JP7635960B2 - Food and drink compositions - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a composition for food or drink.

In this specification, "Haruakane" refers to barley (naked barley) whose breeding line name is Shikoku Hadaka 132 (variety registration application date: October 17, 2019 (application number: No. 34236)).

In modern times, as the diet becomes more Westernized, the intake of meat has increased and the intake of vegetables has decreased. To easily solve the problem of inadequate vegetable intake, foods and drinks such as green juice and supplements have been developed, manufactured, and sold.

As a raw material for such foods and beverages, Patent Document 1 discloses that Ichibanboshi has excellent color and taste.

Patent No. 5363674

The present invention aims to provide a food and beverage composition that is excellent in color, aroma, taste, texture, etc.

The present invention provides the following food and beverage compositions.
Item 1. A composition for food or drink comprising squeezed juice or a dried product of squeezed juice of the stems and/or leaves of Akane japonica, and/or a dried product of the stems and/or leaves of Akane japonica having a moisture content of 5% by mass or less.
Item 2. The food or drink composition according to Item 1, which is for use in green juice or as a supplement.

In terms of color, aroma, taste (sweetness, richness, etc.), and texture, Haruakane is clearly superior to Haruka Nijo, which is used as the standard, and Ichibanboshi, which has been shown in Patent Document 1 to have excellent color and taste. By using the stems and/or leaves of Haruakane, high-quality food and beverage compositions such as green juice and supplements can be obtained.

1 shows the results of a sensory test in the examples. The results show the degree of "good" or "bad" of "Haruakane" (Example 1) and "Ichibanboshi" (Comparative Example 2) compared with the standard product "Haruka Nijo" (Comparative Example 1). 1 shows the results of a sensory test in the examples. The results show the degree of "good" or "bad" of Haruakane (Example 1) and "Ichibanboshi" (Comparative Example 2) compared with the standard product "Haruka Nijo" (Comparative Example 1).

Haruakane is a barley (hulled barley) variety ("Shikoku Hadaka No. 132") developed by the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, and a variety registration application has been filed. The application date for variety registration is October 17, 2019 (application number: No. 34236).

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, dried stems and/or leaves of the madder plant are used, more preferably dried powder of the stems and/or leaves of the madder plant are used.

In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, young barley leaves from the Haru Akane variety are preferably used.

The method for producing the dried powder of the stems and/or leaves of Haru Akane is not particularly limited, but can be a conventionally known method, such as a method combining drying and crushing. Either the drying or crushing process can be performed first, but it is preferable to perform the drying process first. When obtaining the crushed material and crushed powder, the above-mentioned method can be further combined with a process such as blanching, such as boiling or steaming, or sterilization, as necessary. The number of times the crushing process can be performed can be one or more times, but it is preferable to perform a fine crushing process to crush more finely after the coarse crushing process.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the stems and/or leaves of the medlar are crushed to produce a juice, and the juice, optionally containing an excipient such as dextrin, may be spray-dried or freeze-dried to produce a dry powder.

The drying process is not particularly limited, and can be carried out by any method known to those skilled in the art, such as hot air drying, high-pressure steam drying, electromagnetic wave drying, and freeze drying. Drying by heating can be carried out at a temperature and time that does not cause the vegetable to discolor due to heating, for example, at 40°C to 140°C, preferably 80°C to 130°C. By carrying out the drying process, the moisture content of the vegetable can be adjusted to the desired amount, preferably to 5% by mass or less. It is thought that if the moisture content of the dried powder of the stems and/or leaves of Haru Akane is dried to 5% by mass or less, the aroma components will evaporate, and excessive drying will cause the color to turn brown, and the evaluation of the vividness of the green color and the aroma of young barley leaves will decrease. However, in the case of Haru Akane, by reducing the moisture content of the stems and/or leaves to 5% by mass or less, a good result can be obtained in the sensory evaluation compared to, for example, the standard variety "Haruka Nijo". In addition, by reducing the moisture content of the dried stems and/or leaves of Haru Akane to 5% by mass or less, there is also the advantage that discoloration during storage can be suppressed.

The crushing process of the stems and/or leaves of Akane japonica is not particularly limited, but examples include crushing by any method commonly used by those skilled in the art using crushing equipment or tools such as a crusher, mill, blender, or stone mill. The crushed stems and/or leaves of Akane japonica are sieved as necessary, and it is preferable to use those that pass through a 50 to 200 mesh sieve as the dried powder of Akane japonica stems and/or leaves.

The food and beverage composition of the present invention may contain at least one component listed below in addition to the stems and/or leaves of Akane vera:
・Squeezed or dried stems and/or leaves of barley varieties other than Haru Akane ・Processed products (squeezed powder, dried and crushed powder, extracts, fermented products, etc.) of plants other than barley (kale, mulberry leaves, angelica tree leaves, young wheat leaves, chou-mei-sou, kumazasa, bitter melon, moringa, spinach, mugwort, celery, molokheiya, cabbage, carrots, tea, ginger, papaya, etc.)
・Processed products (extracts, dried and crushed powder, fermented products, etc.) of algae (Spirulina, Chlorella, Euglena, etc.)
・Processed products of grains (rice, barley, wheat, millet, foxtail millet, foxtail millet, corn) (extracts, dried and ground powders, fermented products, etc.)
・Carbohydrates (monosaccharides (glucose, mannose, galactose, xylose, fructose, etc.), disaccharides (sucrose, lactose, maltose, trehalose, cellobiose, lactulose, etc.), oligosaccharides (maltotriose, raffinose, isomaltooligosaccharides, fructooligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, xylooligosaccharides), brown sugar, etc.)
・Melted sugar (brown sugar, maple sugar, etc.)
・Sweeteners such as honey and isomerized liquid sugar (such as high fructose glucose liquid sugar) ・Polysaccharides (dextrin, polydextrose, starch, pullulan, mannan, glucomannan, alginic acid, xanthan gum, guar gum, tamarind gum, chitin, chitosan, glycogen, guar bean enzyme hydrolysate, inulin, pectin, agar, etc.)
・Sugar alcohols (erythritol, lactitol, maltitol (reduced maltose), mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, etc.)
・High-intensity sweeteners (licorice, stevia, sucralose, aspartame, acesulfame K, etc.)
・Dietary fiber (resistant dextrin, maltodextrin, isomaltodextrin, dried soybean pulp, soybean dietary fiber, apple dietary fiber)
・Fruit juice and fruit powder (papaya extract powder, banana powder, mango powder, apple powder, kiwi powder, cranberry powder, mulberry powder, blueberry powder, lemon juice powder, orange juice powder, peach juice powder, grapefruit juice powder, pineapple juice powder, pomegranate juice powder, acai powder, acerola powder)
・Vegetable juice and vegetable powder (kale powder, angelica powder, mulberry leaf powder, kumazasa powder, matcha, green tea powder, carrot powder, spinach powder, komatsuna powder, bitter melon powder, cabbage powder, purple cabbage powder, Brussels sprout powder, beet powder, bell pepper powder, paprika powder, asparagus powder, red shiso powder, celery powder, lettuce powder, mulukhiyah powder, Chinese cabbage powder, parsley powder, eggplant powder, onion powder, radish powder, ginger powder, chou-mei-so powder, dandelion powder, mugwort powder, sweet potato powder)
・Plant extracts containing active ingredients (olive leaf extract powder, grape leaf extract, coffee bean extract, African mango extract, bilberry extract, licorice extract, acacia bark extract, apple peel extract, ginkgo leaf extract, saffron extract powder, hawthorn extract powder)
・Herb powder (mint powder, rosehip powder)
・Dolomite ・Plant fermentation products (plant fermentation extract)
Lactic acid bacteria (dead bacteria, live bacteria, fermented products, such as Enterococcus faecalis, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus brevis, etc.)
Bifidobacteria (dead, live, and fermented, e.g., Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium longum, etc.)
- Butyric acid bacteria (dead bacteria, live bacteria, fermented products)
・Yeast (dead bacteria, live bacteria, fermented products, extracts)
・Koji mold (dead bacteria, live bacteria, fermented products, e.g. grain koji)
・Nattokinase (a substance derived from Bacillus subtilis natto)
・Nuts and seeds ・Grains (sesame, chia seeds, quinoa)
・Glucose-transferred hesperidin・Ceramide・Placenta・Psyllium・Proteoglycan・Spirulina powder・Chlorella powder・Euglena powder・Collagen・Hyaluronic acid・N-acetylglucosamine・Glucosamine・Polyphenols extracted from plants (hesperidin, hydroxytyrosol, resveratrol, rutin, catechin, chlorogenic acid, ellagic acid, sesamin, curcumin, anthocyanin, proanthocyanidin, procyanidin, chalcone, glabridin, etc.)
- Herbs (mint, lavender, saffron, rose hips, watercress, arugula, chicory, artichoke, oregano, sage, thyme, basil, lemon balm, lemongrass, lemon verbena, rosemary, anise, caraway, coriander, fennel, Japanese pepper, hops, licorice, rooibos, chamomile, comfrey, jasmine, etc.)
・Protein hydrolysates derived from animals and plants (sardine peptides, imidazole dipeptides, milk peptides, soybean peptides, etc.)
・Vitamins (A, _B1 , _B2 , _B6 , _B12 , C, D, E, folic acid, niacin, calcium pantothenate)
・Coenzyme Q10
・HMB-Ca
・Isoflavones, equol ・Digestive enzymes (amylase, protease, etc.)
・Calcium (eggshell calcium, scallop shell calcium, coral calcium, baked fish bone calcium, coral calcium, HMB-Ca, etc.)
・Silicon ・Amino acids (alanine, leucine, arginine, ornithine, citrulline, GABA, theanine, serine, etc.)
・Acidulants (citric acid, malic acid, etc.)
Minerals (zinc, manganese, copper, iodine, selenium, chromium, molybdenum, magnesium or mineral-containing yeast premix containing at least one of these)
・Binding agents (hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, etc.)
・Lubricants (magnesium stearate, calcium stearate, talc, silicon dioxide, etc.)
・Excipients ・Thickeners ・Preservatives ・Pigments (Haematococcus algae pigment, etc.)
The edible composition of the present invention may be in any form, such as liquid, semi-solid, solid, etc. Specific forms of the edible composition of the present invention include powder, granules, tablets, caplets, chewable tablets, rods, plates, blocks, bars, pills, liquids, drinks, pastes, creams, capsules (hard capsules, soft capsules), gels, jellies (solid jellies, drinkable jellies), gummies, wafers, candies, biscuits, cookies, syrups, sticks, noodles, etc.

In order to enjoy the vivid green color and aroma, the food and drink composition of the present invention is preferably in liquid form (dairy drink, lactic acid bacteria drink, soy milk drink, fruit juice drink, carbonated drink, soft drink, jelly drink such as drink jelly, yogurt drink such as drink yogurt), and is preferably in powder form when ingested by mixing with water, for example. The food and drink composition of the present invention may also be a specified health food, a functional food, a nutrient functional food, a nutritional supplement, a supplement, a so-called health food, a functional food, a food for the sick, or a combination food for the sick.

The average particle size of the dried powder of the stems and/or leaves of Haru Akane contained in the food and beverage composition of the present invention, as measured by laser diffraction, is preferably 100 μm or less, more preferably about 5 to 40 μm, and even more preferably about 5 to 25 μm.

The present invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to Reference Examples, Examples and Test Examples, but these are not intended to limit the present invention.
Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 to 2
(1) Sample preparation Three barley varieties were used: Haruakane (Example 1), Haruka Nijo (standard, Comparative Example 2), and Ichibanboshi (Comparative Example 3). The three varieties were sown in the same field, and the stems and leaves were harvested at a height of about 20-35 cm before the stem-standing stage. The harvested stems and leaves were washed, appropriately cut, blanched by boiling, and dried with hot air. The dried stems and leaves were sterilized in an air-flow sterilizer and powdered using a jet mill. The moisture content of the dried powders of the three varieties, Haruakane (Example 1), Haruka Nijo (standard, Comparative Example 2), and Ichibanboshi (Comparative Example 3), was 1.8-2.8% by mass or less.

(2) Test evaluation method The dried powder of the stems and leaves of each variety was suspended in water to a concentration of 10% by mass, and then filtered through filter paper (ADVANTEC No. 1). The Brix of the filtrate was measured using a Brix meter (Sato Keiryoki Seisakusho SK-100R).
In addition, 3 g of dried powder of the stems and leaves of each variety was dispersed in 100 mL of water at room temperature and used for sensory evaluation. Seven healthy adults compared the standard product, "Haruka Nijo (Comparative Example 1)," and "Haruakane (Example 1)" and "Ichibanboshi (Comparative Example 2)" using the following method to evaluate their sensory characteristics.

<Evaluation procedure>
(i) For the sensory test, the test papers were used in a questionnaire format to score the degree of "good" or "bad" compared to the standard "Haruka Nijo". Specifically, without revealing the name of the variety, the test samples were scored as follows: better samples were given 5 points, slightly better samples were given 4 points, the same samples were given 3 points, slightly worse samples were given 2 points, and worse samples were given 1 point. The standard "Haruka Nijo" received 3 points in all categories.
(ii) The procedure is as follows: rinse your mouth with water and spit it out, then take a sample of the standard "Haruka Nijo" in your mouth, immediately spread it over your tongue, taste it thoroughly, and then spit it out.
(iii) Rinse your mouth with water and spit it out, then take a bite of "Ichibanboshi" and immediately spread it over your tongue, savoring the taste, then spit it out. Then, fill in the items in the test sheet according to (i) above.
(iv) Rinse your mouth with water and spit it out, then take a sample of the standard “Haruka Nijo” in your mouth, immediately spread it over your tongue, taste it thoroughly, and then spit it out.
(v) Rinse your mouth with water and spit it out, then take a bite of "Haru Akane" and immediately spread it over your tongue, savoring the taste, then spit it out. Then, fill in the items in the test sheet according to (i) above.
(vi) The sensory evaluation was carried out by tallying up the scores of each subject and comparing them.

As a result, the following was found (Figures 1 and 2).
(i) Haruakane (Example 1) was superior to Ichibanboshi (Comparative Example 1) and Haruka Nijo (Comparative Example 2) in the evaluation of vividness of green color and aroma of young barley leaves.
(ii) In terms of the evaluation of texture (smoothness down the throat, aftertaste, powderiness, mouthfeel, and tongue feel), Haruakane (Example 1) was superior to Ichibanboshi (Comparative Example 1) and Haruka Nijo (Comparative Example 2).
(iii) In terms of the evaluation of taste (sweetness, astringency, bitterness, strength of taste, and richness), Haruakane Example 1) was superior to Ichibanboshi (Comparative Example 1) and Haruka Nijo (Comparative Example 2).

These results show that Haruakane is significantly superior in aroma, color, taste, and texture compared to Ichibanboshi and the standard Haruka Nijo.

(3) Results and Observations The Brix of “Haruka Nijo” was 1.2%, while “Ichibanboshi” was 1.8%, and “Haruakane” was even higher at 2.0%.
In terms of the "barley aroma" evaluated by sensory evaluation, "Haruakane" was found to be higher and superior to "Ichibanboshi."

In addition, the total score for "taste (sweetness, bitterness, astringency, flavor strength, richness)" based on sensory evaluation was higher for "Haru Akane" than for "Ichiban Boshi," and the texture (smoothness down the throat, aftertaste, powderiness, mouthfeel, texture on the tongue) was also significantly higher and superior to "Ichiban Boshi."

Based on the above, the dried powder of the leaves and stems of "Haruakane" was found to have a stronger green color than "Ichibanboshi," and a comprehensive comparison of aroma, taste, and texture demonstrated that it is superior as a food and drink for use in green juice. Furthermore, "Haruakane" was also superior to "Haruka Nijo" as a food and drink for use in green juice.

Production Example 1
The barley variety "Haru Akane" was harvested and washed at 20-35cm in height before the stem stage to obtain juice. The juice obtained from "Haru Akane" had good color, taste, and texture.

Formulation Examples 1 to 42
Tables 1 to 42 below show formulation examples 1 to 42, which list the ingredients and formulation amounts of edible compositions containing the stems and/or leaves of Akane japonica.

Claims (3)

A composition for food and beverages comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of dried juice of the stems of Haru Akane, dried juice of the leaves of Haru Akane, dried stems of Haru Akane having a moisture content of 5% by mass or less, and dried leaves of Haru Akane having a moisture content of 5% by mass or less . An edible composition comprising juice of the stems and/or leaves of Akane japonica. The food or drink composition according to claim 1 or 2 , which is for use in green juice or as a supplement.