JP7220570B2 - Beverage containing 2-methylbutanal in a transparent container - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a 2-methylbutanal-containing beverage packaged in a transparent container, and more particularly, to a 2-methylbutanal-containing beverage packaged in a transparent container with reduced photodegradation.

A beverage filled in a container such as a transparent PET bottle or a glass bottle has the advantage that the color and amount of the beverage contained therein can be visually recognized in comparison with a can or a paper container. In addition, the demand for PET-bottled beverages is increasing because PET bottles are convenient because they can be closed again. It is reported that PET bottled beverages had the highest share in terms of production volume in 2017, with a share of 72.6% of the total.

By the way, in stores such as convenience stores and large-scale grocery stores, packaged beverages are displayed and sold in showcases in which fluorescent lamps illuminate the entirety of the beverages from the sides and directly above them. The illuminance in the showcase is extremely high, and the ingredients in the displayed beverages change due to this irradiation, resulting in quality deterioration called photodegradation (change in color, generation of odor (offensive odor) and offensive taste). There is In particular, beverages filled in transparent containers such as PET bottles are prone to photodegradation. Therefore, a method for simply preventing photodegradation of beverages has been proposed. For example, a method for preventing photodegradation of orange juice by containing propolis (Patent Document 1), a method for preventing photodegradation of citral-containing beverages by containing serine, glycine, alanine and citrulline (Patent Document 2), containing caramel There is a method for preventing photodegradation of tea beverages (Patent Document 3) and the like. A method for suppressing photodegradation in instant green tea using an antioxidant such as ascorbic acid has also been proposed (Patent Document 4).

On the other hand, 2-methylbutanal-containing beverages contain vanillin, at least one selected from hesperidin and hesperidin sugar adducts, and non-polymer catechins, and have a pH of 4.8 to 6.0. 5, a beverage containing one or two selected from 2-methylbutanal and 3-methylbutanal (Patent Document 5), 23 to 100 ppb of 2-methylbutanal and / Alternatively, a tea beverage containing 3-methylbutanal and 5 ppb to 50 ppb of 2,5-dimethylpyrazine is disclosed (Patent Document 6).

JP-A-11-341971 JP 2013-70669 A JP 2017-74014 A JP-A-2005-58142 Japanese Patent No. 6289773 JP 2013-169152 A

2-Methylbutanal has the property of being easily volatilized as an aromatic component, and if a beverage containing these aromatic components is photodegraded, an unpleasant odor may be emitted when the bottle is opened.
In recent years, LED lighting has become widespread, and it is said that LEDs are less prone to photodegradation than fluorescent lights because they emit less ultraviolet light. However, beverages containing chlorophylls may cause significant photodegradation in a short period of time even under LED lighting because chlorophylls act as photosensitizers. Since the photosensitized oxidation reaction of chlorophylls differs from the photooxidation reaction of flavor components such as 2-methylbutanal, it is believed that beverages containing chlorophylls are more susceptible to photodegradation.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a beverage containing 2-methylbutanal and chlorophylls, which is packaged in a transparent container and in which the offensive odor caused by photodegradation is suppressed.

As a result of intensive studies to solve the above problems, the present inventors have found that caffeine has an excellent effect in suppressing photodegradation of 2-methylbutanal-containing beverages, and have completed the present invention. reached. The present invention relates to, but is not limited to, the following.
(1) (A) 20 ppb or more and less than 1000 ppb of 2-methylbutanal (B) 10 ppm or more and less than 80 ppm of caffeine, and (C) containing chlorophylls,
A beverage in a transparent container having a pH of 5.0 to 7.0.
(2) The beverage according to (1), wherein the transparent container is a PET bottle.
(3) The beverage according to (1) or (2), which has a turbidity of less than 0.15.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a beverage containing 2-methylbutanal and chlorophylls in which deterioration due to light is suppressed while being packed in a transparent container. Beverages in transparent containers of the present invention have the advantage of less photodegradation due to light exposure even when displayed at stores that are susceptible to sunlight and fluorescent lights, so they can be used for a long time in showcases. can be displayed and sold. In addition, according to the present invention, since the transparent container is used, the contents can be seen from the outside of the container, and a visually appealing packaged beverage with high commercial value can be provided.

The beverages of the present invention and related methods are described below. Unless otherwise specified, "ppm" and "ppb" as used herein means ppm and ppb of weight per volume (w/v).

One aspect of the present invention is
(A) 20 ppb or more and less than 1000 ppb of 2-methylbutanal (B) 10 ppm or more and less than 80 ppm of caffeine, and (C) chlorophylls,
It is a beverage in a transparent container having a pH of 5.0 to 7.0. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to suppress photodegradation of the beverage even when the transparent container is filled with the beverage. Here, "photodegradation" as used herein means degradation of quality caused by exposure of the beverage to light. The quality deterioration of beverages includes, for example, generation of offensive odor, offensive taste, change in color tone, and the like. In the present invention, in particular, "suppression of photodegradation" means "suppression of offensive odor generation."

(2-methylbutanal)
The beverage targeted by the present invention is a beverage containing a high concentration of 2-methylbutanal, an aldehyde that is prone to photodegradation. It is a beverage containing From the viewpoint that the desired effects of the present invention can be obtained remarkably, the concentration of 2-methylbutanal is preferably 25 ppb or more, more preferably 30 ppb or more, and even more preferably 40 ppb or more. Also, from the viewpoint of palatability as a beverage, the concentration of 2-methylbutanal is preferably 500 ppb or less. The 2-methylbutanal concentration in the beverage can be measured using gas chromatography (GC/MS) with a mass spectrometer.

The origin of 2-methylbutanal contained in the beverage of the present invention is not limited, and may be derived from natural raw materials such as plants, or synthetic products. By using a flavor composition containing 2-methylbutanal, the concentration of 2-methylbutanal in beverages can be easily adjusted to the above range, so a flavor composition containing 2-methylbutanal is blended. A beverage obtained by the above is one example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

(chlorophylls)
The beverage of the present invention contains 2-methylbutanal, which easily deteriorates due to photooxidation, and chlorophylls, which easily deteriorate due to photosensitized oxidation. Chlorophylls, also called chlorophyll, are chemical substances that play a role in absorbing light energy in the light reaction of photosynthesis. Chlorophylls have a basic structure in which a long-chain alcohol called phytol is ester-bonded to tetrapyrrole, which is a ring structure composed of four pyrroles. Naturally occurring chlorophylls generally have a structure in which a metal such as magnesium is coordinated to the center of a tetrapyrrole ring. A substance in which this metal is eliminated and replaced with two hydrogens is called pheophytin. Chlorophyll and pheophytin are collectively referred to herein as chlorophylls. The chlorophylls are distinguished by the type of tetrapyrrole ring and the attached substituents, and are given _an alphabet in order of _discovery , but in the present _invention chlorophyll a ( _C55H72O5N4M ) and chlorophyll b( _C55H70O6N4M ) _{( M} means the central metal) _. Moreover, when referring to the concentration of chlorophylls, it refers to the total amount of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b. These chlorophylls may be used alone or as a mixture of two or more. Also, the central metal (M) is not particularly limited, but is preferably Zn, Cu or Fe from the viewpoint of enjoying the effects of the present invention.

As chlorophylls, commercially available chlorophyll preparations can be used. Specifically, chlorophyll a manufactured by Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd. can be used, although not limited thereto. The production method and origin of chlorophylls are not particularly limited, but since chlorophylls are the chlorophyll of plants, extracts obtained by extracting plants such as tea leaves and green and yellow vegetables with an appropriate solvent are used as chlorophylls extracts. can be added to beverages as

The concentration of chlorophylls in the beverage is preferably about 10-2500 ppb, more preferably 20-2000 ppb, and even more preferably 50-1500 ppb. The concentration of chlorophylls in a beverage can be measured by spectrophotometry using a spectrophotometer (eg U-3210 manufactured by Hitachi).

(caffeine)
The concentration of caffeine in the beverage of the present invention is 10 ppm or more and less than 80 ppm. By adding 10 ppm or more of caffeine to the beverage, photodegradation of the beverage containing 2-methylbutanal and chlorophylls can be effectively suppressed. The caffeine concentration (content) in the beverage is preferably 15 ppm or more, more preferably 20 ppm or more. If the caffeine concentration is 10 ppm or more, the effects of the present invention can be obtained. Concomitantly, it is perceived as a bitter aftertaste, which may reduce the palatability of the beverage. From the viewpoint of palatability, the caffeine concentration in the beverage of the present invention is less than 80 ppm, preferably 75 ppm or less, more preferably 70 ppm or less. The caffeine content can be measured and quantified by a method using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

Caffeine used in the present invention is not particularly limited, but commercially available reagents, pure products (purified products with a caffeine content of 98% or more), crude purified products (caffeine content of 50 to 98%), caffeine It can also be used in the form of extracts of plants (coffee beans, tea leaves, cola seeds, etc.) containing them or concentrates thereof. When caffeine is used in the form of a plant extract or its concentrate, raw materials to be extracted include tea leaves belonging to Camellia sinensis, such as green tea, black tea, oolong tea, and pu-erh tea; Coffee beans belonging to the same class can be used. Among them, green tea extract is preferably used because of the remarkable effect of the present invention.

The present invention is characterized by suppressing photodegradation of beverages containing 2-methylbutanal and chlorophylls by using a specific amount of caffeine. 2-Methylbutanal has a good malty (malt-like) flavor note, but when a beverage containing 2-methylbutanal undergoes photodegradation, the malty flavor of 2-methylbutanal is lost. The tone changes, and it comes to be recognized by the human nose as a photodegradation odor. The present invention provides a beverage containing a specific amount of caffeine, which suppresses the odor of 2-methylbutanal deteriorating due to light and maintains a good malty aroma of 2-methylbutanal when opened. do. Here, "suppressing photodegradation" refers to a control substance (for example, a 2-methylbutanal concentration of 20 ppb or more and less than 1000 ppb, containing chlorophylls, and a pH of 5.0 to 7.0. , a beverage with a caffeine concentration of less than 10 ppm), the intensity of the offensive odor due to photodegradation (also referred to as photodegradation odor in this specification) is small, and the Malty flavor of 2-methylbutanal is maintained. It means that The intensity of photodegradation odor can be determined, for example, by sensory evaluation by a specialized panel.

(pH)
The beverage of the present invention is a neutral beverage having a pH (20° C.) of 5.0 to 7.0, preferably 5.5 to 6.5. When the beverage is acidic (for example, pH 4.5 or less), the sour component in the beverage may mask the photodegradation odor. However, since neutral beverages contain less sour component that acts as a masking component, the photodegradation odor of 2-methylbutanal can be perceived remarkably. The present invention can suppress the photodegradation odor even in neutral beverages in which the photodegradation odor is easily perceived, and therefore the neutral beverage is a beverage in which the effects of the present invention are remarkably exhibited. is one. The pH adjustment of the beverage can be appropriately performed using a pH adjuster such as sodium hydrogen carbonate or sodium hydroxide. Beverage pH can be easily measured using a commercially available pH meter.

In general, it is known that beverages pH-adjusted with sodium bicarbonate generate a sodium bicarbonate odor (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-191851). This baking soda odor, together with the photodegradation odor, which is the subject of the present invention, further reduces the Malty flavor of 2-methylbutanal. The beverage of the present invention can suppress photodegradation odor and sodium bicarbonate odor in the pH-adjusted neutral beverage with sodium bicarbonate. Therefore, a beverage whose pH is adjusted using sodium bicarbonate is an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

(Beverages in transparent containers)
The beverage of the present invention is a beverage packed in a transparent container (also referred to herein as a beverage in a transparent container). The beverage in a transparent container of the present invention can give consumers a sense of security because the contents can be visually observed and photodegradation is suppressed. Here, the term "transparent container" as used herein means a container in which the beverage filled in the container can be visually recognized from the outside. The concept of a transparent container also includes the ability to view the contents from the outside of a portion of the container. As the transparent container, for example, a container having a transmittance of 40% or more, preferably 50% or more, at visible light of 700 nm can be used. Specifically, a transparent plastic bottle and a transparent glass bottle can be exemplified, and a transparent PET bottle is particularly preferably used in the present invention. Although the color of the container is not limited, it is preferably colorless.

Also, the transparent container may be partially or wholly covered with a film or the like. For example, labels for content display, containers where the printed part is opaque or semi-transparent and other parts are transparent, containers where transparent parts and opaque parts with design properties are combined in different ways in multiple places, The transparent region is not limited as long as there is a transparent portion through which the contents can be visually recognized, such as an opaque container having only a transparent portion with a window size.

(clear beverage and turbidity)
A transparent drink is mentioned as one of the suitable aspects of the drink of this invention. Here, "the beverage is transparent" means a beverage that is visually transparent like water without the cloudiness of a so-called sports drink or the turbidity of a cloudy fruit juice. is less than 0.15. Beverage turbidity can be quantified by measuring absorbance at a wavelength of 680 nm using known techniques for measuring liquid turbidity. Specifically, 500 mL of the beverage is filled in a 500 mL PET bottle, heated to 20 ° C., stirred up and down 10 times, and left to stand for 10 seconds. The turbidity of the beverage can be determined by measuring the absorbance of the beverage at a wavelength of 680 nm. For the measurement of absorbance, for example, an ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer (UV-1600 (manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation), etc.) can be used. If the beverage is opaque, ie, highly turbid, it will be more susceptible to light exposure and may not significantly benefit from the present invention.

(Brix)
In addition, the beverage of the present invention preferably has a Brix of 1.0 or less from the standpoint of the effect. Brix is more preferably 0.8 or less, and still more preferably 0.6 or less. When the beverage contains a large amount of soluble solids such as sugars, these soluble solids may mask the photodegradation odor. On the other hand, beverages with a low Brix of 1.0 or less contain a small amount of soluble solids that act as a masking component, so that the photo-deterioration odor of 2-methylbutanal can be perceived remarkably. The present invention can suppress the photodegradation odor even in beverages with a low soluble solid content in which the photodegradation odor is likely to be perceived. Since it is a beverage in which the effect of is remarkably expressed, it is one of preferred embodiments. In the present invention, Brix can be evaluated by a Brix value obtained using a saccharimeter, refractometer, or the like. The Brix value is a value obtained by converting the refractive index measured at 20° C. into mass/mass percent of the sucrose solution based on the conversion table of ICUMSA (International Commission for the Analysis of Sugar). The unit is "°Bx", "%" or "degree".

(other ingredients)
In the beverage of the present invention, various additives such as flavorings, vitamins, pigments, antioxidants, emulsifiers, preservatives, seasonings, extracts, etc. , pH adjusters, quality stabilizers, etc. may be added.

Preferred embodiments of the beverage of the present invention include, but are not limited to, beer-taste beverages (particularly low-malt beer), coffee beverages, tea beverages, and the like. Among them, tea beverages are preferred. Here, "tea beverage" is a beverage containing tea leaf extract or cereal extract as a main component, and specifically includes green tea, roasted tea, blended tea, barley tea, mate tea, jasmine tea, black tea, Examples include oolong tea and Tochu tea. Among tea beverages, a green tea-flavored beverage is an example of a particularly preferred embodiment because the effects of the present invention are exhibited more remarkably. The term "green tea flavored beverage" as used herein means a beverage containing a green tea extract and exhibiting the flavor of green tea.

(Heat sterilized beverage)
The beverage of the present invention can be a beverage in a closed container, preferably obtained through heat sterilization. For the heat sterilization conditions, for example, a method that provides the same effect as the conditions stipulated in the Food Sanitation Law can be selected. Specifically, it can be 60 to 150 ° C. for 1 second to 60 minutes. can. When a heat-resistant container (glass, etc.) is used as the container, retort sterilization (110 to 140° C., 1 to several tens of minutes) can also be performed. Also, when using a non-heat-resistant container (such as a PET bottle) as a container, for example, the prepared solution is pre-sterilized at high temperature for a short time with a plate-type heat exchanger (UHT sterilization: 110 to 150 ° C., 1 to several tens of seconds ) and after cooling to a certain temperature can be filled into containers.

(Method)
Another aspect of the present invention is a method for producing a beverage, specifically a method for producing a beverage containing 2-methylbutanal, caffeine and chlorophylls. The method includes the following steps in the production of a beverage in a transparent container containing chlorophylls:
adjusting the concentration of 2-methylbutanal in the beverage to 20 ppb or more and less than 1000 ppb;
A step of adjusting the concentration of caffeine in the beverage to 10 ppm or more and less than 80 ppm;
It includes a step of adjusting the pH of the beverage to 5.0 to 7.0, and a step of filling the resulting beverage into a transparent container.

The concentration of 2-methylbutanal and caffeine in the beverage, as well as methods of adjusting the pH are as described above for the beverages of the invention or are obvious therefrom. The timing is not limited, either. For example, the above steps other than the filling step may be performed simultaneously or separately, or the order of the steps may be changed. The finally obtained beverage should satisfy the above conditions. Also, the concentration of 2-methylbutanal and caffeine and the pH of the beverage, as well as the preferred ranges of turbidity and Brix of the beverage are as described above for the beverage.

The above manufacturing method can suppress photodegradation in the beverage. Therefore, in another aspect, the production method can also be said to be a method for suppressing photodegradation of beverages.

EXAMPLES The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to experimental examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Also, in this specification, unless otherwise stated, numerical ranges are described as including their endpoints.

In this example, the amount of each component in the beverage was measured by the following method.
(Method for quantifying 2-methylbutanal)
5 g of the sample solution was weighed into a vial bottle (capacity 20 ml), 1.5 g of NaCl was added, and then 2 parts of the gas phase were extracted by a solid-phase microextraction method using Supelco's SPME (DVB/CAR/PDMS). - Methylbutanal was extracted at 40°C for 20 minutes. After extraction, it was subjected to GC/MS measurement. Quantitative values were calculated by the standard addition method. GC/MS measurement conditions are as follows.
Apparatus: GC: GC7890B manufactured by Agilent Technologies
MS: 5977A manufactured by Agilent Technologies
Column: Inert cap pure WAX 30m x 0.25mm mi. d. df=0.25 μm
Quantitative ion: 2-methylbutanal m/z=57
Temperature conditions: 40°C (5 minutes) ~ 10°C/min ~ 260°C
Carrier gas flow rate: He 1.2 ml/min Inlet temperature: 250°C
Interface temperature: 250°C
Ion source temperature: 230°C.

(Method for quantifying caffeine)
HPLC was used as a method for measuring caffeine. The specific measurement method is as follows.
・ HPLC apparatus: TOSOH HPLC system LC8020 model III
・Column: TSKgel ODS80T sQA (4.6 mm × 150 mm)
・Column temperature: 40°C
- Mobile phase A: water-acetonitrile-trifluoroacetic acid (90:10:0.05)
- Mobile phase B: water-acetonitrile-trifluoroacetic acid (20:80:0.05)
・Detection: UV275nm
・Injection volume: 20 μL
- Flow rate: 1 mL/min.
・Gradient program:
Time (minutes) %A %B
0 100 0
5 92 8
11 90 10
21 90 10
22 0 100
29 0 100
30 100 0
- Reference material: caffeine (Wako Pure Chemical Reagent).

<Experiment 1: Evaluation of beverage containing 2-methylbutanal (1)>
As 2-methylbutanal, 2-methylbutanal manufactured by Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd. was used. 2-Methylbutanal was dissolved in water (pure water of pH 7) so that the final concentration of 2-methylbutanal in the aqueous solution was as shown in Table 1. After heat sterilization of solutions containing 2-methylbutanal at various concentrations (pH ≈ 7, Brix: 0), 500 mg portions of the solutions were filled into transparent PET bottles to produce beverages packaged in transparent containers. In addition, heat-sterilized solutions containing various concentrations of 2-methylbutanal were filled into cans to serve as control beverages. The heat-sterilized 2-methylbutanal-containing solutions all had a pH of 7.0, a Brix of 0, and a turbidity (OD680 nm) of less than 0.15.

A transparent PET bottled beverage was irradiated with light (10,000 lux, 25° C., 1 week), and the flavor of the irradiated beverage was evaluated. The evaluation is based on canned beverages that have not been irradiated with light, and the strength of the offensive odor due to photodegradation (photodegradation odor due to the change in the malty flavor of 2-methylbutanal) is compared with the standard in three stages as a relative evaluation. Evaluation (⊚: weak photodegradation odor, ○: slightly weak photodegradation odor, ×: strong photodegradation odor). The evaluation was determined by discussion among all the panel members after each of the five expert panel members evaluated the intensity of the photodegradation odor.

Table 1 shows the results. A solution containing 20 ppb or more of 2-methylbutanal was photodegraded, and a photodegradation odor was perceived due to a change in the malty flavor of 2-methylbutanal.

<Experiment 2: Evaluation of beverage containing 2-methylbutanal (2)>
Samples 1-4 of Experiment 1 were adjusted to various pHs using citric acid and sodium citrate. All the samples obtained had a turbidity (OD680 nm) of less than 0.15 and a Brix of 1.0 or less. In the same manner as in Experiment 1, the intensity of photodegradation odor was evaluated. Table 2 shows the results. In beverages with a pH of 5.0 or higher, a photodegradation odor was perceived due to changes in the flavor of 2-methylbutanal, whereas in beverages with a pH of 4.5 or less, the acidity component masked the photodegradation odor.

<Experiment 3: Photodegradation suppression effect of caffeine (1)>
First, a chlorophyll-containing beverage (green tea beverage) was produced. Specifically, using commercially available tea leaves "Ocha no Maruko Low Caffeine Green Tea Bag", extract for 30 seconds with 500 times the mass of tea leaves at 80 ° C. After clarification by centrifugation , sodium bicarbonate and L-ascorbic acid were added to adjust the pH to 6.1 (caffeine content: 5 ppm, chlorophyll content: 50 ppb). The 2-methylbutanal used in Experiment 1 was added to this beverage so that the 2-methylbutanal content was 60 ppb. Caffeine (Maruzen Yakuhin Sangyo Co., Ltd. company) was added and dissolved. 2-Methylbutanal-containing solutions with various caffeine concentrations were UHT sterilized, and 500 mg of each solution was filled in transparent PET bottles to produce beverages in transparent containers. Also, UHT sterilized solutions containing various concentrations of 2-methylbutanal were filled into cans to serve as control beverages. All of the UHT sterilized beverages had a pH within the range of 5.0 to 7.0. Moreover, the turbidity (OD680 nm) was less than 0.15 and the Brix was 1.0 or less.

In the same manner as in Experiment 1, the intensity of photodegradation odor was evaluated for the various packaged beverages obtained. Table 3 shows the results. Beverages containing 2-methylbutanal at a concentration of 60 ppb generate a photodegradation odor, but it was found that the photodegradation odor can be suppressed by containing 10 ppm or more of caffeine. When a large amount of caffeine is blended, there was a panel that evaluated that the bitter taste of caffeine reduces the palatability of the beverage, so the upper limit of the caffeine concentration in the beverage is preferably less than 80 ppm. was suggested.

In addition, sample 1-4 of experiment 1 and sample 3-1 of experiment 3 were compared in terms of photodegradation odor. Both contain 60 ppb of 2-methylbutanal and contain no or a small amount of caffeine. All the panel members evaluated that the change in the fragrance tone of Nar was great.

<Experiment 4: Photodegradation suppression effect of caffeine (2)>
Clear PET bottled beverages were produced and evaluated in the same manner as in Experiment 3, except that the concentrations of 2-methylbutanal and caffeine were as shown in Table 4. All beverages had a pH within the range of 5.0 to 7.0, a turbidity (OD680 nm) of less than 0.15, and a Brix of 1.0 or less. Table 4 shows the results. By adding 10 ppm or more of caffeine to the beverage having a 2-methylbutanal content of 5 ppb or more, the photodegradation odor could be suppressed.

Claims (3)

(A) 20 ppb or more and less than 1000 ppb of 2-methylbutanal (B) 10 ppm or more and less than 80 ppm of caffeine, and (C) chlorophylls,
A tea beverage in a transparent container, having a pH of 5.0 to 7.0. The tea beverage according to claim 1, wherein the transparent container is a PET bottle. 3. A tea beverage according to claim 1 or 2, having a turbidity of less than 0.15.