JP6971647B2 - A method for improving the dispersibility of precipitates or aggregates of microbial cell powder in carbonated beverages containing microbial cells and carbonated beverages. - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a carbonated beverage containing microbial cells such as lactic acid bacteria, and a method for improving the dispersibility of precipitates or aggregates of microbial cell powder in such carbonated beverages.

Lactic acid bacteria are attracting attention as a functional ingredient having physiological activity beneficial to health against the background of recent health consciousness. Lactic acid bacteria have been known to have various physiological activities depending on the strain, such as intestinal regulation action, antiallergic action, cholesterol lowering action, blood pressure lowering action, skin beautifying action, and restful sleep action. In addition, research on lactic acid bacteria strains having novel physiological activity is underway. For example, the Lactobacillus amylovorous CP1563 strain is effective in improving lipid metabolism and / or glucose metabolism (Patent Documents). 1) It has been reported that the effect of improving lipid metabolism is improved by destroying the strain (Patent Document 2). In terms of easy daily intake of such lactic acid bacteria, lactic acid bacteria-containing beverages are in line with consumers' health consciousness, and it is expected that their needs will increase in the future.

As a method for producing a beverage containing lactic acid bacteria, for example, a method of blending fermented milk obtained by adding lactic acid bacteria to raw milk and fermenting it, or a method of blending cell powder obtained by drying cells of lactic acid bacteria by freeze-drying or the like. and so on. However, the lactic acid bacterium-containing beverage produced by such a method has problems such as aggregation and precipitation of milk protein or bacterial cell powder in fermented milk during storage, and white turbidity due to fermented milk.

So far, methods of adding stabilizers such as pectin, gums, and soybean polysaccharides in a beverage containing lactic acid bacteria in order to suppress the generation of precipitation of milk protein and improve storage stability (Patent Documents 3 and 4). , A method of adding fermented cellulose and soybean polysaccharide (Patent Document 5) and the like have been reported.

In addition, emulsifiers such as glycerin fatty acid ester and sucrose fatty acid ester are used for the purposes of emulsification, dispersion, permeation, washing, foaming, defoaming, mold release, etc. during food processing, and are being stored in beverages. It is often used for the purpose of preventing the separation of fats and oils. For example, Patent Document 6 discloses that a milk beverage having a good emulsified state and excellent storage stability can be obtained by using a polyglycerin fatty acid ester and a sucrose fatty acid ester in combination. In Patent Document 7, 5 of (A) emulsifiers such as sucrose fatty acid esters having an average HLB of 14 or less, (B) crystalline cellulose, (C) xanthan gum, (D) gellan gum, (E) monosaccharides and the like. By blending an anti-precipitation agent for a protein beverage, which contains an ingredient as an essential ingredient and contains four components (A) to (D) in a specific ratio, the protein beverage can be made into a high-salt beverage or a low-viscosity beverage. It is disclosed that even a beverage can improve dispersion stability.

However, all of the inventions described in Patent Documents 3 to 7 are intended to stabilize by suppressing the aggregation of milk proteins and promoting the dispersion of milk fat, and are the precipitates and aggregates of microbial cells such as lactic acid bacteria. It does not improve the dispersibility of.

On the other hand, Patent Document 8 describes "a composition containing a lactic acid bacterium having an immunostimulatory action and an ester bond of a polyhydric alcohol and a saturated fatty acid as an active ingredient". As the "composition", "food and drink" is exemplified, and as the "ester combination product of polyhydric alcohol and saturated fatty acid", "sucrose fatty acid ester" is exemplified. However, in the invention described in Patent Document 8, the polyhydric alcohol and the saturated fatty acid ester conjugate are only used as a component for enhancing the immunostimulatory action of lactic acid bacteria, and the "food and drink" is a "beverage". Whether it is present or other (solid matter, etc.) is not particularly distinguished in relation to the effect. In other words, Patent Document 8 describes lactic acid bacteria (powder) when a polyhydric alcohol and a saturated fatty acid ester conjugate, particularly a sucrose fatty acid ester having a specific range of HLB, is blended into a "beverage" (for example, a lactic acid bacterium beverage). ) Has the effect of improving the dispersion stability is not disclosed so that such a thing can be specifically recognized. In Examples 3 and 3 of Patent Document 8, as sucrose fatty acid esters, sucrose palmitic acid ester (Ryoto sugar ester P-1570, P-1670) and sucrose stearic acid ester (Ryoto sugar ester S- 1570, S-1670) or sucrose oleic acid ester (Ryoto sugar ester O-1570) is disclosed, but it is described in FIG. 3 with the "lactic acid bacterium (JCM5805 strain)" prepared in the example. The "mixture of samples of" is intended to be added to a cell suspension of spleen cells (Example 1) for verifying the immunostimulatory effect, and is not a "beverage". Each of the above sucrose fatty acid ester products has been verified only for its immunostimulatory effect when added to cells, and from the viewpoint of whether it exerts a practical effect on improving dispersion stability when added to beverages. Not verified.

Patent Document 9 describes a food composition containing a lactic acid bacterium belonging to Lactobacillus kunky or a treated product thereof, and beverages are also exemplified as the food composition. Further formulation of sucrose fatty acid esters with a specific range of HLB is not disclosed. In the examples of Patent Document 9, it is described that a mixture of a specific lactic acid bacterium powder and a sucrose fatty acid ester (usually in the form of powder or paste) is filled in a hard capsule to obtain a "lactic acid bacterium capsule". However, the composition is not a "beverage", and the compound names of the HLB and fatty acid (residue) of the sucrose fatty acid ester are unknown.

Japanese Patent No. 5690416 Japanese Patent No. 5801802 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-185132 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-325606 (Patent No. 4017175) Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-19 (Patent No. 5867891) Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-75683 (Patent No. 3509566) Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-312572 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-5452 WO2013 / 099883

When microbial cells such as lactic acid bacteria are to be ingested by a carbonated drink, it is preferable to include the microbial cell powder in the carbonated drink in order to widen the range of the final product form, and the physiologically active substance existing inside the cells. When it is intended to ingest, it is preferable that the carbonated beverage contains a destructive-treated cell powder that has destroyed the microbial cells. However, in this case, the microbial cell powder tends to form a precipitate or agglomerates in the carbonated drink during storage. In particular, when the microbial cell powder is a destructive-treated bacterial cell powder, the bacterial cell powder precipitate adheres to the bottom surface of the container, or the bacterial cell powder in the liquid or the precipitate aggregates to form a hard aggregate. We found that it is difficult to ingest physiologically active substances because it is easy to form, and the appearance of carbonated drinks is also bad. In particular, in carbonated beverages that cannot be drunk by shaking the beverage container, there arises a problem that it is difficult to disperse the precipitate on the bottom surface of the container and disintegrate the agglomerates. Further, they have found that even during the production of carbonated beverages, the microbial cell powder (particularly the destructive-treated bacterial cell powder) aggregates and the microbial cell cannot be uniformly filled in the container.

Therefore, in one aspect of the present invention, in a carbonated beverage containing a powder of microbial cells such as lactic acid bacteria, the dispersibility and / of the precipitates and aggregates of the microbial cell powder generated during production and storage. Alternatively, it is an object to provide an effective means for improving the disintegration property.

As a result of diligent research to solve the above problems, the present inventors have added a specific type of sucrose fatty acid ester having a specific HLB to a carbonated drink together with a microbial cell powder such as lactic acid bacteria. It has been found that the dispersibility and / or disintegration property of the precipitates and aggregates of the microbial cell powder generated during the production and storage of this carbonated beverage can be remarkably improved, and the present invention has been completed. The sucrose fatty acid ester is a compound that has been widely blended in various foods and drinks as a food additive (emulsifier), but the present invention relates to a specific type of sucrose fatty acid ester having a specific HLB. It was made on the basis of having an unexpected attribute (use) that it can improve the dispersibility and / or disintegration of the precipitates and aggregates of the microbial cell powder contained in the carbonated beverage. be. Furthermore, we have found that some of the particular types of sucrose fatty acid esters with a particular HLB are prone to problems for soft drinks, especially when formulated with emulsifiers as described above, at the time of opening and / or. It is possible to prevent spillage during filling, that is, by selecting a preferred sucrose fatty acid ester, the dispersibility and / or disintegration of the microbial cell powder precipitates and aggregates as described above is improved. On the other hand, it has also been found that the spillage during opening and / or filling can be suppressed to the same extent as when the above emulsifier is not added.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the applicant has used polyglycerin fatty acid ester alone or polyglycerin fatty acid ester in combination with organic acid monoglyceride in a carbonated or non-carbonated beverage together with microbial cell powder. (Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-240827, hereinafter, the invention according to the application is referred to as a "prior invention"). The present invention has an effect of improving the dispersibility and / or disintegration of microbial cell precipitates and aggregates as much as or better than that of the previous invention, preferably at the time of opening and / or filling. It is superior in that it is less likely to spill (it is about the same as when polyglycerin fatty acid ester etc. is not used).

That is, the present invention includes the following inventions.
[Item 1]
(A) Microbial cell powder and (B) sucrose stearic acid ester with HLB of 6 to 17, sucrose oleic acid ester with HLB of 14 to 16, sucrose lauric acid ester with HLB of 15 to 17, and HLB. Is a microbial cell-containing carbonated beverage, which comprises at least one sucrose fatty acid ester selected from the group consisting of 14 to 17 sucrose palmitic acid esters.
[Item 2]
The sucrose fatty acid ester (B) is a sucrose stearic acid ester having an HLB of 15.5 to 16.5, a sucrose oleic acid ester having an HLB of 14 to 16, and a sucrose lauric acid ester having an HLB of 15 to 17. Item 2. The microbial cell-containing carbonated beverage according to Item 1, wherein the HLB is at least one selected from the group consisting of 14 to 17 sucrose palmitic acid esters.
[Item 3]
The sucrose fatty acid ester (B) is a sucrose oleic acid ester having an HLB of 14 to 16, a sucrose lauric acid ester having an HLB of 15 to 17, and a sucrose palmitic acid ester having an HLB of 14.5-15.5. Item 2. The microbial cell-containing carbonated beverage according to Item 2, which is at least one selected from the group consisting of.
[Item 4]
Item 2. The microbial cell-containing carbonated beverage according to any one of Items 1 to 3, wherein the content of the sucrose fatty acid ester (B) in the beverage is 0.001 to 0.2% by mass.
[Item 5]
Item 2. The microbial cell-containing carbonated beverage according to any one of Items 1 to 4, wherein the microbial cell powder (A) is a destructive-treated microbial cell powder.
[Item 6]
Item 6. The microbial cell-containing carbonated beverage according to any one of Items 1 to 5, wherein the microbial cell powder (A) is a lactic acid bacterium cell powder.
[Item 7]
Item 6. The microbial cell-containing carbonated beverage according to Item 6, wherein the lactic acid bacterium is a lactic acid bacterium belonging to the genus Lactobacillus.
[Item 8]
Item 2. The microbial cell-containing carbonated beverage according to any one of Items 1 to 7, wherein the beverage further contains milk.
[Item 9]
Dispersibility and / or disintegration of microbial cell powder precipitates or aggregates in soft drinks during production or storage, characterized by the coexistence of microbial cell powder and sucrose fatty acid ester in solution. How to improve sex.

According to the present invention, it contains microbial cell powder such as lactic acid bacteria, which is useful as a functional component for maintaining and promoting health, and has excellent dispersion stability and / or agglutination property during production and storage. Carbonated drinks are provided. The carbonated beverage of the present invention has good dispersibility and / or disintegration of microbial cell precipitates or aggregates generated during storage, and the precipitates or aggregates do not adhere to the bottom of the container. Even if it occurs, it can be redispersed by shaking the container lightly (so that the carbonated drink does not spurt out) before drinking. The carbonated beverage of the present invention can be further suppressed from spillage during opening and / or filling. Further, according to the present invention, the dispersibility of the microbial cells and / or the disintegration of the settling mass at the time of production can be improved, so that the carbonated beverage can be uniformly filled with the microbial cells. Such an action and effect of the present invention is sufficiently exhibited even when the microbial cells are destructive products, which are prone to form precipitates or aggregates.

FIG. 1 is a photograph of the appearance of the bottom surface of the container showing the evaluation criteria of the dispersibility at rest (see the section of Test Example 1, (2-1)). FIG. 2 is a photograph of the appearance of the bottom surface of the container showing the evaluation criteria of the sedimentation mass disintegration property (see the section of Test Example 1 and (2-2)).

1. 1. Microbial cell-containing carbonated beverage The carbonated beverage of the present invention has dispersibility and / or disintegration of the microbial cell powder (A) and the precipitates and aggregates of the microbial cell powder generated during production and storage. It contains a specific sucrose fatty acid ester (B) having a specific HLB as an ingredient for improving (in the present specification, it may be simply referred to as "sucrose fatty acid ester (B)"). , A carbonated drink.

The type of carbonated beverage is not particularly limited as long as it can contain microbial cells such as lactic acid bacteria and yeast, but for example, milky beverages, fruit juice / vegetable juice beverages, tea beverages, coffee beverages, functional beverages, etc. Examples include sports drinks.

Here, the "carbonated beverage" is not only a carbonated beverage corresponding to general foods, but also foods other than pharmaceuticals that can be ingested for the purpose of maintaining or improving health, such as health foods, functional foods, health functional foods, or It is used as a term that includes carbonated beverages that fall under special-purpose foods. Health foods include foods provided under the names of dietary supplements, health supplements, supplements and the like. Foods with health claims are defined by the Food Sanitation Law or the Health Promotion Law, and can be labeled with specific health effects, functions of nutritional components, reduction of disease risk, etc. Includes foods with functional claims that are defined and capable of labeling what has been notified to the Commissioner of the Consumer Affairs Agency about functionality based on scientific evidence. In addition, special-purpose foods include foods for the sick, foods for the elderly, foods for infants, foods for pregnant women, etc. that indicate that they are suitable for a specific target person or a patient having a specific disease.

[Microbial cell powder]
The microbial cells used for preparing the microbial cell powder contained in the carbonated beverage of the present invention typically refer to lactic acid bacteria cells, but are not limited thereto, and are, for example, yeast cells. May be good. In addition to lactic acid bacilli and lactic acid cocci, lactic acid bacteria also include bifidobacteria as lactic acid bacteria in a broad sense. The cells of lactic acid bacteria are not limited as long as they are generally used for food and drink, but for example, the genus Lactobacillus, the genus Bifidobacterium, and the genus Leuconostoc. , Lactococcus (Lactococcus), Pediococcus (Pediococcus), Enterococcus (Enterococcus), Streptococcus (Streptococcus), Weissella (Weissella), etc. The cells of the lactic acid bacterium to which it belongs are preferable. As the cells of these lactic acid bacteria, one kind may be used, or two or more kinds may be mixed and used.

Examples of lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genus Lactobacillus include Lactobacillus amyloboras, Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus previs, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus delpruckii, Lactobacillus fermentum, and Lactobacillus. Lactobacillus kefia, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus plantaram, Lactobacillus bulgaricas, Lactobacillus ramnosus, Lactobacillus salivalius, Lactobacillus Johnsony, Lactobacillus crispatas, Lactobacillus galinalum, etc. Can be mentioned.

The genus Bifidobacterium is also referred to as Bifidobacterium, and such lactic acid bacteria include, for example, Bifidobacterium infantis, Bifidobacterium addresscentis, Bifidobacterium preve, and Bifidobacterium.・ Longum, Bifidobacterium pseudolongum, Bifidobacterium animalis, Bifidobacterium bifidam, Bifidobacterium lactis, Bifidobacterium catenuratum, Bifidobacterium pseudocatenuratum , And Bifidobacterium magnum and the like.

Examples of lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genus Leuconostoc include Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Leuconostoc lactis and the like.

Examples of lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genus Lactococcus include Lactococcus lactis, Lactococcus plantarum, Lactococcus raffinolactis, Lactococcus cremoris and the like.

Examples of lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genus Pediococcus include Pediococcus pentosaceus and Pediococcus damnosus.

Examples of lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genus Enterococcus include Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecae, and Enterococcus faecium.

Examples of the lactic acid bacterium belonging to the genus Streptococcus include Streptococcus thermophilus, Streptococcus lactis, Streptococcus diacetilactis, Streptococcus faecalis and the like.

Lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genus Weissella include Weissella tivaria, Weissella confuser, Weissella halotreans, Weissella Helenica, Weissella candreli, Weissella kimchii, Weissella colleensis, Weissella minor, Weissella paramesenteroides, Weissella. Examples include Sori, Weissella Tylandensis, Weissella Billides Sense, etc.

The strain belonging to the above-mentioned lactic acid bacterium species used in the carbonated beverage of the present invention may be any of an isolated strain from nature, a deposited strain, a preserved strain, a commercially available strain and the like.

The microbial cells used in the carbonated beverage of the present invention, preferably cells selected from lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genus Lactobacillus, use a medium usually used for culturing microbial cells under the conditions normally used. It can be propagated and recovered by culturing.

As the culture medium, either a natural medium or a synthetic medium may be used as long as it usually contains a carbon source, a nitrogen source, inorganic salts and the like and can efficiently culture the above-mentioned bacterial species. .. As the carbon source, for example, lactose, glucose, sucrose, fructose, galactose, waste sugar honey and the like can be used, and as the nitrogen source, for example, casein hydrolyzate, whey protein hydrolyzate, soybean protein hydrolyzate, yeast can be used. Organic nitrogen-containing substances such as extracts and meat extracts can be used. Further, as the inorganic salts, for example, phosphate, sodium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, iron, zinc and the like can be used. Examples of the medium suitable for culturing lactic acid bacteria include MRS liquid medium, GAM medium, BL medium, Briggs Liver Broth, animal milk, defatted milk, and milky whey. Preferably, sterile MRS medium can be used. When used for food purposes, a medium composed only of food materials and food additives can also be used. As the natural medium, tomato juice, carrot juice, other vegetable juices, apples, pineapples, grape juices and the like can also be used.

Culturing is carried out at 20-50 ° C, preferably 25-42 ° C, more preferably about 37 ° C, under anaerobic conditions. The temperature condition can be adjusted by a constant temperature bath, a mantle heater, a jacket, or the like. The anaerobic condition is a hypoxic environment in which bacteria can grow, for example, by using an anaerobic chamber, an anaerobic box, a closed container or bag containing an oxygen scavenger, or simply. By sealing the culture vessel, anaerobic conditions can be obtained. The types of culture are static culture, shaking culture, tank culture and the like. The culture time is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 3 hours to 96 hours. The pH of the medium at the start of culturing is preferably maintained at, for example, 4.0 to 8.0.

For example, when a lactic acid bacterium, Lactobacillus amylovoras CP1563 strain (accession number FERM BP-11255) is used as a microbial cell, the lactic acid bacterium is inoculated into a food grade medium for lactic acid bacteria and overnight (about) at about 37 ° C. The culture can be carried out over 18 hours).

The "microbial cell powder" used in the carbonated beverage of the present invention can be obtained by drying a culture solution of microbial cells using a method and equipment known in the art to form a powder. can. The specific drying method is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include spray drying, drum drying, hot air drying, vacuum drying, freeze drying, and the like, and these drying means can be used alone or in combination.

The microbial cell powder damages the microbial cell by destroying the cell structure of the microbial cell, and is made into a finer powder than the microbial cell powder simply dried by a method such as freeze-drying. It may be "powder". Destruction-treated microbial cell powder is obtained by recovering the entire destroyed microbial cell (that is, essentially all the components constituting the cell) as it is.

The destruction treatment of microbial cells can be carried out by using methods and equipment known in the art, for example, by physical crushing, grinding treatment, enzyme lysis treatment, chemical treatment, autolysis treatment and the like.

Physical crushing may be performed either wet (treated in the state of microbial cells in suspension) or dry (treated in the state of microbial cells powder), and a homogenizer, ball mill, bead mill, planetary mill or the like is used. The microbial cells can be damaged by the stirring using a jet mill, a French press, a cell crusher or the like, or by filter filtration.

The enzyme lysis treatment is carried out by destroying the cell wall of the microbial cell using an enzyme such as lysozyme.

The chemical treatment is carried out by destroying the cell structure of the microbial cells using, for example, a surfactant such as a glycerin fatty acid ester or a soybean phospholipid.

The autolysis treatment is performed by lysing the microbial cells with the enzyme of the microorganism itself.

Among the above-mentioned treatments, physical crushing is preferable because it is not necessary to add other reagents or components, and physical crushing by a dry method is more preferable.

More specifically, the physical crushing is performed by using a known dry planetary mill cell crusher (GOT5 Galaxy 5 or the like) to crush the microbial cell powder into various balls (for example, zirconia 10 mm balls, zirconia 5 mm balls, alumina 1 mm balls). ) A method of treating for 30 minutes to 20 hours (for example, 5 hours) at a rotation speed of 50 to 10,000 rpm (for example, 190 rpm) in the coexistence, a known dry jet mill cell crusher (jet Omizer, etc.) for microbial cell powder. in the feed rate 0.01~10,000g / min (e.g. 0.5 g / min), at a pressure of the discharge pressure 1~1,000kg / cm ² (e.g. 6kg / cm ^2), 1~10 times (e.g. It can be done by a method of processing (once). Further, the microbial cell suspension is subjected to a peripheral speed of 10.0 to 20.0 m / s (for example, about 14.0 m / s) by using a glass peas in a known dynomill cell crusher (DYNO-MILL crusher or the like). s), a method of treating 1 to 7 times (for example, 3 to 5 times) at a crushing tank temperature of 10 to 30 ° C. (for example, about 15 ° C.) at a treatment flow rate of 0.1 to 10 L / 10 min (for example, about 1 L / 10 min). , Microbial cell suspension in a known wet jet mill cell crusher (JN20 nanojet pal, etc.) with a discharge pressure of 50 to 1,000 MPa (for example, 270 MPa) and a treatment flow rate of 50 to 1,000 ml / min (for example, 300 ml). It can also be performed by a method of processing 1 to 30 times (for example, 10 times) at / min).

The destructive-treated microbial cells obtained by the above method can be used as they are in the case of a dry type, or can be dried to form a powder in the case of a wet type. The specific drying method is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include spray drying, drum drying, hot air drying, vacuum drying, freeze drying, and the like, and these drying means can be used alone or in combination.

The content of the microbial cell powder (A) in the carbonated beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably an amount that can be expected to have physiological activity (for example, an effect of improving lipid metabolism and / or glucose metabolism). For example, it is 0.001 to 1.0% by mass, more preferably 0.01 to 0.1% by mass.

[Sucrose fatty acid ester]
The carbonated beverage of the present invention includes a sucrose fatty acid ester having a specific HLB, that is, a sucrose stearic acid ester having an HLB of 6 to 17, a sucrose oleic acid ester having an HLB of 14 to 16, and an HLB, together with a microbial cell powder. A sucrose lauric acid ester having a value of 15 to 17 or a sucrose palmitate ester having an HLB of 14 to 17 is blended. Any one of these sucrose fatty acid esters may be used, or two or more thereof may be used in combination.

From the viewpoint of the action and effect on the dispersibility and / or disintegration of the precipitate and aggregate of the microbial cell powder, as the sucrose fatty acid ester, the sucrose stearic acid ester having an HLB of 15.5 to 16.5 and the HLB have been used. It is preferable to use 14 to 16 sucrose oleic acid esters, 15 to 17 HLB sucrose lauric acid esters, or 14 to 17 HLB sucrose palmitic acid esters. Any one of these sucrose fatty acid esters may be used, or two or more thereof may be used in combination.

Furthermore, from the viewpoint of not only the action and effect on the dispersibility and / or disintegration of the precipitate and aggregate of the microbial cell powder, but also the action and effect on the spillage during opening and the spillage during filling, the sucrose fatty acid. As the ester, it is preferable to use a sucrose oleic acid ester having an HLB of 14 to 16, a sucrose lauric acid ester having an HLB of 15 to 17, or a sucrose palmitic acid ester having an HLB of 14.5 to 15.5. Any one of these sucrose fatty acid esters may be used, or two or more thereof may be used in combination.

Sucrose fatty acid ester is a compound permitted as a food additive (emulsifier for food) under the Food Sanitation Law, and is a nonionic surfactant having sucrose as a hydrophilic group and ester-bonded fatty acid as a parent oil group. be. One molecule of sucrose has eight hydroxyl groups, and one or more fatty acids are ester-bonded to these hydroxyl groups to exist from monoester to octaester. The sucrose glyceric acid ester is usually manufactured and sold as a composition containing a plurality of compounds from a monoester to an octaester. The HLB varies depending on the type of fatty acid and the ratio of each of the ester compounds contained (combined composition of the ester compound). Generally, the more the ester compound having a small number of fatty acid bonds is contained, the more sucrose as a composition. The HLB of the fatty acid ester becomes large (hydrophilic), and the more the ester compound having a large number of fatty acid bonds is contained, the smaller the HLB of the sucrose fatty acid ester as the composition (is oil-based). In other words, the smaller the average number of fatty acid bonds per molecule of sucrose (average number of bonds), the larger the HLB of the sucrose fatty acid ester, and the larger the average number of fatty acid bonds, the larger the sucrose fatty acid ester. HLB becomes smaller.

The sucrose fatty acid ester having a desired HLB can be produced by a known method (for example, a transesterification reaction between sucrose and a higher alcohol ester of a fatty acid), or can be obtained as a commercially available product. Examples of the sucrose stearic acid ester having an HLB of 6 to 17 include "Ryoto (registered trademark) sugar ester" manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd., brand "S-770" (HLB = about 7), and "S-970". (HLB = about 9), "S-1170" (HLB = about 11); as a sucrose oleic acid ester with an HLB of 14-16, also "O-1570" (HLB = about 15); HLB 15- The sucrose lauric acid ester of 17 is also "L-1695" (HLB = about 16); the sucrose palmitate ester having an HLB of 14 to 17 is also "P-1570" (HLB = about 15), "P-1670" (HLB = about 16) can be mentioned.

The HLB of the above products is outlined in the catalog (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd. website, http://www.mfc.co.jp/product/nyuuka/ryoto_syuga/list.html). Although it is described, the above integer is represented as an approximate value by rounding to the nearest whole number. For example, if the HLB is "about 9", it is estimated to be "8.5 or more and less than 9.5". When using other products, the HLB can also refer to the catalog values. If the catalog value is unknown, or if the sucrose fatty acid ester is prepared and used by itself, the HLB can be determined according to a known method. The HLB calculation method includes an atlas method, a Griffin method, a Davis method, an upstream method, and the like, and there is also a method of determining the HLB from the retention time in high performance liquid chromatography. In the present invention, (i) when the composition of the sucrose fatty acid ester (mixture) is known, the HLB of each compound is calculated by the Griffin method, and then the weighted average thereof is defined as the HLB of the sucrose fatty acid ester. (Ii) If the composition of the sucrose fatty acid ester (mixture) is unknown, the HLB of the sucrose fatty acid ester can be obtained from the retention time in high performance liquid chromatography by comparison with a sample of the sucrose fatty acid ester whose HLB is known. I will ask for it.

The content of the specific sucrose fatty acid ester (B) having a specific HLB in the carbonated beverage of the present invention can be appropriately adjusted in consideration of the effect of improving the dispersibility of the microbial cell powder (A) and the like. The lower limit of the content of the sucrose fatty acid ester (B) in the carbonated drink is preferably 0.001% by mass, more preferably 0.01% by mass, further preferably 0.02% by mass, and particularly preferably 0.04% by mass. It is preferably 0.05% by mass, most preferably 0.05% by mass. The upper limit of the content of the sucrose fatty acid ester (B) in the carbonated drink is preferably 0.2% by mass, more preferably 0.15% by mass, and even more preferably 0.11% by mass. If the lower limit is lower than this, the effect of dispersibility cannot be expected, and if the upper limit is higher than this, it is not desirable from the viewpoint of flavor, cost, and turbidity of liquid color.

[Other ingredients, etc.]
The carbonated beverage of the present invention contains water in addition to the essential components, the microbial cell powder (A) and the sucrose fatty acid ester (B) as described above, and is necessary as long as the effect of the present invention is not impaired. Other components (arbitrary components) may be contained. The optional ingredient can be appropriately selected from other raw materials usually used for general beverages, for example, milk, fruit juice / vegetable juice, thickening stabilizer (milk protein stabilizer), acidulant, sweetness. Examples include agents, fragrances, defoaming agents, pigments, and other additives.

As the water content, for example, ion-exchanged water can be used. Further, the water contained in the raw materials such as milk, fruit juice and vegetable juice can also be the water in the non-carbonated liquid food and drink. Regarding the water content in the carbonated beverage of the present invention, the contents of the microbial cell powder (A) and the sucrose fatty acid ester (B) are in an appropriate range or described above, taking into consideration the content of other components and the like. It can be appropriately adjusted so as to fall within such a preferable range.

The milk may be either animal or plant derived milk. For example, milk, goat milk, sheep milk, animal milk such as mare milk, and vegetable milk such as soy milk can be used, and milk is common. These milks may be used alone or in admixture of two or more.

The form of the milk is not particularly limited, and may be any of whole fat milk, defatted milk, whey and powdered milk thereof, milk protein concentrate, reduced milk from concentrated milk and the like. Further, as milk, fermented milk fermented using microorganisms such as lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria can also be used. These milks may be used alone or in admixture of two or more.

When milk is blended in the carbonated beverage of the present invention, the amount of non-fat milk solids (SNF) contained in the carbonated beverage is not particularly limited, but 0.1 to 10% by mass is preferable from the viewpoint of flavor and storage stability. , 0.1 to 4% by mass, more preferably 0.1 to 2% by mass, and most preferably 0.2 to 1.2% by mass. Here, the non-fat milk solid content (SNF) is a component excluding water and fat content among the components constituting the milk, and mainly contains proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins and the like.

The gas volume of carbon dioxide contained in the carbonated beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 1.0 or more and 5.0 or less, and more preferably 2.0 or more and 4.0 or less. The gas volume is a value obtained by dividing the volume of carbon dioxide dissolved in a carbonated drink by the volume of the carbonated drink at 1 atm and 20 ° C.

The pH of the carbonated beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is acidic, but it is preferably less than 6.5, more preferably less than 6.0, further preferably less than 4.5, still more preferably less than 4.2. Less than 4.0 is particularly preferred. The pH of the carbonated beverage is measured after the gas is removed by a conventional method (using a stirrer or the like).

In the case of producing the carbonated beverage of the present invention, depending on the raw materials used, for example, when fermented milk, fruit juice, etc. are used as optional components, pH adjustment is not necessary if the pH is within the above range, but if it is not within the above range, the pH adjustment is not necessary. Adjust the pH using a pH adjuster. As the pH adjuster, organic or inorganic edible acids generally used as acidulants or salts thereof may be used, for example, citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, acetic acid, phytic acid, lactic acid, fumaric acid, etc. Examples thereof include organic acids such as succinic acid and gluconic acid, inorganic acids such as phosphoric acid, and sodium salts, calcium salts or potassium salts thereof. The amount of the pH adjuster used is not particularly limited as long as it can be set to a desired pH and does not affect the flavor of the beverage.

The sugar content (Brix value) of the carbonated beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.1 to 16, more preferably 0.1 to 11 and even more preferably 0.1 to 5 from the viewpoint of flavor and calories. The Brix value (unit: Bx) is the reading of a refractometer for sugar at 20 ° C., for example, the amount of soluble solid content measured at 20 ° C. using a digital refractometer "Rx-5000" (manufactured by Atago). To say.

As a sweetening agent (sugar content adjusting agent) for imparting sweetness to the carbonated beverage of the present invention and adjusting the sugar content (Brix value) within the above range, for example, simple sugar (dextrose, fructose, xylose, galactose, etc.) , Disaccharide (sucrose, malt sugar, lactose, trehalose, isomaltulose, etc.), oligosaccharide (fructose oligosaccharide, maltooligosaccharide, isomaltooligosaccharide, galactooligosaccharide, coupling sugar, nigerooligosaccharide, etc.), sugar alcohol (erythritol, xylitol, etc.) , Sorbitol, Martinol, Lactitol, Reduced isomaltulose, Reduced water candy, etc.), High fructose corn syrup, etc. Further, high sweetness sweeteners such as sucralose, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, stevia, saccharin sodium, glycyrrhizin, dipotassium glycyrrhizinate, thaumatin, neotame and the like can also be used.

Examples of the fruit juice include fruit juices such as apples, oranges, oranges, lemons, grapefruits, melons, grapes, bananas, peaches, strawberries, blueberries and mangoes. Examples of the vegetable juice include vegetable juices such as tomato, carrot, pumpkin, pepper, cabbage, broccoli, celery, spinach, kale, and moroheiya. The fruit juice or vegetable juice may be the juice of fruits or vegetables as it is, or may be concentrated. Further, the turbid fruit juice or vegetable juice containing insoluble solids may be used, or the transparent fruit juice or vegetable juice from which the insoluble solids have been removed by treatment such as microfiltration, enzyme treatment, or ultrafiltration may be used.

Examples of additives allowed for carbonated beverages include thickening stabilizers (soy polysaccharides, pectin, carrageenan, gellan gum, xanthan gum, guar gum, etc.), antifoaming agents (glycerin fatty acid esters, silicon preparations, etc.), antioxidants. (Tocopherol, ascorbic acid, cysteine hydrochloride, etc.), fragrances (lemon flavor, orange flavor, grape flavor, peach flavor, apple flavor, etc.), pigments (carotenoid pigment, anthocyanin pigment, benivana pigment, cutinashi pigment, caramel pigment, various synthetic colorings) Fees, etc.). In addition, with the expectation of enhancing health functions, use various functional ingredients such as vitamins (vitamin B group, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin D, etc.), minerals (calcium, potassium, magnesium, etc.), dietary fiber, etc. You can also.

[Production method]
The carbonated beverage of the present invention comprises a solution or dispersion containing the microbial cell powder (A) (sometimes referred to as "microbial cell powder solution" in the present specification) and a sucrose fatty acid ester (B). Obtained by a production method including a step of mixing the contained solution or dispersion (sometimes referred to as "sucrose fatty acid ester solution" in the present specification) and then homogenizing treatment, and a step of dissolving carbonic acid gas. Be done.

The sucrose fatty acid ester solution can be prepared, for example, by dispersing the sucrose fatty acid ester in cold water and then heating it to dissolve it at 70 ° C. or higher.

The homogenization treatment may be carried out by a conventional method using a homogenizer generally used for food processing, and the pressure thereof is preferably about 10 to 30 MPa with the homogenizer. Further, the temperature at the time of homogenization may be any temperature (for example, 5 to 25 ° C.), and homogenization under general heating conditions (for example, 50 to 90 ° C.) is also possible. In the homogenization treatment step, other components (eg, milk, thickening stabilizer, acidulant and defoaming agent) are added as needed when the microbial cell powder solution and the sucrose fatty acid ester solution are mixed. ) Can be added to any of the above solutions in advance, or added to a mixed solution of the above solutions and mixed with the microbial cell powder and the sucrose fatty acid ester to be blended into the carbonated beverage of the present invention. can.

In the method for producing a carbonated beverage of the present invention, steps other than the homogenization treatment step using the above-mentioned microbial cell powder solution and sucrose fatty acid ester solution can be based on the usual method for producing a carbonated beverage. .. For example, the method for producing a carbonated beverage of the present invention can further include a carbon dioxide gas dissolving step, a filtration treatment step, a filling step, a sterilization treatment step, and the like.

In the carbon dioxide gas dissolution step, for example, the syrup solution prepared as described above and the treated water are degassed, continuously quantitatively mixed, cooled to a temperature suitable for carbon dioxide gas dissolution, and then a predetermined carbon dioxide gas volume. It can be done by press-fitting carbon dioxide gas so as to become.

The filling step of the container can be performed, for example, by cooling the carbonated drink to a temperature suitable for filling the container and aseptically filling the container that has been washed and sterilized in advance.

The sterilization treatment step can be performed by, for example, a heat sterilization treatment having a sterilization value equal to or higher than that for 10 minutes at 65 ° C. The sterilization treatment is usually performed by retort sterilization or hot water shower sterilization such as a pastorizer after the filling step of the container. If necessary, sterilization treatment may be added not only once but also at a plurality of points such as before and after the homogenization step and before the filling step. The sterilization method at that time is not particularly limited, and ordinary batch sterilization, autoclave sterilization, plate sterilization, tubular sterilization, and the like can be adopted.

The type of container for filling the carbonated beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is a container made of glass, plastic (polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), etc.), metal, or paper. Can be used. Further, the volume is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include 100 to 2,000 ml, which can be appropriately selected in consideration of the amount of microbial cells and the like.

2. 2. Method for improving dispersibility and / or disintegration of microbial cell powder precipitate or aggregate in a carbonated beverage Method for improving dispersibility and / or disintegration of microbial cell powder precipitate or agglomerate in a carbonated beverage according to the present invention. (In the present specification, it may be simply referred to as "the method for improving dispersibility and / or disintegration of the present invention"), which is a microbial cell powder (A) and a sucrose fatty acid ester in a solution or a dispersion. Includes coexistence with (B).

In the present invention, "improved dispersibility" refers to microbial cells as compared with a microbial cell powder-containing solution (including a carbonated beverage) containing the microbial cell powder (A) but not the sucrose fatty acid ester (B). A mixed solution (including a carbonated beverage) containing both the body powder (A) and the sucrose fatty acid ester (B) facilitates the precipitation or agglomeration of the microbial cell powder generated after standing in the solution. Confirmed by the fact that the amount of microbial cell powder dispersed and attached to the bottom surface of the container, for example, which remains attached to the bottom surface even after the container is inverted and mixed, is small in the amount of precipitates or aggregates. Refers to the effects that can be done.

In the present invention, "improved disintegration" refers to microbial cells as compared with a microbial cell powder-containing solution (including a carbonated beverage) containing microbial cell powder (A) but not sucrose fatty acid ester (B). The mixed solution (including carbonated beverage) containing both the body powder (A) and the sucrose fatty acid ester (B) is more resistant to the disintegration of the precipitate or aggregate of the microbial cell powder formed after standing. It is confirmed that it is excellent, for example, by overturning and mixing the container, the agglomerates of the microbial cell powder exfoliated from the bottom surface of the container disintegrate in the solution, and the diameter of the agglomerates of the microbial cell powder becomes smaller. Refers to the effects that can be done.

The method for improving dispersibility and / or disintegration of the present invention can be applied to both a carbonated beverage during production (which can be said to be an intermediate product during production) and a carbonated beverage during storage. Further, the method for improving dispersibility of the present invention is in a state in which the microbial cell powder (A) is uniformly dispersed, that is, in a state in which a precipitate or an agglomerate has not yet been formed, at the time of production or. It can be used to maintain the state of food and drink during storage.

The matters relating to the carbonated beverage of the present invention and the method for producing the same described herein, particularly the matters relating to the microbial cell powder (A), the sucrose fatty acid ester (B), and the homogenization treatment, are the dispersibility and / or the matters relating to the homogenization treatment of the present invention. It can be appropriately applied to the method for improving disintegration. For example, in the method for improving the dispersibility and / or disintegration of the present invention, the microbial cell powder for improving the dispersibility and / or disintegration of a precipitate or agglomerates is the above-mentioned disrupted microbial cell powder. You may.

The action and effect relating to the improvement of dispersibility and / or disintegration in the present invention may further be accompanied by the action and effect relating to the suppression of spillage during opening and / or filling. In the present invention, "suppression of spillage during opening" refers to suppressing spillage of the beverage to the outside of the container when the filled beverage is opened. Further, in the present invention, "suppression of spillage during filling" refers to suppressing the beverage from being pushed up by the air bubbles generated when the beverage is filled and reaching the mouth of the beverage container. For example, not only to prevent the beverage from spilling out of the container, but also to prevent the beverage from being held only by surface tension at the upper part of the container mouth even if the beverage does not completely spill. Also includes.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to Examples, but these Examples do not limit the present invention.

[Preparation Example 1] Preparation of destruction-treated lactic acid bacterium cell powder
Lactobacillus amylovorus CP1563 strain (accession number FERMBP-11255) was cultured at 37 ° C. for 18 hours using a self-prescribed food-grade lactic acid bacterium medium, and collected by filter concentration. The concentrate was sterilized at 90 ° C. and freeze-dried to obtain a lactic acid bacterium freeze-dried powder. The obtained freeze-dried lactic acid bacteria powder was crushed using a dry jet mill (FS-4, Seishin Enterprise Co., Ltd.), and the average major axis of the cells was reduced to 70% or less of that before treatment (example: 2.77 μm → 1.30 μm) Destruction-treated lactic acid bacterium cell powder was obtained.

[Preparation Example 2] Preparation of lactic acid bacterium cell powder (non-destructive treated product)
Lactobacillus gasseri CP2305 strain (accession number FERMBP-11331) was cultured at 37 ° C. for 18 hours using a self-prescribed food-grade lactic acid bacterium medium, and collected by filter concentration. The concentrate was sterilized at 90 ° C. and freeze-dried to obtain a lactic acid bacterium cell powder.

[Test Example 1] Test on the effect of adding sucrose fatty acid ester on the dispersibility of destructive-treated lactic acid bacteria cell powder in a carbonated beverage (Examples 1 to 10, Comparative Examples 1 to 4, Reference Examples 1 to 2)
(1) Preparation of beverage sample A sample of a milky carbonated beverage having the composition shown in Table 1 below was prepared by the following procedure.

250 g of reduced defatted milk with a concentration of 20% by mass and 400 g of a soybean polysaccharide solution with a concentration of 3% by mass (trade name: SM-1200, manufactured by Saneigen FFI Co., Ltd.) are mixed, and the concentration is 10% by mass. 240 g of the citric acid aqueous solution of No. 1 was added, and the mixture was sufficiently stirred to prepare a raw material solution (I).

After adding 85 g of a separately prepared trisodium citrate aqueous solution having a concentration of 10% by mass to the raw material solution (I), the following sucrose fatty acid ester or control compound commercially available as a food emulsifier is added in the blending amount shown in Table 2. bottom. These food emulsifiers are previously dispersed in water at room temperature so as to have a concentration of 2% by mass, heated to about 70 ° C. to dissolve, and then cooled to room temperature to prepare a solution. It was added using it. Then, 400 g of a diluted solution of 1% by mass of destructive-treated lactic acid bacterial cell powder (prepared in Reference Example 1) was added, and the mixture was stirred so as to be uniform, and a separately prepared 10% by mass glycerin fatty acid ester (commodity) was added. Name: Hourbreak G-109 (A), manufactured by Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd., and a separately prepared silicon preparation with a concentration of 10% by mass (trade name: KM-72, manufactured by Shinetsu Kagaku Kogyo Co., Ltd.) Was added in an amount of 0.45 g to prepare a raw material solution (II). However, for level 14 glycerin monostearate succinate, a solution dispersed in 85 g of a trisodium citrate aqueous solution having a concentration of 10% by mass is prepared so as to have a concentration of 2% by mass, and the solution is added using the solution. I did it. Further, at level 15, no sucrose fatty acid ester or control compound was added, and instead, the same amount of water was added, and the obtained solution was used as the raw material solution (II).

Information such as trade names of the sucrose stearic acid ester and the control compound shown in Table 2 is as follows. The following product 13) "sucrose fatty acid ester A" is a sucrose stearic acid ester used as an emulsifier f in a comparative example (comparative example 2 etc.) of the preceding invention, and the following product 13) "Sunsoft A-". "121E" is a polyglycerin fatty acid ester (pentaglycerin monolaurinate) used as an emulsifier c in Examples of the prior invention (Examples 7, 8 and the like), and the following product 14) "Sunsoft No. 681SPV" is It is an organic acid monoglyceride (glycerin monostearate succinate) used as an emulsifier d (combined with emulsifier c) in Examples of the prior invention (Example 7 and the like).

1) Sucrose stearic acid ester / HLB = 5: Product name "Ryoto Sugar Ester S-570" (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd.)
2) Sucrose stearic acid ester / HLB = 7: Product name "Ryoto Sugar Ester S-770" (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd.)
3) Sucrose stearic acid ester / HLB = 9: Product name "Ryoto Sugar Ester S-970" (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd.)
4) Sucrose stearic acid ester / HLB = 11: Product name "Ryoto Sugar Ester S-1170" (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd.)
5) Sucrose stearic acid ester / HLB = 15: Product name "Ryoto Sugar Ester S-1570" (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd.)
6) Sucrose stearic acid ester / HLB = 16: Product name "Ryoto Sugar Ester S-1670" (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd.)
7) Sucrose palmitic acid ester / HLB = 15: Product name "Ryoto Sugar Ester P-1570" (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd.)
8) Sucrose palmitic acid ester / HLB = 16: Product name "Ryoto Sugar Ester P-1670" (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd.)
9) Sucrose myristic acid ester / HLB = 16: Product name "Ryoto Sugar Ester M-1695" (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd.)
10) Sucrose oleic acid ester / HLB = 15: Product name "Ryoto Sugar Ester O-1570" (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd.)
11) Sucrose lauric acid ester / HLB = 16: Product name "Ryoto Sugar Ester L-1695" (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd.)
12) Sucrose stearic acid ester / HLB unknown: Product name "Sucrose fatty acid ester A (SE-A)" (Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd.)
13) Pentaglycerin monolaurate / HLB14: Product name "Sunsoft A-121E" (Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd.)
14) Glycerin monostearate succinate / HLB8.5: Product name "Sunsoft No. 681SPV" (Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd.)

The raw material solution (II) was homogenized to obtain a beverage stock solution. The homogenization treatment was carried out using a laboratory homogenizer (model 15MR, manufactured by APV Gorin) at a treatment temperature of 20 ° C. and a treatment pressure of 15 MPa.

The obtained beverage stock solution was adjusted to a specified amount (10000 g) with ion-exchanged water and additive-free carbon dioxide gas so that the carbon dioxide gas volume was 2.4, and then filled in a heat-resistant PET bottle. Then, sterilization was performed at a cold spot at 65 ° C. for 10 minutes to obtain a bottled milky carbonated drink (hereinafter referred to as “beverage sample”). The sugar content (Bx) of the beverage was 1.1, the acidity was 0.24, the pH was 3.5, the SNF was 0.5, and the carbon dioxide gas volume was 2.4 as described above.

(2) Evaluation test of beverage sample (2-1) Dispersibility during storage The beverage sample prepared in (1) was allowed to stand in an incubator set at 5 ° C. for 7 days. The sample after standing was mixed four times at a rate of about once per second, then opened, the contents were discharged, and the bottom surface of the container was observed. The evaluation was performed in 4 stages, with × for lactic acid bacterium powder remaining on almost the entire bottom surface, △ for slightly remaining on all tips of petaloid, and △ remaining on some tips of petaloid. Those that do are marked with ○, and those that hardly remain are marked with ◎. FIG. 1 shows a photograph of the appearance of the bottom surface of the container, which is an evaluation standard for dispersibility during storage. Table 2 shows the evaluation results of the dispersibility during storage.

(2-2) Precipitation mass disintegration The beverage sample prepared in (1) was allowed to stand in an incubator set at 5 ° C. for 7 days. The sample after standing was mixed 15 times, and the agglomerates (precipitated masses) that had settled and adhered to the bottom surface were completely peeled off from the bottom surface (not peeled off at some levels). After standing vertically for 10 minutes, the bottom surface of the container was observed. The evaluation was performed in 3 stages, and those in which the sedimented mass did not completely peel off and remained at the tip of the petaloid were marked with ×, and the precipitated mass was peeled off from the bottom but some uncollapsed mass was deposited on the bottom. Δ, the precipitate mass completely peeled off and disintegrated, and the one in which no precipitation was observed at the bottom was marked with ○. FIG. 2 shows a photograph of the appearance of the bottom surface of the container, which is a criterion for evaluating the disintegration property of the settling mass. The results of the evaluation of the sedimentation mass disintegration property are also shown in Table 2.

A level having either a dispersibility during storage (2-1) or a settling mass disintegration (2-2) of ◯ or higher and not marked with a cross was accepted, and the others were rejected. Among the accepted beverage samples, those containing a predetermined sucrose fatty acid ester were designated as "Examples", and those containing other target compounds (used in the prior invention) were designated as "Reference Examples". Beverage samples that failed were designated as "comparative examples."

As shown in Table 2, the beverage sample containing a specific type of sucrose fatty acid ester having a specific HLB (Examples 1 to 11) is a beverage sample containing another sucrose fatty acid ester (Comparative Example 1). ), A beverage sample containing a sucrose fatty acid ester of unknown HLB (Reference Example 1), and a beverage sample containing a polyglycerin fatty acid ester (pentaglycerin monolaurate) evaluated to be effective in the previous invention (Comparative Example). Compared with 2) and the beverage sample containing no sucrose fatty acid ester (Comparative Example 3), it is superior in the effect of improving the dispersibility and / or the disintegration property of the settling mass of the disrupted lactic acid bacteria cell powder during standing. , The effect equal to or higher than that of the beverage sample (Reference Example 2) containing the combination of the polyglycerin fatty acid ester (pentaglycerin monolaurate) and the organic acid monoglyceride (glycerin monostearate succinate) disclosed in the prior invention. Have.

(2-3) Beverage sample prepared in (1) was allowed to stand in an incubator set at 5 ° C. for 7 days. The sample after standing was mixed by inversion four times, then opened, and the state of spillage was observed. The evaluation was carried out in three stages, with × for beverages spilled from the container mouth, △ for those with a liquid level rising due to bubbles to the vicinity of the beverage container mouth, although there was some liquid level rise. Those with no problem in actual use or those with almost no increase in liquid level were marked with ○. The results are shown in Table 3.

(2-4) Beverage spillage during filling In (1), a spillage during filling when a beverage sample prepared by measuring up to a specified amount with ion-exchanged water and additive-free carbon dioxide gas with respect to the undiluted beverage solution was prepared. I observed the situation. The evaluation was carried out in three stages. Beverages spilled from the mouth of the container were rated as x, those that spilled slightly were rated as Δ, and those that had a rise in liquid level but did not spill were rated as ○. The results are shown in Table 3.

First, based on the evaluation of the dispersibility during storage (2-1) and the dispersibility during storage (2-2), at least one of the dispersibility during storage and the dispersibility during storage, which are the effects of the present invention, is ◯. Was defined as an example (rank E or higher), and those having both Δ or × were designated as comparative examples (rank F). On that basis, the overall rank was calculated from the viewpoint that the dispersibility during storage is more important than the sediment disintegration property, and the higher the latter evaluation is, the higher the rank is. However, it was considered that the overall appearance was more preferable in both cases than in the case where the dispersibility was ⊚ and the precipitate mass disintegration property was Δ, and the rank was higher (B rank). The results are also shown in Table 3.

Among the above examples, Examples 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are preferable embodiments having a higher overall rank than the other examples. Further, Examples 6, 8 and 9 are more preferable embodiments in which, in addition to the overall rank of dispersibility during storage and sediment disintegration, both the spillage during opening and the spillage during filling are highly evaluated. There is.

[Test Example 2] Effect of adding sucrose fatty acid ester on the dispersibility of lactic acid bacterium cell powder (non-destructive treated product) in a carbonated beverage (Examples 10 to 11, Comparative Examples 5 to 6)
Level 10 (Example 8) and level 11 (Example 9) except that the undestroyed lactic acid bacterium cell powder (Preparation Example 2) was used instead of the destructive-treated lactic acid bacterium cell powder (Preparation Example 1). ), Beverage samples (levels 16 to 19) were prepared in the same manner as in Level 13 (Comparative Example 3) and Level 15 (Comparative Example 4), and used for evaluation test of dispersibility during storage.

The evaluation results are shown in Table 4 below. It was confirmed that the predetermined sucrose fatty acid ester has an effect of improving the dispersibility of the microorganism (lactic acid bacterium) cell powder regardless of the presence or absence of the destruction treatment and regardless of the bacterial species of the microorganism (lactic acid bacterium).

The present invention can be used in carbonated beverages containing microbial cells such as lactic acid bacteria and in the field of manufacturing the same.

Claims (9)

(A) Microbial cell powder and (B) sucrose stearic acid ester with HLB of 6 to 17, sucrose oleic acid ester with HLB of 14 to 16, sucrose lauric acid ester with HLB of 15 to 17, and HLB. Is a microbial cell-containing carbonated beverage, which comprises at least one sucrose fatty acid ester selected from the group consisting of 14 to 17 sucrose palmitic acid esters. The sucrose fatty acid ester (B) is a sucrose stearic acid ester having an HLB of 15.5 to 16.5, a sucrose oleic acid ester having an HLB of 14 to 16, and a sucrose lauric acid ester having an HLB of 15 to 17. The microbial cell-containing carbonated beverage according to claim 1, wherein the HLB is at least one selected from the group consisting of sucrose palmitic acid esters of 14 to 17. The sucrose fatty acid ester (B) is a sucrose oleic acid ester having an HLB of 14 to 16, a sucrose lauric acid ester having an HLB of 15 to 17, and a sucrose palmitic acid ester having an HLB of 14.5-15.5. The microbial cell-containing carbonated beverage according to claim 2, which is at least one selected from the group consisting of. The microbial cell-containing carbonated beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the content of the sucrose fatty acid ester (B) in the beverage is 0.001 to 0.2% by mass. The microbial cell-containing carbonated beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the microbial cell powder (A) is a destructive-treated microbial cell powder. The microbial cell-containing carbonated beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the microbial cell powder (A) is a lactic acid bacterium cell powder. The microbial cell-containing carbonated beverage according to claim 6, wherein the lactic acid bacterium is a lactic acid bacterium belonging to the genus Lactobacillus. The microbial cell-containing carbonated beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the beverage further contains milk. In solution, (A) microbial cell powder, (B) sucrose stearic acid ester with HLB of 6 to 17, sucrose oleic acid ester with HLB of 14 to 16, and sucrose lauric acid with HLB of 15 to 17 Microbial cells in carbonated beverages during production or storage, characterized in the coexistence of an ester and at least one sucrose fatty acid ester selected from the group consisting of 14-17 sucrose palmitate esters with HLB. A method for improving the dispersibility and / or disintegration of powdery precipitates or aggregates.

Images