JP2024075080A - Lemon-flavored beverage and method for inhibiting deterioration of lemon-flavored beverage - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a technology that can suppress the deterioration of lemon-flavored beverages. The lemon-flavored beverage has a pH (20°C) of 3.6 or less, a sweetness level of 5 to 12, and a citric acid acidity of 0.41 g/100 ml to 0.70 g/100 ml. [Selected Figures] None

Description

The present invention relates to a lemon-flavored beverage and a method for inhibiting deterioration of a lemon-flavored beverage.

Conventionally, it has been known that the pH of hot beverages with a citrus flavor for sale is generally 3.0 or more and less than 3.5, which provides a good fruit juice feel. However, it is known that beverages with a low pH are prone to accelerated deterioration during storage at a temperature, and there is room for improvement in terms of suppressing deterioration while providing a good fruit juice feel.
Therefore, Patent Document 1 discloses a beverage for sale heated that has a good fruit juice feel by having a pH (20° C.) of preferably 3.6 to 4.0 and containing 100 mg/100 ml or more of vitamin C. Patent Document 1 further discloses that the Brix value is 5 to 15, and the citric acidity is 0.20 g/100 ml or more and 0.40 g/100 ml or less.
Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for suppressing deterioration of the aroma of lemon flavor in a lemon-flavored beverage, in which potassium citrate is added to prevent the decomposition of citral itself, and the pH of the beverage is adjusted to preferably 3.6 or higher, and most preferably 3.8 or higher.

In addition, examples of packaged beverages containing citrus juice for sale heated are described in Patent Documents 3 and 4. Patent Documents 3 and 4 disclose that the citric acid acidity and sweetness of packaged beverages containing citrus juice for sale heated are 0.4% to 0.7% by mass and 12 to 21 in sucrose equivalent.

JP 2022-25819 A JP 2007-39610 A JP 2016-86770 A JP 2016-86771 A

Conventionally, methods for suppressing deterioration of citrus-flavored beverages such as lemon beverages have focused on increasing the pH, with a pH of 3.6 or higher being preferred, as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2.
In response to this, the present inventors have focused on developing a technology that can suppress the deterioration of lemon-flavored beverages even when the pH is set to 3.6 or less, and have unexpectedly found that increasing the acidity of citric acid is effective. In addition, they have found that if the sweetness is increased to the level disclosed in Patent Documents 3 and 4, the deterioration suppression effect cannot be sufficiently obtained even if the acidity of citric acid is increased, and have identified the ranges of pH, acidity of citric acid, and sweetness that can effectively suppress the deterioration of lemon-flavored beverages.

In other words, the present invention is capable of suppressing deterioration of lemon-flavored beverages while providing a good aftertaste by controlling the balance between pH, citric acid acidity, and sweetness at levels different from those of the prior art.
According to the present invention, the following lemon-flavored beverage and related technology are provided.

[1] pH (20°C) is 3.6 or less,
The sweetness is 5 or more and 12 or less,
A lemon-flavored beverage having a citric acid acidity of 0.41 g/100 ml or more and 0.70 g/100 ml or less.
[2] The lemon-flavored beverage according to [1], having a sweetness level of 8 or more and 11 or less.
[3] The lemon-flavored beverage according to [1] or [2], wherein the lemon juice has a juice content (calculated as straight juice) of 1.0 w/w% or more and 10 w/w% or less.
[4] The lemon-flavored beverage described in any one of [1] to [3], which is for sale heated.
[5] The lemon-flavored beverage according to any one of [1] to [4], which contains a lemon flavor.
[6] The lemon-flavored beverage according to any one of [1] to [5], having a Brix value of 2 or more and 11 or less.
[7] A lemon-flavored beverage according to any one of [1] to [6], which contains a high-intensity sweetener.
[8] The lemon-flavored beverage according to any one of [1] to [7], which is a non-alcoholic beverage.
[9] A lemon-flavored beverage according to any one of [1] to [8], which is packaged in a container.
[10] A method for suppressing deterioration of a lemon-flavored beverage, comprising:
The method for suppressing deterioration of a lemon-flavored beverage includes a step of preparing the beverage so that the pH (20°C) is 3.6 or less, the sweetness is 5 to 12, and the citric acidity is 0.41 g/100 ml to 0.70 g/100 ml.

The present invention provides a technology that can suppress deterioration of lemon-flavored beverages while providing a good aftertaste.

The following is a detailed description of an embodiment of the present invention. In this specification, the notation "a to b" in the description of a numerical range means a or more and b or less, unless otherwise specified.

In this embodiment, deterioration of the lemon-flavored beverage refers to a decrease in the lemon-like flavor and the perception of an unpleasant taste and a deteriorated odor. A pleasant aftertaste refers to a refreshing, clean feeling felt after drinking the lemon-flavored beverage.

<Lemon-flavored drink>
The lemon-flavored beverage of this embodiment has a pH (20°C) of 3.6 or less,
The sweetness is 5 or more and 12 or less,
The acidity of citric acid is 0.41 g/100 ml or more and 0.70 g/100 ml or less.
This makes it possible to suppress deterioration of the flavor of the lemon flavored beverage, and also makes it difficult to sense a deterioration odor, resulting in a good aftertaste.
That is, it has been known in the past that lowering the pH makes the beverage more susceptible to deterioration, and that setting the pH relatively high or increasing the sweetness makes it difficult to sense the deterioration of flavor. In contrast, the lemon-flavored beverage of the present embodiment can effectively suppress flavor deterioration by setting the sweetness within a predetermined numerical range while relatively increasing the citric acidity when the pH is set to 3.6 or less.

[Lemon flavor]
The beverage of the present embodiment gives the flavor of lemon juice when drunk. The lemon flavor can be obtained by using lemon juice or a lemon flavor, as described below.

[pH]
The pH of the beverage of this embodiment at 20° C. is 3.6 or less, and preferably less than 3.3. On the other hand, the lower limit of the pH is preferably 3.0 or more.
By setting the pH within the above range, deterioration of the beverage can be suppressed and a good aftertaste can be easily maintained.

The pH can be measured using a commercially available pH meter. The pH can be adjusted, for example, by changing the amount of a specific acid or by using a pH adjuster such as trisodium citrate.

[acidity]
The beverage of this embodiment has a citric acid acidity of 0.41 g/100 ml or more and 0.70 g/100 ml or less, with the lower limit of the citric acid acidity being preferably 0.45 g/100 ml, and more preferably 0.48 g/100 ml, and the upper limit of the citric acid acidity being preferably 0.60 g/100 ml or less, and more preferably 0.55 g/100 ml, and even more preferably 0.53 g/100 ml.
By setting the acidity within the above range, deterioration of the beverage can be suppressed and the aftertaste can be easily maintained.

Acidity can be expressed as the amount of acid contained in 100 ml converted into citric acid in grams (g anhydrous citric acid/100 ml), and is also written as "Ac." Acidity can also be measured by the method specified in the acidity measurement method of the JAS standard, specifically, the neutralization titration method (quantitative method) using 0.1 mol/L sodium hydroxide standard solution as the alkaline solution.

[Sweetness]
The beverage of this embodiment has a sweetness index of 5 or greater and 12 or less, preferably 6 or greater and 11 or less, more preferably 8 or greater and 11 or less, and even more preferably 9 or greater and 11 or less.
By setting the sweetness to the above lower limit or more, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the flavor of the beverage and to suppress the deterioration odor from becoming stronger, making it easier to maintain a good aftertaste. On the other hand, by setting the sweetness to the above upper limit or less, it is possible to more effectively suppress the deterioration of the flavor of the beverage and to suppress the deterioration odor from becoming stronger, making the aftertaste even better.

The sweetness can be adjusted by, for example, adding the sweeteners mentioned above, fruit juice, or various other ingredients.

Sweetness is a parameter that indicates the sweetness of each sweetener compared to sucrose, and can be found in, for example, "Sweeteners Overview" (published by the Sugar Refining Industry Association in May 1990), "All about the High-Intensity Sweetener Sucralose" (published by Korin Co., Ltd. in May 2003), and "Dictionary of Beverage Terms" (published by Beverage Japan Co., Ltd. on June 25, 1999). If there is a range of sweetness values listed, the median value is used. For example, the sweetness of typical sweeteners is sucrose 1, glucose 0.65, fructose 1.5, sucralose 600, acesulfame potassium 200, and aspartame 200.

Preferred forms of the beverage of this embodiment are exemplified below.
(i) When the pH is 3.0 or more and less than 3.3, the acidity of citric acid is preferably 0.45 g/100 ml or more and 0.55 g/100 ml or less, more preferably 0.48 g/100 ml or more and 0.53 g/100 ml or less, and the sweetness is 5 or more and 12 or less, preferably 6 or more and 11 or less, more preferably 8 or more and 11 or less.
(ii) When the pH is 3.3 or more and 3.6 or less, the acidity of citric acid is preferably 0.45 g/100 ml or more and 0.55 g/100 ml or less, more preferably 0.45 g/100 ml or more and 0.50 g/100 ml or less, and the sweetness is 5 or more and 12 or less, preferably 6 or more and 11 or less, more preferably 8 or more and 11 or less.

[Brix value]
The Brix value (Bx) of the beverage of this embodiment is preferably 2 or more and 11 or less, and more preferably 3.5 or more and 5.0 or less, from the viewpoint of obtaining good taste and a juicy flavor.
By setting the Brix value within the above range, deterioration of the beverage can be suppressed, while making it easier to maintain a good aftertaste.

The Brix value can be measured, for example, by measuring the sugar refractometer reading at 20° C. using a digital refractometer Rx-5000α (manufactured by Atago Co., Ltd.).
The Brix value can be adjusted, for example, by the amount of sweetener described below and the amounts of various other ingredients.

[Lemon juice]
The beverage for sale heated in this embodiment preferably contains lemon juice.
The juice percentage of the lemon juice (calculated as straight juice) is preferably 1.0 w/w% or more and 10 w/w% or less, and more preferably 2.0 w/w% or more and 6.0 w/w% or less.
By setting the fruit juice percentage to the above lower limit, it is possible to suppress deterioration of flavor and obtain a good aftertaste while enhancing the lemon flavor, whereas by setting the fruit juice percentage to the above upper limit or less, it is possible to more effectively prevent deterioration of flavor.

The juice percentage is the relative concentration when the acidity of lemon juice (straight juice) obtained by squeezing lemons and not undergoing any processing such as concentration is taken as 100%.

Fruit juice refers to a liquid component obtained by crushing and squeezing fruit or straining it, etc. Citrus fruit juice may also include concentrated liquid components or dilution products thereof, and may contain pulp or may have the pulp removed by processing such as filtration or centrifugation.
As the fruit juice, straight fruit juice, concentrated fruit juice, reconstituted fruit juice, etc. may be used.

The lemons that can be used to prepare the fruit juice according to this embodiment are not particularly limited in terms of variety, place of origin, ripeness, size, etc., and can be set as appropriate.

In addition, the beverage of this embodiment may be prepared using commercially available juice, concentrated juice, paste, etc. as the fruit juice. Specifically, juice and concentrated juice specified by the JAS standard (Japanese Agricultural Standard for Fruit Drinks) may be mentioned, and for example, one or more of these may be used to prepare the beverage of this embodiment.

[Other ingredients]
The beverage of the present embodiment may contain various ingredients other than those described above, for example, sweeteners, acidulants, flavorings, pH adjusters, fruit juices other than those described above, various nutritional ingredients, colorants, diluents, antioxidants, thickening stabilizers, etc., as long as the effects of the present invention are obtained.

As the sweetener, known sweeteners can be used, for example, sugars such as sucrose (sugar), glucose, granulated sugar, fructose, lactose, maltose, and fructose glucose liquid sugar, sugar alcohols, and high-intensity sweeteners such as thaumatin, stevia extract, disodium glycyrrhizinate, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, aspartame, saccharin, neotame, sodium saccharin, and stevia. Only one type of sweetener may be used, or two or more types may be used in combination. Among them, it is preferable to include a high-intensity sweetener in order to obtain a lemon flavor while suppressing flavor deterioration.

Examples of the acidulant include citric acid, adipic acid, gluconic acid, succinic acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, fumaric acid, malic acid, phytic acid, ascorbic acid, phosphoric acid, and salts thereof. Among these, anhydrous citric acid and its salts are preferred from the viewpoint of obtaining a lemon-like flavor.

The flavorings mentioned above include natural flavorings and synthetic flavorings. Of these, it is preferable to include lemon flavor in order to effectively obtain the lemon flavor.

[For heated sales]
"For hot sale" refers to beverages that are sold to consumers while being kept at a temperature of 40 to 80° C., preferably 45 to 70° C., and more preferably 50 to 60° C. Keeping the liquid temperature at 80° C. or below prevents burns, while keeping it at 40° C. or above makes it easier to feel the warmth of the beverage as it is warmer than body temperature.
Generally, beverages for sale heated tend to be more susceptible to flavor deterioration than cold beverages that are consumed chilled. In contrast, the beverage of the present embodiment is controlled to a specific pH, sweetness, and citric acidity, so that flavor deterioration can be effectively suppressed even when the beverage is for sale heated, and a good aftertaste can be obtained.

[Type of drink]
The beverage of the present embodiment is preferably a beverage that is consumed as is without being diluted.

The beverage of this embodiment is preferably a non-alcoholic beverage. A non-alcoholic beverage refers to a beverage that does not substantially contain alcohol, specifically a beverage that contains less than 1.0 volume/volume percent of alcohol, such as ethanol.

The beverage of this embodiment may contain or not contain carbon dioxide gas. The carbon dioxide pressure of the beverage is preferably 1.5 to 3.5 gas volumes, more preferably 2.0 to 3.0 gas volumes.
The method for incorporating carbon dioxide gas into a beverage is not particularly limited, and can be appropriately determined by a person skilled in the art.

[container]
The beverage of the present embodiment may be a containerized beverage that has been heat sterilized and packed in a container. Examples of the container include sealed containers made of glass, paper, plastic (polyethylene terephthalate, etc.), aluminum, steel, etc., or composite or laminated materials thereof. The type of container is not particularly limited, but examples include PET bottles, aluminum cans, steel cans, paper cartons, chilled cups, bottles, etc.
Furthermore, from the viewpoint of observing the appearance of the beverage and checking the transparency, color, etc., the container is preferably transparent, specifically, a PET bottle or an uncolored bottle is preferable. Moreover, from the viewpoint of handling, distribution, portability, etc., the container is preferably a PET bottle.

<Method for preventing deterioration of lemon-flavored beverage>
The method for producing a beverage for sale heated in this embodiment includes the steps of preparing a beverage so that the pH (20°C) is 3.6 or less, the sweetness is 5 to 12, and the citric acid acidity is 0.41 g/100 ml to 0.70 g/100 ml.
This effectively prevents deterioration of flavor.
The preparation method is not particularly limited and any known method can be used. The components and their contents in the beverage are the same as those in the above-mentioned beverage.

The above describes embodiments of the present invention, but these are merely examples of the present invention, and various configurations other than those described above can also be adopted.

The present invention will be described below with reference to examples and comparative examples, but the present invention is not limited to these.

(1) Measurement of pH: The pH at 20° C. was measured using a pH meter (manufactured by DKK-TOA Corporation).
Brix: The sugar refractometer reading at 20° C. was measured using a digital refractometer Rx-5000α (manufactured by Atago Co., Ltd.).

(2) Sensory Evaluation The packaged beverages were stored at 60°C for two weeks, and seven experienced developers (six in [Experiment 2]) tasted them immediately after opening and evaluated them according to the following seven-level evaluation criteria (1 to 7 points) for "deterioration of flavor,""strength of deteriorated odor," and "pleasant aftertaste," and the average values were calculated.
The control was a bottled beverage that had not deteriorated after being stored at 4°C for two weeks, and was given a score of 7 for "deterioration of flavor," 1 for "strength of deterioration odor," and 4 for "pleasant aftertaste."

・Evaluation criterion: "Deterioration of flavor"
7 points: No deterioration due to heating.
6 points: Slight deterioration due to heating is observed (almost unnoticeable).
5 points: Some deterioration due to heating is observed.
4 points: Deterioration due to heating is relatively noticeable.
3 points: Significant deterioration due to heating is observed.
2 points: Deterioration due to heating is evident.
1 point: Significant deterioration due to heating is observed.

"Strength of odor of deterioration"
7 points: A strong odor of deterioration due to heating is observed.
6 points: A strong odor of deterioration due to heating is noticeable.
5 points: A noticeable odor of deterioration due to heating is observed.
4 points: A deterioration odor caused by heating is relatively noticeable.
3 points: A slight odor of deterioration due to heating is observed.
2 points: A slight odor of deterioration due to heating is observed.
1 point: No deterioration odor due to heating is observed.

"Good aftertaste"
7 points: Feels very good compared to the standard.
6 points: Feels good compared to the standard.
5 points: Feels slightly better than the standard.
4 points: Feels about the same as the standard.
3 points: Feels slightly inferior compared to the standard.
2 points: Feels inferior compared to the standard.
1 point: Feels very inferior compared to the standard.

(3) Examples and Comparative Examples [Experiment 1] Verification of differences in acidity Citric acid and sodium citrate were added to a beverage (sweetness level 10) containing 5 g/L of clear concentrated lemon juice (straight equivalent: 34.4 g/L), 36 g/L of sugar (sweetness level 1), 1 g/L of L-ascorbic acid, 0.045 g/L of acesulfame potassium (sweetness level 200), 0.09 g/L of sucralose (sweetness level 600), 0.8 g/L of flavoring (lemon flavor), and 0.37 g/L of marigold pigment, so as to obtain the contents shown in Table 1, and the beverage was sterilized by flash sterilization at 95°C to obtain a packaged beverage. All of the obtained beverages had a lemon flavor.
The bottled beverage thus obtained was subjected to the measurements and evaluations described above in (1) and (2). The results are shown in Table 1.

As can be seen from Table 1, in beverages with a sweetness of 10 and a pH controlled to be approximately constant at 2.99 to 3.11, Comparative Example 1 with a citric acid acidity of 0.30 (g/100 ml), Comparative Example 2 with a citric acid acidity of 0.35 (g/100 ml), and Comparative Example 3 with a citric acid acidity of 0.40 (g/100 ml) were rated inferior in terms of "deterioration of flavor,""strength of deterioration odor," and "good aftertaste" compared to Example 1 with a citric acid acidity of 0.45 (g/100 ml), Example 2 with a citric acid acidity of 0.50 (g/100 ml), and Example 3 with a citric acid acidity of 0.55 (g/100 ml).
Furthermore, in all of the examples in Table 1, the "flavor deterioration" was greater than 4.0, the "intensity of deterioration odor" was less than 4.0, and the "good aftertaste" was 2.5 or more, confirming the deterioration inhibition effect.
This demonstrated that, at a given pH and sweetness level, increasing the acidity of citric acid tends to suppress flavor deterioration while improving the aftertaste.

[Experiment 2] Difference in sweetness A beverage containing 5 g/L of concentrated clear lemon juice (34.4 g/L in pure form), 1 g/L of L-ascorbic acid, 0.8 g/L of flavoring (lemon flavor), and 0.37 g/L of marigold pigment was mixed with sugar, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, citric acid, and sodium citrate in the amounts shown in Table 2, and then sterilized by flash sterilization at 95°C to obtain packaged beverages. All of the obtained beverages had a lemon flavor.
The bottled beverage thus obtained was subjected to the measurements and evaluations described above in (1) and (2). The results are shown in Table 2.

As can be seen from Table 2, comparing Comparative Example 6 and Example 4, which have a sweetness level of 6 and almost the same pH, Example 4, which has a citric acid acidity of 0.45 (g/100 ml), received better ratings for "deterioration of flavor,""strength of deterioration odor," and "good aftertaste" than Comparative Example 6, which has a citric acid acidity of 0.35 (g/100 ml).
Comparing Example 5 with Comparative Example 7, which has a sweetness of 8 and almost the same pH, it was found that Example 5, which has a citric acid acidity of 0.45 (g/100 ml), received better ratings in terms of “deterioration of flavor,” “strength of deterioration odor,” and “good aftertaste” than Comparative Example 7, which has a citric acid acidity of 0.35 (g/100 ml).
Comparing Comparative Example 8 and Example 6, which have a sweetness of 11 and almost the same pH, it was found that Example 6, which has a citric acid acidity of 0.45 (g/100 ml), received better ratings in terms of “deterioration of flavor,” “strength of deterioration odor,” and “good aftertaste” than Comparative Example 8, which has a citric acid acidity of 0.35 (g/100 ml).
On the other hand, when the sweetness level is 4, Comparative Example 4 and Comparative Example 5 have almost the same pH, but Comparative Example 4 with a citric acid acidity of 0.35 (g/100ml) and Comparative Example 5 with a citric acid acidity of 0.45 (g/100ml) have a higher score for "strength of deterioration odor" than Comparative Example 4. Also, when the sweetness level is 13, Comparative Example 9 and Comparative Example 10 have almost the same pH, but Comparative Example 9 with a citric acid acidity of 0.35 (g/100ml) and Comparative Example 10 with a citric acid acidity of 0.45 (g/100ml) have the same evaluations for "deterioration of flavor,""strength of deterioration odor," and "good aftertaste."

[Experiment 3] Difference in pH A beverage (sweetness level 10) containing 5 g/L of clear concentrated lemon juice (straight equivalent: 34.4 g/L), 36 g/L of sugar (sweetness level 1), 1 g/L of L-ascorbic acid, 0.045 g/L of acesulfame potassium (sweetness level 200), 0.09 g/L of sucralose (sweetness level 600), 0.8 g/L of flavoring (lemon flavor), and 0.37 g/L of marigold pigment was added with citric acid and sodium citrate in the amounts shown in Tables 3 and 4, and sterilized by flash sterilization at 95°C to obtain a packaged beverage. All of the obtained beverages had a lemon flavor.
The bottled beverage thus obtained was subjected to the measurements and evaluations described above in (1) and (2). The results are shown in Tables 3 and 4.

As shown in Table 3, comparing Example 7 with Comparative Example 11, in which the pH was set to about 3.4 and the sweetness level was set to 10, it was found that Example 7, in which the citric acid acidity was 0.45 (g/100 ml), received better ratings in terms of “deterioration of flavor,” “strength of deterioration odor,” and “good aftertaste” than Comparative Example 11, in which the citric acid acidity was 0.35 (g/100 ml).
As can be seen from Table 4, comparing Example 8 with Comparative Example 12, in which the pH was set to about 3.6 and the sweetness level was set to 10, it was found that Example 8, in which the citric acid acidity was 0.45 (g/100 ml), received better ratings in terms of “deterioration of flavor,” “strength of deterioration odor,” and “good aftertaste” than Comparative Example 12, in which the citric acid acidity was 0.35 (g/100 ml).

Claims (10)

pH (20°C) is 3.6 or less,
The sweetness is 5 or more and 12 or less,
A lemon-flavored beverage having a citric acid acidity of 0.41 g/100 ml or more and 0.70 g/100 ml or less. The lemon-flavored beverage according to claim 1, having a sweetness level of 8 or more and 11 or less. The lemon-flavored beverage according to claim 1 or 2, in which the juice content of the lemon juice (calculated as pure juice) is 1.0 w/w% or more and 10 w/w% or less. The lemon-flavored beverage according to claim 1 or 2, which is intended for sale heated. The lemon-flavored beverage according to claim 1 or 2, which contains a lemon flavor. The lemon-flavored beverage according to claim 1 or 2, having a Brix value of 2 or more and 11 or less. The lemon-flavored beverage according to claim 1 or 2, which contains a high-intensity sweetener. The lemon-flavored beverage according to claim 1 or 2, which is a non-alcoholic beverage. The lemon-flavored beverage according to claim 1 or 2, packaged in a container. A method for suppressing deterioration of a lemon-flavored beverage, comprising:
The method for suppressing deterioration of a lemon-flavored beverage includes a step of preparing the beverage so that the pH (20°C) is 3.6 or less, the sweetness is 5 to 12, and the citric acidity is 0.41 g/100 ml to 0.70 g/100 ml.