JP2005058210A - Container drink - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To contain a high concentration of catechins, reduced in bitterness and astringency and suitable for long-term drinking, excellent in bitterness and astringency, and stable over the throat, and filled in a transparent container and stored at high temperature Providing packaged beverages that are stable in color for a long time.
A container-packed beverage containing a green tea extract comprising the following components (A), (B), (C) and (D):
(A) Non-polymer catechins 0.01 to 1.0% by weight,
(B) oxalic acid or a salt thereof,
(C) Caffeine,
(D) Carbohydrate Fructose conversion amount 0.0001-20% by weight, glucose conversion amount less than 0.05% by weight, (B) content weight ratio of oxalic acid and (A) non-polymer catechins [(B ) / (A)] is 0.00005 to 0.1, and (A) non-polymer catechins and (C) caffeine content weight ratio [(A) / (C)] is 5 to 10,000. Is a packaged beverage.
[Selection figure] None

Description

  The present invention contains a high concentration of catechin blended with green tea extract, suitable for long-term drinking with reduced bitterness and astringency, excellent bitterness, astringency and throat stability, high temperature in a transparent container The present invention relates to a packaged beverage excellent in color tone stability during storage.

  The effects of catechins have been reported to inhibit cholesterol elevation, inhibit amylase activity, etc. (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). In order to express such physiological effects of catechins, it is necessary to drink 4 to 5 cups of tea per day for adults. Therefore, in order to ingest a large amount of catechins more easily, A technique for blending high concentrations of catechins is desired. As one of these methods, there is a method in which catechins are added to a beverage in a dissolved state using a concentrate of green tea extract (for example, see Patent Documents 3 to 5).

  However, if a commercially available concentrate of green tea extract is used as it is, it is necessary to develop a physiological effect by catechin due to strong astringency and bitterness due to the influence of the components contained in the concentrate of green tea extract and poor throat. It was not suitable for long-term drinking. On the other hand, as a method of reducing astringency, which is one of the factors unsuitable for long-term drinking, there is a method of blending dextrin, but when blending catechins at a high concentration, this alone is not sufficient was there. Even if it is a beverage system that contains sweeteners, if you use a commercially available concentrate of green tea extract as it is, its astringency and bitterness are strong, and there is an unnecessary flavor derived from green tea. There is a phenomenon that sometimes changes, and the stability of bitterness and astringency is not excellent, and it is not suitable for the purpose of drinking for a long time (for example, Patent Document 6). In addition, in beverages that contain green tea extract and sugar, the appearance is more likely to change when stored at high temperatures compared to beverages that contain only green tea extract, and the color tone is not stable for a long time when filled in a transparent container. It was.

In addition, as a method for producing low caffeine tea polyphenol, there is a method in which caffeine is highly removed (for example, polyphenol / caffeine ratio 20000) by using a synthetic adsorbent or the like to obtain a highly pure polyphenol. Along with the removal, it also removes amino acids, pectin, and other taste ingredients and astringency-inhibiting substances that are originally present in the tea extract, leaving unnaturalness in terms of flavor, and conversely, the bitter and astringent taste becomes stronger, In particular, the bitterness and astringency are likely to change during high temperature storage, and the appearance of the beverage is likely to change during high temperature storage, and the color tone is not stable for a long time when filled in a transparent container.
JP-A-60-156614 JP-A-3-133828 JP 2002-142777 A JP-A-8-298930 JP-A-8-109178 Japanese translation of PCT publication No. 10-501407

  The object of the present invention is to contain a high concentration of catechins, and even when a green tea extract is used, bitterness and astringency are reduced and suitable for long-term drinking, and excellent in bitterness, astringency and stability over the throat Another object of the present invention is to provide a container-packed beverage whose appearance of the beverage hardly changes during high-temperature storage and whose color tone is stable for a long period of time even when filled and stored in a transparent container.

  As a result of studying the flavor improvement that can withstand continuous intended drinking of a packaged beverage containing a high concentration of catechins, the present inventor reduced the oxalic acid concentration and adjusted the ratio of caffeine to non-polymer catechins And if the composition of the sweetener is adjusted, especially if the amount of glucose is less than 0.05% by weight, there is no green tea flavor, almost no bitterness or astringency is felt, and there is no off-flavor / odour, suitable for long-term drinking, It has been found that a high-concentration catechin-containing beverage that is excellent in bitterness and astringent taste stability and over the throat, and has a stable color tone for a long period of time even when filled in a transparent container and stored.

That is, the present invention is a packaged beverage blended with a green tea extract, the following components (A), (B), (C) and (D),
(A) Non-polymer catechins 0.01 to 1.0% by weight,
(B) oxalic acid or a salt thereof,
(C) Caffeine,
(D) Carbohydrate Fructose conversion amount 0.0001-20% by weight, glucose conversion amount less than 0.05% by weight, (B) content weight ratio of oxalic acid and (A) non-polymer catechins [(B ) / (A)] is 0.00005 to 0.1, and (A) non-polymer catechins and (C) caffeine content weight ratio [(A) / (C)] is 5 to 10,000. It is what provides the container-packed drink which is.

  The container-packed beverage of the present invention contains a high concentration of non-polymer catechins, has no green tea flavor and other off-flavors and off-flavors, is reduced in bitterness and astringency, and is suitable for long-term drinking. It is excellent in stability and over the throat, and even when filled in a transparent container and stored at high temperature, the color tone is stable for a long period of time, and is particularly useful as a non-tea-based packaged beverage.

  In the present invention, (A) non-polymer catechins are non-epimeric catechins such as catechin, gallocatechin, catechin gallate, gallocatechin gallate, and epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, epigallocatechin gallate and the like. It is a general term for all catechins, and refers to catechins that are not only non-polymers but also non-oxidants.

The container-packed beverage of the present invention contains 0.01 to 1.0% by weight of (A) non-polymer catechins dissolved in water, preferably 0.03 to 0.5% by weight. More preferably 0.04 to 0.4% by weight, still more preferably 0.05 to 0.3% by weight, still more preferably 0.06 to 0.3% by weight, particularly preferably 0.092 to 0.26%. % By weight, most preferably 0.1 to 0.15% by weight. When the content of non-polymer catechins is within this range, a large amount of non-polymer catechins can be easily taken, which is preferable from the viewpoint of the color tone immediately after preparation of the beverage. The density | concentration of the said non-polymer catechin can be adjusted with the compounding quantity of a green tea extract.
Further, the daily intake amount for adults for promoting accumulation fat burning promotion, dietary fat burning promotion and liver β-oxidation gene expression promotion is 300 mg or more, preferably 450 mg or more as non-polymer catechins, 500 mg or more is preferred. Specifically, anti-obesity effects and visceral fat reduction effects have been confirmed by ingesting 483 mg, 555 mg, 900 mg, and the like per beverage (JP 2002-326932 A).
Therefore, in the packaged beverage of the present invention, the daily intake amount for adults is 300 mg or more, preferably 450 mg or more, more preferably 500 mg or more as non-polymer catechins, meaning that the necessary intake amount per day is ensured. Therefore, it is preferable that there is a blending amount of 300 mg or more, preferably 450 mg or more, more preferably 500 mg or more per one packaged beverage (350 to 500 mL) of the present invention.

  The weight ratio [(B) / (A)] of (B) oxalic acid or a salt thereof and (A) non-polymer catechins in the packaged beverage of the present invention is 0.00005 to 0.1, preferably Is 0.00005 to 0.07, more preferably 0.00005 to 0.05, still more preferably 0.0005 to 0.05, particularly preferably 0.001 to 0.05, and most preferably 0.001 to 0. .03. When [(B) / (A)] is in this range, intense bitterness, astringency, and strong astringency do not occur, and the throat is excellent. (B) Oxalic acid or a salt thereof in the present invention contains oxalic acid naturally present in green tea extract, perfume, fruit juice and other components, and newly added oxalic acid. When adjusting the oxalic acid concentration in the beverage of the present invention with the oxalic acid concentration in the green tea extract used as a raw material, when the oxalic acid concentration is too low, the purity of the green tea extract used as a raw material is extremely high This is not preferable since the tea leaf-derived astringency suppressing component and the like have been eliminated at the same time. On the other hand, when the oxalic acid concentration is too high, astringent taste derived from oxalic acid appears, which is not suitable for blending into beverages.

  The content weight ratio [(A) / (C)] of (A) non-polymer catechins and (C) caffeine in the packaged beverage of the present invention is 5 to 10,000, preferably 7 to 10,000. Preferably it is 10-10000, More preferably, it is 20-10000, Most preferably, it is 25-4000, Most preferably, it is 35-1000. If the ratio of non-polymer catechins to caffeine is too low, the beverage's original appearance is impaired, which is not preferable. Moreover, when the ratio of the non-polymer catechins to caffeine is too high, it is not preferable in terms of flavor balance. (C) Caffeine contains caffeine naturally present in green tea extract, flavor, fruit juice and other components used as a raw material, and newly added caffeine.

  The container-packed beverage of the present invention contains (D) a carbohydrate for the purpose of improving the bitterness and astringency of non-polymer catechins. The content of the carbohydrate is 0.0001 to 20% by weight in terms of fructose and less than 0.05% by weight in terms of glucose, but preferably 0.0001 to 15% by weight in terms of fructose and 0.05 in terms of glucose. Less than wt%, more preferably fructose conversion amount 0.001 to 10 wt%, glucose conversion amount less than 0.05 wt%. Within this range, strong bitterness, astringency and strong astringency will not occur, bitterness and astringency will be reduced and suitable for long-term drinking, and the bitterness, astringency and stability over the throat will be excellent. In particular, when the amount in terms of glucose is 0.05% by weight or more, in beverages containing non-polymer catechins, it may be a cause of dust during storage, which is not preferable.

  The soluble carbohydrate used in the beverage of the present invention serves not only as a sweetener but also as an energy source. It is important that the criteria for selecting carbohydrates consider sufficient gastric emptying and intestinal absorption rates. The carbohydrate may be a mixture of glucose and fructose, or a carbohydrate that hydrolyzes in the digestive tract or forms glucose and fructose. As used herein, carbohydrates include monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, complex polysaccharides and mixtures thereof. Monosaccharides include tetrose, pentose, hexose and ketohexose. An example of a hexose is an aldohexose such as glucose known as glucose. The amount of glucose present in the packaged beverage of the present invention is less than 0.05% by weight, preferably less than 0.04% by weight, more preferably less than about 0.035% by weight. Fructose, known as fructose, is a ketohexose. The amount of fructose present in the container-packed beverage of the present invention is 0.0001 to 20% by weight, preferably 0.001 to 15% by weight, more preferably 0.001 to 10% by weight.

  The beverage of the present invention may contain glucose, fructose, and / or carbohydrates that form these sugars in the body (ie, sucrose, maltodextrin, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup). An example of a disaccharide is sucrose known as sucrose or sugar beet sugar. The amount of sucrose in the container-packed beverage of the present invention can be blended so that the fructose conversion amount is 0.0001 to 20% by weight and the glucose conversion amount is less than 0.05% by weight.

In the packaged beverage of the present invention, other sweeteners are also used for the purpose of improving the taste. As the sweetener, artificial sweeteners, carbohydrates, and glycerol (for example, glycerin) are used. These sweeteners are preferably contained in the container-packed beverage of the present invention in an amount of 0.0001 to 20% by weight, more preferably 0.001 to 15% by weight, and particularly preferably 0.001 to 10% by weight. If it is less than the lower limit, there is almost no sweetness, and a balance between sourness and salty taste cannot be achieved. On the other hand, when the above upper limit is exceeded, the feeling of being too sweet and catching on the throat is strong, and the feeling over the throat decreases.
As the sweetener in the packaged beverage of the present invention, it is preferable to use a carbohydrate sweetener when the intended packaged beverage also has energy supplementation. In addition, when sweet energy is not intended, artificial sweeteners are preferably used.

Examples of artificial sweeteners that can be used in the present invention include saccharin and saccharin sodium, aspartame, acesulfame-K, sucralose, neotame and other high-sweetness sweeteners, and sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, erythritol, and xylitol. As products, slim-up sugar made of aspartame, lacanto S containing erythritol, pal sweet made of erythritol and aspartame can be used as appropriate. The content of these artificial sweeteners is the same as described above.
The combination of sweeteners is preferably an artificial sweetener alone system or a combination of artificial sweetener and fructose system. A system containing 0.05% by weight or more of glucose is not preferable because it may inhibit fat burning when it is taken for the purpose of burning accumulated fat or burning dietary fat.

  The packaged beverage of the present invention may contain sodium ions and / or potassium ions. The beverage of the present invention containing these ions is useful as a beverage form such as a sports drink and an isotonic beverage. A sports drink is generally defined as a drink that can quickly replenish water and minerals lost as sweat after physical exercise.

Sodium ions and potassium ions can be contained by adding a corresponding water-soluble component or inorganic salt. They are also present in fruit juices and tea extracts. The amount of the electrolyte or ionic component in the beverage of the present invention is the content in the final drinkable container-packed beverage. The electrolyte concentration refers to the ion concentration, not the salt concentration. The potassium ion component is a salt such as potassium chloride, potassium carbonate, potassium sulfate, potassium acetate, potassium hydrogen carbonate, potassium citrate, potassium phosphate, potassium hydrogen phosphate, potassium tartrate, potassium sorbate, etc. or a mixture thereof. Or as a component of added fruit juice or tea. Potassium ions are preferably contained in the packaged beverage of the present invention in an amount of 0.001 to 0.2% by weight, more preferably 0.002 to 0.15% by weight, particularly 0.003 to 0.12% by weight. Similarly, the sodium ion component is readily available such as sodium chloride, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium citrate, sodium phosphate, sodium hydrogen phosphate, sodium tartrate, sodium benzoate and the like and mixtures thereof. It can be formulated as a hydrated sodium salt or as a component of added fruit juice or tea. The sodium concentration is preferably lower in order to facilitate the absorption of water by osmotic pressure, but it is important in the present invention that the sodium concentration is not osmotically sucked from the body into the intestine. The concentration of sodium required to do this is preferably lower than that of plasma sodium. Sodium ions are preferably contained in the packaged beverage of the present invention in an amount of 0.001 to 0.5% by weight, more preferably 0.002 to 0.4% by weight, particularly 0.003 to 0.2% by weight. In addition to potassium and sodium ions, the packaged beverage of the present invention is preferably 0.001 to 0.5% by weight, more preferably 0.002 to 0.4% by weight, particularly preferably 0.003 to 0.3%. Further weight percent of chloride ions can be included. The chloride ion component can be formulated in the form of a salt such as sodium chloride or potassium chloride. Other trace ions such as calcium and magnesium, zinc, iron may also be included. These ions may also be blended as salts. The total amount of ions present in the beverage includes the amount of ions naturally present in the beverage as well as the amount of ions added. For example, when sodium chloride is added, that amount of sodium ions and that amount of chloride ions are accordingly included in the total amount of each ion.
Here, if the sodium ion or potassium ion concentration is too low, it may be unsatisfactory in taste depending on the scene of drinking, and effective mineral supplementation cannot be achieved. On the other hand, if too much, the taste of the salt itself becomes strong, which is not preferable for long-term drinking.

  In addition, the packaged beverage of the present invention can contain quinic acid which is a kind of organic acid. Since quinic acid itself has an acidity, it is preferably added in a range where the acidity does not hinder the taste of the beverage. Quinic acid can be added in the form of an acid or a salt, or may be added in the form of a composition containing quinic acid or a quinate. The content weight ratio [(E) / (A)] of (E) quinic acid and (A) non-polymer catechins contained in the beverage of the present invention is 0.001 or more, and further 0.002 from the point of flavor. As mentioned above, it is especially preferable that it is 0.005 or more.

  The pH of the packaged beverage of the present invention is preferably 2 to 6, preferably 2 to 5, and more preferably 2 to 4.5. If the pH is too low, the sourness and pungent odor of the beverage will become strong. Moreover, if the pH is too high, the flavor cannot be harmonized and the palatability is lowered, which is not preferable.

The packaged beverage of the present invention is obtained by adjusting the blending of the green tea extract and further blending necessary components.
The green tea extract used as a raw material is obtained from a concentrate of green tea extract containing 20 to 90% by weight of non-polymer catechins in a solid content, from (A) non-polymer catechins and (C) caffeine. What removed caffeine so that content weight ratio [(A) / (C)] may be in the range of 5-10000 is preferable. The green tea extract as used herein refers to a product obtained by further purifying an extract extracted from tea leaves with hot water or a water-soluble organic solvent, or a product obtained by directly purifying the extracted extract ( It can be obtained by adjusting the ratio of A) non-polymer catechins and (C) caffeine. Further, tea leaves or preparations treated in a supercritical fluid may be used, or catechins adsorbed on an adsorbent and desorbed with an aqueous ethanol solution may be purified. In addition, commercially available Mitsui Norin Co., Ltd. “Polyphenone”, ITO EN “Teafuran”, Taiyo Kagaku (
A green tea extract suitable for the purpose of the present invention can be obtained by adjusting the components of these non-polymer catechins and caffeine using a concentrate of green tea extract such as “Sanphenon”.

  As a means for purifying the concentrate of green tea extract, for example, the concentrate formed by suspending the concentrate of green tea extract in water or a mixture of water and an organic solvent, removing the precipitate formed by adding the organic solvent thereto, and then removing the solvent A method in which a concentrate of a green tea extract is dissolved in an organic solvent, a precipitate formed by adding water or a mixture of water and an organic solvent is removed thereto, and then the solvent is distilled off; Examples include a method in which a concentrate of an extract is dissolved in water, cooled to 5 ° C. or lower to generate cream-down, and the turbid product is removed. As a particularly preferred method, a concentrate of green tea extract containing 20 to 90% by weight of non-polymer catechins in the solid content is dissolved in a mixed solution of organic solvent and water in a weight ratio of 9/1 to 1/9. And contact with activated carbon and acid clay or activated clay. Alternatively, other than these, purification by supercritical extraction or adsorption by an adsorption resin and elution with an ethanol solution may be used.

  Examples of the form of the green tea extract here include various forms such as a solid, an aqueous solution, and a slurry, and the aqueous solution and the slurry are particularly preferable because of little history such as drying.

  The content weight ratio [(A) / (C)] of (A) non-polymer catechins and (C) caffeine in the green tea extract used in the present invention is preferably 5 to 10,000, more preferably 6 to 8000, More preferably, it is 7-6000, Most preferably, it is 10-4000. If the ratio of the non-polymer catechins to caffeine in the green tea extract is too low, the beverage contains a large amount of components other than the non-polymer catechins, which is unfavorable because it impairs the original appearance of the beverage. On the other hand, if the ratio of non-polymer catechins to caffeine in the green tea extract is too high, astringency-inhibiting ingredients derived from tea leaves are eliminated at the same time when caffeine is removed, which is not preferable in terms of flavor balance.

  The content weight ratio [(B) / (A)] of (B) oxalic acid or a salt thereof and (A) non-polymer catechins in the green tea extract used in the present invention is not particularly defined. However, it is disadvantageous in terms of cost to add or remove oxalic acid separately to the beverage, so it is better that [(B) / (A)] in the green tea extract is 0.1 or less. ing.

  The concentration of non-polymer catechins in the green tea extract used in the present invention is 20 to 90% by weight, preferably 20 to 87% by weight, more preferably 23 to 85% by weight, and particularly preferably 25 to 82% by weight. Good. If the concentration of the non-polymer catechins in the green tea extract is too low, the amount of the purified green tea extract itself to be blended in the beverage increases. If the concentration of non-polymer catechins in the green tea extract is too high, it tends to eliminate trace components that have a function to improve the flavor such as free amino acids other than total polyphenols present in the green tea extract. .

  In addition, the proportion of the generic gallate body composed of catechin gallate, epicatechin gallate, gallocatechin gallate and epigallocatechin gallate in the green tea extract used in the present invention is 35 to 100% by weight in all non-polymer catechins. However, it is preferable on the effectiveness of the physiological effect of non-polymer catechins. In terms of ease of seasoning, it is more preferably 35 to 98% by weight, and particularly preferably 35 to 95% by weight.

The container-packed beverage of the present invention is preferably mixed with a bitter and astringent taste suppressant because it is easy to drink. The bitter and astringent taste inhibitor to be used is not particularly limited, but cyclodextrin is preferred. As the cyclodextrin, α-, β-, γ-cyclodextrin and branched α-, β-, γ-cyclodextrin can be used. The cyclodextrin is contained in the beverage in an amount of 0.005 to 0.5% by weight, preferably 0.01 to 0.3% by weight. In the packaged beverage of the present invention, as ingredients that may be added in accordance with the ingredients derived from tea, antioxidants, fragrances, various esters, organic acids, organic acid salts, inorganic acids, inorganic acid salts, Inorganic salts, pigments, emulsifiers, preservatives, seasonings, sweeteners, acidulants, gums, emulsifiers, oils, vitamins, amino acids, fruit juice extracts, vegetable extracts, nectar extracts, pH adjusters, quality stabilizers, etc. These additives may be added alone or in combination.

  A fragrance | flavor and fruit juice are mix | blended with the drink of this invention in order to improve palatability. In general, fruit juice is called fruit juice, and fragrance is called flavor. Natural or synthetic fragrances and fruit juices can be used in the present invention. These can be selected from fruit juice, fruit flavors, plant flavors or mixtures thereof. In particular, a combination of tea flavors, preferably green tea or black tea flavors, along with fruit juice has an attractive taste. Preferred fruit juices are apples, pears, lemons, limes, mandarins, grapefruits, cranberries, oranges, strawberries, grapes, kyui, pineapple, passion fruit, mango, guava, raspberries and cherries. Citrus juice, preferably grapefruit, orange, lemon, lime, mandarin and mango, passion fruit and guava juice or mixtures thereof are particularly preferred. Preferred natural flavors are jasmine, chamomile, rose, peppermint, hawthorn, chrysanthemum, sugar, sugar cane, litchi, bamboo shoot and the like. The fruit juice is preferably contained in the beverage of the present invention in an amount of 0.001 to 20% by weight, more preferably 0.002 to 10% by weight. This concentration is based on the single strength of the beverage. Fruit flavors, plant flavors, tea flavors and mixtures thereof can also be used as fruit juice. Particularly preferred fragrances are citrus flavors including orange flavor, lemon flavor, lime flavor and grapefruit flavor. In addition to citrus flavors, various other fruit flavors such as apple flavor, grape flavor, raspberry flavor, cranberry flavor, cherry flavor, pineapple flavor, etc. can be used. These flavors may be derived from natural sources such as fruit juices and perfume oils, or may be synthesized. Flavorings can include blends of various flavors such as lemon and lime flavors, citrus flavors and selected spices (typical cola soft drink flavors). Such a flavor is blended in the beverage of the present invention in an amount of 0.0001 to 5% by weight, preferably 0.001 to 3% by weight. A fragrance | flavor, fruit juice, and emulsified fragrance | flavors are mix | blended so that it may become the fructose conversion amount 0.0001-20 weight% and the glucose conversion amount less than 0.05 weight%.

  Furthermore, if necessary, the beverage of the present invention may contain a sour agent. Examples of acidulants include edible acids such as malic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, fumaric acid and the like. A sour agent may be used to adjust the pH of the beverage of the present invention. The preferred pH of the beverage of the present invention is 2-5. Organic and inorganic edible acids can be used as the pH adjuster. The acids may be used in their undissociated form or in the form of their respective salts, such as potassium or sodium hydrogen phosphate, potassium dihydrogen phosphate or sodium salt. Preferred acids are edible organic and inorganic acids including citric acid, malic acid, fumaric acid, adipic acid, gluconic acid, tartaric acid, ascorbic acid, acetic acid, phosphoric acid or mixtures thereof. Particularly preferred acids are citric acid and malic acid. The sour agent also serves as an antioxidant that stabilizes the beverage ingredients. Examples of commonly used antioxidants include, but are not limited to, ascorbic acid, EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) and salts thereof, and plant extracts.

  The beverage of the present invention can further contain vitamins. Preferably vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E are added. Other vitamins such as vitamin D and vitamin B may be added. Minerals can also be used in the beverage of the present invention. Preferred minerals are calcium, chromium, copper, fluorine, iodine, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, silicon, molybdenum and zinc. Particularly preferred minerals are magnesium, phosphorus and iron.

Examples of the beverage of the packaged beverage of the present invention include non-tea beverages, particularly green tea extract, sodium ions and / or potassium ions, sweeteners, bitter taste inhibitors, flavorings, fruit juices, vegetable extracts, acidulants, vitamins, minerals It is preferable to use a non-tea beverage to which a component selected from carbon dioxide and the like is added.
Examples of non-tea-based beverages include carbonated beverages that are soft drinks, beverages containing fruit juice extracts, juices containing vegetable extracts, near water, sports drinks, diet beverages, and the like.

  The container used for the container-packed beverage of the present invention is a molded container (so-called PET bottle) mainly composed of polyethylene terephthalate, a metal can, a paper container combined with a metal foil or a plastic film, and a bottle as in the case of general beverages. Etc. can be provided in the usual form. The term “packaged beverage” as used herein means a beverage that can be drunk without dilution.

  The container-packed beverage of the present invention is manufactured under the sterilization conditions stipulated in the Food Sanitation Law when it can be sterilized by heating after filling into a container like a metal can, for example, a PET bottle, a paper container, etc. For those that cannot be retort sterilized, a sterilization condition equivalent to the above, for example, a high temperature and short time sterilization using a plate heat exchanger or the like, followed by cooling to a certain temperature and filling the container is adopted. Moreover, you may mix | blend another component with the filled container under aseptic conditions. Furthermore, after sterilization by heating under acidic conditions, the pH may be returned to neutrality under aseptic conditions, or after sterilization by heating under neutral conditions, the pH may be returned to acidic conditions under aseptic conditions.

Measurement of catechins The beverage packed in a container filtered through a filter (0.8 μm) and then diluted with distilled water was subjected to an octadecyl group-introduced liquid chromatograph using a high performance liquid chromatograph (model SCL-10AVP) manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation. A packed column L-column TM ODS (4.6 mm × 250 mm: manufactured by Chemical Substance Evaluation Research Organization) was attached, and the gradient method was performed at a column temperature of 35 ° C. The mobile phase A solution was a distilled aqueous solution containing 0.1 mol / L of acetic acid, the B solution was an acetonitrile solution containing 0.1 mol / L of acetic acid, the sample injection amount was 20 μL, and the UV detector wavelength was 280 nm. .

Measurement of caffeine (analytical instrument)
Uses HPLC (Hitachi, Ltd.) equipment.
Plotter: D-2250, Detector: L-4200
Pump: L-7100, Autosampler: L-7200
Column: lnertsil ODS-2, inner diameter 2.1 mm x length 250 mm
(Analysis conditions)
Sample injection volume: 10 μL, flow rate: 1.0 mL / min
UV absorption photometer detection wavelength: 280nm
Eluent A: 0.1M acetic acid aqueous solution, eluent B: 0.1M acetic acid acetonitrile solution concentration gradient condition (volume%)
Time Eluent A Eluent B
0 minutes 97% 3%
5 minutes 97% 3%
37 minutes 80% 20%
43 minutes 80% 20%
43.5 minutes 0% 100%
48.5 minutes 0% 100%
49 minutes 97% 3%
62 minutes 97% 3%
(Caffeine retention time)
Caffeine: 27.2 minutes From the area% determined here, the weight% was determined using a standard substance.

Measurement of Oxalic Acid A column: IonPacAS4A-SC, 4 × 250 mm was attached to Nippon Dionex (model DXAQ1110), connected to a suppressor ASRS-ULTRA (Dionex), and recycle mode was used. The mobile phase was 1.8 mmol / L, Na ₂ CO ₃ was flowed at 1.7 mmol / L, NaHCO ₃ was flowed at 1.0 mL / min, and the sample injection volume was 25 μL. An electric conductivity meter was used as a detector.

Measurement of glucose equivalent and fructose equivalent The following (1) measures free fructose, glucose and sucrose, and (2) measures hydrolyzed fructose and glucose. The amount and fructose equivalent amount were determined.

(1) Japan Food Analysis Center method by HPLC (free fructose, glucose and sucrose)
A sample was collected, neutralized with water to remove interfering substances and then filtered through a membrane filter (pore size 0.45 μm) as a test solution, and measured by HPLC under the following conditions.
<High-performance liquid chromatographic conditions>
Model: LC-10ADvp (Shimadzu Corporation)
Detector: differential refractometer RID-10A (Shimadzu Corporation)
Column: Wakosil 5NH ₂ φ4.6 mm × 250 mm (Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.)

(2) Japan Food Analysis Center Method by HPLC (Fructose and glucose after hydrolysis)
A sample was collected, hydrolyzed with hydrochloric acid, cooled and filtered (No. 5B), and then filtered through a membrane filter (pore diameter 0.45 μm) as a test solution, and measured by HPLC under the following conditions.
<High-performance liquid chromatographic conditions>
Model: LC-10ADvp (Shimadzu Corporation)
Detector: Fluorescence spectrophotometer RF-10AXL (Shimadzu Corporation)
Column: TSKgel SUGAR AXI φ4.6mm × 150mm (Tosoh Corporation)

Measurement of sodium ion content Atomic absorption photometry (hydrochloric acid extraction)
A sample (5 g) was placed in 10% hydrochloric acid (so that a 1% hydrochloric acid solution was obtained at the time of constant dissolution), and then fixed with ion-exchanged water, and the absorbance was measured.
Wavelength: 589.6nm
Frame: Acetylene-Air

Measurement of potassium ion atomic absorption spectrophotometry (hydrochloric acid extraction)
A sample (5 g) was placed in 10% hydrochloric acid (so that a 1% hydrochloric acid solution was obtained at the time of constant dissolution), and then fixed with ion-exchanged water, and the absorbance was measured.

Examples 1-5, Comparative Examples 1-5
The components shown in Table 1 were mixed and subjected to predetermined post-treatment to produce a packaged beverage.
In Table 1, ND indicates that it could not be detected.

(* 1) Green tea extract A
As a concentrate of green tea extract, 100 g of polyphenone HG (manufactured by Tokyo Food Techno) is suspended in 490.9 g of 95% ethanol aqueous solution under stirring conditions at room temperature and 250 r / min, and activated carbon Kuraray Coal GLC (manufactured by Kuraray Chemical Co., Ltd.). After adding 25 g and 30 g of acid clay Mizuka Ace # 600 (Mizusawa Chemical Co., Ltd.), stirring was continued for about 10 minutes. Then, 409.1 g of 40% ethanol aqueous solution was dropped over 10 minutes, and then the stirring treatment was continued for about 30 minutes at room temperature. Thereafter, the activated carbon and the precipitate were filtered with No. 2 filter paper, and then re-filtered with a 0.2 μm membrane filter. Finally, 200 g of ion-exchanged water was added to the filtrate, and ethanol was distilled off at 40 ° C. and 0.0272 kg / cm ² to obtain a product.
Non-polymer catechins after treatment contain 22% by weight.
Non-polymer catechins / caffeine weight ratio after treatment = 20.0
Oxalic acid / non-polymer catechin weight ratio after treatment = 0.01

(* 1) Green tea extract B
As a green tea extract concentrate, 100 g of polyphenone HG (manufactured by Tokyo Food Techno Co., Ltd.) is suspended in 490.9 g of 95% ethanol aqueous solution under stirring conditions at room temperature and 250 r / min, and activated carbon Kuraray Coal GLC (manufactured by Kuraray Chemical Co., Ltd.). After adding 25 g and 75 g of acid clay Mizuka Ace # 600 (Mizusawa Chemical Co., Ltd.), stirring was continued for about 10 minutes. Then, 409.1 g of 40% ethanol aqueous solution was dropped over 10 minutes, and then the stirring treatment was continued for about 30 minutes at room temperature. Thereafter, the activated carbon and the precipitate were filtered with No. 2 filter paper, and then re-filtered with a 0.2 μm membrane filter. Finally, 200 g of ion-exchanged water was added to the filtrate, and ethanol was distilled off at 40 ° C. and 0.0272 kg / cm ² to obtain a product.
Non-polymer catechins after treatment contain 22% by weight.
Non-polymer catechins / caffeine weight ratio after treatment = 60.0
Oxalic acid / non-polymer catechin weight ratio after treatment = 0.003

(* 1) Green tea extract C
Concentrate C of green tea extract has a non-polymer catechin content of 81.40% by weight, a caffeine content of 0.0073% by weight, a non-polymer catechin / caffeine = 12000, and a gallate content of 60.5% by weight. %. Oxalic acid / non-polymer catechins = 0.00001.

(* 1) Green tea extract D
As a green tea extract concentrate, 1 kg of domestic sencha was extracted with 30 kg of hot water at 95 ° C. for 20 minutes, and the liquid was filtered with No. 2 filter paper, and the filtrate was quickly cooled to room temperature. Thereafter, water was distilled off at 40 ° C. and 0.0272 kg / cm ² to obtain a product.
Non-polymer catechins after treatment contain 22% by weight.
Non-polymer catechins / caffeine weight ratio after treatment = 3.2
Oxalic acid / non-polymer catechin weight ratio after treatment = 0.07

<The manufacturing method of the container-packed drink of Examples 1-5 and Comparative Examples 1-5>
Each component was blended in a typical sports drink formulation listed in Table 1, and the mixture was made up with ion-exchanged water to prepare a blended solution. A sterilization process based on the Food Sanitation Law and hot-pack filling were performed to obtain a packaged beverage. The component values of the beverage are also shown.
It was evaluated whether the bitterness and astringency that are the object of the present invention were reduced and the taste was suitable for long-term drinking. Using 30 male monitors, they were allowed to continue to drink 500 mL per day for 1 month, and scored the evaluation after continuous drinking for 1 month according to the following criteria. What was stored in the refrigerator was used for the test.

A Suitable B Somewhat suitable C Somewhat difficult to drink D Not suitable for drinking

  The evaluation of the stability of bitterness and astringency was conducted using 30 male monitors, and a single 500 mL of beverage immediately after beverage preparation and after storage for 7 days at 55 ° C. was taken. The evaluation was made based on the following criteria.

A No change B Some change C Change D D Change a lot

  The evaluation over the throat was performed by using 30 male monitors, who were allowed to drink freely and scored according to the following criteria.

Good over the throat A Good B Slightly good C Slightly bad D Poor For the color stability of the beverage, store the beverage prepared in a 500 mL transparent PET bottle container at 55 ° C for 1 month, before and after storage The change in the color tone of the beverage was visually evaluated by 10 panelists according to the following criteria.
A No change B Some change C Change D D Change a lot

  Sports drinks (comparative example 2) using green tea extract D as they are, and sports drinks (comparative example 1) using green tea extract A and having a beverage pH outside the scope of the present invention are both strong and astringent. The drinking period and the throat were bad. On the other hand, in addition to the green tea flavor, Examples 1 to 5 have no off-flavors and off-flavors, bitterness and astringency are reduced, suitable for long-term drinking, and excellent in bitterness, stability of astringency and over the throat, The beverage appearance was hardly changed during high-temperature storage, and was a container-packed beverage whose color tone was stable for a long time even when filled in a transparent container and stored.

That is, this invention is a container-packed drink which mix | blended green tea extract, Comprising: The following component (A), (B), (C) and (D),
(A) Non-polymer catechins 0.01 to 1.0% by weight,
(B) oxalic acid or a salt thereof,
(C) Caffeine,
(D) a carbohydrate selected from monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, complex polysaccharides and mixtures thereof, containing a fructose conversion amount of 0.0001 to 20% by weight and a glucose conversion amount of less than 0.05% by weight; (B) Shu The weight ratio [(B) / (A)] of the acid and (A) non-polymer catechins is 0.00005 to 0.05 , and (A) the non-polymer catechins and (C) caffeine And a weight ratio [(A) / (C)] of 10 to 10,000 is provided.

The content weight ratio [(B) / (A)] of (B) oxalic acid or a salt thereof and (A) non-polymer catechins in the packaged beverage of the present invention is 0.00005 to 0.05. It is preferably 0.0005 to 0.05, more preferably 0.001 to 0.05, and particularly preferably 0.001 to 0.03. When [(B) / (A)] is in this range, intense bitterness, astringency, and strong astringency do not occur, and the throat is excellent. (B) Oxalic acid or a salt thereof in the present invention contains oxalic acid naturally present in green tea extract, perfume, fruit juice and other components, and newly added oxalic acid. When adjusting the oxalic acid concentration in the beverage of the present invention with the oxalic acid concentration in the green tea extract used as a raw material, when the oxalic acid concentration is too low, the purity of the green tea extract used as a raw material is extremely high This is not preferable since the tea leaf-derived astringency suppressing component and the like have been eliminated at the same time. On the other hand, when the oxalic acid concentration is too high, astringent taste derived from oxalic acid appears, which is not suitable for blending into beverages.

The content weight ratio of the packaged beverage of the present invention with non-polymer catechins (A) and (C) caffeine [(A) / (C)] is a 10-10000, is good Mashiku 20-10000 More preferably, it is 25 to 4000, and particularly preferably 35 to 1000. If the ratio of non-polymer catechins to caffeine is too low, the beverage's original appearance is impaired, which is not preferable. Moreover, when the ratio of the non-polymer catechins to caffeine is too high, it is not preferable in terms of flavor balance. (C) Caffeine contains caffeine naturally present in green tea extract, flavor, fruit juice and other components used as a raw material, and newly added caffeine.

The packaged beverage of the present invention is obtained by adjusting the blending of the green tea extract and further blending necessary components.
The green tea extract used as a raw material is obtained from a concentrate of green tea extract containing 20 to 90% by weight of non-polymer catechins in a solid content, from (A) non-polymer catechins and (C) caffeine. the content weight ratio [(a) / (C) ] is preferably obtained by removing caffeine to be in the range of 10 to 10,000. The green tea extract as used herein refers to a product obtained by further purifying an extract extracted from tea leaves with hot water or a water-soluble organic solvent, or a product obtained by directly purifying the extracted extract ( It can be obtained by adjusting the ratio of A) non-polymer catechins and (C) caffeine. Further, tea leaves or preparations treated in a supercritical fluid may be used, or catechins adsorbed on an adsorbent and desorbed with an aqueous ethanol solution may be purified. Moreover, these non-polymer catechins and caffeine are used by using concentrates of green tea extracts such as commercially available Mitsui Norin Co., Ltd. “Polyphenone”, ITO EN “Teafuran”, Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd. “Sunphenon”. The green tea extract suitable for the object of the present invention can be obtained by adjusting the ingredients of the above.

The content weight ratio [(A) / (C)] of (A) non-polymer catechins and (C) caffeine in the green tea extract used in the present invention is preferably 10 to 10000, more preferably 10 to 8000, more preferably from 10 to 6,000, particularly preferably 10 to 4,000. If the ratio of the non-polymer catechins to caffeine in the green tea extract is too low, the beverage contains a large amount of components other than the non-polymer catechins, which is unfavorable because it impairs the original appearance of the beverage. On the other hand, if the ratio of non-polymer catechins to caffeine in the green tea extract is too high, astringency-inhibiting ingredients derived from tea leaves are eliminated at the same time when caffeine is removed, which is not preferable in terms of flavor balance.

The content weight ratio [(B) / (A)] of (B) oxalic acid or a salt thereof and (A) non-polymer catechins in the green tea extract used in the present invention is not particularly defined. However, it is disadvantageous in terms of cost to add or remove oxalic acid separately to the beverage, so [(B) / (A)] in the green tea extract should be 0.05 or less. ing.

A packaged beverage blended with green tea extract, the following components (A), (B), (C) and (D),
(A) Non-polymer catechins 0.01 to 1.0% by weight,
(B) oxalic acid or a salt thereof,
(C) Caffeine,
(D) a monosaccharide, oligosaccharide, complex polysaccharides and carbohydrates fructose equivalent amount from 0.0001 wt% selected from mixtures thereof, containing in terms of glucose of less than 0.05 wt%, (B) oxalic acid or The weight ratio [(B) / (A)] of the salt to (A) non-polymer catechins is 0.00005 to 0.05, and (A) non-polymer catechins and (C) cafe The container-packed drink whose content weight ratio [(A) / (C)] with in is 10 to 10,000 is provided.

The soluble carbohydrate used in the beverage of the present invention serves not only as a sweetener but also as an energy source. It is important that the criteria for selecting carbohydrates consider sufficient gastric emptying and intestinal absorption rates. The carbohydrate may be a mixture of glucose and fructose, or a carbohydrate that hydrolyzes in the digestive tract or forms glucose and fructose. As used herein, carbohydrates include monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, complex polysaccharides and mixtures thereof. The monosaccharide there is a f Kisosu and Ketohexose. An example of a hexose is an aldohexose such as glucose known as glucose. The amount of glucose present in the packaged beverage of the present invention is less than 0.05% by weight, preferably less than 0.04% by weight, more preferably less than about 0.035% by weight. Fructose, known as fructose, is a ketohexose. The amount of fructose present in the container-packed beverage of the present invention is 0.0001 to 20% by weight, preferably 0.001 to 15% by weight, more preferably 0.001 to 10% by weight.

Claims (9)

A packaged beverage blended with green tea extract, the following components (A), (B), (C) and (D),
(A) Non-polymer catechins 0.01 to 1.0% by weight,
(B) oxalic acid or a salt thereof,
(C) Caffeine,
(D) Carbohydrate Fructose conversion amount 0.0001-20 wt%, glucose conversion amount less than 0.05 wt%, (B) content weight ratio of oxalic acid or its salt and (A) non-polymer catechins [(B) / (A)] is 0.00005 to 0.1, and the content weight ratio [(A) / (C)] of (A) non-polymer catechins and (C) caffeine is Container-packed beverages that are 5 to 10,000.   The packaged beverage according to claim 1, wherein the beverage is a non-tea beverage.   Furthermore, the container-packed drink of Claim 1 or 2 containing 0.001 to 0.5 weight% of sodium ions and 0.001 to 0.2 weight% of potassium ions.   The container-packed drink according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pH is 2 to 5.   The content ratio [(B) / (A)] of (B) oxalic acid or a salt thereof and (A) non-polymer catechins is 0.00005 to 0.05. The container-packed drink of description.   (A) Content weight ratio [(A) / (C)] of non-polymer catechins and (C) caffeine is 10-10000, The container-packed drink of any one of Claims 1-5.   The content weight ratio of (A) non-polymer catechins and (C) caffeine from the concentrate of green tea extract in which the raw green tea extract contains 20 to 90% by weight of non-polymer catechins in the solid content The packaged beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein caffeine is removed so that [(A) / (C)] is in the range of 5 to 10,000.   The container-packed beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the beverage can be ingested in an amount of 300 mg or more per day as non-polymer catechins.   The container-packed drink according to any one of claims 1 to 8, which is filled in a transparent container.