TWI760507B - Non-carbonated liquid food and drink containing microbial cells, and method for improving the dispersibility of sediment or aggregate of microbial cell powder in food and drink - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides an effective means for improving the dispersibility of a precipitate or agglomerate of the microbial cells generated during production and storage in a non-carbonated beverage containing microbial cells such as lactic acid bacteria. The non-carbonated beverage containing microbial cells of the present invention is characterized by containing: (A) microbial cell powder, (B) selected from sucrose stearate with HLB of 8-12, and sucrose oleic acid with HLB of 14-16 At least one sucrose fatty acid ester in the group consisting of ester, sucrose laurate with HLB of 15-17, sucrose palmitate with HLB of 14.5-15.5, and sucrose myristate with HLB of 15-17.

Description

Non-carbonated liquid food and drink containing microbial cells, and method for improving the dispersibility of sediment or aggregate of microbial cell powder in food and drink

The present invention relates to a non-carbonated liquid food and drink containing microbial cells such as lactic acid bacteria, and a method for improving the dispersibility of a precipitate or agglomerate of microbial cell powder in the food and drink.

Against the background of recent health awareness and the like, lactic acid bacteria are attracting attention as functional ingredients having physiological activities beneficial to health. Heretofore, lactic acid bacteria have been known to have various physiological activities such as an intestinal regulating effect, an antiallergic effect, a cholesterol lowering effect, a blood pressure lowering effect, a skin beautifying effect, and a sleeping effect, depending on the strain. In addition, studies on novel physiologically active lactic acid strains are being conducted, for example, it is reported that Lactobacillus amylovorous CP1563 strain is effective in improving lipid metabolism and/or sugar metabolism (Patent Document 1), or by destroying the strain to improve the lipid metabolism improvement effect (Patent Document 2). As far as the lactic acid bacteria can be easily ingested on a daily basis, it is predicted that beverages containing lactic acid bacteria meet consumers' health consciousness, and the demand will increase in the future.

As a method for producing a lactic acid bacteria-containing beverage, there are, for example, a method of blending fermented milk obtained by adding lactic acid bacteria to raw milk and fermenting it; or a method of blending a bacterial cell powder which is The powder is obtained by drying the cells of lactic acid bacteria by freeze-drying or the like. However, the lactic acid bacteria-containing beverage produced by this method has problems such as coagulation or precipitation of milk protein or bacterial cell powder in fermented milk during storage, or cloudiness caused by fermented milk.

In order to suppress the generation of precipitation such as milk protein in beverages containing lactic acid bacteria and improve the storage stability, methods of adding stabilizers such as pectin, gums, and soybean polysaccharides have been proposed (Patent Documents 3 and 4), adding fermented fibers. A method for the production of vegetarian and soybean polysaccharides (Patent Document 5) and the like.

In addition, emulsifiers such as glycerol fatty acid esters or sucrose fatty acid esters are used for the purposes of emulsification, dispersion, infiltration, washing, foaming, defoaming, and demolding during food processing, and are often used in beverages to prevent preservation. It is used for the purpose of separation of the oil and fat components in it. For example, Patent Document 6 discloses that by using a polyglycerol fatty acid ester and a sucrose fatty acid ester in combination, a milk drink having a good emulsified state and excellent storage stability can be obtained. Patent Document 7 discloses that dispersion stability can be improved even if the protein beverage is a high-salt beverage or a low-viscosity beverage by blending the following precipitation inhibitor for protein beverage; the precipitation inhibitor for protein beverage contains (A) Five components, such as emulsifiers such as sucrose fatty acid esters with an average HLB of 14 or less, (B) crystalline cellulose, (C) sanxian gum, (D) gellan gum, and (E) monosaccharides, were used as Essential ingredients, and 4 ingredients (A) to (D) are contained in a specific ratio.

However, all of the inventions described in Patent Documents 3 to 7 achieve stabilization by inhibiting aggregation of milk proteins or promoting dispersion of milk fat components, and do not improve the dispersibility of precipitates or aggregates of microbial cells such as lactic acid bacteria.

On the other hand, Patent Document 8 describes "a composition comprising: lactic acid bacteria having an immunostimulatory effect; and a composition for enhancing the immunostimulating effect of lactic acid bacteria, which contains an ester bond of a polyhydric alcohol and a saturated fatty acid as an effective "Ingredients", as the above-mentioned "composition", "food and drink" is exemplified, and as the above-mentioned "ester bond of polyol and saturated fatty acid", "sucrose fatty acid ester" is exemplified. However, in the invention described in Patent Document 8, the conjugated product of a polyhydric alcohol and a saturated fatty acid ester is used only as a component for enhancing the immune-stimulating effect of lactic acid bacteria, and "food and drink" is "beverage" in relation to this effect or other (solid matter, etc.) without special distinction. In other words, Patent Document 8 does not disclose that it is possible to specifically recognize the fact that a "beverage" (eg, lactic acid bacteria beverage) is blended with a polyhydric alcohol and a saturated fatty acid ester bond, especially a sucrose fat having a specific range of HLB. In the case of acid ester, it has the effect of improving the dispersion stability of lactic acid bacteria (powder). Example 3 and FIG. 3 of Patent Document 8 disclose that as sucrose fatty acid esters, sucrose palmitate (Ryoto Sugar Ester P-1570, P-1670), sucrose stearate (Ryoto Sugar Ester S-1570, S -1670) or sucrose oleate (Ryoto Sugar Ester O-1570), but the "mixture of lactic acid bacteria (JCM5805 strain) and the sample shown in Figure 3" prepared in this example was added to the cell suspension (Example 1 ), in which the cell suspension is a spleen cell used to verify the immunostimulatory effect, and is not a "drink". Each product of the above-mentioned sucrose fatty acid ester has only been verified for the immunostimulatory effect when added to cells, and has not been verified as to whether the improvement of dispersion stability when added to beverages has an actual effect.

Patent Document 9 describes a food composition containing lactic acid bacteria belonging to Lactobacillus kunkeei or a processed product thereof, and as a food composition, beverages are also exemplified, but are not disclosed in the food composition Further, sucrose fatty acid esters with a specific range of HLB were blended. In the examples of Patent Document 9, it is described that a mixture of specific lactic acid bacteria powder and sucrose fatty acid ester (usually powder or paste) is filled into hard capsules to obtain "lactic acid bacteria capsules", but the composition is not a "beverage", The compound names of HLB and fatty acid (residue) of sucrose fatty acid ester are also unknown.

prior art literature

Patent Literature

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 5690416

Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 5801802

Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-185132

Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-325606 (Japanese Patent No. 4017175)

Patent Document 5: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2014-19 (Japanese Patent No. 5868791 )

Patent Document 6: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-75683 (Japanese Patent No. 3509566)

Patent Document 7: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-312572

Patent Document 8: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2016-5452

Patent Document 9: WO2013/099883

In the case of ingesting microbial cells such as lactic acid bacteria through non-carbonated liquid food and drink (typically, non-carbonated beverages), in order to expand the range of final product forms, it is preferable to include microbial cells in the non-carbonated liquid food and drink. In addition, in the case of ingesting the physiologically active substance existing in the bacterial cells, it is preferable to contain the powder of the destroyed bacterial cells obtained by destroying the bacterial cells in the non-carbonated liquid food and drink. However, in this case, the microbial cell powder tends to form a precipitate or agglomerate in the non-carbonated liquid food and drink during storage. Especially in non-carbonated beverages, the following problem was found: when the microbial cell powder is destroyed, the precipitate of the bacterial cell powder tends to adhere to the bottom surface of the container, or the bacterial cell powder in the liquid or in the sediment. It is easy to agglomerate to form a solid aggregate, so it is difficult to ingest physiologically active substances, and the appearance of non-carbonated beverages is also poor. In addition, in the production of food and drink other than non-carbonated liquid food and drink, such as jelly-like food and drink, the following problem was also found: the microbial cell powder (especially the destruction-treated cell powder) aggregated in the solution, and the microbial bacteria could not be aggregated. The body is evenly filled in the container.

Therefore, in one aspect of the present invention, an object of the present invention is to provide a non-carbonated liquid food and drink containing powder of microbial cells such as lactic acid bacteria, in which the sediment or aggregate of the microbial cell powder generated during production and storage is improved. effective means of dispersion.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the inventors of the present invention have repeatedly conducted researches, and as a result, they have found that by blending a specific type of sucrose fatty acid ester having a specific HLB with a microbial cell powder such as lactic acid bacteria in a non-carbonated beverage, the non-carbonated beverage can be significantly improved. The present invention is accomplished by the dispersibility of the precipitate or aggregate of the microbial cell powder produced during the production and storage of carbonated beverages. Sucrose fatty acid ester was previously a compound widely blended in various food and drink products as food additives (emulsifier), but the present invention is based on the unexpected property (use) it has, that is, only a specific type of sucrose fat Those with specific HLB in the acid ester can improve the dispersibility of the precipitate and aggregate of the microbial cell powder contained in the non-carbonated beverage. Furthermore, the present inventors have also found that not only non-carbonated beverages, but also non-carbonated liquid food and drink products other than these, and food and drink products that are finally solid but produced using a solution (dispersion liquid) of microbial cell powder can be used in When the same problem occurs during production and storage, the use of a specific sucrose fatty acid ester can similarly improve the dispersibility of the precipitates and aggregates of microbial cells.

Furthermore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present applicant has previously blended polyglycerol fatty acid ester with microbial cell powder alone in carbonated or non-carbonated beverages, or used polyglycerol fatty acid ester and organic acid monohydrate in combination. A patent application was made for the invention of blending glyceride with microbial cell powder (Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-240827, hereinafter, the invention of this application is referred to as "previous invention"). Compared with the previous invention, the present invention is more excellent in the effect of improving the dispersibility of the sediment and the aggregate of the microbial cells.

That is, the present invention includes the following inventions.

[Item 1]

A non-carbonated liquid food product containing microbial cells, characterized in that it contains: (A) microbial cell powder, (B) selected from sucrose stearate with HLB of 8 to 12, and sucrose oil with HLB of 14 to 16 At least one sucrose fatty acid ester in the group consisting of acid ester, sucrose laurate with HLB of 15-17, sucrose palmitate with HLB of 14.5-15.5, and sucrose myristate with HLB of 15-17.

[Item 2]

The microbial cell-containing non-carbonated liquid food or drink according to the item 1, wherein the content of the sucrose fatty acid ester (B) in the non-carbonated liquid food or drink is 0.001 to 0.2 mass %.

[Item 3]

The microbial cell-containing non-carbonated liquid food and drink according to Item 1 or 2, wherein the microbial cell powder (A) is a destructive treatment microbial cell powder.

[Item 4]

The microbial cell-containing non-carbonated liquid food and drink according to any one of Items 1 to 3, wherein the microbial cell powder (A) is a lactic acid bacteria cell powder.

[Item 5]

The microbial cell-containing non-carbonated liquid food and drink according to item 4, wherein the lactic acid bacteria are lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genus Lactobacillus.

[Item 6]

The microbial cell-containing non-carbonated liquid food and drink according to any one of items 1 to 5, wherein the non-carbonated liquid food and drink further includes a dairy product.

[Item 7]

The microbial cell-containing non-carbonated liquid food or drink according to any one of items 1 to 6, wherein the non-carbonated liquid food or drink is a non-carbonated beverage.

[Item 8]

A method for improving the dispersibility of a precipitate or agglomerate of microbial cell powder in food and beverages during production or storage, characterized in that the microbial cell powder and sucrose fatty acid ester are coexisted in a solution.

[Item 9]

The dispersibility improvement method of the item 8 whose said food-drinks are non-carbonated liquid food-drinks.

[Item 10]

The dispersibility improvement method of the item 9 whose said non-carbonated liquid food-drinks are non-carbonated drinks.

According to the present invention, there is provided a non-carbonated liquid food and drink which contains a microbial cell powder such as lactic acid bacteria useful as a functional ingredient for promoting health maintenance, and which is excellent in dispersion stability at the time of production and storage. The non-carbonated liquid food and drink products of the present invention have good dispersibility of the sediments or aggregates of microbial cells produced during storage. For example, in non-carbonated beverages, the sediments or aggregates are not fixed to the bottom of the container, so even if sedimentation occurs In the case of agglomerates or agglomerates, they can be redispersed by lightly shaking the container before drinking. Moreover, according to this invention, since the dispersibility of the microorganism cells at the time of manufacture can be improved, a non-carbonated liquid food-drinks can be filled with the microorganism cells uniformly. Even in the case where sediments or aggregates are likely to be generated and the microorganism cells are destroyed, the effect of the present invention can be fully exhibited. Furthermore, the method of the present invention for improving the dispersibility of sediments or aggregates of microbial cells can achieve the same effect when applied to the production of other food and drink products that eventually become solid, in addition to non-carbonated liquid food and drink products. .

FIG. 1 is a photograph showing the appearance of the bottom surface of the container according to the evaluation criteria of precipitation (see Example 1, item (1)).

FIG. 2 is a photograph of the appearance of the bottom surface of the containers of Reference Examples 1 and 2. FIG.

1. Non-carbonated liquid food products containing microbial cells

The non-carbonated liquid food and drink product of the present invention is a non-carbonated (non-carbonated) liquid food and drink, which contains microbial cell powder (A) as a precipitation for improving the microbial cell powder generated during production and storage. A specific sucrose fatty acid ester (B) having a specific HLB is a component of dispersibility of the aggregate or aggregate (in this specification, it may be described only as "sucrose fatty acid ester (B)").

The type of non-carbonated liquid food and drink is not particularly limited as long as microbial cells such as lactic acid bacteria and yeast can be blended, and examples thereof include non-carbonated drinks (milk drinks, fruit/vegetable juice drinks, tea drinks, coffee drinks) , functional drinks, sports drinks, etc.), soups (clear soup, thick soup, noodle soup, etc.), sauces (tomato sauce, pasta sauce, demi-glace sauce, etc.), seasonings (soy sauce, seasoning sauce, dipping sauce, broth, cooking seasoning liquid, pickle seasoning liquid, seasoning sauce, etc.). As the non-carbonated liquid food and drink in the present invention, non-carbonated beverages are particularly preferred.

Here, "liquid food and drink" is used as a term that includes, in addition to beverages and liquid foods equivalent to general food, foods that can be ingested to maintain or improve health, such as health food, Beverages and liquid foods of functional food, health functional food, or special purpose food. Health food includes food provided under the names of nutritional supplements, health supplements, and supplements. Health functional foods include specific health food and nutritional functional foods defined by the Japanese Food Sanitation Law or Health Promotion Law, which can declare specific health effects or functions of nutritional ingredients, disease risk reduction, etc.; and defined by the Japanese Food Labeling Law, Functionally-labeled foods that can be submitted to the Minister of Consumer Affairs with functional content based on scientific evidence. In addition, foods for special purposes include foods for patients, foods for the elderly, foods for infants, foods for pregnant women, and the like, which are indicated to be suitable for specific subjects or patients with specific diseases.

[Microbial powder]

The microbial cells used for the preparation of the microbial cell powder contained in the non-carbonated liquid food and drink of the present invention typically refer to the cells of lactic acid bacteria, but are not limited thereto, for example, the cells of yeast may also be used . In addition, lactic acid bacteria include Lactobacillus bifurcation as a broad-sense lactic acid bacteria in addition to Lactobacillus and Lactococcus. The bacterial cells of lactic acid bacteria are not limited as long as they are general users of food and beverages, and examples include those belonging to the genus Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Candida albicans, and Lactococcus. ), Pediococcus (Pediococcus), Enterococcus (Enterococcus), Streptococcus (Streptococcus), Weissella (Weissella) and other lactic acid bacteria cells, preferably lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genus Lactobacillus Bacteria. One type of these lactic acid bacteria cells may be used, or two or more types may be used in combination.

Examples of the lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genus Lactobacillus include: Lactobacillus amylophilus, Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Lactobacillus fermentum, Keffei Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus kefir, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus salivarius, Lactobacillus johnsonii, Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus Galli (Lactobacillus gallinarum) and so on.

The genus Bifidobacterium is also called Bifidobacterium, and examples of such lactic acid bacteria include Bifidobacterium infantis, Bifidobacterium adolescentis, Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium pseudolongi, and Bifidobacterium animalis. Bifidobacteria, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium rettae, Bifidobacterium chain, Bifidobacterium pseudochain, and Bifidobacterium major.

As lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genus Candida albicans, for example, Candida albicans membranous, Candida lactis, etc. are mentioned.

As lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genus Lactococcus, for example, Lactococcus lactis, Lactococcus plantarum, Lactococcus raffinoses, Lactococcus cremae, etc. are mentioned.

Examples of lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genus Pediococcus include Pediococcus pentosaceus, Pediococcus noxiousus, and the like.

Examples of lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genus Enterococcus include Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus haiii, and Enterococcus faecium.

As the lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genus Streptococcus, for example, Streptococcus thermophilus, Streptococcus lactis, Streptococcus diacetyl lactis, Streptococcus faecalis, etc. are mentioned.

Examples of the lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genus Weisseria include: Weissella sinensis, Weissella fusiformis, Weissella halotolerant, Weissella greek, Weissia kimchi, Weissia kimchi Bacteria, Weisseria gonorrhoeae, Weisseria microenum, Weisseria enteroides, Weisseria agrobacterium, Weissella thailandii, Weissia viridans, etc.

The strains belonging to the above-mentioned lactic acid bacteria species used in the non-carbonated liquid food and drink products of the present invention may be any of natural isolated strains, deposited strains, preserved strains, and commercially available strains.

The microbial cells used in the non-carbonated liquid food and drink of the present invention, preferably the microbial cells selected from the lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genus Lactobacillus, can use a medium commonly used for culturing microbial cells, and carry out under the conditions generally used. cultured to proliferate and recover.

The culture medium usually contains a carbon source, a nitrogen source, inorganic salts, and the like, and any one of a natural medium and a synthetic medium can be used as long as it is a medium capable of effectively culturing the above-mentioned bacterial species. As the carbon source, for example, lactose, glucose, sucrose, fructose, galactose, molasses, etc. can be used, and as the nitrogen source, for example, casein hydrolyzate, whey protein hydrolyzate, soybean protein hydrolyzate, yeast extract, meat extract can be used and other organic nitrogen-containing substances. Moreover, as inorganic salts, phosphate, sodium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, iron, zinc, etc. can be used, for example. As a medium suitable for the culture of lactic acid bacteria, for example, MRS liquid medium, GAM medium, BL medium, Briggs Liver Broth, animal milk, skim milk, milk whey, etc. are mentioned. Preferably, a sterilized MRS medium can be used. In addition, in the case of use in food applications, a culture medium composed of only food materials and food additives may be used. As a natural medium, tomato juice, carrot juice, other vegetable juice, or apple, pineapple, grape juice, etc. can also be used.

The culture is carried out under anaerobic conditions at 20-50°C, preferably 25-42°C, more preferably about 37°C. Temperature conditions can be adjusted by thermostatic baths, heating jackets, jackets, and the like. In addition, the so-called anaerobic condition refers to a low-oxygen environment where the bacteria can proliferate, for example, by using an anaerobic chamber, an anaerobic box, or a closed container or bag with a deoxidizer, or simply sealing the culture container. , and made into anaerobic conditions. The form of culture is static culture, shaking culture, tank culture and the like. In addition, the culture time is not particularly limited, and can be set to, for example, 3 hours to 96 hours. The pH of the medium at the start of the culture is preferably maintained at, for example, 4.0 to 8.0.

For example, in the case of using lactic acid bacteria, Lactobacillus amylophaga CP1563 strain (accession number FERM BP-11255) as microbial cells, the lactic acid bacteria can be grown in a food-grade lactic acid bacteria medium, and the lactic acid bacteria can be grown overnight at about 37°C (approximately 18 hours).

The "microbial cell powder" used in the non-carbonated liquid food and drink of the present invention can be obtained by drying the microbial cell culture solution using methods and machines known in the technical field to prepare a powder. It does not specifically limit as a specific drying method, For example, spray drying, drum drying, hot air drying, vacuum drying, freeze-drying, etc. are mentioned, These drying means can be used individually or in combination.

The microbial cell powder can also be damaged by destroying the cell structure of the microbial cell, resulting in a "destroyed microbial cell" obtained by producing a finer powder than the microbial cell powder dried only by freeze-drying and other methods. body powder". Destruction-treated microbial cell powder is obtained by directly recovering the whole of the destroyed microbial cells (ie, all components constituting the essence of cells).

Destruction of the microbial cells can be performed by methods and machines known in the technical field, for example, by physical disintegration, grinding treatment, enzyme dissolution treatment, chemical treatment, or self-dissolution treatment.

Physical crushing can be carried out by either wet type (treatment of microbial cells in the state of suspension) or dry type (treatment in the state of microbial cell powder), by using a homogenizer, ball mill, bead mill, Agitation in planetary mills, etc., by pressure using jet mills, French presses, cell crushers, etc., or by filtration through filters, to damage microbial cells.

The enzymatic dissolution treatment is performed by, for example, using an enzyme such as lysozyme to destroy the cell wall of the microorganism.

The chemical treatment is performed, for example, by using surfactants such as glycerol fatty acid ester and soybean phospholipid to destroy the cell structure of the microorganism cells.

The self-dissolving treatment is performed by dissolving the microbial cells using the enzymes of the microorganisms themselves.

Among the above treatments, physical crushing is preferable, and dry physical crushing is more preferable in terms of no need to add other reagents or components.

More specifically, physical crushing can be carried out by the following method: in a known dry planetary mill cell crusher (GOT5 Galaxy 5 etc.), the microbial cell powder is crushed into various balls (for example, 10 mm balls made of zirconia, 5mm balls made of zirconia and 1mm balls made of alumina) coexisting at 50~10,000rpm (for example, 190rpm) for 30 minutes~20 hours (for example, 5 hours); the microbial cell powder is sprayed in a well-known dry spray In a mill cell crusher (Jet-O-Mizer, etc.), the supply speed is 0.01~10,000g/min (for example, 0.5g/min), and the discharge pressure is 1~1,000kg/cm ² (for example, 6kg/cm ² ) pressure The method of processing 1 to 10 times (for example, once), etc. In addition, it can also be carried out by the following method, etc.: the microbial cell suspension is in a well-known ball mill cell crusher (DYNO-MILL crushing device, etc.), using glass beads, at a peripheral speed of 10.0 to 20.0 m/s (for example, about 14.0m/s), the treatment flow rate is 0.1~10L/10min (for example, about 1L/10min), and the method of processing 1~7 times (for example, 3~5 times) at the crushing tank temperature of 10~30°C (for example, about 15°C) ; Put the microbial cell suspension in a well-known wet jet mill cell crusher (JN20 Nano Jet Pal, etc.), with a discharge pressure of 50~1,000Mpa (for example, 270MPa), and a processing flow rate of 50~1,000ml/min (for example, 300ml). /min) method of processing 1 to 30 times (for example, 10 times).

The destructively treated microbial cells obtained by the above method can be used directly in the dry state, and can be dried into a powder in the wet state. It does not specifically limit as a specific drying method, For example, spray drying, drum drying, hot air drying, vacuum drying, freeze-drying, etc. are mentioned, These drying means can be used individually or in combination.

The content of the microbial cell powder (A) in the non-carbonated liquid food and drink of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably an amount that can expect physiological activity (for example, an improvement effect on lipid metabolism and/or sugar metabolism), for example, 0.001 ~1.0 mass %, more preferably 0.01 to 0.1 mass %.

[Sucrose fatty acid ester]

In the non-carbonated liquid food and drink of the present invention, sucrose fatty acid ester with specific HLB is mixed with the microbial cell powder, that is, sucrose stearate with HLB of 8-12, and sucrose oleate with HLB of 14-16 , HLB is 15~17 sucrose laurate, HLB is 14.5~15.5 sucrose palmitate, or HLB is 15~17 sucrose myristate. Any one of these sucrose fatty acid esters may be used, or two or more of them may be used in combination.

Sucrose fatty acid ester is a compound approved as a food additive (food emulsifier) under the Japanese Food Sanitation Law. It is a nonionic surfactant with sucrose as a hydrophilic group and ester-bonded fatty acid as a lipophilic group. There are 8 hydroxyl groups in one molecule of sucrose, and monoester to octyl ester exist by ester-bonding the hydroxyl group with one or more fatty acids. Sucrose glycerides are generally manufactured as "compositions containing plural kinds of compounds from monoesters to octyl esters", and are sold. The HLB varies depending on the type of fatty acid and the respective ratios of the ester compounds contained (the blending composition of the ester compounds). The larger the HLB of the acid ester (hydrophilic), the smaller the HLB of the sucrose fatty acid ester of the composition (lipophilic) if the ester compound with more fatty acid bonds is contained. In other words, the smaller the average number of bonds (average number of bonds) of fatty acids per molecule of sucrose, the larger the HLB of the sucrose fatty acid ester, and the larger the average number of bonds of the fatty acid, the larger the sucrose fatty acid ester. The smaller the HLB.

The sucrose fatty acid ester which has a desired HLB can be manufactured by a well-known method (for example, the transesterification reaction of sucrose and a higher alcohol ester of a fatty acid), and can also acquire from a commercial item. Examples of sucrose stearate having HLB of 8 to 12 include "Ryoto (registered trademark) sugar ester" manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd., product name "S-970" (HLB=about 9), "S-970" -1170" (HLB=about 11); as sucrose oleate with HLB of 14~16, "O-1570" of the same company (HLB=about 15); as sucrose laurate with HLB of 15~17, "L-1695" from the same company (HLB=about 16); as sucrose palmitate with an HLB of 14.5~15.5, "P-1570" from the same company (HLB=about 15); as an HLB of 15~17 As the sucrose myristate, "M-1695" (HLB=about 16) of the same company can be mentioned.

Furthermore, the HLB of the above-mentioned products is listed in the catalog (homepage of Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd., http://www.mfc.co.jp/product/nyuuka/ryoto_syuga/list.html). "approximately"), but the above integer is represented as an approximate value by rounding off the decimal point. For example, if HLB is "approximately 9", it is presumed to be "8.5 or more and less than 9.5". In the case of using other products, HLB can also refer to the catalog value. When the catalog value is unknown, or when the sucrose fatty acid ester is prepared by itself, the HLB can be determined according to a known method. There are Atlas method, Griffin method, Davies method, Kawakami method, etc. as a calculation method of HLB, and there is also a method determined according to the retention time by high performance liquid chromatography. In the present invention, when (i) the composition of the sucrose fatty acid ester (mixture) is known, after calculating the HLB of each compound using the Griffin method, the weighted average value is set as the HLB of the sucrose fatty acid ester; in (ii) ) When the composition of the sucrose fatty acid ester (mixture) is unknown, the HLB of the sucrose fatty acid ester is determined according to the retention time by high performance liquid chromatography by comparing with the sample of the sucrose fatty acid ester whose HLB is known.

The content of the specific sucrose fatty acid ester (B) having specific HLB in the non-carbonated liquid food and drink of the present invention can be appropriately adjusted in consideration of the dispersibility improvement effect of the microbial cell powder (A). The lower limit of the content of the sucrose fatty acid ester (B) in the non-carbonated liquid food and drink, preferably the non-carbonated beverage, is preferably 0.001% by mass, more preferably 0.01% by mass, and more preferably 0.02% by mass, particularly preferably It is 0.04 mass %, and the optimum is 0.05 mass %. Moreover, the upper limit of the content of the sucrose fatty acid ester (B) in the non-carbonated liquid food and drink, preferably the non-carbonated beverage, is preferably 0.2% by mass, more preferably 0.15% by mass, and still more preferably 0.11% by mass. If the lower limit is lower than this, the effect of dispersibility cannot be expected, and if the upper limit is higher than this, it is unfavorable from the viewpoint of taste, cost, and turbidity of liquid color.

[other ingredients, etc.]

The non-carbonated liquid food and drink of the present invention may contain moisture in addition to the above-mentioned essential components, microbial cell powder (A) and sucrose fatty acid ester (B), and may contain other components as necessary within the range that does not impair the effects of the present invention (optional ingredient). Arbitrary ingredients can be appropriately selected from other raw materials commonly used in general beverages, such as: dairy products, fruit juice/vegetable juice, viscosity increasing stabilizer (milk protein stabilizer), acidulant, sweetener, flavor, antifoaming agent , pigments, other additives, etc.

As water, for example, ion-exchanged water can be used. In addition, the moisture contained in raw materials such as dairy products and fruit juice/vegetable juice can also be used as the moisture in non-carbonated liquid food and drink products. The content of water in the non-carbonated liquid food and drink product of the present invention can be appropriately adjusted to an appropriate range or the above-mentioned ratio, especially, the content of the microbial cell powder (A) and the sucrose fatty acid ester (B) can be appropriately adjusted while considering the content of other components. The best range.

The dairy product may be derived from either animal or vegetable origin. For example, animal milk such as cow's milk, goat's milk, sheep's milk, and horse's milk, and vegetable milk such as soy milk can be used, and generally cow's milk is used. These dairy products can be used individually or in mixture of 2 or more types.

The form of the dairy product is not particularly limited, and may be any of whole milk, skim milk, whey, and reduced milk obtained from these powdered milk, milk protein concentrate, and concentrated milk. Moreover, as a milk product, the fermented milk fermented by microorganisms, such as lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria, can also be used. These dairy products can be used individually or in mixture of 2 or more types.

In the case of blending dairy products with the non-carbonated liquid food and drink of the present invention, the amount of non-fat milk solids (SNF) contained in the non-carbonated liquid food and drink is not particularly limited, from the viewpoint of taste and storage stability , preferably 0.1 to 10 mass %, more preferably 0.1 to 4 mass %, still more preferably 0.1 to 2 mass %, and most preferably 0.2 to 1.2 mass %. Here, the so-called non-fat milk solid content (SNF) refers to components other than water and fat components among components constituting dairy products. Mainly contains protein, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, etc.

The pH of the non-carbonated liquid food and drink product of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is acidic, preferably less than 6.5, more preferably less than 6.0, further preferably less than 4.5, further preferably less than 4.2, especially Preferably it is less than 4.0.

In the case of manufacturing the non-carbonated liquid food and drink of the present invention, depending on the raw materials used, for example, when using fermented milk, fruit juice, etc. as optional ingredients, as long as the pH is within the above range, there is no need to adjust the pH. In this case, pH adjustment is performed using a pH adjuster. As the pH adjuster, organic or inorganic edible acids or salts thereof generally used as acidulants may be used, for example, citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, acetic acid, phytic acid, lactic acid, fumaric acid, Organic acids such as succinic acid and gluconic acid, inorganic acids such as phosphoric acid, or their sodium, calcium or potassium salts. The usage-amount of a pH adjuster will not be specifically limited if it can be set as a desired pH, and it is a range which does not affect the taste of a drink.

The sugar content (Brix value) of the non-carbonated liquid food and drink of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.1 to 16, more preferably 0.1 to 11, and still more preferably 0.1 to 5 in terms of taste and calories. The so-called Brix value (unit: Bx) is the measurement of the sugar refractometer at 20°C, for example, the amount of soluble solid content measured at 20°C using a digital refractometer "Rx-5000" (manufactured by Atago Corporation).

Examples of sweeteners (sugar content adjusters) for imparting sweetness to the non-carbonated liquid food and drink of the present invention and for adjusting the sugar content (Brix value) to the above range include monosaccharides (glucose, fructose, xylose, semi- Lactose, etc.), disaccharides (sucrose, maltose, lactose, trehalose, isomaltulose, etc.), oligosaccharides (fructose oligosaccharides, maltooligosaccharides, isomalt oligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, coupled sugars, Aspergillus niger oligosaccharide (nigero-oligosaccharide, etc.), sugar alcohols (erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol, lactitol, reduced isomaltulose, reduced caramel, etc.), fructose syrup, etc. Isomerized sugar, etc. Further, high-intensity sweeteners such as sucralose, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, stevia, sodium saccharin, glycyrrhizin, dipotassium glycyrrhizinate, thomatame, and neotame can also be used.

Examples of fruit juices include fruit juices such as apples, oranges, citrus fruits, lemons, grapefruits, melons, grapes, bananas, peaches, strawberries, blueberries, and mangoes. Moreover, as a vegetable juice, vegetable juice, such as tomato, carrot, pumpkin, sweet pepper, cabbage, broccoli, celery, spinach, kale, and mulukhiya, can be mentioned, for example. Fruit juice or vegetable juice can be directly squeezed from fruit or vegetable, or it can be concentrated. In addition, it may be cloudy fruit juice or vegetable juice containing insoluble solids, or transparent fruit juice or vegetable juice from which insoluble solids are removed by treatment such as precision filtration, enzyme treatment, ultrafiltration, and the like.

Examples of additives that are acceptable in non-carbonated liquid food and drink include: viscosity-increasing stabilizers (soy polysaccharides, pectin, carrageenan, gellan gum, sanxian gum, guar gum, etc.), antifoaming agents ( Glycerol fatty acid esters, silicon preparations, etc.), antioxidants (tocopherol, ascorbic acid, cysteine hydrochloride, etc.), flavors (lemon flavor, orange flavor, grape flavor, peach flavor, apple flavor, etc.), pigments (carotenoid) pigments, anthocyanin pigments, safflower pigments, gardenia pigments, caramel pigments, various synthetic colorants, etc.) In addition, various functional components such as vitamins (vitamin B group, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin D, etc.), minerals (calcium, potassium, magnesium, etc.), dietary fiber and the like can be used in anticipation of enhancing health functions.

[Production method]

The non-carbonated liquid food and drink product of the present invention is obtained by a production method including the following steps: a solution or dispersion containing the microbial cell powder (A) (in this specification may be referred to as "microbial cell powder solution") 2. After mixing the solution or dispersion liquid containing sucrose fatty acid ester (B) (sometimes referred to as "sucrose fatty acid ester solution" in this specification), homogenization treatment is performed.

The sucrose fatty acid ester solution can be prepared, for example, by dispersing the sucrose fatty acid ester in cold water, and then heating it to 70° C. or more to dissolve it.

The homogenization treatment may be performed by a common method using a homogenizer generally used for food processing, and the pressure of the homogenizer is preferably about 10 to 30 MPa. Moreover, the temperature at the time of homogenization may be arbitrary temperature (for example, 5-25 degreeC), and the homogenization under general heating conditions (for example, 50-90 degreeC) may be sufficient. In the homogenization treatment step, when the microbial cell powder solution and the sucrose fatty acid ester solution are mixed, other ingredients (such as dairy products, viscosity enhancing stabilizers, sour agents and antifoaming agents) that may be blended as needed can be pre-added to the solution. Any of the above-mentioned solutions or a mixed solution added to the above-mentioned solutions is mixed with the microbial cell powder and the sucrose fatty acid ester to be incorporated into the non-carbonated liquid food and drink of the present invention.

In the production method of the non-carbonated liquid food and drink of the present invention, the steps other than the homogenization treatment step using the above-mentioned microbial cell powder solution and the sucrose fatty acid ester solution can be based on the usual production methods of non-carbonated liquid food and drink. For example, the manufacturing method of the non-carbonated liquid food-drinks of this invention may further comprise a sterilization process process, a filter process process, a filling process, etc.

The sterilization treatment step can be performed, for example, by heat sterilization treatment having a sterilization value equal to or greater than 65° C. for 10 minutes. The sterilization treatment may be performed before the homogenization treatment step, or after the homogenization treatment step, before or after the step of filling the container, and may be performed not only once but at a plurality of time points as described above. The method of sterilization treatment is not particularly limited, and common methods such as retort sterilization, batch sterilization, autoclave sterilization, plate sterilization, and tube sterilization can be used.

The step of filling the container can be carried out, for example, by a method of hot packing the non-carbonated liquid food and drink which has undergone the sterilization process in the container and cooling the filled container; or by cooling the non-carbonated liquid food and drink A method of aseptically filling pre-cleaned and sterilized containers to a temperature suitable for container filling.

The type of the container filled with the non-carbonated liquid food and drink of the present invention is not particularly limited, and glass, plastic (polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), etc.), Metal and paper containers. In addition, the capacity is not particularly limited, for example, 100 to 2,000 ml can be mentioned, and it can be appropriately selected in consideration of the amount of microbial cells and the like.

2. A method for improving the dispersibility of the sediment or aggregate of microbial cell powder in food and beverages

The method for improving the dispersibility of the precipitate or aggregate of the microbial cell powder in the food and drink of the present invention (in this specification, it may be simply referred to as "the dispersibility improving method of the present invention") includes using in a solution or dispersion liquid. Microbial cell powder (A) and sucrose fatty acid ester (B) coexist.

In the present invention, "improving the dispersibility" refers to the effect that can be confirmed by the following: a solution containing microbial cell powder (including non-carbonic acid) containing microbial cell powder (A) but not containing sucrose fatty acid ester (B) Beverage), the precipitate or aggregate of the microbial cell powder produced by the mixture containing the microbial cell powder (A) and the sucrose fatty acid ester (B) after standing is easily dispersed in the solution, for example, The microbial cell powder adhering to the bottom surface of the container is also adhered to the bottom surface by inverting and mixing the container, and the amount of residual sediment or aggregate is small.

The dispersibility improvement method of this invention can also be applied to any of food-drinks at the time of manufacture (it may be called an intermediate product in the middle of manufacture), and food-drinks in preservation|save. In addition, the dispersibility improvement method of the present invention can be used to maintain the state of the microbial cell powder (A) in a state of uniform dispersion, that is, in a state in which a precipitate or agglomerate has not yet formed, or in a food and drink during storage. .

In addition to the above-mentioned non-carbonated liquid food and beverages, food and beverages also include the following food and beverages other than non-carbonated liquid food and beverages, which eventually become solid, jelly, capsule, cream, paste, etc. products, but after liquid In this form, or using liquid raw materials, the precipitation or agglomeration of the microbial cell powder (especially the destructively treated cell powder) in the liquid (solution, etc.) may become a problem during its manufacture. As such food-drinks, dairy products (yogurt, cheese, mousse, pudding, cream, butter, ice cream, etc.) are mentioned, for example.

Matters related to the non-carbonated liquid food and drink of the present invention and the method for producing the same, particularly matters related to the microbial cell powder (A) and the sucrose fatty acid ester (B) described in this specification can be appropriately used in the present invention. Dispersibility improvement method. For example, in the dispersibility improving method of the present invention, the microbial cell powder to be used for improving the dispersibility of the precipitate or aggregate may be the above-described destructively treated microbial cell powder.

Furthermore, the embodiment of the food-drinks (including non-carbonated liquid food-drinks and others) at the time of manufacture in the dispersibility improvement method of this invention can be converted into the manufacturing method of food-drinks which achieves the same effect. According to another aspect, the above-mentioned manufacturing method of the non-carbonated liquid food and drink of the present invention can also be extended to a non-carbonated solution in which the precipitation or aggregation of the microbial cell powder (especially the destructively treated cell powder) may be a problem in the manufacturing step. Manufacturing method of food and drink products other than liquid food and drink products.

Example

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail by way of examples, but these examples do not limit the present invention.

[Preparation Example 1] Preparation of disrupted lactic acid bacteria cell powder

Lactobacillus amylovorus CP1563 strain (accession number FERMBP-11255) was cultured at 37°C for 18 hours using a food-grade lactic acid bacteria medium prepared by our own prescription, and the bacteria were collected by concentrating with a filter. The concentrated solution was sterilized at a temperature of 90°C, and freeze-dried to obtain a freeze-dried powder of lactic acid bacteria. The obtained lactic acid bacteria freeze-dried powder was crushed using a dry jet mill (FS-4, SEISHIN ENTERPRISE Co., Ltd.), and the average long diameter of the obtained bacteria cells was reduced to less than 70% of that before treatment (example: 2.77μm→1.30μm) Destroy the lactic acid bacteria cell powder.

[Preparation Example 2] Preparation of lactic acid bacteria cell powder (non-destructive treatment product)

Lactobacillus gasseri CP2305 strain (accession number FERMBP-11331) was cultured at 37°C for 18 hours using a food-grade lactic acid bacteria medium prepared by our own prescription, and the bacteria were collected by concentrating with a filter. The concentrated solution was sterilized at a temperature of 90°C, and the lactic acid bacteria cell powder was obtained by freeze-drying.

[Test Example 1] Addition effect of sucrose fatty acid ester on the dispersibility of lactic acid bacteria cell powder for destruction treatment (Examples 1 to 6, Comparative Examples 1 to 8)

(1) Preparation of beverage samples

Samples of milky non-carbonated beverages having the blend compositions shown in Table 1 below were prepared by the following procedure.

250 g of reduced skim milk with a concentration of 20 mass % and a soybean polysaccharide solution with a concentration of 3 mass % (trade name: SM-1200, manufactured by Saneiyuan FFI Co., Ltd.) 400 g were mixed, and a citric acid aqueous solution with a concentration of 10 mass % was added thereto. 240 g and fully stirred to prepare a raw material solution (I).

After adding 100 g of an aqueous solution of trisodium citrate with a concentration of 10% by mass prepared separately to the raw material solution (I), the following sucrose fatty acid ester or reference compound commercially available as an emulsifier for food was mixed as shown in Table 2. Amount added. These emulsifiers for food are dispersed in water at room temperature so that the concentration may be 2% by mass in advance, the temperature is raised to about 70° C. to dissolve, and then the solution is preliminarily prepared and added by cooling to room temperature. After that, 400 g of the dilution liquid of 1 mass % of the lactic acid bacteria cell powder (prepared in Reference Example 1) of the destruction treatment was added, stirred until uniform, and then a silicon preparation (trade name: KM-72, 10 mass % prepared separately) was added. Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. product) 1 g to prepare a raw material solution (II). However, in Level 14 (Comparative Example 9), the sucrose fatty acid ester or the control compound was not added, but the same amount of water was added instead, and the obtained solution was referred to as the raw material solution (II).

Information such as the trade names of the sucrose stearate and the reference compound shown in Table 2 are as follows. Furthermore, the following product 13) "sucrose fatty acid ester A" is the sucrose stearate used as the emulsifier f in the comparative examples (comparative example 2, etc.) of the previous invention, and the following product 13) "Sunsoft A-121E" " is the polyglycerol fatty acid ester (monolaurate pentaglyceride) used as the emulsifier c in the examples of the previous invention (Example 8, etc.).

1) Sucrose stearate/HLB=5: trade name "Ryoto Sugar Ester S-570" (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd.)

2) Sucrose stearate/HLB=7: trade name "Ryoto Sugar Ester S-770" (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd.)

3) Sucrose stearate/HLB=9: trade name "Ryoto Sugar Ester S-970" (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd.)

4) Sucrose stearate/HLB=11: trade name "Ryoto Sugar Ester S-1170" (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd.)

5) Sucrose stearate/HLB=15: trade name "Ryoto Sugar Ester S-1570" (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd.)

6) Sucrose stearate/HLB=16: trade name "Ryoto Sugar Ester S-1670" (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd.)

7) Sucrose palmitate/HLB=15: trade name "Ryoto Sugar Ester P-1570" (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd.)

8) Sucrose palmitate/HLB=16: trade name "Ryoto Sugar Ester P-1670" (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd.)

9) Sucrose myristate/HLB=16: trade name "Ryoto Sugar Ester M-1695" (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd.)

10) Sucrose Oleate/HLB=15: trade name "Ryoto Sugar Ester O-1570" (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd.)

11) Sucrose laurate/HLB=16: trade name "Ryoto Sugar Ester L-1695" (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd.)

12) Unknown sucrose stearate/HLB: trade name "Sucrose fatty acid ester A (SE-A)" (Sun Chemical Co., Ltd.)

13) Pentaglycerol monolaurate/HLB=14: Trade name "Sunsoft A-121E" (Sun Chemical Co., Ltd.)

The above-mentioned raw material solution (II) is homogenized to obtain a beverage stock solution. The homogenization treatment was performed at a treatment temperature of 20° C. and a treatment pressure of 15 MPa using a laboratory homogenizer (model 15MR, manufactured by APV Gaulin Corporation).

After diluting the obtained beverage stock solution with ion-exchanged water to a predetermined amount (10000 g), it was filled in a heat-resistant PET bottle. After that, sterilization was performed to ensure a cold spot of 65° C. for 10 minutes, and a milk-based non-carbonated beverage (hereinafter, referred to as a “drink sample”) packed in a container was obtained. Furthermore, the sugar content (Bx) of the beverage was 1.1, the acidity was 0.22, the pH was 3.5, and the SNF was 0.4.

(2) Dispersibility evaluation test of beverage samples during storage

The beverage samples prepared in (1) were left to stand for 7 days in an incubator set at 5°C. After the sample after standing was inverted and mixed twice at a speed of about once per second, the stopper was opened, and the liquid content was discharged, and then the bottom surface of the container was observed. The evaluation was carried out on a 4-level scale, and the case where the lactic acid bacteria cell powder remained on almost the entire bottom surface was given as 1 point (×), the case where the powder of lactic acid bacteria remained in part was given as 2 points (A), and the case with almost no residue was given as 3 points ( ○), those that did not survive at all were set as 4 points (⊚), and the beverage samples that obtained the evaluation of 3 points and 4 points (◯ and ⊚) were regarded as examples with good dispersibility, and 1 point and 2 points ( The beverage samples evaluated in X and Δ) were set as comparative examples with poor dispersibility. Fig. 1 shows a photograph of the appearance of the bottom surface of the container serving as the evaluation standard. The evaluation results are shown in Table 2 below.

As shown in Table 2, the beverage samples (Examples 1 to 6) containing a specific type of sucrose fatty acid ester having a specific HLB were compared (presumably) to the beverage samples containing other sucrose fatty acid esters (Comparative Examples 1 to 6) , and a beverage sample (Comparative Example 7) containing the polyglycerol fatty acid ester (monolaurate pentaglyceride) evaluated as effective in the previous invention and a beverage sample (Comparative Example 8) without sucrose fatty acid ester, etc. The effect of improving the dispersibility of the disrupted lactic acid bacteria cell powder is excellent.

[Test Example 2] Addition effect of sucrose fatty acid ester on dispersibility of lactic acid bacteria cell powder (non-destruction treated product) (Examples 7 to 8, Comparative Examples 9 to 10)

The same level as Level 10 (Example 5), Level 11 (Example 6), Level 10 (Example 5), Level 11 (Example 6), Level 10 (Example 5), Level 11 (Example 6), Level 10 (Example 5), Level In the same manner as 13 (Comparative Example 7) and Level 14 (Comparative Example 8), beverage samples (Levels 15 to 18) were prepared, and a dispersibility evaluation test was performed using them.

The evaluation results are shown in Table 3 below. The specific sucrose fatty acid ester was confirmed to have the effect of improving the dispersibility of the microorganism (lactic acid bacteria) cell powder regardless of the presence or absence of the destruction treatment and regardless of the strain of the microorganism (lactic acid bacteria).

[Reference example] Confirmation of objects to which the effect of addition of sucrose fatty acid ester acts

A sample (SNF0.5) of a milk-based non-carbonated beverage having the blend composition shown in Table 4 below was prepared by the same procedure as in the above (1) "Preparation of beverage sample". Reference Example 1 was the same sample as Level 12, and Reference Example 2 was the same sample as Level 12 except that the lactic acid bacteria cell powder was not blended and destroyed. The beverage samples were left to stand for 7 days in an incubator set at 5°C in the same manner as in the above (2) "dispersibility evaluation test of beverage samples". After draining the content liquid, observe the bottom surface of the container. In FIG. 2, the photograph of the external appearance of the container bottom surface of Reference Examples 1 and 2 is shown. In the beverage sample of Reference Example 1 containing the lactic acid bacteria cell powder, sediments (agglomerates) were found on the bottom surface of the container, whereas in the beverage sample of Reference Example 2 containing no lactic acid bacteria cell powder, almost no such sediment was found. matter (agglomerate). From this, it turns out that the sediment (agglomerate) on the bottom surface of a container is not mainly milk protein etc. contained in milk, such as skimmed milk powder, but is formed of lactic acid bacteria cell powder. That is, it was confirmed that the object in which the dispersibility-improving effect of the specific sucrose fatty acid ester was observed in the present invention was not the milk protein of the above-mentioned Patent Documents 3 to 5, but the lactic acid bacteria cell powder.

[Industrial Availability]

The present invention can be used in the fields of non-carbonated food and drink containing microbial cells such as lactic acid bacteria and the fields of its manufacture.

Claims (8)

A non-carbonated liquid food product containing microbial cells, which contains: (A) microbial cell powder, (B) selected from sucrose stearate with HLB of 8 to 12 and sucrose oleate with HLB of 14 to 16 , at least one sucrose fatty acid ester in the group consisting of sucrose laurate with HLB of 15-17, sucrose palmitate with HLB of 14.5-15.5, and sucrose myristate with HLB of 15-17; A) Microbial cell powder is the cell powder of lactic acid bacteria that has been destroyed. The microbial cell-containing non-carbonated liquid food and drink according to claim 1, wherein the content of the sucrose fatty acid ester (B) in the non-carbonated liquid food and drink is 0.001 to 0.2% by mass. The non-carbonated liquid food and drink containing microbial cells according to claim 1, wherein the lactic acid bacteria are lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genus Lactobacillus. The non-carbonated liquid food and drink containing microbial cells according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the non-carbonated liquid food and drink further includes dairy products. The non-carbonated liquid food and drink containing microbial cells according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the non-carbonated liquid food and drink is a non-carbonated beverage. A method for improving the dispersibility of a precipitate or agglomerate of microbial cell powder in food and beverages during manufacture or storage, comprising coexisting (A) microbial cell powder and (B) sucrose fatty acid ester in a solution, wherein the above (A) microbial cell powder is the cell powder of lactic acid bacteria subjected to destruction treatment, and the above (B) sucrose fatty acid ester is selected from sucrose stearate with HLB of 8-12 and sucrose oleic acid with HLB of 14-16 At least one of the group consisting of ester, sucrose laurate with HLB of 15-17, sucrose palmitate with HLB of 14.5-15.5, and sucrose myristate with HLB of 15-17. The dispersibility improvement method of Claim 6 whose said food-drinks are non-carbonated liquid food-drinks. The method for improving dispersibility according to claim 7, wherein the non-carbonated liquid food or drink is a non-carbonated beverage.

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