An object of the present invention is to provide, for example, a packaged tea beverage in which liquid color degradation during heat sterilization is suppressed, and a production method therefor. The method of the present invention comprises the step of including lactic acid bacteria in the production of a heat-sterilized packaged tea beverage having a tea polyphenol concentration of 10 to 200 mg/100 mL and a pH of 4.5 to 7.5.

An object of the present invention is to provide, for example, a packaged tea beverage in which liquid color degradation during heat sterilization is suppressed, and a production method therefor. The method of the present invention comprises the step of including lactic acid bacteria in the production of a heat-sterilized packaged tea beverage having a tea polyphenol concentration of 10 to 200 mg/100 mL and a pH of 4.5 to 7.5.

The present invention has objects to provide a powdery plant extract for beverages, having satisfactory flavor-retaining effect and solubility. The present invention solves the above objects by providing a powdery plant extract for beverages, comprising a plant extract for beverages and a branched -glucan mixture having the following characteristics (A) to (C): (A) Being constructed by glucose molecules; (B) Having a branched structure with a glucose polymerization degree of one or more, bound via a linkage other than -1,4 linkage to a non-reducing end glucose residue at an end position of a linear glucan with a glucose polymerization degree of 3 or higher, having a structure of binding glucose molecules via -1,4 linkages; and (C) Isomaltose in an amount of 5% by mass or higher, on a dry solid basis, of the hydrolysate is formed when digested by isomaltodextranase;
where the mass ratio of the plant extract for beverages and the branched -glucan mixture is in a range of 1:0.1 to 1:20, on a dry solid basis.

The present invention has objects to provide a powdery plant extract for beverages, having satisfactory flavor-retaining effect and solubility. The present invention solves the above objects by providing a powdery plant extract for beverages, comprising a plant extract for beverages and a branched -glucan mixture having the following characteristics (A) to (C): (A) Being constructed by glucose molecules; (B) Having a branched structure with a glucose polymerization degree of one or more, bound via a linkage other than -1,4 linkage to a non-reducing end glucose residue at an end position of a linear glucan with a glucose polymerization degree of 3 or higher, having a structure of binding glucose molecules via -1,4 linkages; and (C) Isomaltose in an amount of 5% by mass or higher, on a dry solid basis, of the hydrolysate is formed when digested by isomaltodextranase;
where the mass ratio of the plant extract for beverages and the branched -glucan mixture is in a range of 1:0.1 to 1:20, on a dry solid basis.

A freeze-dried beverage solidified product to be mixed with water or hot water in order to prepare a beverage, the beverage solidified product comprising dextrin, wherein the contained amount of sugars in the beverage solidified product is 8.5 mass % or less.

The invention relates to a tea-based beverage composition comprising, calculated by weight of dry matter: 0.3-10% of dry tea components; 10-80% saccharide selected from sucrose, glucose, fructose and combinations thereof; 2-35% oil; 0.5-20% gelatinized starch; and 0.1-10% plant protein selected from leguminous protein, cereal protein and combinations thereof; wherein the composition contains less than 10% by weight of dry matter of particles of plant material comprising the plant protein wherein said particles having a diameter of more than 10 m and wherein the gelatinized starch and the plant protein are contained in the beverage composition in a weight ratio of 1:1 to 20:1. The benefits of the invention can be realized in ready-to-drink beverages as well as in reconstitutable powders. The invention also provides a process for the preparation of the aforementioned tea-based beverage composition, the process comprising addition of a flour selected from leguminous flour, cereal flour and combinations thereof.

The invention relates to a tea-based beverage composition comprising, calculated by weight of dry matter: 0.3-10% of dry tea components; 10-80% saccharide selected from sucrose, glucose, fructose and combinations thereof; 2-35% oil; 0.5-20% gelatinized starch; and 0.1-10% plant protein selected from leguminous protein, cereal protein and combinations thereof; wherein the composition contains less than 10% by weight of dry matter of particles of plant material comprising the plant protein wherein said particles having a diameter of more than 10 m and wherein the gelatinized starch and the plant protein are contained in the beverage composition in a weight ratio of 1:1 to 20:1. The benefits of the invention can be realized in ready-to-drink beverages as well as in reconstitutable powders. The invention also provides a process for the preparation of the aforementioned tea-based beverage composition, the process comprising addition of a flour selected from leguminous flour, cereal flour and combinations thereof.

Provided is a green tea extract composition, including the following components (A), (B), (C), (D), and (E): (A) non-polymer catechins; (B) a sugar; (C) iron; (D) caffeine; and (E) gallic acid, in which a content of the non-polymer catechins (A) is from 25 mass % to 45 mass %; a content of the sugar (B) is from 4 mass % to 13 mass %; a mass ratio between the sugar (B) and the caffeine (D), [(D)/(B)], is from 0.2 to 0.8; a mass ratio between the gallic acid (E) and the iron (C), [(E)/(C)], is from 55 to 2,500; and (F) a water content is 10 mass % or less.

Provided is a green tea extract composition, including the following components (A), (B), (C), (D), and (E): (A) non-polymer catechins; (B) a sugar; (C) iron; (D) caffeine; and (E) gallic acid, in which a content of the non-polymer catechins (A) is from 25 mass % to 45 mass %; a content of the sugar (B) is from 4 mass % to 13 mass %; a mass ratio between the sugar (B) and the caffeine (D), [(D)/(B)], is from 0.2 to 0.8; a mass ratio between the gallic acid (E) and the iron (C), [(E)/(C)], is from 55 to 2,500; and (F) a water content is 10 mass % or less.

Provided is a powdered green tea extract composition, including the following components (A) to (C): (A) non-polymer catechins; (B) quinic acid; and (C) a polysaccharide, wherein the powdered green tea extract composition has a volatile content of 5.6 mass % or less, wherein a mass ratio between the component (A) and the component (B), [(B)/(A)], is less than 0.2, wherein amass ratio between the component (A) and the component (C), [(C)/(A)], is 1.2 or more, wherein, when an absolute value (?a*) of a difference between an a* value in an L*a*b* color system of the powdered green tea extract composition after storage under an atmosphere of 37? C. and 50% RH for 6 weeks and an a* value in the L*a*b* color system of the powdered green tea extract composition immediately after production is obtained, the ?a* of the powdered green tea extract composition is a value less than ?a* of a powdered green tea extract composition ? which has the same mass ratio [(B)/(A)] as the mass ratio [(B)/(A)] of the powdered green tea extract composition, and which is free of the component (C), and wherein a change rate calculated by the following expression (2) is 5% or more: (?a*??a.sub.1*)/?a*?100 (2) where ?a.sub.1* and ?a* have the same meaning as ?a.sub.1* and ?a* described in Description.