JP5731380B2 - Beverage containing gel - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a beverage containing a gel. More specifically, the present invention relates to a beverage in which a gel-like product is stably dispersed in a beverage and the gel-like product itself is invisible.

  Conventionally, various foods and drinks have been provided in order to cope with the diversification of consumer preferences for food. In particular, in the field of beverages, beverages containing gel-like products have been developed as beverages exhibiting a unique texture and throat, and are attracting attention as beverages rich in palatability. There are two types of beverages containing a gel-like product: a gel-like product dispersion type in which the gel-like product and liquid are separated, and a jelly-like type in which the entire beverage is in a gel form.

  The former gel-like material-dispersed beverage has a problem that the gel-like material easily settles in the beverage. In this way, the beverage in which the gel-like material has settled not only impairs its aesthetic appearance, but even if the gel-like material is dispersed by stirring at the time of eating and drinking, the gel-like material settles upon ingestion, and the gel It becomes impossible to uniformly ingest the liquid and the liquid. For this reason, the former type of beverage is required to stably float so that the gel-like material does not settle in the beverage.

  Conventionally, gel-like product-dispersed beverages have been developed to enhance the aesthetic appearance by coloring the gel-like product in order to enhance the aesthetic appearance. On the other hand, consumer preferences have been diversified, and the development of new types of beverages that have never existed has been desired. Therefore, for example, in the case of a gel-like dispersion type beverage, when the gel-like material itself present in the beverage is suspended so that it cannot be visually recognized, the presence of the gel-like material is sensed for the first time at the time of eating and drinking. In order to give a fresh impression, it is expected to satisfy the diversification of modern people. However, it has not been clarified at all what kind of prescription is effective for including a gel-like substance in a state where it cannot be visually recognized.

  In this way, beverages that exist in a state in which the gel-like product is stably suspended in the beverage and the gel-like product itself cannot be visually recognized match the tastes of modern people as an unprecedented novelty. However, at present, the formulation of beverages having such characteristics has not been developed yet.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-243779

  An object of the present invention is to provide a beverage in which the gel-like product can be stably floated in the beverage, and further the gel-like product itself is invisible.

  The present inventor has intensively studied to solve the above problems, and in a beverage containing a gel-like product and a liquid part, the gel-like product is prepared using gellan gum as a gelling agent, and the gel part is also applied to the liquid part. In addition, by setting the Brix value of the gel-like material to be equal to or less than the Brix value of the liquid part, the gel-like material can be stably suspended in the beverage, and further the gel-like material itself cannot be visually recognized. I found out that it would be possible to exist. The present invention has been completed by further studies based on this finding.

That is, this invention provides the drink of the aspect hung up below.
Item 1. A beverage comprising a gel-like product and a liquid part, wherein both the gel-like product and the liquid part contain gellan gum, and the gel-like product has a Brix value equal to or lower than the Brix value of the liquid part. .
Item 2. Item 2. The beverage according to Item 1, wherein the ratio of the Brix value of the gel-like material to the Brix value of the liquid part is 0.2 to 1.
Item 3. Item 3. The beverage according to Item 1 or 2, wherein the concentration of gellan gum contained in the gel-like product is 0.05 to 0.5% by weight based on the total amount of the gel-like product.
Item 4. Item 4. The beverage according to any one of Items 1 to 3, wherein the gel-like product contains a monovalent or divalent cation ion.
Item 5. Item 5. The beverage according to Item 4, wherein the concentration of monovalent or divalent cation ions in the gel is 0.001 to 0.5% by weight in terms of cation atoms.
Item 6. Item 6. The beverage according to any one of Items 1 to 5, wherein the gel-like product contains sugar.
Item 7. Item 7. The beverage according to Item 6, wherein the sugar concentration in the gel is 1-20% by weight.
Item 8. Item 8. The beverage according to any one of Items 1 to 7, wherein the concentration of gellan gum contained in the liquid part is 0.001 to 0.05% by weight per total amount of the liquid part.
Item 9. Item 9. The beverage according to any one of Items 1 to 8, wherein the liquid part contains a monovalent or divalent cation ion.
Item 10. Item 10. The beverage according to Item 9, wherein the concentration of monovalent or divalent cation ions in the liquid part is 0.0001 to 0.1% by weight in terms of cation atoms.
Item 11. Item 11. The beverage according to any one of Items 1 to 10, wherein the liquid part contains sugar.
Item 12. Item 12. The beverage according to Item 11, wherein the concentration of sugar in the liquid part is 3 to 25% by weight.
Item 13. Item 13. The beverage according to any one of Items 1 to 12, wherein the gel is contained in a ratio of 3 to 35 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the liquid.
Item 14. A gel-like product containing gellan gum and a liquid part containing gellan gum, wherein the gel-like product has a Brix value equal to or lower than the Brix value of the liquid part. The manufacturing method of the drink containing this.
Item 15. Item 15. The method according to Item 14, wherein the ratio of the Brix value of the gel-like material to the Brix value of the liquid part is 0.2 to 1.
Item 16. Item 16. The method according to Item 14 or 15, wherein the gellan gum concentration contained in the gel is 0.05 to 0.5% by weight based on the total amount of the gel.
Item 17. Item 17. The method according to any one of Items 14 to 16, wherein the concentration of gellan gum contained in the liquid part is 0.001 to 0.05% by weight per total amount of the liquid part.
Item 18. Item 18. The production method according to any one of Items 14 to 17, wherein the gelled material is mixed at a ratio of 3 to 35 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the liquid part.
Item 19. Item 19. The production method according to any one of Items 14 to 18, wherein the gel-like material containing gellan gum and the liquid part containing gellan gum are mixed and then subjected to a heat sterilization treatment.

  According to the beverage of the present invention, the gel-like product can be stably dispersed and floated in the beverage, so that the gel-like product can be ingested uniformly, and the unique texture of the gel-like product and the over the throat when eating and drinking Can be perceived uniformly.

  In addition, according to the beverage of the present invention, the gel-like product itself exists in a state where it cannot be visually recognized, and the gel-like product is first perceived in a state of being included in the mouth. You can taste the flavor.

  Traditionally, agar and gelatin, which are widely used as gelling agents in the food field, are used in general food production because gel-like materials have low heat stability and the gel state collapses at high temperatures. Could not be subjected to heat sterilization treatment. On the other hand, since the gel-like material contained in the beverage of the present invention can maintain a gel-like shape even under high temperature conditions, it can be used for heat sterilization treatment employed in general food production. There is.

  Furthermore, since the beverage of the present invention contains a gel-like material and a liquid part, it is easy to ingest the material by blending into the gel-like material a material that was originally difficult to blend into the beverage. be able to. For example, for a material that is not desirable to be mixed in the liquid part from a sensory point of view such as bitterness and astringency, a sensory defect of the material can be masked by blending it into a gel-like material. In addition, for example, a material that is destabilized in the liquid portion can be prevented from being destabilized by blending it with a gel-like material.

It is a figure which shows the external appearance (left) when the external appearance (left) of the drink of Example 12 and the liquid part are removed from the drink of Example 12. It is a figure which shows the result of having observed the external appearance, after leaving the drink (The same prescription as Example 9 except a coloring agent) containing the gel-like thing colored in orange indoors for about 10 months.

  The beverage of the present invention contains a gel-like product and a liquid part, and gellan gum is contained in both the gel-like product and the liquid part, and the sugar concentration of the gel-like product is lower than the sugar concentration of the liquid part. It is characterized by. In this way, gellan gum is blended into both the gel-like material and the liquid part, and the gel-like substance is stabilized in the liquid part by setting the sugar concentration of the gel-like substance lower than the sugar concentration of the liquid part. It is possible to disperse and float on the gel, and it is possible to allow the gel-like material to be present in an invisible state. Hereinafter, the configuration of the beverage of the present invention will be described in detail.

Gel-like product The gel-like product contained in the beverage of the present invention is a solid material that has been gelated using gellan gum as a gelling agent.

  The concentration of gellan gum contained in the gel-like material is not particularly limited as long as it can be gelled. For example, 0.05 to 0.5% by weight, preferably 0.08 to 0.3% by weight, based on the total weight of the gel-like material More preferably, the content is 0.1 to 0.2% by weight.

  The gel-like material may contain a monovalent or divalent cation ion for the purpose of improving the gel strength of gellan gum. Examples of such cation ions include sodium ions, potassium ions, calcium ions, and magnesium ions. Monovalent or divalent cation ions can be formulated in the form of water-soluble salts that liberate monovalent or divalent cation ions. Specific examples of such salts include sodium chloride, potassium chloride, and lactic acid. Examples include calcium, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, calcium gluconate, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, and zinc gluconate. These monovalent or divalent cation ions may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

  When a monovalent or divalent cation ion is blended in a gel-like material, the blending ratio may be appropriately determined according to the type of cation ion to be used, the gel strength of the gel-like material, etc. Examples are 0.001 to 0.065% by weight, preferably 0.004 to 0.05% by weight, and more preferably 0.0065 to 0.04% by weight in terms of the concentration of monovalent or divalent cation atoms per total weight of the product.

  Further, the gel-like material may contain a gelling agent other than gellan gum as long as the effect of the present invention is not hindered. However, depending on the type of gelling agent used in combination with gellan gum, the gel-like material may have transparency. In some cases, the gel-like material may be visually recognized. In addition, gelling agents other than gellan gum cannot have heat resistance and may not be subjected to heat sterilization treatment. Therefore, it is desirable to use gellan gum alone as a gelling agent from the viewpoint of providing the gel-like material with transparency and allowing the gel-like material to be present in a state where it cannot be visually recognized in the beverage.

  In order to secure the floatability of the gel-like material in the beverage, to impart good taste, and to impart the desired sugar brix value, the gel-like material preferably contains sugar. Here, the sugar includes monosaccharide, disaccharide, and oligosaccharide. Specifically, glucose, galactose, fructose, arabinose, xylose, sucrose, lactose, maltose, trehalose, sucralose, fructooligosaccharide, galactooligosaccharide, dextrin Etc. are exemplified. Among these sugars, glucose, fructose, and sucralose are preferably exemplified. These sugars may be used individually by 1 type, and may be used in combination of 2 or more type.

  The sugar concentration contained in the gel-like material may be appropriately set in consideration of the Brix value to be provided in the gel-like material, the type and taste of the sugar used, for example, per total weight of the gel-like material, Examples are 1 to 20% by weight, preferably 5 to 15% by weight, and more preferably 8 to 10% by weight.

  In addition, in order to adjust the taste and texture, and to provide the desired Brix value, the gel-like product is a water-soluble food such as sugar alcohol such as maltitol, xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol, or polydextrose. Fibers may be included.

  Furthermore, in addition to the above components, the gel-like product, as long as it does not interfere with the effects of the present invention, fruit juice, sweeteners, colorants, preservatives, stabilizers, antioxidants, fragrances, acidulants, A seasoning, an emulsifier, a pH adjuster, a nutrient enhancer, etc. may be added appropriately.

  The brix value of the gel material may be equal to or less than the Brix value of the liquid part described later, but from the viewpoint of stably dispersing and floating the gel material in the beverage, the brix value of the gel material is 1 to 20 , Preferably 3-18, more preferably 5-15. Here, the Brix value of the gel-like material is a liquid before gel-solidification of the gel-like material (that is, a composition in which all the components blended in the gel-like material are blended and presents a liquid before gel-solidification), or It can be determined by measuring the sugar refractive index (Brix) of a composition obtained by grinding a gel-like material into a liquid state. The Brix value of the gel is mainly affected by the type and concentration of sugar to be blended, and is also affected by the type and concentration of sugar alcohol and water-soluble dietary fiber. The Brix value of the gel-like material is adjusted by appropriately setting the blending amounts of these components.

  In the beverage of the present invention, since the gel-like product is provided with transparency, the gel-like product is present in a state where it cannot be visually recognized in the beverage. As for the gel-like product, it is desirable to select an additive component as long as transparency is not impaired. Here, the transparency may be colorless and transparent or colored and transparent.

The shape of the gel-like material may be any shape such as a spherical shape, a rectangular shape, a cubic shape, a cylindrical shape, or a polyhedral shape. Also, the size of the gel product, but may be any ingestible range with the liquid portion, usually 0.001～8Cm ^3, preferably 0.008～1Cm ^3, more preferably include 0.02~0.75cm ^3.

Liquid Part The liquid part contained in the beverage of the present invention contains gellan gum and exhibits a liquid state. The concentration of gellan gum contained in the liquid part may be in a range that does not cause the liquid part to gel. For example, 0.001 to 0.05% by weight, preferably 0.005 to 0.03% by weight, and more preferably 0.008 to 0.08% by weight, based on the total amount of the liquid part. An example is 0.02% by weight.

  Further, the liquid part may contain a gelling agent other than gellan gum as long as the effects of the present invention are not hindered. However, depending on the type of gelling agent used in combination with gellan gum, the transparency of the liquid part, texture Etc., or the liquid part may be gelled, so it is desirable not to add a gelling agent other than gellan gum.

  In the liquid part, monovalent or divalent cation ions may be contained in a range in which gellan gum is not gelled in order to stably float the gel-like substance in the liquid part. Specific examples of the monovalent or divalent cation ions blended in the liquid part are the same as those of the monovalent or divalent cation ions blended in the gel. The monovalent or divalent cation ion blended in the liquid part may be one kind alone, or a combination of two or more kinds. When monovalent or divalent cation ions are blended in the liquid part, the blending ratio may be appropriately determined according to the type of cation ion used, etc., for example, monovalent per total weight of the liquid part Alternatively, 0.0001 to 0.1% by weight, preferably 0.0007 to 0.065% by weight, and more preferably 0.0013 to 0.05% by weight in terms of the concentration of divalent cation atoms.

  The Brix value of the liquid part is set to be equal to or higher than the Brix value of the gel material. Specifically, the ratio (Gel Brix value / Liquid Brix value) of the brix value (Gel Brix value) of the gel-like material to the Brix value (Liquid Brix value) of the liquid part is 0.2 to 1, preferably 0.4 to 0.85, More preferably, 0.5 to 0.8 is exemplified. When the Brix value of the gel-like material and the liquid part satisfies such a ratio, the gel-like material can be stably floated in the beverage without settling.

  Further, the Brix value of the liquid part is appropriately set within a range satisfying the above ratio, and specifically, it is 1.5 to 25, preferably 3 to 20, and more preferably 5 to 15.

  The Brix value of the liquid part is mainly affected by the type and concentration of sugar to be blended, and is also affected by the type and concentration of sugar alcohol and water-soluble dietary fiber. The Brix value of the gel-like material is adjusted by appropriately setting the blending amounts of these components.

  In order to give a good taste to a liquid part and also to give a desired Brix value, it is desirable to contain sugar. The specific example of the saccharide | sugar mix | blended with a liquid part is the same as the saccharide | sugar mix | blended with a gel-like thing. One type of sugar may be blended in the liquid part, or a combination of two or more types may be used. Furthermore, the sugar compounded in the liquid part may be the same type as the sugar compounded in the gel material, or may be different from the sugar compounded in the gel material. Further, the sugar concentration contained in the liquid part may be appropriately set in consideration of the Brix value provided in the liquid part, the type of sugar used, taste, etc., for example, 3% per total weight of the liquid part. -25% by weight, preferably 7-20% by weight, more preferably 10-15% by weight.

  In addition, the liquid part may contain sugar alcohol or water-soluble dietary fiber in order to adjust the taste and texture, and to provide a desired Brix value. Specific examples of the sugar alcohol and water-soluble dietary fiber blended in the liquid part are the same as those blended in the gel.

  Furthermore, in addition to the above components, the liquid part contains fruit juice, sweeteners, colorants, preservatives, stabilizers, antioxidants, fragrances, acidulants, seasonings as long as they do not interfere with the effects of the present invention. A material, an emulsifier, a pH adjuster, a nutrient enhancer, and the like may be appropriately added.

  In the beverage of the present invention, the gel-like product is transparent and exists in a state where it cannot be visually recognized. Therefore, in order to sufficiently exhibit such characteristics, it is desirable that the liquid part has transparency. Here, the transparency may be not only colorless and transparent but also colored and transparent. Moreover, when making the said gel-like thing colored and transparent, it is desirable to make the liquid part also the same color as the gel-like substance and colored and transparent.

Beverage The beverage of the present invention contains a gel-like material and a liquid part as defined above, and thus, by combining a gel-like substance and a liquid part of a specific composition, the gel-like substance is stably suspended, Moreover, it is possible to allow the gel-like material to exist in a state where it cannot be visually recognized.

  In the beverage of the present invention, the mixing ratio of the gel-like product and the liquid part is not particularly limited, but for example, the gel-like product is 3 to 35 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the liquid part, preferably Is 5 to 25 parts by weight, more preferably 10 to 15 parts by weight. If such a ratio is satisfied, the texture of the gel can be balanced with the taste of the liquid part.

  The beverage of the present invention can be provided as various forms of beverages such as fruit juice beverages, soft drinks, carbonated beverages, lactic acid bacteria beverages, sports beverages, soups, and tea beverages.

  Moreover, the container which accommodates the drink of this invention may be transparent, and may be opaque. Since the beverage of the present invention stably floats the gel-like material and is present in a state where the gel-like material cannot be visually recognized, and has an excellent aesthetic appearance, from the viewpoint of sufficiently enjoying such aesthetic appearance. It is desirable to be accommodated in a transparent container, preferably a transparent PET bottle and a transparent glass container, more preferably a colorless transparent PET bottle and a colorless transparent glass container.

  The beverage of the present invention is produced by mixing a desired amount of the gel-like material and the liquid part. The gel-like material blended in the beverage of the present invention can retain the gel shape even when subjected to the heat sterilization treatment employed in the production of general beverages. After mixing a thing and the said liquid part, it can also use for a heat sterilization process as needed. The conditions for the heat sterilization treatment are not particularly limited as long as the beverage can be sterilized, but for example, 65 to 121 ° C, preferably 85 to 110 ° C, 1 to 600 seconds, preferably 1 to 180 seconds. Illustrated.

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, although an Example etc. are given and this invention is demonstrated, this invention is not limited to these Examples.
Example <Preparation of Beverage>
In the following procedure, a gel-like product and a liquid part were prepared, and these were mixed and heat-sterilized to prepare a beverage containing the gel-like product and the liquid part.

1 Preparation of gel-like product Among the blending components shown in the column of gel-like product in Table 1-2, gellan gum and acidulant are added to purified water heated to 90 ° C or higher, and stirred to dissolve, then other formulations Ingredients were sequentially added to prepare a mixed raw material solution in which all of the ingredients were dissolved. Subsequently, this mixed raw material liquid was gelatinized by putting this mixed raw material liquid into a predetermined container and leaving it still at 4 degreeC overnight. The gel was obtained by cutting the gel so as to have a shape of (about 5 mm square).

  Further, the Brix value of the gel material was measured using the Brix measuring instrument (HAND REFRACT METER N-1E, Atago Co., Ltd.).

2. Preparation of liquid part A liquid part was prepared by adding and mixing the components shown in Table 1-2 to the purified water. Moreover, the sugar Brix value of the prepared liquid part was measured using a Brix measuring instrument (HAND REFRACT METERN-1E, Atago Co., Ltd.).

3. Mixing of gel-like material and liquid part, and heat sterilization treatment In the ratio shown in Table 1-2, the gel-like material and liquid part of each example were mixed, and heat sterilization treatment was performed under conditions of 65 ° C for 10 minutes. Thus, a beverage containing a gel and a liquid part was prepared.

<Evaluation of beverage>
1. Evaluation of Transparency of Beverage When the beverage of Example 1-14 was observed with the naked eye, no gel-like product was visible in any beverage, and the appearance was a transparent liquid. As an example of the result, FIG. 1 shows a photograph of the appearance of the beverage of Example 12 and the appearance when the liquid part is removed from the beverage of Example 12.

2. Evaluation of floatability of gel-like material in beverage After 200 g of beverage of Example 1-14 was put in a container and allowed to stand for 60 minutes, the beverage was drunk as it was without stirring. As a result, a uniform amount of gel-like substance was contained in the mouth at any of the stage of starting drinking, the stage of drinking about half, and the stage of finishing drinking. From this result, it became clear that the gel-like substance was uniformly dispersed and floated in the beverage without sedimentation.

  Furthermore, in order to evaluate the floating property of the gel-like material for a long period of time, a beverage having the same formulation as in Example 9 is prepared except that an orange colorant is blended in the gel-like material and accommodated in a transparent glass container. Then, it was left indoors for about 10 months. The result of observing the appearance of the beverage after about 10 months has elapsed is shown in FIG. As apparent from FIG. 2, even after about 10 months, it was confirmed that the gel-like substance was stably suspended in the beverage without sinking to the bottom of the container.

  Moreover, although the drink of the said Example 1-14 is a liquid with a transparent appearance, when it drinks, presence of a gel-like thing can be recognized and the taste of a drink can be tasted with a novel novel sense before. It was.

Comparative Example In the formulation of Example 1-14 above, instead of gellan gum, an appropriate amount of agar or gelatin was used as the gelling agent used for the gel, and the same procedure as in Example 1-14 was used. Created a beverage. As a result, in these beverages, the gel-like product was dissolved in the heat sterilization treatment, so that it was not possible to finally prepare a beverage in which the gel-like product was suspended.

  Further, a beverage was prepared according to the formulation of Example 5-7 except that fructose and maltitol were not blended in the liquid part. In the obtained beverage, the gel-like material immediately settled, and the gel-like material could not be stably suspended in the beverage.

Claims (10)

Beverage containing gel and liquid part, both gel and liquid part contain gellan gum , ratio of Brix value of gel part to Brix value of liquid part (Gel Brix value / Liquid Brix value) Is a beverage of 0.4 to 0.85 . The drink of Claim 1 whose density | concentration of the gellan gum contained in a gelled material is 0.05 to 0.5 weight% per the total amount of a gelled material. The drink of Claim 1 or 2 whose density | concentration of the gellan gum contained in a liquid part is 0.001-0.05 weight% per the total amount of a liquid part. The beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the gel-like product is contained at a ratio of 3 to 35 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the liquid part. The drink in any one of Claims 1-4 whose gelling agent contained in a gel-like substance and a liquid part is only gellan gum. A step of mixing a gel-like material containing gellan gum and a liquid part containing gellan gum, wherein the ratio of the brix value of the gel-like material to the brix value of the liquid part (Gel Brix value / Liquid Brix value) is 0.4 to 0.85 The manufacturing method of the drink containing a gel-like thing and a liquid part characterized by the above-mentioned. The manufacturing method of Claim 6 whose density | concentration of the gellan gum contained in a gelled material is 0.05 to 0.5 weight% with respect to the total amount of a gelled material. The manufacturing method of Claim 6 or 7 whose density | concentration of the gellan gum contained in a liquid part is 0.001-0.05 weight% per total amount of a liquid part. The manufacturing method in any one of Claims 6-8 with which a gelatinous material is mixed in the ratio of 3-35 weight part per 100 weight part of liquid parts. The manufacturing method in any one of Claims 6-9 whose gelling agent contained in a gel-like substance and a liquid part is only gellan gum.

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