JP7531282B2 - Coffee drink and method for producing the same - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to coffee beverages.

Traditionally, packaged coffee drinks have been widely enjoyed as a convenient, refreshing beverage. Packaged coffee drinks with a variety of flavors and aromas have been developed based on consumer preferences and trends, and attempts have been made to add ingredients that contribute to the aroma of coffee drinks.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a variety of coffee extracts that enhance the characteristics of coffee, which are produced by mixing coffee beans with ingredients such as hops and roasting them. Patent Document 2 discloses that potato-derived dextrin with a DE of 2 or more and less than 5 is blended to impart full-bodied flavor and good aroma to low-sugar or sugar-free coffee beverages and to improve the aftertaste of high-intensity sweeteners.

JP 2012-187059 A JP 2012-115247 A

The inventors focused on achieving both a strong full-bodied flavor and a sharp bitterness in a coffee beverage with a new flavor and aroma, and found that there was room for improvement in achieving this in the conventional technologies disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2. Then, in the course of conducting extensive research to achieve both a strong full-bodied flavor and a sharp bitterness, they focused for the first time on combining iso-α-acids and starch hydrolysates as ingredients to be added to coffee beverages, and found that controlling their contents was effective, leading to the completion of the present invention.

According to the present invention,
A coffee beverage comprising iso-alpha acids and a starch hydrolysate,
The coffee beverage has an iso-α acid content of 1 ppm or more and 15 ppm or less, and a starch hydrolysate content of 0.01 g/100 ml or more and less than 0.5 g/100 ml.

The present invention provides a coffee beverage that combines a strong richness with a sharp bitterness.

The following is a detailed description of an embodiment of the present invention. In this specification, the notation "a to b" in the description of a numerical range means a or more and b or less, unless otherwise specified.

<Coffee drinks>
The coffee beverage of this embodiment contains iso-α acids at 1 ppm or more and 15 ppm or less, and starch hydrolysates at 0.01 g/100 ml or more and less than 0.5 g/100 ml.
This allows for both a strong full-bodied taste and a sharp bitterness. Although the details of the reason for this are not clear, it is speculated that the starch hydrolysate enhances the full-bodied taste of the coffee, and the bitterness of the iso-α acids improves the decrease in the sharpness of the bitterness caused by adding the starch hydrolysate, while suppressing the feeling that the bitterness remains in the mouth without impairing the bitterness of the entire coffee beverage, thereby improving the sharpness of the bitterness.
Below, each component contained in the coffee beverage will be described in detail.

[Iso-α acid]
Iso-α acids are isomerized forms of α acids, and are generally known as bitter components that are produced when α acids, which are abundant in hops, are isomerized by heating.
In the coffee beverage of this embodiment, the iso-α acids are isohumulone, isoadhumulone, and isocohumulone.

The content of iso-α acids in the coffee beverage of this embodiment is 1 ppm or more and 15 ppm or less, preferably 1.5 ppm or more and 9.5 ppm or less, and more preferably 2.5 ppm or more. By setting the content of iso-α acids to the above lower limit or more, it is possible to enhance the richness and improve the sharpness of the bitterness, and also to improve drinkability by presenting a moderate aroma. On the other hand, by setting the content of iso-α acids to the above upper limit or less, a moderate richness is achieved, and drinkability is maintained by suppressing excessive bitterness and reducing impurities, thereby achieving a good balance between the sharpness of the bitterness and the richness.

Iso-α acids are preferably derived from hops, and are more preferably iso-α bitter acids. Iso-α bitter acids are those obtained from hop flowers and contain isohumulones as the main component. They are obtained by extracting the female flowers of hops (Humulus lupulus LINNE) of the Mulberry family with water, carbon dioxide or an organic solvent, followed by heat treatment. For example, iso-α bitter acids that contain 10 to 50% by mass of iso-α acids are preferred.

The iso-α acid content can be measured, for example, by the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis method described in Analytica EBC (European Brewery Convention).

[Starch hydrolysate]
Starch hydrolysate is a general term for products obtained by hydrolyzing polysaccharides such as amylose and amylopectin in starch with heat, acid, alkali, enzymes, etc., and refers to products whose main components are polysaccharides in which glucose is linked by α-1,4 bonds or 1,6 bonds. Specific examples include soluble starch, thin paste starch, amylodextrin, white dextrin, yellow dextrin, britesh gum, erythrodextrin, acrodextrin, maltodextrin, enzyme-modified maltodextrin, special dextrin, starch syrup, maltose liquid sugar, etc., and their reduced products such as reduced starch syrup, reduced maltose starch syrup, reduced polydextrose, and resistant dextrin. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.
In particular, from the viewpoint of achieving both a strong richness and a sharp bitterness, the starch hydrolysate is preferably one or more selected from amylodextrin, white dextrin, yellow dextrin, britesh gum, erythrodextrin, acrodextrin, maltodextrin, special dextrin, resistant dextrin, and enzyme-modified maltodextrin, and more preferably contains at least one of maltodextrin and special dextrin.

Starch hydrolysates are graded according to the degree of degradation, and dextrose equivalent (DE) is known as an index of this. DE is a relative measure when the reducing power of dextrose (glucose) is set to 100, and is calculated by the following formula:
DE (dextrose equivalent) = glucose equivalent amount (mass) of direct reducing sugar / solid content (mass) of starch hydrolysate or oligosaccharide × 100
Methods for directly quantifying the glucose equivalent amount of reducing sugar (reducing sugar amount) include, for example, the Linnenon method, the Bertrand method, and the Wilstedt-Schudel method, and any method can be appropriately selected.

The closer the DE is to 0, the closer the properties are to starch. The closer the DE is to 100, the more hydrolysis of starch has progressed, the smaller the average molecular weight is, and the more similar the properties are to glucose.
The ingredients are labeled differently depending on the DE value; generally, DE less than 10 is called dextrin, DE between 10 and 20 is called maltodextrin, and DE between 20 and 40 is called powdered candy.
In this embodiment, the starch hydrolysate preferably includes at least one having a DE of 2 to 19, more preferably one having a DE of 2 to 12, and even more preferably one having a DE of 2 to 8. This makes it possible to achieve both a high level of strong richness and a sharp bitterness.

As the starch hydrolysate, those obtained by depolymerizing starch such as corn starch, potato, or cassava using a conventional chemical or enzymatic method may be used, and among these, starch derived from potato is preferred.

Moreover, commercially available starch hydrolysates may be used.
Examples of commercially available starch hydrolysates include "Pinex #2" and "TK16" manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.; "Fujioligo G67", "Nisshoku Branch Oligo", and "Nisshoku Cleartose" manufactured by Nihon Shokuhin Kako Co., Ltd.; "Sandec #30", "Sandec #70", "Sandec #70FN", "Sandec #150", "Sandec #180", "Sandec #250", "Sandec #300", "Oligotose Liquid", and "Oligotose Powder" manufactured by Sanwa Starch Co., Ltd.; and "Smart Taste" manufactured by San-Ei Gen F.F.I.

The content of the starch hydrolysate in the coffee beverage of this embodiment is 0.01 g/100 ml or more and less than 0.5 g/100 ml, preferably 0.45 g/100 ml or less, and more preferably 0.3 g/100 ml or less.
By setting the content of the starch hydrolysate to be equal to or greater than the above lower limit, it is possible to enhance the richness of the flavor, whereas by setting the content of the starch hydrolysate to be equal to or less than the above upper limit, it is possible to improve drinkability due to reduced unpleasant flavors, and improve the sharpness of the bitterness, making it easier to maintain a balance between the strong richness and the sharpness.

[Coffee drinks]
The coffee beverage of this embodiment refers to a beverage made from ingredients extracted or dissolved from coffee beans (coffee content) and beverages to which other ingredients have been added, and which has a coffee flavor when drunk, and refers to beverages made from coffee beans and beverages to which sugars, dairy products, emulsified edible oils and fats, and other edible materials have been added and sealed in a container, as described in the "Fair Competition Code for Labeling of Coffee-Containing Beverages, etc." established in 1977. Also, in this embodiment, even if the amount of coffee beans used is less than 1% by weight in terms of raw beans, a beverage that has a coffee flavor when drunk will be treated as a coffee beverage.
On the other hand, according to the "Fair Competition Code for the Labeling of Drinking Milk," as of 2017, any product containing 3.0% or more milk solids by weight is treated as a milk beverage.
As the coffee beverage according to this embodiment is made from coffee beans, it will be treated as a coffee beverage even if it contains 3.0% or more milk solids by weight.

The above-mentioned coffee beans are not particularly limited, and examples of cultivated tree species include Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica. In addition, the varieties of coffee beans are not particularly limited, and examples of coffee beans include Mocha, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Blue Mountain, Kona, Mandheling, and Kilimanjaro. The coffee beans may be one type or a blend of two or more types.
The conditions of roasting temperature and roasting environment of the coffee beans are not particularly limited, and a usual method can be adopted. In addition, the extraction method using roasted coffee beans is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a drip type, a siphon type, a boiling type, a jet type, and a continuous type.

Here, the method of adding coffee to the coffee beverage of this embodiment is not particularly limited and can be determined appropriately by a person skilled in the art. For example, a solution (coffee extract) obtained by extracting ground roasted beans with water or hot water, a coffee extract obtained by concentrating a coffee extract, instant coffee obtained by drying a coffee extract, etc., can be used, and one or more of these can be added to the beverage.
The ground roasted beans include, but are not limited to, coarsely ground, medium ground, fine ground, and the like.

The lower limit of the coffee soluble solids content in a coffee beverage is preferably 0.5% by mass or more, more preferably 0.9% by mass or more, and even more preferably 1% by mass or more, in order to obtain an authentic coffee flavor, easy drinkability, and deliciousness.
On the other hand, the upper limit of the content of coffee soluble solids in a coffee beverage is preferably 2.5% by mass or less, more preferably 2.3% by mass or less, and even more preferably 2.0% by mass or less, in order to achieve a good balance between aroma, acidity, bitterness and aftertaste while also improving the mouthfeel.

The coffee beverage may be a black coffee beverage (with or without sweetener) that does not contain milk, or, if desired, a milk-based coffee beverage that contains one or more types of milk.

[Brix value]
The Brix value (Bx) of the coffee beverage of this embodiment, from the viewpoint of improving drinkability while achieving a good balance of aroma, acidity, bitterness, and aftertaste, is preferably 0.3° or more and 10° or less, more preferably 0.5° or more and 7° or less, and even more preferably 1.0° or more and 6° or less.
The Brix value indicates the total content of soluble solids relative to the total amount of the coffee beverage. The Brix value can be measured, for example, by using a digital refractometer Rx-5000α (manufactured by Atago Co., Ltd.) to measure the sugar refractometer reading at 20° C.
The Brix value can be adjusted, for example, by the amount of sweetener described below and the amounts of various other ingredients.

[Caffeine]
The coffee beverage of the present embodiment contains caffeine, which improves palatability and facilitates an improvement in the balance between bitterness and aftertaste.
The caffeine content in the entire coffee beverage is preferably 0.1 mg/100 ml or more and 150 mg/100 ml or less, more preferably 10 mg/100 ml or more and 120 mg/100 ml or less, and even more preferably 35 mg/100 ml or more and 100 mg/100 ml or less.
By setting the caffeine content to the lower limit or more, it becomes easier to improve the coffee flavor while maintaining a good balance between bitterness and aftertaste, whereas by setting the caffeine content to the upper limit or less, it becomes easier to obtain a good aftertaste while maintaining the coffee flavor.

The coffee beverage of this embodiment may contain aroma components other than those mentioned above, milk, sweeteners, acidulants, emulsifiers, pH adjusters (sodium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate, etc.), fruit juice, various nutritional components, colorants, diluents, antioxidants, thickening stabilizers, etc., as long as the effects of the present invention are obtained.

Examples of the milk include raw milk, whole milk powder, skim milk powder, fresh cream, concentrated milk, partially skim milk, condensed milk, milk powder, and fermented milk. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.
In the case of a milk-containing coffee beverage, the milk content is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of obtaining a good milk flavor while improving the coffee feeling and obtaining a good bitterness and aftertaste, the amount of milk solids (meaning the combination of milk fat and non-fat milk solids) is preferably 0.5 to 3.5 mass%, more preferably 0.8 to 2.5 mass%, and even more preferably 1.0 to 2.0 mass%.

Examples of the sweeteners include sugars such as fructose, sucrose, glucose, granulated sugar, lactose, and maltose; low-intensity sweeteners such as xylitol and D-sorbitol; and high-intensity sweeteners such as thaumatin, stevia extract, disodium glycyrrhizinate, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, aspartame, saccharin, neotame, and sodium saccharin. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[container]
Examples of containers used for the coffee beverage of this embodiment include sealed containers made of glass, paper, plastic (polyethylene terephthalate, etc.), aluminum, steel, etc., or composite or laminated materials thereof. The type of container is not particularly limited, but examples include PET bottles, aluminum cans, steel cans, paper cartons, chilled cups, bottles, etc. From the viewpoint of maintaining the flavor of the coffee beverage, steel cans are preferred, and from the viewpoints of being lightweight and resealable, PET bottles, steel cans, and aluminum cans with lids are preferred.
The volume of the coffee beverage is not particularly limited, but is preferably 100 to 2000 g, and more preferably 100 to 500 g from the viewpoint of ease of drinking.

The method of heat sterilization when the coffee beverage of this embodiment is packed in a container is not particularly limited, but in Japan, heat sterilization is performed in accordance with the provisions of the Food Sanitation Act. Specifically, there is a method in which the coffee beverage is sterilized at high temperature for a short time and then filled into a storage container that has been sterilized under aseptic conditions (UHT sterilization method), and a retort sterilization method in which the prepared liquid is filled into a storage container such as a can and then retorted.

<Method of producing coffee beverage>
The method for producing a coffee beverage of this embodiment includes the steps of preparing a coffee component, mixing the coffee component with iso-α-acids and a starch hydrolysate, and adjusting the content of the iso-α-acids in the beverage to 1 ppm or more and 15 ppm or less, and the content of the starch hydrolysate to 0.01 g/100 ml or more and less than 0.5 g/100 ml, thereby obtaining a coffee beverage that is both rich and full-bodied and has a sharp bitter taste.
In this embodiment, the iso-α acid and starch hydrolysate may be the same as those described for the coffee beverage. Other ingredients may also be used in the same manner.
The coffee component may be a solution (coffee extract) obtained by extracting ground roasted beans with water or hot water, a coffee extract obtained by concentrating the coffee extract, or instant coffee obtained by drying the coffee extract, or may be a mixture of one or more of these.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these are merely examples of the present invention, and various configurations other than those described above can also be adopted.
Below, examples of reference forms are given.
1. A coffee beverage comprising iso-alpha acids and a starch hydrolysate,
A coffee beverage, wherein the content of the iso-α acid in the beverage is 1 ppm or more and 15 ppm or less, and the content of the starch hydrolysate in the beverage is 0.01 g/100 ml or more and less than 0.5 g/100 ml.
2. The coffee beverage according to 1., wherein the starch hydrolysate includes at least one having a DE of 2 to 19.
3. The coffee beverage according to 1. or 2, wherein the iso-α acid is derived from hops.
4. The coffee beverage according to any one of 1. to 3., wherein the Brix value of the beverage is 0.3° or more and 10° or less.
5. The coffee beverage according to any one of 1. to 4., which is packaged in a container.

The present invention will be described below with reference to examples and comparative examples, but the present invention is not limited to these.

<Analysis method>
The iso-α acid content in a coffee beverage was measured as follows.
The measurement sample was prepared as follows: 10 ml of the sample appropriately diluted with ultrapure water was placed in a glass centrifuge tube, 10 ml of methanol was added, and the mixture was mixed by inversion several times, then centrifuged (3000 rpm, 15 minutes, room temperature) in a centrifuge, and the supernatant was filtered through a PTFE filter (Whatman SYRINGE FILTER 13 mm Disposable Filter Device PTFE, pore size 0.45 μm) to prepare an analysis sample.
[Device configuration]
・Detector: SPD-M20A Prominence (Shimadzu Corporation)
・Column oven: CTO-20AC prominence (Shimadzu Corporation)
Pump: LC-20AD prominence (Shimadzu Corporation)
・Autosampler: SIL-20ACHT prominence (Shimadzu Corporation)
Column: Zorbax Eclipse 5 XDB-C8, inner diameter 4.6 mm x length 250 mm, particle size 5 μm (Agilent Technologies)
[Analysis conditions]
Sample injection volume: 50 μL
・Flow rate: 1.0mL/min
Detection wavelength: 270 nm
Column oven temperature setting: 35°C
Eluent A: methanol Eluent B: 1% citric acid buffer (pH 7.0) (10.9 g of citric acid monohydrate is dissolved in about 950 ml of ultrapure water. The pH is adjusted to 7.0 with 45% potassium hydroxide solution, and ultrapure water is added to make up to 1000 ml. The solution is filtered through a filter (ADVAVTEC MIXED CELLULOSE ESTER A045A047A)), 30 (V/V)% acetonitrile solution [gradient conditions]
Time Eluent A Eluent B
0.0 min 15% 85%
5.0 minutes 15% 85%
30.0 minutes 80% 20%
33.0 minutes 80% 20%
35.0 minutes 15% 85%
45.0 minutes 15% 85%
[Preparation of standard substances]
30 mg of iso-α-acid standard (DCHA-Iso, LaborVeritas) was weighed out and placed in a 100 ml transparent glass measuring flask, and about 40 ml of acidic methanol (1 L of methanol to which 0.5 ml of phosphoric acid (85%) was added) was added and dissolved, and the solution was made to volume in acidic methanol at 20° C. and protected from light. This was appropriately diluted with 1% citrate buffer (pH 7.0) and 35 (V/V)% acetonitrile solution.
[Measurement of iso-α acid content]
The area values of I1 (16.3 min), I2 (17.1 min), I3 (20.5 min), and I4 (21.1 min) were added together, and the content was calculated based on the area value of the standard substance.

[Experimental Example 1: Difference in iso-α acid content]
<Preparation of packaged coffee beverage>
A coffee extract was obtained by extracting 100 g of coffee beans (produced in Brazil, L value 16) with 1000 g of hot water at 95° C. Sodium bicarbonate, dextrin, and hop extract (iso-α bitter acid) were added to the obtained coffee extract in the amounts shown in Table 1 below to prepare a coffee beverage, which was then filled into cans and sterilized by retort to obtain a packaged coffee beverage (Prototypes 1 to 7).
The dextrin used was "Smart Taste" special dextrin (DE 2-5) manufactured by San-Ei Gen FFI Co., Ltd.

<Sensory evaluation>
Next, six experienced panelists tasted each of the resulting packaged coffee beverages (20°C) and rated them on a seven-point scale (1 to 7 points) for "full body,""sharpness of bitterness," and "ease of drinking" according to the evaluation criteria shown in Table 2 below, and the average scores were calculated. The evaluation was also performed using the beverage of Control Example 1 as a control (standard value 4 points). The results are shown in Table 1.

[Experimental Example 2: Difference in content of starch hydrolysate]
<Preparation of packaged coffee beverage>
A coffee extract was obtained in the same manner as in Experimental Example 1, and then baking soda, dextrin, and hop extract (iso-α bitter acid) were mixed in the amounts shown in Table 3 below to prepare a coffee beverage. The coffee beverage was then filled into cans and retort sterilized to obtain a packaged coffee beverage (Prototypes 8 to 11).
The dextrin used was "Smart Taste" special dextrin (DE 2-5) manufactured by San-Ei Gen FFI Co., Ltd.

<Sensory evaluation>
A sensory evaluation was carried out in the same manner as in Experimental Example 1. The results are shown in Table 3.

[Experimental Example 3: Differences in types of starch hydrolysates]
<Preparation of packaged coffee beverage>
A coffee extract was obtained in the same manner as in Experimental Example 1, and then baking soda, starch hydrolysate, and hop extract (iso-α-bitter acid) were mixed in the amounts shown in Table 4 below to prepare a coffee beverage. The coffee beverage was then filled into cans and sterilized by retort to obtain a packaged coffee beverage (Prototypes 12 to 15).
The starch hydrolysates used were as follows:
・"Smart Taste (registered trademark)" special dextrin (DE 2-5) manufactured by San-Ei Gen F.F.I. ・"TK-16" maltodextrin (DE 16-19) manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. ・"PinedeX (registered trademark) #2" maltodextrin (DE 10-12) manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. ・"Fibersol 2" resistant dextrin, manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.

<Sensory evaluation>
A sensory evaluation was carried out in the same manner as in Experimental Example 1. The results are shown in Table 4.

Claims (6)

A coffee beverage comprising at least one of a coffee extract obtained by extracting coffee beans with water or hot water, a coffee extract obtained by concentrating the coffee extract, and an instant coffee obtained by drying the coffee extract, iso-α acid , and a starch hydrolysate,
A coffee beverage, wherein the content of the iso-α acid in the beverage is 1 ppm or more and 15 ppm or less, and the content of the starch hydrolysate in the beverage is 0.01 g/100 ml or more and less than 0.5 g/100 ml. The coffee beverage according to claim 1, wherein the starch hydrolysate includes at least one having a DE of 2 to 19. The coffee beverage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the iso-α-acid is derived from hops. The coffee beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the Brix value of the beverage is 0.3° or more and 10° or less. A coffee beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 4, packaged in a container. A step of extracting the coffee beans by adding water or hot water to obtain a coffee extract;
mixing the coffee extract, iso-alpha acids, and a starch hydrolysate;
1. A method for producing a coffee beverage comprising:
The beverage contains at least one of a coffee extract obtained by extracting coffee beans with water or hot water, a coffee extract obtained by concentrating the coffee extract, and instant coffee obtained by drying the coffee extract,
A method for producing a coffee beverage, wherein the content of the iso-α acids in the beverage is 1 ppm or more and 15 ppm or less, and the content of the starch hydrolysate is 0.01 g/100 ml or more and less than 0.5 g/100 ml.