TWI853017B - Drinks - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a beverage containing microbial cell powder, wherein the odor of the culture medium is suppressed, and the saltiness is suppressed, and the beverage has a better flavor (deliciousness) as a beverage. The present invention provides a beverage containing microbial cell powder and 20 to 80 mg/100 mL of sodium, and containing sugar alcohol. The solid content concentration of the sugar alcohol in the beverage can be 2 to 40 g/L. As the sugar alcohol in the beverage, at least maltitol can be contained. The microbial cell powder in the beverage can be a lactic acid bacteria cell powder.

Description

Drinks

The present invention relates to a beverage.

In the past, in order to cater to consumers' health desires, beverages containing microorganisms have been developed. Among them, beverages containing lactic acid bacteria have attracted attention due to their beneficial physiological activities such as gastrointestinal regulation and anti-allergy effects.

Examples of methods for producing beverages containing microbial cells include a method of adding lactic acid bacteria to raw milk and fermenting the resulting fermented milk, and a method of mixing microbial cell powder obtained by drying the microbial cells by freeze drying or the like into beverages.

In the past, due to the demand for directly ingesting active lactic acid bacteria, more acid curd or lactic acid bacteria drinks were sold, but the occasions for ingestion, flavor, and distribution form were limited. In recent years, there has been a growing demand for ingesting delicious lactic acid bacteria that have physiological effects that are beneficial to health, regardless of the form or type of the drink. Therefore, not only are drinks containing active microorganisms sold, but in order to meet the demand for easily ingesting drinks with physiological activities that are beneficial to health from microorganisms, drinks mixed with microbial cell powder are also sold. However, there is a problem in such drinks that the odor from the cell powder (culture medium odor) damages the flavor.

For example, when powder of microorganisms cultured in a culture medium containing yeast extract, meat extract, protein extract, etc. is mixed, the culture medium odor is likely to become a problem. To date, various studies have been conducted to reduce the culture medium odor of beverages, such as a method of mixing a specific aroma component into a beverage containing lactic acid bacteria powder (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

On the other hand, in order to adjust the taste of drinks or supplement sodium sources, the method of adding sodium sources such as salt is adopted.

However, there is a problem that the thickness of the taste increases by adding a sodium source to a beverage and setting the sodium concentration to a specific value, but the salty taste from the sodium is strongly felt, and the palatability is impaired. In addition, when a beverage containing microorganism powder contains a sodium source, the culture medium odor unique to the microorganism powder and the salty taste from the sodium source complement each other, leaving an unpleasant aftertaste.

Regarding beverages containing microbial cell powder, there is no known method for obtaining a beverage having a better flavor (degree of deliciousness) as a beverage in which the odor of the culture medium is suppressed and the saltiness is suppressed. [Prior art literature] [Patent literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-153101

[The problem that the invention wants to solve]

The present invention is completed in view of the above situation, and its purpose is to provide a beverage containing microbial cell powder, wherein the odor of the culture medium is suppressed, and the saltiness is suppressed, and the beverage has a better flavor (deliciousness) as a beverage. [Technical method for solving the problem]

The inventors of the present invention have found that the above-mentioned problems can be solved by mixing sugar alcohol into a beverage containing microbial cell powder and a specific amount of sodium, thereby completing the present invention. More specifically, the present invention provides the following.

(1) A beverage containing microbial cell powder and 20 to 80 mg/100 mL of sodium, and containing sugar alcohol.

(2) The beverage as described in (1), wherein the solid content concentration of the sugar alcohol in the beverage is 2 to 40 g/L.

(3) The drink according to (1) or (2), wherein the sugar alcohol contains at least maltitol.

(4) A beverage as described in any one of (1) to (3), wherein the microbial cell powder is a lactic acid bacteria cell powder. [Effect of the invention]

According to the present invention, a beverage can be provided, which contains microbial cell powder, has a suppressed culture medium odor, and has a suppressed salty taste, and has a better flavor (degree of deliciousness) as a beverage.

The following describes specific implementations of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the following implementations and can be implemented with appropriate modifications within the scope of the purpose of the present invention.

<1. Beverage> The beverage contains microbial cell powder and 20 to 80 mg/100 mL of sodium, and contains sugar alcohol. By adjusting the composition of the beverage in this way, the odor of the culture medium is suppressed, and the saltiness is suppressed, so that the beverage has a better flavor (degree of deliciousness) as a beverage.

There is no particular restriction on the types of beverages, such as dairy beverages, fruit juices, vegetable juices, tea beverages, coffee beverages, functional beverages, sports drinks, etc.

The sweetness of the beverage is not particularly limited and can be appropriately set according to the type of beverage. Furthermore, in this specification, sweetness refers to sucrose-converted sweetness. Regarding sweetness, for example, the sweetness of sucrose 1 weight/volume % is set to 1, and the concentration of sweetness derived to be equal to the sweetness is set to the sucrose-converted sweetness of the sweetener 1, and the calculation is derived. The sweetness of the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but from the perspective of reducing saltiness, it is preferably 2 to 10, and more preferably 3 to 7.

The composition of the beverage of the present invention is described in detail below.

[Microbial cell powder] The beverage contains microbial cell powder. "Microbial cell powder" refers to microbial cells in powder form, which are obtained by drying the culture solution of microorganisms using methods and machines known in the art. There are no particular restrictions on the drying method, and examples thereof include: spray drying, drum drying, hot air drying, vacuum drying, freeze drying, etc.

The microorganisms are not particularly limited, and examples thereof include lactic acid bacteria, yeast, etc., but lactic acid bacteria are preferred.

Regarding lactic acid bacteria, it is assumed that in addition to Lactobacillus and Lactococcus, Lactobacillus bifidum, which is a broad lactic acid bacteria, is also included. As for the lactic acid bacteria, there is no limitation as long as they are generally used in food and beverages. For example, lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genera Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Leuconostoc, Lactococcus, Pediococcus, Enterococcus, Streptococcus, Weissella, etc. can be listed. Among these, lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genus Lactobacillus are preferred from the viewpoint that their functionality as lactic acid bacteria powder has been actively studied and that they have a wealth of experience as food.

Examples of lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genus Lactobacillus include Lactobacillus amylovorus, Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus pubescens, Lactobacillus caseinus, Lactobacillus de Bessleri, Lactobacillus fermentans, Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus kefir, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus germinatus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus salivarius, Lactobacillus johnsonii, Lactobacillus curcuma, Lactobacillus salivarius, Lactobacillus salivarius, Lactobacillus johnsonii, Lactobacillus salivarius ... crispatus), Lactobacillus gallinarum, etc.

The strain used in the beverage may be any of isolated strains from nature, stored strains, preserved strains, commercially available strains, etc. Moreover, the bacterial cells may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The amount of microbial cell powder in the beverage is preferably 0.001 to 10 g/L, more preferably 0.01 to 5 g/L. As long as it is within this range, the physiological activity obtained by utilizing the microbial cell powder can be expected, and the flavor improvement effect can be easily exerted.

Microbial cells can be proliferated and recovered by culturing the microorganisms using a culture medium commonly used in culturing microorganisms and under commonly used conditions.

The culture medium usually contains a carbon source, a nitrogen source, an inorganic salt, other organic nutrient sources, etc. In addition, as long as the culture medium can efficiently culture the microorganism, any natural culture medium or synthetic culture medium can be used. Specifically, as a carbon source, for example, lactose, glucose, sucrose, fructose, galactose, molasses, etc. can be used. As a nitrogen source, for example, nitrogen-containing organic substances such as casein hydrolysate, whey protein hydrolysate, soy protein hydrolysate, yeast extract, meat extract, etc. can be used. As inorganic salts, for example, phosphate, sodium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, iron, zinc, etc. can be used. As other organic nutrient sources, for example, amino acids such as glycine, alanine, serine, threonine, and proline, and vitamins such as vitamin B1, vitamin B12, and vitamin C can be used.

Examples of culture media suitable for culturing lactic acid bacteria include: MRS liquid culture media, GAM culture media, BL culture media, Briggs Liver Broth, animal milk, skim milk, milky whey, etc. As natural culture media, tomato juice, carrot juice, other vegetable juices, or apple, pineapple, grape juices, etc. can also be used.

The solvent of the culture medium is not particularly limited, and distilled water, ion exchange water, purified water, tap water, etc. can be used. In addition, the pH value of the culture medium, the culture time, the culture temperature, and other conditions are not particularly limited as long as they are suitable for the growth of microorganisms.

Under the above conditions, the culture solution containing the preferably cultured microorganisms is powdered to be used as microorganism cell powder.

Specifically, the microbial powder can be a "destroyed microbial powder" which is made into a more fine powder than the microbial powder that is dried by freeze drying or the like by destroying the cell structure of the microorganism. The destroyed microbial powder is obtained by directly recovering the entire destroyed microorganism (i.e., all components that essentially constitute the cell).

The destruction of microorganisms can be carried out by physical crushing, grinding, enzyme dissolution, chemical treatment, or autolysis using methods and machines known in the art. For example, physical crushing can be carried out in either a wet manner (processing the microorganisms in a suspended liquid state) or a dry manner (processing the microorganisms in a powdered state), and can be carried out by stirring using a homogenizer, ball mill, bead mill, planetary mill, etc.; by using pressure using a jet mill, French press, cell disruptor, etc.; or by filtering through a filter to damage the microorganisms. The microorganism powder destroyed in this way can be preferably used in beverages.

[Sodium] Drinks contain sodium. Sodium is an ingredient that improves the flavor (taste) of drinks. It is also an ingredient that adds sufficient amounts of minerals to drinks.

There is no particular limitation on the sodium source as long as it is mixed in common food and beverages. Examples include sodium salts such as sodium ascorbate, sodium chloride, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, trisodium citrate, sodium phosphate, sodium biphosphate, sodium tartrate, and sodium benzoate. Among these sodium sources, sodium chloride (table salt) is preferred from the perspective of easy flavor adjustment. Moreover, trisodium citrate is preferred from the perspective of easy use for pH adjustment in addition to flavor adjustment. These sodium sources may be used alone or in combination.

The sodium concentration in the beverage is 20 to 80 mg/100 mL, preferably 30 to 70 mg/100 ml, and more preferably 40 to 60 mg/100 ml. By adjusting the sodium concentration in the beverage to this range, the saltiness can be suppressed by the sugar alcohol described later, and the flavor of the beverage can be improved, thereby achieving a better deliciousness. Furthermore, the sodium concentration is the concentration of the sodium content from the sodium source blended in the beverage, and is not limited to the above-mentioned sodium salt, but also includes the concentration of sodium from ingredients other than the sodium salt contained in the beverage.

The sodium concentration can be adjusted to the above values by adjusting the type or amount of ingredients in the beverage, adding raw materials containing sodium salts, etc. When sodium salts are used, the amount added can be adjusted so that the sodium concentration when the sodium salts are mixed into the beverage is within the above range.

Furthermore, the sodium concentration in the beverage can be calculated based on the amount of sodium salt added to the beverage. Alternatively, it can be measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).

[Sugar alcohol] Drinks contain sugar alcohol. Sugar alcohol plays a role in suppressing the odor and saltiness of the culture medium in the drink. In addition, since the drink contains microbial cell powder, there is a case where the drinker feels a rough feeling on the tongue caused by the powder, but by containing sugar alcohol, the rough feeling is also suppressed. Furthermore, this rough feeling varies depending on the method of washing the powder or the method of micronizing the powder, but even if the method contains uneven powder, it can be improved by adding sugar alcohol.

Sugar alcohols are not particularly limited as long as they are commonly mixed in food and beverages, and examples thereof include: monosaccharide alcohols such as erythritol, sorbitol, xylitol, and mannitol, disaccharide alcohols such as maltitol, isomaltitol, and lactitol, trisaccharide alcohols such as maltotriose, isomaltitol, and panitol, tetrasaccharide alcohols such as oligosaccharide alcohols, and reduced maltose syrup. These sugar alcohols may be used alone or in combination of multiple types.

Among them, it is preferred that at least maltitol is contained as the sugar alcohol from the viewpoint of being able to more effectively suppress the salty taste, culture medium smell, and roughness.

As the sugar alcohol, solid preparations such as powders can be used, and liquid preparations can also be used. In addition, as sugar alcohol preparations, for example, Marbit, Sweet NT, SE20, SE30, SE57, SE100 (all of which are manufactured by Bfsci (Co., Ltd.)) are commercially available and can be preferably used. In addition, SE and Marbit are registered trademarks of Bfsci (Co., Ltd.).

The concentration of the sugar alcohol in the beverage is preferably 2 to 40 g/L, more preferably 3 to 25 g/L, in terms of solid content. By setting the concentration of the sugar alcohol in this range, the inhibitory effect of the odor or saltiness of the culture medium can be further improved, and the laxative effect caused by the sugar alcohol can be inhibited.

In addition, the osmotic pressure of the sugar alcohol (per sucrose 100/solid content) is preferably 40 to 350, and more preferably 50 to 100. By setting the osmotic pressure of the sugar alcohol to be within this range, the inhibitory effect of the odor of the culture medium can be further improved, and the flavor of the beverage can be enhanced. Furthermore, in this specification, osmotic pressure means the osmotic pressure of the sugar alcohol when the osmotic pressure of sucrose is set to 100. The osmotic pressure can be measured using any known method, for example, it can be measured by the freezing point depression method. The measuring device can use, for example, the advanced automatic osmometer Osmo meter 3250 (ADVANCED INSTRUMENTS, INC.).

[Other ingredients] Other raw materials or additives commonly used in general beverages can be appropriately blended into the beverage within the range that does not hinder the effect. The blending amount can be appropriately set according to the desired effect.

As ingredients that can be mixed into beverages, the following can be listed: solvents (water, alcohol, etc.), sugars (monosaccharides or disaccharides such as fructose glucose liquid sugar, high fructose liquid sugar, sucrose, granulated sugar, fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose, etc.), isomerized sugars (fructose glucose liquid sugar, etc.), high-intensity sweeteners (stevia, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, etc.), fruit juices (lemon, aloe, orange, grape, apple, peach, etc.), vegetable juices, emulsifiers (sucrose fatty acid esters, lecithin, etc.), thickeners and stabilizers (soybean polysaccharides, pectin, carrageenan, gellan gum, etc.), gum), tannin, guar gum, etc.), antioxidants (tocopherol, cysteine hydrochloride, etc.), pigments (carotenoid pigments, anthocyanin pigments, caramel pigments, various synthetic colorants, etc.), flavors (naringin, etc.), preservatives, preservatives, mold inhibitors, vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin E, etc.) or minerals (potassium, calcium, magnesium, etc.), dietary fiber, etc.

<2. Characteristics of the drink> The drink suppresses the odor of the culture medium and the saltiness, and has a better flavor (degree of deliciousness) as a drink. The odor of the culture medium and the saltiness of the drink are evaluated using the method shown in the embodiment.

<3. Method for producing beverage> The beverage is obtained by appropriately adjusting the above ingredients. For example, the beverage can be obtained by adding the prepared specific amounts of raw materials to a solvent in sequence or simultaneously and mixing them by stirring. There is no particular limitation on the blending ratio or mixing order of the ingredients or raw materials.

The obtained beverage may be filled into containers and may be sterilized as appropriate before or after being filled into containers.

<4. Method for masking the odor and saltiness of the culture medium of a beverage> As described above, by blending sugar alcohol into a beverage, the effect of suppressing the odor of the culture medium derived from the microbial cell powder and the effect of suppressing the relatively high saltiness derived from the sodium contained therein, that is, the effect of masking the odor and saltiness of the culture medium is exerted. Therefore, the following invention can also be defined: a method for masking the odor and saltiness of the culture medium of a beverage by adding sugar alcohol to a beverage containing microbial cell powder and sodium of a specific concentration. [Example]

The present invention is described below based on embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[Example 1] (Blending of sugar alcohol) Drinks having the composition shown in Table 1 below were prepared. The unit of the values in the table is "g/L". The sodium concentration in the beverage was adjusted by the blending amount of salt. Each of the obtained beverages was heat sterilized and filled in a container. In addition, the sweetness of the beverage was adjusted to a sweetness of 6 by adjusting the blending amount of sugar and sugar alcohol preparation. In addition, Marbit (manufactured by Bfsci (Co., Ltd.) was used as the sugar alcohol.

[Table 1] raw material Comparison Example 1 Embodiment 1-1 Embodiment 1-2 Embodiment 1-3 Embodiment 1-4 Embodiment 1-5 granulated sugar 60.0 58.3 57.2 54.4 48.8 31.9 Citric Anhydride 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 Lactic acid bacteria powder (Lactobacillus starch) 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 Salt 1.28 1.28 1.28 1.28 1.28 1.28 Marbit - 3 5 10 20 50

The drinks were subjected to the following sensory evaluation.

<Sensory evaluation> After cooling each drink to 20℃, professional sensory inspectors (5 people) conducted a sensory evaluation. Specifically, the "strength of saltiness", "strength of culture medium odor", "strength of roughness", "aftertaste", and "degree of deliciousness" of each drink were scored, and the average value was calculated. In this evaluation, the example without sugar alcohol (Comparison Example 1) was set as the control product (Control product), and the baseline value was set at 4 points.

Regarding the "strength of saltiness", "strength of culture medium odor", and "strength of roughness", the following evaluation criteria were used to evaluate the food on a 7-point scale. 7 points: Very strong 6 points: Strong 5 points: Slightly strong 4 points: Average 3 points: Slightly weak 2 points: Weak 1 point: Very weak

Regarding "aftertaste" and "taste", the following evaluation criteria were used to evaluate the food on a 7-point scale. 7 points: Very good 6 points: Good 5 points: Somewhat good 4 points: Average 3 points: Somewhat bad 2 points: Bad 1 point: Very bad

The sensory evaluation results are shown in Table 2 below.

[Table 2] Comparison Example 1 Embodiment 1-1 Embodiment 1-2 Embodiment 1-3 Embodiment 1-4 Embodiment 1-5 Sodium content (mg/100 ml) 50 50 50 50 50 50 Amount of lactic acid bacteria powder (Lactobacillus starch) (g/L) 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 Sugar alcohol content (g/L (solid content)) 0.0 2.3 3.8 7.5 15.0 37.5 Sweetness 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 Salty 4.0 3.4 3.4 2.8 2.6 3.0 Culture medium odor 4.0 3.8 3.0 2.8 2.6 2.4 Roughness 4.0 3.6 3.4 3.4 3.2 2.8 The good and bad aftertaste 4.0 4.4 4.8 4.8 4.6 5.2 Deliciousness 4.0 4.4 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.6

From the comparison between Comparative Example 1 and each of the Examples in Table 2, it can be seen that by blending sugar alcohol, any of "saltiness", "culture medium odor", and "astringency" can be suppressed, and "aftertaste" and "deliciousness" are improved. In addition, it is known that as the amount of sugar alcohol blended increases, these effects are enhanced.

[Example 2] (Change of sodium concentration) Drinks having the composition shown in Table 3 below were prepared, and the sodium concentration in the beverages was changed and tested. The unit of the values in the table is "g/L". The sodium concentration in the beverage was adjusted by changing the amount of salt blended. Each of the obtained beverages was heat sterilized and filled in a container. In addition, the sweetness of the beverage was adjusted to a sweetness of 6 by adjusting the blending amount of sugar and sugar alcohol preparation. In addition, Marbit (manufactured by Bfsci (Co., Ltd.) was used as the sugar alcohol.

[Table 3] raw material Reference Example 1 Reference Example 2 Reference Example 3 Reference Example 4 Example 2-1 Example 2-2 Embodiment 2-3 granulated sugar 60.0 60.0 60.0 48.8 48.8 48.8 48.8 Citric Anhydride 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 Lactic acid bacteria powder (Lactobacillus starch) 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 Salt 0.77 1.28 1.80 - 0.77 1.28 1.80 Marbit - - - 20 20 20 20

The obtained beverage was subjected to the same sensory evaluation as in Example 1. In the evaluation, Reference Example 2 was set as a control product (Control product), and the base value was set to 4 points.

The sensory evaluation results are shown in the following Table 4. In addition, Example 2-2 in Table 4 and Example 1-4 in Table 2 are the same drink; Reference Example 2 in Table 4 and Comparative Example 1 in Table 2 are the same drink.

[Table 4] Reference Example 1 Reference Example 2 Reference Example 3 Reference Example 4 Example 2-1 Example 2-2 Embodiment 2-3 Sodium content (mg/100 ml) 30 50 70 0 30 50 70 Amount of lactic acid bacteria powder (Lactobacillus starch) (g/L) 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 Sugar alcohol content (g/L (solid content)) 0 0 0 15 15 15 15 Sweetness 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 Salty 3.4 4.0 5.6 1.0 2.0 2.6 4.2 Culture medium odor 4.2 4.0 3.8 3.8 3.0 2.6 2.4 Roughness 4.2 4.0 3.8 4.0 3.2 3.2 2.6 The good and bad aftertaste 4.2 4.0 2.6 4.8 4.8 4.6 3.8 Deliciousness 3.6 4.0 2.6 3.6 4.8 5.0 3.8

As shown in Table 4, by comparing Reference Example 1 and Example 2-1, Reference Example 2 and Example 2-2, and Reference Example 3 and Example 2-3 with the same amount of sodium, it can be seen that by blending sugar alcohols, any of the "salty taste", "culture medium smell", and "astringent feeling" can be suppressed, and the "aftertaste" and "deliciousness" are improved.

Furthermore, compared with Reference Example 4 which does not contain sodium, Examples 2-1 and 2-2 in which a sodium source is blended to a specific sodium concentration have a good "tasty degree".

[Example 3] (Type of sugar alcohol) Drinks having the composition shown in Table 5 below were prepared and the types of sugar alcohol were changed for testing. The unit of the values in the table is "g/L". The sodium concentration in the beverage was adjusted by the amount of salt added. Each of the obtained beverages was heat sterilized and filled in a container. In addition, the sweetness of the beverage was adjusted to a sweetness of 6 by adjusting the amount of sugar and sugar alcohol preparation added.

Furthermore, as sugar alcohols, different types were used in each embodiment. Specifically, as shown in Table 3, Marbit, Sweet NT, SE55, SE20, SE600, erythritol (all manufactured by Bfsci Co., Ltd.), and xylitol (manufactured by Dupont Co., Ltd.) were used.

[Table 5] raw material Comparison Example 1 Example 3-1 Example 3-2 Embodiment 3-3 Embodiment 3-4 Embodiment 3-5 Embodiment 3-6 Embodiment 3-7 granulated sugar 60.0 48.8 56.5 55.8 40.6 50.9 48.8 45.0 Citric Anhydride 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 Lactic acid bacteria powder (Lactobacillus starch) 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 Salt 1.28 1.28 1.28 1.28 1.28 1.28 1.28 1.28 Marbit - 20 - - - - - - Sweet NT - - 20 - - - - - SE55 - - - 20 - - - - SE20 - - - - 20 - - - SE600 - - - - - 20 - - Xylitol - - - - - - 20 - Erythritol - - - - - - - 20

The obtained beverage was subjected to the same sensory evaluation as in Example 1. In the evaluation, Comparative Example 1 was set as a control product (Control product), and the reference value was set to 4 points.

The sensory evaluation results are shown in the following Table 6. In addition, Example 3-1 in Table 6, Example 1-4 in Table 2, and Example 2-2 in Table 4 are the same drink.

[Table 6] Comparison Example 1 Example 3-1 Example 3-2 Embodiment 3-3 Embodiment 3-4 Embodiment 3-5 Embodiment 3-6 Embodiment 3-7 Sodium content (mg/100 ml) 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 Amount of lactic acid bacteria powder (Lactobacillus starch) (g/L) 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 Sweetness 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 Sugar alcohol preparation name Sugar only Marbit Sweet NT SE55 SE20 SE600 Xylitol Erythritol Characteristics - Liquid preparations Liquid preparations Liquid preparations Liquid preparations Liquid preparations Powder preparation Powder preparation Sugar alcohol content (g/L (solid content)) 0 15 14 14 14 14 20 20 Osmotic pressure (per sucrose 100/solid content) - 90 50 55 90 130 230 320 Solid content in preparation (%) - 75 70 70 70 70 100 100 Salty 4.0 2.6 2.8 2.4 3.0 3.6 2.6 3.2 Culture medium odor 4.0 2.6 2.6 3.0 3.0 3.8 3.8 3.2 Roughness 4.0 3.2 3.0 3.2 3.4 3.2 3.0 3.4 The good and bad aftertaste 4.0 4.6 4.8 4.6 4.6 4.4 4.4 4.2 Deliciousness 4.0 5.0 5.4 4.8 4.8 4.2 4.4 4.8

According to the comparison between Comparative Example 1 and each of the Examples in Table 6, it can be seen that when any type of sugar alcohol preparation is used, the "salty taste", "culture medium smell" and "astringent feeling" are all suppressed, and the "aftertaste" and "deliciousness" are all improved.

In addition, blended sugar alcohols with lower permeability tend to have an enhanced flavor-improving effect.

[Example 4] (Type of lactic acid bacteria powder) Drinks having the composition shown in Table 7 below were prepared and the type of lactic acid bacteria powder was changed for testing. The unit of the values in the table is "g/L". The sodium concentration in the beverage was adjusted by the amount of salt added. Each of the obtained beverages was heat sterilized and filled in a container. In addition, the sweetness of the beverage was adjusted to a sweetness of 6 by adjusting the amount of sugar and sugar alcohol preparation added. In addition, Marbit (manufactured by Bfsci (Co., Ltd.) was used as the sugar alcohol.

[Table 7] raw material Comparison Example 2 Example 4-1 Comparison Example 3 Example 4-2 granulated sugar 60.0 48.8 60.0 48.8 Citric Anhydride 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 Salt 1.28 1.28 1.28 1.28 Lactic acid bacteria powder (Lactobacillus starch) 0.1 0.1 - - Lactic acid bacteria powder (Lactobacillus gasseri) - - 0.1 0.1 Marbit - 20 - 20

The obtained drinks were subjected to the same sensory evaluation as in Example 1. In this evaluation, Comparative Examples 2 and 3 were set as control products, and the reference value was set to 4 points.

The sensory evaluation results are shown in Table 8 below.

[Table 8] Comparison Example 2 Example 4-1 Comparison Example 3 Example 4-2 Sodium content (mg/100 ml) 50 50 50 50 Lactic acid bacteria powder types Lactobacillus acidophilus Lactobacillus gasseri Lactic acid bacteria powder amount (g/L) 0.10 0.10 0.10 0.10 Sugar alcohol content (g/L (solid content)) 0 15 0 15 Sweetness 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 Salty 4.0 3.0 4.0 3.2 Culture medium odor 4.0 3.4 4.0 3.2 Roughness 4.0 3.4 4.0 3.6 The good and bad aftertaste 4.0 4.4 4.0 4.6 Deliciousness 4.0 4.8 4.0 4.6

From the comparison between Comparative Example 2 and Example 4-1, and Comparative Example 3 and Example 4-2 in Table 8, it can be seen that when any strain of lactic acid bacteria is used, the "saltiness", "culture medium odor", and "astringency" are all suppressed, and the "aftertaste" and "deliciousness" are all improved. These results confirm that, regardless of the difference in strains, the flavor improvement effect is achieved by mixing sugar alcohols into a sodium-containing beverage.

[Example 5] (Change of sodium source) Drinks having the composition shown in Table 9 below were prepared, and the sodium source blended in the beverages was changed to conduct experiments. The unit of the values in the table is "g/L". The sodium concentration in the beverage was adjusted by changing the blending amount of the sodium source. Each of the obtained beverages was heat sterilized and filled in a container. In addition, the sweetness of the beverage was adjusted to a sweetness of 6 by adjusting the blending amount of sugar and sugar alcohol preparation. In addition, Marbit (manufactured by Bfsci (Co., Ltd.) was used as the sugar alcohol.

[Table 9] raw material Comparison Example 4 Example 5-1 granulated sugar 60.0 48.8 Citric Anhydride 1.5 1.5 Trisodium Citrate 2.6 2.6 Lactic acid bacteria powder (Lactobacillus starch) 0.05 0.05 Marbit - 20

The obtained drinks were subjected to the same sensory evaluation as in Example 1. In the evaluation, Comparative Example 4 was set as a control product (Control product), and the reference value was set to 4 points.

The sensory evaluation results are shown in Table 10 below.

[Table 10] Comparison Example 4 Example 5-1 Sodium content (mg/100 ml) 60 60 Amount of lactic acid bacteria powder (Lactobacillus starch) (g/L) 0.05 0.05 Sugar alcohol content (g/L (solid content)) 0 15 Sweetness 6.0 6.0 Salty 4.0 3.2 Culture medium odor 4.0 3.4 Roughness 4.0 3.2 The good and bad aftertaste 4.0 5.0 Deliciousness 4.0 4.8

From the comparison between Comparative Example 4 and Example 5-1 in Table 10, it can be seen that when trisodium citrate is used as the sodium source, any of the "salty taste", "culture medium smell", and "astringent feeling" can be suppressed, and the "aftertaste" and "deliciousness" are improved. These results confirm that regardless of the difference in the sodium source, the flavor improvement effect is exerted by blending sugar alcohol.

without

without

Claims (3)

A beverage containing microbial cell powder and 20-80 mg/100 mL of sodium, and 2-40 g/L of sugar alcohol, wherein the sugar alcohol contains at least one selected from the group consisting of monosaccharide alcohols, maltitol, lactitol, trisaccharide alcohols, and tetrasaccharide alcohols and above. The beverage of claim 1, wherein the sugar alcohol contains at least maltitol. For beverages as claimed in claim 1 or 2, the microbial cell powder is lactic acid bacteria cell powder.