JP4280156B2 - Container drink - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a packaged coffee beverage containing a non-polymer catechin at a high concentration, in which decomposition of the non-polymer catechin is suppressed, and having a good flavor.

The effects of catechins have been reported to inhibit cholesterol elevation, inhibit α-amylase activity, etc. (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). In order to express such a physiological effect, it is necessary to drink 4 to 5 cups of tea per day for an adult. Therefore, in order to ingest a large amount of catechins more easily, catechins are added to the beverage. Container-packed beverages that are blended at high concentrations and have improved taste and stability have been reported (see Patent Documents 3 to 6).
JP-A-60-156614 JP-A-3-133828 Japanese Patent No. 3329799 Japanese Patent No. 3342698 Japanese Patent No. 3360073 Japanese Patent No. 3338705

  However, it has hitherto been known that catechins tend to decrease when a beverage containing a high concentration of catechins is sterilized and heated. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a packaged coffee beverage that contains non-polymer catechins in a high concentration and that suppresses the decrease in non-polymer catechins.

The present inventor examined the means for suppressing the decrease in catechins in coffee beverages. The behavior of non-polymer catechins during heating was known so far, and the pH behavior in a water-soluble system and the coffee blending system. Then it was confirmed that it was very different.
In other words, in the system where the coffee extract is present, the decrease in non-polymer catechins is found to be less stable in the neutral region than in the water-soluble system, and when preparing a packaged coffee beverage, It has been found that pH adjustment is necessary.

  That is, this invention contains non-polymer catechins 0.05-0.3 weight%, and non-epimer content rate in non-polymer catechins is pH 4.1-5. The container-packed coffee drink which performed the sterilization process of 8 is provided.

  According to the present invention, a packaged coffee beverage stably containing a high concentration of non-polymer catechins can be obtained.

  In the present invention, non-polymer catechins include non-epimeric catechins (non-epimers) such as catechin, gallocatechin, catechin gallate, gallocatechin gallate, and epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, epigallocatechin gallate, etc. It is a collective term for all epi-catechins (epi-forms).

  In the packaged beverage of the present invention, non-polymer catechins which are non-polymeric and dissolved in water are 0.05 to 0.3% by weight, preferably 0.08 to 0.25% by weight. More preferably, the content is 0.1 to 0.2% by weight. When the content of non-polymer catechins is within this range, a large amount of non-polymer catechins can be easily taken and strong bitterness, astringency and strong astringency do not occur. The concentration of non-polymer catechins referred to here is defined based on the total amount of 8 types of catechin, gallocatechin, catechin gallate, gallocatechin gallate, epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate and epigallocatechin gallate. The

  The non-epimeric content in the non-polymer catechins is 5 to 60% by weight, more preferably 35 to 60% by weight from the viewpoint of color stability after heat sterilization, but further 40 to 60% by weight, particularly Most preferred is 45-60% by weight, 50-60% by weight. The said non-epimer content rate is a non-epimer catechin density | concentration in the said non-polymer catechin.

  In addition, in the non-polymer catechins in the container-packed coffee beverage of the present invention, the proportion of gallate bodies composed of catechin gallate, epicatechin gallate, gallocatechin gallate, and epigallocatechin gallate in all non-polymer catechins 30% by weight or more, particularly 40 to 100% by weight, is preferable in view of the effectiveness of physiological effects of non-polymer catechins.

  As for pH of the container-packed coffee drink of this invention, 4.1-5.8 are preferable. If the pH exceeds 5.8, the residual amount of non-polymer catechins after the sterilization treatment is drastically lowered. On the other hand, if the pH is less than 4.1, the remaining amount of the non-polymer catechins is large, but it is unfavorable because it exhibits a taste as a coffee drink. 4.3-5.5 are more preferable, 4.5-5.4 are still more preferable, and 4.7-5.1 are the most preferable.

  Non-polymer catechins can be widely derived from tea, but those derived from green tea, particularly green tea extract, are preferred from the standpoint of high concentration of non-polymer catechins and taste. .

  Here, examples of the green tea extract include a product obtained by further purifying an extract extracted from tea leaves with hot water or a water-soluble organic solvent, or a product obtained by directly purifying the extracted concentrate. Also, green tea concentrates such as commercially available Mitsui Norin Co., Ltd. “Polyphenone”, ITO EN “Teafuran”, Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd. “Sunphenon” can be used.

As a means for purifying the green tea concentrate, for example, a method of suspending the green tea concentrate in a mixture of water and an organic solvent, removing the precipitate generated by adding the organic solvent to the mixture, and then distilling off the solvent; Examples include a method in which a product is dissolved in a mixture of water and an organic solvent, a precipitate generated by adding the organic solvent to the mixture is removed, and then the solvent is distilled off.
Examples of the form of the green tea extract include various forms such as a solid, an aqueous solution, and a slurry.

  Examples of the green tea used in the present invention include tea leaves made from tea leaves obtained from the genus Camellia, for example, C. sinensis, C. assamica, and Yabuki species, or hybrids thereof. The tea leaves produced include green teas such as sencha, bancha, gyokuro, tencha, and kettle roasted tea.

  The container-packed coffee beverage of the present invention can be produced by blending non-polymer catechins with a coffee extract, but as coffee beans used as a raw material for the coffee extract, mocha, Brazil, Colombia, Mandelin, Kilimanjaro, Blue Mountain Arabica species such as Guatemala, Mexico, Costa Rica, Robusta species, and Riberica species and their blends. The roasting means is not particularly limited, but a roasting method such as open flame or hot air can be implemented. Examples of extraction means include drip, espresso, siphon, and percolator.

  The packaged coffee beverage of the present invention may be straight coffee, particularly sugar-free coffee or fine sugar coffee. The straight coffee here refers to sugar-free coffee or fine sugar coffee, and is different from milk coffee containing a milk component or a coffee drink having a milky milk flavor by an emulsifier.

  In the packaged coffee beverage of the present invention, as ingredients that may be added in the formulation, bitterness inhibitors, antioxidants, fragrances, various esters, organic acids, organic acid salts, inorganic acids, inorganic acid salts, inorganic salts, Additives such as pigments, emulsifiers, preservatives, seasonings, sweeteners, acidulants, and quality stabilizers may be used alone or in combination.

  Although there is no limitation in particular as a bitterness inhibitor, Cyclodextrin is preferable. As the cyclodextrin, α-, β-, γ-cyclodextrin and branched α-, β-, γ-cyclodextrin can be used. The cyclodextrin is contained in the beverage in an amount of 0.01 to 0.5% by weight, preferably 0.01 to 0.3% by weight.

For example, examples of the sweetener include sugar, glucose, fructose, isomerized liquid sugar, glycyrrhizin, stevia, aspartame, fructooligosaccharide, and galactooligosaccharide. Examples of acidulants include fruit juices extracted from natural ingredients, citric acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, fumaric acid, and phosphoric acid. The beverage should contain 0.01 to 0.5% by weight, preferably 0.01 to 0.3% by weight.
Examples of inorganic acids and inorganic acid salts include phosphoric acid, disodium phosphate, sodium metaphosphate, and sodium polyphosphate. The beverage should contain 0.01 to 0.5% by weight, preferably 0.01 to 0.3% by weight.

  The container used for the container-packed coffee beverage of the present invention is a molded container mainly composed of polyethylene terephthalate (so-called PET bottle), a metal can, a paper container combined with a metal foil or a plastic film, as with a general beverage, It can be provided in a conventional form such as a bottle. The term “packaged beverage” as used herein means a beverage that can be drunk without dilution.

  Moreover, the container-packed coffee drink of this invention is manufactured on the sterilization conditions prescribed | regulated to the food hygiene law, for example, when it can heat-sterilize after filling a container like a metal can. For PET bottles and paper containers that cannot be sterilized by retort, sterilize under the same conditions as above, for example, after sterilizing at high temperature and short time with a plate heat exchanger, etc. The method is adopted. Moreover, you may mix | blend another component with the filled container under aseptic conditions.

Using a high-performance liquid chromatograph (model SCL-10AVP) manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation, a container-packed coffee drink filtered with a catechin measurement filter (0.8 μm) and then diluted with distilled water for octadecyl group-introduced liquid chromatograph Packed column L-column TM ODS (4.6 mmφ × 250 mm: manufactured by Chemicals Evaluation and Research Institute) was attached, and the gradient was performed at a column temperature of 35 ° C. The mobile phase A solution was a distilled aqueous solution containing 0.1 mol / L of acetic acid, the B solution was an acetonitrile solution containing 0.1 mol / L of acetic acid, the sample injection amount was 20 μL, and the UV detector wavelength was 280 nm.

Test Examples 1-12
Water and polyphenone 70S (Tokyo Food Techno Co., Ltd.) were added to the coffee bean extract, and the pH was adjusted with sodium bicarbonate or citric acid, and then filled into cans. Thereafter, retort sterilization (124 ° C., 20 minutes) was performed.

  As a result of the experiment, it was found that the effect of pH on the residual rate of catechins after heat sterilization is large in a system in which non-polymer catechins are blended in a coffee extract. As a result of the flavor evaluation, it was found that if the pH is less than 4.1, the flavor as a coffee drink containing catechin deteriorates, while the pH needs to be 5.8 or less for the physiological effect of catechins. .

Claims (3)

A container-packed straight coffee beverage in which non-polymer catechins are blended in a coffee extract , containing 0.05 to 0.3% by weight of non-polymer catechins and containing non-epimers in non-polymer catechins rate is Ri 5-60 wt% der, packaged straight coffee beverage subjected to sterilization treatment after adjusting the pH to 4.1 to 5.8 with sodium bicarbonate. The container-packed straight coffee drink according to claim 1, which is sterilized after adjusting the pH to 4.7 to 5.8 with sodium bicarbonate . The container-packed straight coffee drink according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a green tea extract is used as the non-polymer catechins .