JP7270385B2 - Beverage, Method for Suppressing Salty Taste in Beverage, and Method for Improving Flavor Balance in Beverage - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a beverage, a method for suppressing salty taste in a beverage, and a method for improving flavor balance in a beverage.

BACKGROUND ART Various soft drinks (sports drinks, etc.) suitable for preventing heat stroke are on the market for replenishing water and salt lost from the body in a hot environment or during sports. As such a soft drink, the "Heat Stroke Countermeasure Labeling Guidelines" (National Soft Drink Association) stipulates soft drinks containing at least 40 to 80 mg of sodium per 100 ml of beverage.

On the other hand, beverages with such sodium concentrations usually tend to be too salty. Therefore, in order to make the beverage easier to drink, techniques such as further blending other solutes (mainly sugars) are taken. However, diluting the beverage in this way may result in a lack of sodium and not enough salt. Moreover, when the solute for diluting the beverage is a saccharide, the salty taste can be masked, but there is a problem that the sweetness becomes too strong.

Therefore, there is a need for a technology that suppresses the salty taste while maintaining a sufficient sodium concentration. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a technique for masking the salty taste of beverages containing no high-intensity sweetener by blending fructose and malic acid. Non-Patent Document 1 reports that when the concentration of caffeine increases, the salty taste becomes weaker.

JP 2015-167523 A

"Effect of bittern ingredients on the taste of salt", Journal of the Seawater Society of Japan, Vol. 69, No. 2, 2015

However, due to consumers' health consciousness, etc., there is a need for beverages containing less sugars such as fructose and less sweet. In addition, caffeine tends to make beverages bitter and has a diuretic effect, so it may not be suitable as a beverage for preventing heatstroke.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a sodium-rich beverage in which the intensity of both sweetness and saltiness is suppressed and which has an excellent flavor balance.

The present inventors have found that the above problems can be solved by adding citric acid and phosphoric acid and/or lactic acid to a beverage containing a high concentration of sodium, and have completed the present invention. More specifically, the present invention provides the following.

(1) containing citric acid, phosphoric acid and/or lactic acid,
sodium concentration is 20 mg / 100 ml or more and 120 mg / 100 ml or less,
A beverage having a Brix value of 3.0 or less.

(2) The beverage according to (1), wherein the sum of phosphoric acid-derived citric acid acidity and lactic acid-derived citric acid acidity relative to the citric acidity of the entire beverage is 0.1 or more and 0.5 or less.

(3) The beverage according to (1) or (2), which has a sweetness of 0 or more and 5 or less.

(4) The beverage according to any one of (1) to (3), containing salt.

(5) The beverage according to any one of (1) to (4), containing fructose-glucose liquid sugar.

(6) The beverage according to any one of (1) to (5), which does not contain a high-intensity sweetener.

(7) The beverage according to any one of (1) to (6), which is a sports drink.

(8) A salty taste in a beverage containing citric acid, phosphoric acid and/or lactic acid and having a sodium concentration of 20 mg/100 ml or more and 120 mg/100 ml or less and a Brix value of 3.0 or less. suppression method.

(9) A flavor in a beverage having a sodium concentration of 20 mg/100 ml or more and 120 mg/100 ml or less and a Brix value of 3.0 or less, characterized by blending citric acid with phosphoric acid and/or lactic acid. How to improve your balance.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the high sodium content drink which is excellent in flavor balance with both sweetness and saltiness suppressed is provided.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below, but the present invention is not particularly limited thereto.

<Beverage of the present invention>
The beverage of the present invention contains citric acid, phosphoric acid and/or lactic acid, has a sodium concentration of 20 mg/100 ml or more and 120 mg/100 ml or less, and has a Brix value of 3.0 or less. As a result, it is possible to obtain a highly palatable beverage with suppressed salty and sweet tastes and excellent flavor balance, despite containing a high concentration of sodium.

Hereinafter, the composition of the beverage of the present invention will be described in detail.

(citric acid, phosphoric acid, and lactic acid)
The beverage of the present invention contains citric acid and phosphoric acid and/or lactic acid. As a result of studies by the present inventors, it was found that, unexpectedly, in sodium-rich beverages with a weakly sweet taste having a Brix value of 3.0 or less, the strength of the salty taste derived from sodium can be suppressed by combining the above acids. Furthermore, it was found that the flavor balance of the beverage can be improved. Therefore, if citric acid and phosphoric acid and/or lactic acid are blended in a sodium-rich beverage, a sodium-rich beverage masking the salty taste can be obtained with a minimum amount of sugars blended or even without blending sugars. be done.

The content of each acid (citric acid, phosphoric acid, lactic acid, etc.) contained in the beverage of the present invention can be specified as citric acidity. In the present invention, "citric acid acidity" means a numerical value expressed as a value (unit: %) obtained by converting the amount of acid contained in a beverage into the equivalent amount of citric acid. Citric acidity is determined by the method shown in the Examples.

The citric acidity of the entire beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, and the lower limit is preferably 0.05% or more, more preferably 0.07% or more. The upper limit is preferably 0.30% or less, more preferably 0.15% or less.

The acidity derived from citric acid (citric acid-derived citric acidity) contained in the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, and is appropriately adjusted according to the content of sodium to be blended, the degree of salty taste suppression effect to be obtained, etc. can. Citric acid-derived citric acidity is the amount of citric acid in the beverage (calculated from quantitative analysis or prescribed amount).

The acidity derived from phosphoric acid contained in the beverage of the present invention (phosphoric acid-derived citric acid acidity) is not particularly limited, and is appropriately adjusted according to the content of sodium to be blended, the degree of salty taste suppression effect to be obtained, etc. can. The acidity of citric acid derived from phosphoric acid is calculated by multiplying the amount of phosphoric acid in the beverage (calculated from quantitative analysis or prescribed amount) by 1.25.

The acidity derived from lactic acid (lactic acid-derived citric acidity) contained in the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, and can be appropriately adjusted according to the content of sodium to be blended, the degree of salty taste suppressing effect to be obtained, and the like. The lactic acid-derived citric acidity is calculated by multiplying the amount of lactic acid in the beverage (calculated from quantitative analysis or prescribed amount) by 0.71.

From the viewpoint that the effects of the present invention are likely to be exhibited, the beverage of the present invention contains citric acid, phosphoric acid, and lactic acid. The total acidity (hereinafter also referred to as “(phosphoric acidity + lactic acidity)/acidity of the entire beverage”) may be blended so as to be 0.05 or more and 0.90 or less.

The lower limit of (phosphoric acidity + lactic acidity)/acidity of the entire beverage is preferably 0.10 or more, more preferably 0.15 or more, from the viewpoint that the flavor balance can be particularly easily improved. The upper limit is preferably 0.50 or less, more preferably 0.30 or less.

(sodium)
The sodium concentration in the beverage of the present invention is 20 mg/100 ml or more and 120 mg/100 ml or less. This sodium concentration is a relatively high value in the field of beverages, and is a value usually adopted in soft drinks and the like suitable for preventing heat stroke and hydration.

As described above, in the present invention, salty taste can be satisfactorily suppressed even when the sodium concentration is high. /100 ml or more. The upper limit of the sodium concentration in the beverage may preferably be 60 mg/100 ml or less from the viewpoint of suppressing excessive salty taste.

Sodium concentration in beverages is determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy.

The form of sodium added to the beverage is not particularly limited as long as it is usually added to food and drink. Examples thereof include salt (sodium chloride), sodium salts such as trisodium citrate, and foods and drinks containing sodium (fruit juice, milk, tea, coffee, etc.). Among these, sodium salt is preferable, and common salt is more preferable, because it is a component that imparts a particularly strong salty taste to the beverage, and the effect of the present invention is likely to be exhibited.

(Brix value)
The Brix value is a value that indicates the sugar content in a beverage. The lower the Brix value of the beverage, the less sweet the beverage.

Since the beverage of the present invention has a Brix value of 3.0 or less, the sweetness of the beverage is relatively low. In the present invention, even if the sodium concentration is high, the salty taste is satisfactorily suppressed without masking the salty taste by increasing the sweetness by adding sugars as in the conventional method.

From the viewpoint of obtaining a beverage with less sweetness, the upper limit of the Brix value of the beverage of the present invention may be preferably 2.0 or less, more preferably 1.0 or less. Although the lower limit of the Brix value of the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, it may be 0.1 or more.

The Brix value of a beverage is determined by the method shown in the Examples.

The sugar compounded in the beverage is not particularly limited as long as it is usually compounded in food and drink. Examples include glucose, fructose, fructose-glucose liquid sugar, high-fructose liquid sugar, sucrose, lactose, maltose, oligosaccharide, honey, dextrin, and sugar alcohols. The beverage of the present invention may be sugar-free.

(other ingredients)
The beverage of the present invention can be appropriately blended with other raw materials and additives that are commonly used in general beverages as long as they do not impair the effects of the present invention. The blending amount can be appropriately set according to the effect to be obtained.

Ingredients that can be incorporated into the beverage of the present invention include the following; oligosaccharides, erythritol, maltitol, etc.), isomerized sugar (fructose-glucose liquid sugar, etc.), high-intensity sweeteners (stevia, aspartame, acesulfame-K, sucralose, etc.), emulsifiers (sucrose fatty acid esters, lecithin, etc.), Viscosity stabilizers (soybean polysaccharides, pectin, carrageenan, gellan gum, xanthan gum, guar gum, etc.), antioxidants (tocopherol, cysteine hydrochloride, etc.), pigments (carotenoid pigments, anthocyanin pigments, caramel pigments, various synthetic coloring agents, etc.), fragrances (naringin, etc.), preservatives, antiseptics, antifungal agents, vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin E, etc.), minerals (potassium, calcium, magnesium, etc.), food fiber etc.

Among sugars, fructose is known to have a salty masking effect. However, beverages containing fructose have a stronger sweetness. On the other hand, according to the present invention, the salty taste can be masked even if the amount of saccharides such as fructose is minimal or no saccharides are blended. Moreover, according to the present invention, salty taste can be sufficiently masked even if fructose-glucose liquid sugar (known to be less effective in masking salty taste than fructose) is blended instead of fructose.

The beverages of the present invention are preferably free of high intensity sweeteners.

Although the form of the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, it can be prepared as any soft drink or the like, but it is suitable for sports drinks due to its high sodium concentration. Examples of sports drinks include those that meet the requirements stipulated in the "'Heat Stroke Countermeasure' Labeling Guidelines" (National Soft Drink Association).

<Characteristics of the beverage of the present invention>
Although the beverage of the present invention has a high sodium concentration, the strength of saltiness is suppressed without masking with sweetness. The beverage of the invention also has a good flavor balance. Saltiness and flavor balance are evaluated by the methods shown in Examples.

The beverage of the present invention has a Brix value of 3.0 or less and a relatively low sweetness. For example, the beverage of the present invention has a sweetness of 0 or more and 5 or less, preferably 0 or more and 3 or less, more preferably 0 or more and 2 or less.

In the present invention, the "sweetness of the beverage" is a parameter indicating the strength of the sweetness of the beverage, and is expressed as a relative value when the sweetness of sucrose is 1. "Each sweetness contained in the beverage It is calculated based on the “sweetness of food”. Specifically, it is identified by the following method.
An aqueous solution is prepared for each sweetener contained in the beverage, and the concentration X is determined so that the sweetness is equivalent to that of a 1% by mass sucrose aqueous solution. Then, "1 (% by mass)/X (% by mass)" is obtained, and this value is defined as "sweetness of each sweetener". The total value of the "sweetness of each sweetener" contained in the beverage is the "sweetness of the beverage".

In addition, typical sweeteners are shown below for their normal sweetness.
Fructose: 1.2
Glucose: 0.6
Fructose glucose liquid sugar (55% isomerized sugar): 1
Lactose: 0.15
Maltose: 0.4
Oligosaccharide: 0.2
Trehalose: 0.4
D-psicose: 0.7
D-allose: 0.7
Mannitol: 0.6
Maltitol: 0.8
Maltotriitol: 0.3
Erythritol: 0.8
Reduced starch saccharification product: 0.5
Xylitol: 0.4
Sorbitol: 0.6
Acesulfame potassium: 200
Sucralose: 600
Aspartame: 200
Saccharin: 200
Neotame: 1000
Stevia: 100
Thaumatin: 2000

<Method for producing beverage of the present invention>
The beverages of the present invention are prepared using any conditions and methods employed in the manufacture of beverages. For example, the beverage of the present invention may be obtained by preparing a solution containing the above ingredients and filling any container.

<Method for Suppressing Saltiness in Beverages>
As described above, according to the present invention, by blending citric acid with phosphoric acid and / or lactic acid, the sodium concentration is 20 mg / 100 ml or more and 120 mg / 100 ml or less, and the Brix value is 3.0 or less. Saltiness in certain beverages can be suppressed.

<Method for improving flavor balance in beverages>
As described above, according to the present invention, by blending citric acid with phosphoric acid and / or lactic acid, the sodium concentration is 20 mg / 100 ml or more and 120 mg / 100 ml or less, and the Brix value is 3.0 or less. It can improve the flavor balance in certain beverages.

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

Beverages having the compositions shown in Tables 1-2 were prepared. After flash pasteurization of the resulting beverages at 95° C., the following evaluations were made. Each result is shown in the table.

(Brix value)
Using a sugar refractometer (trade name “Digital Refractometer Rx-5000” manufactured by ATAGO), the reading at a temperature of 20° C. was measured as the Brix value of the beverage.

(pH)
After the beverage was adjusted to 20°C, the pH was measured with a pH meter.

(citric acidity)
The citric acid acidity derived from each acid (citric acid, malic acid, phosphoric acid, lactic acid) and the citric acid acidity of the entire beverage were measured by the following method (titration method).
The citric acidity was obtained by titration in the following procedure using a phenolphthalein indicator and sodium hydroxide.
(1) Accurately weigh 5 to 15 g of beverage into a 200 mL Erlenmeyer flask and dilute to about 50 mL with water.
(2) Add a few drops of 1% phenolphthalein indicator to the diluted beverage and stir.
(3) While stirring the diluted beverage solution in the Erlenmeyer flask with a magnetic stirrer, 0.1 M sodium hydroxide placed in a 25 mL burette is added dropwise to the beverage solution to perform a titration test. The end point of this titration test is when the color of the drinking solution in the Erlenmeyer flask remains red for 30 seconds.
(4) The value of citric acid acidity (%) is calculated by the following formula based on the results of the titration test.
Citric acid acidity (%) = A x f x (100/W) x 0.0064 Formula (1)
[In (Formula 1), A is the titer (mL) of the 0.1 M sodium hydroxide solution, f is the titer of the 0.1 M sodium hydroxide solution, and W is the mass of the beverage sample (g) indicates Also, the value "0.0064" multiplied in equation (1) refers to the mass (g) of anhydrous citric acid equivalent to 1 mL of 0.1 M sodium hydroxide solution. ]
In addition, in the titration test, a hydrogen ion concentration meter may be used instead of the phenolphthalein indicator. In this case, the endpoint of the titration test is when the pH of the beverage solution in the Erlenmeyer flask reaches 8.1.

(Sweetness)
An aqueous solution was prepared for the fructose-glucose liquid sugar or fructose contained in the beverage, and the concentration X was determined so that the sweetness was equivalent to that of a 1% by mass sucrose aqueous solution. Then, "1 (% by mass)/X (% by mass)" was specified as sweetness.

(sensory evaluation)
Five panelists evaluated the flavor (salty taste or flavor balance) using the quantitative evaluation method based on Comparative Example 1, and the average value of the evaluation scores given by each panelist was calculated.

[salty]
The larger the number, the stronger the salty taste compared to Comparative Example 1.
Rating 7: Very strong salty taste, difficult to drink Rating 6: Strong salty taste, difficult to drink Rating 5: Slightly strong salty taste Rating 4: Salty taste is felt to the same extent as Comparative Example 1 Rating 3: Salty taste Slightly suppressed Grade 2: Salty taste is suppressed Grade 1: Almost no salty taste

The larger the number, the better the flavor balance compared to Comparative Example 1.
Rating 5: Good flavor balance and good flavor Rating 4: Slightly good flavor balance and good flavor Rating 3: Same level of flavor balance as in Comparative Example 1 Rating 2: Slightly poor flavor balance and good flavor The flavor is not good. Rating 1: Poor flavor balance, not a good flavor

In any of the examples, the salty taste of the beverage tends to be suppressed by phosphoric acid or lactic acid, despite the high concentration of sodium and the low Brix value, and a good flavor balance was exhibited.

Even when malic acid was used instead of phosphoric acid and lactic acid, the above effect was not observed.

In any of the examples, the salty taste of the beverage tends to be suppressed by phosphoric acid or lactic acid, despite the high concentration of sodium and the low Brix value, and a good flavor balance was exhibited.

Even when malic acid was used instead of phosphoric acid and lactic acid, the above effect was not observed.

The reference example is a beverage with a high Brix value and a strong sweetness. In such beverages, the use of malic acid instead of phosphoric acid and lactic acid was found to suppress the salty taste and improve the flavor balance. Therefore, it was considered that the effects of the present invention are brought about by the unique action of phosphoric acid or lactic acid in beverages with relatively weak sweetness.

Claims (8)

a beverage,
The beverage contains citric acid and phosphoric acid and/or lactic acid,
The sodium concentration in the beverage is 40 mg/100 ml or more and 120 mg/100 ml or less,
The citric acidity of the entire beverage is 0.05% or more and 0.30% or less,
The sum of the phosphoric acid-derived citric acid acidity and the lactic acid-derived citric acid acidity with respect to the citric acid acidity of the entire beverage is 0.1 or more and 0.5 or less,
A beverage , wherein the beverage has a Brix value of 3.0 or less. The beverage according to claim 1 , wherein the sweetness is 0 or more and 5 or less. 3. The beverage according to claim 1 or 2 , containing salt. 4. The beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , comprising fructose-glucose liquid sugar. 5. The beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , which does not contain high-intensity sweeteners. 6. Beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , which is a sports drink. Citric acid and phosphoric acid and / or lactic acid are blended in a beverage , the citric acid acidity of the entire beverage is 0.05% or more and 0.30% or less, and the citric acid acidity of the entire beverage is derived from phosphoric acid. The total citric acid acidity of and lactic acid-derived citric acid acidity is 0.1 or more and 0.5 or less , and the sodium concentration is 40 mg / 100 ml or more and 120 mg / 100 ml or less, and the Brix value is A method for suppressing salty taste in a beverage having a score of 3.0 or less. Citric acid and phosphoric acid and / or lactic acid are blended in a beverage , the citric acid acidity of the entire beverage is 0.05% or more and 0.30% or less, and the citric acid acidity of the entire beverage is derived from phosphoric acid. The total citric acid acidity of and lactic acid-derived citric acid acidity is 0.1 or more and 0.5 or less , and the sodium concentration is 40 mg / 100 ml or more and 120 mg / 100 ml or less, and the Brix value is A method for improving flavor balance in a beverage having a content of 3.0 or less.