JP7377672B2 - Carbonated drinks and methods for improving the tea flavor of carbonated drinks - Google Patents

Description

Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act applies [Company website] Posted on January 29, 2019, https://www. asahiinryo. co. jp/company/newsrelease/2019/pick_0129. html

The present invention relates to a carbonated beverage and a method for improving the tea flavor of a carbonated beverage.

BACKGROUND ART In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for highly transparent beverages that are mixed with water, such as flavorings and fruit juice extracts, and are attracting attention as beverages that can be drunk like water. Such drinks are also called near water, and in order to maintain a water-like appearance and ease of drinking, the addition of acidulants, sweeteners, etc. is suppressed. Therefore, there are many restrictions in order to increase or expand the palatability of near water, so various studies and studies are actively being conducted when developing new near water.

On the other hand, linalool is a component contained in plant essential oils, and specifically, it is widely known as a component contained in citrus fruits and teas, and is used in many beverages. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a colorless and transparent beverage containing 100 to 5000 ppb of linalool and having a tea flavor. According to Patent Document 1, the aftertaste is improved by adding one member selected from the group consisting of benzaldehyde, methyl salicylate, and β-damascenone to a colorless and transparent beverage containing predetermined linalool and an acidulant. be able to.

Patent No. 6301562

However, according to the study of the present inventor, although the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 can obtain a tea flavor, when the sugar content is lowered, the aroma stands out and the aroma feels monotonous, resulting in an artificial feeling. It was found that there is a problem that it becomes difficult to drink.

Therefore, as a result of further intensive studies from the perspective of solving this problem, it was found that by combining carbon dioxide gas with a tea-flavored beverage containing a predetermined amount of linalool, even if the sugar content was lowered, the artificial taste was reduced. It was discovered that a natural tea flavor could be obtained, and the present invention was completed.

According to the invention,
A carbonated beverage containing tea flavor, containing 0.1 ppm or more and less than 10 ppm of linalool and 0.05 ppm or more and less than 10 ppm of geraniol,
A packaged carbonated beverage having a tea flavor and having a gas volume of 3.5 v/v or more is provided.

According to the invention,
A step of blending tea flavor so that the linanol concentration is 0.1 ppm or more and less than 10 ppm, and the geraniol concentration is 0.05 ppm or more and less than 10 ppm ;
A step of preparing a carbonated beverage so that the gas volume is 3.5 v/v or more;
a step of packaging the carbonated beverage;
Provided is a method for improving the tea flavor of a carbonated beverage.

According to the present invention, a carbonated beverage with a natural tea flavor is provided.

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

[Carbonated drink]
The carbonated beverage of this embodiment has a gas volume of 3.5 v/v or more at 0° C. and 1 atm, preferably 3.6 v/v or more, and more preferably 3.7 v/v or more. By setting the gas volume to the above lower limit value or more, the tea flavor is enhanced, the artificial taste is reduced and a natural tea flavor is obtained, and the overall flavor of the beverage is well balanced and the taste is improved. .
On the other hand, from the viewpoint of maintaining the palatability of carbonated beverages, the upper limit of the gas volume at 0° C. and 1 atm is preferably 6.5 v/v or less, more preferably 5.5 v/v or less.

The gas volume in a carbonated beverage can be measured by a known method. For example, it can be measured using a commercially available measuring device (gas volume measuring device GVA-500B manufactured by Kyoto Electronics Industry).
Note that the gas volume represents the volume of carbon dioxide gas dissolved in the carbonated beverage with respect to the volume of the entire carbonated beverage under standard conditions (1 atm, 0° C.).

[linalool]
Linalool exhibits a tea flavor, and may be derived from tea leaves or the like, or may be synthesized.

The carbonated beverage of the present embodiment contains linalool in an amount of 0.1 ppm or more and less than 10 ppm, preferably 0.3 ppm or more and 9.5 ppm or less, and more preferably 0.7 ppm or more and 9.0 ppm or less. .
By setting the linalool concentration to the above lower limit or more, the tea flavor can be more easily perceived and the taste can be improved. On the other hand, by controlling the linalool concentration to be less than or equal to the above upper limit, a natural feeling can be easily obtained.

The carbonated beverage of this embodiment has a natural tea flavor by containing linalool in an amount of 0.1 ppm or more and less than 10 ppm, and having a gas volume of 3.5 v/v or more. Although the details of this mechanism are not clear, the inventors have found that, first, when flavoring is added and the sugar content is lowered, the aroma stands out and the aroma becomes perceived as monotonous, resulting in an artificial feeling and making it difficult to drink. has been done. Based on this knowledge, in the carbonated beverage of this embodiment, the tea flavor derived from linalool is felt in the mouth along with carbon dioxide gas, making the aroma more complex and reducing the artificial taste. It is presumed that a flavor similar to that of the above can be obtained. In addition, the sourness and stimulation caused by carbonic acid reduce the wateriness and increase the tea flavor, and it is thought that the overall flavor balance of the beverage becomes better and the taste is improved.

The content of aroma components in the carbonated beverage of this embodiment is determined by solid phase microextraction method (SPME) using a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GC/MS, manufactured by Agilent Technologies, 7890A GC/5975C MSD). It can be quantified by the method.
Absolute calibration curve method is used for quantification. Note that three of the above measurement samples may be prepared, and the average value of the quantitative results may be used as the measurement result. After heating the 20 mL vial containing the prepared measurement sample at 70°C for 10 minutes, a SPME fiber (DVB/CAR/PDMS) manufactured by SUPELCO was inserted into the gas phase portion of the vial. Collect volatile components for a few minutes. By placing this SPME fiber in a GC/MS and firing it for 300 seconds, the collected volatile components can be desorbed.

Furthermore, the carbonated beverage of this embodiment has the following configuration, so that a more natural tea flavor can be obtained.

[Geraniol]
It is preferable that the carbonated beverage of this embodiment further contains geraniol. Thereby, the tea flavor can be further enhanced while retaining the natural flavor.
Geraniol exhibits a tea flavor, and may be derived from tea leaves or the like, or may be synthesized.

The carbonated beverage of the present embodiment preferably contains geraniol in an amount of 0.05 ppm or more and less than 10 ppm, more preferably 0.08 ppm or more and 7 ppm or less, and even more preferably 0.1 ppm or more.
By setting the geraniol concentration to the above lower limit value or more, the tea flavor can be further enhanced while maintaining the natural flavor. On the other hand, by setting the geraniol concentration to the above upper limit value or less, a natural feeling can be easily obtained.

[Sugars]
The carbonated beverage of this embodiment is preferably sugar-free. Thereby, the carbonated beverage of this embodiment can more significantly reduce the artificial feel.
In addition, under the nutrition labeling standards based on the Health Promotion Law, a beverage can be labeled as "sugar-free" if it contains less than 0.5 g per 100 ml. In this specification, as in the nutrition labeling standards, a beverage with a sugar content of less than 0.5 g per 100 ml is referred to as sugar-free.

The content of saccharides in the carbonated beverage of this embodiment is preferably less than 0.5 g per 100 ml of the beverage, and more preferably 0.0 g per 100 ml of the beverage.
The sugars include monosaccharides and disaccharides such as fructose, glucose, and sucrose.

Further, the carbonated beverage of the present embodiment preferably does not contain sweeteners other than saccharides, such as high-intensity sweeteners such as aspartame.

[Brix value]
The Brix value of the carbonated beverage of this embodiment is preferably 10° or less, more preferably 6° or less, still more preferably 3° or less, and most preferably It is 0°.
The "Brix value" can be measured, for example, using a sugar refractometer reading "RX-5000α" manufactured by Atago Co., Ltd. at a liquid temperature of 20°C.

[exterior]
The carbonated beverage is preferably a transparent beverage. In this embodiment, "transparent" means that no insoluble matter such as floating matter or precipitate is observed in the beverage. Specifically, the absorbance at a wavelength of 720 nm is preferably 0.05 or less, more preferably 0.01 or less.
In other words, in the past, when trying to obtain a transparent beverage, it was difficult to effectively suppress the artificial taste due to restrictions on the combination of fruit juice, acidulant, sweetener, etc. In carbonated drinks, even though they are transparent carbonated drinks, artificial taste can be suppressed and a natural tea flavor can be obtained.
The absorbance at a wavelength of 720 nm can be measured, for example, using an ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer (UV-1600 (manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation)) by placing the beverage in a quartz cell with an optical path length of 1 cm.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the carbonated beverage is a colorless and transparent beverage. Specifically, the absorbance at a wavelength of 420 nm is preferably 0.05 or less, more preferably 0.01 or less.
That is, the carbonated beverage of the present embodiment can maintain a water-like appearance and drinkability while suppressing artificial taste and obtaining a natural tea flavor.
The absorbance at a wavelength of 420 nm can be measured, for example, using an ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer (UV-1600 (manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation)) by placing the beverage in a quartz cell with an optical path length of 1 cm.

[acidity]
The acidity of the carbonated beverage of this embodiment is preferably 0.1% by mass or less, more preferably 0.05% by mass or less, and most preferably 0.0% by mass or less, from the viewpoint of improving the palatability of the tea-flavored carbonated beverage. .00% by mass.
Note that "acidity" refers to a value obtained by converting the amount of acid contained in a carbonated beverage into an equivalent amount of citric acid, that is, a value expressed as citric acid acidity (mass %).

[others]
The carbonated beverage of this embodiment includes other ingredients such as flavorings, sweeteners, acidulants, fruit juice, antioxidants, minerals such as salts, etc., which are used in ordinary beverages, within a range that does not impair the effects of the present invention. It may also contain bittering agents, antifoaming agents, nutritional fortifiers, pH adjusters, and the like.

The flavor may be a natural flavor or a synthetic flavor, such as a tea flavor, a fruit flavor, a vegetable flavor, or a mixture thereof.
The tea flavor is not particularly limited as long as it is a flavor reminiscent of tea when contained in a beverage.
Tea products typically include tea products processed using Camellia plants of the Camellia family as raw materials, such as sencha, deep-steamed sencha, gyokuro, kabusecha, bancha, gyokuryokucha, powdered tea, budcha, Examples include unfermented teas such as hojicha, brown rice tea, and matcha, and fermented teas such as yellow tea, white tea, oolong tea, black tea, and black tea (Pu-erh tea). Furthermore, examples include barley tea, dokudami tea, bean tea, sweet tea, burdock tea, buckwheat tea, and blended tea, but are not limited thereto. Among these, black tea is preferred because it has good compatibility with carbonic acid, provides a natural flavor, and can improve taste.
In addition to the above-mentioned linalool and geraniol, tea flavors include, for example, (Z)-3-hexenol, dimethyl sulfide, β-ionone, 3-methyl-2,4-nanonedione, furaneol, methional, indole, and jasmonic acid. Flavor components include methyl, linalool, methyl salicylate, β-damascenone, phenethyl alcohol, phototrienol, 2,4-heptadienal, and 1-octen-3-ol.

Sweeteners are used to impart sweetness.
Examples of sweeteners include fructose corn syrup, sugar (including sucrose and granulated sugar), fructose, high fructose corn syrup, glucose, oligosaccharide, lactose, honey, starch syrup (maltose), sugar alcohol, and high sweetness. Examples include sweeteners.
Examples of high-intensity sweeteners include aspartame, acesulfame potassium, xylitol, disodium glycyrrhizinate, saccharin, calcium saccharin, sodium saccharin, sucralose, neotame, arabinose, licorice extract, xylose, stevia, thaumatin, licorice extract, rhamnose. and ribose.
These sweeteners may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Acidulants are used to impart sourness and improve palatability.
Examples of the acidulant include citric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, adipic acid, glucono delta lactone, gluconic acid, succinic acid, glacial acetic acid, fumaric acid, phytic acid, phosphoric acid, and salts thereof. . These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Moreover, from the viewpoint of obtaining a more pronounced natural flavor, it is preferable that the carbonated beverage of the present embodiment does not substantially contain anything other than fragrance. That is, it is preferable that the carbonated beverage is made of water and flavoring without containing sweeteners or acidulants.
In addition, an antifoaming agent used in the production of carbonated drinks may be included. The antifoaming agent is not particularly limited as long as it is used for antifoaming purposes, but examples include silicone oil, glycerin fatty acid ester, sorbitan fatty acid ester, and oil and fat compositions of glycerin fatty acid ester and/or sorbitan fatty acid ester. Can be mentioned.

[Packaged carbonated drinks]
As the container, any known container that can be used to seal a beverage can be appropriately selected and used. Examples include sealed containers made of single materials such as glass, paper, plastics (such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET)), aluminum, and steel, or composite materials or laminated materials thereof. Further, the type of container is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a plastic bottle, an aluminum can, a steel can, a paper pack, a chilled cup, and a bottle. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of being able to observe the beverage from the outside and confirm its transparency, color, etc., the color of the container is preferably transparent, and more preferably colorless and transparent. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of ease of handling, distribution, portability, etc., a plastic bottle is preferable.

[Types of carbonated drinks]
The carbonated beverage of this embodiment may be any beverage that has a tea flavor, and includes, for example, non-colored drinks such as cider drinks, ramune drinks, fruit juice-containing drinks, colored carbonated drinks (such as cola drinks and melon soda), and non-colored carbonated drinks. Beverages containing various carbon dioxide gas such as alcoholic beer drinks, or alcohol-containing carbonated drinks such as beer, low-malt beer, chu-hi, and cocktails can also be used.

Among these, unsweetened black tea carbonated beverages are preferred from the viewpoint of improving the tea flavor and making it easier to obtain a natural flavor.

[Method for improving tea flavor]
The method for improving the tea flavor of a packaged carbonated beverage according to the present embodiment is as follows:
A step of blending linalool into drinking water so that the concentration in the drink is 0.1 ppm or more and less than 10 ppm;
A step of preparing a carbonated beverage so that the gas volume is 3.5 v/v or more;
a step of packaging the carbonated beverage;
including.

According to this method for improving the tea flavor of a carbonated beverage, the tea flavor of the carbonated beverage can be made to have a natural feel. Note that the press injection of carbon dioxide gas, the method of adjusting the gas volume, and the method of filling the container are not particularly limited, and known methods can be used.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these are merely examples of the present invention, and various configurations other than those described above may also be adopted.
An example of a reference embodiment of the present invention will be shown below.
[1]
Contains 0.1 ppm or more and less than 10 ppm of linalool,
A packaged carbonated beverage having a tea flavor and having a gas volume of 3.5 v/v or more.
[2]
The carbonated beverage according to [1], which is sugar-free.
[3]
The carbonated beverage according to [1] or [2], which contains geraniol in an amount of 0.05 ppm or more and less than 10 ppm.
[4]
The carbonated beverage according to any one of [1] to [3], which has a Brix value of 10° or less.
[5]
The carbonated beverage according to any one of [1] to [4], which does not substantially contain anything other than fragrance.
[6]
The carbonated beverage according to any one of [1] to [5], which has an absorbance at 720 nm of 0.05 or less.
[7]
The carbonated beverage according to any one of [1] to [6], which has an absorbance at 420 nm of 0.05 or less.
[8]
A step of blending linalool into drinking water so that the concentration in the drink is 0.1 ppm or more and less than 10 ppm;
A step of preparing a carbonated beverage so that the gas volume is 3.5 v/v or more;
a step of packaging the carbonated beverage;
A method for improving the tea flavor of carbonated beverages, including:

EXAMPLES The present invention will be explained below with reference to Examples and Comparative Examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[Experiment 1: Verification of flavor by presence or absence of sugar and difference in carbon dioxide volume]
<Examples 1-2, Comparative Examples 1-3>
A black tea flavor was added to pure water and mixed. Furthermore, each carbonated beverage was prepared so that the carbon dioxide gas volume (0° C., 1 atm) became the value shown in Table 1, and filled into a 500 ml PET bottle to obtain a packaged beverage. Both carbonated drinks contained 7.8 ppm of linalool and 0.6 ppm of geraniol.

<Comparative example 1>
Sugars (fructose-glucose liquid sugar, 55 g/L) and acidulants (citric acid, 0.85 g/L, trisodium citrate, 0.4 g/L) are mixed with pure water, and carbon dioxide gas is not pressurized. A beverage was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except for the above. The resulting beverage contained 7.8 ppm of linalool and 0.6 ppm of geraniol.

The following measurements and evaluations were performed for each of the beverages obtained above. The results are shown in Table 1.

<Measurement>
-Analysis of aroma components: Quantified by solid phase microextraction (SPME) using a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GC/MS, manufactured by Agilent Technologies, 7890A GC/5975C MSD).
The absolute calibration curve method was used for quantification. Three samples were prepared for each of the above measurement samples, and the average value of the quantitative results was taken as the measurement result.
After heating the 20 mL vial containing the prepared measurement sample at 70°C for 10 minutes, a SPME fiber (DVB/CAR/PDMS) manufactured by SUPELCO was inserted into the gas phase portion of the vial. Volatile components were collected for a few minutes. This SPME fiber was placed in a GC/MS and fired for 300 seconds to remove the collected volatile components.
The analysis conditions for GC/MS were as follows.
Column: Agilent Technologies, DB-WAX 0.25mm x 30m x 0.25μm
Oven temperature: 40°C for 5 minutes, then increase the temperature to 180°C at a rate of 3°C/min.
Carrier gas: Helium Inlet temperature: 230℃
Injection method: splitless

- Carbon dioxide gas volume (gas vol): "GVA-500B" manufactured by Kyoto Electronics Industry Co., Ltd. was used. The operation was carried out at room temperature of 20°C.
- Brix value (°): Brix value was measured using a sugar refractometer reading "RX-5000α" manufactured by Atago Co., Ltd. The liquid temperature of the beverage was 20°C.
- Absorbance (wavelength 720 nm): The value was measured using a commercially available spectrophotometer after placing the beverage in a cell with an optical path length of 1 cm. Note that the absorbance measurement was performed using a quartz cell under a temperature condition of 20°C.
- Absorbance (wavelength 420 nm): The value was measured using a commercially available spectrophotometer after placing the beverage in a cell with an optical path length of 1 cm. Note that the absorbance measurement was performed using a quartz cell under a temperature condition of 20°C.

<Evaluation>
・Sensory evaluation: Five experienced panelists tasted each of the Examples and Comparative Example beverages (at 4°C) and evaluated them according to the following evaluation criteria: "tastiness,""black tea flavor," and "natural feel."'' were evaluated on a seven-point scale (1 to 7 points), and the average score was calculated. In addition, when evaluating, the beverage of Control Example 1 was used as a control product (standard value 4 points). Note that in the evaluation, the larger the numerical value, the better the result.

・Evaluation criteria “Black tea flavor”
7 points...Very strong than the control product 6 points...Stronger than the control product 5 points...Slightly stronger than the control product 4 points...Same strength as the control product 3 points...・Slightly weaker than the control product 2 points...Weaker than the control product 1 point...Very weaker than the control product or not felt at all "Feels natural"
7 points: Feels much more natural than the control product 6 points: Feels more natural than the control product 5 points: Feels slightly more natural than the control product 4 points...・Same natural feel as the control product 3 points: Feels slightly less natural than the control product 2 points: Feels less natural than the control product 1 point: Much more natural than the control product Taste that doesn't taste natural or doesn't taste natural at all
7 points: Much better than the control product 6 points: Better than the control product 5 points: Slightly better than the control product 4 points: Same as the control product 3 points: Control Slightly inferior to the standard product 2 points: Inferior to the control product 1 point: Very inferior to the control product

[Experiment 2: Verification of flavor due to differences in linalool and geraniol concentrations]
<Examples 3 to 13, Comparative Examples 4 to 9, Control Example 2>
Linalool and geraniol were added to pure water and mixed so that the linalool concentration (ppm) and the geraniol concentration (ppm) became the values shown in Tables 2 and 3. Furthermore, each carbonated beverage was prepared so that the carbon dioxide gas volume (0° C., 1 atm) was 4.0 v/v, and filled into a 500 ml plastic bottle to obtain a packaged beverage.

Each of the beverages obtained above was evaluated in the same manner as in Experiment 1, except that Control Example 2 was used as a reference product (standard). The results are shown in Tables 2 and 3.

[Experiment 3: Verification of the influence of aroma components other than linalool and geraniol on flavor]
<Example 14, 15>
Each carbonated beverage was obtained in the same manner as in Examples 4 and 5, except that methyl salicylate was added to pure water so that the methyl salicylate concentration was 0.04 ppm.

<Comparative example 3>
A carbonated beverage was obtained in the same manner as in Example 14 above, except that linalool, geraniol, and methyl salicylate were not added to pure water.

Each of the beverages obtained above was evaluated in the same manner as in Experiment 1, except that Control Example 3 was used as a reference product (standard). The results are shown in Table 4.

From Table 4, even if methyl salicylate, which is one of the characteristic aromas of tea, is added, a natural feeling can be achieved by containing linalool at 0.1 ppm or more and less than 10 ppm and by setting the gas volume to 3.5 v/v or more. It was confirmed that a tea-flavored carbonated beverage could be obtained.

Claims (7)

A carbonated beverage containing tea flavor,
Contains 0.1 ppm or more and less than 10 ppm of linalool and 0.05 ppm or more and less than 10 ppm of geraniol,
A packaged carbonated beverage having a tea flavor and having a gas volume of 3.5 v/v or more. The carbonated beverage according to claim 1, which is sugar-free. The carbonated beverage according to claim 1 or 2, having a Brix value of 10° or less. The carbonated beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising water, carbon dioxide gas, and flavor . The carbonated beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 4, having an absorbance at 720 nm of 0.05 or less. The carbonated beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 5, having an absorbance at 420 nm of 0.05 or less. A step of blending tea flavor so that the linanol concentration is 0.1 ppm or more and less than 10 ppm, and the geraniol concentration is 0.05 ppm or more and less than 10 ppm;
A step of preparing a carbonated beverage so that the gas volume is 3.5 v/v or more;
a step of packaging the carbonated beverage;
A method for improving the tea flavor of carbonated beverages, including: