JP2020098176A - Sensory evaluation sample providing device, perfuming method using the same, flavor composition for food and drink, and food and drink - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an evaluation sample capable of realizing accurate sensory evaluation while simplifying advance preparation when providing the sensory evaluation sample. SOLUTION: A plurality of reservoirs 1 with a thermostatic device for storing beverage samples, a mixing device 4 for mixing the beverage samples from the plurality of reservoirs 1 at an arbitrary ratio, and a beverage sample from the mixing device 4 to the mouth of a panelist. Liquid channel 3 for supplying at a constant speed, at least one heat exchanger 5 for adjusting the temperature of the beverage sample passing through the liquid channel 3, a plurality of aroma component chambers 9 for storing aroma components, and aroma component chambers The gas flow path 13 for aerating the aroma component from 9 to the mouth of the panelist at a constant concentration and a constant speed; And a mouthpiece 15 for ingesting. [Selection diagram] Figure 1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an apparatus used for sensory evaluation of food and drink, a perfume method using the same, a fragrance composition for food and drink, and food and drink. More specifically, the present invention is an apparatus for reducing the man-hours required for the preliminary preparation for sensory evaluation of food and drink and measuring the interaction between sensory evaluation and external influences such as temperature.

Sensory evaluation using human senses is adopted for taste research, particularly for evaluation of foods and drinks where importance is attached to palatability. Also in this sensory evaluation, it is important to prove the objectivity of the result, as in the case of chemical and physical measurement by instrumental analysis, and it is required to set the conditions for performing sensory evaluation strictly. Has been. Further, in order to realize a sensory evaluation having objectivity, it is important to provide the evaluation sample under the same condition, which can lead to a reproducible evaluation result.

It is well known that the scent is an important factor to enjoy the deliciousness (taste) of foods and drinks, such as the taste is lost when the nose is blocked and the scent is not felt. Therefore, in sensory evaluation of food and drink, it is particularly important to evaluate the influence of aroma.

In the sensory evaluation of foods and drinks, evaluation samples must be prepared in advance and the samples must be managed under certain conditions until the time of evaluation. Therefore, in order to perform sensory evaluation, it is necessary to prepare as many samples as the number of panelists, and in sensory evaluation, it is necessary to prepare a considerable number of evaluation samples in advance, and it is not possible to perform accurate sensory evaluation quickly and easily. Is. Further, when performing sensory evaluation of a plurality of samples such as fragrances that differ only in one element, it is necessary to prepare samples in advance, which simplifies the preparation in advance for performing highly accurate sensory evaluation. It has been demanded.

Furthermore, it is also known that the deliciousness of foods and drinks is related to external factors other than scent, such as temperature, carbon dioxide pressure, and alcohol concentration. For example, in wines where sourness and astringency are important indices, sensory evaluation is performed at low temperature (5°C) and room temperature (20°C). In addition, it is clear that in sake, the balance of organic acid and taste in a wider temperature range from low temperature (5°C) to very high temperature (near 55°C) affects the deliciousness at each temperature. Has become. Specifically, it is known that hot soup has a significantly stronger sourness of lactic acid and succinic acid, and the overall taste is mellow. It is known from the sensory evaluation of low temperature region (5°C) and room temperature (20°C) of sparkling wine that the sweetness of sugar increases as the temperature rises, and carbon dioxide becomes a faint taste. It is known that the influence of drinking temperature has various effects.

The effects of food aroma and temperature have not been studied so far. The aroma component is generally a low molecular weight organic compound having a molecular weight of 300 or less and rich in volatility, and the aroma of food is composed of tens to hundreds of kinds of aroma components. Since each aroma component has different volatility, the balance of aroma components in food and drink slightly changes while the evaluation sample is prepared in advance and kept warm (especially at high temperature). This is because it was difficult to keep the character constant.

Furthermore, in order to perform an accurate sensory evaluation, it is necessary to adjust the time required for one evaluation and the evaluation interval in order to prevent deterioration of the evaluation accuracy due to the fatigue of the panelists. However, during that time, the aroma component of the evaluation sample may be further changed.

In sensory evaluation using temperature as a factor, a plurality of panelists must provide evaluation samples at the same temperature, and thus strict control of the temperature of food and drink is required.

However, there is no device that provides an evaluation sample under the same conditions that satisfies these requirements. In other words, since it is not possible to provide an evaluation sample of sufficient quality and quantity to carry out sensory evaluations that have objectivity regarding the influence of temperature on the scent of foods, it is impossible to consider highly accurate sensory evaluations. Is.

Therefore, the present inventors considered a method of simplifying preliminary preparation by dividing the evaluation sample into a beverage part that contributes to taste and a flavor part that contributes to aroma, and blending each of them immediately before the sensory evaluation. ..

Thus, there has been a technique for blending a separately prepared beverage part and a flavoring part for sensory evaluation. For example, a volatile component fractionation device that fractionates an aroma component by gas chromatography and blends it into a beverage (Patent Document 1), or a flavor composition in which a separately prepared flavor composition and aroma composition are combined. (Patent Document 2) and the like, in which the subject is allowed to eat and drink and the taste and aroma are harmonized from the biological signal of the subject.

JP 2007-163198 A JP, 2014-126485, A

However, the device for collecting volatile components of Patent Document 1 simply measures the contribution of aroma components in a liquid by mixing and evaluating a gas component separated by a gas chromatograph with a liquid sample under a certain condition. However, since the concentration of the separated gas component fluctuates over time, it is difficult to control the concentration accurately and the temperature control of the liquid is not considered.

Further, in Patent Document 2, a work of mixing a flavor composition with a taste composition before evaluation occurs, and a large number of man-hours are required for preparing a sample for sensory evaluation, as in the conventional sensory evaluation. Becomes Therefore, it is not considered to improve the accuracy and reproducibility of the sensory evaluation in consideration of the device for promptly performing various sensory evaluations and adjustment of sample conditions as in the present application.

The present invention provides a sensory evaluation sample providing device capable of presenting an evaluation sample capable of realizing accurate sensory evaluation while simplifying preparations in advance, a perfume method using the device, a flavor composition for food and drink, and The purpose is to provide food and drink.

A sensory evaluation sample providing device for achieving such an object includes a plurality of reservoirs with a thermostatic device for storing a beverage sample, a mixing device for mixing the beverage samples fed from the plurality of reservoirs at an arbitrary ratio, and a mixing device. Liquid channel for supplying a beverage sample from the device to the mouth of the panelist at a constant speed, at least one heat exchanger for adjusting the temperature of the beverage sample passing through the liquid channel, and a plurality of aroma component chambers for storing aroma components And a gas flow path for aerating the aroma component from the aroma component chamber to the mouth of the panel at a constant concentration and a constant speed, and a beverage sample and an aroma component that are discharged by including the liquid channel and the gas channel in the panel of the panel. It has a mouthpiece for the panelist to take.

Further, the sensory evaluation method of the present invention uses the sensory evaluation sample providing device described above, the measurement time for one time is 5 to 15 seconds, the liquid amount to be transferred is 1.0 to 3.5 ml, and the air supply is performed. It is characterized in that the aroma-containing gas is adjusted to 20 to 40 ml.

Further, the fragrance preparation method of the present invention is characterized by performing the following steps using the sensory evaluation sample providing device described above.
(1) Step 1 of selecting a flavored character to be emphasized in the target food and drink,
(2) Step 2 of selecting a plurality of aroma components exhibiting the character selected in Step 1,
(3) Step 3 of preparing the beverage,
(4) Step 4 of adding the aroma component selected in Step 2 to the beverage prepared in Step 3 to determine the addition concentration at room temperature,
(5) Using the sensory evaluation sample providing device described above, the palatability at room temperature is set to the evaluation score P0 obtained by the sensory evaluation at the addition concentration of the aroma component determined in step 4,
(6) Using the sensory evaluation sample providing device described above, step 6 in which the preference score at the set temperature T1 is the evaluation score P1 obtained by sensory evaluation with the same aroma component concentration as in step 5.
(7) Step 7 of selecting an aroma component satisfying P1>P0,
(8) Perfume adjusting step 8 characterized by containing the aroma component selected in step 7.

Further, the flavor composition for food and drink according to the present invention is characterized by being obtained by the above-mentioned fragrance preparation method.

Further, the food and drink of the present invention is characterized by adding the flavor composition for food and drink described above.

According to the sensory evaluation sample providing device described above, the evaluation sample is divided into a beverage part that contributes to the taste and a flavor part that contributes to the scent, and each is supplied to the mouth of the panelist, so that the aptitude ratio is in the mouth of the panelist. It is blended with and presented as an evaluation sample to enable sensory evaluation. Moreover, while the beverage sample is sent from the reservoir with incubator to the mouth of the panel at a constant speed through the liquid flow path, the heat exchange device on the way adjusts the temperature to a predetermined temperature in a very short time. You can As a result, it becomes possible to adjust the temperature and maintain the temperature of the beverage sample in a sealed state in which there is no volatilization (loss) of the aroma component. On the other hand, the scent component is sent from the scent component chamber through the gas flow path at a constant concentration and a constant velocity. Then, the beverage sample and the aroma component can be merged in the mouth of the panelist through the mixed sample providing section and can be ingested by the panelist as an evaluation sample. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the objectivity of sensory evaluation by omitting the preparation of the preliminary sample of the evaluation sample (that is, simplifying the preliminary preparation of the evaluation sample) and maintaining the consistency of the evaluation sample. ..

In addition, according to the sensory evaluation sample providing device of the present invention, it is possible to present an evaluation sample that does not cause alteration of the aroma component by combining the aroma components after the temperature control required for the beverage sample. As a result, accurate sensory evaluation can be realized under strict temperature control.

Furthermore, when multiple reservoirs are provided, multiple beverage samples with different properties or physical properties are prepared, and the mixing ratio of these beverage samples is changed to change the content components (eg alcohol concentration or carbon dioxide gas pressure) to any concentration. Can be adjusted to. When a plurality of fragrance component chambers are provided, a plurality of fragrances having different densities or different scents can be used for the same fragrance. This simplifies the preparation work required for sensory evaluation, and enables highly accurate sensory evaluation with a highly reproducible measuring device.

It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows one Embodiment of the sensory evaluation sample provision apparatus concerning this invention. It is an explanatory view of a label door effective magnitude scale. It is explanatory drawing which shows one Embodiment of a mouthpiece. It is a graph which shows the palatability of the coffee flavor for hot.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the present invention will be described in detail based on the embodiments shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example of an embodiment of the sensory evaluation sample providing device of the present invention. The sensory evaluation sample providing device according to this embodiment includes a beverage part 20 that contributes to taste and a flavor part 30 that contributes to aroma, and is supplied from the beverage sample and the flavor part 30 at an arbitrary temperature supplied from the beverage part 20. It is possible to perform sensory evaluation by presenting as a sample for evaluation in which the flavor component to be prepared is blended in the mouth of a panelist so as to have an appropriate ratio.

The beverage part 20 includes a plurality of reservoirs with constant temperature devices (hereinafter, simply referred to as reservoirs 1 ), a liquid delivery pump 2 for extracting and delivering a beverage from each of the reservoirs 1, and a beverage sample supplied from the plurality of reservoirs 1. And a heat exchanger 5 and 6 for immediately adjusting the mixed beverage sample to a desired temperature, and a liquid channel 3 for supplying to the mixed sample providing unit 15. There is.

In this embodiment, a plurality of reservoirs 1 are provided. Then, each reservoir 1 may be adapted to accommodate a large amount of beverage samples by accommodating the same beverage sample, or a plurality of beverage samples having different properties or physical properties for each reservoir, for example, beverage samples having different alcohol concentrations. And beverage samples with different carbon dioxide gas pressures are stored, and the mixing ratio of the beverages supplied from each reservoir is adjusted and mixed by the mixer 4 to prepare a beverage sample having a predetermined concentration or gas pressure and send it. It may be liquid. It should be noted that one reservoir 1 may be provided if only a single beverage sample is required.

Here, the constant temperature function of the reservoir 1 is for stabilizing the quality of the beverage sample, and for example, constant temperature storage (holding at a constant temperature suitable for storing the beverage sample) or maintaining at room temperature (25° C.) It is a thing. On the other hand, the heat exchangers 5 and 6 are heat sources for adjusting the temperature of the beverage sample that passes through the liquid flow path 3 to a required temperature in a very short time, and accurately managing the presented temperature of the beverage sample. The heat source is not limited to the heat medium circulation type heat exchanger shown in the figure, and a direct heat source such as an electric heater type heat source may be used. Of course, depending on the sensory evaluation conditions, the heat exchanger may not be required if the temperature condition supplied from the reservoir 1 is sufficient.

The heat exchanger of the present embodiment is a partition plate heat exchanger that performs heat exchange through a liquid flow path 3 that allows a beverage sample to pass therethrough, and includes a tank and a heat source that penetrate the liquid flow path through which the beverage sample passes. The heat medium is circulated between them. In the tank, heat exchange is performed via the liquid flow path immersed in the heat medium. Therefore, it is preferable that the liquid flow path between the three-way valve 14a on the upstream side and the three-way valve 14c on the downstream side of the heat exchanger is a metal tube having high heat conductivity. On the other hand, for the liquid flow path 3 between the three-way valve 14c and the mixed sample providing part 15, it is preferable to use a flexible synthetic resin tube. Of course, the entire area may be made of a synthetic resin tube. The heat exchangers 5 and 6 are not limited to a specific structure and heat exchange method, and any heat exchangers capable of adjusting the temperature of food and drink passing through the liquid flow path 3 to a predetermined temperature in a very short time can be used. For example, it may be an incubator (incubator), a heater, or a cooler. That is, it includes not only heating but also cooling.

The beverage part 20 can control at least two presented temperature conditions if it is provided with the reservoir 1 with a thermostatic device and at least one heat exchanger, but preferably the high temperature side heat exchanger 5 and the low temperature side heat exchange. The heat treatment device 6 is provided, and if necessary, a plurality of thermal effect devices in which the heating zone temperature zones are divided more finely may be provided. For example, in hot drink and cold drink coffee beverages, sensory evaluation at room temperature is required in addition to evaluation at each temperature. Of course, in sensory evaluation of sake, more precise temperature adjustment is required.

In the liquid flow path downstream of the mixer 4, a flow path 21 in which a three-way valve 14a is arranged and which has a heat exchanger, and a flow path 22 which bypasses the heat exchanger and is directly connected to the mixed sample providing unit 15 are selectively provided. It is provided to be connected to. Furthermore, the flow passage 21 is selectively connected to either one of the flow passage 23 including the constant temperature side heat exchanger 5 and the flow passage 24 including the low temperature side heat exchanger 6 by the three-way valve 14b, so that the desired temperature can be quickly obtained. It is provided to be heated. Therefore, when it is necessary to present a beverage sample stored at room temperature or constant temperature, it is connected to the flow path 22 by switching the three-way valve 14a, bypasses the heat exchangers 5 and 6, and is directly connected to the mixed sample providing unit 15. It On the other hand, when it is necessary to present the temperature-controlled beverage sample, the heat exchanger 5 is connected to either the flow path 23 or the flow path 24 by switching the three-way valve 14a and the three-way valve 14b. Alternatively, it is connected to the mixed sample providing unit 15 via 6. The flow path 21 including the heat exchanger and the flow path 22 bypassing the heat exchangers 5 and 6 are selectively connected to the mixed sample providing unit 15 by the three-way valve 14c.

As the liquid flow path 3, it is preferable to use a flexible material, for example, a synthetic resin tube, at least in a portion included in the mouth of the panel, and a tube having an inner diameter of 2 to 4 mm is more preferable. Further, the preferable liquid-feeding condition of the beverage supplied by the liquid flow path 3, that is, the flow rate and the presentation time are, for example, 5 to 20 seconds at a flow rate of 10 ml/min to 20 ml/min, and the amount of liquid to be taken at one time is It is desirable that the volume is 1.0 to 3.5 ml, preferably 1.5 to 3.0 ml. In this case, the liquid delivery amount and the liquid delivery time of the beverage part 20 can be optimized so that the taste can be sensory evaluated with a minimum amount.

On the other hand, the fragrance part 30 includes a plurality of fragrance component chambers 9 and is provided so as to supply the fragrance components extracted from the respective fragrance component chambers 9 to the mixed sample providing unit 15 via the gas flow paths 13. .. The carrier gas having a flow rate adjusted by the air supply controller 7 is supplied to the aroma component chamber 9 through activated carbon (not shown). Then, by bubbling the fragrance component in the fragrance component chamber with this carrier gas, the fragrance component having a constant concentration is supplied at a constant speed. For example, nitrogen gas is used as the carrier gas. Since nitrogen is tasteless and odorless, it is considered that there is no effect on sensory evaluation as long as it does not affect the difficulty of drinking. In the present embodiment, the aroma component chamber 9 is immersed in the constant temperature bath 12 and kept at a constant temperature. However, other constant temperature means may be used, or the constant temperature means itself may be used. It may not be necessary.

Here, in the fragrance component chamber 9 of the fragrance part 30, a predetermined amount of fragrance components or fragrances diluted with a solvent such as propylene glycol is stored in advance. The diluting liquid (that is, the solvent in which the aroma component is diluted) and the perfume are sealed in the aroma component chamber 9, and the aroma component inside does not leak out unless the outside air is introduced. In the case of the present embodiment, the nitrogen gas distributed in the manifold 8 is supplied into the diluting liquid through the pipe 17 and is used for bubbling in each of the aroma component chambers 9. The aroma component released from the solvent such as propylene glycol by bubbling is carried out of the chamber via the pipe 18, and flows out from the manifold 8 on the outlet side to the gas flow path 13 via the flow meter 10 and the three-way valve 14. The aroma component has a constant concentration and a constant concentration in the mouth of the panelist through the gas flow path 13 and the mixed sample providing section 15 after adjusting the ventilation amount by the flow meter 10 installed in each chamber 9 and merging with the manifold 8. Expelled at speed. The pipe 17 is connected to the air supply amount controller 7 and is opened below the liquid level of the diluent. Further, one end of the pipe 18 is connected to the flow meter 10 and the other end is inserted into the space portion of the aroma component chamber 9 to convey the aroma component released from the solvent by bubbling to the outside of the chamber to flow meter 10. Is connected to supply.

As the gas flow path 13, it is preferable to use a flexible material, for example, a synthetic resin tube, at least in a portion included in the mouth of the panel, and more preferably, an outer diameter suitable for inclusion in the mouth and 2 mm or more. It is an inner diameter tube. If the inner diameter of the tube is too small, the wind pressure when air enters the mouth becomes strong, and swallowing tends to be somewhat difficult. In addition, the preferable air supply condition of the gas containing the aroma component supplied by the gas flow path 13, that is, the flow rate and the presentation time, is, for example, 100 ml/min to 300 ml/min, and the total aeration amount ingested by the presentation for 5 to 20 seconds is It is desirable that the ventilation condition is 20 to 40 ml, preferably 25 to 35 ml. In this case, the air supply amount and air supply time of the perfume part 30 can be optimized so that the taste can be sensory evaluated with a minimum amount.

Similar to the beverage part 20, the fragrance part 30 is also provided with a plurality of fragrance component chambers 9, so that the same fragrance having different concentrations or a plurality of fragrances having different fragrance tones can be prepared. This makes it possible to provide a plurality of fragrance samples having different concentrations or fragrance tones. In order to keep the volatilization amount of the aroma component in each chamber 9 constant, the nitrogen gas is continuously aerated during the sensory evaluation, and thus the aroma component not used for the evaluation affects the sensory evaluation via the three-way valve 14d. Exhaust to the outside of the system (into the atmosphere) 11 so as not to exist.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the mixed sample providing unit (generally called a mouthpiece) 15 includes a synthetic resin liquid flow path (hereinafter, referred to as a liquid sending tube 3) and a synthetic resin gas flow path (hereinafter, referred to as a liquid flow tube 3). , And an air supply tube 13) and a sleeve 16 for accommodating them. Specifically, the mouthpiece 15 of the present embodiment includes, for example, an air supply tube 13 having an inner diameter of 2 mm, a liquid supply tube 3 presenting a beverage having an inner diameter of 2 mm, and a sleeve 16 having an inner diameter of about 5 to 6 mm that wraps these. It is configured. The mouthpiece 15 has a structure in which, for example, the air supply tube 13 is arranged up to an intermediate position of the sleeve 16, and the liquid supply tube 3 penetrates the sleeve 16 to reach the outside of the sleeve 16 so that the beverage sample can be directly collected by the panel. While the aroma component is released into the mouth, the aroma component is released into the mouth while entraining the air outside the sleeve 16.

According to the sensory evaluation sample providing apparatus of the present embodiment configured as described above, the evaluation sample is divided into a beverage part that contributes to taste and a flavor part that contributes to aroma, and is supplied to the mouth of the panelist. It is blended in the mouth to give an appropriate ratio and then presented as an evaluation sample to enable sensory evaluation. Moreover, the food and drink are delivered to the mouth of the panel at a constant speed from the reservoir that stores the beverage sample at a constant temperature and through the liquid flow path. On the way, the temperature of the food and drink in the liquid flow path is adjusted to a predetermined temperature in a very short time by the heat exchange device. As a result, it becomes possible to adjust the temperature and maintain the temperature of the beverage sample in a sealed state in which there is no volatilization (loss) of the aroma component. Further, the fragrance component is supplied from the fragrance component chamber with a thermostat to the mouth of the panelist at a constant concentration and at a constant speed through the gas flow path. Then, the beverage sample and the aroma component can be merged in the mouth of the panelist through the mixed sample providing section and can be ingested by the panelist as an evaluation sample. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the objectivity of sensory evaluation by omitting the preparation of the preliminary sample of the evaluation sample (that is, simplifying the preliminary preparation of the evaluation sample) and maintaining the consistency of the evaluation sample. ..

Further, according to the sensory evaluation sample providing device of the present embodiment, after the temperature control required for the beverage sample, by presenting the evaluation sample that does not cause the deterioration of the aroma component by combining the aroma components. be able to. As a result, the evaluation sample can be presented while satisfying the strict temperature control required for the beverage sample, and accurate sensory evaluation can be realized. For example, if a plurality of heat exchangers are provided, a sensory evaluation for each drinking temperature of wine or sake can be appropriately performed with only one reservoir and one aroma component chamber.

Furthermore, it is possible to prepare a plurality of reservoirs and to prepare beverage samples having different properties or physical properties for each reservoir, for example, samples having different alcohol concentrations or samples having different carbon dioxide gas pressures. Then, by adjusting the mixing ratio so that the sample flowing from each reservoir has an arbitrary ratio, it is possible to prepare a beverage so as to have a predetermined concentration and a gas pressure, and to send the liquid. For example, to present a sample (carbonated water) whose gas pressure is adjusted by supplying cooled carbonated water from the first reservoir 1 together with cooled ion-exchanged water from the second reservoir 1 at an arbitrary ratio. You can Similarly, by providing a plurality of fragrance component chambers, it is possible to prepare a plurality of fragrances having the same concentration or different fragrances. By combining these plurality of beverage samples with the plurality of flavor samples having different concentrations and flavors, it is possible to easily present a wide variety of evaluation samples in a short time. This simplifies the preparation work required for sensory evaluation, and enables highly accurate sensory evaluation with a highly reproducible measuring device.

Further, the sensory evaluation sample providing device according to the present embodiment, each beverage and aroma components can be provided to the panelist by a separate route, for a certain amount, for a certain period of time, and therefore, the temperature of the beverage, the sweetness of the beverage. It is possible to easily study the interaction with various flavors while adjusting the degree, sourness, carbon dioxide pressure, alcohol concentration, etc. This makes it possible to provide an evaluation sample for evaluating the interaction of various factors that affect the taste, and at the same time, it is possible to easily perform a sensory evaluation with high accuracy and a large amount of information. For example, screening can be easily performed to select a flavor that matches the beverage.

In addition, the sensory evaluation can be carried out imitating an actual drinking scene (reduction of drinking temperature and carbon dioxide gas), so that it can be applied to product development of beverages.

Furthermore, by using these evaluation results, an aroma component suitable for a predetermined drinking temperature and various conditions can be selected, and flavor creation can be performed using the selected aroma component. For example, the following steps can be used to flavor a fragrance that is compatible with the beverage. First, an aroma component having an aroma to be examined is selected from a perfume database or literature. Next, the upper limit concentration at the time of adding each fragrance component is determined, and a dilution sequence of 2 to 10 times several steps, for example, 5 times dilution to multiple steps, for example 4 steps, is prepared. The aroma component is diluted with a solvent such as propylene glycol and then stored in the aroma component chamber 9. First, while passing the beverage sample through the system at normal temperature (flow path 22) that does not pass through the heat exchanger, the aroma component is stepwise aerated from low concentration to high concentration, each sensory evaluation is performed, and the label is labeled. An evaluation score (P0) is assigned using a scale generally used in sensory evaluation, such as the Doorfective Magnitude Scale. P0 is the average value of the preference of each panelist at room temperature. As a result, the aroma component concentration with the highest evaluation score (concentration with the highest preference) is set as the optimum aroma component concentration at room temperature.

Then, the beverage was passed through a heat exchanger set to 50° C. (hot), and the sensory evaluation when aerated with the optimum aroma component concentration was similarly evaluated on the label door effective magnitude scale (P1). Turn on. P1 is the average value of the hot taste of each panelist.

Here, the scent component satisfying P1>P0 is determined to be a scent component that brings out a particularly delicious taste when hot. The flavor composition for beverages incorporating such an aroma component also contributes to hot and specific deliciousness.

Further, by using the sensory evaluation sample providing device according to the present embodiment, it is possible to carry out the sensory evaluation in consideration of the fatigue reduction of the panelist when performing the sensory evaluation. The fatigue of the panelists is due to the mental fatigue of using the five senses as well as the physical fatigue of having to actually ingest the sample. The scent has a great influence on the deliciousness because the retronasal scent (the scent that enters the nasal cavity through the throat through the throat while chewing food) stimulates the taste and smell at the same time. , Therefore, in order to properly evaluate the taste, it is necessary to actually swallow and evaluate the retronasal aroma.

However, the sensory evaluation sample providing apparatus according to the present embodiment can provide an evaluation sample for sensory evaluation for sensory evaluation of the influence of temperature on the scent of food. Moreover, in the case where sensory evaluation is performed at intervals for a long time, the supply of nitrogen gas to the aroma component chamber 9 is stopped and the three-way valve 14d at the tip of the flow meter 10 is closed to change the quality of the aroma component. Can be suppressed. On the other hand, when the time until the sensory evaluation is restarted is short, the concentration of the aroma component in the aroma component chamber 9 changes by switching the three-way valve 14d to the vent side and discharging the aroma component to the outside 11 of the system. You can choose not to. This makes it possible to adjust the time required for one evaluation and the evaluation interval so as not to burden the panelists, so that it is possible to prevent deterioration of the evaluation accuracy due to the fatigue of the panelists and perform accurate sensory evaluation.

Furthermore, the sensory evaluation sample providing device according to the present embodiment is also effective when performing sensory evaluation of a beverage containing alcohol. In the evaluation of beverages containing alcohol, if the panelist repeatedly ingests the sample, he or she may get sick and may not be able to perform normal evaluation. However, when the sensory evaluation sample providing device according to the present embodiment is used, the intake amount can also be controlled. Therefore, by performing the sensory evaluation with the intake amount being minimized, it is possible to reduce a plurality of situations in which a sickness is unlikely to occur. The sensory evaluation of can be performed.

It is also effective when examining the influence of temperature on flavor in a beverage containing alcohol. If there is an optimum drinking temperature, such as sake or wine, a product with a flavor profile that matches the drinking temperature is required, but various factors (aroma component, taste component, etc.) can be adjusted while adjusting multiple temperature conditions. , Alcohol content) is also adjusted at the same time, and it is difficult to carry out sensory evaluation.

However, by using the sensory evaluation sample providing device according to the present embodiment, not only the control of the temperature becomes simple, but at the same time, it is possible to control the factors that adjust the flavor. The sensory evaluation in consideration can be easily performed. In particular, it is difficult to control the temperature of cold sake (10℃), human skin (37℃), lukewarm soup (40℃), and hot smoke (50℃), which are the drinking temperature range of sake, so temperature control using this device is necessary. It is suitable for sensory evaluation after performing the test.

That is, the present invention can realize a sensory evaluation sample providing device capable of presenting an evaluation sample in order to integrally evaluate the taste of food and drink in consideration of the influences of both aroma and temperature.

The above-described embodiment is an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the sensory evaluation sample providing device according to the above-described embodiment includes a plurality of reservoirs 1 with a thermostat for storing a beverage sample, a liquid feed pump 2, a heat exchanger, and a fragrance component chamber 9, each of which has different properties or physical properties. It is possible to present a large number of evaluation samples consisting of many (selective) combinations of the beverage sample of (1) and a plurality of flavor samples of different concentrations or fragrances, which enables highly accurate sensory evaluation. Is just an example, and the present invention is not limited to this. Even if the number of reservoirs is increased or decreased, the essential effect of this device is not impaired, but if the number of reservoirs 1, aroma component chambers and heat exchangers is increased, naturally more complex combinations are possible. It goes without saying that more sensory evaluation (in other words, highly accurate sensory evaluation) can be performed.

The sensory evaluation sample providing device according to the present invention is provided with a beverage part 20 including at least one reservoir 1 with an incubator and a perfume part 30 including at least one aroma component chamber 9, and the beverage sample and the aroma component, respectively. Needless to say, it is possible to carry out a sensory evaluation by blending with and immediately before the sensory evaluation, and if a heat exchanger is further provided, the aroma component and the sensory evaluation just before the sensory evaluation are given to the beverage sample after the necessary temperature control is given. It goes without saying that the sample can be presented after blending with. The present invention does not try to exclude such a device, and does not deny that the functions of the device are narrowed down. For example, in beverages having different tastes at normal temperature and high temperature, for example, perfuming of a fragrance for producing coffee that brings out the taste when hot, and the like, for one beverage sample, a plurality of temperatures and a plurality of aroma components are used. , But may not require multiple reservoirs for storing beverage samples. Further, in the sensory evaluation of carbonated beverages, a plurality of reservoirs for supplying a beverage sample (carbonated water) whose gas pressure is adjusted are required, but one aroma component or may be unnecessary in some cases. Furthermore, sensory evaluation of the aroma expression of alcoholic beverages, especially the effect of temperature on flavor, requires a plurality of heat exchangers to realize a plurality of temperature conditions, but the reservoir and the aroma component chamber each have one sample. May only be required to be provided.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the example of evaluating the retronasal scent was mainly described, but the invention is not particularly limited to this, and the scent can be presented outside the mouth to confirm the orthonasal scent and under the nose. is there. In this case, the liquid feeding tube 3 and the air feeding tube 13 are branched at the tip portion, and the evaluation sample is presented separately.

(Example 1) Examination of liquid sending conditions for sensory evaluation An evaluation was carried out to confirm appropriate liquid sending conditions for panelists. The most suitable condition is determined from the relationship between the liquid flow rate, the presentation time, and the total amount calculated from the liquid flow, with the liquid feed tubes 3 having inner diameters of 1 mm, 2 mm, 4 mm, and 6 mm enclosed in the mouth. It was confirmed. At that time, the flow rate was set to 5 ml/min to 30 ml/min, and the evaluation time was set to 5 seconds to 20 seconds at 5 second intervals. Coffee extract was used as the sample presented. In addition, the flow rate at which swallowing was possible was selected during the evaluation so that the scent of the nose was easily felt. Under the condition, the evaluation was made by the following 5 point method.
1: Difficult to evaluate 2: Slightly difficult to evaluate 3: Neither can be said 4: Slightly easy to evaluate 5: Easy to evaluate Tables 1 to 4 show the scores and comments for each inner diameter of the liquid feeding tube 3.

As a result, it was clarified that the higher the flow rate, the greater the amount of liquid that enters the mouth at one time, and the more difficult it is to swallow. On the other hand, it is said that it is difficult to evaluate even when the flow rate is low, and the reason is that swallowing is difficult because a sufficient total amount is not secured in the mouth at one time. It was also said that the longer the presentation time, the more difficult the evaluation. It has been found that the inner diameter of the liquid feeding tube 3 has an appropriate thickness that is easy to evaluate, because if the inner diameter is too thin, the liquid is likely to be ejected, and if it is too thick, the flow of the liquid is poor and swallowing tends to be difficult. From the above, it is desirable that the thickness and flow rate of the tube used as the liquid feeding tube 3 and the presentation time are appropriate, and the most appropriate conditions are 5 to 20 when the tube inner diameter is 2 to 4 mm and the flow rate is 10 ml/min to 20 ml/min. From the presentation of the seconds, it was found that the liquid feeding condition that the amount of liquid to be ingested at one time is 1.0 to 3.5 ml, preferably 1.5 to 3.0 ml is desirable.

(Example 2) Examination of aeration conditions of aroma gas for sensory evaluation Evaluations were performed to confirm proper air supply conditions for panelists. The most appropriate conditions were verified from the relationship between the flow rate of air supply, the presentation time, and the total amount calculated from them, with each air supply tube 13 having an inner diameter of 1 mm, 2 mm, 4 mm, and 6 mm included in the mouth. .. The flow rate was set at 50 ml/min to 300 ml/min, and the presentation time was set at 5 second intervals from 5 seconds to 20 seconds. The presented sample used an aroma gas in which ethyl butyrate 0.5% propylene glycol dilution was volatilized (by bubbling). In addition, this time, in order to measure the retronasal aroma, the fragrance was presented in the mouth. In addition, a 5-point method was used to select a flow rate at which swallowing was possible during presentation so that the nose scent could be easily felt.
1: Hard to evaluate 2: Hard to evaluate 3: Hard to say 4: Easy to evaluate 5: Easy to evaluate

Tables 5 to 8 show the scores and comments for each inner diameter of the air supply tube 13.

As a result, when the flow rate was large, the wind pressure when air entered the mouth became strong, so that swallowing was difficult and evaluation was difficult. In addition, it is said that it is difficult to evaluate even when the flow rate is small, and the reason is that a sufficient total amount is not secured in the mouth and it becomes difficult to sense the scent. For the same reason, it was difficult to feel the scent even when the presentation time was short, and the longer the presentation time, the more difficult the evaluation was. It was found that if the inner diameter of the air supply tube 13 is too small, the wind pressure when air enters the mouth becomes strong and swallowing becomes slightly difficult. From the above, it is desirable that the flow rate and the presentation time are appropriate, and the most suitable condition for the air supply tube 13 is an outer diameter suitable for inclusion in the mouth and a tube inner diameter of 2 mm or more, and 100 ml/min to 300 ml. It has been found that it is desirable to satisfy the aeration conditions such that the total aeration amount ingested at the time of presentation of 5 to 20 seconds is 20 to 40 ml, preferably 25 to 35 ml.

(Example 3) Palatability evaluation by temperature of beverage at the time of evaluation using a sample providing device

Using the sensory evaluation sample providing device of the present invention, the interaction between the palatability and the drinking temperature of the sample (food and drink) to which the aroma component was added under the set temperature condition was examined. In this example, aroma components used in coffee flavors (hereinafter referred to as coffee aroma components) are targeted, and when the drip coffee is drunk at room temperature or hot, the taste of coffee when the coffee aroma components are added is measured. Measured.
First, among coffee aroma components, we selected nutty and roast as the characters to be examined, and selected multiple aroma components for each character. A maximum allowable concentration of the selected component was set, and four types of dilution series were prepared by diluting each of the components with propylene glycol by 5 times. Table 9 shows the selected components and the concentration range to be studied.

Next, using a sample providing device, the palatability at the time of adding the aroma component at room temperature was evaluated. As the sample, drip coffee at room temperature (about 23° C.) was used. The panel was made to ingest the coffee aroma component in a four-step dilution series having a concentration range of Table 9, and the concentration most preferred by each panelist was selected. Furthermore, 20 panelists used the Label Door Magnitude Scale (LAM, see FIG. 2) for evaluation, and evaluated the preference.

Continuously, the drip coffee was heated to a high temperature (about 50°C) by the high temperature side heat exchanger of this device, and at the normal temperature, the panelists took in the concentration selected by each panelist as having the highest preference, and its palatability. Is evaluated by LAM in the same manner, and then, when the scale width of LAM (the length from the most dislikeable to the most imaginable to the most imaginable) is set to 100 mm, the most dislikeable to the imagination is used as the starting point, and instructions are given at each evaluation. The length to the specified position was measured and the evaluation was quantified. As shown in Table 10, the average value (P0) of the palatability at each room temperature of each panel and the average value (P1) of the palatability at the hot temperature are compared, and the coffee aroma component (P1>P0) having the high palatability at the hot temperature is compared. 2,3-dimethylpyrazine and acetylpyrazine were selected as the aroma components suitable for hot coffee.

(Example 4)
A flavor (Table 11) containing a large amount of aroma components suitable for the hot coffee selected in Example 3 was trial-produced and used as a hot coffee flavor. The taste of black coffee to which the flavor was added at room temperature (about 23° C.) and hot (about 50° C.) was evaluated by 7 panelists by a 5-point method.
1: Unfavorable 2: Slightly unfavorable 3: Neither is possible 4: Slightly preferred 5: Preferred

As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, it was found that the preference when taken hot was higher. As described above, by using the apparatus of the present invention, the palatability at a certain temperature was measured in detail and accurately, and thus the perfume could be developed by selecting the perfume component having a high palatability at a specific temperature. ..

(Prototype method of black coffee)
60 g of coffee beans roasted to an L value of 22 were ground with a commercially available coffee mill, drip extracted with hot water at 90 to 95° C., and cooled to room temperature to obtain 480 g of a coffee extract. 0.6 g of baking soda and ion-exchanged water were added to the extract to prepare 1000 g of black coffee.

(Compound prescription for hot coffee)

(Example 5) Evaluation of carbonic acid feeling using this apparatus A sensory evaluation of a carbonated beverage was carried out using the sample providing apparatus of the present invention.
We presented a sample (carbonated water) whose gas pressure was adjusted by supplying cooled carbonated water (gas volume 3.0) from reservoir 1 together with cooled ion-exchanged water from reservoir 2 at an arbitrary ratio. The panelists evaluated the strength of feeling. After a certain period of time, the evaluation was performed again, and the reproducibility of the evaluation result was confirmed. Further, the same evaluation was carried out by a cup test which is a general sensory evaluation method. The intensity of perceived carbonation was evaluated by the 5-point method. Table 12 shows the set gas volume and the perceived carbonation intensity.
1: Slightly carbonated 2: Slightly carbonated 3: Not strongly or weakly carbonated 4: Slightly carbonated 5: Strongly carbonated

In the cup test, when the carbonic acid feeling was evaluated again 10 minutes after the start of evaluation using the same sample, carbonic acid gas contained in the carbonated water was released and the carbonic acid feeling was felt to be weaker than immediately after the start of evaluation. On the other hand, when evaluated using this apparatus, the carbonic acid feeling did not change over time. From the above, it was confirmed that the evaluation using this device is superior to the cup test in that the same evaluation environment can always be provided without impairing the carbonic acid feeling.

When the sensory evaluation sample providing device according to the present embodiment is used, not only the control of the temperature is simple, but also the factors that influence other flavors can be controlled, so that various sensory evaluations can be easily performed. It becomes possible.

The present invention is a device for stably presenting a sample under a certain condition when evaluating the influence of aroma given to a beverage by sensory, and by using this device, the objectivity of the sensory evaluation result is enhanced. You can Further, by accurately controlling the temperature, which is an important factor influencing factors other than aroma, it is possible to contribute to the product development of beverages.
It is possible to provide the beverage sample and the aroma component to the panelist by independent routes for a certain amount and for a certain period of time.Therefore, the beverage temperature, sweetness, sourness, carbon dioxide pressure, alcohol concentration, etc. can be adjusted. However, the interaction with various fragrances can be easily investigated. Therefore, the present apparatus is suitable for screening for selecting a flavoring agent suitable for a beverage. Furthermore, since the sensory evaluation imitating an actual drinking scene (reduction of drinking temperature and carbon dioxide) can be performed, it can be applied to product development of beverages.

1 Reservoir with constant temperature device 2 Liquid feed pump 3 Liquid flow path 4 Mixer 5 High temperature side heat exchanger 6 Low temperature side heat exchanger 7 Air supply amount controller 8 Manifold 9 Aroma component chamber 10 Flowmeter 11 Aroma discharge port 12 Constant temperature bath 13 Air supply tube (gas flow path)
14a, 14b, 14c, 14d Three-way valve 15 Mixed sample providing unit 16 Sleeve 20 Beverage part 30 Aroma part

Claims (5)

A plurality of reservoirs with a constant temperature device for storing the beverage sample, a mixing device for mixing the beverage samples from the plurality of reservoirs at an arbitrary ratio, and the beverage sample is supplied at a constant rate from the mixing device to the mouth of a panelist. Liquid flow path, at least one heat exchanger that adjusts the temperature of the beverage sample that passes through the liquid flow path, a plurality of aroma component chambers that store aroma components, and the aroma components from the aroma component chambers. In order to allow the panelist to ingest a beverage sample and an aroma component that are discharged by including the gas channel that vents to the mouth of the paneler at a constant concentration and a constant speed, the liquid channel and the gas channel in the mouth of the paneler. The mouthpiece of the present invention is provided. Using the sensory evaluation sample providing apparatus according to claim 1, one measurement time is 5 to 15 seconds, the amount of liquid to be delivered is 1.0 to 3.5 ml, and the aroma-containing gas to be delivered is from 20. A sensory evaluation method characterized in that the amount is adjusted to 40 ml. A perfuming method comprising the following steps using the sensory evaluation sample providing device according to claim 1.
(1) Step 1 of selecting a flavored character to be emphasized in the target food and drink,
(2) Step 2 of selecting a plurality of aroma components exhibiting the character selected in Step 1,
(3) Step 3 of preparing the beverage,
(4) Step 4 of adding the aroma component selected in Step 2 to the beverage prepared in Step 3 to determine the addition concentration at room temperature,
(5) Using the sample providing apparatus according to claim 1, the taste score at room temperature with the added concentration of the fragrance component determined in step 4 is set to P0, which is an evaluation score obtained by sensory evaluation.
(6) Using the sample providing apparatus according to claim 1, the preference score at the set temperature T1 with the same aroma component concentration as in step 5 is set to P1 which is the evaluation score obtained by the sensory evaluation.
(7) Step 7 of selecting an aroma component with P1>P0
(8) Perfuming step 8 characterized by containing the aroma component selected in step 7 A fragrance composition for food and drink, which is obtained by the fragrance preparation method according to claim 3. A food or drink comprising the flavor composition for food or drink according to claim 4.