JP2020072763A - Beverage containing polymerized catechin - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve a refreshing feeling and sharpness in a packaged beverage such as a chu-hi or a chu-hi taste beverage without significantly changing the liquid color of the beverage and without impairing the chu-hi feeling. .. SOLUTION: The content of polymerized catechin, citric acid and malic acid in a beverage is set within a certain range. [Selection diagram] None

Description

  The present invention relates to a packaged beverage containing polymerized catechin, a method for producing the same, a method for improving the refreshing feeling and / or the sharpness of the packaged beverage, and the like.

  Chu-Hi (Sho-Hi) was originally an abbreviation for shochu high-ball. Nowadays, its definition varies, but it generally means an alcoholic beverage in which distilled spirits are divided by another beverage. Chu-hi has a well-balanced taste, sweetness and sourness, and is well-received. In addition, a non-alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of 0 v / v%, which has a taste similar to that of adult chu-hi, has been put on the market.

  Polymerized catechin is a kind of polyphenol, and is known to have various useful physiological effects such as lipase inhibitory action, and a method for producing an extract containing a large amount of polymerized catechin has been developed (Patent Document 1). ..

WO2005 / 077384

  However, a method for improving refreshing feeling and sharpness in a chu-hi or a chu-hi-taste beverage has not been sufficiently studied. In particular, there is not enough means for achieving this purpose without impairing the original sense of chu-hi and without significantly changing the liquid color of the beverage.

  An object of the present invention is to improve refreshing feeling and crispness in a packaged beverage without impairing the original sense of chu-hi and without significantly changing the liquid color of the beverage.

  The present inventors, as a result of diligent studies, a polymer catechin having a low specific concentration and an alcoholic beverage having a specific concentration of citric acid and / or malic acid are excellent in refreshing feeling and sharpness, and a beverage. It was found that the liquid color of the liquid did not become too dark.

The present invention relates to, but is not limited to:
1. A packaged beverage,
The content of polymerized catechin is 0.25 to 50 ppm,
The total content of each of citric acid and malic acid is 0.1 to 15 g / L, and the absorbance at a wavelength of 500 nm is 0.2 or less.
The beverage.
2. The beverage according to 1, wherein the content of polymerized catechin is 0.5 to 50 ppm.
3. The beverage according to 1 or 2, further containing non-polymerized catechin, and the content of non-polymerized catechin is 0.1 to 25 ppm.
4. 4. The weight-based ratio ((a) / (b)) of the (a) contained polymerized catechin and (b) contained non-polymerized catechin is 4 or more, any one of 1-3. Beverage.
5. The beverage according to any one of 1 to 4, wherein the content of limonene is 0.01 to 50 ppm or more.
6. The beverage according to any one of 1 to 5, which has a sweetness of less than 20% in terms of sucrose.
7. The beverage according to any one of 1 to 6, which further contains carbonic acid.
8. Furthermore, the drink as described in any one of 1-7 containing fruit juice.
9. Furthermore, the drink as described in any one of 1-8 whose alcohol content is 0-10 v / v%.
10. Furthermore, the drink of any one of 1-8 whose alcohol content is 1-10 v / v%.
11. The beverage according to any one of 1 to 10, wherein the tartaric acid content is 350 ppm or less and the succinic acid content is 60 ppm or less.
12. The beverage according to any one of 1 to 11, which is a chu-high-taste beverage.
13. The beverage according to any one of 1 to 12, wherein the content of the emulsifier is 0.1 w / w% or less.
14. A packaged beverage,
(I) The content of the emulsifier is 0.1 w / w% or less,
(Ii) the absorbance at a wavelength of 500 nm is 0.2 or less,
(Iii) The content of fruit juice is less than 10 w / w% in terms of fruit juice rate, and (iv) when tested by a method having the following steps 1 to 7, the following iv-1 to iv-3 The beverage that meets all the conditions.
(Iv-1) There are no oil droplets with a diameter of 11 mm or more in the A area,
(Iv-2) The total cross-sectional area value of the oil drops in the B area is 1/2 or more of the total cross-sectional area value of the oil drops in the AB area,
(Iv-3) The number of oil drops in the area A is 474 or more.
Step 1. Toyo Sasaki Glass Co., Ltd., caliber about 4.9 cm, maximum outer diameter about 6.1 cm, thickness about 2 mm, height about 11.2 cm, depth about 7.5 cm, glass container of full volume about 140 ml, test Pour 30 ml of the beverage
Step 2. Let the beverage stand at a liquid temperature of 23 ° C.,
Step 3. Add 200 μl of chili oil (house oil) (House Foods Co., Ltd.) to the beverage left still, cover the glass container,
Step 4. The glass container is placed in a box-shaped container having an inner size of about 6.5 cm, which is fixed to a shaking device, and the cell-shaped container is shaken for 1 minute at a speed of 250 times / minute so as to draw a circle having a diameter of 80 mm horizontally,
Step 5. With the glass container horizontal, the rotated beverage was allowed to stand at a liquid temperature of 23 ° C. for 24 hours,
Step 6. 6. Take a picture of the liquid level from the top of the glass container, and step 7. In the obtained photograph, the entire liquid surface is the A area, and the circle having the value obtained by multiplying the diameter of the A area by 0.828 as the diameter and having the same center as the A area and the inside thereof are B The area is the area other than the area A excluding the area B, and the remaining area is the area AB, and the number and cross-sectional area of oil drops existing in these three areas are measured.
15. A method of manufacturing a packaged beverage,
A step of adjusting the content of polymerized catechin in the beverage to 0.25 to 50 ppm,
The step of adjusting the total amount of each content of citric acid and malic acid in the beverage to 0.1 to 15 g / L, and the step of adjusting the absorbance at a wavelength of 500 nm of the beverage to 0.2 or less, Production method.
16. 16. The method according to 15, wherein the content of polymerized catechin in the beverage is adjusted to 0.5 to 50 ppm.
17. 17. The production method according to 15 or 16, wherein the content of the emulsifier in the beverage is 0.1 w / w% or less.
18. A method for improving the refreshing feeling and / or the sharpness of a packaged beverage,
A step of adjusting the content of polymerized catechin in the beverage to 0.25 to 50 ppm,
The step of adjusting the total amount of each content of citric acid and malic acid in the beverage to 0.1 to 15 g / L, and the step of adjusting the absorbance at a wavelength of 500 nm of the beverage to 0.2 or less, Method.
19. 19. The method according to 18, wherein the content of polymerized catechin in the beverage is adjusted to 0.5 to 50 ppm.
20. 20. The method according to 18 or 19, wherein the content of the emulsifier in the beverage is 0.1 w / w% or less.
21. A method of improving the ability of a beverage to wash away fats and oils brought to the mouth by a meal, which comprises incorporating a polymerized catechin into the beverage.
22. A food and drink composition for washing away oils and fats brought to the mouth by a meal, which comprises polymerized catechin as an active ingredient.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can improve refreshing feeling and crispness in a packaged beverage without impairing the original sense of chu-hi and without significantly changing the liquid color of the beverage. In particular, the beverage of the present invention can obtain the effect that the taste and irritation disappear quickly in a flowing manner. Such an effect can be obtained without impairing the sense of chu-hi. Here, the chu-hi feeling is a unique and desirable taste of a chu-hi or a chu-hi-taste beverage, and means a refreshing taste in which a liquor feeling, sweetness and acidity are well-balanced. In addition, a refreshing feeling means that no unpleasant taste such as bitterness, sourness, astringency, and astringency after drinking remains, and the rear mouth is not sticky, and crispness means a pleasant aroma, flavor, and taste of food and drink. It means that there is plenty of taste, but that it doesn't leave an aftertaste, and that it feels good and feels good. In addition, the liquid color of the beverage is transparent, and it does not look like tea or the like.
Therefore, the beverage of the present invention is particularly suitable as a chu-hi or a chu-hi-taste beverage. The chu-hi-taste beverage means a non-alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of 0 v / v%, which has a taste similar to that of adult chu-hi.

It was also found that the beverage of the present invention has an excellent ability to disperse oil in water. Moreover, this effect is exhibited even when the emulsifier is not included as a component other than the polymerized catechin. Therefore, the refreshing sensation of the beverage of the present invention is particularly noticeable when eating foods containing oil.

FIG. 1 shows the particle size distribution of fats and oils dispersed in a beverage. ● indicates the result of Example 54 (weight catechin 25 ppm), ◯ indicates the result of Example 51 (weight catechin 1 ppm), and Δ indicates the result of Comparative Example 51 (weight catechin 0 ppm). FIG. 2 schematically shows each area on the liquid surface photographed when evaluating the oil / fat dispersibility. FIG. 3 shows a container used for evaluation of oil-and-fat dispersibility. FIG. 4 shows a shaking method in evaluation of oil-and-fat dispersibility. FIG. 5 is a photograph showing the dispersed state of fats and oils in a beverage having a polymerized catechin concentration of 0 ppm. FIG. 6 is a photograph showing the dispersed state of fats and oils in a beverage having a polymerized catechin concentration of 0.25 ppm. FIG. 7 is a photograph showing the dispersed state of fats and oils in a beverage having a polymerized catechin concentration of 1 ppm. FIG. 8 is a photograph showing the dispersed state of fats and oils in a beverage having a polymerized catechin concentration of 10 ppm. FIG. 9 is a photograph showing the dispersed state of fats and oils in a beverage having a polymerized catechin concentration of 50 ppm. FIG. 10 is a photograph showing the dispersed state of fats and oils in the beverage of Comparative Example B. FIG. 11 is an example of an HPLC chart obtained by measuring a sample containing polymerized catechin.

The packaged beverage of the present invention (hereinafter, also referred to as the “beverage of the present invention”), a related method, and the like will be described below.
(Polymerized catechin)
The beverage of the present invention contains polymerized catechin. The term “polymerized catechin” as used herein means unpolymerized monomer catechins ((+)-catechin, (−)-epicatechin, (+)-gallocatechin, (−)-epigallocatechin, (−)-Catechin gallate, (−)-Epicatechin gallate, (−)-Gallocatechin gallate, (−)-Epigallocatechin gallate (these are also referred to as “non-polymerized catechin” in the present specification) , But having a structure in which a plurality of tea-derived enzymes, enzymes, light, changes in pH, etc. are linked. Specifically, it refers to a component analyzed by HPLC under the following conditions, and refers to a component having a peak with the same elution time (reference elution time: 25 minutes) as theaflavin (manufactured by Kurita Research Center).
・ Column: TSK-gel ODS-80TsQA (4.6mmφx150mm, Tosoh Corporation)
-Mobile phase: A: water: acetonitrile: trifluoroacetic acid = 900: 100: 0.5
B: Water: Acetonitrile: Trifluoroacetic acid = 200: 800: 0.5
・ Flow rate: 1.0 ml / min
・ Column temperature: 40 ℃
・ Gradient conditions: solution B 0%, 5 minutes after the start of analysis,
Solution B 8% from 5 to 11 minutes,
From 11 to 21 minutes, B solution 10%,
Solution B 100% from 21 to 22 minutes,
100% retention from 22 to 30 minutes,
0% from 30 minutes to 31 minutes
・ Detection: A280nm (data collection time is 30 minutes), quantified by peak area.
・ Injection volume: 10 μL
・ Standard substance: Oolong homobisflavan B (abbreviation: OHBF-B)
The amount of polymerized catechin is obtained by using OHBF-B as a standard substance and preparing a calibration curve. The standard substance OHBF-B is described in, for example, the method described in Chem. Pharm. Bull 37 (12), 3255-3563 (1989) or JP-A-2005-336117 (Example 3). Those synthesized according to the method (preferably those purified to a purity of 98% or more), those isolated from tea leaves, and the like can be used.
Under the above analysis conditions, the peak of polymerized catechin may overlap with the peaks of other components. Beverages containing such other components include, for example, beverages containing fruit juice, beverages containing plant extracts, and the like. In that case, the above analysis conditions are suitable for the identification of the polymerized catechin but not for the quantification. In that case, the peak appearing at about 14 minutes is used for quantification. The value obtained by multiplying the peak area value at about 14 minutes by 10 and the peak area value appearing at about 25 minutes are compared, and if the former is lower, the former value is used for quantification of polymerized catechin. To do. An example of an HPLC chart in which these peaks appear is shown in FIG.

  Specific examples of the polymerized catechin include polymerized catechins that are commonly used such as thearuvidin and the like, as well as epigallocatechin gallate dimer of the formula (1):

Epigallocatechin gallate trimer of formula (2):

A dimer of epigallocatechin of formula (3):

(In the formula, R1 and R2 are each independently H or a galloyl group.)
A trimer of epigallocatechin of formula (4):

(In the formula, R3, R4, and R5 are each independently H or a galloyl group.)
Oolong theanine-3'-O-gallate of formula (5):

Polymerized catechins such as
The polymerized catechin of the present invention can be obtained as a plant extract containing the polymerized catechin. For example, it can be obtained by solvent extraction of tea leaves. As the tea leaves used as a raw material, one or more of green tea, which is unfermented tea, oolong tea, which is semi-fermented tea, and black tea, which is fermented tea, can be used, but among them, a large amount of polymerized catechin is contained. It is preferable to use semi-fermented tea or fermented tea leaves, especially oolong tea leaves. As the extraction solvent, water or hot water, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, ethyl acetate or the like is used, and one or a mixture of two or more kinds is used for extraction. The solvent extract of tea leaves may be used as it is, but concentrated or purified, that is, by selectively removing components other than polymerized catechins from the solvent extract of tea leaves, the content of polymerized catechins It is better to use the higher one. In addition to the method of directly extracting the polymerized catechins derived from tea leaves, the degree of polymerization of the polymerized catechins is determined by treating the tea leaves or tea leaves containing polymerized catechins or non-polymerized catechins with an enzyme such as polyphenol oxidase. May be higher than that contained in. As the degree of polymerization is higher and the proportion of polymerized catechin is larger than that of non-polymerized catechin, the unpleasant bitterness and astringency are less and the flavor is preferable.

  In general, non-polymerized catechin has a bitter and astringent taste, and thus a large amount of catechin may impair the taste of the food or drink itself. Therefore, as the polymerized catechin of the present invention, it is preferable to use a solvent extract obtained by subjecting the tea leaf extract to a process for selectively removing non-polymerized catechin. Examples of the solvent extract subjected to the treatment for selectively removing the non-polymerized catechin include those containing the polymerized catechin in a concentration of 4 times or more that of the non-polymerized catechin described in WO2005 / 077384. ..

  Polymerized catechin is a soluble component. From the viewpoint of preventing precipitation during storage, etc., it is preferable to subject the solvent extract of tea leaves to a separation clarification treatment such as centrifugation or filtration treatment to remove insoluble solids, and from this viewpoint also remove non-polymerized catechins. Then, it is preferable to use a solvent extract of tea leaves having an increased concentration of polymerized catechin. The form of the polymerized catechin used in the present invention may be liquid or powdered by spray drying, freeze pulverization or the like.

  The blending ratio of the polymerized catechin in the beverage of the present invention is 0.25 to 50 ppm, preferably 0.5 to 50 ppm, more preferably 0.5 to 30 ppm, and more preferably 1 to 20 ppm with respect to the entire beverage. In the present specification, ppm means weight / volume ppm, which corresponds to mg / L. If the content of the polymerized catechin is less than 0.25 ppm, a refreshing feeling and sharpness cannot be sufficiently obtained. If the content of polymerized catechin exceeds 50 ppm, the chu-hi-likeness may be impaired.

  When the polymerized catechin is blended as the tea leaf extract, the non-polymerized catechin contained in the tea leaf extract may impair the flavor of the beverage, so it is preferable to use the one in which the non-polymerized catechin is selectively removed. The content of non-polymerized catechin in the beverage is preferably 0.1 to 25 ppm, more preferably 0.1 to 10 ppm. Furthermore, the weight-based ratio ((a) / (b)) of (a) polymerized catechin and (b) non-polymerized catechin is preferably 4 or more, more preferably 5 or more.

(Citric acid and malic acid)
Citric acid is an organic acid that is often contained in citrus fruits such as lemon, and has a slightly astringent sourness. Malic acid is an organic acid often contained in apples and the like, and has a refreshing sourness.

  The total content of citric acid and malic acid contained in the beverage of the present invention is 0.1 to 15 g / L, preferably 0.2 to 5 g / L. The beverage may contain only one of citric acid and malic acid, or may contain both.

The contents of citric acid and malic acid can be quantified using a known method such as an HPLC method.
(Absorbance)
Although the beverage of the present invention contains polymerized catechin, the liquid color of the beverage is not dark. In particular, when the polymerized catechin obtained by purification is used, the liquid color of the beverage can be lightened. The absorbance of the beverage at 500 nm is preferably 0.2 or less, more preferably 0.09 or less, more preferably 0.07 or less, more preferably 0.05 or less.

(alcohol)
The beverage of the present invention may contain alcohol. The term "alcohol" used in the present specification means ethanol unless otherwise specified.

  The alcohol may be contained in the beverage by any means, but since one of the particularly preferred embodiments of the present invention is chuhai, the beverage of the present invention preferably contains distilled liquor. The distilled liquor is not limited by its raw material or manufacturing method. Examples of the distilled liquor include spirits (for example, vodka, lamb, tequila, gin, aquabit, korun), neutral spirits, liqueurs, whiskeys (for example, whiskey and brandy), and shochu.

The alcohol content of the beverage of the present invention is preferably 0 to 10 v / v%, more preferably 1 to 10 v / v%, and even more preferably 5 to 8 v / v%.
In the present specification, the alcohol content of the beverage can be measured by any known method, for example, it can be measured by a vibrating densitometer. Specifically, a sample is prepared by removing carbon dioxide from a beverage by filtration or ultrasonic waves, and the sample is subjected to direct flame distillation, and the density of the obtained distillate at 15 ° C. is measured. (Table 19 Alcohol and Density (15 ° C) and Specific Gravity (15/15 ° C) Conversion Table, which is an appendix of (Hira 19 National Tax Agency No. 6 revised on June 22, 2007)) Can be asked.

(Tartaric acid and succinic acid)
The content of tartaric acid and succinic acid in the beverage of the present invention is preferably low. The content of tartaric acid in the beverage of the present invention is preferably 350 ppm or less, more preferably 300 ppm or less. Tartaric acid may not be included in the beverage of the present invention. Further, the content of succinic acid in the beverage of the present invention is preferably 60 ppm or less, more preferably 50 ppm or less. Succinic acid need not be included in the beverage of the present invention.

The contents of tartaric acid and succinic acid can be quantified using a known method such as the HPLC method.
(Limonene)
The beverage of the present invention may contain limonene. Here, limonene means d-limonene. Limonene may be derived from fruit juice or flavor, and it does not matter.

  The content of limonene in the beverage of the present invention is preferably 0.01 ppm or more, more preferably 0.1 ppm or more, more preferably 5 ppm or more. There is no upper limit for the content of limonene as long as the effect of the present invention can be obtained, but the upper limit for the content of limonene is, for example, 100 ppm, 50 ppm, or 10 ppm. The content of d-limonene may be measured by any known method such as GC-MS and HPLC method. Below, the typical analysis conditions of GC-MS are shown.

(GC-MS analysis conditions)
The sample drink is subjected to gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) under the following conditions. The analysis conditions of GC are as follows.
GC device: Agilent Technologies GC-MSD
GC oven temperature condition: 40 ° C (5 minutes) -6 ° C / min-240 ° C
Mass spec (MS) condition quadrupole setting value: 150
Ion source setting value: 230
Area value calculation condition Total ion mode mass (LOW): 35
Mass (HIGH): 550
Column: DB-WAXETR 60 m, inner diameter 320 μm, film thickness 0.25 μm
Sample pretreatment conditions: 80 μL of sample and internal standard substance (decanoic acid methyl ester 20 ppm)
Aqueous alcohol solution) 20 μL mixed in 20 mL screw cap vial Dynamic headspace conditioner: Gestel MPS
Adsorbent: TENAX
Sample vaporization temperature: 80 ° C
Gas supply for sample vaporization: 3000 ml
Gas supply rate for sample vaporization: 100 ml / min
Sample vaporization gas type: Nitrogen peak retention time: The components and concentrations are identified by MS analysis.
Reference material: Limonene (sweetness)
The sweetness of the beverage of the present invention is preferably less than 20%, more preferably 0.1 to 10%, and even more preferably 0.5 to 5% in terms of sucrose. The sweetness of the beverage, based on the relative ratio of the sweetness of the sweetness component to the sweetness 1 of sucrose, the amount (weight concentration) of each sweetness component contained in the beverage, is converted into a corresponding amount of sucrose, Then, it can be determined by adding up the sucrose-sweetened equivalent amounts (including sweetening components derived from fruit juice etc.) of all the sweetening components contained in the beverage. The relative ratio of the sweetness of various sweetness components to the sweetness 1 of sucrose can be obtained from a known sugar sweetness conversion table (for example, Beverage Japan KK "Beverage Glossary Dictionary", p. 11).

(carbon dioxide gas)
The beverage of the present invention contains carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide can be applied to the beverage using methods commonly known to those of skill in the art, including, but not limited to, carbon dioxide may be dissolved in the beverage under pressure, or from Züchenhagen. Carbon dioxide may be mixed with the beverage in the pipe using a mixer such as a carbonator, or the carbon dioxide may be absorbed in the beverage by spraying the beverage in a tank filled with carbon dioxide. However, the beverage and carbonated water may be mixed. The carbon dioxide pressure is adjusted by appropriately using these means.

The carbon dioxide gas pressure when the liquid temperature of the beverage of the present invention is 20 ° C. is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.7 to 3.5 kgf / cm ² , and more preferably 0.8 to 2.8 kgf / cm ² . .. Further, the carbon dioxide gas pressure may be 0.8 to 2.5 kgf / cm ² . In the present invention, the carbon dioxide gas pressure can be measured using a gas volume measuring device GVA-500A manufactured by Kyoto Electronics Manufacturing. For example, the sample temperature is set to 20 ° C., the carbon dioxide pressure is measured after degassing (snift) in the air in the container and shaking in the gas volume measuring device. In the present specification, unless otherwise specified, the carbon dioxide gas pressure means the carbon dioxide gas pressure at 20 ° C.

(Fruit juice)
The beverage of the present invention may contain fruit juice. The fruit juice may be in the form of either a straight fruit juice obtained by squeezing the fruit and using the juice as it is, or a concentrated juice concentrate. In addition, transparent fruit juice, cloudy fruit juice can also be used, whole fruit juice including husks of fruits is crushed and only particularly solid solids such as seeds are removed, whole fruit juice pureed with fruit, or dried. It is also possible to use fruit juice obtained by crushing or extracting the fruit pulp.

The type of fruit juice is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include citrus fruit juice (orange juice, unshiu mandarin orange juice, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, lime juice, yuzu juice, iyokan juice, natsumi orange juice, hasaku juice, ponkan juice, shiikuwasha juice, Cabosu juice, etc.), apple juice, grape juice, peach juice, tropical fruit juice (pineapple juice, guava juice, banana juice, mango juice, acerola juice, lychee juice, papaya juice, passion fruit juice, etc.), and other fruit juices Ume juice, pear juice, apricot juice, plum juice, berry juice, kiwifruit juice, etc.), strawberry juice, melon juice and the like. These fruit juices may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The content of fruit juice in the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is typically 0 to 100 w / w% or less than 10 w / w% in terms of fruit juice rate.
In the present invention, the "fruit juice ratio" in the beverage is calculated by the following conversion formula using the fruit juice blending amount (g) blended in 100 g of the beverage. In addition, the concentration ratio shall be calculated in accordance with the JAS standard, and the sugar refractometer readings such as sugar and honey added to fruit juice shall be excluded.

Fruit juice ratio (w / w%) = <fruit juice blending amount (g)> × <concentration ratio> / 100 mL / <beverage specific gravity> × 100
(Other ingredients)
Beverages in the present invention, in addition, unless otherwise impairing the effects of the present invention, additives usually added to the beverage, for example, flavors, vitamins, pigments, antioxidants, preservatives, seasonings, extracts, A pH adjuster, a quality stabilizer and the like can be added.

(emulsifier)
The beverage of the present invention preferably has an emulsifier content of 0.1 w / w% or less (in the present specification, polymerized catechin is not included in the emulsifier). Nevertheless, the oil can be easily dispersed. The dispersion ratio of the beverage of the present invention and oil can be measured, for example, by the method described in Examples. In this measuring method, the beverage of the present invention was added with 1 ml / L of edible sesame oil to the beverage, stirred at 600 rpm with a homomixer, and allowed to stand for 10 minutes. It became clear that it has a property of 50% or more. For the particle size measurement, a wet batch cell method is used, and a particle size distribution meter (for example, SALD-2300 BC23 manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation) determines the ratio of particles having a particle size of 5 μm or less.

  The "emulsifier" in the present specification means all that are generally known as emulsifiers, for example, glycerin fatty acid ester, sucrose fatty acid ester, Quillaja extract, sorbitan fatty acid ester, propylene glycol fatty acid ester, lecithin, Enjusaponin, barley bark extract, soybean saponin, sterol, sphingolipid, stearoyl calcium lactate, bile powder, tea seed saponin, tomato glycolipid, beet saponin, yucca foam extract, propylene glycol, sodium starch octenylsuccinate, octenylsuccinate Starch etc. are illustrated. In the present invention, the emulsifier is not limited to one added directly, but may be one derived from an emulsifier contained in an emulsified flavor and the like.

The beverage of the present invention is, in another aspect, a packaged beverage,
(I) the content of the emulsifier is 0.1% or less,
(Ii) the absorbance at a wavelength of 500 nm is 0.2 or less,
(Iii) The content of fruit juice is less than 10 w / w% in terms of fruit juice rate, and (iv) when tested by a method having the following steps 1 to 7, the following iv-1 to iv-3 It is the beverage that satisfies all the conditions.
(Iv-1) There are no oil droplets with a diameter of 11 mm or more in the A area,
(Iv-2) The total cross-sectional area value of the oil droplets in the B area is 1/2 or more, preferably 1/4 or more of the total cross-sectional area value of the oil droplets in the AB area.
(Iv-3) The number of oil droplets in the area A is 474 or more, preferably 500 or more, more preferably 900 or more.
<Test>
Step 1. Manufactured by Toyo Sasaki Glass Co., Ltd. (Toyo Sasaki Glass Co., Ltd.), diameter of about 4.9 cm, maximum outer diameter of about 6.1 cm, thickness of about 2 mm, height of about 11.2 cm, depth of about 7.5 cm, full volume of about 140 ml. Pour 30 ml of the beverage to be tested into the glass container of
Step 2. Let the beverage stand at a liquid temperature of 23 ° C.,
Step 3. Add 200 μl of chili oil (house oil) (House Foods Co., Ltd.) to the beverage left still, cover the glass container,
Step 4. The glass container is placed in a box-shaped container having an inner size of about 6.5 cm, which is fixed to a shaking device, and the cell-shaped container is shaken for 1 minute at a speed of 250 times / minute so as to draw a circle having a diameter of 80 mm horizontally,
Step 5. With the glass container horizontal, the rotated beverage was allowed to stand at a liquid temperature of 23 ° C. for 24 hours,
Step 6. 6. Take a picture of the liquid level from the top of the glass container, and step 7. In the obtained photograph, the entire liquid surface is the A area, and the circle having the value obtained by multiplying the diameter of the A area by 0.828 as the diameter and having the same center as the A area and the inside thereof are B The area is the area other than the area A excluding the area B, and the remaining area is the area AB, and the number and cross-sectional area of oil drops existing in these three areas are measured.
The shape of the container used for the test is as shown in FIG. Parafilm or the like may be used for the lid in step 3 (if the beverage is a carbonated beverage, a hole for degassing may be opened). A schematic diagram of step 4 is shown in FIG. Place a glass container in a box-shaped container fixed on a shaker and having an inner size of about 6.5 cm. The shaking device used for shaking is typically BR-300LF from Titec Co., Ltd. When this device is used, the container is shaken while always pointing in the same direction as shown in FIG. The photograph in step 6 preferably has a high resolution to some extent, and for example, a photograph having a resolution of about 8 million pixels can be used.
A schematic diagram of the A area, B area, and AB area in step 7 is shown in FIG. In this step, if oil droplets adhere to each other, each oil droplet is counted separately. Even if the oil droplets merge or coalesce, each oil droplet is counted separately as long as each oil droplet retains its original shape (even if the boundary is not visible). The diameter of an oil drop refers to its diameter if the oil drop is circular, and refers to the longest dimension of the oil drop if it is not circular. It is assumed that the oil droplets straddling the boundary between the B area and the AB area belong to the AB area, not the B area.

(Container beverage)
The beverage of the present invention is provided in a packaged form. The form of the container includes, but is not limited to, metal containers such as cans, PET bottles, paper packs, bottles, pouches, and the like. For example, a sterilized packaged product can be produced through a method of performing heat sterilization such as retort sterilization after filling the beverage of the present invention into a container, or a method of sterilizing the beverage and filling into the container.

(Method for producing beverage, and method for improving refreshing feeling and / or sharpness)
The present invention, in another aspect, is a method for producing a packaged beverage. The method includes the following steps.

A step of adjusting the content of polymerized catechin in the beverage to 0.25 to 50 ppm,
A step of adjusting the total amount of each content of citric acid and malic acid in the beverage to 0.1 to 15 g / L, and a step of adjusting the absorbance at a wavelength of 500 nm of the beverage to 0.2 or less.

The method may further include a step of adjusting the alcohol content of the beverage to 0 to 10 v / v%.
The method for adjusting the alcohol content, the content of polymerized catechin, the total content of citric acid and malic acid, and the absorbance in the beverage are as described above for the beverage or obvious from them. The timing is also not limited. For example, the above steps may be performed simultaneously, separately, or the order of the steps may be interchanged. The beverage finally obtained may satisfy the above conditions. The preferable ranges of the alcohol content, the content of polymerized catechin, the total content of citric acid and malic acid, and the absorbance are as described above for the beverage. Moreover, the specific examples and amounts of the other components to be added, and the sweetness are also as described above for the beverage.

  The manufacturing method of the present invention can improve the refreshing feeling and / or the sharpness of a packaged beverage. Therefore, in another aspect, the manufacturing method is a method for improving the refreshing feeling and / or the sharpness of the packaged beverage. This can be achieved without compromising the chu-hi feeling.

(Other uses)
In the present invention, when the polymerized catechin is contained in the beverage, the affinity of the beverage for fats and oils is increased, and the oil droplets generated when the fats and oils are added to the beverage are finely dispersed. Therefore, the polymerized catechin can improve the ability of the beverage to wash away the fats and oils brought to the mouth by a meal from the mouth. Accordingly, the present invention, in another aspect, relates to a method of enhancing the ability of a beverage to wash away fats and oils brought to the mouth by a meal, comprising incorporating the polymerized catechin into the beverage. The content of polymerized catechin in the beverage is as described above for the beverage.
Thus, since the polymerized catechin enhances the ability of the beverage to wash out the fats and oils brought to the mouth by the meal, the present invention, in another aspect, is brought to the mouth by the meal, which has the polymerized catechin as an active ingredient. It is a food and drink composition for rinsing oils and fats. The content of polymerized catechin in the food / beverage composition is also as described above for the beverage.

(Numerical range)
Described for clarity, the numerical range represented by the lower limit value and the upper limit value in this specification, that is, “lower limit value to upper limit value” includes the lower limit value and the upper limit value. For example, the range represented by "1-2" includes 1 and 2.

The present invention will be described below based on examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.
(Production Example 1) Production of polymerized catechin-containing extract Using 7800 kg of baking soda solution prepared by adding 0.15% by weight of baking soda to warm water (95 ° C), 600 kg of oolong tea leaves were subjected to extraction treatment, and oolong tea extract solution of about 7000 kg Got While maintaining the liquid temperature of this extract at 60 to 65 ° C, 400 kg of granular activated carbon (GW-H32 / 60 manufactured by Kuraray Co., Ltd.) was passed to remove non-polymerized catechin and caffeine. This passing liquid (liquid after treatment with activated carbon) was concentrated under reduced pressure to obtain about 900 kg of an extract having a high content of polymerized catechin of Brix 11 (a concentrate of oolong tea extract; an extract, hereinafter, extract A). The concentrations of polymerized catechin, non-polymerized catechin and caffeine in the obtained Extract A were measured by HPLC under the following conditions. As a result, the concentration of polymerized catechin was 12000 ppm, the concentration of non-polymerized catechin was 800 ppm, and the concentration of caffeine was 20 ppm.
HPLC conditions:
・ Column: TSK-gel ODS-80TsQA (4.6mmφx150mm, Tosoh Corporation)
・ Mobile phase: A: water: acetonitrile: trifluoroacetic acid = 900: 100: 0.5
B: Water: Acetonitrile: Trifluoroacetic acid = 200: 800: 0.5
・ Flow rate: 1.0 ml / min
・ Column temperature: 40 ℃
・ Gradient conditions: solution B 0%, 5 minutes after the start of analysis,
Solution B 8% in 5 to 11 minutes,
Solution B 10% from 11 to 21 minutes,
Solution B 100% from 21 to 22 minutes,
100% retention from 22 to 30 minutes,
0% from 30 minutes to 31 minutes
・ Detection: A280nm
・ Standard substance (polymerized catechin): Oolong Homobisflavan B (OHBF-B)
-Retention time of polymerized catechin: A peak coincides with theaflavin at a peak of about 25 minutes.
・ Standard substance (non-polymerized catechin): epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg), gallocatechin gallate (GCg)
The concentration of non-polymerized catechin in the examples is the total value of the concentrations of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg) and gallocatechin gallate (GCg).

(Test Example 1) Content of polymerized catechin and citric acid The alcohol content, the content of polymerized catechin-containing extract, the blending amount of citric acid and malic acid were adjusted, and the packaged alcoholic beverage with a carbon dioxide gas pressure of 1.5 kgf / cm ² was used. Was manufactured. The formulation is as shown in Table 1 below. In the examples, alcohol may be referred to as “Alc”.

  The contents of the citric acid, the polymerized catechin-containing extract, and the polymerized catechin in the obtained beverage are as shown in Table 2. The alcohol content of all the obtained beverages was 6.3 v / v%, and the sweetness of the beverages was equivalent to a 4.1% sucrose aqueous solution (sweetness 4.1%).

  The trained panelists evaluated the obtained beverages for chu-hi feeling, refreshing feeling and sharpness by a sensory test by a scoring method. Five expert panelists judged their degree comprehensively, and a perfect score of 4 points: "Feel good" = 4 points, "Feel" = 3 points, "Slightly feel" = 2 points, "Don't feel" = 1 The points were evaluated, and the average of the evaluation points was calculated. Five-level evaluation was provided according to the average score. A score of 3 or more was passed. This evaluation standard is also used in other test examples unless otherwise specified. The results are shown below.

From the results in Table 2, good results were obtained with beverages containing citric acid in a specific range of content and polymerized catechin in a specific range of content.
(Test Example 2) Comparative Evaluation of Citric Acid and Malic Acid Similar to Test Example 1, malic acid was blended so as to have the content shown in Table 3 to produce a beverage having a carbon dioxide gas pressure of 1.5 kgf / cm ² . No citric acid was added to those beverages. The alcohol content of all the obtained beverages was 6.3 v / v%, and the sweetness of the beverage was equivalent to a 4.1% sucrose aqueous solution (sweetness 4.1%).

It was found that the sensory evaluation results were similar to those of citric acid even if malic acid was used if the concentration was the same as that of citric acid.
(Test Example 3) Evaluation of content of non-polymerized catechin In the same manner as in Test Example 1, in addition to polymerized catechin and citric acid so as to have the contents shown in Table 4, limonene was further added, and carbon dioxide pressure was 1.5 kgf / A beverage of cm ² was produced and sensory evaluation was performed. The alcohol content of all the obtained beverages was 6.3 v / v%, and the sweetness of the beverage was equivalent to a 4.1% sucrose aqueous solution (sweetness 4.1%).

  Five expert panelists comprehensively judged the feeling of chu-hi, refreshing feeling and sharpness, and a maximum of 4 points: "Feel good" = 4 points, "Feel" = 3 points, "Slightly feel" = 2 points, "Don't feel" = 1 point was evaluated, and the average of the evaluation points was calculated. Four-level evaluation was provided according to the average score. A score of 3 or more was passed.

From the results in Table 4, it can be seen that the content of non-polymerized catechin is preferably 25 ppm or less, more preferably 0.05 to 4 ppm.
(Test Example 4) Evaluation of Limonene Content Similar to Test Example 1, in addition to polymerized catechin and citric acid so as to have the contents shown in Table 5, limonene was further added, and the carbon dioxide gas pressure was 1.5 kgf / cm ^2. The beverage was manufactured and sensory evaluation was performed. The alcohol content of all the obtained beverages was 6.3 v / v%.

  Five specialized panelists comprehensively judge the chu-hi feeling, refreshing feeling, and degree of sharpness, and a maximum of 5 points: "Feel better" = 5 points, "Feel better" = 4 points, "Feel" = 3 points, Evaluation was made with "slightly felt" = 2 points and "not felt" = 1 point, and the average of the evaluation points was calculated. Five-level evaluation was provided according to the average score. A score of 3 or more was passed.

It was found that when the limonene content is in the range of 0.01 to 50 ppm, the chu-hi feeling, the refreshing feeling, and the sharpness are well felt, and in the range of 0.1 to 10 ppm, these are further felt well.
(Test Example 5) Evaluation of alcohol content In the same manner as in Test Example 1, polymerized catechin and citric acid were added so as to have the contents shown in Table 6, alcohol was blended, and carbon dioxide gas pressure was 1.5 kgf / cm ² . A packaged alcoholic beverage was produced. The formulation is as shown in Table 6 below.

  The alcohol content and the polymerized catechin content of the obtained beverage were as described in Table 7, and the sensory evaluation was performed.

  Five expert panelists comprehensively judged the feeling of chu-hi, refreshing feeling and sharpness, and a maximum of 4 points: "Feel good" = 4 points, "Feel" = 3 points, "Slightly feel" = 2 points, "Don't feel" = 1 point was evaluated, and the average of the evaluation points was calculated. Four-level evaluation was provided according to the average score. A score of 3 or more was passed.

  From the results in Table 7, it can be seen that good effects can be obtained when the alcohol content is in the range of 0 to 10 v / v%. Furthermore, it can be seen that even better effects are obtained when the alcohol content is in the range of 3 to 10 v / v%.

(Test Example 6) Evaluation of Dispersion Ability of Oil In the same manner as in Test Example 1, polymerized catechin, citric acid and liquid sugar were blended in the amounts shown in Table 8 to prepare a beverage. The alcohol content of all the obtained beverages was 6.3 v / v%, and the sweetness of the beverage was equivalent to a 4.1% sucrose aqueous solution (sweetness 4.1%).

  1 ml / L of edible sesame oil (using genuine sesame oil manufactured by Kadoya Oil Co., Ltd.) was added to these beverages, and the mixture was stirred at 600 rpm with a homomixer (manufactured by Plymix Co., Ltd.) and allowed to stand for 10 minutes, and then the particle size was measured. A wet-type batch cell method was used for particle size measurement, and a particle size distribution meter (SALD-2300 BC23 manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation) was used to determine the proportion of particles having a particle size of 5 μm or less. The sensory evaluation of the beverage was also measured. The results are shown below.

When the proportion of oil droplets having a particle size of 5 μm or less is 50% or more, it has an effect of emulsifying oil, and more preferably 60% or more, an effect of washing away oil remaining in the mouth during meal is expected. I knew I could do it.

The particle size distributions of Comparative Example 51, Example 51, and Example 54 are shown in FIG.
(Test Example 7) Evaluation of color tone It was checked whether or not there was any problem as a beverage having a visually sense of chu-hi at the level of Test Example 1 and Test Example 6. Table 10 shows the color tone evaluation of the obtained beverage. In addition, the absorbance of the beverage at 500 nm was also measured.

  Evaluation of color tone of the prepared container-packaged alcoholic beverage A comprehensive evaluation was carried out by three panelists to evaluate the liquid color of the chu-hi beverage at a level without problems. When there was no problem, the evaluation was ○, and when there was a problem, the evaluation was ×.

It was found that there was no problem if the amount of polymerized catechin was 50 ppm or less.
(Test Example 8) Evaluation of influence of sweetener In the same manner as in Example 7 of Test Example 1, a high-intensity sweetener, polymerized catechin and citric acid were added in place of fructose-glucose liquid sugar, alcohol was blended, and alcohol was added. A container-filled alcoholic beverage with a carbon dioxide gas pressure of 1.5 kgf / cm ² , the content of which is 6.3 v / v% and the sweetness of the beverage is equivalent to a 4.1% sucrose aqueous solution (sweetness 4.1%). The obtained beverage was evaluated by a sensory test using a scoring method for the degree of chu-hi feeling, refreshing feeling and sharpness of the obtained beverage. The formulation is as shown in Table 11 below.

From the results of Table 11 and Table 2, it was found that even if the sweeteners were different, similarly good results were obtained in the sensory evaluation.
(Test Example 9) Evaluation of Oil Dispersion Ability Beverages containing oolong tea-derived polymerized catechins at various concentrations were produced and tested by the following method. The emulsifier content in the beverage was 0.1 w / w%, and the absorbance at a wavelength of 500 nm was 0.2 or less. The citric acid content of Comparative Example A and beverages 1 to 4 was 2 g / L, and the citric acid content of Comparative Example B was 3.3 g / L. The content of fruit juice of Comparative Example B was 28.0 w / w% in terms of fruit juice ratio, and the fruit juice ratio of the other beverages was 0 w / w%. The alcohol content of all beverages used in Test Example 9 was 6.3 v / v%.
<Test method>
Step 1. Toyo Sasaki Glass Co., Ltd., caliber about 4.9 cm, maximum outer diameter about 6.1 cm, thickness about 2 mm, height about 11.2 cm, depth about 7.5 cm, glass container of full volume about 140 ml, test Pour 30 ml of the beverage
Step 2. Let the beverage stand at a liquid temperature of 23 ° C.,
Step 3. Add 200 μl of chili oil (house oil) (House Foods Co., Ltd.) to the beverage left still, cover the glass container,
Step 4. The glass container is placed in a box-shaped container having an inner size of about 6.5 cm, which is fixed to a shaking device, and the cell-shaped container is shaken for 1 minute at a speed of 250 times / minute so as to draw a circle having a diameter of 80 mm horizontally,
Step 5. With the glass container horizontal, the rotated beverage was allowed to stand at a liquid temperature of 23 ° C. for 24 hours,
Step 6. 6. Take a picture of the liquid level from the top of the glass container, and step 7. In the obtained photograph, the entire liquid surface is the A area, and the circle having the value obtained by multiplying the diameter of the A area by 0.828 as the diameter and having the same center as the A area and the inside thereof are B The area is the area other than the area A excluding the area B, and the remaining area is the area AB, and the number and cross-sectional area of oil drops existing in these three areas are measured.
For the test, the container shown in FIG. 3 (manufactured by Toyo Sasaki Glass Co., Ltd. (Toyo Sasaki Glass Co., Ltd.), caliber about 4.9 cm, maximum outer diameter about 6.1 cm, thickness about 2 mm, height about 11.2 cm, depth. Approximately 7.5 cm, full injection volume of approximately 140 ml, made of soda glass) was used. Further, as the glass container, the glass container was placed in a box-shaped container having an inner dimension of about 6.5 cm square fixed to a shaking device as shown in FIG. As the shaking device, using a model BR-300LF manufactured by TAITEC Co., Ltd., a 6.5 cm square container was fixed on the shaking device, and a glass container into which the beverage had been poured was placed in the container. As in No. 4, the 6.5 cm square table was oriented in the same direction, and shaken for 1 minute at a speed of 250 times / minute so as to draw a circle with a diameter of 80 mm horizontally. The resolution of the photograph was 8 million pixels. The results are shown below. It was possible to obtain a beverage having a high oil and fat dispersing ability.

Claims (22)

A packaged beverage,
The content of polymerized catechin is 0.25 to 50 ppm,
The total content of each of citric acid and malic acid is 0.1 to 15 g / L, and the absorbance at a wavelength of 500 nm is 0.2 or less.
The beverage.   The beverage according to claim 1, wherein the content of the polymerized catechin is 0.5 to 50 ppm.   The beverage according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising non-polymerized catechin, and the content of non-polymerized catechin is 0.1 to 25 ppm.   The ratio ((a) / (b)) on a weight basis of the (a) contained polymerized catechin and (b) contained non-polymerized catechin is 4 or more. Beverage described in.   The beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the content of limonene is 0.01 to 50 ppm or more.   The beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which has a sweetness of less than 20% in terms of sucrose.   The beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which further contains carbonic acid.   The beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which further contains fruit juice.   Furthermore, the drink of any one of Claims 1-8 whose alcohol content is 0-10 v / v%.   Furthermore, the drink of any one of Claims 1-8 whose alcohol content is 1-10 v / v%.   The beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the content of tartaric acid is 350 ppm or less and the content of succinic acid is 60 ppm or less.   The beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 11, which is a chu-high-taste beverage.   The beverage according to claim 1, wherein the content of the emulsifier is 0.1 w / w% or less. A packaged beverage,
(I) The content of the emulsifier is 0.1 w / w% or less,
(Ii) the absorbance at a wavelength of 500 nm is 0.2 or less,
(Iii) The content of fruit juice is less than 10 w / w% in terms of fruit juice rate, and (iv) when tested by a method having the following steps 1 to 7, the following iv-1 to iv-3 The beverage that meets all the conditions.
(Iv-1) There are no oil droplets with a diameter of 11 mm or more in the A area,
(Iv-2) The total cross-sectional area value of the oil drops in the B area is 1/2 or more of the total cross-sectional area value of the oil drops in the AB area,
(Iv-3) The number of oil drops in the area A is 474 or more.
Step 1. Toyo Sasaki Glass Co., Ltd., caliber about 4.9 cm, maximum outer diameter about 6.1 cm, thickness about 2 mm, height about 11.2 cm, depth about 7.5 cm, glass container of full volume about 140 ml, test Pour 30 ml of the beverage
Step 2. Let the beverage stand at a liquid temperature of 23 ° C.,
Step 3. Add 200 μl of chili oil (house oil) (House Foods Co., Ltd.) to the beverage left still, cover the glass container,
Step 4. The glass container is placed in a box-shaped container having an inner size of about 6.5 cm, which is fixed to a shaking device, and the cell-shaped container is shaken for 1 minute at a speed of 250 times / minute so as to draw a circle having a diameter of 80 mm horizontally,
Step 5. With the glass container horizontal, the rotated beverage was allowed to stand at a liquid temperature of 23 ° C. for 24 hours,
Step 6. 6. Take a picture of the liquid level from the top of the glass container, and step 7. In the obtained photograph, the entire liquid surface is the A area, and the circle having the value obtained by multiplying the diameter of the A area by 0.828 as the diameter and having the same center as the A area and the inside thereof are B The area is the area other than the area A excluding the area B, and the remaining area is the area AB, and the number and cross-sectional area of oil drops existing in these three areas are measured. A method of manufacturing a packaged beverage,
A step of adjusting the content of polymerized catechin in the beverage to 0.25 to 50 ppm,
The step of adjusting the total amount of each content of citric acid and malic acid in the beverage to 0.1 to 15 g / L, and the step of adjusting the absorbance at a wavelength of 500 nm of the beverage to 0.2 or less, Production method.   The method according to claim 15, wherein the content of polymerized catechin in the beverage is adjusted to 0.5 to 50 ppm.   The manufacturing method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the content of the emulsifier in the beverage is 0.1 w / w% or less. A method for improving the refreshing feeling and / or the sharpness of a packaged beverage,
A step of adjusting the content of polymerized catechin in the beverage to 0.25 to 50 ppm,
The step of adjusting the total amount of each content of citric acid and malic acid in the beverage to 0.1 to 15 g / L, and the step of adjusting the absorbance at a wavelength of 500 nm of the beverage to 0.2 or less, Method.   The method according to claim 18, wherein the content of polymerized catechin in the beverage is adjusted to 0.5 to 50 ppm.   The method according to claim 18 or 19, wherein the content of the emulsifier in the beverage is 0.1 w / w% or less.   A method for improving the ability of a beverage to wash away fats and oils brought to the mouth by a meal, which comprises incorporating a polymerized catechin into the beverage.   A food and drink composition for washing away oils and fats brought to the mouth by a meal, which comprises polymerized catechin as an active ingredient.