JP6445491B2 - High concentration inulin-containing beverage - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a packaged beverage containing a high concentration of inulin, a method for producing the same, a method for suppressing the miscellaneous taste unique to inulin in a packaged beverage, and the like.

  In recent years, many container-packed beverages filled in containers such as cans and PET (PET) bottles have been developed and marketed. Among these, so-called energy drinks are known as beverages that are expected to have a refreshing effect due to physiologically active substances such as caffeine. In addition, coffee drinks have been known for a long time as caffeine-containing drinks.

  Container-packed coffee drinks are generally roasted coffee beans, extracted with roasted beans with water to obtain a coffee extract, and after adjusting the concentration of this extract to the drinking concentration, cans, plastic bottles, etc. It is sold in sealed containers. Coffee beverages are beverages excellent in flavor and are drunk in various scenes of daily life in anticipation of a refreshing effect by physiologically active substances such as caffeine contained therein.

  Inulin is a kind of water-soluble dietary fiber and is known to have an intestinal regulating action, and there are reports on beverages containing inulin (Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2).

  Polydextrose, known as a water-soluble dietary fiber, has taste problems such as acidity and bitterness, whereas inulin is known to improve taste without acidity and bitterness. (Patent Document 3).

Japanese Patent No.4087883 Special Table 2004-504824 Japanese Patent No.2982372

  As described above, it is known that inulin can improve taste without acidity and bitterness compared to polydextrose. However, the present inventors have found that when ingesting a relatively large amount of a beverage containing inulin at a relatively large amount, the inulin has a peculiar taste, and particularly when heat sterilized, it provides a miscellaneous taste and is difficult to drink.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a packaged beverage containing an inulin having an intestinal regulating action at a high concentration and suppressing the miscellaneous taste unique to inulin.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present inventors have intensively studied a method having an inulin miscellaneous taste suppressing effect under a high concentration of inulin, and by controlling the amount of caffeine within a certain range, The present inventors have found that the taste can be suppressed and have completed the present invention.

That is, although not limited to this, the present invention relates to the following.
1) The content of inulin is 1-7 g / 100 ml,
The caffeine content is 1 to 250 mg / 100 ml.
Containerized beverage.
2) The beverage according to 1), wherein the content of inulin is 1.5 to 6.0 g / 100 ml.
3) The beverage according to 1), wherein the inulin content is 2.0 to 5.5 g / 100 ml.
4) The beverage according to any one of 1) to 3), wherein the content of caffeine is 10 to 200 mg / 100 ml.
5) The beverage according to any one of 1) to 3), wherein the content of caffeine is 10 to 150 mg / 100 ml.
6) The beverage according to any one of 1) to 5), wherein the relationship between Y: caffeine content (mg / 100 ml) and X: inulin content (g / 100 ml) satisfies Y ≧ 1.8X.
7) The beverage according to any one of 1) to 5), wherein the relationship between Y: caffeine content (mg / 100 ml) and X: inulin content (g / 100 ml) satisfies Y ≧ 3.6X.
8) The beverage according to any one of 1) to 7), which has an intestinal regulating action.
9) The beverage according to any one of 1) to 8), which is a packaged beverage of 500 ml or more.
10) A method for producing a packaged beverage, the step of adjusting the content of inulin in the beverage to 1 to 7 g / 100 ml, and the content of caffeine in the beverage to 1 to 250 mg / 100 ml The said manufacturing method including a process.
11) A method for suppressing the miscellaneous taste unique to inulin in a packaged beverage, wherein the content of inulin in the beverage is adjusted to 1 to 7 g / 100 ml, and the content of caffeine in the beverage is 1 to The said suppression method by adjusting to 250 mg / 100 ml.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a packaged beverage that contains inulin having an intestinal regulating action at a high concentration and that suppresses the miscellaneous taste unique to inulin.

  The container-packed beverage of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as “the beverage of the present invention”) and related methods are described below.

(Beverage of the present invention)
In the beverage of the present invention, even in the presence of a high concentration of inulin (1% or more), by containing caffeine in a specific amount range, miscellaneous taste derived from inulin is suppressed and ease of drinking is enhanced. It is.

  As one embodiment of the present invention, an energy drink containing caffeine can be mentioned. An energy drink is a beverage that contains ingredients such as caffeine, sugar, and pantothetonic acid, and is sold as a soft drink. Compared to other soft drinks, the content of caffeine tends to be higher.

  In addition, coffee drinks are one of the more preferred aspects in that they can be taken in various scenes of daily life and contain caffeine. The coffee drink as used in the field of this invention means what uses a coffee part as a raw material. Here, the coffee component means a component containing a coffee bean-derived component, and includes, for example, a coffee extract, that is, a solution obtained by extracting roasted and pulverized coffee beans using water or warm water. . Moreover, the solution which adjusted the coffee extract which concentrated the coffee extract, the instant coffee which dried the coffee extract, etc. to water and warm water etc. to an appropriate quantity is also mentioned as a coffee part.

  The kind of coffee beans used for the coffee beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited. Examples of cultivated tree species include arabica species, Robusta species, and Riberica species, and examples of coffee varieties include mocha, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Blue Mountain, Kona, Mandelin, and Kilimanjaro. One kind of coffee beans may be used, or a plurality of kinds may be blended. There is no particular restriction on the roasting method of roasted coffee beans, and there are no restrictions on the roasting temperature and roasting environment, and a normal method can be adopted. preferable. Further, there is no limitation on the extraction method from the roasted coffee beans, and for example, water or hot water (0 to 100 ° C.) is used from a pulverized product obtained by pulverizing roasted coffee beans into coarse, medium and fine grinds. And extracting for 10 seconds to 30 minutes. Extraction methods include drip, siphon, boiling, jet, and continuous methods.

  The coffee beverage of the present invention is a packaged coffee beverage produced by heat sterilization. The heat sterilization referred to in this specification is a method of filling a storage container sterilized under aseptic conditions after being sterilized for a short time at a high temperature (UHT sterilization method), and filling a storage container such as a can with a prepared solution. After that, it is called retort sterilization method in which retort treatment is performed, and it means heat sterilization at 120 ° C. for 4 minutes (lethal value F0 = 3.1) or more.

  Since the effect of this invention is remarkable when the heat sterilization strength is strong, it is suitably applied to a canned beverage for performing retort sterilization treatment. In the case of canned coffee beverages, a predetermined amount and concentration of sugar is added to the coffee content, and after mixing other ingredients as desired, after filling into metal cans, the sterilization conditions stipulated in the Food Sanitation Law It can be manufactured by retort sterilization.

  As mentioned above, the coffee beverage of the present invention can be blended with other ingredients as desired. Other ingredients include milk components, antioxidants, pH adjusters, emulsifiers, fragrances and the like.

  The pH of the coffee beverage of the present invention is preferably 4 to 7, more preferably 5 to 7, and particularly preferably 5 to 7 in terms of beverage stability. Examples of the pH adjuster include sodium carbonate, sodium hydrogen carbonate, disodium hydrogen phosphate, potassium carbonate, and the like. From the viewpoint of the effect of the present invention, an alkaline sodium salt or an alkaline potassium salt is preferable, and sodium hydrogen carbonate is most preferable. preferable.

(Inulin)
The content of inulin contained in the beverage of the present invention is 1 to 7 g / 100 ml, preferably 1.5 to 6.0 g / 100 ml, more preferably 2.0 to 5.5 g / 100 ml.

  Inulin is a group of polysaccharides contained in various plants, and is a polymer in which a plurality of fructose bonds to glucose. It is a kind of water-soluble dietary fiber and is known to contribute to increasing bacteria beneficial to the human body in the intestine (intestinal beneficial bacteria growth promoting action). Inulin passes through the stomach and duodenum without being digested and becomes a beneficial substance for bacteria in the intestine.

  Inulin has the effect of regulating the intestines, and therefore has the effect of adjusting the tone of the stomach including the intestines and digestive tract. Specifically, it has an intestinal function, an intestinal condition, and an improvement, improvement, and improvement of the large intestine environment. It promotes bowel movement and is effective in reducing and preventing constipation.

  The inulin that can be used in the beverage according to the present invention has fructosyl units bonded mainly by β-2,1 bonds, and the fructan chain length is in the range of 2-100, preferably in the range of 2-60. At least 90% of the binding in inulin is β-2,1 type. For example, chicory-derived inulin includes Frutafit ™ or Raftiline ™. It can also be obtained from a number of plant species by methods well known to those skilled in the art.

  The inulin content can be quantified using a known method such as an HPLC method. For example, it may be measured by any known method such as GC-MS or HPLC method.

  Analysis of the average degree of polymerization of inulin can be performed as follows. The degree of polymerization is the number of saccharide units (fructose and glucose units) in inulin, and the average degree of polymerization was determined by a usual analysis method such as HPLC, GC, or HPAEC as follows. The top of the peak of the analysis result can be the average degree of polymerization. As the column, for example, ULTRON PS-80N (8 × 300 mm) manufactured by Shinwa Kako (solvent: water, flow rate: 0.5 ml / min, temperature: 50 ° C.) or TSK-GEL G3000PWXL (7.8 manufactured by TOSOH) X300 mm) (solvent; water, flow rate; 0.5 ml / min, temperature; 50 ° C.), and the degree of polymerization of the produced inulin confirmed by using a differential refractometer as the detector, for example, It can be determined by a calibration curve prepared using Olafty's Roughterin ST (average polymerization degree 11) and Roughterin HP (average polymerization degree 22), which are plant-derived inulin. The analysis of the degree of polymerization of inulin can be carried out based on the method of Loo et al. (Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 35 (6), 525-552 (1995).

(caffeine)
In the beverage of the present invention, the content of caffeine is 1 to 250 mg / 100 ml, preferably 10 to 200 mg / 100 ml, more preferably 10 to 150 mg / 100 ml based on the beverage volume. When the content of caffeine exceeds 250 mg / 100 ml, the caffeine-specific taste becomes strong and it becomes difficult to drink.

  In the coffee beverage of the present invention, the content of caffeine is 1 to 250 mg / 100 ml, preferably 10 to 200 mg / 100 ml, more preferably 10 to 150 mg / 100 ml, based on the volume of the coffee beverage. When the content of caffeine exceeds 250 mg / 100 ml, the caffeine-specific taste becomes strong and it becomes difficult to drink.

  In the coffee beverage of the present invention, the method for adjusting the content of caffeine is not particularly limited. For example, coffee beans from which caffeine has been removed may be used, or caffeine may be removed from a coffee extract. Caffeine may be enhanced by a known method. Methods for removing caffeine include, for example, a method of removing caffeine from purified coffee beans, a method of using coffee beans from which caffeine has been removed by breeding techniques and genetic recombination techniques, Examples include a method of selectively removing caffeine by immersing it in a solvent such as organic solvent / water / supercritical fluidized carbon dioxide, a method of adsorbing and removing caffeine from a coffee extract with activated carbon, ion exchange resin, etc. .

The content of caffeine can be measured by a known method, for example, it can be measured by a spectroscopic method such as HPLC method, LC-MS method, GC-MS method, LC method, GC method, and near infrared method. it can. As an example, it can be performed by filtering a beverage serving as a sample with a membrane filter (cellulose acetate membrane 0.45 μm manufactured by ADVANTEC) and subjecting the sample to HPLC set under the following conditions. In the present specification, unless otherwise stated, the caffeine content is quantified by the method.
(Conditions for quantifying caffeine)
Column TSK-gel ODS-80TsQA (4.6 mmφx150 mm, Tosoh Corporation)
Mobile phase A water: trifluoroacetic acid = 1000: 0.5
Mobile phase B Acetonitrile: trifluoroacetic acid = 1000: 0.5
・ Flow rate 1.0ml / min
・ Column temperature 40 ℃
-Gradient conditions A: B = 95: 5 held until 5 minutes after the start of analysis A: B = 5: 95 from 5 minutes to 20 minutes
Hold at 20:25 to A: B = 5: 95 A: B = 95: 5 from 25 to 26 minutes
From 26 minutes to 30 minutes A: B = 95: 5 Hold / injection volume 5.0 μl
・ Detection wavelength 280nm
Reference material Anhydrous caffeine (Nacalai Tesque, Inc.).
(Caffeine and inulin content ratio)
Even in the presence of high concentration of inulin (1% or more), the beverage of the present invention contains caffeine in a specific amount range, so that miscellaneous taste derived from heat sterilization is suppressed and ease of drinking is enhanced. Is. Here, if the content ratio of caffeine and inulin satisfies the following relationship, a higher effect is obtained:
The relationship between Y: caffeine content (mg / 100 ml) and X: inulin content (g / 100 ml) is Y ≧ 1.8X
The relationship between Y: caffeine content (mg / 100 ml) and X: inulin content (g / 100 ml) is Y ≧ 3.6X.

In addition, the coffee beverage of the present invention contains a certain amount of caffeine even in the presence of a high concentration of inulin (1% or more), thereby suppressing the miscellaneous taste derived from heat sterilization and improving the coffee flavor. In addition, the ease of drinking is enhanced. Here, if the content ratio of caffeine and inulin satisfies the following relationship, a higher effect is obtained:
The relationship between Y: caffeine content (mg / 100 ml) and X: inulin content (g / 100 ml) is Y ≧ 1.8X
The relationship between Y: caffeine content (mg / 100 ml) and X: inulin content (g / 100 ml) is Y ≧ 3.6X.

(Packed beverage)
The beverage of the present invention is provided in the form of a container. Examples of the form of the container include, but are not limited to, a metal container such as a can, a plastic bottle, a paper pack, a bottle, and a pouch. For example, a sterilized container-packed product can be manufactured through a method of performing heat sterilization such as retort sterilization after filling a beverage of the present invention into a container, or a method of sterilizing a beverage and filling the container.

  The container-packed beverage of the present invention is not only drinkable directly from the container, but can also be used for drinking by pouring a bulk container such as a back-in box or a portion filled with a portion container into another container at the time of drinking. Moreover, it can also be diluted when using a concentrate for drinking. In that case, it is needless to say that the effects of the present invention can be obtained if the concentration of various components used for drinking is within the concentration range of the present invention. Therefore, these beverages are also an aspect of the present invention.

  As for the capacity of the container, since the miscellaneous taste of inulin is suppressed and the beverage of the present invention is a “very drinkable” beverage, a large capacity is preferable, for example, 500 ml capacity or more, even if it is 550 ml or 600 ml good.

(Beverage production method)
In another aspect, the present invention is a method for producing a packaged beverage. The method includes the following steps: a step of adjusting the content of inulin in the beverage to 1 to 7 g / 100 ml, and a step of adjusting the content of caffeine in the beverage to 1 to 250 ml / 100 ml.

  Here, the content of each of the above components may be 1.5 to 6.0 g / 100 ml or 2.0 to 5.5 g / 100 ml for inulin, and 10 to 200 mg / 100 ml or 10 to 150 mg for caffeine. / 100ml may be sufficient. In addition, it is more preferable that the relationship between Y: caffeine content (mg / 100 ml) and X: inulin content (g / 100 ml) satisfies the relationship Y ≧ 1.8X or Y ≧ 3.6X. A preferred embodiment of the present invention is a method for producing a containerized coffee beverage.

  The timing of the adjustment process is not limited. For example, the above steps may be performed simultaneously, may be performed separately, or the order of the steps may be changed. The drink finally obtained should just satisfy said conditions.

(Method to suppress inulin-specific miscellaneous taste)
In another aspect, the present invention is a method for suppressing the miscellaneous taste characteristic of inulin. The method includes: a step of adjusting the content of inulin in the beverage to 1 to 7 g / 100 ml, and a step of adjusting the content of caffeine in the beverage to 1 to 250 ml / 100 ml.

  Here, the content of each of the above components may be 1.5 to 6.0 g / 100 ml or 2.0 to 5.5 g / 100 ml for inulin, and 10 to 200 mg / 100 ml or 10 to 150 mg for caffeine. / 100ml may be sufficient. In addition, it is more preferable that the relationship between Y: caffeine content (mg / 100 ml) and X: inulin content (g / 100 ml) satisfies the relationship Y ≧ 1.8X or Y ≧ 3.6X.

  The timing of the adjustment process is not limited. For example, the above steps may be performed simultaneously, may be performed separately, or the order of the steps may be changed. The drink finally obtained should just satisfy said conditions.

(Use)
Since the inulin is contained in a high content in the beverage of the present invention, there is provided a beverage having an intestinal regulating action and adjusting the condition of the abdomen including the intestine and digestive tract. Specifically, it is a beverage having an action for improving, improving, and improving the intestinal function, intestinal state, and large intestine environment, and also a beverage that promotes bowel movement and is effective in reducing or preventing constipation.

(Numeric range)
For the sake of clarity, the numerical range represented by the lower limit value and the upper limit value in the present specification, that is, “lower limit value to upper limit value” includes the lower limit value and the upper limit value. For example, the range represented by “1-2” includes 1 and 2.

  The present invention will be described below based on examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

  A coffee drink containing inulin was produced, sterilized, and then filled into a 300 ml container to produce a containerized coffee drink. Table 1 shows the results of measurement of inulin and caffeine in the produced packaged coffee beverages. Here, as inulin, “Fuji FF” manufactured by Fuji Nippon Seika Co., Ltd. was added at 1.0 to 8 g / 100 ml.

A trained panelist evaluated the degree of inulin miscibility and the caffeine flavor of the obtained coffee beverages by a sensory test using a scoring method. Three expert panelists comprehensively judged their extent:
5: I do not feel the miscellaneous aftertaste of inulin
4: There is almost no inulin aftertaste
3: A little bit of inulin aftertaste is felt, but easy to drink
2: Feel the aftertaste of inulin but drink it
1: There is little aftertaste of inulin, but the caffeine-specific flavor is strong and difficult to drink
0: Inulin's aftertaste is strong and difficult to drink
The contents of inulin and caffeine in the obtained beverage and the evaluation results are as shown in Table 1.

  From the results of Table 1, even in high inulin conditions, controlling the amount of caffeine within a certain range can suppress the miscellaneous taste unique to inulin, improve the coffee flavor, and increase the ease of drinking. found.

Claims (2)

The inulin content is 1 to 5.5 g / 100 ml,
The caffeine content is 10 to 20 mg / 100 ml,
The relationship between Y: caffeine content (mg / 100 ml) and X: inulin content (g / 100 ml) satisfies Y ≧ 3.6X.
Containerized beverage. The beverage according to claim 1, which is a 500 ml or more container-packed beverage.