JP7652564B2 - Packaged milk drinks - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a packaged milk-containing beverage that contains milk components and γ-aminobutyric acid, thereby enhancing the milky taste.

Milk-containing beverages such as coffee and black tea drinks with milk are highly palatable beverages that can be consumed throughout the year. Milk-containing beverages combine the inherent flavor and taste of coffee, black tea, and other ingredients with the milky flavor and texture of milk, making them even more palatable, and many are sold as RTD beverages.

When milk-containing beverages are packaged, there is a limit to the amount of milk ingredients that can be used. This is for health reasons, such as suppressing deterioration odors caused by heat sterilization, improving storage stability such as precipitation and separation, reducing costs, and reducing calories. Packaged milk-containing beverages with a low amount of milk ingredients have the problem of lacking milk flavor and milky feel (particularly the milky feel). Therefore, various methods have been proposed to enhance the milky feel. For example, there is a method of adding a milky feel enhancer containing rebaudioside A and mogroside V, which are components of natural sweeteners, in a mass ratio of 50:50 to 99:1 to a milk-containing beverage (Patent Document 1), a method of adding an additive for milk-containing foods and beverages consisting of kaffeofuran or its analogues to a milk-containing beverage (Patent Document 2), and a method of adjusting the concentration of Cyclo(Pro-Arg), a type of cyclic dipeptide, in a milk-containing beverage to 4 to 1000 ppm (Patent Document 3).

In addition, various methods have been proposed for enhancing the full-bodied taste and richness of milk-containing beverages. For example, there is a method of adding a food and beverage taste improver containing phthalides as an active ingredient to various beverages, including milk beverages (Patent Document 4), a method of adding sweeteners (glucose and galactose) and specific whey minerals to a concentrated milk-like composition (Patent Document 5), and a method of using deep sea water as part of the raw water in a milk beverage whose main ingredients are milk, dairy products, and raw water (Patent Document 6).

JP 2019-198324 A JP 2008-79545 A JP 2020-171321 A JP 2011-103774 A JP 2011-217645 A JP 2008-67641 A

The present invention aims to provide a packaged milk-containing beverage with a low content of milk ingredients and an enhanced milky taste.

The inventors discovered that the milky feel of a milk-containing beverage is strongly related to the depth and breadth of the flavor and aftertaste when the beverage is consumed. After examining various ingredients that can improve the depth and breadth of the flavor and aftertaste of a beverage, they discovered that γ-aminobutyric acid could achieve this goal, leading to the completion of the present invention.

The present invention includes, but is not limited to, the following aspects.
[1] A packaged milk-based beverage containing 0.3 to 4.0 g of milk protein and 25 to 70 mg of γ-aminobutyric acid per 100 g of beverage.
[2] The beverage described in [1], having a milk protein content of 0.3 g or more and less than 3.0 g per 100 g of beverage and a milk solids content of less than 3 mass%.

The present invention makes it possible to provide a milk-containing beverage with an enhanced milky feel, improving the depth and breadth of the beverage's flavor and aftertaste, despite the low amount of milk ingredients used.

The present invention is a milk-containing beverage with enhanced milkiness. Here, "milkiness" as used in this specification refers to the full-bodied taste that milk has, and enhanced milkiness means that the beverage has the same full-bodied taste as a milk-containing beverage containing a larger amount of milk or a milk-containing beverage using thicker milk as an ingredient. Here, full-bodied taste refers to the thickness (richness) and spread of the beverage's taste and aftertaste. The middle taste and aftertaste refer to the middle taste and aftertaste when taste is divided into three stages (first taste, middle taste, aftertaste), with the first taste referring to the taste at the moment the food or drink is put into the mouth, the middle taste referring to the taste while the food or drink is in the mouth, and the aftertaste referring to the taste from the moment the food or drink is swallowed to after swallowing. The depth of taste is a unified taste consisting of multiple taste components that cannot be produced by a simple basic taste, and the spread of taste refers to the persistence of the taste felt in the mouth.

A milk-containing beverage refers to a beverage that contains milk or a material derived from milk (also referred to as "milk components" in this specification). Here, "milk" refers to milk obtained by milking livestock, such as cow's milk, goat's milk, or sheep's milk. Specific examples of milk-containing beverages include dairy beverages such as coffee with milk, black tea with milk, matcha milk, cocoa beverage with milk, and other yogurt-flavored beverages, as well as lactobacillus beverages containing lactobacillus, and dairy lactobacillus beverages.

(Milk-based drinks)
The milk-containing beverage of the present invention is a packaged milk-containing beverage with enhanced milkiness. It has been reported that when the fat content of whipped cream is the same and the non-fat milk solids are increased, the impact of the original milk flavor is enhanced and the duration of the flavor is improved (https://www.takanashi-milk.com/html/page19.html). As a result of the study by the inventors, it was found that the "milkiness" of a milk-containing beverage is closely related to milk protein, which is a type of non-fat milk solid, and when the milk protein is reduced, the thickness and spread of the content and aftertaste of the milk-containing beverage are reduced, and the milkiness is reduced. The milk-containing beverage of the present invention has a low amount of milk components, and enhances the "milkiness" in a beverage with a relatively low amount of milk protein involved in the "milkiness". The amount of milk protein in such beverages is about 0.3 to 4.0 g per 100 g of beverage, preferably about 0.3 to 3.5 g, more preferably 0.3 g or more and less than 3.0 g, even more preferably 0.3 to 2.5 g, even more preferably 0.3 to 2.0 g, and even more preferably 0.3 to 1.5 g. The protein content in a beverage can be measured by the Kjeldahl method. The milk protein content is determined by measuring the protein content in the beverage and subtracting the amount of protein brought in by components other than milk components.

The milk components blended into the milk-containing beverage of the present invention are milk or milk-derived materials, as described above. Milk components usually contain milk proteins. Milk proteins themselves can also be said to be a type of milk-derived material, and are a type of milk component. Milk proteins are various proteins contained in milk or derived from milk.

Examples of milk components include milk obtained by milking livestock, such as cow's milk, goat's milk, and sheep's milk, as well as materials (milk-derived materials) obtained from these milks, such as casein, α-lactalbumin, β-lactoglobulin, lactoferrin, whey protein concentrate (WPC), total milk protein (TMP), milk protein peptides, whole milk powder, skim milk powder, cheese, milk protein concentrate (MPC), and mixtures of two or more of these. The milk components incorporated into the beverage may be in liquid or solid form. Among the milk components, a beverage containing milk is one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention.

Of milk-containing beverages that contain about 0.3 to 4.0 g of milk protein per 100 g of beverage, beverages with low milk protein levels (between 0.3 g and 3.0 g per 100 g of beverage) and milk solids of less than 3% by mass usually have difficulty imparting a "milky feel." Since the present invention can enhance the "milky feel" of beverages with low milk solids, such beverages are suitable for application of the present invention. Here, milk solids refers to the components in dairy products other than water, and includes non-fat milk solids and milk fat. When referring to the milk-containing beverage of the present invention, "milk solids" refers to the total of non-fat milk solids and milk fat derived from milk components.

Examples of beverages with a milk solids content of less than 3% by mass include beverages in which milk ingredients are added to plant materials such as tea, coffee, cocoa, and fruit juice, and soft drinks such as beverages in which sweeteners and flavorings are added to milk ingredients (so-called "dairy beverages"). In other words, beverages with a milk solids content of less than 3% by mass and whose "name" based on the Food Labeling Standards is one or more of the following names selected from the group consisting of coffee beverages, cocoa beverages, black tea beverages, and soft drinks are preferred embodiments of the present invention.

By adding γ-aminobutyric acid (hereinafter abbreviated as "GABA") to a milk-containing beverage in which the milk protein content is kept low as in the above range, the present invention improves the richness and breadth of the beverage's flavor and aftertaste, and enhances the milky feel.

GABA is a type of amino acid that is widely contained in vegetables, fruits, grains, fermented foods, etc. The GABA used in the present invention is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, GABA extracted from vegetables, fruits, grains, etc., GABA produced by fermentation, GABA obtained by organic synthesis, etc. In order to enjoy the effects of the present invention while minimizing the influence on the flavor of the beverage itself, it is preferable to use a refined product of GABA containing 80% or more, preferably 85% or more, and more preferably 90% or more of GABA as the GABA used in the beverage of the present invention. The refined product may be in various forms such as a solid, an aqueous solution, or a slurry. Commercially available refined products of GABA include GABA 100% Pure Powder (NOW FOODS), Oryza GABA Extract HC-90 (Oryza Oil & Fat Chemical Co., Ltd.), etc.

In the present invention, GABA is added so that the concentration of GABA in the beverage is 25 mg/100 g or more, preferably 30 mg/100 g or more, and more preferably 35 mg/100 g or more. The GABA content is preferably 70 mg/100 g or less, more preferably 65 mg/100 g or less, and even more preferably 60 mg/100 g or less. The GABA content can be measured using an amino acid analyzer.

There are no particular limitations on the method of adding GABA. A predetermined amount of GABA may be added to the beverage preparation before filling the containers, or a predetermined amount of GABA may be added to each container and then the beverage preparation may be filled.

(Other ingredients)
When a beverage contains a sweetening component, the richness and milkiness from the middle to the aftertaste can be further enhanced. Therefore, a milk-containing beverage containing a sweetening component is one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention. Here, the term "sweetening component" as used herein refers to a component added to impart sweetness to a beverage. Specifically, the sweetening component may be a component added to impart sweetness to a beverage, such as molasses sugars, brown sugar, cassonade (brown sugar), wasanbon, sorghum sugar, maple sugar, etc., refined sugars such as granulated sugar (white double sugar, medium double sugar, granulated sugar, etc.), processed sugars (sugar cubes, crystal sugar, powdered sugar, granulated sugar, etc.), liquid sugar, etc., monosaccharides (glucose, fructose, wood sugar, sorbose, galactose, isomerized sugar, etc.), disaccharides (sucrose, maltose, lactose, isomerized lactose, palatinose, etc.), oligosaccharides (fructooligosaccharides, maltooligosaccharides, isomaltooligosaccharides, galactose, etc.), and the like. Examples of suitable sweeteners include carbohydrate sweeteners such as sugar alcohols (erythritol, sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, maltitol, isomaltitol, lactitol, maltotriitol, isomaltotriitol, panitol, oligosaccharide alcohols, powdered reduced maltose syrup), as well as high-intensity sweeteners such as natural non-carbohydrate sweeteners (stevia extract, licorice extract, etc.) and synthetic non-carbohydrate sweeteners (aspartame, acesulfame K, etc.).

The amount of sweetening component may be appropriately set according to the desired flavor, but is usually about 1 to 15, preferably about 2 to 13, more preferably about 3 to 10, and even more preferably about 4 to 8 in terms of sweetness. Here, sweetness is a measure of sweetness intensity, and is a relative ratio when the sweetness of 1% by mass of sucrose (20°C) is set to 1. The sweetness of a beverage can be determined by converting the amount (mass concentration) of each sweetening component contained in the beverage into a sucrose equivalent amount based on the relative ratio of the sweetness of the sweetening component to the sweetness of sucrose, which is 1, and then totaling the sucrose equivalent amounts of all the sweetening components contained in the beverage. The relative ratio of the sweetness of each sweetening component to the sweetness of sucrose, which is 1, can be determined from the known sugar sweetness conversion table (McMurry Organic Chemistry (7th Edition), p. 988).

In addition to the above ingredients, the beverage of the present invention may contain appropriate ingredients that are commonly added to milk-containing beverages, such as pH adjusters, antioxidants, acidulants, extracts, flavorings, colorants, vitamins, emulsifiers, thickening stabilizers, etc., provided that the intended object of the present invention is not exceeded.

(Packaged beverages)
The milk-containing beverage of the present invention is in the form of a packaged beverage. Here, the packaged beverage is used synonymously with an RTD beverage (RTD = Ready To Drink: a beverage packaged in a PET bottle, can, bottle, paper, etc. that can be opened and drunk immediately). There are two types of RTD beverages: beverages that are consistently stored in a refrigerator and beverages that can be stored at room temperature, but the beverage of the present invention may be either of them. In view of the remarkable effect of the present invention, an RTD beverage that can be stored at room temperature is preferable. Beverages that can be stored at room temperature are usually produced through heat sterilization at 100°C or higher, and this high-temperature heating tends to reduce the milky feel of the milk-containing beverage, making the problem of insufficient milky feel more pronounced. The heat sterilization method that reduces the milky feel is not particularly limited, but examples include high-temperature short-time sterilization (UHT; 120 to 150°C, 1 to 120 seconds) and retort sterilization (110°C to 130°C, 10 to 30 minutes).

The details of the present invention will be specifically explained below with reference to experimental examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Furthermore, in this specification, unless otherwise specified, numerical ranges are stated to include their endpoints.

The protein content in the beverages of the examples was measured by the Kjeldahl method. The GABA content was measured by collecting a measurement sample, centrifuging it, treating the supernatant with 0.02 N hydrochloric acid, filtering it using a cylinder equipped with a 0.45 μm filter, and quantifying it using a fully automated amino acid analyzer (JLC-500/V, manufactured by JEOL Ltd.).

Experimental Example 1 Preparation of coffee drink with milk (1)
Coffee beans with a roasting degree L value of 23 were ground to medium size, and then extracted with hot water at 90°C for 15 minutes while stirring, with a mass of about 10 times the mass of the coffee beans. After the extraction was completed, the extract was filtered through a commercially available paper filter, and the filtrate was quickly cooled to about 25°C or less. GABA (purity 99% or more) and sucrose shown in Table 1 were added to this coffee extract (Brix is 2.5) and completely dissolved, and then milk and an emulsifier (sucrose fatty acid ester) were added, water was added to a total amount of 1000g, and the pH was adjusted to 6.9 with a pH adjuster (sodium bicarbonate) to obtain a prepared liquid. This prepared liquid was homogenized at 120 kg/ ^cm2 , heated to 90°C, filled into a 190 mL can, and retort sterilized (124°C, 20 minutes) to produce a packaged milk-containing coffee beverage (pH 6.5) containing the components shown in Table 2.

A sensory evaluation was carried out by a panel of five experts on the obtained packaged coffee beverages with milk. The milky feel of the coffee beverage without GABA (negative control) (sample No. 1-1) was scored as 0 points, and the milky feel of the coffee beverage without GABA but with an increased amount of milk from 100g/1000g to 150g/1000g (positive control) (sample No. 1-2) was scored as 2 points, with a score of 1 being assigned if the milky feel of the prepared packaged coffee beverage with milk (0 points) was close to the milky feel of the positive control (2 points) and was somewhere between the two. That is,
0 point: Milky taste similar to that of the negative control; 1 point: Milky taste stronger than that of the negative control, but weaker than that of the positive control; 2 points: Milky taste almost the same as or even stronger than that of the positive control. The number of panelists who rated it was counted.

The results are shown in Table 3. The majority judged that adding 25 mg/100 g or more of GABA to a milk-containing coffee beverage containing 100 g/1000 g of milk gave it the same milky feel as a milk-containing beverage containing 150 g/1000 g of milk. This suggests that adding 25 to 70 mg/100 g of GABA to a coffee beverage with a low concentration of milk components (approximately 0.3 g/100 g of milk protein) improved the depth and breadth of the beverage's flavor and aftertaste, enhancing the milky feel. There was no significant difference in the strength of the milky feel between beverages containing 60 mg/100 g GABA and beverages containing 70 mg/100 g GABA.

Experimental Example 2 Preparation of coffee drink with milk (2)
Coffee extract was used as the coffee raw material, milk, skim milk powder, and fresh cream (milk fat 47%) as the milk component, and sucrose as the sweetening component. The coffee extract, milk component, sweetening component, emulsifier (sucrose fatty acid ester), pH adjuster (potassium carbonate), and flavoring GABA (purity 99% or more) were added in the formulation shown in Table 4, completely dissolved, and water was added to make a total amount of 1000 g to obtain a mixed liquid. This mixed liquid was homogenized at 150 kg/ ^cm2 , sterilized at high temperature for a short time (110°C, 1 minute), immediately cooled to 10°C or less, and filled into plastic chilled cups at 180 mL each to produce a packaged milk-containing coffee beverage (pH 7.0) containing the components shown in Table 5.

The resulting packaged coffee beverages with milk were subjected to a sensory evaluation in the same manner as in Experimental Example 1. That is, the milkiness of the coffee beverage without GABA (negative control) (Sample No. 2-1) was given a score of 0, and the milkiness of the coffee beverage without GABA but with an increased amount of skim milk powder added from 5 g/1000 g to 10 g/1000 g (positive control) (Sample No. 2-2) was given a score of 2, and the number of panelists who evaluated each packaged coffee beverage with milk was counted. The results are shown in Table 6. In a coffee beverage with a low concentration of milk components, with a milk protein content of approximately 0.6 g/100 g, the addition of 25 to 70 mg/100 g of GABA improved the thickness and breadth of the beverage's flavor and aftertaste, and enhanced the milkiness.

Experimental Example 3 Preparation of cocoa drink with milk (1)
Cocoa powder (15% fat content), sweetener, milk component, and GABA in the amounts shown in Table 7 were added and dissolved in hot water at 60° C. Microcrystalline cellulose and emulsifier (sucrose fatty acid ester) in the amounts shown in Table 7 were also added and dissolved in hot water at 60° C. These two solutions were mixed and stirred, homogenized at 120 kg/cm ² , sterilized at 140° C. for 2 seconds, immediately cooled to 25° C. or lower, and packed in paper cartons at 200 mL each to produce packaged cocoa beverages with milk (pH 7.0) containing the ingredients shown in Table 8.

The resulting packaged cocoa beverage with milk was subjected to a sensory evaluation in the same manner as in Experimental Example 1. That is, the milky feel of the cocoa beverage without GABA (negative control) (Sample No. 3-1) was given a score of 0, and the milky feel of the cocoa beverage without GABA but with an increased amount of whole milk powder from 10 g/1000 g to 16 g/1000 g (positive control) (Sample No. 3-2) was given a score of 2, and the number of panelists who evaluated each packaged cocoa beverage with milk was counted. The results are shown in Table 9. In the cocoa beverage, the addition of 25 mg/100 g or more of GABA improved the thickness and breadth of the beverage's flavor and aftertaste, and enhanced the milky feel.

Experimental Example 4 Preparation of cocoa drink with milk (2)
Cocoa beverages containing milk were prepared in the same manner as in Experimental Example 3, except that the sweetener and milk ingredients were mixed as shown in Table 10. A sensory evaluation was performed to determine which of the two beverages had a stronger milky taste: a cocoa beverage containing no GABA (Sample No. 3-6) and a cocoa beverage containing 25 mg/100 g or more of GABA (Sample No. 3-7). All panelists (five people) rated the beverage containing GABA as having a stronger milky taste.

Experimental Example 5 Preparation of black tea beverage with milk 20g of black tea leaves were extracted with 600g of hot water (90°C) for 5 minutes. After the extraction was completed, the solid-liquid separation was performed using a mesh, and the filtrate was quickly cooled to 25°C or less and then centrifuged to obtain a black tea extract. Sweet components, milk components, and other various components were added to this black tea extract in the amounts shown in Table 12 to make a total amount of 1000g, which was homogenized using a high-pressure homogenizer at a pressure of 150kg/ ^cm2 , plate sterilized at 141°C for 30 seconds, and filled into a PET container to produce a packaged black tea beverage with milk (pH 6.4).

The resulting packaged black tea beverages with milk were subjected to a sensory evaluation in the same manner as in Experimental Example 1. That is, the milkiness of the black tea beverage without GABA (negative control) (Sample No. 4-1) was given a score of 0, while the milkiness of the black tea beverage without GABA but with an increased amount of milk ingredients (positive control) (Sample No. 4-2) was given a score of 2, and the number of panelists who evaluated each of the prepared packaged black tea beverages with milk was counted. The results are shown in Table 14. In the black tea beverage as well, the addition of 25 mg/100 g or more of GABA improved the thickness and breadth of the beverage's flavor and aftertaste, and enhanced the milkiness.

Experimental Example 6 Preparation of Acidic Milk Beverage Sweetening ingredients and stabilizer (HM pectin) in the amounts shown in Table 15 were added and dissolved in hot water at 70°C. This solution, milk ingredients, GABA, and other ingredients were added to make a total amount of 1000 g, and after thorough stirring, the mixture was homogenized at 120 kg/ ^cm2 and sterilized at 120°C for 4 seconds, immediately cooled to 25°C or lower, and filled into paper packs in 200 mL portions to produce yogurt-flavored acidic milk beverages (pH 3.9) containing the ingredients shown in Table 16. Whey protein concentrate (WPC/80, Nutra Food Ingredients, LLC) was used as the whey protein.

The resulting acidic milk beverages were subjected to a sensory evaluation in the same manner as in Experimental Example 1. That is, the milkiness of the acidic milk beverage without GABA (negative control) (Sample No. 5-1) was rated 0 points, while the milkiness of the acidic milk beverage without GABA but with an increased amount of milk ingredients (positive control) (Sample No. 5-2) was rated 2 points, and the number of panelists who evaluated each of the prepared acidic milk beverages was counted. The results are shown in Table 17. In the acidic milk beverage, the addition of 25 mg/100 g or more of GABA improved the thickness and breadth of the beverage's flavor and aftertaste, and enhanced the milkiness.

Claims (2)

The beverage contains 0.3 g or more and less than 3.0 g of milk protein and 25 to 70 mg of γ-aminobutyric acid per 100 g.
The milk solids content is less than 3% by mass,
The packaged milk-containing beverage is derived from a refined product of γ-aminobutyric acid containing 80% by mass or more of γ-aminobutyric acid . The beverage according to claim 1, having a sweetness level of 4 to 8.