JP7650128B2 - Soy-containing beverages - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a soybean component-containing beverage, and more particularly to a soybean component-containing beverage with a novel texture.

Soy milk is a milky drink obtained by soaking soybeans in water, grinding them, heating and filtering them. Soy milk contains lecithin, saponin, isoflavones and soy protein derived from soybeans. Lecithin is known to keep cells functioning normally and stimulate metabolism. Saponin also has antioxidant properties, suppressing the active oxygen that causes skin aging. Lecithin also contains phosphatidylserine, which forms the membranes of nerve cells in the brain, and is expected to help maintain memory. For this reason, the health benefits of soy milk drinks have been attracting attention in recent years.

Recently, soy milk beverages containing various ingredients and materials, as well as various beverages containing soybean-derived ingredients, have been developed. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a fermented soy milk beverage that contains vegetable juice and fruit juice and has a reduced grassy smell, while Patent Document 2 proposes a beverage that contains reconstituted juice of dried fruit and soy milk. Patent Document 3 also proposes a soy beverage that contains processed soybean powder.

JP 2008-43280 A JP 2018-139499 A JP 2004-141155 A

The inventors have found that existing soy milk and soy beverages with added viscosity lack texture and are difficult to provide a sense of satisfaction, while foods containing soy milk, such as yogurt and pudding, need to be scooped up with a spoon or the like, and cannot be consumed as easily as beverages. As a result, they have found that there is a potential need for soy component-containing beverages with a new texture, and have conducted extensive research. As a result, they have found that a soy component-containing beverage with a specified viscosity provides a satisfying texture and is easy to drink. The present invention is based on these findings.

That is, the present invention aims to provide a soybean component-containing beverage with a novel texture.

According to the present invention, the following inventions are provided.
[1] A soybean component-containing beverage having a viscosity (20°C) of 20 to 200 mPa·s at a shear rate of 210 (1/s) and a viscosity (20°C) of 5 to 30 mPa·s at a shear rate of 1052 (1/s).
[2] The beverage according to [1] above, wherein the protein concentration in the beverage is 0.5 to 5.5% by mass.
[3] The beverage described in [1] or [2] above, wherein the LST (Line Spread Test) value (5°C) of the beverage is less than 40 mm.
[4] The beverage according to any one of [1] to [3] above, comprising a thickening component as a raw material.
[5] The beverage according to any one of [1] to [4] above, which is a soy milk-containing beverage.
[6] The beverage according to any one of [1] to [5] above, which is a packaged beverage.

The soybean component-containing beverage of the present invention has a new texture not found in conventional products, and is therefore advantageous in that it provides a new beverage form for soybean component-containing beverages with health benefits.

Description of the Invention

In the present invention, the term "soybean component-containing beverage" refers to a beverage containing soybean-derived components, i.e., a beverage using soybeans as a raw material, and is used to include soy milk-containing beverages and soy beverages. Here, the term "soy milk-containing beverage" refers to a beverage using soy milk as a raw material, and is used to include soy milk beverages and prepared soy milk specified by the Japanese Agricultural Standards, as well as soft drinks containing soy milk, beverages with fruit juice, coffee beverages, and tea beverages. The soy milk used is not particularly limited as long as it is made from soybeans or processed soybeans (e.g., defatted processed soybeans), and unadjusted soy milk liquid, prepared soy milk liquid, prepared powdered soy milk liquid, prepared defatted soy milk liquid, etc. can be used. In addition, the term "soy beverage" refers to a beverage using soybeans and/or soy flour as a raw material, and is used to include soft drinks containing soybeans and/or soy flour, beverages with fruit juice, coffee beverages, and tea beverages.

The content of soybean-derived components in the soybean component-containing beverage of the present invention can be set arbitrarily as long as it does not inhibit the novel texture. For example, the lower limit of the content of soybean-derived components (soymilk when the beverage of the present invention is a soymilk-containing beverage) in the soybean component-containing beverage of the present invention can be 1% by mass (preferably 2% by mass, more preferably 3% by mass) of the entire beverage as soybean-derived solids, and the upper limit of the content can be 15% by mass (preferably 10% by mass, more preferably 8% by mass or 7% by mass) of the entire beverage as soybean-derived solids. These lower and upper limits can be combined arbitrarily, and the range of the content can be, for example, 1 to 15% by mass, 2 to 8% by mass, or 3 to 7% by mass. In the present invention, "solids" refers to components excluding water.

The protein concentration in the soybean component-containing beverage of the present invention can be 0.5 to 5.5% by mass, and is preferably 0.7 to 5% by mass. The protein concentration in the beverage can be measured according to a combustion method or the like.

The soy component-containing beverage of the present invention may contain, in addition to soy-derived components, components and materials that are acceptable as food. There are no particular limitations on such components and materials, so long as the soy component-containing beverage of the present invention has the characteristics described in [1] above and, in some cases, the characteristics described in [2] and [3] above. Examples of such components and materials include edible vegetable oils and fats, seasonings, antifoaming agents, pH adjusters, quality improvers, emulsifiers, acidulants, thickening stabilizers, stabilizers, thickeners, pastes, gelling agents, sweeteners, colorants, and flavors.

The soybean component-containing beverage of the present invention may contain at least a thickening component as a raw material. Here, the thickening component means a component that has a thickening effect and is acceptable as a food, and may be a food or a food additive, and is used to mean thickening polysaccharides, stabilizers, thickeners, pastes, and gelling agents. Examples of thickening components include carrageenan, glucomannan, gelatin, curdlan, agar, gelatin, gellan gum, gum arabic, xanthan gum, guar gum, ghatti gum, modified starch, and pectin. The content of the thickening component in the soybean component-containing beverage of the present invention may be 0.01 to 3% by mass (preferably 0.02 to 2% by mass) of the entire beverage in terms of solid content.

The soybean component-containing beverage of the present invention may further contain seasonings as raw materials in addition to the thickening component. Examples of seasonings include sugars and sugar-containing food materials, salt, and umami seasonings. Specific examples of sugars and sugar-containing food materials include sugar, glucose-fructose syrup, fructose-glucose syrup, high-fructose syrup, sugar-mixed glucose-fructose syrup, sugar-mixed fructose-glucose syrup, sugar-mixed high-fructose syrup, glucose, starch syrup, lactose, maltose, honey, and brown sugar. The content of the seasonings in the soybean component-containing beverage of the present invention may be 0.1 to 15% by mass (preferably 0.5 to 10% by mass) of the entire beverage in terms of solid content.

The soybean component-containing beverage of the present invention can further contain a flavoring ingredient as a raw material in addition to the thickening ingredient. Examples of the flavoring ingredient include fruit juice, vegetable juice, fruit pulp, coffee, cocoa, milk, milk powder, grain powder, matcha green tea, kelp powder, soybean flour, dried plant powder, and extract concentrates, as well as dairy products such as yogurt.

The soybean component-containing beverage of the present invention is characterized by a viscosity (20°C) of 20 to 200 mPa·s at a shear rate of 210 (1/s). This viscosity is preferably 30 to 150 mPa·s, and more preferably 40 to 120 mPa·s. A shear rate of 210 (1/s) is a relatively low shear rate for a beverage, and the viscosity at this shear rate corresponds to the sensation of the mouthfeel when the beverage is held in the mouth, i.e., the sensation at the beginning of drinking. In other words, when the viscosity at a shear rate of 210 (1/s) is high, it can be determined that the beverage has a solid feel and a satisfying texture at the beginning of drinking.

The soybean component-containing beverage of the present invention is also characterized in that the viscosity (20°C) at a shear rate of 1052 (1/s) is 5 to 30 mPa·s. This viscosity is preferably 5 to 27 mPa·s, and more preferably 5 to 25 mPa·s. A shear rate of 1052 (1/s) is a relatively high shear rate for a beverage, and the viscosity at this shear rate corresponds to the sensation when swallowing the beverage, i.e., the sensation of the beverage going down the throat. In other words, when the viscosity at a shear rate of 1052 (1/s) is low, it can be determined that the beverage is easy to swallow.

The viscosity of the soybean component-containing beverage of the present invention can be measured using a measuring device (rotational viscometer) capable of measuring viscosity at a predetermined shear rate, for example, as described in Example 1 (3) (i).

In the soy component-containing beverage of the present invention, the viscosity (20°C) at a shear rate of 210 (1/s) and the viscosity (20°C) at a shear rate of 1052 (1/s) can be adjusted within a specified range by adjusting the protein concentration in the beverage and/or adding a thickening component to the beverage, as described in the Examples below.

The soybean component-containing beverage of the present invention can be adjusted to a line spread test (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "LST") value (measurement temperature: 5°C) of less than 40 mm. Measurement of LST value is well known, and the LST value can be measured, for example, according to the method described in "Swallowing Adjusted Diet Classification 2013, Japanese Society of Eating and Swallowing Rehabilitation," Journal of the Japanese Society of Eating and Swallowing Rehabilitation, 17(3):255-267 (2013). The LST value is an index of the viscosity of the food being analyzed, and the smaller this value, the thicker the beverage is.

The pH of the soybean component-containing beverage of the present invention can be adjusted to a neutral range (e.g., pH 5 to 9, preferably pH 6 to 8). The pH can be adjusted using a pH adjuster such as sodium bicarbonate.

The soybean component-containing beverage of the present invention can be provided in the form of a packaged beverage. The container may be any of a paper carton, a plastic bottle, a can such as a steel can or an aluminum can, a glass bottle, a pouch, a cup, etc.

In the present invention, the packaged soy component-containing beverage may be sterilized in a retort or pasteurizer, or the sterilized soy component-containing beverage may be aseptically filled or hot-packed into the container. Packing into the container and sterilization may be carried out according to conventional methods. The soy component-containing beverage of the present invention may be distributed and sold in either room temperature or chilled form.

The soy component-containing beverage of the present invention can be produced according to normal manufacturing procedures for soy component-containing beverages, except that the viscosity and other properties are adjusted to fall within a specified range. In the present invention, for example, the soy component-containing beverage of the present invention can be produced by preparing and mixing raw materials containing soy-derived components (e.g., soy milk, soybeans, soy flour), and optionally carrying out optional steps such as viscosity adjustment, pH adjustment, filtration, homogenization, and cooling. The soy component prepared as a raw material may be in the form of a liquid or powder, or a combination of these.

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

Example 1: Preparation of soy milk-containing beverage and texture study (1)
(1) Preparation of test beverages Raw materials were prepared in the amounts shown in Table 1, and various thickening components shown in Table 2 were added after appropriate dissolution or swelling. Ion-exchanged water was then added to obtain a total of 1 kg of preparation. The amount of protein derived from soybeans (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "soybean-derived protein") contained in 100 g of preparation was 2.4 g. The obtained preparation was filled into a glass bottle for beverage test, and then sterilized at 90°C for 30 minutes using a retort sterilizer to obtain bottled soy milk-containing beverages (Test Areas 1 to 7). In Examples 1 to 4, "Oishii Unadjusted Soy Milk (Soy-derived Solid Content 8%)" (manufactured by Kikkoman Corporation) was used as the liquid soy milk, and "IM-100 (Soy-derived Solid Content 100%)" (manufactured by Imuraya Co., Ltd.) was used as the powdered soy milk.

(2) Sensory Evaluation The beverage obtained in (1) above was subjected to sensory evaluation. Specifically, the beverage was tasted using a straw, and the texture was evaluated in terms of "solid mouthfeel" and "ease of swallowing" according to the following evaluation criteria. Here, "solid mouthfeel" refers to the sensation of touching a solid object when it enters the mouth and the sensation of it not spreading on the tongue, and "ease of swallowing" refers to the ability to swallow the beverage without resistance without it getting stuck in the throat. The sensory evaluation was carried out by four trained panelists. The panelists discussed the evaluation results of each panelist to determine the final evaluation results.

<Evaluation criteria>
A: It has a satisfying solid feel and is easy to swallow.
B: The solidity is somewhat weak and not very satisfying, or the solidity is satisfactory but somewhat difficult to swallow.
C: Not solid and not satisfying, or too solid and difficult to swallow.

(3) Instrument Evaluation A. LST Value The degree of viscosity of the beverage obtained in (1) above was evaluated. A line spread test was performed at a measurement temperature of 5°C using a "Viscosity Meter" (manufactured by Saraya Co., Ltd.) to determine the LST value (mm) (see "Japanese Society of Dysphagia Rehabilitation Swallowing Adjustment Diet Classification 2013," Journal of the Japanese Society of Dysphagia Rehabilitation, 17(3):255-267(2013)).

A. Viscosity The viscosity of the beverage obtained in (1) above was measured using a precision viscometer (RST-CC, manufactured by Brookfield). The measurement was performed using a double cylindrical spindle CCT-DG. The measurement conditions were a shear rate of 0.1 (1/s) to 2000 (1/s), a measurement temperature of 20°C, a liquid volume of 15.7 mL, a measurement time of 250 seconds under shear rate control, and 50 measurement points. For the evaluation, the viscosity at a shear rate of 210 (1/s) was used as an index of "solid mouthfeel" and the viscosity at a shear rate of 1052 (1/s) was used as an index of "ease of swallowing".

(4) Results The results of the sensory evaluation and the instrumental evaluation are shown in Table 3.

The results in Table 3 confirm that a bottled soy milk-containing beverage with a viscosity of 20-200 mPa·s at a shear rate of 210 (1/s), a viscosity of 5-30 mPa·s at a shear rate of 1052 (1/s), and a prescribed LST value provides a satisfying texture when first drinking and is easy to swallow.

Example 2: Preparation of soy milk-containing beverage and texture study (2)
(1) Preparation of Test Beverages Packaged soymilk-containing beverages (Test plots 8 to 23) were obtained following the procedure described in Example 1 (1), except that the ingredients were blended in the amounts shown in Tables 4 to 6. The amount of soy-derived protein contained in 100 g of the preparation liquid of Test plots 8 to 13 was 0.94 g, the amount of soy-derived protein contained in 100 g of the preparation liquid of Test plots 14 to 17 was 2.4 g, and the amount of soy-derived protein contained in 100 g of the preparation liquid of Test plots 18 to 23 was 3.8 g.

(2) Sensory Evaluation Sensory evaluation was carried out according to the criteria and procedures described in Example 1(2).

(3) Instrumental Evaluation Instrumental evaluation was carried out according to the procedure described in Example 1 (3).

(4) Results The results of the sensory evaluation and instrumental evaluation are shown in Tables 7 to 9.

The results in Tables 7 to 9 confirm that a bottled soy milk-containing beverage that has a viscosity of 20 to 200 mPa·s at a shear rate of 210 (1/s), a viscosity of 5 to 30 mPa·s at a shear rate of 1052 (1/s), and meets the specified LST value provides a satisfying texture when first drinking and is easy to swallow.

Example 3: Preparation of soy milk-containing beverages and examination of their texture (3)
(1) Preparation of Test Beverages Packaged soymilk-containing beverages (Test plots 24 to 42) were obtained following the procedure described in Example 1 (1), except that the ingredients were blended in the amounts shown in Tables 10 to 12. The amount of soy-derived protein contained in 100 g of the preparation liquid for Test plots 24 to 29 was 0.94 g, the amount of soy-derived protein contained in 100 g of the preparation liquid for Test plots 30 to 36 was 2.4 g, and the amount of soy-derived protein contained in 100 g of the preparation liquid for Test plots 37 to 42 was 3.8 g.

(2) Sensory Evaluation Sensory evaluation was carried out according to the criteria and procedures described in Example 1(2).

(3) Instrumental Evaluation Instrumental evaluation was carried out according to the procedure described in Example 1 (3).

(4) Results The results of the sensory evaluation and instrumental evaluation are shown in Tables 13 to 15.

The results in Tables 13 to 15 confirm that a bottled soy milk-containing beverage that has a viscosity of 20 to 200 mPa·s at a shear rate of 210 (1/s), a viscosity of 5 to 30 mPa·s at a shear rate of 1052 (1/s), and meets the specified LST value provides a satisfying texture when first drinking and is easy to swallow.

Example 4: Examination of the texture of various beverages (1) Preparation of test beverages A soy milk-containing fruit juice beverage, a soy milk beverage, and a soy beverage (all commercially available products) were prepared, as well as test plots 31, 33, and 35 of soy milk-containing beverages prepared according to Example 3. The protein contents of the commercially available soy milk-containing fruit juice beverage, soy milk beverage, and soy beverage, and the soy milk-containing beverages of test plots 31, 33, and 35 were as shown in Table 16.

(3) Instrumental Evaluation The soy milk-containing fruit juice beverage, soy milk beverage, and soy beverage prepared in (1) above, and the soy milk-containing beverages of test plots 31, 33, and 35 were subjected to instrumental evaluation. The instrumental evaluation was carried out according to the procedure described in Example 1 (3).

(4) Results The results of the instrumental evaluation are shown in Table 17.

From Tables 16 and 17, it was confirmed that the bottled soy milk-containing beverage of the present invention is a novel soy milk-containing beverage that has a viscosity of 20 to 200 mPa·s at a shear rate of 210 (1/s), a viscosity of 5 to 30 mPa·s at a shear rate of 1052 (1/s), a specified LST value, and a specified protein content.

Claims (4)

A soy component-containing beverage (excluding soy beverages with a pH of 3.5 to 5.0) which has a viscosity (20°C) of 20 to 200 mPa·s at a shear rate of 210 (1/s) and a viscosity (20°C) of 5 to 30 mPa·s at a shear rate of 1052 (1/s ), and which has an LST (Line Spread Test) value (5°C) of less than 40 mm and is a packaged beverage. The beverage according to claim 1, wherein the protein concentration in the beverage is 0.5 to 5.5% by mass. The beverage according to claim 1 or 2, which contains a thickening component as an ingredient. The beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is a soy milk-containing beverage.