WO2022176692A1

WO2022176692A1 - Soft drink

Info

Publication number: WO2022176692A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/004819
Authority: WO
Inventors: 望片渕; 望豊村; ティタンフンファム; ティハグエン
Original assignee: サントリーホールディングス株式会社
Priority date: 2021-02-17
Filing date: 2022-02-08
Publication date: 2022-08-25
Also published as: TW202245615A; AU2022222712A1; WO2022176064A1; JPWO2022176692A1

Abstract

Provided is a soft drink having a sucralose content of 0.1-4.5 ppm by mass and an ascorbic acid content of 70-190 ppm by mass.

Description

Soft drink

The present invention relates to soft drinks.

As beverages manufactured using water and malt as part of the raw materials, alcohol content is less than 1 (v / v) %, and soft drinks that are beer-flavored carbonated drinks are distributed on the market. development is taking place.
For example, Patent Document 1 describes a method for producing a non-alcoholic fermented beverage, which can reduce the alcohol concentration by about 40 to 55% compared to conventional methods by adding α-glucosidase before the fermentation process in beer production. has been disclosed.

JP-A-5-68528

A typical non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage produced by the method described in Patent Document 1 often lacks the texture typical of a malt-taste beverage. Therefore, there is a demand for a soft drink with an improved texture that is typical of malt-taste beverages. There is also a demand for a soft drink that not only has an improved texture, but also has a refreshing aftertaste and a good bitter aftertaste, which are characteristic of malt-taste beverages.

The present invention provides a soft drink having a sucralose content of 0.1 to 4.5 mass ppm and an ascorbic acid content of 70 to 190 mass ppm. That is, the present invention includes inventions of the following aspects.
[1]
The content of sucralose is 0.1 to 4.5 mass ppm,
The content of ascorbic acid is 70 to 190 mass ppm,
Soft drink.
[2]
[1], wherein the content ratio of the sucralose content (unit: mass ppm) and the ascorbic acid content (unit: mass ppm) [sucralose/ascorbic acid] is 0.005 to 0.04 soft drink.
[3]
The soft drink of [1] or [2], further containing acesulfame potassium.
[4]
The soft drink according to any one of [1] to [3], further containing lactic acid.
[5]
The soft drink according to any one of [1] to [4], which has a tartaric acid content of less than 300 mass ppm.
[6]
The soft drink according to any one of [1] to [5], having a phosphoric acid content of less than 300 mass ppm.
[7]
The soft drink according to any one of [1] to [6], which uses malt extract as a raw material.
[8]
The soft drink according to any one of [1] to [7], wherein the soft drink has less than 5 kcal per 100 mL.
[9]
The soft drink according to any one of [1] to [8], which is a packaged drink.
[10]
The soft drink according to [9], wherein the packaged beverage has a carbon dioxide pressure of 0.20 kgf/cm ² or more and 5.0 kgf/cm ² or less.
[11]
1. A soft drink concentrate for producing a soft drink according to any one of [1] to [10], which is obtained by diluting at a dilution ratio of 1-fold or more and 10-fold or less.
[12]
A concentrate according to [11] diluted with water or carbonated water.
[13]
The concentrated liquid according to [11] or [12], wherein the content of sucralose is 0.1 to 45 mass ppm and the content of ascorbic acid is 70 to 1900 mass ppm.
[14]
The beverage according to any one of [1] to [10], wherein the soft drink is a malt-taste beverage or a hop-taste beverage.
[15]
The concentrate according to any one of [11] to [13], wherein the soft drink concentrate is a malt-taste beverage concentrate or a hop-taste beverage concentrate.

A soft drink according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention can be a drink with improved texture. In addition, the soft drink of one preferred embodiment of the present invention can be a drink with a good refreshing aftertaste and a good bitter aftertaste, which is typical of malt-taste drinks.

1. Soft drinks In the present invention, "soft drinks" refer to juices, carbonated drinks, malt drinks, lactic acid drinks, health drinks, sports drinks, amino acid drinks, vitamin drinks, malt-taste drinks, hop-taste drinks and the like. Not limited.
In the present invention, the term "malt-taste beverage" means a beverage having the flavor of wort obtained from barley and/or malt, and includes beverages imparted with a refreshing sensation by carbon dioxide gas or the like. A malt-tasting beverage may contain less than 1 (v/v %) alcohol. Examples of alcohol-containing malt-taste beverages include fermented malt-taste beverages and alcohol-added beverages. Alcohol-free malt-taste beverages include beverages obtained by removing alcohol, other low-boiling-point components and low-molecular-weight components from fermented malt-taste beverages. The raw material for the malt-taste beverage may be any raw material having the flavor of wort obtained from wheat and/or malt, and grains other than wheat and malt may be used. Grains that can be used as raw materials for malt-taste beverages include, for example, barley, malt, non-malt (barley, wheat, rye, oats, oats, pigeons, oats, etc.), rice (polished rice, brown rice). etc.), corn, koryan, potato, beans (soybeans, peas, etc.), buckwheat, sorghum, millet, barnyard millet, and starch obtained therefrom, extracts thereof (malt extract, etc.), etc. but not limited to these. In addition, wort obtained from barley and/or malt may be used for the production of malt-taste beverages, or flavoring agents having a flavor similar to that of wort obtained from barley and/or malt may be used.
In the present invention, the term "hop-flavored beverage" means a beverage having a hop flavor, and the thirst-quenching feeling obtained when using hop-derived raw materials, etc., and the refreshing and richness of a floral scent. It is preferable that the beverage has a balance of flavor, and a taste that is easy to drink with good texture and smoothness in the mouth. The hop-taste beverages also include beverages imparted with a refreshing feeling by carbon dioxide gas or the like. A hop-tasting beverage may contain less than 1 (v/v %) alcohol. The alcohol-containing hop-taste beverages include hop-taste beverages obtained by fermentation and alcohol-added beverages. Alcohol-free hop-taste beverages include beverages obtained by removing alcohol, other low-boiling-point components and low-molecular-weight components from hop-taste beverages obtained by fermentation. Instead of using hops and hop extract obtained by isolating α-acid, a bittering agent or a bittering agent may be used instead of hops. Bittering agents and bittering agents that can be used in hop-taste beverages include, for example, Ganoderma lucidum, Ganoderma lucidum, Himejiko, Juniper nut, Sage, Astragalus, Ganoderma lucidum, Laurel, Quassin, Citrus extract, Nigaki extract, Coffee extract, tea extract, bitter gourd extract, lotus germ extract, aloe vera extract, stonecrop extract, litchi extract, laurel extract, sage extract, caraway extract, naringin, wormwood and wormwood extract, etc. are mentioned. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.
The alcohol content of the soft drink of one embodiment of the present invention may be less than 1 (v/v%), preferably less than 0.5 (v/v)%, more preferably less than 0.1 (v/v%). v) %, more preferably less than 0.01 (v/v) %, even more preferably less than 0.005 (v/v) %.
In addition, in this specification, alcohol content shall be shown by the percentage (v/v%) of a volume/volume basis. Moreover, although the alcohol content of a drink can be measured by any well-known method, it can be measured by a gas chromatography, for example.

A soft drink of one aspect of the present invention is a fermented beverage obtained by removing alcohol produced in the fermentation process after undergoing a fermentation process using yeast (top-fermenting yeast or bottom-fermenting yeast) in the production process, Alternatively, it may be a non-fermented beverage prepared without undergoing such a fermentation process.
When the soft drink of one aspect of the present invention is a non-fermented drink, esters, higher alcohols (e.g., isoamyl acetate, ethyl acetate, n-propanol, isobutanol, acetaldehyde, Ethyl caproate, linalool, 4-vinyl guaiacol, isoamyl propionate, etc.), acids (e.g., 2-methyl-2-pentenoic acid, 4-methyl-3-pentenoic acid), etc. Carbonated beverages adjusted to have flavor or hop flavor are also included in the non-fermented refreshing beverage, malt-taste beverage, and hop-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention.

In addition, the soft drinks, malt-taste beverages, and hop-taste beverages of one aspect of the present invention may be malt-containing soft drinks that use malt as an ingredient, or malt-free soft drinks that do not use malt. Although malted beverages are preferred, barley malted beverages are more preferred.

Such common soft drinks have a low alcohol content, so they tend to be insufficiently satisfying to drink. If a sweetener is added in order to impart a satisfying feeling to the drink, the refreshing aftertaste tends to be reduced. Beverages containing a large amount of sweeteners tend to have an unbalanced bitter aftertaste typical of soft drinks. In response to such problems, by making a beverage containing sucralose and ascorbic acid, compared to conventional soft drinks, it is possible to improve the good feeling of drinking malt taste beverages or hop taste beverages. It was found that the refreshing aftertaste and bitterness typical of beverages can be improved in a well-balanced manner. The present invention has been made based on this finding.

The content of sucralose in the soft drink of one embodiment of the present invention is 0.1 to 4.5 ppm by mass based on the total amount of the soft drink, but it imparts a soft drink-like feel and improves the bitterness of the aftertaste. From the viewpoint of the total amount of the soft drink, preferably 0.2 mass ppm or more, more preferably 0.3 mass ppm or more, more preferably 0.4 mass ppm or more, more preferably 0.5 mass ppm or more , more preferably 0.6 mass ppm or more, more preferably 0.7 mass ppm or more, still more preferably 0.8 mass ppm or more, still more preferably 0.9 mass ppm or more, particularly preferably 1.0 mass ppm ppm or more, 1.2 mass ppm or more, 1.4 mass ppm or more, 1.5 mass ppm or more, 1.7 mass ppm or more, 1.9 mass ppm or more, 2.0 mass ppm or more, 2 .2 mass ppm or more, 2.4 mass ppm or more, 2.5 mass ppm or more, 2.7 mass ppm or more, 2.9 mass ppm or more, or 3.0 mass ppm or more, and 4 4 mass ppm or less, more preferably 4.3 mass ppm or less, more preferably 4.2 mass ppm or less, even more preferably 4.1 mass ppm or less, and particularly preferably 4.0 mass ppm or less.

The content of ascorbic acid in the soft drink of one aspect of the present invention is 70 to 190 ppm by mass based on the total amount of the soft drink, but it imparts a chewy texture typical of a malt-taste or hop-taste drink and has a refreshing aftertaste. is preferably 80 mass ppm or more, more preferably 90 mass ppm or more, more preferably 100 mass ppm or more, more preferably 110 mass ppm or more, based on the total amount of the soft drink, and further, It may be 120 mass ppm or more, 130 mass ppm or more, 140 mass ppm or more, preferably 185 mass ppm or less, more preferably 180 mass ppm or less, 175 mass ppm or less, 170 mass ppm or less, 165 It may be mass ppm or less, 160 mass ppm or less, 155 mass ppm or less, 150 mass ppm or less, or 145 mass ppm or less.

In addition, in order to improve the good texture characteristic of malt-taste beverages or hop-taste beverages, and to improve the refreshing aftertaste and bitterness characteristic of malt-taste beverages or hop-taste beverages in a well-balanced manner, the content of sucralose (unit: mass ppm) and The content ratio [sucralose/ascorbic acid] to the content of ascorbic acid (unit: mass ppm) is preferably 0.005 to 0.04, more preferably 0.006 or more, and 0.007 or more. More preferably 0.008 or more, still more preferably 0.009 or more, particularly preferably 0.010 or more, furthermore 0.012 or more, 0.014 or more, 0.016 or more, 0.018 or more , or may be 0.020 or more, more preferably 0.038 or less, still more preferably 0.036 or less, even more preferably 0.035 or less, still more preferably 0.034 or less, and 0.020 or more. 034 or less is more preferable, 0.033 or less is still more preferable, 0.032 or less is still more preferable, 0.031 or less is even more preferable, 0.030 or less is particularly preferable, and 0.028 or less, 0 It may be 0.026 or less, 0.025 or less, or 0.023 or less.

The soft drink of one aspect of the present invention preferably further contains acesulfame potassium (acesulfame K). By further containing acesulfame K together with sucralose and ascorbic acid, it is possible to obtain a soft drink with a more improved feel like a malt-taste beverage or a hop-taste beverage.

In the soft drink of one aspect of the present invention, the content of acesulfame potassium is preferably 1.0%, based on the total amount of the soft drink, from the viewpoint of making the beverage more satisfying to drink, which is typical of malt-taste beverages or hop-taste beverages. 0 mass ppm or more, more preferably 3.0 mass ppm or more, still more preferably 5.0 mass ppm, even more preferably 7.0 mass ppm or more, particularly preferably 10 mass ppm or more, and further preferably 12 mass ppm As mentioned above, it may be 14 mass ppm or more, 15 mass ppm or more, 17 mass ppm or more, 19 mass ppm or more, 20 mass ppm or more, or 22 mass ppm or more.

In addition, the content of acesulfame potassium is preferably 700 ppm by mass or less, more preferably 600 ppm by mass, based on the total amount of the soft drink, from the viewpoint of making a beverage with a more improved feel like a malt-taste beverage or a hop-taste beverage. ppm or less, more preferably 500 mass ppm or less, more preferably 450 mass ppm or less, still more preferably 400 mass ppm or less, still more preferably 350 mass ppm or less, even more preferably 300 mass ppm or less, particularly preferably 250 mass ppm 200 mass ppm or less, 150 mass ppm or less, 100 mass ppm or less, 90 mass ppm or less, 80 mass ppm or less, 70 mass ppm or less, 60 mass ppm or less, 50 mass ppm or less, or 40 mass ppm It may be below.

In the soft drink of one aspect of the present invention, in addition to the sharp aftertaste that is typical of a malt-taste beverage or a hop-taste beverage, it imparts a chewiness that is typical of a malt-taste beverage or a hop-taste beverage, resulting in an unsuitable aftertaste for a malt-taste beverage or a hop-taste beverage. From the viewpoint of a beverage with suppressed bitterness, the ratio of the sucralose content (unit: mass ppm) and the acesulfame potassium content (unit: mass ppm) [sucralose/acesulfame potassium] is preferably 0.05 or more. , more preferably 0.1 or more, still more preferably 0.15 or more, still more preferably 0.2 or more, still more preferably 0.25 or more, particularly preferably 0.3 or more, more particularly preferably 0.33 or more 0.5 or more, 0.7 or more, 1.0 or more, 2.0 or more, 3.0 or more, 4.0 or more, 5.0 or more, 6.0 or more, 7.0 or more, 8.0 or more, 9.0 or more, 10.0 or more, 15.0 or more, or 20.0 or more, preferably 700 or less, more preferably 650 or less, still more preferably 600 or less, and even more It is preferably 550 or less, particularly preferably 500 or less, more preferably 400 or less, and may be 350 or less, 300 or less, 250 or less, or 200 or less.

The soft drink of one embodiment of the present invention may further contain lactic acid from the viewpoint of imparting a refreshing aftertaste typical of a malt-taste beverage or a hop-taste beverage and a bitter aftertaste typical of a malt-taste beverage or a hop-taste beverage in a well-balanced manner. preferable.
The content of lactic acid is preferably 1.0 mass ppm or more, more preferably 10.0 mass ppm or more, still more preferably 30.0 mass ppm or more, and even more preferably 50.0 mass ppm, based on the total amount of the soft drink. mass ppm or more, more preferably 100 mass ppm or more, still more preferably 150 mass ppm or more, particularly preferably 200 mass ppm or more, preferably 700 mass ppm or less, more preferably 600 mass ppm or less, and further It is preferably 500 mass ppm or less, more preferably 400 mass ppm or less, and particularly preferably 350 mass ppm or less.

From the viewpoint of imparting a well-balanced feeling of a malt-taste or hop-taste beverage and a refreshing aftertaste that is typical of a malt-taste or hop-taste beverage, in the soft drink of one embodiment of the present invention, the content of tartaric acid is Based on the total amount (100% by mass) of the beverage, preferably less than 300 mass ppm, more preferably 200 mass ppm or less, even more preferably 100 mass ppm or less, even more preferably 50 mass ppm or less, still more preferably 30 mass ppm Below, more preferably 20 mass ppm or less, particularly preferably 10 mass ppm or less, 0 mass ppm or more, 0.01 mass ppm or more, 0.1 mass ppm or more, 0.5 mass ppm or more, 1 0 mass ppm or more, 2.0 mass ppm or more, 3.0 mass ppm or more, 4.0 mass ppm or more, or 5.0 mass ppm or more.

From the viewpoint of imparting a well-balanced feel of a malt-taste or hop-taste beverage and a refreshing aftertaste that is typical of a malt-taste or hop-taste beverage, in the soft drink of one embodiment of the present invention, the phosphoric acid content is Based on the total amount (100 mass%) of the soft drink, preferably less than 300 mass ppm, more preferably 200 mass ppm or less, even more preferably 100 mass ppm or less, even more preferably 50 mass ppm or less, still more preferably 30 mass ppm Mass ppm or less, more preferably 20 mass ppm or less, particularly preferably 10 mass ppm or less, and 0 mass ppm or more, 0.01 mass ppm or more, 0.1 mass ppm or more, 0.5 mass ppm or more , 1.0 mass ppm or more, 2.0 mass ppm or more, 3.0 mass ppm or more, 4.0 mass ppm or more, or 5.0 mass ppm or more.

As used herein, the contents of ascorbic acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid, and phosphoric acid in soft drinks can be measured by high performance liquid chromatography.
In this specification, the content of sucralose and acesulfame potassium in soft drinks can also be measured by high performance liquid chromatography.

Calorie content of the soft drink of one aspect of the present invention is preferably less than 5 kcal per 100 mL. By making such a low-calorie beverage, it is possible to provide a beverage that is easily acceptable to health-conscious consumers. The calorie can be controlled by adjusting the blending composition, blending amount, etc. of raw materials (eg, grains such as malt, barley, hops, etc.).
In addition, the calories of soft drinks are calculated by adding the energy conversion factors of each component (protein: 4 kcal/g, fat: 9 kcal/g, sugar: 4 kcal/g, dietary fiber: 2 kcal/g , alcohol: 7 kcal/g, organic acid: 3 kcal/g).

The pH of the soft drink of one embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably less than 4.0. 0 or more.

The total extract amount of the soft drink of one embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 1.5% by weight or less, more preferably 1.1% by weight, from the viewpoint of making the beverage imparted with a light mouthfeel. Below, more preferably 0.80% by weight or less, still more preferably less than 0.50% by weight.
It should be noted that the "total extract amount" in this specification is a revised BCOJ beer analysis method edited by the Beer Brewers Association International Technical Committee (BCOJ) for degassed samples (published by the Brewing Association of Japan, expanded and revised in 2013). "Beer Analysis Method 7.2 Extract" means the extract value (% by mass) measured in accordance with

The color of the soft drink of one embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited. good too. The color of the beverage can be determined with the naked eye, but it may also be defined by total light transmittance, chromaticity, or the like.

The soft drink of one embodiment of the present invention may be in any form as long as the beverage is packed in a container, and examples of the container include bottles, PET bottles, cans, and barrels. cans, bottles, or PET bottles are preferable.

1.1 Raw Materials Water and malt may or may not be used as the main raw materials of soft drinks such as malt-taste beverages and hop-taste beverages of one embodiment of the present invention. Furthermore, hops may be used, and preservatives, sweeteners, water-soluble dietary fibers, bittering agents or bitterness-imparting agents, antioxidants, flavors, acidulants, salts, and the like may also be used.

When malt is used as a raw material, the malt refers to germinated seeds of barley, wheat, rye, oats, oats, pigeons, oats, etc., dried, and rooted. Any variety may be used.
In one aspect of the present invention, the malt to be used is preferably malted barley. Barley malt is one of the most commonly used malts as an ingredient in Japanese malt-taste and hop-taste beverages. There are two kinds of barley, such as two-rowed barley and six-rowed barley, and any of them may be used. In addition to normal malt, colored malt can also be used. When using colored malt, different types of colored malt may be appropriately combined and used, or one type of colored malt may be used.

Grains other than malt may also be used together with malt.
Examples of such grains include wheat (barley, wheat, rye, oats, oats, pigeons, oats, etc.) that do not fall under malt, rice (polished rice, brown rice, etc.), corn, koryan, potato, etc. , beans (soybeans, peas, etc.), buckwheat, sorghum, millet, barley, and starches obtained therefrom, extracts thereof (malt extract, etc.).
In one aspect of the present invention, it is preferred to use malt extract as the raw material. In the present invention, "malt extract" means a concentrated extract obtained by saccharifying barley (preferably malt).

In addition, when malt is not used, liquid sugar containing a carbon source, and soft drinks using a nitrogen source as an amino acid-containing material (for example, soybean protein, etc.) other than malt, such as the above-mentioned grains, can be mentioned.

Examples of forms of hops used in one aspect of the present invention include pellet hops, powdered hops, hop extracts, and the like. As the hops to be used, processed hops such as isoformed hops and reduced hops may be used.
The amount of hops to be added is appropriately adjusted, but is preferably 0.0001 to 1% by mass relative to the total amount of the beverage.

In addition, soft drinks such as malt-taste beverages and hop-taste beverages using hops as raw materials are beverages containing iso-α acids, which are components derived from hops. The iso-α-acid content of the soft drink using hops may be greater than 0.1 ppm by mass or greater than 1.0 ppm by mass based on the total amount of the soft drink.
On the other hand, the content of iso-α-acids in a hop-free soft drink may be 0.1 mass ppm or less based on the total amount of the soft drink.
In this specification, the content of iso-α acids is described in the revised BCOJ beer analysis method (published by the Brewing Association of Japan, Beer Brewers Association International Technical Committee [Analysis Committee] edited 2013 supplementary revision). It means a value measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analytical method.

The soft drink of one aspect of the present invention may be a drink further containing a preservative.
Preservatives used in one aspect of the present invention include, for example, benzoic acid; benzoates such as sodium benzoate; benzoate esters such as propyl parahydroxybenzoate and butyl parahydroxybenzoate; dimethyl dicarbonate; Moreover, as a preservative, a commercially available preparation such as Strong Samprezer (a mixture of sodium benzoate and butyl benzoate, manufactured by San-Eigen FFI Co., Ltd.) may be used.
These preservatives may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

When a preservative is blended in the soft drink of one aspect of the present invention, the amount of the preservative is preferably 5 to 1200 mass ppm, more preferably 10 to 1100 mass ppm, still more preferably 15 to 1000 mass ppm, Even more preferably 20 to 900 mass ppm.

The soft drink of the present invention contains sucralose and may further contain acesulfame potassium, and may contain other sweeteners in addition to these sweeteners.
Examples of sweeteners include commercially available saccharified solutions obtained by decomposing grain-derived starch with acids or enzymes, sugars such as commercially available starch syrup, sugars of trisaccharides or higher, sugar alcohols, natural sweeteners such as stevia, and artificial sweeteners. mentioned.
These sweeteners may be used alone or in combination of two or more.
The form of these sugars may be liquid such as solution, or solid such as powder.
In addition, there are no particular restrictions on the type of starch raw material grains, the method of purifying starch, and the treatment conditions such as hydrolysis with enzymes or acids. For example, sugars with a higher proportion of maltose may be used by appropriately setting conditions for hydrolysis with an enzyme or acid. In addition, sucrose, fructose, glucose, maltose, trehalose, maltotriose, solutions of these (sugar solutions), and the like can also be used.
In addition to sucralose and acesulfame potassium, artificial sweeteners include aspartame and the like.

The soft drink of one embodiment of the present invention may be a drink further containing dietary fiber such as water-soluble dietary fiber.
Examples of water-soluble dietary fibers include indigestible dextrin, polydextrose, guar gum decomposition products, pectin, glucomannan, alginic acid, laminarin, fucoidin, carrageenan, and the like, from the viewpoint of versatility such as stability and safety. , indigestible dextrin or polydextrose are preferred.
These dietary fibers may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

In soft drinks such as malt-taste beverages and hop-taste beverages according to one embodiment of the present invention, bitterness may be imparted by hops or a hop extract obtained by isolating α-acids. You may use the bittering agent or bitterness imparting agent shown below. Instead of using hops and hop extracts obtained by isolating α-acids, the following bitterness agents or bitterness-imparting agents may be used in place of hops.
Bittering agents or bitterness-imparting agents include, for example, Ganoderma lucidum, Ganoderma lucidum, Ganoderma lucidum, Juniper berry, Sage, Astragalus membranus, Ganoderma lucidum, Bay laurel, Kuwasin, Citrus extract, bittern bitter extract, coffee extract, tea extract, Goya extract, lotus germ extract, aloe vera extract, stonecrop extract, litchi extract, laurel extract, sage extract, caraway extract, naringin, wormwood, wormwood extract and the like.
These bittering agents or bitterness-imparting agents may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The soft drink of one aspect of the present invention may be a drink further containing an antioxidant.
The antioxidant is not particularly limited, and those commonly used as antioxidants in soft drinks can be used, examples of which include ascorbic acid, erythorbic acid, and catechin.
These antioxidants may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The soft drink of one embodiment of the present invention may be a drink further containing a flavor.
Flavors are not particularly limited, and general malt-taste beverage flavors and hop-taste beverage flavors can be used. The malt-taste beverage flavoring is used for flavoring like a malt-taste beverage, and the hop-taste beverage flavoring is used for flavoring like a hop-taste beverage.
Examples of malt-taste beverage flavors and hop-taste beverage flavors include esters and higher alcohols, and specific examples include isoamyl acetate, ethyl acetate, n-propanol, isobutanol, acetaldehyde, ethyl caproate, linalool, and 4-vinyl. guaiacol, isoamylpropionate, 2-methyl-2-pentenoic acid, 4-methyl-3-pentenoic acid and the like.
These perfumes may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The soft drink of one embodiment of the present invention preferably contains lactic acid, but may be a drink that further contains an acidulant other than lactic acid, tartaric acid, and phosphoric acid.
Acidulants other than these are not particularly limited as long as they have a sour taste, and examples thereof include citric acid, gluconic acid, malic acid, phytic acid, acetic acid, succinic acid, gluconodeltalactone, and salts thereof. .

The soft drink of one embodiment of the present invention may be a drink that further contains salts.
Examples of salts include sodium chloride, acidic potassium phosphate, acidic calcium phosphate, ammonium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, calcium sulfate, potassium metabisulfite, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium nitrate, and ammonium sulfate.
These salts may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The soft drink of one embodiment of the present invention may be a drink containing an extract of one or more woods selected from beech, cedar, cherry, apple, and walnut, or may be a drink substantially free of the extract. Beverages that do not contain the extract may also be used.

The soft drink of one embodiment of the present invention may be a beverage containing an extract of a plant belonging to the genus Quercus of the family Fagaceae, a beverage substantially free of the extract, or a beverage free of the extract. .

The soft drink of one embodiment of the present invention may have a spiranthol content of 0.1 mass ppb or more, or may have a spiranthol content of less than 0.1 mass ppb.

1.2 Carbon dioxide The carbon dioxide contained in the soft drink of one embodiment of the present invention may be added by mixing with carbonated water, or may be added directly to the raw material liquid.

The carbon dioxide gas concentration of the soft drink of one embodiment of the present invention is preferably 0.30 (w/w)% or more, more preferably 0.35 (w/w)% or more, and still more preferably 0.40 (w/w)% or more. w)% or more, more preferably 0.42 (w/w)% or more, particularly preferably 0.45 (w/w)% or more, and preferably 0.80 (w/w)% 0.70 (w/w)% or less, more preferably 0.60 (w/w)% or less, even more preferably 0.57 (w/w) or less, particularly preferably 0.55 (w/w)% or less.
In this specification, the carbon dioxide gas concentration is measured by immersing the container containing the target beverage in a water tank at 20°C for 30 minutes or longer while occasionally shaking the beverage to adjust the temperature of the beverage to 20°C, and then measuring the gas volume. It can be measured using an apparatus (eg, GVA-500 (manufactured by Kyoto Electronics Industry Co., Ltd.)).

When the soft drink of ^one embodiment of the present invention is a packaged beverage, the carbon dioxide gas pressure of the packaged beverage may be appropriately adjusted within the above range of the carbon dioxide gas concentration. 0.5 kgf/cm ² or less, or 4.0 kgf/cm ² or less, or 0.20 kgf/cm ² or more, 0.50 kgf/cm ² or more, or 1.0 kgf/cm ² or more. ^Any combination of these upper and ^lower ^limits may be used. cm ² or less, or 1.0 kgf/cm ² or more and 4.0 kgf/cm ² or less.
In the present specification, gas pressure refers to gas pressure within a container, except in special cases.
The pressure is measured by a method well known to those skilled in the art. For example, after fixing a sample heated to 20° C. to a gas pressure gauge, open the stopcock of the gas pressure gauge once to release the gas, close the stopcock again, and can be measured using a method of reading the value when the pointer reaches a certain position by shaking the pointer, or using a commercially available gas pressure measuring device.

1.3 Other Additives Various additives may be added to the soft drink of one embodiment of the present invention as necessary as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired.
Examples of such additives include coloring agents, foaming agents, fermentation promoters, yeast extracts, protein substances such as peptide-containing substances, and seasonings such as amino acids.
A coloring agent is used to give color to a beverage, and caramel pigments and the like can be used. Foam-forming agents are used to form foam in beverages or to retain foam in beverages, and include saponin-based substances extracted from plants such as soybean saponin and quillaja saponin, vegetable proteins such as corn and soybeans, and , peptide-containing substances such as soybean peptides and collagen peptides, yeast extracts, and the like can be used as appropriate.
Fermentation accelerators are used to promote fermentation by yeast. For example, yeast extract, bran ingredients such as rice and wheat, vitamins, minerals, etc. can be used alone or in combination.

2. Method for producing soft drink The method for producing the soft drink of the present invention is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a method comprising the following steps (1) to (3).
- Step (1): Using various raw materials, performing at least one of the saccharification treatment, boiling treatment, and solid content removal treatment to obtain a pre-beverage liquid.
- Process (2): The process of adding a carbon dioxide gas to the said pre-beverage liquid.
- Step (3): A step of adjusting the content of at least one of sucralose and ascorbic acid.
Further, the production method of one embodiment of the present invention may further include the following step (4), if necessary.
- Process (4): The process of adjusting content of acesulfame potassium.
• Step (5): a step of adjusting the content of lactic acid.
Each of the above steps will be described below.

<Step (1)>
Step (1) is a step of obtaining a pre-beverage liquid by subjecting various raw materials to at least one of saccharification treatment, boiling treatment, and solid content removal treatment.
For example, when malt is used as various raw materials, various raw materials including water and malt are put into a preparation pot or a preparation tank, and enzymes such as amylase are added as necessary. As various raw materials other than malt, hops, dietary fiber, sweeteners, antioxidants, bitterness-imparting agents, flavors, acidulants, pigments, and the like may be added.
A mixture of various raw materials is subjected to a saccharification treatment by heating to saccharify the starch of the raw materials. The temperature and time of saccharification treatment are appropriately adjusted depending on the type of malt used, the ratio of malt, water and raw materials other than malt, and the like. After the saccharification treatment, filtration is performed to obtain a saccharified liquid.

The saccharified liquid is preferably subjected to boiling treatment.
When using hops, a bittering agent, etc. as raw materials when performing this boiling treatment, it is preferable to add these. Hops, bittering agents, etc. may be added between the start of boiling of the saccharified liquid and before the end of boiling.
After the boiling treatment is completed, it is preferably transferred to a whirlpool, cooled to 0 to 10° C. to obtain a cooling liquid, and then subjected to a solid content removal treatment to remove solid content such as solidified protein. Thus, a pre-drink liquid is obtained.
Instead of the above saccharified liquid, the pre-beverage liquid may be prepared by adding hot water to the malt extract, adding hops, a bittering agent, etc., and subjecting the mixture to boiling treatment.

In addition, when malt is not used as various raw materials, liquid sugar containing carbon sources, nitrogen sources as amino acid-containing raw materials other than wheat or malt, hops, dietary fiber, sweeteners, antioxidants, bitterness imparting agents , Flavor, acidulant, pigment, etc. may be mixed with hot water to prepare a liquid sugar solution, and the liquid sugar solution may be subjected to boiling treatment to prepare a pre-drink liquid.
When hops are used, they may be added before the boiling process, or may be added between the start of boiling the liquid sugar solution and before the end of boiling.

After step (1), a fermentation step using yeast (top-fermenting yeast or bottom-fermenting yeast) is performed to remove the alcohol generated in the fermentation step, and the alcohol content is reduced to 1 (v / v). % (preferably less than 0.5 (v/v)%, more preferably less than 0.1 (v/v)%, still more preferably less than 0.01 (v/v)%, even more preferably 0. 005 (v/v)%) may be performed to produce a soft drink.
On the other hand, the production method of one embodiment of the present invention may be a method in which the fermentation step and the step of removing alcohol are not performed.

<Step (2)>
Step (2) is a step of adding carbon dioxide gas to the pre-beverage liquid.
As for the method of adding carbon dioxide gas, a known method that is applied in the production of carbonated beverages can be used. Carbon dioxide may be added directly to the pre-beverage solution. Using such a method, the carbon dioxide pressure is preferably adjusted to fall within the range described above.

<Step (3), Step (4), Step (5)>
Step (3) is the step of adjusting the content of at least one of sucralose and ascorbic acid, step (4) is the step of adjusting the content of acesulfame potassium, and step (5) is the step of adjusting the content of lactic acid. It is a process to do.
Steps (3) to (5) may be performed before or after the saccharification treatment of step (1), before or after the boiling treatment, and before or after the solid content removal treatment, and after the completion of step (1). It may be performed before or after step (2). However, from the viewpoint of accurately adjusting the content in the finally produced beverage, it is preferable to carry out after the step (1) and before the start of the step (2).
The order of steps (3) to (5) is not particularly limited, and either step may be performed first. Steps (3) to (5) may be carried out continuously or simultaneously, or may be carried out with other steps interposed therebetween.

In step (3), the content of either sucralose or ascorbic acid may be adjusted, or the content of both sucralose and ascorbic acid may be adjusted.
In step (3), sucralose obtained by adding one or more selected from the group consisting of sucralose, ascorbic acid, a sucralose-containing additive, and an ascorbic acid-containing additive to the beverage before preparation, or in a preparation process or a fermentation process and the amount of ascorbic acid may be adjusted to adjust the amount of sucralose and ascorbic acid in the soft drink.
In addition, after measuring the content of sucralose and ascorbic acid in the beverage before adjustment, based on the measured value, add sucralose and / or ascorbic acid, or add water or carbonated water to dilute, sucralose and You may adjust so that content of ascorbic acid may be in a predetermined range. When the contents of sucralose and ascorbic acid are already within the desired ranges, the addition of sucralose, ascorbic acid, etc. and the dilution by adding water or carbonated water in this step are unnecessary.

As in step (3), also in step (4), acesulfame potassium may be added to the beverage before preparation to adjust the content of acesulfame potassium.
Also in step (5), similarly to step (3), lactic acid may be added to the beverage before preparation to adjust the content of lactic acid. In addition, after measuring the content of lactic acid in the beverage before adjustment, the content of lactic acid is added or diluted with water based on the measured value so that the content of lactic acid is within a predetermined range. You can adjust as follows. If the content is already within the desired range due to the presence of lactic acid derived from raw materials in the beverage before preparation, the addition of lactic acid in this step and the addition of water for dilution are unnecessary. .

After these steps, steps known to those skilled in the art in the production of soft drinks, such as a storage step and a filtration step, may be performed.

The soft drink of one embodiment of the present invention thus obtained is filled in a predetermined container and distributed on the market as a product.
The method for packing the beverage into a container is not particularly limited, and a container packing method known to those skilled in the art can be used. The soft drink of the present invention is filled and sealed in a container by the container filling step. A container of any shape and material may be used in the container filling step, and examples of the container are as described above.

3. Soft Drink Concentrate and Production Method Thereof The soft drink of one preferred embodiment of the present invention can be obtained by diluting a soft drink concentrate. Further, the malt-taste beverage of one preferred aspect of the present invention can be obtained by diluting the malt-taste beverage concentrate, and the hop-taste beverage of one preferred aspect of the present invention is obtained by diluting the hop-taste beverage concentrate. can be obtained. Soft drink concentrates can be diluted with water or carbonated water. The dilution ratio for diluting the soft drink concentrate of the present invention may be appropriately set according to the preference of the drinker, but is preferably 1.1 times or more and 10 times or less based on the volume ratio. Specifically, for example, a 2-fold dilution ratio based on volume ratio refers to adding 1 volume of dilution medium to 1 volume of soft drink concentrate. In this specification, dilution ratios are based on volume ratios.
Soft drink concentrates can be produced similarly to soft drinks. Specifically, it is possible to produce a concentrated soft drink solution with an improved concentration according to the dilution ratio.
The content of sucralose in the soft drink concentrate of one preferred aspect of the present invention is preferably 0.1 to 45 mass ppm, more preferably 0.5 to 40 mass ppm, still more preferably 1.0 to 30 mass ppm. ppm, more preferably 2.0 to 20 mass ppm, particularly preferably 3.0 to 10 mass ppm. The content of ascorbic acid in the soft drink concentrate of one preferred aspect of the present invention is preferably 70 to 1,900 ppm by mass, more preferably 90 to 1,700 ppm by mass, and still more preferably 110 to 1,500 ppm by mass. , Still more preferably 150 to 1300 mass ppm, more preferably 190 to 1000 mass ppm, and particularly preferably 230 to 700 mass ppm.

The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited by these examples.

[Preparation of original drink]
Water, malt and hops were used as raw materials, and carbon dioxide gas was added to prepare an original beverage. No fermentation step using yeast was performed in the preparation of the original beverage. The original beverage obtained had a carbon dioxide pressure of 1.8 kgf/cm ² , a pH of 3.6, an alcohol content of 0.0 (v/v)%, and a Brix of 0.6.

[Example/Comparative example]
Sucralose, ascorbic acid, lactic acid and acesulfame potassium were added to the raw beverage thus obtained so as to have the contents shown in Table 1. The beverages prepared in Examples and Comparative Examples were each adjusted to have a tartaric acid content of less than 300 mass ppm and a phosphoric acid content of 300 mass ppm. The calories per 100 mL of the beverages prepared in Examples and Comparative Examples were both less than 5 kcal.

Then, with regard to the obtained malt-taste beverages, six panelists who had been trained on a daily basis evaluated the "drinking response typical of malt-taste beverages," "clear aftertaste typical of malt-taste beverages," and "bitter aftertaste typical of malt-taste beverages." ”, based on the following score criteria, a sensory evaluation was performed with scores ranging from 5.0 (maximum value) to 1.0 (minimum value) in increments of 0.5. "3.0" was made the most excellent evaluation in each evaluation item. For evaluation, samples that meet the following criteria "5.0", "4.0", "3.0", "2.0", and "1.0" are prepared in advance, and each panelist Standards were standardized. In addition, in any of the sensory evaluations in Table 1, no difference in score value of 1.5 or more was confirmed between the panelists for the same beverage. Table 1 lists the average score of each panelist.

[Score criteria for malt-taste-like drinkability]
- "5.0": Feels quite strong to drink like a malt-taste beverage.
- "4.0": A slightly strong feeling of a malt-taste drink.
- "3.0": Moderately good feeling of a malt-taste beverage.
- "2.0": A good feeling of drinking that seems to be a malt-taste beverage can be felt to some extent.
· “1.0”: A good feeling of drinking that is typical of malt-taste beverages is not felt.
[Score criteria for refreshing aftertaste typical of malt-taste beverages]
- "5.0": The refreshing feeling of the malt-taste beverage is felt quite strongly.
- "4.0": The refreshing feeling of the malt-taste beverage is slightly strong.
- "3.0": Moderate refreshing feeling typical of malt-taste beverages.
- "2.0": Refreshing feeling typical of malt-taste beverages can be felt to some extent.
- "1.0": A refreshing feeling typical of malt-taste beverages is not felt.
[Score criteria for bitterness of aftertaste typical of malt-taste beverages]
- "5.0": The bitter aftertaste of the malt-taste beverage is felt quite strongly.
- "4.0": The aftertaste of a malt-taste beverage is felt to be slightly strong.
- "3.0": Moderate bitterness of a good aftertaste typical of malt-taste beverages.
- "2.0": A good bitter aftertaste typical of malt-taste beverages can be sensed to some extent.
・“1.0”: A good bitter aftertaste typical of malt-taste beverages is not felt.

In addition, from the average score of each panelist for the above three sensory evaluation items, each malt-taste beverage was comprehensively evaluated according to the following evaluation criteria. The results were as shown in Table 1.
[Comprehensive evaluation]
・ “A”: The average score of each panelist for the three sensory evaluation items of “refreshing aftertaste like a malt taste drink”, “drinking response like a malt taste drink”, and “bitter aftertaste like a malt taste drink”. 2.5 or more and 3.5 or less.
・ “B”: The average score of each panelist for the three sensory evaluation items of “refreshing aftertaste like a malt taste drink”, “drinking response like a malt taste drink”, and “bitter aftertaste like a malt taste drink”. It is 2.0 or more and 4.0 or less, and does not correspond to "A".
- "C": Neither "A" nor "B" applies.

As can be seen from Table 1, the malt-taste beverages of Examples 1 to 13 had moderate chewiness and a refreshing feeling typical of malt-taste beverages, and had a good bitter aftertaste. From the results of Comparative Examples 1 to 4, beverages with a low ascorbic acid content tend to have a low refreshing aftertaste that is typical of malt-taste beverages, and from the results of Comparative Example 7, beverages with a high ascorbic acid content , the refreshing feeling of the aftertaste typical of malt-taste beverages was too strong, and the bitterness of the aftertaste typical of malt-taste beverages was felt weak. In addition, from the results of Comparative Examples 5 and 6, and Examples 4 and 6, when the sucralose content is low, the malt-taste beverage-like drinkability tends to be low, and when the sucralose content is high, the malt-taste beverage-like aftertaste. There was a tendency for the bitterness to be too strong.

Claims

The content of sucralose is 0.1 to 4.5 mass ppm,
The content of ascorbic acid is 70 to 190 mass ppm,
Soft drink.
2. The content ratio of the sucralose content (unit: mass ppm) and the ascorbic acid content (unit: mass ppm) [sucralose/ascorbic acid] is 0.005 to 0.04. soft drink.
The soft drink according to claim 1 or 2, further containing acesulfame potassium.
The soft drink according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further containing lactic acid.
The soft drink according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the content of tartaric acid is less than 300 mass ppm.
The soft drink according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the phosphoric acid content is less than 300 mass ppm.
The soft drink according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which is a drink using malt extract as a raw material.
The soft drink according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the soft drink has less than 5 kcal per 100 mL.
The soft drink according to any one of claims 1 to 8, which is a packaged drink.
The soft drink according to claim 9, wherein the packaged beverage has a carbon dioxide pressure of 0.20 kgf/cm 2 or more and 5.0 kgf/cm 2 or less.
A soft drink concentrate for producing a soft drink according to any one of claims 1 to 10, which is obtained by dilution at a dilution ratio of 1.1 times or more and 10 times or less.
The concentrate according to claim 11, which is diluted with water or carbonated water.
The concentrate according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the content of sucralose is 0.1 to 45 ppm by mass and the content of ascorbic acid is 70 to 1900 ppm by mass.
The beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the soft drink is a malt-taste beverage or a hop-taste beverage.
A concentrate according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the soft drink concentrate is a malt-tasting beverage concentrate or a hop-tasting beverage concentrate.