JP6908746B2 - Beverages containing polymerized catechins - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a packaged beverage containing a polymerized catechin, a method for producing the same, and a method for improving a refreshing feeling and / or sharpness in the packaged beverage.

Chu-Hi is originally an abbreviation for shochu highball. Nowadays, its definition varies, but it generally means an alcoholic beverage obtained by dividing spirited liquor by another beverage. Chu-Hi has a refreshing taste with a good balance of liquor, sweetness and acidity, and is widely accepted. In addition, a non-alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of 0 v / v%, which has a taste similar to that of chu-hi for adults, called a chu-hi taste beverage, is also on the market.

Polymerized catechin is a kind of polyphenol and is known to have various useful physiological effects such as lipase inhibitory action, and a method for producing an extract containing a large amount of polymerized catechin has been developed (Patent Document 1). ..

WO2005 / 077384

However, a method for improving the refreshing feeling and sharpness of a chu-hi or chu-hi taste beverage has not been sufficiently studied. In particular, there are not enough means to achieve this purpose without impairing the original chu-hi feeling and without significantly changing the liquid color of the beverage.

An object of the present invention is to improve the refreshing feeling and sharpness of a packaged beverage without impairing the original chu-hi feeling and without significantly changing the liquid color of the beverage.

As a result of diligent studies, the present inventors have found that alcoholic beverages having a specific concentration of polymerized catechins and a specific concentration of citric acid and / or malic acid are excellent in terms of refreshing feeling and sharpness, and beverages. It was found that the liquid color of catechin did not become too dark.

The present invention relates to, but is not limited to:
1. 1. It ’s a packaged beverage,
The content of the polymerized catechin is 0.25 to 50 ppm,
The total content of each content of citric acid and malic acid is 0.1 to 15 g / L, and the absorbance at a wavelength of 500 nm is 0.2 or less.
The beverage.
2. The beverage according to 1, wherein the content of the polymerized catechin is 0.5 to 50 ppm.
3. 3. The beverage according to 1 or 2, further containing non-polymerized catechins and having a non-polymerized catechin content of 0.1 to 25 ppm.
4. Item 2. Beverages.
5. The beverage according to any one of 1 to 4, wherein the content of limonene is 0.01 to 50 ppm or more.
6. The beverage according to any one of 1 to 5, which has a sweetness of less than 20% in terms of sucrose.
7. The beverage according to any one of 1 to 6, further containing carbonic acid.
8. The beverage according to any one of 1 to 7, further containing fruit juice.
9. The beverage according to any one of 1 to 8, wherein the alcohol content is 0 to 10 v / v%.
10. The beverage according to any one of 1 to 8, wherein the alcohol content is 1 to 10 v / v%.
11. The beverage according to any one of 1 to 10, wherein the content of tartaric acid is 350 ppm or less and the content of succinic acid is 60 ppm or less.
12. The beverage according to any one of 1 to 11, which is a chu-hi taste beverage.
13. The beverage according to any one of 1 to 12, wherein the content of the emulsifier is 0.1 w / w% or less.
14. It ’s a packaged beverage,
(I) The content of the emulsifier is 0.1 w / w% or less.
(Ii) The absorbance at a wavelength of 500 nm is 0.2 or less, and the absorbance is 0.2 or less.
(Iii) The juice content is less than 10 w / w% in terms of juice ratio, and (iv) when tested by the method having steps 1-7 below, the following iv-1 to iv-3 The beverage that meets all the conditions.
(Iv-1) There are no oil droplets with a diameter of 11 mm or more in area A,
(Iv-2) The total cross-sectional area value of the oil droplets in the B area is ½ or more of the total cross-sectional area value of the oil droplets in the AB area.
(Iv-3) The number of oil droplets in the A area is 474 or more.
Process 1. Made by Toyo-Sasaki Glass Co., Ltd., tested in a glass container with a diameter of about 4.9 cm, a maximum outer diameter of about 6.1 cm, a thickness of about 2 mm, a height of about 11.2 cm, a depth of about 7.5 cm, and a full filling capacity of about 140 ml. Pour 30 ml of the beverage to be made,
Process 2. The beverage was allowed to stand at a liquid temperature of 23 ° C.
Process 3. Add 200 μl of chili oil (Chili oil) (House Foods Co., Ltd.) to the beverage that has been left to stand, cover the glass container, and cover it.
Process 4. The glass container is placed in a box-shaped container having an inner size of about 6.5 cm square fixed to a shaking device, and the box-shaped container is shaken at a speed of 250 times / minute in a horizontal circle with a diameter of 80 mm for 1 minute.
Process 5. With the glass container horizontal, the rotated beverage was allowed to stand at a liquid temperature of 23 ° C. for 24 hours.
Process 6. Take a picture of the liquid level from the top of the glass container, and step 7. In the obtained photograph, the entire liquid surface is the A area, and the circle having the value obtained by multiplying the diameter of the A area by 0.828 as the diameter and having the same center as the A area and the inside thereof are B. It is an area, and the remaining part excluding the B area from the A area is the AB area, and the number and cross-sectional area of oil droplets existing in those three areas are measured.
15. It is a method for manufacturing packaged beverages.
Step of adjusting the content of polymerized catechin in the beverage to 0.25 to 50 ppm,
The step of adjusting the total amount of each content of citric acid and malic acid in the beverage to 0.1 to 15 g / L, and the step of adjusting the absorbance of the beverage at a wavelength of 500 nm to 0.2 or less. Production method.
16. The method according to 15, wherein the content of the polymerized catechin in the beverage is adjusted to 0.5 to 50 ppm.
17. The production method according to 15 or 16, wherein the content of the emulsifier in the beverage is 0.1 w / w% or less.
18. A method for improving the refreshing feeling and / or sharpness of packaged beverages.
Step of adjusting the content of polymerized catechin in the beverage to 0.25 to 50 ppm,
The step of adjusting the total amount of each content of citric acid and malic acid in the beverage to 0.1 to 15 g / L, and the step of adjusting the absorbance of the beverage at a wavelength of 500 nm to 0.2 or less. Method.
19. 18. The method of 18. The method of adjusting the content of polymerized catechins in the beverage to 0.5-50 ppm.
20. The method according to 18 or 19, wherein the content of the emulsifier in the beverage is 0.1 w / w% or less.
21. A method of improving the ability of a beverage to wash away fats and oils brought into the mouth by a meal, including the inclusion of polymerized catechins in the beverage.
22. A food and drink composition containing polymerized catechin as an active ingredient for washing away fats and oils brought to the mouth by meals.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can improve the refreshing feeling and sharpness of a packaged beverage without impairing the original chu-hi feeling and without significantly changing the liquid color of the beverage. In particular, the beverage of the present invention can have the effect of eliminating the taste and irritation in a flowing manner. Such an effect can be obtained without impairing the feeling of chu-hi. Here, the chu-hi feeling is a unique and preferable taste of a chu-hi or chu-hi taste beverage, and means a refreshing taste in which a liquor feeling, sweetness, and acidity are well-balanced. In addition, the refreshing feeling means that the unpleasant taste such as bitterness, acidity, astringency, and astringency after drinking does not remain, and the back mouth is not sticky, and the sharpness means the pleasant aroma, flavor, and taste of food and drink. It means that it is comfortable to drink and has a good throat that does not remain in the aftertaste even though it has enough. In addition, the liquid color of the beverage is transparent, and the appearance is not a color reminiscent of tea or the like.
Therefore, the beverage of the present invention is particularly suitable as a chu-hi or chu-hi taste beverage. The chu-hi taste beverage means a non-alcoholic beverage having an alcohol content of 0 v / v%, which is similar in taste to chu-hi for adults.

It was also found that the beverage of the present invention has an excellent ability to disperse oil in water. Moreover, this effect is exhibited even if an emulsifier is not included as a component other than the polymerized catechin. Therefore, the beverage of the present invention has a particularly refreshing feeling when eating foods containing oil.

FIG. 1 shows the particle size distribution of fats and oils dispersed in a beverage. ● indicates the result of Example 54 (weight catechin 25 ppm), ◯ indicates the result of Example 51 (weight catechin 1 ppm), and Δ indicates the result of Comparative Example 51 (weight catechin 0 ppm). FIG. 2 schematically shows each area on the liquid surface taken when evaluating the oil / fat dispersibility. FIG. 3 shows a container used for evaluating the dispersibility of fats and oils. FIG. 4 shows a shaking method in the evaluation of oil / fat dispersibility. FIG. 5 is a photograph showing a dispersed state of fats and oils in a beverage having a polymerized catechin concentration of 0 ppm. FIG. 6 is a photograph showing a dispersed state of fats and oils in a beverage having a polymerized catechin concentration of 0.25 ppm. FIG. 7 is a photograph showing a dispersed state of fats and oils in a beverage having a polymerized catechin concentration of 1 ppm. FIG. 8 is a photograph showing a dispersed state of fats and oils in a beverage having a polymerized catechin concentration of 10 ppm. FIG. 9 is a photograph showing a dispersed state of fats and oils in a beverage having a polymerized catechin concentration of 50 ppm. FIG. 10 is a photograph showing the dispersed state of fats and oils in the beverage of Comparative Example B. FIG. 11 is an example of an HPLC chart obtained by measuring a sample containing polymerized catechins.

The packaged beverage of the present invention (hereinafter, also referred to as “beverage of the present invention”) and related methods will be described below.
(Polymerized catechin)
The beverage of the present invention contains polymerized catechins. The term "polymerized catechin" as used herein refers to non-polymerized monomeric catechins ((+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, (+)-gallocatechin, (-)-epigallocatechin, (-)-Catechin gallate, (-)-Epicatechin gallate, (-)-Gallocatechin gallate, (-)-Epigallocatechin gallate (these are also referred to as "non-polymerized catechin" in the present specification)) However, it refers to a structure in which a plurality of tea-derived enzymes, enzymes, light, changes in pH, etc. are linked. Specifically, it refers to a component analyzed by HPLC under the following conditions, and refers to a component having a peak elution time (reference elution time: 25 minutes) same as that of theaflavin (manufactured by Kurita Research Center).
-Column: TSK-gel ODS-80TsQA (4.6mmφx150mm, Tosoh Corporation)
-Mobile phase: A: Water: Acetonitrile: Trifluoroacetic acid = 900: 100: 0.5
B: Water: Acetonitrile: Trifluoroacetic acid = 200: 800: 0.5
・ Flow velocity: 1.0 ml / min
・ Column temperature: 40 ℃
・ Gradient condition; B solution 0% until 5 minutes after the start of analysis,
From 5 minutes to 11 minutes, liquid B 8%,
B solution 10% from 11 minutes to 21 minutes,
100% B solution in 21 to 22 minutes,
100% retention from 22 to 30 minutes,
0% from 30 minutes to 31 minutes
・ Detection: A280nm (data collection time is 30 minutes), quantified by peak area.
・ Injection volume: 10 μL
-Standard substance: Oolong homobis flavan B (abbreviation: OHBF-B)
The amount of polymerized catechin is determined by preparing a calibration curve using OHBF-B as a standard substance. The standard substance OHBF-B is described in, for example, the method described in Chem. Pharm. Bull 37 (12), 3255-3563 (1989) and JP-A-2005-336117 (Example 3). Those synthesized according to the method (preferably purified to a purity of 98% or more), those isolated from tea leaves, and the like can be used.
Under the above analysis conditions, the peak of the polymerized catechin may overlap with the peak of other components. Beverages containing such other components include, for example, beverages containing fruit juice, beverages containing plant extracts, and the like. In that case, the above analytical conditions are suitable for identifying the polymerized catechin, but not for quantification. In that case, the peak that appears at about 14 minutes is used for quantification. Compare the value obtained by multiplying the peak area value of about 14 minutes by 10 and the peak area value appearing in about 25 minutes, and if the former is lower, use the former value for the quantification of polymerized catechins. do. An example of an HPLC chart in which these peaks appear is shown in FIG.

Specific examples of the polymerized catechin include the polymerized catechin commonly known as thearubigin and the like, as well as the epigallocatechin gallate dimer of the formula (1):

Epigallocatechin gallate trimer of formula (2):

Epigallocatechin dimer of formula (3):

(In the formula, R1 and R2 are independently H or galloyl groups, respectively.)
Epigallocatechin trimer of formula (4):

(In the formula, R3, R4 and R5 are independently H or galloyl groups, respectively.)
Oolong theanine of formula (5) -3'-O-gallate:

Such as polymerized catechins are exemplified.
The polymerized catechin of the present invention can be obtained as a plant extract containing the polymerized catechin. For example, it is obtained by solvent-extracting tea leaves. As the raw material tea leaves, one or more of green tea, which is unfermented tea, oolong tea, which is semi-fermented tea, and black tea, which is fermented tea, can be used, and among them, a large amount of polymerized catechin is contained. It is preferable to use semi-fermented tea or fermented tea leaves, especially oolong tea leaves. As the extraction solvent, water or hot water, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, ethyl acetate and the like are used, and one kind or a mixture of two or more kinds is extracted. The solvent extract of the tea leaves may be used as it is, but the concentrated or purified product, that is, the component other than the polymerized catechins is selectively removed from the solvent extract of the tea leaves to reduce the content of the polymerized catechins. It is better to use the enhanced one. In addition to the method of extracting polymerized catechins derived from tea leaves as they are, tea leaves containing polymerized catechins and non-polymerized catechins and tea leaf extracts are treated with enzymes such as polyphenol oxidase to obtain the original degree of polymerization of polymerized catechins. May be even higher than that contained in. The higher the degree of polymerization and the higher the proportion of polymerized catechins than non-polymerized catechins, the less unpleasant bitterness and astringency, and the more preferable the flavor.

In general, non-polymerized catechins have a bitter and astringent taste, and therefore, if the blending amount is large, the taste of the food or drink itself may be impaired. Therefore, as the polymerized catechin of the present invention, it is preferable to use a solvent extract obtained by selectively removing non-polymerized catechin from the above tea leaf extract. Examples of the solvent extract subjected to the treatment for selectively removing the non-polymerized catechin include those containing polymerized catechin at a concentration four times or more that of the non-polymerized catechin described in WO2005 / 077384. ..

Polymerized catechins are soluble components. From the viewpoint of preventing precipitation during storage, it is preferable to perform separation and clarification treatment such as centrifugation and filtration treatment from the solvent extract of tea leaves to remove insoluble solids, and from this viewpoint as well, non-polymerized catechins are removed. Therefore, it is preferable to use a solvent extract of tea leaves having an increased concentration of polymerized catechins. The form of the polymerized catechin used in the present invention may be liquid or powdered by spray drying, freeze pulverization or the like.

The blending ratio of the polymerized catechin in the beverage of the present invention is 0.25 to 50 ppm, preferably 0.5 to 50 ppm, more preferably 0.5 to 30 ppm, and more preferably 1 to 20 ppm with respect to the entire beverage. In addition, in this specification, ppm means weight / volume ppm, which corresponds to mg / L. If the content of the polymerized catechin is less than 0.25 ppm, a refreshing feeling and sharpness cannot be sufficiently obtained. Further, if the content of the polymerized catechin exceeds 50 ppm, the chu-hi-ness may be impaired.

When the polymerized catechin is blended as a tea leaf extract, the non-polymerized catechin contained in the tea leaf extract may inhibit the flavor of the beverage, so it is preferable to use one in which the non-polymerized catechin is selectively removed. The content of non-polymerized catechin in the beverage is preferably 0.1 to 25 ppm, more preferably 0.1 to 10 ppm. Further, the ratio of (a) polymerized catechin to (b) non-polymerized catechin on a weight basis ((a) / (b)) is preferably 4 or more, more preferably 5 or more.

(Citric acid and malic acid)
Citric acid is an organic acid that is abundant in citrus fruits such as lemon and has a slightly astringent acidity. Malic acid is an organic acid that is abundantly contained in apples and the like, and has a refreshing acidity.

The total content of citric acid and malic acid contained in the beverage of the present invention is 0.1 to 15 g / L, preferably 0.2 to 5 g / L. The beverage may contain only one of citric acid and malic acid, or both.

The contents of citric acid and malic acid can be quantified using a known method such as an HPLC method.
(Absorbance)
Although the beverage of the present invention contains polymerized catechin, the liquid color of the beverage is not dark. In particular, when the polymerized catechin obtained by purification is used, the liquid color of the beverage can be lightened. The absorbance of the beverage at 500 nm is preferably 0.2 or less, more preferably 0.09 or less, more preferably 0.07 or less, and even more preferably 0.05 or less.

(alcohol)
The beverage of the present invention may contain alcohol. The term "alcohol" as used herein means ethanol unless otherwise noted.

Alcohol may be contained in a beverage by any means, but since one of the particularly preferable aspects of the present invention is chu-hi, the beverage of the present invention preferably contains distilled liquor. Distilled liquor is not limited by its raw material and manufacturing method. Examples of the distilled liquor include spirits (eg, wokka, rum, tequila, gin, aquavit, korn), neutral spirits, spirits, whiskeys (eg, whiskey and brandy), and shochu.

The alcohol content of the beverage of the present invention is preferably 0 to 10 v / v%, more preferably 1 to 10 v / v%, and even more preferably 5 to 8 v / v%.
In the present specification, the alcohol content of the beverage can be measured by any known method, for example, by a vibrating densitometer. Specifically, a sample from which carbon dioxide gas has been removed by filtration or ultrasonic waves from the beverage is prepared, and the sample is distilled by direct fire to measure the density of the obtained distillate at 15 ° C. Converted using "Table 2 Alcohol content and density (15 ° C) and specific gravity (15/15 ° C) conversion table" which is an attached table of (Heisei 19 National Tax Agency Instruction No. 6, revised on June 22, 2007). Can be obtained.

(Tartaric acid and succinic acid)
The content of tartaric acid and succinic acid in the beverage of the present invention is preferably low. The content of tartaric acid in the beverage of the present invention is preferably 350 ppm or less, more preferably 300 ppm or less. Tartaric acid does not have to be included in the beverage of the present invention. The content of succinic acid in the beverage of the present invention is preferably 60 ppm or less, more preferably 50 ppm or less. Succinic acid does not have to be included in the beverage of the present invention.

The contents of tartaric acid and succinic acid can be quantified using a known method such as an HPLC method.
(Limonene)
The beverage of the present invention may contain limonene. Here, limonene means d-limonene. Limonene may be derived from fruit juice or spices.

The content of limonene in the beverage of the present invention is preferably 0.01 ppm or more, more preferably 0.1 ppm or more, and more preferably 5 ppm or more. There is no upper limit of the limonene content as long as the effects of the present invention can be obtained, but the upper limit of the limonene content is, for example, 100 ppm, 50 ppm, or 10 ppm. The content of d-limonene may be measured by any known method such as GC-MS or HPLC method. The typical analytical conditions for GC-MS are shown below.

(GC-MS analysis conditions)
The sample beverage is subjected to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) under the following conditions. The analysis conditions of GC are as follows.
GC device: Agilent Technologies GC-MSD
GC oven temperature conditions: 40 ° C (5 minutes) -6 ° C / min-240 ° C
Mass Spectrometry (MS) Condition Quadrupole Set Value: 150
Ion source setting value: 230
Area value calculation conditions Total ion mode mass (LOW): 35
Mass (HIGH): 550
Column: DB-WAXETR 60m, inner diameter 320μm, film thickness 0.25μm
Sample pretreatment conditions: 80 μL of sample and internal standard substance (20 ppm of methyl decanoate)
20 μL of alcohol aqueous solution mixed in a 20 mL screw cap vial. Dynamic headspace condition device: Gesuteru MPS
Adsorbent: TENAX
Sample vaporization temperature: 80 ° C
Gas supply for sample vaporization: 3000 ml
Gas supply rate for sample vaporization: 100 ml / min
Sample vaporization gas type: Nitrogen peak retention time: MS analysis is used to identify components and concentrations.
Standard substance: limonene (sweetness)
The sweetness of the beverage of the present invention is preferably less than 20% in terms of sucrose, more preferably 0.1 to 10%, and even more preferably 0.5 to 5%. The sweetness of a beverage is obtained by converting the amount (weight concentration) of each sweet component contained in the beverage into an equivalent amount of sucrose based on the relative ratio of the sweetness of the sweet component to the sweetness 1 of sucrose. Next, it can be obtained by totaling the sucrose sweetness equivalent amounts (including sweetness components derived from fruit juice and the like) of all the sweet components contained in the beverage. The relative ratio of the sweetness of various sweet components to the sweetness 1 of sucrose can be obtained from a known sugar sweetness conversion table (for example, page 11 of "Beverage Glossary" of Beverage Japan Co., Ltd.).

(carbon dioxide gas)
The beverage of the present invention contains carbon dioxide gas. Carbon dioxide can be added to the beverage using methods commonly known to those skilled in the art, for example, but not limited to, carbon dioxide may be dissolved in the beverage under pressure or from Zuchenhagen. The carbon dioxide and the beverage may be mixed in the piping using a mixer such as a carbonator, or the carbon dioxide may be absorbed by the beverage by spraying the beverage into a tank filled with carbon dioxide. However, the beverage and carbonated water may be mixed. The carbon dioxide pressure is adjusted by appropriately using these means.

The carbon dioxide pressure at a liquid temperature of the beverage of the present invention of 20 ° C. is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.7 to 3.5 kgf / cm ² , more preferably 0.8 to 2.8 kgf / cm ² . .. The carbon dioxide gas pressure may be 0.8 to 2.5 kgf / cm ² . In the present invention, the carbon dioxide gas pressure can be measured using a gas volume measuring device GVA-500A manufactured by Kyoto Electronics Industry. For example, the sample temperature is set to 20 ° C., and the carbon dioxide gas pressure is measured after degassing (snift) and shaking the air in the container with the gas volume measuring device. In the present specification, unless otherwise specified, the carbon dioxide gas pressure means the carbon dioxide gas pressure at 20 ° C.

(Juice)
The beverage of the present invention may contain fruit juice. The fruit juice may be in the form of straight fruit juice in which the fruit juice obtained by squeezing the fruit is used as it is, or concentrated concentrated fruit juice. In addition, clear fruit juice and turbid fruit juice can also be used, and whole fruit juice including the outer skin of the fruit is crushed to remove only particularly coarse solids such as seeds, fruit puree containing the fruit, or dried. Juice obtained by crushing or extracting the flesh of a fruit can also be used.

The type of fruit juice is not particularly limited, but for example, citrus juice (orange juice, unsucculent juice, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, lime juice, yuzu juice, Iyokan juice, Natsumikan juice, hassaku juice, ponkan juice, shiikuwasha juice, etc. (Kabosu juice, etc.), apple juice, grape juice, peach juice, tropical fruit juice (pineapple juice, guaba juice, banana juice, mango juice, acerola juice, lychee juice, papaya juice, passion fruit juice, etc.), and other fruit juices ( Ume juice, pear juice, apricot juice, peach juice, berry juice, kiwi fruit juice, etc.), strawberry juice, melon juice, etc. can be mentioned. These fruit juices may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The content of fruit juice in the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is typically 0 to 100 w / w% or less than 10 w / w% in terms of fruit juice ratio.
In the present invention, the "fruit juice ratio" in a beverage is calculated by the following conversion formula using the amount (g) of fruit juice blended in 100 g of the beverage. In addition, when calculating the concentration ratio, the JAS standard shall be applied, and the refractometer reading for sugar such as sugar and honey added to the fruit juice shall be excluded.

Fruit juice ratio (w / w%) = <Fruit juice content (g)> × <Concentration ratio> / 100 mL / <Beverage specific density> × 100
(Other ingredients)
In addition to the beverages of the present invention, additives usually added to beverages, such as flavors, vitamins, pigments, antioxidants, preservatives, seasonings, extracts, etc., are used as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired. A pH adjuster, a quality stabilizer, etc. can be blended.

(emulsifier)
The beverage of the present invention preferably has an emulsifier content of 0.1 w / w% or less (in the present specification, the polymerized catechin is not included in the emulsifier). Nevertheless, the oil can be easily dispersed. The dispersion ratio of the beverage and the oil of the present invention can be measured by, for example, the method described in Examples. In this measuring method, in the beverage of the present invention, when 1 ml / L of edible sesame oil was added to the beverage, the mixture was stirred with a homomixer at 600 rpm and allowed to stand for 10 minutes, the ratio of oil droplets having a particle size of 5 μm or less to all oil droplets was increased. It was clarified that it has a property of 50% or more. For the particle size measurement, a wet batch cell method is used, and the proportion of particles having a particle size of 5 μm or less is determined with a particle size distribution meter (for example, SALD-2300 BC23 manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation).

As used herein, the term "emulsifier" means anything generally known as an emulsifier, for example, glycerin fatty acid ester, sucrose fatty acid ester, Kiraya extract, sorbitan fatty acid ester, propylene glycol fatty acid ester, lecithin, and the like. Enjusaponin, barley extract, soybean saponin, sterol, sphingolipid, stearoyl calcium lactate, bile powder, chaseed saponin, tomato glycolipid, beet saponin, yukkafoam extract, propylene glycol, sodium octenyl succinate, octenyl succinic acid Examples include starch. In the present invention, the emulsifier may be derived not only from the directly added emulsifier but also from the emulsifier contained in the emulsified fragrance or the like.

The beverage of the present invention, on the other side, is a packaged beverage.
(I) The content of the emulsifier is 0.1% or less,
(Ii) The absorbance at a wavelength of 500 nm is 0.2 or less, and the absorbance is 0.2 or less.
(Iii) The juice content is less than 10 w / w% in terms of juice ratio, and (iv) when tested by the method having steps 1-7 below, the following iv-1 to iv-3 The beverage that satisfies all the conditions.
(Iv-1) There are no oil droplets with a diameter of 11 mm or more in area A,
(Iv-2) The total cross-sectional area value of the oil droplets in the B area is 1/2 or more, preferably 1/4 or more of the total cross-sectional area value of the oil droplets in the AB area.
(Iv-3) The number of oil droplets in the A area is 474 or more, preferably 500 or more, and more preferably 900 or more.
<Test>
Process 1. Made by Toyo-Sasaki Glass Co., Ltd. (Toyo-Sasaki Glass Co., Ltd.), caliber about 4.9 cm, maximum outer diameter about 6.1 cm, thickness about 2 mm, height about 11.2 cm, depth about 7.5 cm, full injection capacity about 140 ml Pour 30 ml of the beverage to be tested into a glass container of
Process 2. The beverage was allowed to stand at a liquid temperature of 23 ° C.
Process 3. Add 200 μl of chili oil (Chili oil) (House Foods Co., Ltd.) to the beverage that has been left to stand, cover the glass container, and cover it.
Process 4. The glass container is placed in a box-shaped container having an inner size of about 6.5 cm square fixed to a shaking device, and the box-shaped container is shaken at a speed of 250 times / minute in a horizontal circle with a diameter of 80 mm for 1 minute.
Process 5. With the glass container horizontal, the rotated beverage was allowed to stand at a liquid temperature of 23 ° C. for 24 hours.
Process 6. Take a picture of the liquid level from the top of the glass container, and step 7. In the obtained photograph, the entire liquid surface is the A area, and the circle having the value obtained by multiplying the diameter of the A area by 0.828 as the diameter and having the same center as the A area and the inside thereof are B. It is an area, and the remaining part excluding the B area from the A area is the AB area, and the number and cross-sectional area of oil droplets existing in those three areas are measured.
The shape of the container used for the test is as shown in FIG. For the lid in step 3, a parafilm or the like may be used (if the beverage is a carbonated beverage, a hole for venting may be formed). A schematic diagram of step 4 is shown in FIG. Place the glass container in a box-shaped container with an inner size of about 6.5 cm fixed to the shaking device. The shaking device used for shaking is typically BR-300LF of TIETECH Co., Ltd. When this device is used, it is shaken with the box-shaped container always facing the same direction as shown in FIG. The photograph in step 6 preferably has a high resolution to some extent, and for example, a photograph having a resolution of about 8 million pixels can be used.
A schematic diagram of the A area, the B area, and the AB area in the step 7 is shown in FIG. In this step, if oil droplets are attached to each other, each oil droplet is counted separately. Even if the oil droplets are fused or united, each oil droplet is counted separately as long as each oil droplet retains its original shape (even if the boundary is not visible). The diameter of an oil droplet refers to the diameter of the oil droplet when it is circular, and the longest dimension of the oil droplet when it is not circular. Oil droplets that straddle the boundary between area B and area AB shall belong to area AB, not area B.

(Beverage in a container)
The beverage of the present invention is provided in the form of a container. The form of the container includes, but is not limited to, a metal container such as a can, a PET bottle, a paper pack, a bottle, a pouch, and the like. For example, a sterilized packaged product can be produced through a method of filling a container with the beverage of the present invention and then performing heat sterilization such as retort sterilization, or a method of sterilizing the beverage and filling the container.

(Beverage manufacturing method and method for improving refreshing feeling and / or sharpness)
In another aspect, the present invention is a method for producing a packaged beverage. The method includes the following steps.

Step of adjusting the content of polymerized catechin in the beverage to 0.25 to 50 ppm,
A step of adjusting the total amount of each content of citric acid and malic acid in the beverage to 0.1 to 15 g / L, and a step of adjusting the absorbance of the beverage at a wavelength of 500 nm to 0.2 or less.

The method may further include adjusting the alcohol content of the beverage to 0-10 v / v%.
The method for adjusting the alcohol content, the polymerized catechin content, the total content of citric acid and malic acid, and the absorbance in the beverage is as described above for the beverage, or is obvious from them. The timing is also not limited. For example, the above steps may be performed at the same time, may be performed separately, or the order of the steps may be changed. The finally obtained beverage may satisfy the above conditions. The preferable ranges of alcohol content, polymerized catechin content, total content of citric acid and malic acid, and absorbance are as described above for beverages. In addition, specific examples and amounts of other ingredients to be added, as well as sweetness, are as described above for beverages.

The production method of the present invention can improve the refreshing feeling and / or sharpness of the packaged beverage. Therefore, in another aspect, the production method is a method for improving the refreshing feeling and / or sharpness of the packaged beverage. This can be achieved without compromising the chu-hi feel.

(Other uses)
In the present invention, when the polymerized catechin is contained in the beverage, the affinity of the beverage with the fat and oil is enhanced, and the oil droplets generated when the oil and fat are added to the beverage are finely dispersed. For this reason, polymerized catechins can improve the ability of beverages to wash away fats and oils brought to the mouth by meals. Accordingly, the present invention relates to, in another aspect, a method of improving the ability of a beverage to wash away fats and oils brought into the mouth by a meal, including the inclusion of polymerized catechins in the beverage. The content of the polymerized catechin in the beverage is as described above for the beverage.
Thus, because the polymerized catechins improve the ability of the beverage to wash away the fats and oils brought to the mouth by the diet, the present invention is, in another aspect, brought to the mouth by the diet, with the polymerized catechins as the active ingredient. It is a food and drink composition for washing away fats and oils. The content of the polymerized catechin in the food and drink composition is also as described above for the beverage.

(Numerical range)
For the sake of clarity, the numerical range represented by the lower and upper limits in the present specification, that is, "lower limit to upper limit" includes those lower limit and upper limit. 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.
(Production Example 1) Production of Polymerized Catechin-Containing Extract Using 7800 kg of baking soda solution in which 0.15% by weight of baking soda was added to warm water (95 ° C.), 600 kg of oolong tea leaves were extracted, and about 7,000 kg of oolong tea extract was extracted. Got While maintaining the liquid temperature of this extract at 60 to 65 ° C., a liquid was passed through 400 kg of granular activated carbon (GW-H32 / 60 manufactured by Kuraray Co., Ltd.) to remove non-polymerized catechins and caffeine. This passing liquid (liquid after activated carbon treatment) was concentrated under reduced pressure to obtain about 900 kg of an extract containing a high amount of polymerized catechin of Brix 11 (concentrate of oolong tea extract; extract) (hereinafter, extract A). The concentrations of polymerized catechin, non-polymerized catechin and caffeine in the obtained extract A were measured by HPLC under the following conditions. As a result, the concentration of polymerized catechin was 12000 ppm, the concentration of non-polymerized catechin was 800 ppm, and the concentration of caffeine was 20 ppm.
HPLC conditions:
-Column: TSK-gel ODS-80TsQA (4.6mmφx150mm, Tosoh Corporation)
-Mobile phase: A: Water: Acetonitrile: Trifluoroacetic acid = 900: 100: 0.5
B: Water: Acetonitrile: Trifluoroacetic acid = 200: 800: 0.5
・ Flow velocity: 1.0 ml / min
・ Column temperature: 40 ℃
・ Gradient condition; B solution 0% until 5 minutes after the start of analysis,
8% of liquid B in 5 to 11 minutes,
10% of liquid B in 11 to 21 minutes,
100% B solution in 21 to 22 minutes,
100% retention from 22 to 30 minutes,
0% from 30 minutes to 31 minutes
・ Detection: A280nm
-Standard substance (polymerized catechin): Karyu Homobis flavan B (OHBF-B)
-Retention time of polymerized catechins: The peak coincides with theaflavin at a peak of about 25 minutes.
-Standard substance (non-polymerized catechin): Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg), gallocatechin gallate (GCg)
-The concentration of non-polymerized catechin in the examples is the total value of the concentrations of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg) and gallocatechin gallate (GCg).

(Test Example 1) Content of polymerized catechin and citric acid Alcohol content, content of polymerized catechin-containing extract, and amount of citric acid and malic acid are adjusted, and a packaged alcoholic beverage ^{with a carbon dioxide gas pressure of 1.5 kgf / cm 2 is adjusted.} Manufactured. The composition is as shown in Table 1 below. In the examples, alcohol may be referred to as "Alc".

The contents of citric acid, polymerized catechin-containing extract, and polymerized catechin in the obtained beverage are as shown in Table 2. The alcohol content of all the obtained beverages was 6.3 v / v%, and the sweetness of the beverages was equivalent to that of a 4.1% aqueous solution of sucrose (sweetness 4.1%).

The obtained beverages were evaluated by trained panelists on the degree of chu-hi feeling, refreshing feeling, and sharpness by a sensory test by a scoring method. Five specialized panelists comprehensively judge their degree, and out of 4 points: "Feel well" = 4 points, "Feel" = 3 points, "Slightly feel" = 2 points, "Do not feel" = 1 The points were evaluated, and the average of the evaluation points was calculated. Five grades were set according to the average score. A score of 3 or higher was passed. Unless otherwise specified, this evaluation standard is also used in other test examples. The results are shown below.

From the results in Table 2, good results were obtained for beverages containing a specific range of citric acid and a specific range of polymerized catechins.
(Test Example 2) Comparative evaluation of citric acid and malic acid Similar to Test Example 1, malic acid was blended so as to have the content shown in Table 3 to produce a beverage having ^{a carbon dioxide gas pressure of 1.5 kgf / cm 2.} No citric acid was added to those beverages. The alcohol content of all the obtained beverages was 6.3 v / v%, and the sweetness of the beverages was equivalent to that of a 4.1% aqueous solution of sucrose (sweetness 4.1%).

It was found that if the concentration was the same as that of citric acid, the sensory evaluation result would be the same as that of citric acid even if malic acid was used.
(Test Example 3) Evaluation of non-polymerized catechin content Similar to Test Example 1, in addition to polymerized catechin and citric acid, limonene was further blended so as to have the content shown in Table 4, and the carbon dioxide gas pressure was 1.5 kgf /. A cm ² beverage was produced and sensory evaluated. The alcohol content of all the obtained beverages was 6.3 v / v%, and the sweetness of the beverages was equivalent to that of a 4.1% aqueous solution of sucrose (sweetness 4.1%).

Five specialized panelists comprehensively judge the degree of chu-hi feeling, refreshing feeling, and sharpness, and out of 4 points: "feel well" = 4 points, "feel" = 3 points, "feel slightly" = 2 points, "I don't feel" = 1 point was evaluated, and the average of the evaluation points was calculated. A four-level evaluation was provided according to the average score. A score of 3 or higher was passed.

From the results in Table 4, it can be seen that the non-polymerized catechin content is preferably 25 ppm or less, more preferably 0.05 to 4 ppm.
(Test Example 4) Evaluation of Limonene Content Similar to Test Example 1, limonene was further added to the polymerized catechin and citric acid so as to have the content shown in Table 5, and the carbon dioxide gas pressure was 1.5 kgf / cm ² Beverages were produced and sensory evaluation was performed. The alcohol content of all the obtained beverages was 6.3 v / v%.

Five specialized panelists comprehensively judge the degree of chu-hi feeling, refreshing feeling, and sharpness, and out of 5 points: "feel better" = 5 points, "feel better" = 4 points, "feel" = 3 points, Evaluation was performed with "slightly felt" = 2 points and "not felt" = 1 point, and the average of the evaluation points was calculated. Five grades were set according to the average score. A score of 3 or higher was passed.

It was found that when the limonene content was in the range of 0.01 to 50 ppm, a chu-hi feeling, a refreshing feeling, and a sharp feeling were felt well, and in the range of 0.1 to 10 ppm, these were further felt.
(Test Example 5) Evaluation of Alcohol Content Similar to Test Example 1, polymerized catechin and citric acid were added so as to have the content shown in Table 6, alcohol was mixed, and a carbon dioxide gas pressure of 1.5 kgf / cm ² was obtained. A bottled alcoholic beverage was produced. The composition is as shown in Table 6 below.

The alcohol content and polymerized catechin content of the obtained beverage were evaluated by sensory as shown in Table 7.

Five specialized panelists comprehensively judge the degree of chu-hi feeling, refreshing feeling, and sharpness, and out of 4 points: "feel well" = 4 points, "feel" = 3 points, "feel slightly" = 2 points, "I don't feel" = 1 point was evaluated, and the average of the evaluation points was calculated. A four-level evaluation was provided according to the average score. A score of 3 or higher was passed.

From the results in Table 7, it can be seen that a good effect can be obtained when the alcohol content is in the range of 0 to 10 v / v%. Furthermore, it can be seen that even better effects can be obtained when the alcohol content is in the range of 3 to 10 v / v%.

(Test Example 6) Evaluation of Oil Dispersion Ability Similar to Test Example 1, a beverage was produced by blending polymerized catechin, citric acid, and liquid sugar at the contents shown in Table 8. The alcohol content of all the obtained beverages was 6.3 v / v%, and the sweetness of the beverages was equivalent to that of a 4.1% aqueous solution of sucrose (sweetness 4.1%).

1 ml / L of edible sesame oil (using genuine sesame oil manufactured by Kadoya Sesame Co., Ltd.) was added to these beverages, and the mixture was stirred with a homomixer (manufactured by Plymix Co., Ltd.) at 600 rpm and allowed to stand for 10 minutes, and then the particle size was measured. A wet batch cell method was used for the particle size measurement, and the proportion of particles having a particle size of 5 μm or less was determined with a particle size distribution meter (SALD-2300 BC23 manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation). The sensory evaluation of the beverage was also measured. The results are shown below.

When the proportion of oil droplets having a particle size of 5 μm or less is 50% or more, there is an effect of emulsifying the oil, and more preferably, when it is 60% or more, the effect of washing away the oil remaining in the mouth during meals is expected. I found that I could do it.

The particle size distributions of Comparative Example 51, Example 51, and Example 54 are shown in FIG.
(Test Example 7) Evaluation of color tone At the level of Test Example 1 and Test Example 6, it was confirmed whether or not there was a problem as a beverage having a visual chu-hi feeling. Table 10 shows the color tone evaluation of the obtained beverage. At the same time, the absorbance of the beverage at 500 nm was also measured.

The color tone of the prepared packaged alcoholic beverage was evaluated comprehensively by three panelists, and the level at which there was no problem as the liquid color of the chu-hi beverage was evaluated. The evaluation when there was no problem was evaluated as ◯, and the evaluation when there was a problem was evaluated as ×.

It was found that there is no problem if the amount of polymerized catechin is 50 ppm or less.
(Test Example 8) Evaluation of Effect of Sweetener Similar to Example 7 of Test Example 1, a high-sweetness sweetener, polymerized catechin and citric acid are added instead of fructose-dextrose liquid sugar, alcohol is blended, and alcohol is added. A packaged alcoholic beverage ^{with a carbon dioxide gas pressure of 1.5 kgf / cm 2} , which has a content of 6.3 v / v% and a beverage sweetness equivalent to a 4.1% aqueous solution of sucrose (sweetness 4.1%). The beverages obtained were evaluated by a sensory test by the scoring method for the degree of chewy feeling, refreshing feeling, and sharpness. The formulation is as shown in Table 11 below.

From the results in Tables 11 and 2, it was found that even if the sweeteners were different, the sensory evaluation was similarly good.
(Test Example 9) Evaluation of oil dispersion ability Beverages containing polymerized catechins derived from oolong tea at various concentrations were produced and tested by the following methods. The emulsifier content in the beverage was 0.1 w / w%, and the absorbance at a wavelength of 500 nm was 0.2 or less. The citric acid content of Comparative Example A and Beverages 1 to 4 was 2 g / L, and the citric acid content of Comparative Example B was 3.3 g / L. The content of the fruit juice of Comparative Example B was 28.0 w / w% in terms of the fruit juice ratio, and the fruit juice ratio of the other beverages was 0 w / w%. The alcohol content of all the beverages used in Test Example 9 was 6.3 v / v%.
<Test method>
Process 1. Made by Toyo-Sasaki Glass Co., Ltd., tested in a glass container with a diameter of about 4.9 cm, a maximum outer diameter of about 6.1 cm, a thickness of about 2 mm, a height of about 11.2 cm, a depth of about 7.5 cm, and a full filling capacity of about 140 ml. Pour 30 ml of the beverage to be made,
Process 2. The beverage was allowed to stand at a liquid temperature of 23 ° C.
Process 3. Add 200 μl of chili oil (Chili oil) (House Foods Co., Ltd.) to the beverage that has been left to stand, cover the glass container, and cover it.
Process 4. The glass container is placed in a box-shaped container having an inner size of about 6.5 cm square fixed to a shaking device, and the box-shaped container is shaken at a speed of 250 times / minute in a horizontal circle with a diameter of 80 mm for 1 minute.
Process 5. With the glass container horizontal, the rotated beverage was allowed to stand at a liquid temperature of 23 ° C. for 24 hours.
Process 6. Take a picture of the liquid level from the top of the glass container, and step 7. In the obtained photograph, the entire liquid surface is the A area, and the circle having the value obtained by multiplying the diameter of the A area by 0.828 as the diameter and having the same center as the A area and the inside thereof are B. It is an area, and the remaining part excluding the B area from the A area is the AB area, and the number and cross-sectional area of oil droplets existing in those three areas are measured.
For the test, the container shown in FIG. 3 (manufactured by Toyo Sasaki Glass Co., Ltd. (Toyo Sasaki Glass Co., Ltd.), diameter about 4.9 cm, maximum outer diameter about 6.1 cm, thickness about 2 mm, height about 11.2 cm, depth Approximately 7.5 cm, full injection capacity of approximately 140 ml, made of soda glass) was used. As for the glass container, the glass container was placed in a box-shaped container having an inner size of about 6.5 cm and fixed to a shaking device as shown in FIG. As the shaking device, a model BR-300LF manufactured by TIETECH Co., Ltd. (TAITEC) was used, a 6.5 cm square box-shaped container was fixed on the shaking device, and a glass container in which the beverage was poured was placed in the shaking device. With the 6.5 cm square table facing the same direction as in No. 4, the mixture was shaken horizontally at a speed of 250 times / min for 1 minute in a circular motion with a diameter of 80 mm. The resolution of the photograph was 8 million pixels. The results are shown below. We were able to obtain a beverage with a high ability to disperse fats and oils.

Claims (3)

It ’s a packaged beverage,
(I) The content of the emulsifier is 0.1 w / w% or less.
(Ii) The absorbance at a wavelength of 500 nm is 0.2 or less, and the absorbance is 0.2 or less.
(Iii) The juice content is less than 10 w / w% in terms of juice ratio, and (iv) when tested by the method having steps 1-7 below, the following iv-1 to iv-3 It meets all the conditions,
(Iv-1) There are no oil droplets with a diameter of 11 mm or more in area A,
(Iv-2) The total cross-sectional area value of the oil droplets in the B area is ½ or more of the total cross-sectional area value of the oil droplets in the AB area.
(Iv-3) The number of oil droplets in the A area is 474 or more.
Process 1. Made by Toyo-Sasaki Glass Co., Ltd., tested in a glass container with a diameter of about 4.9 cm, a maximum outer diameter of about 6.1 cm, a thickness of about 2 mm, a height of about 11.2 cm, a depth of about 7.5 cm, and a full filling capacity of about 140 ml. Pour 30 ml of the beverage to be made,
Process 2. The beverage was allowed to stand at a liquid temperature of 23 ° C.
Process 3. Add 200 μl of chili oil (Chili oil) (House Foods Co., Ltd.) to the beverage that has been left to stand, cover the glass container, and cover it.
Process 4. The glass container is placed in a box-shaped container having an inner size of about 6.5 cm square fixed to a shaking device, and the box-shaped container is shaken at a speed of 250 times / minute in a horizontal circle with a diameter of 80 mm for 1 minute.
Process 5. With the glass container horizontal, the rotated beverage was allowed to stand at a liquid temperature of 23 ° C. for 24 hours.
Process 6. Take a picture of the liquid level from the top of the glass container, and step 7. In the obtained photograph, the entire liquid surface is the A area, and the circle having the value obtained by multiplying the diameter of the A area by 0.828 as the diameter and having the same center as the A area and the inside thereof are B. It is an area, and the remaining part excluding area B from area A is area AB, and the number and cross-sectional area of oil droplets existing in those three areas are measured ;
Moreover,
(V) The content of polymerized catechins is 1-30 ppm and
(Vi) The ratio of the polymerized catechin contained in (a) to the non-polymerized catechin contained in (b) on a weight basis ((a) / (b)) is 4 or more.
The beverage . The beverage has a content of polymerized catechins in the beverage of 1 to 30 ppm, and (a) the ratio of polymerized catechins in the beverage to (b) non-polymerized catechins in the beverage on a weight basis ((a)). A method of improving the ability of the beverage to wash away fats and oils brought to the mouth by meals, including containing polymerized catechins so that / (b)) is 4 or more.
In the beverage
The content of the emulsifier is 0.1 w / w% or less,
Absorbance at a wavelength of 500 nm is 0.2 or less, and
The method according to the above method, wherein the content of fruit juice is less than 10 w / w% in terms of fruit juice ratio . A food and drink composition containing polymerized catechin as an active ingredient for washing away fats and oils brought to the mouth by meals , wherein the composition is a beverage, and in the beverage,
The content of the emulsifier is 0.1 w / w% or less,
The absorbance at a wavelength of 500 nm is 0.2 or less.
The content of fruit juice is less than 10 w / w% in terms of fruit juice ratio.
The content of polymerized catechins is 1-30 ppm, and
The composition in which the ratio ((a) / (b)) of the polymerized catechin contained (a) and the non-polymerized catechin contained (b) on a weight basis is 4 or more.

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