JP7212475B2 - Coffee richness enhancer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a coffee richness enhancer and a method for enhancing the richness of coffee in coffee beverages.

Coffee consumption in Japan is increasing year by year. In recent years, consumers have become more oriented toward authentic coffee, and RTD products are also required to have the rich flavor of higher quality coffee.

There are two main types of coffee: Arabica and Robusta. Arabica is produced mainly in Colombia and Brazil, and although it is susceptible to disease and pest damage, it generally has an excellent flavor as coffee. It has a nice flavor. Robusta, on the other hand, is mainly produced in Indonesia and Vietnam, is resistant to diseases and pests, is inexpensive, and has a high caffeine content.
Therefore, in order to provide coffee beverages at an affordable price, it is often the case that only inexpensive low-grade coffee bean blends or Robusta coffee beans are used as raw materials. However, even Arabica coffee beans, which are inexpensive and low-grade, have a weaker richness than high-quality coffee beans. On the other hand, Robusta has a unique aroma that is described as smoky and grain-like, so even if these coffee beans are blended with high-quality coffee beans, coffee drinks with a highly palatable and rich flavor can be produced. It was difficult to manufacture.

Against this background, techniques for imparting or enhancing the mellowness of coffee have been developed. For example, it is a method of enhancing richness by adding an extract or flavor. Specifically, a flavor-imparting/enhancing agent for coffee-flavored food and drink obtained by bringing an aqueous extract of roasted coffee beans into contact with superheated steam (Patent Document 1), and steam obtained by steam-distilling a plant raw material. An enzyme-treated plant extract characterized by adding alcohol to the extracted plant extract and then subjecting it to lipase treatment (Patent Document 2), an extract obtained by low-temperature extraction of roasted coffee beans, and a steam distillation extraction obtained by steam-distilling the extraction residue. A coffee extract obtained by mixing liquids (Patent Document 3), water and an organic solvent are added to roasted plant raw materials to prepare a slurry, and the slurry is introduced into a gas-liquid countercurrent contact device and distilled. There is a flavor obtained from the condensate (Patent Document 4), which is separated into a condensate containing aroma components and a distillation residue. It is a technique to add. All of these techniques require complex processes such as extraction and concentration of components that contribute to richness, manufacturing facilities, and the like, resulting in high manufacturing costs and a lack of versatility. On the other hand, as a method of imparting a rich feeling to coffee beans without a rich feeling, a method of improving the quality of green coffee beans by performing high pressure treatment of 50 to 200 MPa or more on green coffee beans that have been hydrated (Patent Document 5). There is a method for modifying coffee beans by impregnating green coffee beans with a sugar solution, steaming them with saturated steam at 130°C to 160°C for 5 to 30 minutes, and then cooling and drying them in a vacuum (Patent Document 6). It required complicated processes and manufacturing facilities, resulting in high manufacturing costs and lack of versatility.

Patent republication 2016-72111 JP 2015-149972 A JP 2015-149950 A JP 2013-244007 A JP 2014-209905 A JP-A-2000-342182

An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for easily imparting richness to coffee food and drink, and in particular, to provide an effective technique for imparting a richness to a coffee extract extracted from Robusta beans. be.

In order to solve the above problems, the inventors studied a simpler and more versatile method, and found that adding a very small amount of a tertiary thiol compound can impart a rich feeling to the coffee extract. . This tertiary thiol compound 3-mercapto-3-methylbutyl formate (JP-A-57-4966) and 3-mercapto-3-methylbutyl acetate (JP-A-2004-222511) for coffee is known to be used as a perfume for

However, it was not known that a tertiary thiol compound reduces the smoky, grain-like aroma of coffee, and at the same time enhances the sour, fruity, and floral aroma, thereby enhancing the richness of coffee. In particular, when 3-mercapto-3-methylbutyl formate is added to an extract obtained from Robusta coffee beans, the mellowness is enhanced, and it is not possible to approximate the flavor characteristics of a high-quality Arabica coffee bean extract. It was a surprise.

That is, the present invention is as follows.
[1] A mellow feeling enhancer for coffee food and drink containing, as an active ingredient, at least one compound selected from tertiary thiol compounds represented by the following formula (1).
R1-C( _CH3 ) _2SH (1)
wherein R1 is -(CH ₂ ) ₂ OCHO, -(CH ₂ ) ₂ OCOCH ₃ , -CH ₂ COCH ₃ , -CH ₂ CH(CH ₃ )OH, 4-methyl-2-oxocyclohexyl, -(CH ₂ ) ₂ OCH ₃ ;
[2] The mellow feeling enhancer for coffee food and drink as described above, wherein the tertiary thiol compound is 3-mercapto-3-methylbutyl formate.
[3] The mellow feeling enhancer for a coffee food or drink according to any one of the above, which reduces the smoky and grainy flavor of the coffee and food and enhances the sour, fruity and floral flavor of the food and drink.
[4] A flavor composition that enhances the richness of a coffee food or drink containing any one of the richness enhancers described above.
[5] A method for producing a coffee food or drink with enhanced richness, characterized by adding only one of the richness enhancers described above.
[6] A method for producing a coffee food or drink with enhanced richness, which comprises adding the aromatic composition for enhancing richness as described above.
[7] A coffee food or drink with an enhanced richness to which any one of the richness enhancers described above is added.
[8] The above-described coffee food or drink made from Robusta coffee beans.
[9] A coffee food or drink made from Robusta coffee beans to which any one of the richness enhancing agents described above is added in an amount of 0.01 ppb to 10 ppb.
[10] A method of enhancing the richness of coffee food and drink by adding the richness enhancer described above so that the coffee flavor balance of coffee food and drink is 0.5 or less. Ratio ((a1+ a2)/(b1+b2+b3)).

By adding the richness enhancer of the present invention to a coffee food or drink, it is possible to reduce smoky and grain-like aroma notes and at the same time enhance sour, fruity, and floral notes to enhance richness. Moreover, the mellow feeling enhanced by the present invention stably remains even after heat sterilization, and persists even after the food and drink are stored for a long period of time. In addition, since the amount of the flavoring compound of the present invention added can be arbitrarily adjusted, the flavor can be easily and arbitrarily adjusted.

The mellow feeling enhancer of the present invention can be used by adding it to a coffee food or drink as it is. The tertiary thiol compound of the present invention has a very strong aroma and gives off an unpleasant odor when used in large amounts. When added within the range of 5 to 5 ppb, it reduces smoky and grain-like flavor notes, enhances gorgeous flavor notes, and enhances richness. When the content in the coffee food and drink is less than 0.05 ppb, the effect of reducing the smoky and grain-like aroma is not obtained, and the gorgeous aroma is not enhanced. On the other hand, when the content in food and drink exceeds 50 ppb, the unpleasant odor becomes strong and good flavor cannot be obtained. Since the perfume compound of the present invention is used in a very small amount, it is preferably diluted with a solvent such as ethanol or propylene glycol and used as it is.

Food and drink to which the flavoring compound of the present invention is added is not particularly limited as long as it is coffee food and drink. For example, sugar-free, sugar-containing or milk-containing coffee drinks and instant coffee, frozen desserts such as ice cream and sherbet, desserts such as jellies, puddings and sweet bean jelly, cookies, cakes, chocolates, candies, chewing gums, steamed buns, etc. confectionery, sweet bread, bread such as white bread, jams, soda pop, tablets, tablet confectionery, and the like.

The tertiary thiol compound of the present invention will be explained.
(1) 3-Mercapto-3-methylbutyl formate 3-Mercapto-3-methylbutyl formate is reported as an aroma component of coffee and sesame, and is a fragrance having blackcurrant, catty, and roast-like aroma notes. known as

(2) 3-mercapto-3-methylbutyl acetate 3-mercapto-3-methylbutyl acetate has been reported as an aromatic component of hops, and is known as a fragrance having pepper, plastic, and vinegar-like fragrance notes. .

(3) 4-Mercapto-4-methyl-2-pentanone 4-Mercapto-4-methyl-2-pentanone has been reported as an aroma component of beer, citrus fruits, hops, mustard, rapeseed and wine, and black currant. , catty, citrus, and meat.

(4) 4-Mercapto-4-methyl-2-pentanol 4-mercapto-4-methyl-2-pentanol is reported as an aromatic component of citrus fruits, hops, wine, etc., and is used in black currant, It is known as a fragrance having notes of catty, grapefruit, and lemon.

(5) p-mentha-8-thiol-3-one p-mentha-8-thiol-3-one is reported as an aromatic component of bhuchu essential oil, and is known as a fragrance having a mint and fruit-like fragrance. It is

(6) 4-Methoxy-2-methyl-2-butanethiol 4-Methoxy-2-methyl-2-butanethiol has been reported as an aroma component of blackcurrant and olive, and has blackcurrant and catty-like aroma notes. It is known as a fragrance having

[Comparative Example 1]
60 g of medium-roasted Robusta beans with an L value of 18 were pulverized in 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 coffee extract. 0.6 g of sodium bicarbonate and deionized water were added to the extract to prepare 1000 g of black coffee. Comparative Example 1 was prepared by adding 0.1 parts by mass of ethanol to 100 parts by mass of the black coffee.

[Example 1]
Black coffee was prepared in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1, and 0.1 part by mass of an ethanol solution containing 5 ppm of 3-mercapto-3-methylbutyl formate was added to 100 parts by mass of the black coffee to obtain 3-mercapto. A coffee beverage containing 5 ppb of -3-methylbutyl formate was prepared.

[Example 2]
Black coffee was prepared in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1, and 0.1 part by mass of an ethanol solution containing 5 ppm of 3-mercapto-3-methylbutyl acetate was added to 100 parts by mass of the black coffee to obtain 3-mercapto- A coffee beverage containing 5 ppb of 3-methylbutyl acetate was prepared.

[Example 3]
Black coffee was prepared in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1, and 0.1 parts by mass of an ethanol solution containing 1.7 ppm of 4-mercapto-4-methyl-2-pentanone was added to 100 parts by mass of the black coffee. A coffee beverage containing 1.7 ppb of 4-mercapto-4-methyl-2-pentanone was prepared.

[Example 4]
Black coffee was prepared in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1, and 0.1 part by mass of an ethanol solution containing 5 ppm of 4-mercapto-4-methyl-2-pentanol was added to 100 parts by mass of the black coffee, A coffee beverage containing 5 ppb of 4-mercapto-4-methyl-2-pentanol was prepared.

[Example 5]
Black coffee was prepared in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1, and 0.1 part by mass of an ethanol solution containing 5 ppm of p-mentha-8-thiol-3-one was added to 100 parts by mass of the black coffee. A coffee beverage containing 5 ppb of mentha-8-thiol-3-one was prepared.

[Comparative Example 2]
Black coffee was prepared in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1, except that medium-roasted high-quality Arabica beans with an L value of 18 were used instead of the Robusta coffee beans used in Comparative Example 1. 0.1 part by mass of ethanol was added to 100 parts by mass of the black coffee to prepare a coffee drink.

[Test Example 1]
Regarding the coffee beverage containing the richness enhancer of the present invention, a 9-person expert panel compared the strength and richness of the aroma of five types of smoky, grain-like, sour, fruity, and floral with Comparative Example 1. .
All the fragrance notes were evaluated in the following 7 stages, with Comparative Example 1 being given 4 points.
1 point: Extremely weak compared to Comparative Example 1 2 points: Weak compared to Comparative Example 1 3 points: Slightly weak compared to Comparative Example 1 4 points: About the same as Comparative Example 1 5 points: Compared to Comparative Example 1 Slightly strong 6 points: Stronger than Comparative Example 1 7 points: Extremely strong compared to Comparative Example 1

The coffee beverage containing the richness enhancer of the present invention has a weak smoky and grain-like aroma and a sour, fruity, floral aroma and richness compared to Comparative Example 1 that does not contain the richness enhancer. It was evaluated as strong, and it was shown to have a flavor close to that of Comparative Example 2 using a good quality Arabica extract.

A1 is a smoky-like scent, which is a typical coffee scent, a2 is a grain-like scent, b1 is a sour-like scent, b2 is a fruity-like scent, and b3 is a floral-like scent, When the flavor balance indicating richness is (a1+a2)/(b1+b2+b3), it was found that adjusting the flavor balance to 0.5 or less imparts and enhances richness.

By adding a small amount of the richness enhancer of the present invention, the smoky and grain-like aroma of coffee food and drink is reduced, and at the same time, the sour, fruity and floral-like aroma is enhanced, resulting in the original rich flavor of coffee. It is possible to provide consumers with more authentic food and drink.

Claims (8)

3-mercapto-3-methylbutyl formate, 3-mercapto-3-methylbutyl acetate, 4-mercapto-4-methyl-2-pentanone, 4-mercapto-4-methyl-2-pentanol, p-mentha -8-thiol-3-one , the flavor of coffee food and drink containing Robusta coffee beans as a raw material, which contains at least one compound of tertiary thiol compounds selected from 8-thiol-3-ones as an active ingredient, is extracted from Arabica coffee beans Flavor of coffee food and drink containing Robusta coffee beans as a raw material, characterized in that the concentration of the active ingredient in the coffee food and drink is 1.7 ppb to 5 ppb , which is an aroma tone converting agent that converts to the flavor of a liquid. to the flavor of Arabica coffee bean extract . The tertiary thiol compound as an active ingredient is 3-mercapto-3-methylbutyl formate, and the flavor of the coffee food and drink containing Robusta coffee beans as a raw material according to claim 1 is extracted from Arabica coffee beans. Aroma conversion agent that converts to the flavor of a liquid . 3. Coffee containing Robusta coffee beans as a raw material according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it reduces smoky and grain-like flavor notes of coffee food and drink and enhances sour, fruity and floral flavor notes. A flavor conversion agent that converts the flavor of food and drink into the flavor of an extract of Arabica coffee beans . Robusta containing a flavor conversion agent that converts the flavor of the coffee food and drink containing the Robusta coffee beans according to any one of claims 1 to 3 to the flavor of the Arabica coffee bean extract. A flavoring composition for converting the flavor of a coffee food or drink containing arabica coffee beans as a raw material into the flavor of an extract of arabica coffee beans . Addition of only a flavor- converting agent that converts the flavor of the coffee food or drink containing the Robusta coffee beans according to any one of claims 1 to 3 to the flavor of the Arabica coffee bean extract. A method for converting the flavor of coffee food and drink containing Robusta coffee beans as a raw material into the flavor of Arabica coffee bean extract . The flavor of the coffee food and drink containing the Robusta coffee beans according to claim 4 as a raw material
Extraction of arabica coffee bean flavor of coffee food and drink containing Robusta coffee bean as a raw material , characterized by adding a flavoring composition for converting odor tone to the flavor of arabica coffee bean extract. A method for converting the aroma to the flavor of a liquid . A flavor conversion agent for converting the flavor of the coffee food or drink containing the Robusta coffee beans according to claim 1 or 3 to the flavor of the Arabica coffee bean extract, or the Robusta coffee beans according to claim 4. A fragrance composition for flavor conversion , which converts the flavor of coffee food and drink containing coffee beans as a raw material to the flavor of an extract of Arabica coffee beans , is added so that the active ingredient is 1.7 ppb to 5 ppb . A coffee drink containing Robusta coffee beans as a raw material, wherein the tertiary thiol compound as an active ingredient is 3 -mercapto-3-methylbutyl acetate, 4-mercapto-4-methyl-2-pentano- A coffee beverage product that is at least one of A flavor conversion agent for converting the flavor of the coffee food or drink containing the Robusta coffee beans according to claim 1 or 3 to the flavor of the Arabica coffee bean extract, or the Robusta coffee beans according to claim 4. A flavoring composition for flavor conversion which converts the flavor of coffee food and drink containing coffee beans as a raw material into the flavor of Arabica coffee bean extract is added so that the active ingredient is 1.7 ppb to 5 ppb. A method for producing a coffee beverage containing Robusta coffee beans as a raw material, wherein the tertiary thiol compound as an active ingredient is 3 -mercapto-3-methylbutyl acetate, 4-mercapto-4- A method for producing a coffee beverage containing at least one of methyl-2-pentanol.