JP7580102B2 - Beverage flavor improver - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a beverage flavor improver that improves the flavor of a beverage.

In recent years, with the rise in health consciousness, there has been an increasing demand for beer-flavored beverages with an alcohol concentration of less than 1%, as well as beer-flavored low-alcohol beverages with an alcohol concentration of 1-10 v/v%, which are low in sugar and purine content. In addition to beer-flavored beverages, there is also an increasing demand for low-alcohol beverages containing liqueurs in a variety of flavors, including citrus flavors, which are low in sugar and purine content. Companies are making efforts every day to realize such beverages that are more satisfying to drink and have a more natural flavor.

JP 2014-168465 A

However, beer-flavored beverages with an alcohol concentration of less than 1%, beer-flavored low-alcohol beverages with an alcohol concentration of 1 to 10 v/v%, and liqueur-containing low-alcohol beverages with low sugar content or low purine content tend to be problematic in that they tend to leave a feeling of lack of satisfying taste, particularly in terms of body.

In addition, in order to reduce the sugar and purine content, it is necessary to reduce the amount of ingredients used, which means that the bitterness derived from the hops used in beer-flavored beverages and beer-flavored low-alcohol beverages is weakened, while the bitterness becomes unnatural when bittering agents are used. In beer-flavored low-alcohol beverages, the bitterness derived from alcohol is further added, which also creates the problem of an unnatural bitterness.

These issues also apply to low-alcohol beverages containing citrus-flavored liqueurs, which also contain bitter ingredients, and there is a demand for a balance between full-bodiedness and a natural bitterness.

Therefore, the means for solving the above problems are as follows.
[1] A flavor improving agent for beverages, comprising D-aspartic acid, D-glutamic acid, and D-allo-isoleucine.
[2] The flavor improving agent for a beverage according to [1], further comprising a fermentation product obtained by fermentation with lactic acid bacteria.
[3] The flavor improving agent for beverages according to [1] or [2], characterized in that the D-aspartic acid, D-glutamic acid, and D-allo-isoleucine are produced by fermentation treatment with lactic acid bacteria.
[4] The flavor improving agent for a beverage according to [2] or [3], wherein the lactic acid bacterium is selected from the genus Lactobacillus.
[5] The flavor improving agent for beverages according to [4], wherein the lactic acid bacterium is selected from Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus buchneri, and Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis.
[6] The flavor improving agent for beverages according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the improved flavor is full-bodied flavor.
[7] The flavor improving agent for beverages according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the improved flavor is a balance of taste due to an increase in body and bitterness.
[8] A beer-flavored beverage comprising the beverage flavor improving agent according to any one of [1] to [7].
[9] A citrus-flavored beverage comprising the beverage flavor improving agent according to any one of [1] to [7].
[10] A low-alcohol beverage comprising the beverage flavor improving agent according to any one of [1] to [7].
[11] A method for producing a flavor improving agent for a beverage, comprising fermenting a fermentation target with lactic acid bacteria to produce a fermented product, and simultaneously producing D-aspartic acid, D-glutamic acid, and D-allo-isoleucine by the fermentation process, and mixing the D-aspartic acid, D-glutamic acid, and D-allo-isoleucine with the fermented product at the same time as they are produced.
[12] A method for improving the flavor of a beverage, comprising adding 0.009 ppm or more of D-aspartic acid, 0.029 ppm or more of D-glutamic acid, and 0.004 ppm or more of D-allo-isoleucine to the beverage.

Here, a beer-flavored beverage refers to a beverage with an alcohol concentration of less than 1 v/v% that has a beer-like taste. Also, a low-alcohol beverage refers to a beer-flavored low-alcohol beverage with an alcohol concentration of 1 v/v% or more but less than 10 v/v%, or a low-alcohol beverage containing liqueurs.

Lactic acid bacteria used in the fermentation treatment of the present invention include Lactobacillus brevis (Lb. brevis), Lactobacillus acidophilus (Lb. acidophilus), Lactobacillus casei (Lb. casei), Lactobacillus paracasei (Lb. paracasei), Lactobacillus reuteri (Lb. reuteri), Lactobacillus fermentum (Lb. fermentum), Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (Lb. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus), Lactobacillus plantarum (Lb. plantarum), Lactobacillus buchneri (Lb. buchneri), Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis (Lb. sanfranciscensis), Lactobacillus mali (Lb. mali), etc., and one or more selected from these can be used.

As strains of the above-mentioned species, Lactobacillus brevis includes strains such as Lactobacillus brevis JCM1059, Lactobacillus paracasei includes strains such as Lactobacillus paracasei JCM20315, Lactobacillus reuteri includes strains such as Lactobacillus reuteri JCM1112, Lactobacillus fermentum includes strains such as Lactobacillus fermentum JCM1137, and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus includes strains such as Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus JCM1002. Examples of Lactobacillus plantarum include strains such as Lactobacillus plantarum JCM1149, and examples of Lactobacillus buchneri include strains such as Lactobacillus buchneri JCM1115. Examples of Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis include strains such as Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis JCM5668, and examples of Lactobacillus mali include strains such as Lactobacillus mali JCM1116. The above strains can be obtained from public microbial preservation institutions in Japan and abroad, such as the Biological Genetic Resources Division of the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation and the RIKEN BioResource Center.

By adding the beverage flavor improver according to the present invention to beer-flavored beverages and low-alcohol beverages, the full body of the beverages can be enhanced. Furthermore, the flavor of the beverage can be improved in all areas, including full body, bitterness, sharpness, and taste balance, improving the overall sensory evaluation of the beverage while also adding a satisfying taste and natural bitterness.

In particular, when a beverage is prepared by adding the beverage flavor improving agent according to the present invention, the balance between body, bitterness, and taste can be clearly improved. This allows beer-flavored beverages and low-alcohol beverages to have both a satisfying drinkability and a natural bitterness.

Fermentation subject: lactic acid bacteria liquid, Blank 1: Blank 1 for non-alcoholic beer, Examples 5-1 to 5-5, and Comparative Example 5. 1 is a graph showing the results of sensory evaluation of blank 1, example 6, and comparison example 6 for fermentation subject: rice extract, blank 1: non-alcoholic beer. 1 is a graph showing the results of sensory evaluation of Blank 1, Example 7, and Comparative Example 7 for fermentation subject: malt extract, Blank 1: non-alcoholic beer. This is a graph showing the results of sensory evaluation of Blank 1, Example 8, and Comparative Example 8 for fermentation subject: white grape extract, Blank 1: non-alcoholic beer. 1 is a graph showing the results of sensory evaluation of blank 2 for fermentation target: rice extract, blank 2 for low-malt beer, Example 9, and Comparative Example 9. 1 is a graph showing the results of sensory evaluation of fermentation target: malt extract, blank 2: blank 2 for happoshu, Example 10, and Comparative Example 10. Fermentation subject: lactic acid bacteria liquid, Blank 3: Blank 3 for non-alcoholic RTD, Examples 11-1 to 11-5, and Comparative Example 11. Fermentation subject: rice extract, Blank 3: graph showing the results of sensory evaluation of Blank 3, Example 12, and Comparative Example 12 for non-alcoholic RTD. Fermentation subject: malt extract, Blank 3: non-alcoholic RTD. Blank 3, Example 13, and Comparative Example 13 are shown in the graph below. Fermentation subject: white grape extract, Blank 3: graph showing the results of sensory evaluation of Blank 3, Example 14, and Comparative Example 14 for non-alcoholic RTD. Fermentation subject: rice extract, Blank 4: A graph showing the results of sensory evaluation of Blank 4, Example 15, and Comparative Example 15 for low-alcohol RTD. Fermentation subject: malt extract, Blank 4: low-alcohol RTD. This is a graph showing the results of sensory evaluation of Blank 4, Example 16, and Comparative Example 16. Fermentation subject: white grape extract, Blank 4: graph showing the results of sensory evaluation of Blank 4, Example 17, and Comparative Example 17 for low-alcohol RTD.

<Example of preparation of lactic acid bacteria starter>
A culture medium consisting of 96 parts by weight of water, 2 parts by weight of yeast extract (powder), and 2 parts by weight of glucose was prepared, and the culture medium was sterilized at 121° C. for 15 minutes and then cooled to 37° C. Next, 0.02 parts by weight of Lactobacillus reuteri (Lb. reuteri) JCM1112 strain was inoculated into the cooled culture medium, and the fermented product was cultured at 37° C. for 20 hours to obtain a JCM1112 starter.

A culture medium consisting of 96 parts by weight of water, 2 parts by weight of yeast extract (powder), and 2 parts by weight of glucose was prepared, sterilized at 121°C for 15 minutes, and then cooled to 37°C. Next, 0.02 parts by weight of Lactobacillus paracasei (Lb. paracasei) JCM20315 strain was inoculated into the cooled culture medium, and the fermented product was cultured at 37°C for 20 hours to obtain the JCM20315 starter.

A culture medium consisting of 96 parts by weight of water, 2 parts by weight of yeast extract (powder), and 2 parts by weight of glucose was prepared, sterilized at 121°C for 15 minutes, and then cooled to 30°C. Next, 0.02 parts by weight of Lactobacillus buchneri (Lb. buchneri) JCM1115 strain was inoculated into the cooled culture medium, and the fermented product was cultured at 30°C for 20 hours to prepare the JCM1115 starter.

A culture medium consisting of 96 parts by weight of water, 2 parts by weight of yeast extract (powder), and 2 parts by weight of glucose was prepared, sterilized at 121°C for 15 minutes, and then cooled to 30°C. Next, 0.02 parts by weight of Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis JCM5668 strain was inoculated into the cooled culture medium, and the fermented product was cultured at 30°C for 20 hours to obtain the JCM5668 starter.

Example 1-1: Preparation of lactic acid bacteria fermentation liquid
2 parts by weight of glucose, 2 parts by weight of yeast extract (powder), 94.79 parts by weight of water, 0.2 parts by weight of sodium L-aspartate, 0.2 parts by weight of sodium L-glutamate, and 0.05 parts by weight of L-isoleucine were mixed and sterilized in a hot water bath at 90° C. for 1 minute, and then cooled to 37° C. The cooled raw material mixture was inoculated with 1 part by weight of the JCM1112 starter prepared above, and fermented at 37° C. for 24 hours. The fermentation was stopped by heating at 80° C. for 1 minute, and the resulting fermented product was designated Example 1-1.

Example 1-2: Preparation of lactic acid bacteria fermentation liquid
2 parts by weight of glucose, 2 parts by weight of yeast extract (powder), 94.79 parts by weight of water, 0.2 parts by weight of sodium L-aspartate, 0.2 parts by weight of sodium L-glutamate, and 0.05 parts by weight of L-isoleucine were mixed and sterilized in a hot water bath at 90° C. for 1 minute, and then cooled to 37° C. The cooled raw material mixture was inoculated with 1 part by weight of the JCM20315 starter prepared above, and fermented at 37° C. for 24 hours. The fermentation was stopped by heating at 80° C. for 1 minute, and the resulting fermented product was designated Example 1-2.

<Example 1-3: Preparation of lactic acid bacteria fermentation liquid>
2 parts by weight of glucose, 2 parts by weight of yeast extract (powder), 94.79 parts by weight of water, 0.2 parts by weight of sodium L-aspartate, 0.2 parts by weight of sodium L-glutamate, and 0.05 parts by weight of L-isoleucine were mixed and sterilized in a hot water bath at 90° C. for 1 minute, and then cooled to 37° C. The cooled raw material mixture was inoculated with 1 part by weight of the JCM1115 starter prepared above, and fermented at 30° C. for 24 hours. The fermentation was stopped by heating at 80° C. for 1 minute, and the resulting fermented product was designated Example 1-3.

<Example 1-4: Preparation of lactic acid bacteria fermentation liquid>
2 parts by weight of glucose, 2 parts by weight of yeast extract (powder), 94.79 parts by weight of water, 0.2 parts by weight of sodium L-aspartate, 0.2 parts by weight of sodium L-glutamate, and 0.05 parts by weight of L-isoleucine were mixed and sterilized in a hot water bath at 90° C. for 1 minute, and then cooled to 37° C. The cooled raw material mixture was inoculated with 1 part by weight of the JCM5668 starter prepared above, and fermented at 30° C. for 24 hours. The fermentation was stopped by heating at 80° C. for 1 minute, and the resulting fermented product was designated Example 1-4.

Example 1-5: Preparation of D-amino acid-added lactic acid bacteria unfermented liquid
The JCM1112 starter in Example 1-1 was replaced with water, and the same operations were carried out except for the lactic acid bacteria fermentation process. Furthermore, D-aspartic acid, D-glutamic acid, and D-allo-isoleucine were added to the same concentrations as in Example 1-1, and a D-amino acid-added unfermented liquid was prepared as Example 1-5.

Comparative Example 1: Preparation of Unfermented Lactic Acid Bacteria Liquid
An unfermented liquid was prepared as Comparative Example 1 by replacing the JCM1112 starter with water and carrying out the same operations as in Example 1-1 except for the lactic acid bacteria fermentation step.

Example 2: Preparation of fermented rice extract
15 parts by weight of rice flour was mixed with 83.8 parts by weight of water, 0.1 parts by weight of sodium L-aspartate, 0.1 parts by weight of sodium L-glutamate, and 0.05 parts by weight of L-isoleucine, and 0.01 parts by weight of amylase was added to decompose the starch, and then the mixture was sterilized in a hot water bath at 90°C for 1 minute and then cooled to 37°C (the product prepared in this process is sometimes called the rice extract to be fermented). 1 part by weight of the JCM1112 starter prepared above was inoculated into the cooled raw material mixture and fermented at 37°C for 24 hours. After fermentation, the lactic acid bacteria were sterilized by heating and the solid matter was removed by centrifugation, which was used as Example 2.

Comparative Example 2: Preparation of Unfermented Rice Extract
In "Example 2: Preparation of fermented rice extract," the JCM1112 starter was replaced with water, and the same operations were carried out except for the lactic acid bacteria fermentation step, to prepare an unfermented rice extract as Comparative Example 2.

Example 3: Preparation of fermented malt extract
25 parts by weight of malt extract was mixed with 71.8 parts by weight of water, 0.1 parts by weight of sodium L-aspartate, 0.1 parts by weight of sodium L-glutamate, and 0.05 parts by weight of L-isoleucine, sterilized in a hot water bath at 90°C for 1 minute, and then cooled to 37°C (the product prepared by the steps up to this point is sometimes called malt extract as a fermentation target). 3 parts by weight of the JCM1112 starter prepared above was inoculated into the cooled raw material mixture, and fermented at 37°C for 24 hours. The fermentation was stopped by heating at 80°C for 1 minute. After cooling to 10°C or less, the mixture was clarified by centrifugation to prepare fermented malt extract, and the resulting fermented product was designated as Example 3.

Comparative Example 3: Preparation of Unfermented Malt Extract
An unfermented malt extract was prepared as Comparative Example 3 by replacing the JCM1112 starter with water and carrying out the same operations as in "Example 3: Method for preparing fermented malt extract" except for the lactic acid bacteria fermentation step.

Example 4: Preparation of fermented white grape extract
25 parts by weight of Chardonnay clear juice was mixed with 71.8 parts by weight of water, 0.1 parts by weight of sodium L-aspartate, 0.1 parts by weight of sodium L-glutamate, and 0.05 parts by weight of L-isoleucine, sterilized in a hot water bath at 90°C for 1 minute, and then cooled to 37°C (the product prepared by the steps up to this point is sometimes called white grape extract as a fermentation target.) The cooled raw material mixture was inoculated with 3 parts by weight of the JCM1112 starter prepared above, and fermented at 37°C for 24 hours. The resulting fermented product was designated Example 4.

Comparative Example 4: Preparation of Unfermented White Grape Extract
In the above "Example 4: Production example of fermented white grape extract", the JCM1112 starter was replaced with water, and the same operations were carried out except for the lactic acid bacteria fermentation step, to prepare an unfermented white grape extract as Comparative Example 4.

<Measurement of D-amino acid content>
The contents of D-aspartic acid (D-Asp), L-aspartic acid (L-Asp), D-glutamic acid (D-Glu), L-glutamic acid (L-Glu), D-allo-isoleucine (D-alle), and L-isoleucine (L-Ile) in Examples 1-1 to 1-5 (lactic acid bacteria fermentation liquid), Example 2 (fermented rice extract), Example 3 (fermented malt extract), and Example 4 (fermented white grape extract), as well as Comparative Examples 1 to 4, were measured by amino acid quantitative analysis using the ortho-phthalaldehyde/N-acetyl-L-cysteine chiral derivatization method (OPA-NAC chiral derivatization method) shown below.

First, two volumes of methanol were added to the liquid fermented product of each Example, and the product was stirred and centrifuged to obtain a supernatant, which was then diluted three-fold with distilled water to prepare a sample for chiral derivatization. Depending on the amount of amino acids contained in the fermented product, the supernatant can be used directly or diluted two to five-fold with distilled water to prepare a sample for chiral derivatization.

Chiral derivatization procedure
To 60 μl of the sample for chiral derivatization, 40 μl of 1% aqueous sodium tetraborate solution, 20 μl of 1% aqueous N-acetyl-L-cysteine solution, and 20 μl of 1.6% methanol solution of ortho-phthalaldehyde were added, and the mixture was filtered through a 0.45 μm cellulose acetate membrane filter (manufactured by Advantec Co., Ltd.) to obtain a chiral derivatization treatment solution. The chiral derivatization treatment solution was used as an analytical sample and subjected to amino acid analysis by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC, manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation, detection limit: 0.5 ppm).

The analytical conditions for amino acid analysis by HPLC using the chiral derivatization solution as the analytical sample were as shown in Table 1 below. The analytical results are shown in Table 2.

As can be seen from Table 2, the contents of D-aspartic acid, D-glutamic acid, and D-allo-isoleucine in the unfermented Comparative Example 1 and Comparative Examples 2 to 4 were lower than the HPLC detection limit of 0.5 ppm, whereas high concentrations of D-aspartic acid, D-glutamic acid, and D-allo-isoleucine were detected in the fermented products fermented with lactic acid bacteria in Examples 1-1 to 1-5 and Examples 2 to 4. It was also confirmed that Example 1-5 contained almost the same concentrations of D-aspartic acid, D-glutamic acid, and D-allo-isoleucine as Example 1-1 in the unfermented state. From the results in Table 2, it was possible to produce high concentrations of D-aspartic acid, D-glutamic acid, and D-allo-isoleucine by fermentation, which were almost absent before the fermentation treatment, and to produce a flavor improver for beverages that was mixed into the fermented product at the same time as the production.

<Sensory test of beverages containing flavor improvers>

A sensory test was conducted on the taste of the beer-flavored beverages and low-alcohol beverages to which the beverage flavor improving agents according to Examples 1-1 to 1-5 and Examples 2 to 4 were added, while comparing the taste of the beer-flavored beverages and low-alcohol beverages to which the beverage flavor improving agents according to Comparative Example 1 and Comparative Examples 2 to 4 were added.

Tables 3 and 4 show the list of the formulas for the evaluation test plots that were the subject of the sensory test. In Tables 3 and 4, 0.1 parts by weight of any of the beverage flavor improvers according to Examples 1-1 to 1-5 and Examples 2 to 4, and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 to 4, was added to 100 parts by weight of a blank beer-flavored beverage or low-alcohol beverage to prepare the beverages.

Each evaluation test was subjected to a sensory evaluation test. Specifically, five well-trained panelists (n=5) who evaluate everyday beverages tasted the beverages and scored them on body, bitterness, sharpness of flavor, flavor balance, and overall evaluation, and the average of the scores given by the five panelists was used as the evaluation score. The evaluation scores were set at a uniform score of 2.0 for each item of the target beer-flavored beverage and the low-alcohol beverage itself (blank), and the scores were given as "1, 2, 3, 4, 5" based on this 2.0 point standard, with higher scores being given for each item in each comparative example and example that was rated as good.

The body described in this invention is not a term that is expressed solely by a single aroma or a simple taste such as umami or kokumi, but rather is a term that describes the texture that comes from the complexity of various aromas and flavors. In beverages, "body" is sometimes used as a term to describe the texture of wine, for example. It is known that wine is contributed to by a complex taste and aroma that combines the alcohol content, tannins, and aroma derived from the grapes used in winemaking, as well as the aroma of the barrels used for storage.

The sensory evaluation was conducted based on the above evaluation criteria, and the results of each evaluation test plot are shown in Tables 5 to 17.

Table 5 and Figure 1 show the results of sensory evaluations of blanks for beer-flavored beverages, in which non-alcoholic beer (All Free (registered trademark) manufactured by Suntory Holdings Limited) was used as a blank for the beer-flavored beverage (hereinafter referred to as Blank 1) was set to 2.0 for the above-mentioned evaluation items. Blank 1 was then added with the lactic acid bacteria fermentation liquids of Examples 1-1 to 1-4, which were prepared according to the recipes in Table 3 to give Examples 5-1 to 5-4, and Blank 1 was then added with the lactic acid bacteria unfermented liquids of Examples 1-5 and Comparative Example 1, which were prepared according to the recipes in Table 3 to give Examples 5-5 and Comparative Example 5.

From the results in Table 5, Examples 5-1 to 5-5 exceeded the evaluation score of 2.0 for Blank 1, which was the evaluation standard, in all evaluation items, and obtained results equal to or greater than those of Comparative Example 5-1. Here, when comparing Comparative Example 5 and Example 5-5, Example 5-5 exceeded Comparative Example 5 in all evaluation items, indicating that the addition of D-aspartic acid, D-glutamic acid, and D-allo-isoleucine improved the sensory evaluation results. Furthermore, when comparing Example 5-5 and Example 5-1, Example 5-1 obtained results that exceeded those of Example 5-5 in all evaluation items. Since Examples 5-5 and 5-1 contain approximately the same amounts of D-aspartic acid, D-glutamic acid, and D-allo-isoleucine, it was shown that the evaluation results were further improved by the addition of fermentation products other than D-amino acids.

Table 6 and Figure 2 show the results of sensory evaluation when the evaluation item of Blank 1 was set to 2.0. Example 6 was prepared by adding the fermented rice extract of Example 2 to Blank 1 according to the recipe in Table 3, and Comparative Example 6 was prepared by adding the unfermented rice extract of Comparative Example 2 to Blank 1 according to the recipe in Table 3.

From the results in Table 6, Example 6 exceeded the evaluation score of 2.0 for Blank 1, which was the evaluation standard, in all evaluation items, and obtained results equal to or greater than those of Comparative Example 6.

Table 7 and Figure 3 show the sensory evaluation results when the evaluation item of Blank 1 was set to 2.0, for Example 7, which was prepared according to the recipe in Table 3 by adding the fermented malt extract of Example 3 to Blank 1, and for Comparative Example 7, which was prepared according to the recipe in Table 3 by adding the unfermented malt extract of Comparative Example 3 to Blank 1.

From the results in Table 7, Example 7 exceeded the evaluation score of 2.0 for Blank 1, which was the evaluation standard, in all evaluation items, and obtained results equal to or greater than those of Comparative Example 7.

Table 8 and Figure 4 show the results of sensory evaluation when the evaluation item of Blank 1 is set to 2.0. Example 8 is prepared by adding the fermented white grape juice extract of Example 4 to Blank 1 according to the recipe in Table 3, and Comparative Example 8 is prepared by adding the unfermented white grape juice extract of Comparative Example 4 to Blank 1 according to the recipe in Table 3.

From the results in Table 8, Example 8 exceeded the evaluation score of 2.0 for Blank 1, which was the evaluation standard, in all evaluation items, and achieved results equal to or greater than those of Comparative Example 8.

Table 9 and Figure 5 show the results of sensory evaluation of blank 2 (hereinafter referred to as blank 2) prepared according to the recipe in Table 3 to which the fermented rice extract of Example 2 was added, and comparative example 9 prepared according to the recipe in Table 3 to which the unfermented rice extract of Comparative Example 2 was added, when the above evaluation item was set to 2.0 using the above happoshu (Clear Asahi (registered trademark) manufactured by Asahi Breweries, Ltd.) as a blank for low-alcohol beverages (Table 9 and Figure 5).

From the results in Table 9, Example 9 exceeded the evaluation score of 2.0 for Blank 2, which was the evaluation standard, in all evaluation items, and achieved results equal to or greater than those of Comparative Example 9.

Table 10 and Figure 6 show the results of sensory evaluation when the evaluation item of Blank 2 was set to 2.0, with the fermented malt extract of Example 3 added to Blank 2 and prepared according to the recipe in Table 3 to give Example 10, and with the unfermented malt extract of Comparative Example 3 added to Blank 2 and prepared according to the recipe in Table 3 to give Comparative Example 10.

From the results in Table 10, Example 10 exceeded the evaluation score of 2.0 for Blank 2, which was the evaluation standard, in all evaluation items, and achieved results equal to or greater than those of Comparative Example 10.

Table 11 and FIG. 7 show the results of the sensory evaluation of a non-alcoholic beverage blank using a citrus-flavored non-alcoholic chuhai beverage (Suntory Holdings Limited Non-Alcoholic Mood (registered trademark) Mediterranean Lemon) (hereinafter referred to as non-alcoholic RTD (Ready to drink)) (hereinafter referred to as Blank 3) with the above evaluation item set to 2.0. The lactic acid bacteria fermentation liquids according to Examples 1-1 to 1-4 were added to Blank 3 and prepared according to the recipe in Table 4 to give Examples 11-1 to 11-4, and the lactic acid bacteria unfermented liquids according to Examples 1-5 and Comparative Example 1 were added to Blank 3 and prepared according to the recipe in Table 4 to give Examples 11-5 and Comparative Example 11.

From the results in Table 11, Examples 11-1 to 11-5 exceeded the evaluation score of 2.0 for Blank 3, which was the evaluation standard, in all evaluation items, and obtained results equal to or greater than those of Comparative Example 11. Here, when comparing Comparative Example 11 and Example 11-5, Example 11-5 exceeded Comparative Example 11 in all evaluation items, indicating that the addition of D-aspartic acid, D-glutamic acid, and D-allo-isoleucine improved the sensory evaluation results. Furthermore, when comparing Example 11-5 and Example 11-1, Example 11-1 obtained results that exceeded those of Example 11-5 in all evaluation items. Since Examples 11-5 and 11-1 contain approximately the same amounts of D-aspartic acid, D-glutamic acid, and D-allo-isoleucine, it was shown that the evaluation results were further improved by the addition of fermentation products other than D-amino acids.

Table 12 and Figure 8 show the results of sensory evaluation when the evaluation item of Blank 3 was set to 2.0. Example 12 was prepared by adding the fermented rice extract of Example 2 to Blank 3 according to the recipe in Table 4, and Comparative Example 12 was prepared by adding the unfermented rice extract of Comparative Example 2 to Blank 3 according to the recipe in Table 4.

From the results in Table 12, Example 12 exceeded the evaluation score of 2.0 for Blank 3, which was the evaluation standard, in all evaluation items, and achieved results equal to or greater than those of Comparative Example 12.

Table 13 and Figure 9 show the sensory evaluation results when the evaluation item of Blank 3 was set to 2.0, for Example 13 prepared by adding the fermented malt extract of Example 3 to Blank 3 according to the recipe in Table 4, and for Comparative Example 13 prepared by adding the unfermented malt extract of Comparative Example 3 to Blank 3 according to the recipe in Table 4.

From the results in Table 13, Example 13 exceeded the evaluation score of 2.0 for Blank 3, which was the evaluation standard, in all evaluation items, and obtained results equal to or greater than those of Comparative Example 13.

Table 14 and Figure 10 show the results of sensory evaluation when the evaluation item of Blank 3 was set to 2.0, with the fermented white grape extract of Example 4 added to Blank 3 and prepared according to the recipe in Table 4 to give Example 14, and with the unfermented white grape extract of Comparative Example 4 added to Blank 3 and prepared according to the recipe in Table 4 to give Comparative Example 14.

From the results in Table 14, Example 14 exceeded the evaluation score of 2.0 for Blank 3, which was the evaluation standard, in all evaluation items, and obtained results equal to or greater than those of Comparative Example 14.

Table 15 and Figure 11 show the results of sensory evaluation of a low-alcohol beverage blank using a citrus-flavored chuhai beverage (Hyoketsu (registered trademark) Grapefruit, manufactured by Kirin Brewery Co., Ltd.) (hereinafter referred to as low-alcohol RTD) (hereinafter referred to as Blank 4) with the above evaluation items set to 2.0. Example 15 was prepared by adding the fermented rice extract of Example 2 to Blank 4 according to the recipe in Table 4, and Comparative Example 15 was prepared by adding the unfermented rice extract of Comparative Example 2 to Blank 4 according to the recipe in Table 4.

From the results in Table 15, Example 15 exceeded the evaluation score of 2.0 for Blank 4, which was the evaluation standard, in all evaluation items, and achieved results equal to or greater than those of Comparative Example 15.

Table 16 and Figure 12 show the sensory evaluation results when the evaluation item of Blank 4 was set to 2.0, for Example 16, which was prepared by adding the fermented malt extract of Example 3 to Blank 4 according to the recipe in Table 4, and for Comparative Example 16, which was prepared by adding the unfermented malt extract of Comparative Example 3 to Blank 4 according to the recipe in Table 4.

From the results in Table 16, Example 16 exceeded the evaluation score of 2.0 for Blank 4, which was the evaluation standard, in all evaluation items, and obtained results equal to or greater than those of Comparative Example 16.

Table 17 and Figure 13 show the results of sensory evaluation when the evaluation item of Blank 4 was set to 2.0. Example 17 was prepared by adding the fermented white grape extract of Example 4 to Blank 4 according to the recipe in Table 4, and Comparative Example 17 was prepared by adding the unfermented white grape extract of Comparative Example 4 to Blank 4 according to the recipe in Table 4.

From the results in Table 17, Example 17 exceeded the evaluation score of 2.0 for Blank 4, which was the evaluation standard, in all evaluation items, and obtained results equal to or greater than those of Comparative Example 17.

The above evaluation results show that all of Examples 5-1 to 17 exceeded an evaluation score of 2.5 in all items, indicating a clear improvement in taste compared to the blank. When the beverage flavor improver of the present invention was added to the beverages of Blanks 1 to 4 (evaluation score 2.0) to prepare Examples 5-1 to 17, the fullness and sharpness of the flavor were improved in all of them, and furthermore, the fullness and bitterness were improved, resulting in an improved balance of flavor. It was clear that the beverage flavor improver of the present invention can provide the beverages of the Examples with sufficient drinkability and bitterness while maintaining a natural flavor balance.

On the other hand, none of Comparative Examples 5 to 17 exceeded a score of 2.5 in any category. In particular, none exceeded a score of 2.5 in terms of body, bitterness, or taste balance. This revealed a significant difference between Examples 5-1 to 5-4, Examples 6 to 10, Examples 11-1 to 11-4, and Examples 12 to 17, which all exceeded a score of 3.0 in these categories.

In addition, in Examples 5-5 and 11-5, the evaluation score exceeded 2.5 in all items, and it was clearly shown that the addition of D-aspartic acid, D-glutamic acid, and D-allo-isoleucine improved the body feeling compared to the blank, improved the sharpness of the taste, and further improved the body feeling and bitterness, thereby improving the balance of the taste. Furthermore, when comparing Examples 5-5 and 5-1, and Examples 11-5 and 11-1, Examples 5-1 and 11-1 showed higher evaluation scores in all items, despite containing almost the same amount of D-aspartic acid, D-glutamic acid, and D-allo-isoleucine. In other words, it was shown that the addition of fermentation products other than D-amino acids in addition to D-aspartic acid, D-glutamic acid, and D-allo-isoleucine improved the body feeling, improved the sharpness of the taste, and further improved the body feeling and bitterness, thereby improving the balance of the taste.

Looking at Table 2, among Examples 1 to 4, Example 2 had the lowest D-aspartic acid and D-allo-isoleucine concentrations, at 9 ppm and 4 ppm, respectively. The D-glutamic acid concentration in Example 2 was 38 ppm. The D-glutamic acid concentration was also the lowest in Example 3, at 29 ppm. All of the beverages containing these at 0.1% in Examples 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, and 16 were highly evaluated. Based on these Examples, it is believed that a sufficient flavor improvement effect can be obtained from the extremely low concentrations of 0.009 ppm D-aspartic acid, 0.029 ppm D-glutamic acid, and 0.004 ppm D-allo-isoleucine in the beverage.

By adding the beverage flavor improving agent containing D-aspartic acid, D-glutamic acid, and D-allo-isoleucine according to the present invention, or by adding the beverage flavor improving agent containing D-aspartic acid, D-glutamic acid, and D-allo-isoleucine as a fermentation product produced by fermentation with lactic acid bacteria, it is possible to produce beer-flavored beverages and low-alcohol beverages that have improved body and bitterness while maintaining a natural flavor balance.

Claims (12)

A flavor improver for beverages containing 9 ppm or more of D-aspartic acid, 29 ppm or more of D-glutamic acid, and 4 ppm or more of D-allo-isoleucine. The flavor improver for beverages according to claim 1 further contains a fermented product fermented with lactic acid bacteria. The flavor improver for beverages according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the D-aspartic acid, D-glutamic acid, and D-allo-isoleucine are produced by fermentation with lactic acid bacteria. The beverage flavor improver according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the lactic acid bacteria is selected from the genus Lactobacillus. The beverage flavor improver according to claim 4, wherein the lactic acid bacteria is selected from Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus buchneri, and Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis. The beverage flavor improving agent according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the flavor to be improved is full-bodied flavor. The flavor improver for beverages according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the improved flavor is a balance of taste due to an increase in body and bitterness. A beverage having an alcohol concentration of less than 1 v/v % and a beer-like taste, comprising 0.1 parts by weight or more of the beverage flavor improving agent according to any one of claims 1 to 7 added thereto. A citrus-flavored beverage comprising 0.1 parts by weight or more of the beverage flavor improving agent according to any one of claims 1 to 7 added thereto. A low-alcohol beverage comprising at least 0.1 parts by weight of the beverage flavor improving agent according to any one of claims 1 to 7. A method for producing a flavor improver for beverages, comprising fermenting a fermentation target with lactic acid bacteria to produce a fermented product, producing 9 ppm or more of D-aspartic acid, 29 ppm or more of D-glutamic acid, and 4 ppm or more of D-allo-isoleucine through the fermentation process, and simultaneously mixing the D-aspartic acid, D-glutamic acid, and D-allo-isoleucine with the fermented product. A method for improving the flavor of a beverage, comprising adding 0.009 ppm or more of D-aspartic acid, 0.029 ppm or more of D-glutamic acid, and 0.004 ppm or more of D-allo-isoleucine to the beverage.

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