JP7765176B2 - Lactic acid fermented tomato juice-containing alcoholic beverage, method for improving the taste thereof, and method for producing the same - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an alcoholic beverage containing lactic acid-fermented tomato juice, a method for improving the taste thereof, and a method for producing the same.

There is likely to be demand for alcoholic beverages containing lactic acid fermented tomato juice, particularly among users who are sensitive to healthy keywords such as "fermented."
For example, Patent Document 1 (JP 2008-212070 A) discloses a tomato juice-containing alcoholic beverage that contains lactic acid-fermented tomato liquid and clear tomato juice, has a tomato juice content of 1 wt% or more, and an alcohol content of 1 to 25%. According to the description in Patent Document 1, this tomato juice-containing alcoholic beverage is capable of removing the undesirable grassy flavor characteristic of tomato juice without impairing the desirable flavor and aroma of tomatoes, even though it is an alcoholic beverage.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-212070

The present inventors have been working to improve the taste of alcoholic beverages containing lactic acid-fermented tomato juice, taking into consideration compatibility with specific meals, etc. It would be particularly desirable to provide an alcoholic beverage that pairs well with foods that have a healthy image, such as salad chicken.
However, foods with a healthy image, such as those described above, often have a bland taste. Therefore, attempts have been made to provide an alcoholic beverage containing lactic acid-fermented tomato juice that pairs well with bland-tasting foods. However, alcoholic beverages containing lactic acid-fermented tomato juice have a problem in that the acidity becomes mellow due to fermentation, resulting in a lack of the satisfying taste of an alcoholic beverage.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a technology that can increase the drinking experience of alcoholic beverages containing lactic acid-fermented tomato juice.

The present inventors have found that the above-mentioned problems can be solved by employing a specific composition. That is, the present invention includes the following features.
[1] A lactic acid-fermented tomato juice-containing alcoholic beverage containing 0.1 ppm or more of an umami component that is at least one selected from the group consisting of inosinic acid, guanylic acid, and salts thereof, and lactic acid-fermented tomato juice.
[2] The alcoholic beverage described in [1], having a carbohydrate content of 3.0 g/100 ml or less.
[3] An alcoholic beverage according to [1] or [2], wherein at least a portion of the umami components are derived from yeast extract.
[4] The alcoholic beverage according to any one of claims [1] to [3], containing 0.04 to 4.0 w/v% of the lactic acid fermented tomato juice in terms of solid matter.
[5] The alcoholic beverage according to any one of [1] to [4], further containing salt.
[6] The alcoholic beverage according to any one of [1] to [5], having an alcohol content of 0.2 v/v% or more and 7 v/v% or less.
[7] An alcoholic beverage according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the carbon dioxide pressure is 1.5 to 3.5 gas volumes.
[8] A method for improving the taste of an alcoholic beverage containing lactic acid-fermented tomato juice, comprising a step of adding 0.1 ppm or more of an umami component to the alcoholic beverage containing lactic acid-fermented tomato juice, wherein the umami component is at least one selected from the group consisting of inosinic acid, guanylic acid, and salts thereof.
[9] The taste improvement method according to [8], further comprising the step of adding salt to the lactic acid-fermented tomato juice-containing alcoholic beverage.
[10] The taste improvement method according to [8] or [9], wherein the sugar content of the lactic acid-fermented tomato juice-containing alcoholic beverage is 3.0 g/100 ml or less.
[11] A method for producing an alcoholic beverage containing lactic acid fermented tomato juice, comprising a step of mixing lactic acid fermented tomato juice with an amount of umami component(s) such that the total content in the beverage is 0.1 ppm or more, wherein the umami component(s) is at least one selected from the group consisting of inosinic acid, guanylic acid, and salts thereof.

The present invention provides a technology that can increase the drinking experience of alcoholic beverages containing lactic acid-fermented tomato juice.

An embodiment of the present invention is described below. The lactic acid-fermented tomato juice-containing alcoholic beverage according to this embodiment is an alcoholic beverage containing umami components and lactic acid-fermented tomato juice. By adding umami components to an alcoholic beverage containing lactic acid-fermented tomato juice, the drinking experience can be enhanced.

Below is a detailed description of each ingredient contained in alcoholic beverages containing lactic acid-fermented tomato juice.

(Lactic acid fermented tomato juice)
Lactic acid fermented tomato juice is a liquid obtained by fermenting tomato juice with lactic acid bacteria. There are no particular limitations on the lactic acid bacteria used, as long as they produce lactic acid from sugars through fermentation.
The content of lactic acid-fermented tomato juice in the beverage according to this embodiment is 0.04 to 4.0 w/v %, preferably 0.1 to 2.0 w/v %, and more preferably 0.2 to 1.2 w/v %, calculated on solids.
Lactic acid fermented juice is characterized by its high lactic acid content (for example, 1% or more), and by using lactic acid fermented tomato juice that is rich in lactic acid, the sourness of the tomatoes becomes mellow.
The term "solids equivalent" means that the weight is converted to the weight of solids excluding water (dry weight value).

(Umami component)
The umami component used in the beverage according to this embodiment is at least one selected from the group consisting of inosinic acid, guanylic acid, and salts thereof. Inosinic acid is a type of organic compound with a nucleotide structure. It is a ribonucleotide composed of one molecule each of hypoxanthine (6-hydroxypurine), D-ribose, and phosphate, and is also known as inosine 5'-phosphate, inosine 5'-monophosphate, inosine monophosphate, etc., and is abbreviated as IMP. It is a natural compound found mainly in meat.
Guanylic acid is a type of organic compound that has a nucleotide structure similar to inosinic acid, and is also called guanosine 5'-phosphate, guanosine 5'-monophosphate, or guanosine monophosphate, and is abbreviated as GMP.
By adding these umami components, the beverage can be made more satisfying to drink and its watery taste can also be improved.
The content of the umami component is, for example, 0.1 ppm (mg/L) or more, preferably 0.1 to 2000 ppm.

Umami components can be added to beverages by adding, for example, inosinic acid, guanylic acid, and/or salts thereof individually. In this case, the content of umami components in the beverage is, for example, 0.1 to 30 ppm, preferably 0.1 to 25 ppm, and more preferably 0.3 to 25 ppm.

Alternatively, umami components can be added to the beverage by adding a food ingredient containing umami components (for example, yeast extract).
Preferably, at least a portion of the umami components are derived from yeast extract, i.e., the beverage according to this embodiment preferably contains yeast extract.
The content of the yeast extract is, for example, 1 to 5000 ppm (mg/L), preferably 10 to 3000 ppm, and more preferably 10 to 1000 ppm.
When at least a portion of the umami component is derived from yeast extract, the content of the umami component is, for example, 0.1 to 400 ppm, preferably 0.1 to 300 ppm, and more preferably 1.0 to 200 ppm.

(others)
In addition to the above components, the beverage according to this embodiment may contain other edible components as needed.

Preferably, the beverage contains salt, which further reduces the wateriness, making it easier to improve the wateriness even when the beverage contains a small amount of umami components.
The salt content is, for example, 0.01 to 200 ppm (mg/L), preferably 2 to 100 ppm.

Salt can be added to the beverage by adding salt alone. In this case, the salt content is, for example, 1.0 to 100 ppm, preferably 2 to 75 ppm.

Alternatively, salt can be added by adding a food ingredient containing salt, such as yeast extract.
When at least a part of the salt is derived from yeast extract, the salt content is, for example, 0.01 to 20 ppm, preferably 0.01 to 10 ppm, and more preferably 0.1 to 10 ppm.

The beverage according to this embodiment may contain a sweetener, such as sugars including glucose, galactose, mannose, fructose, sucrose, lactose, maltose, and high-fructose corn syrup, as well as high-intensity sweeteners such as sucralose, acesulfame potassium, and aspartame.
However, it is preferable that the beverage according to this embodiment has a relatively low sugar content. Beverages with a low sugar content are more likely to be accepted by health-conscious users. On the other hand, a beverage with a low sugar content is likely to lack a satisfying taste. However, according to this embodiment, by devising the composition as described above, a beverage with a low sugar content can be sufficiently satisfying to drink.
The carbohydrate content of the beverage is, for example, 3.0 g/100 ml or less, preferably 0.5 to 3.0 g/100 ml, and more preferably 1.0 to 3.0 g/100 ml.

An acidulant may be added to the alcoholic beverage of this embodiment. Examples of acidulants include adipic acid, citric acid (anhydrous), trisodium citrate (sodium citrate), glucono-delta-lactone, gluconic acid, potassium gluconate, sodium gluconate, succinic acid, monosodium succinate, disodium succinate, sodium acetate, DL-tartaric acid, L-tartaric acid, sodium DL-tartrate, sodium L-tartrate, carbon dioxide, lactic acid, sodium lactate, glacial acetic acid, fumaric acid, monosodium fumarate, DL-malic acid, sodium DL-malate, and phosphoric acid. Of these, citric acid (anhydrous) and sodium citrate are preferred.

In the beverage according to this embodiment, the acidity converted to citric acid is preferably 0.01 to 0.5 g/100 ml, and more preferably 0.05 to 0.3 g/100 ml. The acidity converted to citric acid is calculated based on the acidity measurement method specified in the National Tax Agency's prescribed analytical method.

The alcohol content of the beverage according to this embodiment is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 0.2% v/v or more and 7% v/v or less, and more preferably 0.4 to 5% v/v.
In this embodiment, the alcohol source is preferably distilled alcohol such as shochu, spirits, and brewer's alcohol, among which brewer's alcohol is more preferably used.

The beverage according to this embodiment may be a carbonated or non-carbonated beverage, but is preferably a carbonated beverage. Preferably, the beverage according to this embodiment has a carbonation pressure of 1.5 to 3.5 gas volumes.

The beverage according to this embodiment is preferably a bottled beverage sealed in a container. Examples of containers include cans, bottles, and plastic bottles. More preferably, it is a canned, ready-to-drink (RTD) beverage.

The method for producing the beverage according to this embodiment is not particularly limited. One example is as follows: First, lacto-fermented tomato juice, water, an alcohol source, umami components, and, if necessary, other components are mixed in predetermined amounts. Next, the resulting mixture is cooled and carbonated. The mixture is then filled into a container and sterilized by heating or the like before or after sealing. This allows the beverage according to this embodiment to be obtained.

The beverage according to the present embodiment described above contains umami components, which can enhance the drinking experience of alcoholic beverages containing lactic acid-fermented tomato juice.

In particular, the beverage according to this embodiment pairs well with dishes with a mild flavor, such as salad chicken. Therefore, this embodiment can provide a beverage that pairs well with ingredients preferred by health-conscious consumers who tend to prefer a mild flavor.

The following examples are provided to explain the present invention in more detail. However, the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the following examples.

Test Example 1: Sensory Evaluation of an Alcoholic Beverage Containing Lactic Acid-Fermented Tomato Juice with Added Inosinic Acid. Brewer's alcohol, 55% fructose-glucose syrup, lactic acid-fermented tomato juice, and anhydrous citric acid were mixed according to the composition shown in Table 1, and water and carbon dioxide were added to obtain a base liquid (Sample 1-1). The alcohol content of the base liquid was 4.1 v/v%. The acidity was 0.22 (g/100 ml). The carbon dioxide pressure was 2.3 GV (gas volume).

Next, inosinic acid (trade name: inosine-5'-monophosphate disodium, manufactured by Nacalai Tesque) was added to the base solution in an amount to give the concentration shown in Table 2, thereby obtaining beverages according to Samples 1-2 to 1-7.
The resulting samples 1-1 to 1-7 were subjected to a sensory evaluation by four trained panelists for (1) the drinking experience typical of an alcoholic beverage, (2) the refreshing aftertaste, (3) wateriness, (4) the strength of the umami flavor, and (5) the overall taste. Each item was evaluated on a 5-point scale with sample 1-1 as the control (score 3), and the average value was used as the result.

Specifically, (1) the drinking sensation typical of an alcoholic beverage, (2) the refreshing aftertaste, (3) wateriness, and (4) the strength of the umami flavor were evaluated on the following five-point scale.
5 points: Stronger than the control 4 points: Slightly stronger than the control 3 points: Same as the control 2 points: Slightly weaker than the control 1 point: Weaker than the control

In addition, (5) Overall evaluation of taste was made on the following five-point scale.
5 points: better than the control 4 points: slightly better than the control 3 points: same as the control 2 points: slightly worse than the control 1 point: worse than the control

The results are shown in Table 2.
As shown in Table 2, as the inosinic acid content increased, the drinking experience became more like that of an alcoholic beverage, the wateriness weakened, and the umami flavor tended to become stronger. Furthermore, in Samples 1-2 to 1-7, which had an inosinic acid content in the range of 0.1 to 30 ppm, the refreshing aftertaste was not significantly impaired. In Samples 1-2 to 1-6, which had an inosinic acid content in the range of 0.1 to 25 ppm, the refreshing aftertaste was also improved.

(Test Example 2) Sensory evaluation of alcoholic beverages containing lactic acid-fermented tomato juice with added guanylic acid: Guanylic acid (trade name: disodium guanosine-5'-monophosphate, manufactured by Nacalai Tesque, Inc.) was used instead of inosinic acid . The beverages corresponding to Samples 2-1 to 2-6 were obtained in the same manner as in Test Example 1. The obtained samples were subjected to sensory evaluation in the same manner as in Test Example 1.

The guanylic acid content and sensory evaluation results are shown in Table 3. As shown in Table 3, as the guanylic acid content increased, the drink tended to have a more satisfying, alcoholic beverage-like texture, become less watery, and have a stronger umami flavor. Furthermore, samples 2-1 to 2-6, which had a guanylic acid content in the range of 0.1 to 30 ppm, did not impair the refreshing aftertaste.

Test Example 3: Sensory evaluation of lactic acid-fermented tomato juice-containing alcoholic beverages with added yeast extract. Different amounts of commercially available yeast extract (product name: Yeastock East Peptone HR-Pd, manufactured by Asahi Group Foods Co., Ltd.; containing 9 wt% inosinic acid, 9 wt% guanylic acid, and 0.6% salt) were added to the base liquid (sample 1-1) to obtain beverages according to samples 3-1 to 3-6. The resulting samples were subjected to sensory evaluation in the same manner as in Test Example 1.

Table 4 shows the concentrations of yeast extract, inosinic acid, guanylic acid, and salt in the samples and the results of the sensory evaluation.
As shown in Table 4, when inosinic acid and guanylic acid were added to the beverage by adding yeast extract, the beverages tended to have a more satisfying, alcoholic feel, a less watery taste, and a stronger umami flavor. Samples 3-1 to 3-5, whose total inosinic acid and guanylic acid content was in the range of 0.1 to 300 ppm, did not impair the refreshing aftertaste.

(Test Example 4) Sensory evaluation of lactic acid-fermented tomato juice-containing alcoholic beverages with added inosinic acid and salt As shown in Table 5, inosinic acid was added to a base liquid to a concentration of 1.0 ppm, and a predetermined amount of salt was further added to prepare beverages corresponding to Samples 4-0 to 4-4 with different salt contents. The prepared beverages were subjected to a sensory evaluation in the same manner as in Test Example 1. However, as a control, Sample 4-0, to which 1.0 ppm of inosinic acid but no salt was added, was used.

The results are shown in Table 5. As shown in Table 5, the addition of salt enhanced the drinking experience typical of an alcoholic beverage, reduced the wateriness, and enhanced the umami flavor. In samples 4-1 and 4-1, which had salt concentrations in the range of 0.01 to 200 ppm, the wateriness was reduced without significantly impairing the refreshing aftertaste.

Claims (11)

The umami component, inosinic acid, is between 0.1 ppm and 30 ppm .
Lactic acid fermented tomato juice,
containing
An alcoholic drink containing lactic acid fermented tomato juice. The umami component, inosinic acid, is 0.1 ppm or more,
Lactic acid fermented tomato juice,
Salt and
Contains
The salt content is 2 to 100 ppm.
An alcoholic drink containing lactic acid fermented tomato juice. The alcoholic beverage according to claim 1 or 2 , having a carbohydrate content of 3.0 g/100 ml or less. The alcoholic beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein at least a portion of the umami component is derived from yeast extract. The alcoholic beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , comprising the lactic acid-fermented tomato juice in an amount of 0.04 to 4.0 w/v % in terms of solid matter. The alcoholic beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 5, having an alcohol content of 0.2 v/v% or more and 7 v/v% or less. An alcoholic beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 6, having a carbon dioxide pressure of 1.5 to 3.5 gas volumes. The method includes a step of adding 0.1 ppm or more of an umami component to an alcoholic beverage containing lactic acid fermented tomato juice,
The umami component is inosinic acid.
A method for improving the drinking experience of an alcoholic beverage containing lactic acid fermented tomato juice. The method for improving the drinking experience of an alcoholic beverage according to claim 8, further comprising the step of adding salt to the lactic acid-fermented tomato juice-containing alcoholic beverage. 10. The method for improving the drinking experience of an alcoholic beverage according to claim 8, wherein the sugar content of the lactic acid-fermented tomato juice-containing alcoholic beverage is 3.0 g/100 ml or less. The method comprises a step of mixing lactic acid fermented tomato juice with umami components in amounts such that the total content in the beverage is 0.1 ppm or more and 30 ppm or less ,
The method for producing an alcoholic beverage containing lactic acid-fermented tomato juice, wherein the umami component is inosinic acid.