptic conditions (UHT sterilization method), and a method of filling a storage container such as a can with the prepared solution and then retorting and retort sterilization.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these are examples of the present invention, and various configurations other than those described above can be employed.

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described below with reference to Examples and Comparative Examples, but the present invention is not limited to these.

<Method for analyzing aroma components>
10 mL of each coffee beverage to be analyzed was placed in a solid phase microextraction (SPME) vial preloaded with 3 g of NaCl and capped. After shaking each vial at 40° C. for 5 minutes, a fiber for SPME (DVB/CAR/PDMS, Stableflex 23Ga (Gray) 50/30 μm: manufactured by SIGMA-ALDRICH) was exposed to the headspace in the vial.
Volatile components were adsorbed on the fiber at 40° C. for 30 minutes, then desorbed at the inlet for 3 minutes, and analyzed by GC/MS. A calibration curve was prepared by the standard addition method, and cyclohexanol was used as an internal standard.
[GC/MS analysis conditions]
GC: 7890A manufactured by Agilent Technologies.
MS: 5975C manufactured by Agilent Technologies.
Column: DB-WAX UI 30 m×0.25 mm manufactured by Agilent Technologies, film thickness 0.25 μm.
Constant pressure mode: 122 KPa. Injection method: splitless. Carrier gas: He.
Inlet temperature: 240°C. Transfer line: 240°C.
Oven temperature: 40°C (5 min) → 5°C/min → 240°C (0 min).
MS conditions: scan mode
Quantitative ion: guaiacol m/z 81,
4-ethylguaiacol m/z 152,
Cyclohexanol (internal standard) m/z82

<Analysis conditions for caffeine and chlorogenic acid>
Samples were obtained by filtering each coffee beverage with an ultrafiltration filter unit (Amicon Ultra) at 1000 rpm for 30 minutes. Next, the content of caffeine (mg/100 ml) and the content of chlorogenic acid (mg/100 ml) in 100 ml of the sample were measured using UHPLC (Nexera (Shimadzu Corporation), detector: PDA) as follows. Measured according to conditions.
Column: ZORBAX Eclipse Plus C18 (Agilent Technologies, Inc.)
Column oven temperature: 45°C
Mobile phase: ultrapure water containing 0.2% phosphoric acid and 8% methanol
Pump flow rate: 1.0ml/min
Injection volume: 3 μl
Cell temperature control temperature: 40°C
From each peak area, based on the area value of standard substances (caffeine: CAS58-08-2, Wako Pure Chemical, chlorogenic acid: CAS 327-97-9, SIGMA-ALDRICH), caffeine content, chlorogenic acid Content was determined.

[Test 1: Examination of richness and miscellaneous taste when B and C are varied]
<Examples 1 to 13, Comparative Examples 1 to 13>
(1) Preparation of control products Roasted coffee beans (mixture of Brazilian and Vietnamese) and three types of roasted coffee beans with different degrees of roasting (L value: 17.4, 20.1, 23.1) prepared. For each roasted coffee bean, Brazilian coffee beans and Vietnamese coffee beans with different L values were blended at the following weight ratios.
・ Roasted coffee beans L value: 23.1 (Brazil L value 24: Vietnam L value 21 = 7: 3)
L value: 20.1 (Brazil L value 21: Vietnam L value 18 = 7: 3)
L value: 17.4 (Brazil L value 18: Vietnam L value 16 = 7: 3)
55 g of each roasted coffee bean was extracted with 440 g of hot water at 95° C. to obtain each coffee extract.
Next, each coffee extract is mixed with sugar, milk (milk solid content 12.2% by mass), emulsifier, sodium caseinate, baking soda, acesulfame potassium, and sucralose, sealed and filled into cans, and retort sterilized. , each coffee beverage (control products 1 to 5; sugars 0.5 g/100 ml) having each component concentration shown in Table 1 was prepared. Moreover, control products 3 and 5 were added with caffeine formulations so that the concentrations shown in Table 1 were obtained.

(2) Guaiacol or 4-ethylguaiacol was added to each control product at concentrations shown in Tables 2 to 6 to prepare each coffee drink.

(3) Sensory evaluation The following sensory evaluation was performed using the obtained coffee beverage. The results are shown in Tables 2-6.
・Sensory evaluation: Each coffee drink (20 ° C) was tasted by 5 or more coffee specialist panels, and according to the following evaluation criteria, 7 for each of “miscellaneous taste”, “coffee feeling”, “drinking response”, and “richness” A graded evaluation (1 to 7 points) was performed and the average score was obtained. Moreover, when evaluating, the reference value of each control product (contrast) was set to 4 points.

・Evaluation criteria 7 points: Very strong compared to the control product 6 points: Stronger than the control product 5 points: Slightly stronger than the control product 4 points: Equivalent to the control product 3 points: Slightly weaker than the control product 2 points: weaker than the control product 1 point: very weaker than the control product

[Test 2: Examination of richness and miscellaneous taste when the sugar concentration is varied]
<Reference Examples 1 to 3>
A coffee extract was similarly obtained using the roasted coffee beans (L value: 17.4) used in Test 1 above. Next, each coffee beverage was mixed with sugar, milk, emulsifier, sodium caseinate, baking soda, acesulfame potassium, and sucralose so as to have the concentration of each component shown in Table 7, sealed, filled into cans, and subjected to retort sterilization. was made.
Next, sensory evaluation was performed in the same manner as in Test 1 above. Table 7 shows the results.

From Table 7, with respect to 0.5 g / 100 ml of sugars, as the sugars are changed to 1.25 g / 100 ml, 2.5 g / 100 ml, and 4.5 g / 100 ml, it is understood that the taste is reduced and the richness is increased. rice field. In other words, it becomes difficult to obtain the effect of reducing the unpleasant taste and the effect of improving the richness by reducing the sugar content. From Tables 2 to 6, it was confirmed that the coffee beverages of the Examples sufficiently achieved the effect of reducing the unfavorable taste and the effect of improving the richness even when the sugar content was 0.5 g/100 ml.

Claims (10)

When the ratio of caffeine concentration to chlorogenic acid concentration (caffeine concentration / chlorogenic acid concentration) is A, the concentration of guaiacol is B (ppb), and the concentration of 4-ethylguaiacol is C (ppb),
(i) A is 4.0 or more;
(ii) A coffee beverage having a B/A of 85-300 and/or a C/A of 45-200. The coffee beverage according to claim 1, wherein the guaiacol concentration is 100-2500 ppb. A coffee beverage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the concentration of said 4-ethylguaiacol is 50-2000 ppb. 4. The coffee beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sugar content is 2.0g/100ml or less. 5. Coffee beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which contains milk. 6. The coffee beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 5, packaged. A method for producing a coffee beverage, comprising:
When the ratio of caffeine concentration to chlorogenic acid concentration (caffeine concentration / chlorogenic acid concentration) is A, the concentration of guaiacol is B (ppb), and the concentration of 4-ethylguaiacol is C (ppb),
(i) A is 4.0 or more;
(ii) A method for producing a coffee beverage, comprising the step of adjusting B/A to 85-300 and/or C/A to 45-200. further comprising obtaining a coffee extract from the coffee beans;
8. The method for producing a coffee beverage according to claim 7, wherein in the preparing step, one or more selected from caffeine, guaiacol and 4-ethylguaiacol are added to the coffee extract. A method for reducing the unpleasant taste of a coffee beverage,
When the ratio of caffeine concentration to chlorogenic acid concentration (caffeine concentration / chlorogenic acid concentration) is A, the concentration of guaiacol is B (ppb), and the concentration of 4-ethylguaiacol is C (ppb),
(i) A is 4.0 or more;
(ii) A method for reducing the unfavorable taste of a coffee beverage, which comprises the step of adjusting B/A to 85-300 and/or C/A to 45-200. further comprising obtaining a coffee extract from the coffee beans;
10. The coffee beverage according to claim 9, wherein one or more selected from caffeine, guaiacol and 4-ethylguaiacol is added to the coffee extract in the step of preparing. Method.