HEAT-STERILIZED AND PACKED BEVERAGE CONTAINING HIGH CONCENTRATION OF MEDIUM CHAIN TRIGLYCERIDE

Abstract

Provided is a heat-sterilized and packed beverage containing a high concentration of a medium chain triglyceride (MCT) and obtained by heat sterilization, wherein issues of poor aftertaste and throat discomfort caused by a combination of a high concentration of the MCT and heat sterilization are resolved. The heat-sterilized and packed beverage is obtained by causing 10-120 mg/100 ml of caffeine to coexist with a beverage containing 1.2-32 g/100 ml of the MCT.

Claims

1. A heat sterilized and packed beverage comprising: 1.2 g/100 ml to 32 g/100 ml of a medium chain triglyceride, and 10 mg/100 ml to 120 mg/100 ml of caffeine.

2. The heat sterilized and packed beverage according to claim 1, wherein the amount of the medium chain triglyceride is 2.4 g/100 ml to 20 g/100 ml.

3. The heat sterilized and packed beverage according to claim 1, wherein a medium chain fatty acid in the medium chain triglyceride is a saturated fatty acid having 8 carbon atoms and/or a saturated fatty acid having 10 carbon atoms.

4. The heat sterilized and packed beverage according to claim 1, wherein the heat sterilization has been performed by a method comprising heating at 85° C. for 30 minutes or a method having the same or higher efficacy than the method comprising heating at 85° C. for 30 minutes.

5. The heat sterilized and packed beverage according to claim 1, wherein the beverage includes less than 2 mass % of milk solids-not-fat.

Description

EXAMPLES

[0043] The present invention will be specifically described in detail below by illustrating Experimental Examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0044] <Reference Examples>

[0045] A MCT (manufactured by The Nisshin OilliO Group, Ltd.; product name: Sukore (registered trademark) 64G; composition of fatty acids: C8 fatty acid 60 mass %, C10 fatty acid 40 mass %) was added to a commercially available decaffeinated coffee (caffeine content 5 mg/100 ml) to the concentration shown in Table 1 below. In Reference Example 1, the resultant was packed in a can and then heat sterilized at 125° C. for 5 minutes, and in Reference Examples 2 and 3, the resultant was packed in a can but not then heat sterilized. The obtained beverages were each stored at 5° C. and opened the next day. Three trained and specializing panelists drank the beverages to evaluate “nasty aftertaste and unpleasant feeling in the throat” on the following evaluation scale. The “nasty aftertaste” means that “a clean aftertaste is not left, or an unfavorable aftertaste is remained after swallowing,” and the “unpleasant feeling in the throat” specifically means “irritating feeling in the throat as if fine sand with a rough texture is swallowed.” Before the evaluation, the standards for giving the scores among the panelists were aligned with each other, for the nasty aftertaste and the unpleasant feeling in the throat. The average of the evaluation scores given by the three panelists is shown in Table 1. A beverage given an average score of 3.0 or more creates no unpleasant feeling in the throat, and is thus acceptable as a beverage. As a result of the evaluation, there was almost no variation in the evaluation scores among the panelists. Exemplary comments of the panelists are also shown in Table 1. [0046] Evaluation scale [0047] 4 points: a clean aftertaste without unpleasant feeling in the throat [0048] 3 points: a slightly less clean aftertaste without unpleasant feeling in the throat [0049] 2 points: a less clean aftertaste with unpleasant feeling in the throat [0050] 1 point: a nasty aftertaste with much unpleasant feeling in the throat

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Heat Steri- Amount of MCT Amount of caffeine Average Score of lization (g/100 ml) (mg/100 ml) Evaluation Comment Reference Yes 0.5 5 4.0 Palatable Example 1 Reference No 2.4 5 3.7 Palatable Example 2 Reference Example 3 No 10 5 3.0 Palatable with no problem, but with rather slightly clean aftertaste.

[0051] It can be seen from the results in Table 1 that the beverage containing a MCT in an amount of 0.5 g/100 ml is palatable with almost no nasty aftertaste or unpleasant feeling in the throat even when the beverage has undergone heat sterilization (Reference Example 1). On the other hand, it can be seen that the beverage containing a MCT in high concentration, specifically, 2.4 g/100 ml or 10 g/100 ml, is similarly palatable with no problem when the beverage has undergone no heat sterilization (Reference Examples 2 and 3).

[0052] <Examples and Comparative Examples>

[0053] A MCT (manufactured by The Nisshin OilliO Group, Ltd.; product name: Sukore (registered trademark) 64G) and caffeine (manufactured by SHIRATORI Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) were added to a commercially available decaffeinated coffee (caffeine content 5 mg/100 ml) to the respective concentrations shown in Table 2 below. The resultant was packed in a can and then heat sterilized at 125° C. for 5 minutes to obtain beverages. The obtained beverages were stored at 5° C. and opened the next day. In the same manner as in Reference Examples, three specializing panelists evaluated “nasty aftertaste and unpleasant feeling in the throat.” The average scores and exemplary comments of the panelists are shown in Table 2.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Amount Amount Average Heat of MCT of caffeine Score of Steri- (g/100 (mg/100 Eval- lization ml) ml) uation Comment Com- parative Yes 1.2 5 2.0 Unacceptable because of a slightly Exam- ple 1 clean aftertaste with the problem of unpleasant feeling in the throat. Exam- ple 1 Yes 1.2 12 3.0 Acceptable because of no unpleasant feeling in the throat, but with a slightly clean aftertaste. Exam- ple 2 Yes 1.2 115 3.0 Acceptable because of no unpleasant feeling in the throat, but with a slightly clean aftertaste. Com- parative Yes 2.4 5 1.3 Unacceptable because of no clean Exam- ple 2 aftertaste and also strong unpleasant feeling in the throat. Exam- ple 3 Yes 2.4 30 4.0 Palatable because of clean aftertaste land no unpleasant feeling. Exam- ple 4 Yes 2.4 90 4.0 Palatable because of clean aftertaste and no unpleasant feeling. Com- parative Yes 10 5 1.0 Unacceptable because of no clean Exam- ple 3 aftertaste and also strong unpleasant feeling in the throat. Com- parative Yes 10 150 1.0 Unacceptable because of too strong Exam- ple 4 aftertaste derived from caffeine and also strong unpleasant feeling in the throat. Exam- ple 5 Yes 20 30 4.0 Palatable because of clean aftertaste and no unpleasant feeling. Exam- ple 6 Yes 20 90 4.0 Palatable because of clean aftertaste and no unpleasant feeling. Exam- ple 7 Yes 32 12 3.0 Acceptable because of no unpleasant feeling in the throat, but with a slightly clean aftertaste. Exam- ple 8 Yes 32 115 3.0 Acceptable because of no unpleasant feeling in the throat, but with a slightly clean aftertaste.

[0054] It can be seen from the results in Table 2 that the beverage containing a MCT in an amount within a range of 1.2 g/100 ml to 32 g/100 ml and caffeine in an amount within a range of 10 mg/100 ml to 120 mg/100 ml is palatable with little nasty aftertaste or unpleasant feeling in the throat even when the beverage has undergone heat sterilization (Examples 1 to 8). On the other hand, it can be seen that the beverage containing a MCT in an amount within the above-described range and caffeine in an amount less than 10 mg/100 ml leaves a nasty aftertaste and unpleasant feeling in the throat (Comparative Examples 1 to 3), and that the beverage containing a MCT in an amount within the above-described range and caffeine in an amount of 150 mg/100 ml leaves a nasty aftertaste and strong unpleasant feeling in the throat (Comparative Example 4).