WO2018230585A1

WO2018230585A1 - Microbial cell-containing non-carbonated liquid food/drink, and method for improving dispersibility of precipitates or agglomerates of microbial cell powder in food/drink

Info

Publication number: WO2018230585A1
Application number: PCT/JP2018/022501
Authority: WO
Inventors: 啓一松浦; 一道佐藤; 良子石川
Original assignee: アサヒ飲料株式会社; アサヒグループホールディングス株式会社
Priority date: 2017-06-14
Filing date: 2018-06-13
Publication date: 2018-12-20
Also published as: AU2018285184B2; TWI760507B; JP6964443B2; TW201906537A; JP2019000025A; AU2018285184A1

Abstract

The present invention provides an effective means for improving, in a non-carbonated beverage containing microbial cells such as those of lactic acid bacteria, the dispersibility of precipitates and agglomerates of microbial cells produced during manufacture and storage. This microbial cell-containing non-carbonated beverage is characterized in containing (A) a microbial cell powder and (B) at least one sucrose fatty acid ester selected from the group consisting of sucrose stearate esters having an HLB of 8-12, sucrose oleate esters having an HLB of 14-16, sucrose laurate esters having an HLB of 15-17, sucrose palmitate esters having an HLB of 14.5-15.5, and sucrose myristate esters having an HLB of 15-17.

Description

Non-carbonated liquid food and drink containing microbial cells, and method for improving dispersibility of precipitates or aggregates of microbial cell powder in food and drinks

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

Lactic acid bacteria are attracting attention as a functional ingredient having physiological activity beneficial to health against the background of health-consciousness in recent years. So far, lactic acid bacteria are known to have various physiological activities depending on the strain, such as intestinal regulating action, antiallergic action, cholesterol reducing action, blood pressure lowering action, skin beautifying action, and sleep resting action. In addition, research on lactic acid strains having novel physiological activities is underway. For example, Lactobacillus amylovorous CP1563 strain is effective in improving lipid metabolism and / or sugar metabolism (Patent Documents) 1) It has been reported that the lipid metabolism improving effect is improved by destroying the strain (Patent Document 2). In view of the fact that such lactic acid bacteria can be easily and routinely ingested, lactic acid bacteria-containing beverages are expected to meet the needs of consumers and become increasingly important in the future.

As a method for producing a lactic acid bacteria-containing beverage, for example, a method of blending fermented milk obtained by adding lactic acid bacteria to fermented raw material and fermenting, or a method of blending cell powder obtained by drying lactic acid bacteria cells by freeze drying or the like and so on. However, the lactic acid bacteria-containing beverage produced by such a method has problems such as aggregation or precipitation of milk protein or cell powder in fermented milk during storage, or white turbidity due to fermented milk.

So far, methods for adding stabilizers such as pectin, gums, and soy polysaccharides to suppress the occurrence of precipitation of milk proteins and the like and improve storage stability in lactic acid bacteria-containing beverages (Patent Documents 3 and 4) A method of adding fermented cellulose and soybean polysaccharide (Patent Document 5) has been reported.

In addition, emulsifiers such as glycerin fatty acid ester and sucrose fatty acid ester are used for the purpose of emulsification, dispersion, penetration, washing, foaming, defoaming, mold release and the like during food processing. Often used for the purpose of preventing separation of oils and fats. For example, Patent Document 6 discloses that a milk beverage having a good emulsification state and excellent storage stability can be obtained by using a polyglycerin fatty acid ester and a sucrose fatty acid ester in combination. Patent Document 7 discloses (A) an emulsifier such as sucrose fatty acid ester having an average HLB of 14 or less, (B) crystalline cellulose, (C) xanthan gum, (D) gellan gum, and (E) monosaccharide. By adding an anti-settling agent for protein beverages that contains the components as essential components, of which 4 components (A) to (D) are contained in a specific ratio, the protein beverage can be a high-salt beverage or a low-viscosity beverage. It is disclosed that even a beverage can improve dispersion stability.

However, all the inventions described in Patent Documents 3 to 7 are intended to stabilize by suppressing aggregation of milk protein and promoting dispersion of milk fat, and precipitates and aggregates of microbial cells such as lactic acid bacteria It does not improve the dispersibility.

On the other hand, Patent Document 8 describes “a composition comprising a lactic acid bacterium having an immunostimulatory effect and a composition enhancing a lactic acid bacterium immunostimulatory effect comprising an ester conjugate of a polyhydric alcohol and a saturated fatty acid as an active ingredient”, “Food and drink” is exemplified as “composition”, and “sucrose fatty acid ester” is exemplified as “ester-bound product of polyhydric alcohol and saturated fatty acid”. However, in the invention described in Patent Document 8, the polyhydric alcohol and the saturated fatty acid ester conjugate are only used as components for enhancing the immunostimulatory action of lactic acid bacteria, and the “food” is “beverage”. There is no particular distinction as to whether or not it is other (solid matter, etc.) in relation to the effect. In other words, in Patent Document 8, when a sucrose fatty acid ester having a polyhydric alcohol and a saturated fatty acid ester conjugate, particularly a specific range of HLB, is blended in a “beverage” (for example, a lactic acid bacteria beverage), It is not disclosed that it has the effect of improving the dispersion stability of) so that such a fact can be specifically recognized. In Example 3 and FIG. 3 of Patent Document 8, as sucrose fatty acid esters, sucrose palmitate esters (Ryoto Sugar Esters P-1570, P-1670), sucrose stearates (Ryoto Sugar Esters S- 1570, S-1670) or sucrose oleate (Ryoto Sugar ester O-1570) is disclosed, but “Lactic acid bacteria (JCM5805 strain) prepared in this example and described in FIG. The “sample mixture” is for addition to the cell suspension of spleen cells (Example 1) for verifying the immunostimulatory effect, and is not a “beverage”. Each product of the above sucrose fatty acid ester has been verified only for its immunostimulatory effect when added to cells, and from the perspective of whether it exhibits a practical effect in improving dispersion stability when added to beverages. It has not been verified.

Patent Document 9 describes a food composition containing a lactic acid bacterium belonging to Lactobacillus kunkee or a treated product thereof, and examples of the food composition include beverages. There is no disclosure of further formulating sucrose fatty acid esters having a specific range of HLB. In an example of Patent Document 9, it is described that a mixture of a specific lactic acid bacterium powder and a sucrose fatty acid ester (usually in a powder or paste form) is filled into a hard capsule to obtain a “lactic acid bacterium capsule”. However, the composition is not “beverage”, and the compound names of HLB and fatty acid (residue) of sucrose fatty acid ester are unknown.

Japanese Patent No. 5690416 Japanese Patent No. 5801802 JP 2005-185132 A JP 2006-325606 A (Patent No. 4017175) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2014-19 (Japanese Patent No. 5887991) JP 11-75683 A (Patent No. 3509566) JP 2000-312572 A Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-5452 WO2013 / 099883

When microbial cells such as lactic acid bacteria are to be ingested by non-carbonated liquid foods and beverages (typically non-carbonated beverages), microbial cell powder is included in non-carbonated liquid foods and beverages in order to widen the range of final product forms. In addition, when it is intended to ingest a physiologically active substance present in the inside of the microbial cell, it is preferable that the non-carbonated liquid food or drink contains the destruction-treated microbial cell powder in which the microbial cell is destroyed. However, in this case, the microorganism cell powder tends to form precipitates or aggregates in the non-carbonated liquid food or drink during storage. In particular, in non-carbonated beverages, when the microbial cell powder is a destruction-treated cell powder, the precipitate of the cell powder adheres to the bottom of the container, or the cell powder in the liquid or the precipitate aggregates. As a result, it has been found that it is difficult to ingest physiologically active substances because it is easy to form hard aggregates, and the appearance of non-carbonated beverages is also bad. In addition, when producing foods and drinks other than non-carbonated liquid foods and drinks, for example, jelly-like foods and drinks, microbial cell powder (especially destruction-treated cell powder) aggregates in the solution, and the microbial cell is put in a container. We found the problem that it could not be filled uniformly.

Therefore, in one aspect of the present invention, in a non-carbonated liquid food or drink containing a powder of microbial cells such as lactic acid bacteria, the dispersibility of precipitates and aggregates of the microbial cell powder generated during production and storage It is an object to provide an effective means for improving the above.

As a result of intensive studies to solve the above problems, the present inventors have blended a non-carbonated beverage with a specific type of sucrose fatty acid ester having a specific HLB together with a microbial cell powder such as lactic acid bacteria. The present inventors have found that the dispersibility of precipitates and aggregates of microbial cell powder generated during the production and storage of this non-carbonated beverage can be remarkably improved, and the present invention has been completed. The sucrose fatty acid ester is a compound that has been widely blended in various foods and drinks as a food additive (emulsifier), but the present invention has a specific type of sucrose fatty acid ester having a specific HLB. For example, it is based on having an unexpected attribute (use) that can improve the dispersibility of precipitates and aggregates of microbial cell powder contained in non-carbonated beverages. Furthermore, the present inventors produce not only non-carbonated drinks but also other non-carbonated liquid foods and drinks using a solution (dispersion) of microbial cell powder, which eventually becomes solid. If the same problem occurs during manufacturing and storage, the use of specific sucrose fatty acid esters can also improve the dispersibility of precipitates and aggregates of microbial cells. It has also been found that it can be improved.

In order to solve the above problems, the present applicant uses a polyglycerin fatty acid ester alone or a polyglycerin fatty acid ester and an organic acid monoglyceride together with a microbial cell powder in a carbonated or non-carbonated beverage. (See Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-240827, hereinafter the invention related to the application is referred to as “prior invention”). The present invention is more excellent in the effect of improving the dispersibility of precipitates and aggregates of microbial cells than the prior invention.

That is, the present invention includes the following inventions.
[Claim 1]
(A) microbial cell powder, (B) sucrose stearate with HLB 8-12, sucrose oleate with HLB 14-16, sucrose laurate with HLB 15-17, HLB 14.5 to 15.5 sucrose palmitate and at least one sucrose fatty acid ester selected from the group consisting of 15 to 17 sucrose myristate Non-carbonated liquid food and drink containing microbial cells.
[Section 2]
Item 2. The microbial cell-containing non-carbonated liquid food or drink according to 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% by mass.
[Section 3]
Item 3. The microbial cell-containing non-carbonated liquid food or drink according to Item 1 or 2, wherein the microbial cell powder (A) is a destruction-treated microbial cell powder.
[Claim 4]
Item 4. The microbial cell-containing non-carbonated liquid food or drink according to any one of Items 1 to 3, wherein the microbial cell powder (A) is a lactic acid bacterium cell powder.
[Section 5]
Item 5. The microbial cell-containing non-carbonated liquid food or drink according to Item 4, wherein the lactic acid bacterium is a lactic acid bacterium belonging to the genus Lactobacillus.
[Claim 6]
Item 6. The microbial cell-containing non-carbonated liquid food or drink according to any one of Items 1 to 5, wherein the non-carbonated liquid food or drink further contains milk.
[Claim 7]
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 drink.
[Section 8]
A method for improving dispersibility of precipitates or aggregates of microbial cell powder in a food or drink during production or storage, wherein the microbial cell powder and sucrose fatty acid ester are allowed to coexist in a solution.
[Claim 9]
Item 9. The method for improving dispersibility according to Item 8, wherein the food or drink is a non-carbonated liquid food or drink.
[Section 10]
Item 10. The method for improving dispersibility according to Item 9, wherein the non-carbonated liquid food or drink is a non-carbonated beverage.

According to the present invention, there is provided a non-carbonated liquid food / beverage product containing a microbial cell powder such as lactic acid bacteria useful as a functional component for maintaining and promoting health and having excellent dispersion stability during production and storage. The The non-carbonated liquid food or drink of the present invention has good dispersibility of precipitates or aggregates of microbial cells generated during storage.For example, in non-carbonated beverages, the precipitates or aggregates do not adhere to the bottom of the container. Even if precipitates or aggregates are formed, they can be redispersed by gently shaking the container before drinking. Further, according to the present invention, since the dispersibility of microbial cells during production can be improved, it is possible to uniformly fill the non-carbonated liquid food or drink with microbial cells. Such an effect of the present invention is sufficiently exerted even when the microbial cells are destruction products, in which precipitates or aggregates are likely to be generated. Further, the method for improving the dispersibility of the microbial cell precipitates or aggregates according to the present invention is not limited to non-carbonated liquid foods and drinks but can be applied to the production of other foods and drinks that are finally solid. An effect can be produced.

FIG. 1 is a photograph of the appearance of the bottom surface of a container showing the evaluation criteria for precipitation (see Examples 1 and (1)). FIG. 2 is a photograph of the appearance of the bottom surface of the containers of Reference Examples 1 and 2.

1. Non-carbonated liquid food or drink containing microbial cells The non-carbonated liquid food or drink of the present invention is a microbial cell powder (A) and dispersibility of precipitates and aggregates of the microbial cell powder generated during production and storage. A specific sucrose fatty acid ester (B) having a specific HLB as a component for improving the viscosity (sometimes referred to simply as “sucrose fatty acid ester (B)” in this specification). It is a non-carbonated (non-carbonated) liquid food or drink.

The type of non-carbonated liquid food or drink is not particularly limited as long as microbial cells such as lactic acid bacteria and yeast can be mixed. For example, non-carbonated beverages (milk drinks, fruit juice / vegetable juice drinks, tea drinks) , Coffee drinks, functional drinks, sports drinks, etc.), soups (consomme, potage, ramen soups, etc.), sauces (tomato sauce, pasta sauce, demiglace sauce, etc.), seasonings (soy sauce, soy sauce, sauce, soup stock, Boiled seasoning liquid, pickled seasoning liquid, dressing, etc.). As the non-carbonated liquid food or drink in the present invention, a non-carbonated beverage is particularly preferable.

Here, “liquid food and drink” refers to beverages and liquid foods that fall under the category of general foods, as well as foods that can be ingested for the purpose of maintaining or improving health other than pharmaceuticals, such as health foods, functional foods, and health functions. It is used as a term encompassing beverages and liquid foods that fall under food or special-use foods. The health food includes foods provided under the names of nutritional supplements, health supplements, supplements, and the like. Functional health foods are defined by the Food Sanitation Law or Health Promotion Law, and are based on specific health foods and nutritional functional foods that can display the effects of specific health, function of nutritional components, reduction of disease risk, etc. Includes functionally labeled foods that can display the content that is defined and reported to the Commissioner for Consumer Affairs for functionality based on scientific evidence. Special-purpose foods include foods for the sick, foods for the elderly, foods for infants, foods for pregnant women, etc. that indicate that they are suitable for specific subjects and patients with specific diseases.

[Microbial powder]
The microbial cell used for the preparation of the microbial cell powder contained in the non-carbonated liquid food or drink of the present invention typically refers to a lactic acid bacterium, but is not limited thereto. For example, yeast cells It may be. In addition to lactobacilli and lactic acid cocci, lactic acid bacteria include bifidobacteria as lactic acid bacteria in a broad sense. The bacterial body of lactic acid bacteria is not limited as long as it is generally used in foods and drinks, for example, Lactobacillus genus, Bifidobacterium genus, Leuconostoc genus , Lactococcus genus, Pediococcus genus, Enterococcus genus, Streptococcus genus, Weissella genus lactic acid bacteria and so on, among them Lactobacillus genus The bacterial body of the lactic acid bacteria to which it belongs is preferred. These lactic acid bacteria may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Examples of lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genus Lactobacillus include, for example, Lactobacillus amyloboraus, Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus previs, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus delprucchi, Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus Helveticas, Lactobacillus kefir, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus salivaius, Lactobacillus johnsonii, Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus gallinalum Is mentioned.

The genus Bifidobacterium is also referred to as Bifidobacterium, and examples of such lactic acid bacteria include Bifidobacterium infantis, Bifidobacterium adrecentis, Bifidobacterium prube, and Bifidobacterium. Longum, Bifidobacterium pseudolongum, Bifidobacterium animalis, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium lactis, Bifidobacterium catenatum, Bifidobacterium pseudocatenatum , And Bifidobacterium magnum.

Examples of lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genus Leuconostoc include Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Leuconostoc lactis.

Examples of the lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genus Lactococcus include Lactococcus lactis, Lactococcus plantarum, Lactococcus raffinolactis, Lactococcus cremolith and the like.

Examples of lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genus Pediococcus include Pediococcus pentosaceus and Pediococcus damnosus.

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

Examples of lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genus Streptococcus include Streptococcus thermophilus, Streptococcus lactis, Streptococcus diacetylactis, Streptococcus faecalis and the like.

The lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genus Weisella include: Weisera Chibaria, Weisera Confuser, Weisera Halorelancer, Weisera Helenica, Weisera Kandreri, Weisera Kimchii, Weisera Coleensis, Weisera Minol, Weisera Paramesenteloides, Weicera Sled, Weisera Tyrandensis, Weisera Virides Sense and so on.

The strain belonging to the above-mentioned lactic acid bacterium species used in the non-carbonated liquid food and drink of the present invention may be any of an isolated strain from nature, a deposited strain, a storage strain, a commercially available strain, and the like.

A microbial cell used in the non-carbonated liquid food or drink of the present invention, preferably a microbial cell selected from lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genus Lactobacillus, is usually used using a medium usually used for culturing microbial cells. It can be proliferated and recovered by culturing under conditions.

The culture medium usually contains a carbon source, a nitrogen source, inorganic salts, and the like, and any of a natural medium and a synthetic medium may be used as long as the above-mentioned bacterial species can be efficiently cultured. . As the carbon source, for example, lactose, glucose, sucrose, fructose, galactose, molasses and the like can be used, and as the nitrogen source, for example, casein hydrolyzate, whey protein hydrolyzate, soy protein hydrolysate, yeast Organic nitrogen-containing materials such as extracts and meat extracts can be used. Examples of inorganic salts that can be used include phosphate, sodium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, iron, and zinc. Examples of a medium suitable for culturing lactic acid bacteria include MRS liquid medium, GAM medium, BL medium, Briggs Liver Broth, animal milk, skim milk, and milky whey. Preferably, a sterilized MRS medium can be used. In addition, when used in food applications, a medium composed only of food materials and food additives can also be used. As the natural medium, tomato juice, carrot juice, other vegetable juice, apple, pineapple, grape juice, etc. can be used.

Cultivation is carried out at 20-50 ° C., preferably 25-42 ° C., more preferably about 37 ° C. under anaerobic conditions. The temperature condition can be adjusted by a thermostatic bath, a mantle heater, a jacket, or the like. The anaerobic condition refers to a low oxygen environment in which bacteria can grow. For example, an anaerobic chamber, an anaerobic box, a sealed container or bag containing an oxygen scavenger, or the like is used. Anaerobic conditions can be achieved by sealing the culture vessel. The culture format is stationary culture, shake culture, tank culture, or the like. The culture time is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 3 hours to 96 hours. The pH of the medium at the start of the culture is preferably maintained at 4.0 to 8.0, for example.

For example, when a lactic acid bacterium, Lactobacillus amyloborus CP 1563 strain (Accession No. FERM BP-11255) is used as a microbial cell, the lactic acid bacterium is inoculated in a medium for food grade lactic acid bacteria and is overnight at about 37 ° C. (about 18 hours).

The “microbial cell powder” used in the non-carbonated liquid food and drink of the present invention is obtained by drying a culture solution of microbial cells using a method and equipment known in the art to form a powdery product. Obtainable. Specific drying methods are not particularly limited, and examples include spray drying, drum drying, hot air drying, vacuum drying, freeze drying, and the like, and these drying means can be used alone or in combination.

The microbial cell powder is damaged by destroying the cell structure of the microbial cell, and is made into a finer powder than the microbial cell powder simply dried by freeze drying or other methods. It may be “powder”. The destruction-treated microbial cell powder can be obtained by recovering the entire destroyed microbial cell body (that is, essentially all components constituting the cell) as they are.

The destruction treatment of the microbial cells can be performed by, for example, physical crushing, grinding treatment, enzyme dissolution treatment, chemical treatment, self-dissolution treatment, or the like using methods and equipment known in the art.

Physical crushing may be carried out either wet (treating microbial cells in suspension) or dry (treating in microbial powder) using a homogenizer, ball mill, bead mill, planetary mill, etc. By the agitation, the microbial cells can be damaged by pressure using a jet mill, a French press, a cell crusher or the like, or by filter filtration.

The enzyme dissolution treatment is performed, for example, by destroying the cell wall of the microbial cell body using an enzyme such as lysozyme.

The chemical treatment is performed by destroying the cell structure of the microbial cell using a surfactant such as glycerin fatty acid ester and soybean phospholipid.

The self-dissolution treatment is performed by dissolving microbial cells with the enzyme of the microorganism itself.

Among the above treatments, physical crushing is preferable because it is not necessary to add other reagents or components, and dry physical crushing is more preferable.

More specifically, the physical crushing is performed by using various known ball types (eg, zirconia 10 mm ball, zirconia 5 mm ball, alumina 1 mm ball) in a known dry planetary mill cell crusher (GOT5 Galaxy 5 or the like). ) A method of treating at a rotational speed of 50 to 10,000 rpm (for example, 190 rpm) for 30 minutes to 20 hours (for example, 5 hours) in the coexistence, a known dry jet mill cell crusher (such as a jet O-mizer) 1 to 10 times (for example, at a supply rate of 0.01 to 10,000 g / min (for example, 0.5 g / min) and a discharge pressure of 1 to 1,000 kg / cm ² (for example, 6 kg / cm ² )). Once) can be performed by a method of processing. In addition, the suspension of the microbial cells is circulated at a peripheral speed of 10.0 to 20.0 m / s (for example, about 14.0 m / s) using glass peas in a known dynomill cell crusher (such as a DYNO-MILL crusher). s), a method of treating 1 to 7 times (eg, 3 to 5 times) at a crushing tank temperature of 10 to 30 ° C. (eg, about 15 ° C.) at a treatment flow rate of 0.1 to 10 L / 10 min (eg, about 1 L / 10 min) The microbial cell suspension is discharged in a known wet jet mill cell crusher (such as JN20 Nanojet Pal) at a discharge pressure of 50 to 1,000 MPa (for example, 270 MPa) and a processing flow rate of 50 to 1,000 ml / min (for example 300 ml). / Min) at a time of 1 to 30 times (for example, 10 times).

The destruction-treated microbial cells obtained by the above method can be used as they are in the case of a dry type or dried to be a powdery product in the case of a wet type. Specific drying methods are not particularly limited, and examples include spray drying, drum drying, hot air drying, vacuum drying, freeze drying, and the like, and these drying means can be used alone or in combination.

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

[Sucrose fatty acid ester]
The non-carbonated liquid food and drink of the present invention includes a sucrose fatty acid ester having a specific HLB, that is, a sucrose stearate having an HLB of 8 to 12 and a sucrose oleic acid having an HLB of 14 to 16 together with a microbial cell powder. Ester, sucrose laurate having an HLB of 15 to 17, sucrose palmitate having an HLB of 14.5 to 15.5, or sucrose myristate having an HLB of 15 to 17 is blended. Any one of these sucrose fatty acid esters may be used, or two or more thereof may be used in combination.

Sucrose fatty acid ester is a compound that is permitted as a food additive (food emulsifier) in the Food Sanitation Law. It is a nonionic surfactant that has sucrose as a hydrophilic group and ester-bonded fatty acid as a lipophilic group. is there. One molecule of sucrose has 8 hydroxyl groups, and one or more fatty acids are ester-bonded to the hydroxyl groups, so that they exist from monoesters to octaesters. Sucrose glyceric acid ester is usually produced and sold as a composition containing plural kinds of compounds from monoester to octaester. The HLB varies depending on the type of fatty acid and the proportion of each ester compound contained (the composition of the ester compound). Generally, the more ester compounds having a smaller number of fatty acid bonds, the more sucrose as the composition. The HLB of the fatty acid ester becomes large (hydrophilic), and the more the ester compound having a larger number of fatty acid bonds, the smaller the HLB of the sucrose fatty acid ester as a composition (which is lipophilic). In other words, the smaller the average number (average number of bonds) of fatty acid bonds per molecule of sucrose, the higher the HLB of the sucrose fatty acid esters, and the larger the average number of fatty acid bonds, the more sucrose fatty acid esters. The HLB becomes smaller.

A sucrose fatty acid ester having a desired HLB can be produced by a known method (for example, a transesterification reaction between sucrose and a higher alcohol ester of a fatty acid), and can also be obtained as a commercial product. Examples of the sucrose stearate having an HLB of 8 to 12 include “Ryoto (registered trademark) sugar ester”, brand “S-970” (HLB = about 9), “S-1170” manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Corporation. (HLB = about 11); As a sucrose oleate having an HLB of 14 to 16, the same “O-1570” (HLB = about 15); As a sucrose laurate having an HLB of 15 to 17, L-1695 ”(HLB = about 16); sucrose palmitate ester having an HLB of 14.5 to 15.5 is also“ P-1570 ”(HLB = about 15); sucrose having an HLB of 15 to 17 As the myristic acid ester, “M-1695” (HLB = about 16) is also mentioned.

The HLB for the above products is outlined in the catalog (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods website, http://www.mfc.co.jp/product/nyuuka/ryoto_syuga/list.html) ("About") Although described, the above-mentioned integer is represented as an approximate value by rounding off to the nearest decimal point. For example, if the HLB is “about 9”, it is estimated to be “8.5 or more and less than 9.5”. When using other products, HLB can refer to catalog values. When the catalog value is unknown or when the sucrose fatty acid ester is prepared and used by itself, the HLB can be determined according to a known method. The calculation method of HLB includes Atlas method, Griffin method, Davis method, Kawakami method and the like, and there is also a method of determining from the retention time in high performance liquid chromatography. In the present invention, (i) when the composition of the sucrose fatty acid ester (mixture) is known, after calculating the HLB of each compound by the Griffin method, the weighted average is assumed to be the HLB of the sucrose fatty acid ester, (Ii) If the composition of the sucrose fatty acid ester (mixture) is not known, the HLB of the sucrose fatty acid ester is determined from the retention time in high-performance liquid chromatography by comparison with a sample of sucrose fatty acid ester with a known HLB. We will ask for it.

The content of the specific sucrose fatty acid ester (B) having a specific HLB in the non-carbonated liquid food or drink of the present invention should be appropriately adjusted in consideration of the effect of improving the dispersibility of the microbial cell powder (A). Can do. The lower limit of the content of the sucrose fatty acid ester (B) in non-carbonated liquid foods and beverages, preferably non-carbonated beverages is preferably 0.001% by mass, more preferably 0.01% by mass, and further 0.02% by mass. Preferably, 0.04 mass% is particularly preferable, and 0.05 mass% is most preferable. Moreover, 0.2 mass% is preferable, as for the upper limit of content of sucrose fatty acid ester (B) in non-carbonated liquid food / beverage products, Preferably a non-carbonated drink, 0.15 mass% is more preferable, 0.11 mass% Is more preferable. 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 not desirable from the viewpoint of flavor, cost, and liquid color turbidity.

[Other ingredients]
The non-carbonated liquid food or drink of the present invention contains moisture in addition to the essential components, microbial cell powder (A) and sucrose fatty acid ester (B) as described above, and further within the range not impairing the effects of the present invention. Other components (optional components) may be included as necessary. Optional ingredients can be appropriately selected from other raw materials usually used in general beverages, such as milk, fruit juice / vegetable juice, thickening stabilizer (milk protein stabilizer), acidulant, sweetness. Materials, fragrances, antifoaming agents, pigments, and other additives.

As the moisture, for example, ion exchange water can be used. Moreover, the water | moisture content contained in raw materials, such as milk, fruit juice, and vegetable juice, can also be made into the water | moisture content in non-carbonated liquid food-drinks. The water content in the non-carbonated liquid food / beverage product of the present invention is an appropriate range in which the content of the microbial cell powder (A) and the sucrose fatty acid ester (B) is particularly appropriate in consideration of the content of other components. Or it can adjust suitably so that it may be settled in the preferable range as above-mentioned.

The milk may be any milk derived from animals or plants. For example, animal milk such as cow's milk, goat milk, sheep milk and horse milk, and vegetable milk such as soy milk can be used, and milk is generally used. These milks may be used alone or in admixture of two or more.

The form of milk is not particularly limited, and may be any of whole milk, skim milk, whey, powdered milk, milk protein concentrate, reduced milk from concentrated milk, and the like. Moreover, fermented milk fermented using microorganisms, such as lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria, can also be used as milk. These milks may be used alone or in admixture of two or more.

When milk is blended in the non-carbonated liquid food or drink of the present invention, the amount of nonfat milk solids (SNF) contained in the non-carbonated liquid food or drink is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of flavor and storage stability, 0.1 to 10 mass% is preferable, 0.1 to 4 mass% is more preferable, 0.1 to 2 mass% is further preferable, and 0.2 to 1.2 mass% is most preferable. Here, the non-fat milk solid content (SNF) is a component excluding moisture and fat among components constituting milk, and mainly includes proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins and the like.

The pH of the non-carbonated liquid food or drink of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is acidic, but is preferably less than 6.5, more preferably less than 6.0, even more preferably less than 4.5, and even more preferably less than 4.2. More preferably, less than 4.0 is particularly preferable.

When producing the non-carbonated liquid food or drink of the present invention, depending on the raw materials used, for example, when fermented milk, fruit juice, etc. are used as optional components, pH adjustment is not necessary if the pH is in the above range, but it is not in the above range. In that case, the pH is adjusted using a pH adjuster. As the pH adjuster, an organic or inorganic edible acid generally used as a sour agent or a salt thereof may be used. For example, citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, acetic acid, phytic acid, lactic acid, fumaric acid, Examples thereof include organic acids such as succinic acid and gluconic acid, inorganic acids such as phosphoric acid, or sodium salts, calcium salts or potassium salts thereof. The usage-amount of a pH adjuster will not be specifically limited if it can be set as desired pH, and is a range which does not affect the flavor of a drink.

The sugar content (Brix value) of the non-carbonated liquid food or drink of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.1 to 16, more preferably 0.1 to 11, and preferably 0.1 to 5 from the viewpoint of flavor and calories. Further preferred. The Brix value (unit: Bx) is the reading of a refractometer for sugar at 20 ° C., and the amount of soluble solid content measured at 20 ° C. using a digital refractometer “Rx-5000” (manufactured by Atago Co., Ltd.), for example. Say.

Examples of sweeteners (sugar content adjusting agents) for imparting sweetness to the non-carbonated liquid food and drink of the present invention and adjusting the sugar content (Brix value) to the above range include monosaccharides (glucose, fructose, xylose, Galactose, etc.), disaccharides (sucrose, maltose, lactose, trehalose, isomaltulose, etc.), oligosaccharides (fructo-oligosaccharide, malto-oligosaccharide, isomalt-oligosaccharide, galactooligosaccharide, coupling sugar, nigerooligosaccharide, etc.), sugar alcohol ( Erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol, lactitol, reduced isomaltulose, reduced starch syrup, etc.), and isomerized sugars such as fructose glucose liquid sugar. Also, high-intensity sweeteners such as sucralose, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, stevia, saccharin sodium, glycyrrhizin, dipotassium glycyrrhizinate, thaumatin, and neotame can be used.

Examples of fruit juice include fruit juices such as apple, orange, mandarin, lemon, grapefruit, melon, grape, banana, peach, strawberry, blueberry, mango and the like. Examples of the vegetable juice include vegetable juices such as tomato, carrot, pumpkin, bell pepper, cabbage, broccoli, celery, spinach, kale, and moroheiya. The fruit juice or vegetable juice may be a fruit juice or vegetable juice as it is, or may be concentrated. Further, it may be a turbid fruit juice or vegetable juice containing insoluble solids, or a transparent fruit juice or vegetable juice from which insoluble solids have been removed by a process such as microfiltration, enzyme treatment, or ultrafiltration.

Additives acceptable for non-carbonated liquid foods and drinks include, for example, thickening stabilizers (soy polysaccharides, pectin, carrageenan, gellan gum, xanthan gum, guar gum, etc.), antifoaming agents (glycerin fatty acid esters, silicone preparations, etc.), Antioxidants (tocopherol, ascorbic acid, cysteine hydrochloride, etc.), flavors (lemon flavor, orange flavor, grape flavor, peach flavor, apple flavor, etc.), pigment (carotenoid pigment, anthocyanin pigment, safflower pigment, gardenia pigment, caramel pigment, And various synthetic coloring agents). Use various functional ingredients such as vitamins (vitamin B group, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin D, etc.), minerals (calcium, potassium, magnesium, etc.), dietary fiber, etc. in order to enhance health functions. You can also.

[Production method]
The non-carbonated liquid food / beverage product of the present invention comprises a solution or dispersion containing the microbial cell powder (A) (sometimes referred to herein as “microbial cell powder solution”), a sucrose fatty acid ester ( It is obtained by a production method including a step of homogenizing after mixing a solution or dispersion containing B) (sometimes referred to herein as a “sucrose fatty acid ester solution”).

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

The homogenization treatment may be performed by a conventional method using a homogenizer generally used for food processing, and the pressure is preferably about 10 to 30 MPa with a homogenizer. The temperature at the time of homogenization may be any temperature (eg, 5 to 25 ° C.), and homogenization under general heating conditions (eg, 50 to 90 ° C.) is also possible. In the homogenization treatment process, other components (for example, milk, thickening stabilizer, acidulant and antifoaming agent) are blended as necessary when the microbial cell powder solution and the sucrose fatty acid ester solution are mixed. ) Is added to any of the above solutions in advance, or added to a mixture of the above solutions, and mixed with the microbial cell powder and sucrose fatty acid ester, thereby blending into the non-carbonated liquid food or drink of the present invention can do.

In the method for producing a non-carbonated liquid food or drink according to the present invention, the steps other than the homogenization treatment step using the microbial cell powder solution and the sucrose fatty acid ester solution described above are in accordance with the usual production method for non-carbonated liquid food and drink. Can be. For example, the method for producing a non-carbonated liquid food or drink according to the present invention can further include a sterilization treatment step, a filtration treatment step, a filling step, and the like.

The sterilization treatment step can be performed, for example, by heat sterilization treatment having a sterilization value equal to or higher than 10 minutes at 65 ° C. The sterilization treatment may be performed before the homogenization treatment step, or may be performed after the homogenization treatment step and before or after the filling step into the container, and is performed not only once but also at a plurality of times described above. May be. The method of sterilization treatment is not particularly limited, and methods such as normal retort sterilization, batch sterilization, autoclave sterilization, plate sterilization, and tubular sterilization can be employed.

The container filling process is, for example, hot-packing a non-carbonated liquid food or drink that has undergone a sterilization process into a container and cooling the filled container, or cooling the non-carbonated liquid food or drink to a temperature suitable for container filling. And it can carry out by the method of aseptically filling the container which has been washed and sterilized beforehand.

The type of the container filled with the non-carbonated liquid food or drink of the present invention is not particularly limited, but glass, plastic (polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), etc.), metal, paper Made of containers can be used. Further, the volume is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include 100 to 2,000 ml, and can be appropriately selected in consideration of the amount of microbial cells.

2. Method for improving dispersibility of precipitates or aggregates of microbial cell powder in foods and drinks According to the present invention, a method for improving the dispersibility of precipitates or aggregates of microbial cell powders in foods and drinks "Sometimes referred to as" dispersibility improving method ") includes coexistence of microbial cell powder (A) and sucrose fatty acid ester (B) in solution or dispersion.

In the present invention, “improved dispersibility” refers to a microorganism microorganism powder containing solution (including non-carbonated beverages) containing microorganism microorganism powder (A) but not containing sucrose fatty acid ester (B). In the mixed solution containing both the bacterial cell powder (A) and the sucrose fatty acid ester (B), the precipitate or aggregate of the microbial cell powder generated after standing is more easily dispersed in the solution. The microbial cell powder adhering to the bottom surface of the container, which can be confirmed by the small amount of precipitates or aggregates remaining on the bottom surface even when the container is mixed by overturning Point to.

The method for improving dispersibility of the present invention can be applied to both food and drink at the time of production (which can be said to be intermediate products during production) and food and drink during storage. Further, the method for improving dispersibility of the present invention is a state in which the microbial cell powder (A) is in a uniformly dispersed state, that is, in a state where a precipitate or an aggregate has not yet been formed, It can be used to keep the state of food and drink during storage.

In the food and drink, not only the non-carbonated liquid food and drink as described above, but finally it becomes a product in solid form, jelly form, capsule form, cream form, paste form, etc. Non-carbonated liquid that is a food or drink manufactured using a liquid raw material, and in which the precipitation or aggregation of microbial cell powder (especially destruction-treated cell powder) can be a problem in the liquid (in solution, etc.) Food and drink other than food and drink are also included. Examples of such foods and drinks include dairy products (yogurt, cheese, mousse, pudding, cream, butter, ice cream, etc.).

The matters relating to the non-carbonated liquid food and drink of the present invention and the method for producing the same described in the present specification, particularly matters relating to the microbial cell powder (A) and the sucrose fatty acid ester (B), are appropriately applied to the dispersibility improving method of the present invention. It can be applied mutatis mutandis. For example, in the method for improving dispersibility of the present invention, the microbial cell powder as a target for improving the dispersibility of precipitates or aggregates may be the above-described destruction-treated microbial cell powder.

Furthermore, among the methods for improving dispersibility of the present invention, the embodiment of the food and drink at the time of production (including non-carbonated liquid food and drink and others) has the same effect, and the method for producing the food and drink Can be converted to From another aspect, the non-carbonated liquid food or drink production method of the present invention described above uses a non-carbonated solution that uses a solution in which precipitation or agglomeration of microbial cell powder (particularly, destruction-treated cell powder) may be a problem in the production process. The present invention can also be extended to methods for producing food and drink other than liquid food and drink.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more specifically by way of examples. However, these examples do not limit the present invention.

[Preparation Example 1] Preparation of disrupted lactic acid bacteria cell powder Lactobacillus amylovorus CP1563 strain (Accession No. FERMBP-11255) is cultured at 37 ° C for 18 hours using a food grade lactic acid bacteria culture medium prepared in-house, and collected by filter concentration did. The concentrated solution was sterilized at 90 ° C. and freeze-dried to obtain a lyophilized powder of lactic acid bacteria. The obtained lyophilized powder of lactic acid bacteria was crushed using a dry jet mill (FS-4, Seishin Enterprise Co., Ltd.), and the average major axis of the cells was reduced to 70% or less before the treatment (example: 2.77 μm → 1.30 μm) A destruction-treated lactic acid bacterium cell powder was obtained.

[Preparation Example 2] Preparation of lactic acid bacteria cell powder (non-destructive product) Lactobacillus gasseri CP2305 strain (accession number FERMBP-11331) was cultured at 37 ° C. for 18 hours using a food grade lactic acid bacteria culture medium by self-prescription. Bacteria were collected by filter concentration. The concentrated solution was sterilized at 90 ° C. and freeze-dried to obtain lactic acid bacteria cell powder.

[Test Example 1] Effect of addition of sucrose fatty acid ester on dispersibility of destruction-treated lactic acid bacteria cell powder (Examples 1 to 6, Comparative Examples 1 to 8)
(1) Preparation of Beverage Sample A sample of a milky non-carbonated beverage having the composition shown in Table 1 below was prepared by the following procedure.

250 g of reduced skim milk with a concentration of 20% by mass and 400 g of soybean polysaccharide solution with a concentration of 3% by mass (trade name: SM-1200, manufactured by San-Ei Gen FFI Co., Ltd.) are mixed, and the concentration is 10% by mass. 240 g of an aqueous citric acid solution was added and sufficiently stirred to prepare a raw material solution (I).

After adding 100 g of 10% by weight trisodium citrate aqueous solution prepared separately to the raw material solution (I), the following sucrose fatty acid ester or control compound, which is commercially available as a food emulsifier, is added in the amount shown in Table 2. did. These food emulsifiers are preliminarily dispersed in water at room temperature to a concentration of 2% by mass, dissolved by heating to about 70 ° C., and then cooled to room temperature to prepare a solution, It was added using it. Then, add 400g of 1% by weight of a lactic acid bacterium cell powder (prepared in Reference Example 1), and stir it uniformly. Name: KM-72, manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) was added 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 instead the same amount of water was increased, and the resulting solution was used as the raw material solution (II).

Information such as the trade names of sucrose stearate and the control compound shown in Table 2 is as follows. The following product 13) “sucrose fatty acid ester A” is a sucrose stearate used as emulsifier f in the comparative example of the prior invention (Comparative Example 2 etc.), and the following product 13) “Sunsoft A- “121E” is a polyglycerin fatty acid ester (pentaglyceryl monolaurate) used as the emulsifier c in the examples of the prior invention (Example 8 and the like).

1) Sucrose stearate / HLB = 5: Trade name “Ryoto Sugar Ester S-570” (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Corporation)
2) Sucrose stearate / HLB = 7: Trade name “Ryoto Sugar Ester S-770” (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Corporation)
3) Sucrose stearate / HLB = 9: Trade name “Ryoto Sugar Ester S-970” (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Corporation)
4) Sucrose stearate / HLB = 11: Trade name “Ryoto Sugar Ester S-1170” (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Corporation)
5) Sucrose stearate / HLB = 15: Trade name “Ryoto Sugar Ester S-1570” (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Corporation)
6) Sucrose stearate / HLB = 16: Trade name “Ryoto Sugar Ester S-1670” (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Corporation)
7) Sucrose palmitate / HLB = 15: Trade name “Ryoto Sugar Ester P-1570” (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Corporation)
8) Sucrose palmitate / HLB = 16: Trade name “Ryoto Sugar Ester P-1670” (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Corporation)
9) Sucrose myristic acid ester / HLB = 16: Trade name “Ryoto Sugar Ester M-1695” (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Corporation)
10) Sucrose oleate / HLB = 15: Trade name “Ryoto Sugar Ester O-1570” (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Corporation)
11) Sucrose laurate / HLB = 16: Trade name “Ryoto Sugar Ester L-1695” (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Corporation)
12) Sucrose stearate / HLB unknown: Trade name “Sucrose fatty acid ester A (SE-A)” (Taiyo Chemical Co., Ltd.)
13) Pentaglycerin monolaurate / HLB = 14: trade name “Sunsoft A-121E” (Taiyo Chemical Co., Ltd.)

The raw material solution (II) was 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 Gorin).

The obtained beverage stock solution was made up to a specified amount (10000 g) with ion-exchanged water, and then filled into a heat-resistant PET bottle. Thereafter, sterilization was performed with a cold spot at 65 ° C. for 10 minutes to obtain a dairy non-carbonated beverage (hereinafter referred to as “beverage sample”) packed in a container. 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 during storage of beverage sample The beverage sample prepared in (1) was allowed to stand in an incubator set at 5 ° C for 7 days. The sample after standing was mixed by inverting twice at a rate of about once per second, then opened, the contents were discharged, and the bottom of the container was observed. The evaluation is performed in four stages. The score of lactic acid bacteria cells remaining on almost the entire bottom surface is score 1 (x), the remaining portion of the powder is score 2 (△), and the powder is almost not remaining. Is a score 3 (◯), a sample that does not remain at all is a score 4 (）), and beverage samples obtained with an evaluation of scores 3 and 4 (◎ and を) are examples of good dispersibility, scores 1 and 2 (× And Δ) were used as comparative examples with poor dispersibility. FIG. 1 shows a photograph of the external appearance of the bottom surface of a container serving as an evaluation standard. The evaluation results are shown in Table 2 below.

As shown in Table 2, beverage samples (Examples 1 to 6) containing a specific type of sucrose fatty acid ester having a specific HLB contain (estimated) other sucrose fatty acid esters. Beverage samples (Comparative Examples 1 to 6), and beverage samples (Comparative Example 7) containing polyglycerin fatty acid ester (monolauric acid pentaglycerin) evaluated to be effective in the prior invention, do not contain sucrose fatty acid ester, etc. It is superior to the beverage sample (Comparative Example 8) in improving the dispersibility of the disrupted lactic acid bacterium cell powder.

[Test Example 2] Effect of addition of sucrose fatty acid ester on dispersibility of lactic acid bacteria cell powder (non-destructive product) (Examples 7 to 8, Comparative Examples 9 to 10)
A level 10 (Example 5) and a level 11 (Example 6) except that a lactic acid bacterium cell powder (Preparation Example 2) that was not destroyed was used instead of the destruction treatment lactic acid bacterium cell powder (Preparation Example 1). ), Level 13 (Comparative Example 7) and Level 14 (Comparative Example 8) were used to prepare beverage samples (levels 15 to 18), which were used for dispersibility evaluation tests.

Evaluation results are shown in Table 3 below. It was confirmed that the predetermined sucrose fatty acid ester has an 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 type of microorganism (lactic acid bacteria).

[Reference Example] Confirmation of subject to which sucrose fatty acid ester is added The sample of milk non-carbonated beverage (SNF0.5) having the composition shown in Table 4 below is referred to as (1) “Preparation of beverage sample”. Prepared by a similar procedure. Reference Example 1 is a sample similar to Level 12, and Reference Example 2 is a sample similar to Level 12 except that the destruction-treated lactic acid bacterial cell powder was not blended. As in (2) “Beverage sample dispersibility evaluation test”, these beverage samples were left in an incubator set at 5 ° C. for 7 days. Then, after discharging the content liquid, the bottom of the container was observed. FIG. 2 shows a photograph of the appearance of the bottom surface of the containers of Reference Examples 1 and 2. For the beverage sample of Reference Example 1 containing lactic acid bacterial cell powder, a precipitate (aggregate) is observed on the bottom of the container, whereas for the beverage sample of Reference Example 2 not containing lactic acid bacterial cell powder, Such precipitates (aggregates) are hardly observed. From this, it can be seen that the precipitates (aggregates) on the bottom surface of the container are mainly formed by lactic acid bacterial cell powders, not milk proteins contained in milk such as skim milk powder. That is, in the present invention, it is confirmed that the target for which the effect of improving the dispersibility of a specific sucrose fatty acid ester is not a milk protein as described in Patent Documents 3 to 5, but a lactic acid bacterial cell powder. It was done.

The present invention can be used in non-carbonated foods and drinks containing microbial cells such as lactic acid bacteria and the field of production thereof.

Claims

(A) microbial cell powder, (B) sucrose stearate with HLB 8-12, sucrose oleate with HLB 14-16, sucrose laurate with HLB 15-17, HLB 14.5 to 15.5 sucrose palmitate and at least one sucrose fatty acid ester selected from the group consisting of 15 to 17 sucrose myristate Non-carbonated liquid food and drink containing microbial cells.
The microbial cell-containing non-carbonated liquid food or drink according to claim 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% by mass.
The microbial cell-containing non-carbonated liquid food or drink according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the microbial cell powder (A) is a destruction-treated microbial cell powder.
The microbial cell-containing non-carbonated liquid food or drink according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the microbial cell powder (A) is a lactic acid bacterial cell powder.
The microbial cell-containing non-carbonated liquid food or drink according to claim 4, wherein the lactic acid bacterium is a lactic acid bacterium belonging to the genus Lactobacillus.
The microbial cell-containing non-carbonated liquid food or drink according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the non-carbonated liquid food or drink further contains milk.
The microbial cell-containing non-carbonated liquid food or drink according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the non-carbonated liquid food or drink is a non-carbonated drink.
A method for improving the dispersibility of precipitates or aggregates of microbial cell powder in food or drink during production or storage, wherein the microbial cell powder and sucrose fatty acid ester coexist in a solution.
The method for improving dispersibility according to claim 8, wherein the food or drink is a non-carbonated liquid food or drink.
The dispersibility improving method according to claim 9, wherein the non-carbonated liquid food or drink is a non-carbonated beverage.