JP2023079755A - Citrus flavor beverage and method for producing citrus flavor beverage - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a citrus flavor beverage having good drinkability in a lasting manner.SOLUTION: A method for producing a citrus flavor beverage includes the step for blending characteristic flavor components of not more than 20 kinds of citrus fruits. Apart from the step, no step is included to blend characteristic flavor components of citrus fruits.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a citrus-flavored beverage and a method for producing a citrus-flavored beverage.

Among bottled carbonated alcoholic beverages typified by chuhai, cocktail-taste beverages, and the like, citrus-flavored beverages imparted with citrus flavors such as lemon, grapefruit, and shikuwasa are particularly popular. This is probably because consumers have become familiar with the flavor of citrus fruits since childhood, and the refreshing flavor and refreshing taste of citrus fruits are well compatible with carbonated alcoholic beverages.

Citrus-flavored beverages are known to be beverages made by blending citrus fruit juices, flavors, and the like, and containing a wide variety of aroma components derived from citrus fruits. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-83412 (Patent Document 1) describes a citrus flavored carbonated alcoholic beverage with or without fruit juice, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-213564 (Patent Document 2) describes a citrus flavor. A citrus-flavored non-alcoholic beverage containing

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-83412 JP 2019-213564 A

The present inventor has verified various evaluations of commercially available citrus-flavored beverages, and found that the ease of drinking of any citrus-flavored beverage tends to decrease by repeatedly drinking one or two sips. I found out.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a citrus-flavored beverage that maintains excellent drinkability.

As a result of intensive studies to solve the above problems, the present inventors have found that by reducing the types of characteristic citrus flavor components contained in citrus-flavored beverages, the ease of drinking citrus-flavored beverages can be improved. The inventors have found that the ease of use persists, and have completed the present invention.

Therefore, the first aspect of the present invention is a method for producing a citrus-flavored beverage, which includes a step of adding 20 or less kinds of characteristic flavor components of citrus fruits, and does not include a step of adding characteristic flavor components of citrus fruits other than the above steps. is.

In a preferred embodiment of the method for producing a citrus-flavored beverage according to the first aspect of the present invention, said citrus is lemon.

In another preferred embodiment of the method for producing a citrus-flavored beverage according to the first aspect of the present invention, 1,4-cineol, limonene, 1,8-cineol, γ- At least 10 kinds of aroma components selected from the group consisting of terpinene, p-cymene, nonanal, decanal, linalool, α-terpineol, borneol, neryl acetate, citral, geranyl acetate, nerol and geraniol are contained.

In another preferred embodiment of the method for producing a citrus-flavored beverage according to the first aspect of the present invention, 1,4-cineol, limonene, 1,8-cineol, γ- Contains terpinene, p-cymene, nonanal, decanal, linalool, α-terpineol, borneol, neryl acetate, citral, geranyl acetate, nerol, and geraniol.

In another preferred embodiment of the method for producing a citrus-flavored beverage according to the first aspect of the present invention, the 20 or less characteristic citrus-flavored components are contained in the citrus-flavored beverage at a concentration equal to or higher than a threshold value.

In another preferred embodiment of the method for producing a citrus-flavored beverage according to the first aspect of the present invention, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, hexanal, β-pinene, myrcene, methylheptenone, Hexanol, furfural, octyl acetate, octanol, 1-terpinen-4-ol, nerolidol, 2-nonenal, and citronellal are excluded.

A second aspect of the present invention is a citrus-flavored beverage substantially containing 20 or less characteristic citrus flavor components.

In a preferred embodiment of the citrus flavored beverage according to the second aspect of the invention, said citrus is lemon.

In another preferred embodiment of the citrus-flavored beverage according to the second aspect of the present invention, the characteristic aroma components of citrus substantially contained are 1,4-cineole, limonene, 1,8-cineol, and γ-terpinene. , p-cymene, nonanal, decanal, linalool, α-terpineol, borneol, neryl acetate, citral, geranyl acetate, nerol, and geraniol.

In another preferred embodiment of the citrus-flavored beverage according to the second aspect of the present invention, the characteristic aroma components of citrus substantially contained are 1,4-cineole, limonene, 1,8-cineol, and γ-terpinene. , p-cymene, nonanal, decanal, linalool, α-terpineol, borneol, neryl acetate, citral, geranyl acetate, nerol, and geraniol.

In another preferred embodiment of the citrus-flavored beverage according to the second aspect of the present invention, the concentration of the substantially contained characteristic citrus flavor component is a concentration equal to or higher than a threshold value.

In another preferred embodiment of the citrus-flavored beverage of the present invention, 2-methylbutyrate ethyl, hexanal, β-pinene, myrcene, methylheptenone, hexanol, furfural, octyl acetate, octanol, and 1-terpinene- It is substantially free of 4-ol, nerolidol, 2-nonenal, and citronellal.

According to the first and second aspects of the present invention, it is possible to provide a citrus-flavored beverage that maintains excellent drinkability.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing evaluation results of drinkability of commercially available lemon-flavored alcoholic beverages. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing evaluation results of drinkability of lemon-flavored alcoholic beverages of Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Example 1 and commercially available lemon-flavored alcoholic beverages. 1 is a diagram showing evaluation results of lemon aroma, ethanol smell, sweetness, sourness, and bitterness and astringency for the lemon-flavored alcoholic beverage of Example 1 and a commercially available lemon-flavored alcoholic beverage. FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing evaluation results of deterioration odors of lemon-flavored alcoholic beverages of Examples 1 to 4 and commercially available lemon-flavored alcoholic beverages.

The present invention will be described in detail below. The present invention relates to a citrus-flavored beverage and a method for producing a citrus-flavored beverage.

Citrus-Flavored Beverage In the present invention, the citrus-flavored beverage is a beverage exhibiting the flavor of citrus fruits. Citrus fruit juices and citrus flavorings are generally blended to impart citrus flavors to beverages. In the present invention, as will be described later, since there are restrictions on the types of the characteristic aroma components of citrus fruits contained in the beverage, it is possible to incorporate the characteristic aroma components of citrus fruits themselves or in combination into the beverage. desirable. Citrus-flavored beverages include, for example, beverages containing essential flavor components common to citrus fruits (limonene, α-terpineol, linalool, etc.).

Citrus fruits include various types such as lemon, grapefruit, shikuwasa, orange, mandarin orange, lime, yuzu, kabosu, and iyokan. In the present invention, lemons are preferred as citrus fruits. In other words, in the present invention, the citrus-flavored beverage is preferably a lemon-flavored beverage. In the present specification, the aroma components contained in citrus fruits are referred to as "characteristic aroma ingredients of citrus fruits". In the present invention, the “characteristic odorant of citrus” is not limited to the odorant obtained by extraction or the like from citrus, and may be a synthetic odorant.

As the characteristic aromatic components of citrus fruits, known aromatic components contained in various citrus fruits can be selected, and references such as "Citrus Essential Oils: Flavor and Fragrance Edited by Masayoshi Sawamura" can be referred to. Examples of characteristic aroma components of citrus fruits include 1,4-cineole, limonene, 1,8-cineol, γ-terpinene, p - p-cymene, nonanal, decanal, linalool, alpha-terpineol, borneol, neryl acetate, citral, acetic acid geranyl acetate, nerol, geraniol, ethyl 2-methyl butyrate, hexanal, β-pinene, myrcene, octanal ( octanal), methylhepteneone, hexanol, furfural, octyl acetate, octanol, fenchyl alcohol, 1-terpinen-4-ol (1-terpinen- 4-ol), citronelly acetate, p-methylacetophenone, nerolidol, 2-nonenal, citronellal, 3-hexenal , grapefruit mercaptan, 4-mercapto-4-methyl-2-pentanone, ethyl 2-methylpropanoate, ethyl butyrate butyrate), nootkatone, trans-4,5-epoxy-2-decenal, wine lactone, acetaldehyde, β-sinensal (β -sinensal), 3-hexeol, dodecanal, ethyl acetate, ethyl propanoate, methyl butyrate, 2-hexenol, etc. Various aroma components are known.

Characteristic aroma components of lemon include, for example, 1,4-cineole, limonene, 1,8-cineol, γ-terpinene, p-cymene, nonanal, decanal, linalool, α-terpineol, borneol, neryl acetate, citral, Geranyl acetate, nerol, geraniol, ethyl 2-methyl butyrate, hexanal, β-pinene, myrcene, octanal (octanal), methylhepteneone, hexanol, furfural, octyl acetate, octanol, fenchyl alcohol, 1-terpinen-4-ol (1-terpinen) -4-ol), citronelly acetate, p-methylacetophenone, nerolidol, 2-nonenal, citronellal, etc. ing.

The amount of citrus characteristic flavor components in the beverage can be exemplified as follows.
For example, the concentration of 1,4-cineol in the beverage is 1 μg/l or more and 2000 μg/l or less, preferably 50 μg/l or more and 1000 μg/l or less, more preferably 100 μg/l or more and 500 μg/l or less. is 200 μg/l or more and 500000 μg/l or less, preferably 2500 μg/l or more and 50000 μg/l or less, more preferably 5000 μg/l or more and 25000 μg/l or less, and the concentration of 1,8-cineole in the beverage is 1 μg/l or more and 2000 μg/l or less, preferably 50 μg/l or more and 500 μg/l or less, and the concentration of γ-terpinene in the beverage is 100 μg/l or more and 20000 μg/l or less, preferably 1000 μg/l or more and 10000 μg. /l or less, more preferably 2000 μg/l or more and 5000 μg/l or less, the concentration of p-cymene in the beverage is 10 μg/l or more and 2000 μg/l or less, preferably 50 μg/l or more and 500 μg/l or less, The concentration of nonanal in the beverage is 1 μg/l or more and 20000 μg/l or less, 100 μg/l or more and 50000 μg/l or less, more preferably 500 μg/l or more and 25000 μg/l or less. 1 μg/l or more and 2000 μg/l or less, preferably 50 μg/l or more and 1000 μg/l or less, more preferably 100 μg/l or more and 750 μg/l or less, and the concentration of linalool in the beverage is 10 μg/l or more and 20000 μg/l or less. , preferably 500 μg/l or more and 5000 μg/l or less, more preferably 1000 μg/l or more and 2500 μg/l or less, and the concentration of α-terpineol in the beverage is 1000 μg/l or more and 500000 μg/l or less, preferably 2000 μg/l 30000 μg/l or more, more preferably 5000 μg/l or more and 20000 μg/l or less, and the concentration of borneol in the beverage is 1 μg/l or more and 2000 μg/l or less, preferably 100 μg/l or more and 500 μg/l or less, The concentration of neryl acetate in the beverage is 0.1 μg/l or more and 20000 μg/l or less, preferably 500 μg/l or more and 10000 μg/l or less, more preferably 1000 μg/l or more and 5000 μg/l or less. The concentration is 10 μg/l or more and 20000 μg/l or less, preferably 100 μg/l or more and 10000 μg/l or less, more preferably 300 μg/l or more and 6000 μg/l or less, and the concentration of geranyl acetate in the beverage is 5 μg/l or more. 20000 μg/l or less, preferably 100 μg/l or more and 10000 μg/l or less, more preferably 1000 μg/l or more and 5000 μg/l or less, and the concentration of nerol in the beverage is 0.5 μg/l or more and 20000 μg/l or less, preferably is 100 μg/l or more and 10000 μg/l or less, more preferably 500 μg/l or more and 5000 μg/l or less, and the concentration of geraniol in the beverage is 10 μg/l or more and 20000 μg/l or less, preferably 100 μg/l or more and 10000 μg/l Below, more preferably 500 μg/l or more and 5000 μg/l or less.

In the present invention, it is possible to provide a citrus-flavored beverage that maintains excellent drinkability by reducing the types of citrus-flavored components contained in the citrus-flavored beverage. According to the present invention, consumers can drink citrus-flavored beverages repeatedly without getting tired of them. The present inventor believes that ordinary citrus-flavored beverages are composed of a large number of aroma components and thus have an unpleasant taste. We believe that this reduces the unpleasant taste of the beverage and makes it possible to have a refreshing aroma and taste, and that this has an effect on drinkability. Drinkability is the degree to which one wants to drink again after drinking. The inventors also found that the citrus-flavored beverage according to the present invention can suppress flavor deterioration after long-term storage.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the citrus-flavored beverage substantially contains 20 or less characteristic citrus flavor components. Although characteristic aroma components of citrus fruits may be unintentionally included in the production of citrus-flavored beverages, etc., if the characteristic aroma components of citrus fruits substantially contained are 20 or less, excellent ease of drinking is maintained. A citrus flavored beverage can be provided. The characteristic aromatic components of citrus fruits substantially contained in the citrus-flavored beverage are preferably 18 or less, more preferably 16 or less. In addition, the characteristic aromatic components of citrus substantially contained in the citrus-flavored beverage are preferably 10 or more, more preferably 12 or more, from the viewpoint of imparting citrus flavor.

In the present specification, the phrase "substantially contains characteristic aromatic components of citrus fruits" means that the characteristic aromatic components of citrus fruits are contained in such an amount that the aroma derived from the characteristic aromatic components can be sensed, In particular, it refers to the fact that the characteristic aroma component of citrus fruits is contained at a concentration equal to or higher than the threshold value.

As used herein, the threshold value of an aroma component is the minimum concentration required to perceive an aroma. The threshold value for characteristic flavor components of citrus fruits in beverages is common general knowledge. If the threshold value of the fragrance component is unknown, the threshold value can be obtained by, for example, the three-point comparison odor bag method defined by the Ministry of the Environment.

The threshold values for the characteristic aroma components of lemon are shown in Table 1 below. The unit of threshold in the table is μg/l.

In the present invention, the citrus-flavored beverage substantially contains 1,4-cineol, limonene, 1,8-cineol, γ-terpinene, p-cymene, nonanal, decanal, linalool, It preferably contains at least 10 aroma ingredients selected from the group consisting of α-terpineol, borneol, neryl acetate, citral, geranyl acetate, nerol, and geraniol. 1,4-cineol, limonene, 1,8-cineol, γ-terpinene, p-cymene, nonanal, decanal, linalool, α-terpineol, borneol, neryl acetate, citral, geranyl acetate, nerol, and geraniol More preferred. By blending these characteristic aromatic components of citrus fruits, it is possible to more reliably provide a citrus-flavored beverage that maintains excellent drinkability, and is also preferable from the viewpoint of providing a lemon-flavored beverage. In particular, the citrus-flavored beverage preferably contains at least limonene, α-terpineol, and linalool as characteristic flavor components of citrus substantially contained.

In the present invention, the citrus-flavored beverage preferably contains at least citral as a substantially contained characteristic flavor component of citrus. Citral is known to generate deteriorated odor components such as p-cymene, p-methylacetophenone, and p-cresol depending on storage conditions, but the citrus-flavored beverage according to the present invention substantially contains citral. Even in such a case, deterioration odor can be suppressed.

In the present invention, when the citrus fruit is lemon, among the characteristic aroma components of lemon, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, hexanal, β-pinene, myrcene, methylheptenone, hexanol, furfural, octyl acetate, octanol, 1-terpinene-4- It is preferably substantially free of all, nerolidol, 2-nonenal, and citronellal. The present inventors have found that a citrus-flavored beverage can be provided without using these aromatic components. preferable.

In the present specification, the phrase "substantially does not contain an aroma component" means that the aroma component is not contained, or even if the aroma component is contained, the amount is very small and the aroma derived from the aroma component is felt. In particular, it means that the concentration of flavor components in the beverage is below the threshold concentration.

In the present invention, the total amount of characteristic citrus flavor components in the citrus-flavored beverage is preferably 100,000 μg/l or less, more preferably 50,000 μg/l or less. The total amount of characteristic citrus flavor components in the citrus-flavored beverage is preferably 25,000 μg/l or more, more preferably 30,000 μg/l or more, from the viewpoint of imparting citrus flavor. The total amount of the characteristic aroma components of citrus fruits in ordinary citrus-flavored beverages is about 20,000 μg/l, but in the present invention, when the amount is about the same, there are few kinds of characteristic aroma components of citrus fruits, so the intensity of aroma is reduced. may be inferior. Therefore, it is preferable to enhance the intensity of the aroma by increasing the total amount of the characteristic aroma components of citrus fruits.

In the present invention, the citrus-flavored beverage is preferably an alcoholic beverage.

As used herein, the term "alcoholic beverage" refers to a beverage containing ethyl alcohol, and generally refers to a beverage having an ethyl alcohol concentration of 1% by volume or more in the original volume at a temperature of 15°C. . Specific examples of alcoholic beverages generally include brewed liquors such as sake, beer and wine, distilled liquors such as shochu, whiskey, brandy and vodka, mixed liquors such as chuhai, cocktails, plum wine and liqueurs. In the present invention, it is suitable for chuhai, cocktails, cocktail-taste beverages, and the like.

When the citrus-flavored beverage is an alcoholic beverage, the citrus-flavored beverage preferably has an alcohol content of 3 v/v% or more, more preferably 5 v/v% or more, and 7 v/v% or more. is more preferred. In addition, the upper limit of the alcohol content of the citrus-flavored alcoholic beverage is preferably 10 v/v% or less, more preferably 9 v/v% or less.

As used herein, the alcohol content is expressed as a percentage of the volume of ethyl alcohol contained in the alcoholic beverage relative to the volume of the entire alcoholic beverage, and is expressed as "v/v%".

In the present invention, the citrus-flavored beverage may be a non-alcoholic beverage. As used herein, the term "non-alcoholic beverage" refers to a beverage having an ethyl alcohol concentration of less than 1% by volume per 100% of the original volume at a temperature of 15°C.

In the present invention, the citrus-flavored beverage is preferably a sparkling beverage, more preferably a carbonated beverage, and even more preferably a carbonated alcoholic beverage (sparkling alcoholic beverage).

When the citrus-flavored beverage is a beverage containing carbon dioxide, the carbon dioxide pressure of the citrus-flavored beverage is preferably 2.3 gas volumes (GV) or more, and preferably 2.8 gas volumes (GV) or more. is more preferable, and 3.3 gas volumes (GV) or more is even more preferable. As for the citrus-flavored beverage containing carbon dioxide, the upper limit of the carbon dioxide pressure is, for example, 4.3 gas volumes (GV) or less.

As used herein, the carbon dioxide pressure represents the amount of carbon dioxide in a beverage, and refers to the ratio of the volume of carbon dioxide dissolved in the beverage to the volume of the beverage under standard conditions (1 atm, 20°C). Gas volumes (GV) are used as units. The carbon dioxide pressure can be measured, for example, using a gas volume measuring device GVA-500B manufactured by Kyoto Electronics Industry Co., Ltd.

In the present invention, the pH of the citrus-flavored beverage can be appropriately set, and the pH is preferably adjusted, for example, in the range of 2.0 to 5.0.

In the present invention, the specific gravity of the citrus-flavored beverage is, for example, 0.9-1.5 mg/ml.

In the present invention, the acidity of the citrus-flavored beverage is preferably 0.05-0.80 g/100 mL, more preferably 0.10-0.60 g/100 mL. For example, the acidity can be adjusted by adding an acidulant, which will be described later.

As used herein, acidity indicates acidity in terms of citric acid and is calculated based on the following measuring method.
Specifically, acidity can be measured by the following method.
Accurately weigh 1 to 50 ml of the sample and dilute it with water as appropriate. This is titrated with a 0.1 mol/L sodium hydroxide solution, the end point is 8.2 with a pH meter, and the titration is calculated according to the following formula.
(Formula 1): Acidity (%) = A x f x 100/W x 0.0064 (for citric acid acidity)
A: Titration volume (ml) with 0.1 mol/L sodium hydroxide solution
f: titer of 0.1 mol/L sodium hydroxide solution W: sample weight (g)
In Equation 1, "0.0064" is "weight (g) of anhydrous citric acid corresponding to 1 ml of 0.1 mol/L sodium hydroxide solution".

In the present invention, the citrus-flavored beverage may contain an acidulant. Acidulants include, for example, adipic acid, citric acid, sodium citrate (trisodium citrate, etc.), gluconodeltalactone, gluconic acid, potassium gluconate, sodium gluconate, succinic acid, monosodium succinate, succinic acid Disodium, sodium acetate, DL-tartaric acid, L-tartaric acid, sodium DL-tartrate, sodium L-tartrate, carbon dioxide, lactic acid, sodium lactate, glacial acetic acid, fumaric acid, monosodium fumarate, DL-malic acid, DL- Sodium malate, phosphoric acid and salts thereof (potassium salt, sodium salt) and the like. Acidulants can also be used as pH adjusters. These sour agents may be used singly or in combination of two or more.

In the present invention, the sugar content of the citrus-flavored beverage is preferably 0 to 20°Bx, more preferably 0 to 10°Bx. For example, the sugar content can be adjusted by adding a sweetener, which will be described later.

As used herein, the sugar content is the Brix value, which is measured at 20° C. using a refractometer or sugar refractometer (for example, a digital refractometer Rx-5000 (manufactured by Atago Co., Ltd.)). Point to quantity.

In the present invention, the citrus-flavored beverage may contain a sweetener. Examples of sweeteners include fructose, sugar, fructose-glucose liquid sugar, glucose, maltose, sucrose, high-fructose liquid sugar, sugar alcohols, oligosaccharides, honey, starch syrup, stevia powder, stevia extract, licorice powder, and licorice extract. natural sweeteners such as sugar, Samatococcus danieli seed powder, and Somatococcus danieli seed extract; and artificial sweeteners such as acesulfame potassium, sucralose, neotame, aspartame, and saccharin. These sweeteners may be used singly or in combination of two or more.

In the present invention, the citrus-flavored beverage contains drinking water and may contain pigments and the like as appropriate. For citrus-flavored beverages, if necessary, pH adjusters (sodium bicarbonate, etc.), vitamins, peptides, amino acids, water-soluble dietary fibers, antioxidants, stabilizers, emulsifiers, etc., which are commonly used in the food field, are added. You may use the raw material and food additive which are known.

In the present invention, the extract content of the citrus-flavored beverage is preferably 0 to 15 w/v%, more preferably 3 to 10 w/v%.

In the present specification, the extract content is the number of grams of non-volatile components contained in the original volume of 100 cubic centimeters at a temperature of 15 degrees (Article 3 of the Liquor Tax Law). The extract content of the beverage can be calculated, for example, by measuring the specific gravity (sake content) and alcohol content according to the analysis method prescribed by the National Tax Agency of Japan.

In the present invention, the citrus-flavored beverage can be provided as a packaged beverage. Examples of containers include, but are not limited to, bottles, cans, barrels, plastic containers such as PET bottles, paper containers, and the like. Such packaged beverages are sometimes referred to as ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages.

Method for Producing Citrus-Flavored Beverage In the present invention, the citrus-flavored beverage can be produced by a conventional method, which includes the incorporation of characteristic aromatic components of citrus fruits. The timing of adding the characteristic aromatic component of citrus fruits is not particularly limited, and it can be carried out at any timing. For example, the characteristic aroma component of citrus fruits can be incorporated at any timing during the production process of the citrus-flavored beverage.

For example, citrus-flavored beverages can be prepared by mixing various ingredients that are appropriately selected according to their type, and carbonated beverages can be prepared by adding carbon dioxide gas to the resulting mixture. Here, the characteristic aromatic component of citrus fruits can be added at any timing, for example, it may be mixed with other components, or added before or after adding carbon dioxide gas after mixing the components used. good too. Carbon dioxide gas can be dissolved in the mixed liquid by directly adding carbon dioxide gas, for example, but carbonated water may be added to the mixed liquid. Moreover, after mixing the components or adding carbon dioxide gas, filtration may be performed to remove insoluble matter. Thereafter, by filling and sealing a container, a citrus-flavored beverage can be produced as a packaged beverage.

The method for producing a citrus-flavored beverage of the present invention preferably includes a step of containing 20 or less kinds of characteristic aroma components of citrus fruits, and may include a step of substantially containing 20 or less kinds of characteristic aroma components of citrus fruits. More preferably, it further preferably includes a step of incorporating 20 or less kinds of characteristic flavor components of citrus fruits in the citrus-flavored beverage so that the concentration thereof is equal to or higher than the threshold value. The present invention is based on the fact that it is possible to provide a citrus-flavored beverage that maintains excellent drinkability by reducing the types of citrus-flavored components contained in the citrus-flavored beverage. The number of fragrance components is preferably 20 or less, more preferably 18 or less, even more preferably 16 or less. In addition, the characteristic aromatic components of citrus substantially contained in the citrus-flavored beverage are preferably 10 or more, more preferably 12 or more, from the viewpoint of imparting citrus flavor.

In the method for producing a citrus-flavored beverage of the present invention, the ``step of substantially containing the characteristic aroma component of citrus fruits'' means that a citrus-flavored beverage substantially containing the characteristic aroma component of citrus fruits is finally obtained. It means a step of adding the characteristic aroma component of citrus fruits in an amount, and the “step of adding the characteristic aroma component of citrus fruits so that the concentration in the citrus-flavored beverage is equal to or higher than the threshold value” means that the characteristic aroma component of citrus fruits is finally added. means a step of incorporating the characteristic aroma component of citrus fruits in such an amount that a citrus-flavored beverage containing at a concentration equal to or higher than the threshold value is obtained.

As described above, the step of incorporating the characteristic aromatic component of citrus fruits can be performed at any time. Therefore, for example, the following embodiments of the method for producing a citrus-flavored beverage can be mentioned.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a method for producing a citrus-flavored beverage comprises mixing various components such as water (here, the water may be carbonated water), an acidulant, a sweetener, and alcohol to form a mixed liquid. A step of preparing, which includes a step of mixing up to 20 kinds of citrus characteristic flavor components together with these components to be included in the mixed liquid. In this embodiment, the method for producing a citrus-flavored beverage may include a step of adding carbon dioxide gas or carbonated water to the obtained mixed liquid, or a step of filtering the obtained mixed liquid. Alternatively, it may include a step of filling and sealing the resulting mixture in a container.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a method for producing a citrus-flavored beverage comprises mixing various components such as water (here, the water may be carbonated water), an acidulant, a sweetener, and alcohol to produce a mixed solution. and a step of including 20 or less kinds of characteristic aroma components of citrus fruits in the obtained mixture. In this embodiment, the method for producing a citrus-flavored beverage may include a step of adding carbon dioxide gas or carbonated water to a mixed liquid containing the characteristic aroma component of citrus, or the mixture containing the characteristic aroma component of citrus. A step of filtering the mixed liquid may be included, and a step of filling and sealing the mixed liquid containing the characteristic aromatic components of citrus fruits into a container may be included.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a method for producing a citrus-flavored beverage comprises mixing various components such as water (here, the water may be carbonated water), an acidulant, a sweetener, and alcohol to produce a mixed solution. , adding carbon dioxide gas or carbonated water to the obtained mixture, and adding 20 or less kinds of characteristic aroma components of citrus fruits to the obtained carbonic acid-containing mixture. In this embodiment, the method for producing a citrus-flavored beverage may include a step of filtering the mixed liquid containing the characteristic aromatic components of citrus fruits. It may include a step of filling and sealing.

The method for producing a citrus-flavored beverage of the present invention preferably includes a step of adding 20 or less kinds of characteristic aroma components of citrus fruits, and does not include a step of adding characteristic aroma components of citrus fruits other than this step. The present invention is based on the fact that it is possible to provide a citrus-flavored beverage that maintains excellent drinkability by reducing the types of citrus-flavored components contained in the citrus-flavored beverage. Since it is preferable that the number of characteristic aroma components is 20 or less, the step of further containing the characteristic aroma components of citrus fruits is not included in addition to the "step of containing 20 or less characteristic aroma ingredients of citrus fruits". preferable.

In the method for producing a citrus-flavored beverage of the present invention, in the step of incorporating 20 or less characteristic citrus flavor components, 1,4-cineol, limonene, 1,8-cineol, and γ-terpinene are used as the characteristic flavor components of citrus fruits. , p-cymene, nonanal, decanal, linalool, α-terpineol, borneol, neryl acetate, citral, geranyl acetate, nerol, and geraniol. 1,4-cineole, limonene, 1,8-cineol, γ-terpinene, p-cymene, nonanal, decanal, linalool, α-terpineol, borneol, neryl acetate, citral, geranyl acetate, nerol, and geraniol are more preferred. By blending these characteristic aromatic components of citrus fruits, it is possible to more reliably provide a citrus-flavored beverage that maintains excellent drinkability, and is also preferable from the viewpoint of providing a lemon-flavored beverage. In particular, in the method for producing a citrus-flavored beverage of the present invention, at least limonene, α-terpineol and linalool are used as the substantially contained characteristic aroma components of citrus fruits in the step of containing 20 or less characteristic aroma components of citrus fruits. It is preferable to contain.

In the method for producing a citrus-flavored beverage of the present invention, in the step of adding 20 or less kinds of characteristic aroma components of citrus fruits, at least citral is preferably contained as the characteristic aroma component of citrus fruits, and at least citral is substantially contained. is more preferred. Citral is known to generate deteriorated odor components such as p-cymene, p-methylacetophenone, and p-cresol depending on storage conditions, but the citrus-flavored beverage according to the present invention substantially contains citral. Even in such a case, deterioration odor can be suppressed.

In the present invention, the citrus is preferably lemon, and the method for producing a citrus-flavored beverage of the present invention is preferably a method for producing a lemon-flavored beverage.

In the method for producing a citrus-flavored beverage of the present invention, when the citrus is lemon, among the characteristic aroma components of lemon, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, hexanal, β-pinene, myrcene, methylheptenone, hexanol, furfural, octyl acetate, octanol , 1-terpinen-4-ol, nerolidol, 2-nonenal, and citronellal are preferably not substantially contained. The present inventors have found that a citrus-flavored beverage can be provided without using these aromatic components. preferable.

In the present specification, "substantially does not contain an aroma component" means that the aroma component is not contained, or even if the aroma component is contained, the aroma derived from the aroma component is felt in a trace amount. In particular, it means that the final concentration of the aroma component in the beverage is below the threshold value.

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

<Concentration analysis of aroma components in beverages>
Various techniques are known for analyzing the concentration of aroma components in beverages, and the analysis method is appropriately selected according to the type of aroma component. In this example, the following analysis method was used to analyze the aroma components in a commercially available lemon-flavored alcoholic beverage.

1. Liquid-Liquid Extraction-GC-MS Analysis Method 6 g of ammonium sulfate was added to 3 g or 30 g of a beverage sample, and 100 μL of an internal standard solution (N-hexyl-1,1-D2 alcohol) of 75 ppm, which had been returned to room temperature, was added. Subsequently, 5 mL of dichloromethane was added, and the sample was degassed three times, then shaken at a speed of 200 times/minute for 20 minutes, cooled and centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 5 minutes to collect the lower layer of dichloromethane. 1 g of anhydrous sodium sulfate was added to the obtained solution for dehydration, and after concentration to about 200 μL by nitrogen purge, the solution was supplied to GC-MS. Separately, add 0, 10, 20, 50, 100, 250 μL per 3 g or 30 g of the ethanol solution of the standard mixed liquid prepared as shown in Table 2 below to the beverage sample, and perform the same pretreatment as the calibration curve. bottom. The GC-MS conditions are shown in Table 3 below. 1 μL was injected into the split/splitless inlet. Analysis was performed in Scan mode, and the concentration was calculated from the peak area of each component extracted from the chromatogram with target ions.

2. Headspace GC-MS Analysis Method Conducted on limonene. After diluting the beverage sample 10-fold, 10 mL of the diluted sample was added to a 20-mL headspace GC vial. 100 μL of 200 ppm limonene-d5 was added to the same vial as an internal standard and subjected to GC-MS analysis. As a calibration curve, vials added with 100 μL of limonene standard 25, 50, 100 and 200 ppm were also analyzed at the same time. Analyzed in SIM mode. The GC-MS conditions are shown in Table 4 below.

3. SBSE GC-MS analytical method was performed on α-terpineol. 0.5 mL of a drink sample diluted 2-fold with ethanol for residual pesticides in a 50 mL GC vial, 1.5 mL of ethanol for residual pesticides, 0.1 mL of internal standard (linalool d-5 20 ppm), and 48 mL of milli-Q water were added. . Adsorption reaction to Twister was carried out at 40° C. for 2 hours using a stirrer. After reaction, the Twister was washed with Milli-Q water and analyzed by GC-MS. In addition, as a calibration curve, Twister to which 0.1 mL of α-terpineol standard 12.5, 25, 50, 100 and 200 ppm was added as a standard was also analyzed at the same time. Scan mode analysis was performed. The GC-MS conditions are shown in Table 5 below.

<Analysis and evaluation of commercially available beverages>
1. Component Analysis For the commercially available lemon-flavored alcoholic beverages (lemon RTD1, lemon RTD2), characteristic lemon aroma components contained were identified, and the concentration of each component was quantified. As a result, it was found that commercially available lemon-flavored alcoholic beverages contained at least 25 or more kinds of aroma components shown in Table 6. Table 6 shows the concentrations of identified aroma compounds of Lemon RTD1 and Lemon RTD2 and their thresholds for the aroma compounds.

2. Evaluation of Ease of Drinking Nine types of commercially available lemon-flavored alcoholic beverages (lemon RTDs 1 to 9) were evaluated for "ease of drinking" by sensory evaluation. Note that Lemon RTD1 and Lemon RTD2 are the same products as Lemon RTD1 and Lemon RTD2 in "1. Ingredient Analysis".
The evaluation was carried out by the monadic method, which evaluates one sample per session, and after 40 seconds after drinking one mouthful (free amount) of the sample, the first mouth was evaluated for "ease of drinking", and then, The 2nd and 3rd sips were repeated, and the "ease of drinking" up to the 5th sip was evaluated.
Lemon RTD2 was selected as an anchor, and the "drinkability" of the first sip of Lemon RTD2 was set at 100. Then, the "drinkability" of each lemon RTD was intuitively evaluated on a line scale with 0 being "not at all easy to drink" and 200 being "very easy to drink".
The evaluation was performed by 15 trained panelists. The age and gender of the panelists were: 1 man in his 40s, 1 woman in her 40s, 3 men in her 30s, 4 women in her 30s, 3 men in her 20s, and 3 women in her 20s. rice field.
Fig. 1 shows the results of evaluation of drinkability. As shown in FIG. 1, among commercially available lemon-flavored alcoholic beverages, lemon RTD1 was found to be particularly easy to drink.

<Example>
1. Preparation Carbonated water, raw material alcohol (alcohol 95.3 vol%), 55% fructose glucose liquid sugar, anhydrous citric acid, and sodium citrate were mixed to prepare a base solution. Each component has an alcohol concentration of 51.6 ml / l, a fructose glucose liquid sugar concentration of 45.1 g / l, an anhydrous citric acid concentration of 3.5 g / l, and a sodium citrate concentration of 1 1 g/L, and the alcohol content, extract content, acidity, sugar content, gas volume, pH and specific gravity were adjusted to obtain a lemon-flavored alcoholic beverage comparable to lemon RTD1.
The obtained base liquid was made to contain each aroma component so as to have the concentration shown in Table 7, and sealed in a beverage can to complete the lemon-flavored alcoholic beverages of Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Example 1. .
Table 7 shows the characteristic aroma components of citrus fruits contained in the lemon-flavored alcoholic beverages of Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Example 1 and their concentrations. Table 8 shows the alcohol content, extract content, acidity, sugar content, gas volume, pH and specific gravity of the prepared lemon-flavored alcoholic beverage (preparation) and lemon RTD1 (commercially available product), which is a commercially available lemon-flavored alcoholic beverage. show.

2. Evaluation of ease of drinking About “ease of drinking” between the lemon-flavored alcoholic beverages of Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Example 1 and Lemon RTD1, which had the best evaluation of ease of drinking among the commercially available lemon-flavored alcoholic beverages. A comparative evaluation was carried out. In addition, the lemon-flavored alcoholic beverage of Example 1 and Lemon RTD 1 were evaluated for "lemon aroma", "ethanol smell", "sweetness", "sourness" and "bitterness and astringency".
The evaluation was carried out by the sequential monadic method in which two different samples were evaluated per session. , 2nd and 3rd sips were repeated, and the "ease of drinking" up to the 5th sip was evaluated. An intuitive evaluation was made of the 'drinkability' of the samples on a line scale where 0 means 'not at all easy to drink' and 100 means 'very easy to drink'. The order of providing two samples was randomized for each evaluator, and between the evaluation of the first sample and the evaluation of the second sample, while refreshing with water to recover from sensory fatigue. There was a two minute break.
Furthermore, after the evaluation of "ease of drinking" up to the fifth mouth was completed, the lemon-flavored alcoholic beverage of Example 1 and the lemon RTD1 had "lemon aroma", "ethanol odor", "sweetness" without re-drinking. A two-point comparison method was carried out to select which sample felt stronger for "", "sour", and "bitter and astringent". In addition, the significance test of the two-point comparison method was implemented by the binomial test (two-sided).
Evaluations of ``drinkability'', ``lemon flavor'', ``ethanol smell'', ``sweetness'', ``sourness'' and ``bitterness and astringency'' were conducted by 19 trained panelists. The age and gender of the panelists were: men in their 40s: 1, women in their 40s: 2, men in their 30s: 4, women in their 30s: 3, men in their 20s: 4, women in their 20s: 5. rice field.
The evaluation results of "ease of drinking" (average score of panelists) are shown in Fig. 2 and Table 9, and the evaluation results of "lemon scent", "ethanol smell", "sweetness", "sourness" and "bitterness and astringency". is shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2 and Table 9, it can be seen that the lemon-flavored alcohols of Examples 1-4 are superior to Lemon RTD 1 in terms of "drinkability." In particular, the difference in drinkability between the first and fifth mouths is 6.5 or less in Examples 1 to 4, whereas it is 7 in Lemon RTD1, so the lemon flavor of Examples 1 to 4 It can be seen that the "drinkability" of alcohol is difficult to fall. On the other hand, the lemon-flavored alcohol of Comparative Example 1 was as drinkable as Lemon RTD1. In addition, in Comparative Example 1, the difference in drinkability between the first and fifth sips was 8, indicating that the 'ease of drinking' was lower than that of Lemon RTD1. In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, the lemon-flavored alcoholic beverage of Example 1 and Lemon RTD1 have no significant difference in flavor (lemon aroma, ethanol smell, sweetness, sourness, bitterness and astringency). It can be seen that there is no disadvantage in terms of flavor by reducing the amount of aromatic components.

3. Evaluation of Deterioration Odor Citral deterioration odor was evaluated for the lemon-flavored alcoholic beverages of Examples 1 to 4 and Lemon RTD2, in which the concentrations of the aromatic components were shown above.
For the evaluation, p-cymene, p-methylacetophenone and p-cresol were quantified before and after the samples were stored at 60°C for 3 days. These three components are known as the main deterioration odor components of citral.
In the evaluation, the kerosene odor, the chemical odor, the apricot kernel tofu odor, the ink odor, and the like were comprehensively considered, and a score was given by sensory evaluation. As the evaluation criteria, a 9-grade scale from 1 to 9 was used to evaluate the intensity of deterioration odor. At the time of evaluation, as references, 2 points for commercial product A, 4 points for commercial product B, and 8 points for commercial product C stored at 45°C for 3 days were set as anchors.
The deterioration odor evaluation was conducted by a trained panel of 23 people. The age and gender of the panelists were: 5 men in their 40s, 1 woman in their 40s, 6 men in their 30s, 2 women in their 30s, 3 men in their 20s, and 6 women in their 20s. rice field.
The evaluation results of the deterioration odor of the lemon-flavored alcoholic beverages and lemon RTD2 of Examples 1-4 (average panelist scores) are shown in FIG. Table 10 shows changes in the concentrations of p-cymene, p-methylacetophenone, and p-cresol before and after. Table 10 also shows the amount of change in the lemon-flavored alcoholic beverage of Comparative Example 1 before and after storage.
As shown in FIG. 4 and Table 10, the lemon-flavored alcoholic beverages of Examples 1 to 4 were superior in deterioration odor evaluation compared to lemon RTD2, and after storage at 60 ° C. for 3 days, p-cymene, p It was found that the increase in -methylacetophenone and p-cresol was suppressed.

Claims (12)

Including a step of containing 20 or less kinds of characteristic aromatic components of citrus fruits,
A method for producing a citrus-flavored beverage, which does not include a step of adding characteristic aromatic components of citrus fruits other than the above steps. The method for producing a citrus-flavored beverage according to claim 1, wherein the citrus is lemon. Characteristic aroma components of the 20 or less citrus fruits include 1,4-cineol, limonene, 1,8-cineol, γ-terpinene, p-cymene, nonanal, decanal, linalool, α-terpineol, borneol, neryl acetate, and citral. , geranyl acetate, nerol, and geraniol. Characteristic aroma components of the 20 or less citrus fruits include 1,4-cineol, limonene, 1,8-cineol, γ-terpinene, p-cymene, nonanal, decanal, linalool, α-terpineol, borneol, neryl acetate, and citral. , geranyl acetate, nerol, and geraniol. 5. The method for producing a citrus-flavored beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the 20 or less kinds of characteristic aromatic components of citrus fruits are contained in the citrus-flavored beverage at a concentration equal to or higher than a threshold value. Ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, hexanal, β-pinene, myrcene, methylheptenone, hexanol, furfural, octyl acetate, octanol, 1-terpinen-4-ol, nerolidol, and 2- 6. A method for producing a citrus-flavored beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein nonenal and citronellal are excluded. A citrus-flavored beverage substantially containing 20 or less characteristic aromatic components of citrus. 8. The citrus-flavored beverage of claim 7, wherein said citrus is lemon. The substantially contained characteristic aroma components of citrus fruits include 1,4-cineole, limonene, 1,8-cineol, γ-terpinene, p-cymene, nonanal, decanal, linalool, α-terpineol, borneol, and neryl acetate. , citral, geranyl acetate, nerol, and geraniol. The substantially contained characteristic aroma components of citrus fruits include 1,4-cineole, limonene, 1,8-cineol, γ-terpinene, p-cymene, nonanal, decanal, linalool, α-terpineol, borneol, and neryl acetate. , citral, geranyl acetate, nerol and geraniol. 11. The citrus-flavored beverage according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the substantially contained citrus characteristic flavor component has a concentration equal to or higher than a threshold value. Characteristic aroma components of citrus fruits include ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, hexanal, β-pinene, myrcene, methylheptenone, hexanol, furfural, octyl acetate, octanol, 1-terpinen-4-ol, nerolidol, 2-nonenal, and citronellal. Citrus flavored beverage according to any one of claims 7 to 11, which is substantially free.

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