JP7792200B2 - beverage - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to beverages.

In beverages, there is often a demand for designs that enhance drinkability by improving refreshing taste and thirst quenching properties, as well as designs that enhance the natural flavor and richness of the ingredients for a satisfying drink. To meet these quality requirements, it is essential to design flavors through the selection of various ingredients and extraction techniques. However, when extracts derived from natural ingredients are included, it is not uncommon for undesirable components that reduce palatability to be mixed in during the design process. 2-acetylpyrazine is known to be one component that can reduce palatability. Even small amounts of 2-acetylpyrazine in a beverage can be perceived as an unpleasant odor, such as a nutty or oily smell, and have a negative impact on flavor.

Therefore, in beverages, preventing the contamination of 2-acetylpyrazine is important in order to improve and enhance palatability, but because 2-acetylpyrazine is contained in many ingredients, preventing contamination is not easy.

For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a method for searching for odor suppressants using pyrazine derivatives.

International Publication No. 2013/119312

However, there is no known way to effectively mitigate the unpleasant odor caused by 2-acetylpyrazine in beverages.

The present invention was proposed in light of these circumstances, and aims to provide a beverage that suppresses off-flavors even when it contains a certain concentration of 2-acetylpyrazine.

As a result of extensive research to solve the above-mentioned problems, the inventors discovered that the above-mentioned problems can be solved by adding a predetermined amount of acetoin to a beverage containing a predetermined amount of 2-acetylpyrazine derived from an extract of a natural material, for example, and thus completed the present invention. More specifically, the present invention provides the following:

<1> A beverage containing 5 to 50 ppb of 2-acetylpyrazine,
Contains acetoin at a content of 115 to 1000 ppb.
Beverages.

<2> The beverage described in <1>, wherein the acetoin content is 115 to 300 ppb.

<3> A beverage according to <1> or <2>, containing an extract of roasted grains.

<4> Acetoin is added to a beverage having a 2-acetylpyrazine content of 5 to 50 ppb so that the acetoin content is 115 to 1000 ppb.
A method for suppressing off-flavors in beverages.

<5> Contains acetoin,
The acetoin is added to a beverage having a 2-acetylpyrazine content of 5 to 50 ppb so that the acetoin content is 115 to 1000 ppb.
An agent for suppressing unpleasant odors in beverages.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a beverage with reduced off-flavors, even if it contains a certain concentration of 2-acetylpyrazine.

Embodiments of the present invention are described below. Note that in this specification, the expression "X to Y" (X and Y are arbitrary numbers) means "greater than or equal to X and less than or equal to Y."

<1. Beverages>
For example, the beverage may be derived from an extract of natural materials and contain 5 to 50 ppb of 2-acetylpyrazine, and 115 to 1,000 ppb of acetoin. By designing the beverage to contain acetoin at a specific ratio, the beverage can be produced with reduced off-flavors caused by 2-acetylpyrazine.

In this specification, "off-flavor" refers to off-flavors such as nutty or oily odors derived from 2-acetylpyrazine.

Acetoin is the aroma component of yogurt and butter, and the inventors have unexpectedly discovered that adding acetoin to beverages containing 2-acetylpyrazine suppresses off-flavors.

The type of beverage is not particularly limited, and examples include beverages containing roasted grain extract, dairy beverages, coffee beverages, functional beverages, carbonated beverages, etc. Among these, beverages containing extracts of various ingredients are more likely to be contaminated with 2-acetylpyrazine, so beverages containing roasted grain extract are preferred, and tea beverages are even more preferred.

When a beverage contains an extract of roasted grains, it includes not only liquids containing an extract obtained by extracting a certain type of roasted grain, but also liquids obtained by mixing that extract with extracts of other plants, liquids obtained by adding additives to these liquids, and liquids obtained by dispersing dried versions of these liquids.

When the beverage is a tea beverage, the variety, place of origin, harvesting time, harvesting method, and cultivation method of the plant from which the extract contained in the beverage is derived are not limited. The type of plant is also not particularly limited. Examples of plants that can be used include barley, Job's tears, brown rice, Habu tea, corn, black beans, soybeans, adzuki beans, sweet potatoes, loquat leaves, tea leaves, kelp, Japanese kumazasa, sesame seeds, persimmon leaves, Gynostemma pentaphyllum, mulberry leaves, Reishi mushrooms, wolfberries, mandarin orange peel, yuzu peel, Eucommia ulmoides, perilla leaves, Houttuynia cordata, plantain, gymnema, rooibos, Rahma, dandelion, peppermint, mulukhiyah, dried orange peel, ginkgo, pine needles, lotus, olives, young barley leaves, Cassia capita, saxifraga, Angelica keiskei, mugwort, and evening primrose. Of these plants, it is preferable to use one or more selected from the group consisting of barley, Job's tears, brown rice, Habu tea, corn, adzuki beans, loquat leaves, yuzu peel, dandelion, and Cassia capillaris. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[2-acetylpyrazine]
The beverage contains 2-acetylpyrazine. The content of 2-acetylpyrazine in the beverage is in the range of 5 to 50 ppb. The content of 2-acetylpyrazine in the beverage may be 7 ppb or more, 10 ppb or more, or 20 ppb or more.

On the other hand, in order to prevent the unpleasant odor caused by 2-acetylpyrazine from becoming excessive, the upper limit of the 2-acetylpyrazine content in the beverage may be 40 ppb or less, or may be 30 ppb or less.

The content of 2-acetylpyrazine in beverages can be measured using a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GC-MS). GC-MS measurements can be performed, for example, under the conditions shown in the Examples. Furthermore, if the concentration in each ingredient is known, it can also be calculated.

[Acetoin]
The beverage contains acetoin. The acetoin is not particularly limited, but may be a commercially available compound, or may contain natural products or extracts thereof containing acetoin.

Also, since acetoin is found in large amounts in fermented materials, the beverage may contain fermented ingredients.

The acetoin content in the beverage is in the range of 115 to 1000 ppb. By setting the acetoin content in the beverage within this range, the off-odor in beverages containing 2-acetylpyrazine can be reduced. From the perspective of enhancing the effect of suppressing the off-odor caused by 2-acetylpyrazine, the acetoin content in the beverage may be 117 ppb or more, or 120 ppb or more.

On the other hand, adding a large amount of acetoin can impair the flavor of the beverage. Therefore, from the perspective of maintaining the flavor of the beverage, the upper limit of the acetoin content in the beverage is preferably 500 ppb or less, more preferably 300 ppb or less, even more preferably 200 ppb or less, and particularly preferably 150 ppb or less.

The acetoin content in beverages can be measured using a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GC-MS). GC-MS measurements can be performed, for example, under the conditions shown in the Examples. Furthermore, if the concentration in each ingredient is known, it can also be calculated.

[Other ingredients]
In the beverage, other ingredients and additives commonly used in general beverages can be appropriately blended as long as they do not impair the effects of the beverage. The blending amounts can be appropriately adjusted depending on the desired effects. Specifically, various additives such as antioxidants, pH adjusters, flavorings, various esters, organic acids, organic acid salts, inorganic acids, inorganic acid salts, inorganic salts, colorants, emulsifiers, preservatives, seasonings, and quality stabilizers may be included.

[container]
In the case of beverages, they can be filled into containers to produce packaged beverages. The containers may be any sealed containers known in the beverage industry, and can be appropriately selected and used depending on the distribution format and consumer needs. Specific examples include sealed containers made of glass, plastic (polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), etc.), paper, aluminum, steel, etc., or composite or laminated materials thereof. Transparent (including translucent) containers are particularly preferred. Transparent containers may be entirely transparent or partially transparent.

2. Beverage manufacturing method
The beverage can be produced under any conditions or by any method commonly used in the production of beverages. For example, a beverage containing 5 to 50 ppb of 2-acetylpyrazine is prepared by adding acetoin to the beverage so that the 2-acetylpyrazine content is 115 to 1000 ppb, and further adding other ingredients as needed.

The content of 2-acetylpyrazine in the beverage can be adjusted by any appropriate method. Furthermore, acetoin can be added in the usual manner.

In producing beverages, for example, a method is used in which a prepared extract or the like containing a predetermined amount of each ingredient and a predetermined amount of acetoin are added sequentially or simultaneously and mixed by stirring or the like. There are no particular restrictions on the order in which the ingredients are mixed. Another method is to premix multiple plants and perform an extraction process to obtain an extract, and then add acetoin to the resulting extract to achieve a predetermined concentration. Examples of methods for adding acetoin include adding it as a flavoring (such as a chemically synthesized compound) or adding a food ingredient containing acetoin.

The produced beverage can be filled into containers to produce a packaged beverage, and may be sterilized as appropriate before or after filling into containers. The sterilization method is not particularly limited, and examples include conventional plate sterilization, tubular sterilization, retort sterilization, batch sterilization, and autoclave sterilization.

<3. Method for suppressing unpleasant odors in beverages>
As described above, according to the present invention, by adding acetoin to a beverage having a 2-acetylpyrazine content of 5 to 50 ppb so that the acetoin content is 115 to 1000 ppb, the unpleasant odor caused by 2-acetylpyrazine can be suppressed.

<4. Agent for suppressing unpleasant odors in beverages>
The off-flavor suppressant for beverages contains acetoin, and is added to a beverage containing 5 to 50 ppb of 2-acetylpyrazine so that the acetoin content is 115 to 1000 ppb.

The beverage off-flavor suppressant can be manufactured by any method employed in this field or by a method with appropriate modifications. Furthermore, if the beverage chemical suppressant contains ingredients other than acetoin, the type and content of those ingredients can be designed appropriately depending on the desired effect.

The present invention will be explained in more detail below using examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

<Test 1: Verification by adding 2-acetylpyrazine>
[Preparation of reference and test samples]
10 g of roasted barley (L* = 41) was extracted with 30 volumes of water at 90°C. The L* value was obtained by grinding the sample at room temperature for 20 seconds using a mill IFM-300 (manufactured by Iwatani Corporation), and then measuring the ground sample using a spectrophotometer SE7700 (manufactured by Nippon Denshoku Industries Co., Ltd.) by reflection. 0.3 g of sodium L-ascorbate, 0.1 g of L-ascorbic acid, and 0.2 g of sodium bicarbonate were added to the resulting extract, and the volume was adjusted to 1000 g with pure water to obtain a preparation. The resulting preparation was UHT sterilized, diluted 10-fold, and aseptically filled into a PET bottle to obtain a sample (Reference Product 1). 2-acetylpyrazine was added to the resulting Reference Product 1 to concentrations of 3 to 25 ppb to prepare test samples for evaluation.

[Analysis of 2-acetylpyrazine content]
The content of 2-acetylpyrazine in the reference product 1 and the test samples was measured using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) under the following conditions. Specifically, 100 μL of the beverage to be analyzed was placed in a vial (10 mL capacity) and introduced into a GC-MS (Agilent Technologies) by the MVM (Multi Volatile Method) method using a Gestell MPS. A calibration curve was prepared using the standard addition method, with cyclohexanol used as the internal standard.
<GC-MS analysis conditions>
Equipment GC: Agilent 7890B GC System (Agilent Technologies)
MS: Agilent 7000D GC/MS Triple Quad (Agilent Technologies)
Collection tube (adsorbent): Tenax TA, Carbopack-B & Carbopack-X
Column: DB-WAX UI, 20 m x 0.18 mm, film thickness 0.30 μm (Agilent Technologies)
Injection method: Splitless Carrier gas: He (1.0 ml/min)
・Transfer line: 250℃
Temperature rise program: 40°C (held for 3 minutes) → 5°C/min → 240°C (held for 7 minutes)
・Precursor ion > product ion (CE (collision energy))
:2-acetylpyrazine 122>94 (5V)
Ionization method: EI
・Quadrupole temperature: 150℃
Ion source temperature: 230°C

[Sensory evaluation]
A sensory evaluation was conducted by five expert panelists on the prepared reference product 1 and the test samples. Specifically, the sensory evaluation was conducted by comparatively evaluating "tastiness,""goodaroma,""strength of nutty aroma," and "strength of oily odor" against the reference product. Each evaluation score was calculated as the average of the evaluation scores given by each panel according to the following evaluation criteria. In this evaluation, the score of reference product 1 was used as the reference value (4 points). "Taste" was evaluated as "high palatability,""goodaroma" as "impression of the overall aroma of the grain tea,""strength of nutty aroma" as "strength of almond-like, nutty aroma," and "strength of oily odor" as "strength of bean-like, oily aroma."

The "taste" and "aroma" were evaluated on a 7-point scale using the following evaluation criteria.
7 points: Very good 6 points: Good 5 points: Fairly good 4 points: Equivalent to the standard product 3 points: Fairly bad 2 points: Bad 1 point: Fairly bad

The "strength of the nutty aroma" and "strength of the oily odor" were evaluated on a 7-point scale using the following evaluation criteria.
7 points: Very strong 6 points: Strong 5 points: Slightly strong 4 points: Equivalent to the standard product 3 points: Slightly weak 2 points: Weak 1 point: Very weak

(result)
Table 1 below shows the 2-acetylpyrazine concentrations in the reference product 1 and the test samples, as well as the results of the sensory evaluation. Note that for "taste" and "good aroma," the higher the score, the higher the evaluation. Also, for "strength of nutty aroma" and "strength of oily odor," the lower the score, the less noticeable the odor and the higher the evaluation.

As shown in Table 1, as the concentration of 2-acetylpyrazine increased, the "stronger nutty aroma" and "stronger oily smell" were perceived, and the "taste" and "pleasant aroma" were poor.

<Test 2: Verification by adding acetoin>
[Preparation of reference and test samples]
2-acetylpyrazine was added to the above obtained reference product 1 to a concentration of 50 ppb to prepare reference product 2. The acetoin concentration of reference product 2 was 9 ppb. Acetoin was added to the obtained reference product 2 to a concentration of 50 to 1000 ppb to prepare a test sample.

The acetoin content in the reference sample 2 and the test samples was measured using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) under the following conditions. Specifically, the acetoin was introduced into a GC-MS (Agilent Technologies) by the MVM (Multi Volatile Method) method using a Gestell MPS. A calibration curve was prepared by the standard addition method, and methyl undecanoate was used as the internal standard.
<GC-MS analysis conditions>
・Equipment: GC: 7890B manufactured by Agilent Technologies
MS: Agilent Technologies 5977B MSD
HS: MPS manufactured by Gerstel,
TUBE: Tenax TA, Carbopack B/X
Column: DB-WAX UI 0.25 mm x 30 m x 0.25 μm
Quantitative ion: acetoin m/z=88
・Temperature conditions: 40℃ (2 minutes) ~ 8℃/min → 240℃ (10 minutes)
Carrier gas flow rate: He 1 ml/min Injection method: Splitless Ion source temperature: 230°C

[Sensory evaluation]
A sensory evaluation was conducted by a panel of five experts on the prepared Reference Product 2 and the test samples. Specifically, the sensory evaluation was conducted by comparatively evaluating the "taste,""goodaroma,""strength of nutty aroma," and "strength of oily odor" with Reference Product 2. Each evaluation score was calculated as the average of the evaluation scores given by each panelist according to the same evaluation criteria as in Test 1. In this evaluation, the score of Reference Product 2 was evaluated as the standard value (4 points).

(result)
Table 2 below shows the 2-acetylpyrazine concentration, acetoin concentration, and sensory evaluation results for the reference product 2 and the test samples. Note that for "taste" and "good aroma," the higher the score, the higher the evaluation. Also, for "strength of nutty aroma" and "strength of oily odor," the lower the score, the less noticeable the odor and the higher the evaluation.

As shown in Table 2, in Examples 1 to 4, the "strength of the nutty aroma" and "strength of the oily odor" were reduced compared to Comparative Example 1. Furthermore, in Examples 1 to 3, in addition to the reduction in the "strength of the nutty aroma" and "strength of the oily odor," the "taste" was improved. Furthermore, although the pleasant aroma of the beverage was slightly reduced in Example 4, the aroma derived from the ingredients of the beverage was well maintained in Examples 1 to 3. The decrease in pleasant aroma in Example 4 is thought to be due to the relatively high amount of acetoin blended.

Claims (3)

A beverage comprising an extract of roasted grains and containing 5 to 50 ppb of 2-acetylpyrazine,
Contains 115 to 300 ppb of acetoin,
Beverages. Adding 115 to 300 ppb of acetoin to a beverage containing an extract of roasted grains and containing 5 to 50 ppb of 2-acetylpyrazine.
A method for suppressing off-flavors in beverages. 1. An agent for suppressing off-flavors in beverages, the agent being added to a beverage containing an extract of roasted grains and containing 5 to 50 ppb of 2-acetylpyrazine,
The suppressor contains acetoin and is added to the beverage so that the content of acetoin in the beverage is 115 to 300 ppb.
An agent for suppressing unpleasant odors in beverages.