JPS58149655A - Sweetening method for food and drink - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a sweetening agent having a sharp sweetness, the body close to that of sucrose without the bitterness nor astringency, by using stevioside and rebaudioside A which are extracts from stevia with alpha-glucosylstevioside and a glucide sweetening agent together. CONSTITUTION:Rebaudioside A alone or a stevia extract which is a mixture of stevioside with 20W/W% or more, based on the stevioside, rebaudioside A is used together with alpha-glucosylstevioside having 30W/W% or more D-glucose addition ratio and a glucide sweetening agent. In the process, the stevia extract is used at 1:(0.4-5) weight ratio between the stevia extract and the alpha-glucosylstevioside. The sweetness substitution ratio of the alpha-glucosylstevioside and stevia extract to the glucide sweetening agent is 30-80%. Thus, a sweetening agent having a high safety and sharp sweetness without bitternes nor astringency is obtained.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention is stevioside, which is a stevia extract.

By coexisting rebaudioside A, α-glucosyl stevioside, and a carbohydrate sweetener, there is no bitterness or astringency, a sharp sweetness, no decrease in sweetness multiple, and a richness similar to M sugar. This invention relates to a method of sweetening foods and drinks that has been successfully applied.

In recent years, various harmful effects caused by excessive intake of sucrose have become a problem, and a so-called "abstinence from sugar 1" trend is emerging.

The safety of synthetic sweeteners, which once attracted attention as an alternative to sugar, has become an issue due to bans on the use of zurtin and chikuguchi, and restrictions on the use of saccharin.

Therefore, consumers and food manufacturers are currently demanding the emergence of safer sweeteners.

Stevia extract was introduced against this historical background. This is a perennial plant of the chrysanthemum family native to South America, Laguay.5tevia 3ebaudianaBert
Stevia (hereinafter referred to as Stevia) is extracted and purified mainly from the leaves of Stevia. The main sweetening component contained in Stevia extract is 5tevi.
oaide (hereinafter referred to as 8T), Rebaudios
ide A, Rebaudios3ide B, C
, D, E (hereinafter referred to as Reb, A, B, C, D, E
).

Dulcoside A and S te biolbio
A total of 811 substances on the side are known. The ratio of secondary components varies depending on the variety of frozen vegetables and cultivation conditions.

When currently available average castevia leaves are used, the component ratio in the extract is highest at 8T, which is referred to below as Reb.

In the order of A, Reb, and C, the others are small in quantity.

The ratio of ST to Reb and A is approximately 7=6. Comparing the sweetness characteristics of each, firstly, the sweetness multiple is that when the corresponding sucrose concentration (hereinafter simply referred to as sweetness level) is 10ts, the ST is about 9 of that of sucrose.
0x, Reb, and A are also approximately 120x.

On the other hand, in terms of taste quality, BT has a unique bitterness and astringency, while RQ and A have a mild sweetness with little bitterness or astringency.

The sweetness characteristics of stevia extract containing both of these are as follows:
First, it has a high degree of sweetness. Next, compared to licorice extract, etc., it has a fundamental characteristic that its sharpness of sweetness (the degree of rapid onset and disappearance of sweetness) is quite similar to that of sucrose. In addition, it has excellent properties such as chemical stability, non-brown property, non-fermentability, low osmotic pressure, and no calories. Due to its stable price, it now has economic advantages compared to sugar and is expected to be used in many foods.

There are some problems that must be solved in order to put this Stevia extract into practical use. First, it has a unique bitter and astringent taste derived from ST, which is the main component of Stevia extract. Second, although the sharpness of sweetness is very good compared to licorice extract gado, it is true that it still feels strange compared to sucrose, and that is the point.

Various methods have been proposed in the past to improve the drawbacks of the two-barrier system. There are two effective methods among them.

One of them is sucrose, glucose! lutose, sorbitol,
This is a method of using a carbohydrate sweetener such as maltica in combination with stevia extract (for example, JP-A-52-145564).
. There is also a method of adding glucose to ST via an α-glucoside bond through an enzymatic reaction (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 54-5070), but none of these methods are yet practically satisfactory. First, when used in combination with carbohydrate sweeteners, the improvement effect of 8T on bitterness and astringency is determined by the sweetness level and sweetness substitution rate [the sweetness level of the substitute sweetener relative to the total sweetness level of the target food and drink (the synergistic effect is calculated). (incl.) ratio]. According to studies, the maximum sweetness substitution rate for most foods and drinks with a sweetness level of 7 to 8% W/W or higher is 30%.

When looking at examples where stevia extract is actually used in coffee drinks or soft drinks, the sweetness substitution rate is often 10 to 20 inches.

When the sweetness substitution rate is 60 or less, the taste quality becomes more refreshing than when no stevia extract is used, and the taste is more pleasant. The sweetness multiple (hereinafter, sweetness multiple refers to the multiple of sucrose) is also 600 times or more due to the synergistic effect with the carbohydrate sweetener. As a result, the sweetening cost is about the same as that of sucrose, and sufficient economic benefits can be obtained. That is, it is possible to enjoy both economic benefits and improved taste.

However, this method does not fully utilize the excellent characteristics of stevia extract, such as non-calorie, anti-cavity, non-denaturation, low osmotic pressure, and ability to inhibit freezing point drop. For example, in the case of a diet sweetener, a calorie reduction rate of at least 50 grams is required. If an attempt is made to achieve a calorie reduction rate of 50% or more by using a combination of stevia extract and carbohydrate sweetener, the current serious drawback is that the taste has to be sacrificed.

On the other hand, in the method of enzymatically adding glucose to 3T, ST, which is the root of most of the bitterness and astringency of Stevia extract, is α-glucosylstevioside (hereinafter referred to as α-G).
The sweetness quality is clearly improved compared to the original stevia extract by changing it into a completely different substance called stevia extract. α-GS is a general term for substances in which D-glucose is α-glycosidic bonded to ST, and consists of different components depending on the bonding position and number of D-glucose bonds, and the taste quality and sweetness multiple of each component also differ.

According to the study results of the present inventors, D-glucose has a small force of at least 30W with respect to 8T, and the binding capacity of /w% or more is a -
081d, a-Even if it contains unreacted ST of about 20 w, +- for GS, it cannot be used alone in the case of food and drink with a sweetness level of about 10 W/W in terms of bitterness and astringency.
It turned out that there was no.

However, the α-glucosylated Stevia extract also has one important disadvantage in practical use. The 7th problem is that the sweetness level of this product is considerably lower than that of Hasso Stevia extract, and therefore the sweetening cost greatly exceeds that of sucrose, making it impossible to obtain economic benefits.

Table 1 shows the sweetness characteristics of α-glucosyl stevia extract (same as that used in Example 1) and purified stevia extract (same as that used in Example 1), with a sweetness level of 10 W/W.
% neutral aqueous solution system at 20° C. by 17 panelists.

Table-1 Sweetness characteristics of Stevia extract and its α-glucoside Evaluation criteria for sweetness quality: ◎ Can be used without any problems ○ Can be used almost without problems Δ Indescribable X Problems in use Table-1 As is clear from the above, compared to Stevia extract, its α
- The bitterness, astringency and sharpness of sweetness of glucoside are considerably improved and can be used alone at a sweetness level of 10% w/w. There is a marked difference compared to the fact that stevia extract cannot be used alone under the same conditions. However, when evaluated from a practical point of view as a sweetener, when α-glucoside is used alone, it remains unsatisfactory in terms of bitterness and astringency, albeit slightly, and the sharpness of the sweetness. Furthermore, an even more serious drawback is that the rich taste is significantly inferior to that of carbohydrate sweeteners. Therefore, compared to carbohydrate sweeteners, especially sucrose, which is a typical sugar sweetener, it is inferior in taste even though the intensity of sweetness is comparable.

The second is the low sweetness factor. With a sweetness level of 10W/W and a sweetness multiple of just under 60 times that of sucrose, the unit price is more than 100 times that of sucrose, so we cannot expect any cost or benefits at all.

As mentioned above, even though α-glucoside is significantly improved in terms of bitterness and astringency as well as considerable improvement in sharpness of sweetness compared to the conventional purified stevia extract, The actual situation is that the progress of its practical application is hindered by serious drawbacks such as a decrease in sweetness factor and lack of body taste.

The purpose of the present invention is to improve the drawbacks of α-GS, such as bitterness and
To provide a natural sweetener that has no astringent taste, has a sharp sweetness, has a body taste similar to that of sucrose, has a lower sweetening cost than sucrose, and can cut calories by 50 or more. For this purpose, the present inventors have conducted various studies.

As a result, the first step was to improve the sharpness of sweetness and richness. Therefore, it has been found that combination use with carbohydrate taste medicine is effective. Song, (Table-1).

However, regarding the sweetness factor, as is clear from the results in Table 1, the synergistic sweetness effect obtained by the combination with sucrose is not as great as the synergistic effect obtained by the combination of purified stevia extract and sucrose, so it is not satisfactory.

The same applies when used in combination with carbohydrate sweeteners other than sucrose.

Therefore, as a result of further investigation focusing on methods for increasing the sweetness of the combination system of α-08-containing substances and carbohydrate sweeteners, we found that
First, using α-O8 with a D-glucose addition rate (ratio of added D-glucose to ST in α-GS) of 30 to 120 W/W, firstly, Reb,
The present invention was completed based on the discovery that when A and ST coexist in an appropriate ratio, a synergistic effect appears on the sweetness of the two.

That is, 81 parts by weight of α-O and Reb, Mu or Reb.

Stevia extract containing human BT ratio of 20 W/W- or more was coexisted at a ratio of 0.4 to 5 parts by weight with a total content of 87 (according to Japan Food Additives Association, Natural Food Additives Voluntary Standards Law). A particularly clear sweet synergistic effect was observed in some cases.

An example is shown in Table 2. However, this compound alone is not satisfactory as a sweetener in terms of bitterness/astringency, sharpness of sweetness, and richness. It has been found that the object of the present invention can be effectively achieved within a sweetness substitution rate of 60 to 80 degrees only by using this in combination with a carbohydrate sweetener.

In the case of a neutral aqueous solution, the results of the present invention (Note) are similar to those shown in Table 2.
The evaluation criteria are the same as in Table-1.

Preparation of aqueous solution + 10W/W p with thiol orange juice
A sweetener was added to the H3,0 citric acid aqueous solution so that the sweetness level was 10W/W%.

Contents of various sweeteners: A-・Reb, A (HPLC
Method purity 9'7% IB...A and 5T (HPLC method purity 9
8%) mixture C...A mixture of α-GS (same sample as Example 1) and A (2
1) D,・Mixture of α-O8 and B (2+1) E・・Mixture of C and sucrose (sweetness substitution rate 50%) F・・Mixture of D and sucrose (sweetness substitution rate 50%) Bitterness/astringency, Table 1 shows the evaluation criteria for sharpness of sweetness and richness.
Same as.

When using stevia extract and carbohydrate sweeteners.

It is known that sweet synergistic effects as shown in Table 1 occur, but when α-GS, Reb, A or stevia extracts and carbohydrate sweeteners coexist, significant sweet synergistic effects as shown in Table 2 occur. The effect was unexpected. The mechanism by which such a synergistic effect occurs is completely unknown. If I had to ask myself, the magnitude of the sweet synergistic effect of sucrose with each of α-GS, BT, Reb, and A is in the order of BT > Re b, A > a-GS, and the sweetness characteristics of each are BT. >YLeb, A>a
The fact that the order is -GS suggests that the difference in sweetness behavior over time may be somehow involved.

In any case, by utilizing this synergistic sweetness effect, the sweetness multiple and taste characteristics (bitterness/astringency, sharpness of sweetness, and richness) were improved, and the object of the present invention could be achieved.

The present invention will be explained in more detail below.

α-GS used in the present invention is obtained by reacting enzymes such as α-glucosidase, dextran sucrase, cyclodextrin, and glucosyltransferase in an aqueous solution of BT or stevia extract and saccharides such as sucrose starch partial hydrolysate. Contained in reaction products. S
In the case of T base, 1 for the glucose residue in the ST molecule
~Contains a mixture of multiple glucoses added via α-glucosidic bonds and a small amount of unreacted SIT. In the case of stevia extract, some of the stevia sweet components other than ST, such as Reb and A, are also α-glucosylated.

They are found to have a taste improvement effect equal to or greater than that of 19T bottoms. The taste improving effect of α-GS differs depending on the ratio of added sugar. as a trend.

Since a higher D-glucose addition rate contributes to improving the taste of the present invention, 8T or stevia extract with 30 W/W 1 or more D-glucose added to the stevia sweet component is used. It will be done.

α-GS with a D-glucose addition rate of 50 W/W% or less
Ninthly, the objective of the present invention cannot be achieved because the effect of improving taste quality such as bitterness and astringency is inferior. On the other hand, D-glucose addition rate 12
0 W/W 1 or more makes it difficult to obtain the sweet synergistic effect of the present invention.

ST, EB, and A used in the present invention can be used as a stevia extract, or 8T and R separated from it by a known fractionation method such as a crystallization method or a column chromatography method.
Low to high purity products of eb and A or a mixture thereof can be used.

In the method of the present invention, the ratio of ST, Reb, and A is important.
The bitterness and astringency become strong due to the influence of T, and even if the ratio of α-GS is increased to the limit where sweetness synergistic effect can no longer be expected, it cannot be compensated for. In addition, when the ratio of ST, Reb, and A is the same, stevia extract or its crystallized mother liquor is superior to the case where pure products of each are blended in both sweetness synergistic effect and taste quality. Most preferred is the crystallization mother liquor.

The carbohydrate sweeteners referred to in the present invention include monosaccharides such as fructose, glucose, and xylose; disaccharides such as sucrose, maltose, and lactose; and sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, xylitol, and maltitol, each of which may be used singly or in combination. It can be used as a mixture of

When the mixed sweetener consisting of α-GS, ST, Reb, and A used in the present invention is used in combination with a carbohydrate sweetener having a total sweetness of 20 W/W% or more, the sweetness multiple is lower than that of relatively low sweetness foods such as coffee drinks. In some cases, the amount is more than 100 times, and even in the case of relatively highly sweetened foods such as jam, it reaches several tens of times, so the amount added for the necessary sweetness is significantly lower than that of carbohydrate sweeteners. By controlling the amount and type of sugar sweetener used, it is possible to easily cut calories and/or control blood sugar levels, making it suitable for sweetening beauty foods, health foods, and diet foods.

Furthermore, in order to prevent tooth decay, which has recently become a problem, sugar sweeteners other than sucrose may be used in the present invention.

For example, you can choose glucose, maltose, norpitol, maltitol, etc. Such foods include chewing gum, confectionery such as chocolate, caramel, candy, and biscuits; carbonated beverages.

It is particularly suitable for drinking water such as fruit juice drinks and lactic acid bacteria drinks for the purpose of preventing tooth decay. It is also suitable for sweetening cosmetics and medicines that require a cavity prevention function, such as gargling water and tooth paste.

The method of the present invention is not limited to applications related to the maintenance and promotion of human health, but can be used to sweeten various general foods and drinks. For example, beverages such as soft drinks and milk drinks; frozen desserts such as ice cream and popsicles; sweets such as Japanese sweets and Western sweets; side dishes such as vinegared dishes and simmered dishes; seasonings such as vinegar, mayonnaise, dressing, and dashi base It can be used to sweeten various cosmetics and medicines, such as pickles such as Bettara-zuke and Rakkyō-zuke, as well as toothpaste, lip balm, oral solutions, troches, and gargles.

In order to sweeten the above-mentioned foods and drinks, luxury foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, etc. by the method of the present invention, the steps at which each product is completed include mixing, kneading, dissolving, permeating, dipping, spraying, etc.
Known methods such as coating, spraying, and injection may be selected as appropriate.

Finally, the effects of the method of the present invention are summarized as follows.

First of all, the method of the present invention improves the serious drawback of α-GS, which is that it has a low sweetness level and does not offer any cost benefits, by reducing bitterness and astringency, improving the sharpness of sweetness, and dramatically increasing body taste. As a result of this achievement, we have achieved sweetness by combining with carbohydrate sweeteners at a sweetness substitution rate of 30% or more, which was completely unattainable with conventional stevia extracts. □ Second #i It is noteworthy that the stability of the solution state of α-Gs is improved by the method of the present invention. That's true.

When α-GS is stored in food in the form of an aqueous solution, it may become somewhat unstable depending on the conditions. That is, according to the studies conducted by the present inventors, α-08
A slight decrease in clarity was observed in the single system or in the combination system of a-GS and carbohydrate sweetener. However, in the method of the present invention, such a phenomenon was desired to be observed.

Although the detailed mechanism of this phenomenon is unknown, it is possible that the presence of tζST, Reb, and A had some influence on the presence of microorganisms.

Example 1 (1) Preparation of α-GS Total stevioside content 85.
8 and HPLC measurements of Stevia extract.

Column: Shimadzu PNH2-10/525o4. Carrier; CH3CN cold 0 (]V22) 0-9rnl! An;
. , detector; All measurements were conducted under the conditions of UV 200 nm. ) K Yoru ST 'ai149.2 W/W %
, Reb, A content 18.4 W/W%, Reb, C6,8
W/W%F) Take purified stevia extract (trade name: Steviafin H9 manufactured by Sanyo Kokusaku Pulp Co., Ltd.), add maltodextrin of E and 28 to diclodextrin h/t5
A known method (JP-A-54-5070-1111-
The reaction was carried out according to 23. The reaction solution inactivated by heating was mixed with porous synthetic adsorption resin (trade name) (P-20, behind Mitsubishi Chemical Industries, Ltd.), cation exchange resin IR-x2o (H type),
Purified α-glucosylated stevia extract (EI +
A) was obtained.

GC method total sT content of sample A is 54.2%, unreacted ST determined by HPLC method, Reb, A and Reb, C are 5.8 W/W %, 1.5 W/W % and U
My skin was 4W/W Chi. In the HPLC chart, there were many other peaks due to various α-glucosylated products of 8T and Re b m A.

As a result of investigation using the method of JP-A No. 54-50'70, No. 4, these peak components were α-monoglucosyl ST, α
- cyclucosyl ST, α-tricurcosyl ST, α-monoglucosyl Reb, A and α-diglucosyl Reb,
It was confirmed that each of B and other stevia sweet ingredients contained a small amount of α-glucoside. Next, the α-GS content determined by subjecting Sample A to column chromatography was -48.6 W/W% of the sample as a solid content. Furthermore, after treating the α-GS with α-glucosidase using a known method, D-glucose in the effluent and washing liquid obtained by column treatment using HP-20 in a conventional manner was analyzed by HPLC method (column; Shimadzu PNH2 -10/8-2504, carrier; CH, CN/H20 (Ma8 m//22 ml)
was quantified using a detector (differential refractometer). As a result, α-GS
The glycosylation rate of was 66.9 W/W %, while.

After washing with water, pass 90 V/V % methanol through the above 1 (p-20 column) to remove the Stevia Katsurami component in the eluate.
Analyzed by PLC method. The multiple peaks of fraL-glu;cyto that were observed before α-glucosidase treatment disappeared6 (2) Coffee beverage preparation and sensory test Sample A Stevia extract crystallization mother liquor [see Japanese Patent Publication No. 55-26819, main sweetness Component content (HPLC method, solid content W/W%
) ST 22.0. Reb, A39.3.几eb
.

C12,0) and sugar mixture [ducose fructose corn syrup (trade name: Sunflux HF35Djc manufactured by Sanmatsu Kogyo Co., Ltd., solid content 75 W/W%, ingredients (solid content W/W); fructose 2
2.4. Glucose 25.9. A coffee drink was prepared using sucrose (22.5) and the formulation shown in Table 6. The same table shows the results of a sensory test conducted by a panel of 17 people at a liquid temperature of 20°C.

Table 6: Preparation and evaluation of coffee beverage Wins conditions for coffee beverage: Add sweetener, 5 g of instant coffee diluted 1:1 with milk to make a total amount of 1 kg, and heat sterilize in an autoclave at 120°C for 60 minutes. Evaluation criteria for aftertaste and sweetness: Same as Table 1.

Example 2 (1) Preparation of α-aS ST and sucrose with a total ST content of 100 w/W (based on solid content) and HPLC method purity of 99.8 W/W were prepared using a known method (JP-A-54-50'FO The reaction solution obtained by the reaction according to the method described in Example 6) of the above issue was treated in the same manner as in Example 1 to obtain a purified reaction product (sample B).

As a result of analyzing sample B in the same manner as in Example 1, the total ST content by GC method was 58.3 W/W%, and the unreacted ST content by HPI and C method was 7.8 W/W%. Others α-monoccurcosyl 8T, α-diglucosyl BT.

The presence of α-triglucosyl 8T was confirmed, and D was 69.4 W/W % based on the total ST content of the 8T raw material.
It was found that -glucose was added through an α-glucosidic bond, and D-glucose was added to 86.6 W/W of 8T in the starting material.

(2) Preparation of carbonated beverage and sensory test Sample B Stevia extract (same as that used in Example 1) and high fructose glucose liquid sugar (trade name: Su/Fruct 550) [manufactured by Sansho Kogyo Co., Ltd., solid content 75 W/W %, Ingredients (solid content) i fruit @ 55° glucose 40] was used as a sweetener,
Carbonated drinks were prepared under the conditions shown in Table 4. Table 4 shows the results of a sensory test conducted by a panel of 17 people at a room temperature of 60°C and a liquid temperature of 10°C, along with comparative examples. Preparation conditions for carbonated beverages: Sweetener, 0.7II citric acid, 0.7II malic acid. Add drinking water to 6g and lemon essence 11 to make one breast,
After passing through a membrane filter with a pore size of 0.1 μm,
While cooling, carbon dioxide gas was injected at a pressure of 4-5 degrees, and a transparent glass bottle was filled and capped.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A stevia extract which is a rebaudioside alone or a mixture of stevioside and a rebaudioside of 20"Ayi 4 or more, and D-
A method for imparting sweetness to foods and drinks, which comprises using together α-glucosyl stevioside having a glucose addition rate of 30 W/W 4 or more and a carbohydrate sweetener. 2. The method for sweetening foods and drinks according to claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of stevia extract to α-glucosyl stevioside is 1 + 0.4 to 5. 6. The method for imparting sweetness to foods and drinks according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sweetness substitution rate of α-glucosyl stevioside and stevia extract for the carbohydrate sweetener is 30 to 80%.