JP2021093921A - Powder green tea extraction composition - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a powder green tea extraction composition that resists a hue change when stored for a long time.SOLUTION: A powder green tea extraction composition contains following components (A) and (B): (A) non-polymer catechin, and (B) metal ions, with the component (A) content of 40 mass% or more and the mass ratio of the component (B) to the component (A) [(B)/(A)] of 0.005 or more.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

The present invention relates to a powdered green tea extraction composition.

In recent years, due to growing health consciousness, the physiological effects of non-polymerized catechins have been attracting attention, and the demand for foods and drinks such as tea beverages is expanding. In order to fully exhibit the physiological effects of the non-polymer catechins, it is advantageous to continuously ingest foods and drinks containing a high concentration of the non-polymer catechins. Therefore, various techniques for purifying green tea extract to remove impurities and purifying non-polymer catechins have been studied. For example, a solid catechin preparation containing a predetermined concentration of non-polymer catechins is added to a solvent in which the weight ratio of the organic solvent and water is controlled to be constant, and water is added thereto to obtain a weight ratio of the organic solvent and water. (Patent Document 1), a method of removing insoluble solids after adjusting the concentration to a predetermined concentration, the catechin composition is dissolved in a mixed solvent in which the mass ratio of organic solvent / water is controlled to be constant, and activated charcoal and acidic A method of contacting with white clay or active white clay (Patent Document 2), the green tea extract is passed through a column packed with a synthetic adsorbent to be adsorbed, and then water is passed through the column to wash the column, and then a predetermined concentration is obtained. A method of passing an aqueous ethanol solution through a column (Patent Document 3) and the like have been proposed.

On the other hand, as a technique for improving the powder color of powdered beverages and the light blue during drinking, instant green tea containing green tea extract, antioxidants, and powdered tea contains a certain amount of potassium to achieve powder color and drinking. It has been reported that the light blue color of tea can be improved to bright green (Patent Document 4). However, the technique described in such literature does not focus on the green tea extract obtained by purifying non-polymeric catechins, nor on the appearance of the green tea extract itself.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-147508 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-222719 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-160656 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-219411

Generally, when the green tea extraction composition is unpurified or the purity of the non-polymer catechins is relatively low, the appearance of the green tea extraction composition even if it is stored for a long period of time under the conditions of powdering and shading. No major changes are seen in. However, as the degree of purification of the green tea extraction composition is increased and the purity of the non-polymer catechins is increased, there is a problem that even if the green tea extract composition is powdered and shielded from light, it becomes reddish when stored for a long period of time and its appearance is likely to change significantly. The present inventors have found that.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a powdered green tea extraction composition containing high-purity non-polymeric catechins and having a hue that does not easily change when stored for a long period of time, and a method for producing the same.

As a result of examination in view of the above problems, the present inventors, when the content of (A) non-polymer catechins is set to a specific amount or more, the (B) metal ion with respect to the (A) non-polymer catechins By controlling the mass ratio [(B) / (A)] to a specific value or higher, a powdered green tea extraction composition in which non-polymer catechins are contained with high purity but the hue change during long-term storage is suppressed. I found that I could get things.

That is, the following components (A) and (B):
Contains (A) non-polymer catechins and (B) metal ions,
The content of the component (A) is 40% by mass or more, and the mass ratio [(B) / (A)] of the component (B) to the component (A) is 0.005 or more.
It provides a powdered green tea extraction composition.

The present invention also comprises (A) a green tea extract having a content of non-polymer catechins of 40% by mass or more and (B) a metal ion in a mass ratio of the component (B) to the component (A) [(). Provided is a method for producing a powdered green tea extraction composition, which comprises a step of mixing in the presence of an aqueous solvent so that B) / (A)] is 0.005 or more, and then drying the mixed solution. ..

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a powdered green tea extraction composition which contains non-polymer catechins with high purity but whose hue does not easily change when stored for a long period of time.

[Powdered green tea extraction composition]
The powdered green tea extraction composition of the present invention contains non-polymer catechins as the component (A). Here, the term "non-polymer catechins" as used herein refers to non-gallates such as catechin, gallocatechin, epicatechin and epigallocatechin, and catechin gallate, gallocatechin gallate, epicatechin gallate, epigallocatechin gallate and the like. It is a general term for the catechins of. In the present invention, at least one of the above eight types of non-polymer catechins may be contained.

The powdered green tea extraction composition of the present invention has a content of the component (A) of 40% by mass or more, but from the viewpoint of strengthening non-polymer catechins, it is preferably 42% by mass or more, more preferably 44% by mass or more. It is more preferably 46% by mass or more, more preferably 95% by mass or less, still more preferably 90% by mass or less, further preferably 80% by mass or less, from the viewpoint of suppressing color change during long-term storage and production efficiency. 70% by mass or less is even more preferable, and 60% by mass or less is even more preferable. The content of the component (A) is preferably 40 to 95% by mass, more preferably 42 to 90% by mass, and further preferably 44 to 44% by mass in the powdered green tea extraction composition of the present invention. It is 80% by mass, more preferably 46 to 70% by mass, and even more preferably 46 to 60% by mass. The content of the component (A) is defined based on the total amount of the above eight types, and can be measured by an analytical method suitable for the situation of the measurement sample among the commonly known measurement methods. For example, it can be analyzed by liquid chromatography, and specific examples thereof include the method described in Examples described later. In addition, at the time of measurement, appropriate treatment is performed as necessary, such as freeze-drying the sample to match the detection range of the device and removing impurities in the sample to match the separability of the device. May be given.

The powdered green tea extraction composition of the present invention contains a metal ion as a component (B).
The component (B) is not particularly limited as long as it is a metal ion acceptable for food, and examples thereof include monovalent metal ions, divalent metal ions, and trivalent or higher metal ions. Examples of the monovalent metal ion include sodium ion and potassium ion. Further, examples of the divalent metal ion include calcium ion and magnesium ion. Examples of trivalent or higher valent metal ions include aluminum ions. The component (B) can be contained alone or in combination of two or more.

Among them, from the viewpoint of suppressing the change in hue during long-term storage, it is preferable to contain one or more selected from monovalent metal ions and divalent metal ions, and it is selected from sodium ion, potassium ion and calcium ion. It is more preferable to include one type or two or more types.

The component (B) may be derived from a raw material or newly added.
Further, the component (B) may be in the form of a salt as long as it produces metal ions when the powdered green tea extraction composition is dissolved in water. The form of the salt is not particularly limited as long as it is acceptable as a food, and examples thereof include inorganic salts and organic acid salts. Examples of the inorganic salt include chloride salts, phosphates, and carbonates. Examples of the organic acid salt include edible acid salts such as acetic acid, adipic acid, ascorbic acid, butyric acid, citric acid, formic acid, fumaric acid, glycoic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, oxalic acid, succinic acid, and tartrate acid. it can.

In the powdered green tea extraction composition of the present invention, the content of the component (B) is preferably 0.2% by mass or more, preferably 1.0% by mass or more, from the viewpoint of suppressing the change in hue when stored for a long period of time. Is more preferable, 2.0% by mass or more is further preferable, 3.0% by mass or more is further preferable, 4.0% by mass or more is further preferable, and suppression of color change during long-term storage, and addition to foods. From the viewpoint of ease of blending, 14% by mass or less is preferable, 12% by mass or less is more preferable, and 10% by mass or less is further preferable. The content of the component (B) is preferably 0.2 to 14% by mass, more preferably 1.0 to 12% by mass, and further, in the powdered green tea extraction composition of the present invention. It is preferably 2.0 to 12% by mass, more preferably 3.0 to 10% by mass, and even more preferably 4.0 to 10% by mass. The content of the component (B) is the total amount of metal ions. Here, in the present specification, the "content of the component (B)" is measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy, and can be specifically measured by the method described in Examples described later. In addition, at the time of measurement, appropriate treatment is performed as necessary, such as freeze-drying the sample to match the detection range of the device and removing impurities in the sample to match the separability of the device. May be given.

The powdered green tea extraction composition of the present invention has a mass ratio [(B) / (A)] of the component (B) to the component (A) of 0.005 or more, but suppresses the change in hue when stored for a long period of time. From the viewpoint, 0.010 or more is preferable, 0.02 or more is more preferable, 0.04 or more is further preferable, and 0.09 or more is further preferable. Further, the mass ratio [(B) / (A)] is preferably 0.3 or less, more preferably 0.25 or less, and further preferably 0.2 or less, from the viewpoint of easily enjoying the flavor and the effect of the present invention. preferable. The range of the mass ratio [(B) / (A)] is preferably 0.005 to 0.3, more preferably 0.010 to 0.3, and further preferably 0.02 to 0. It is 0.3, more preferably 0.04 to 0.25, and even more preferably 0.09 to 0.2.

Further, the powdered green tea extraction composition of the present invention preferably has a volatile content of 10.0% by mass or less, preferably 8.0% by mass, from the viewpoint of suppressing hue change during long-term storage, flavor, and preventing blocking. The following is more preferable, and 5% by mass or less is further preferable. From the viewpoint of production efficiency, the volatile content is preferably 0.2% by mass or more, more preferably 0.4% by mass or more, and further preferably 0.6% by mass or more. The range of the volatile content is preferably 0.2 to 10.0% by mass, more preferably 0.4 to 8.0% by mass, and further preferably 0.6 to 5.0% by mass. is there. Here, in the present specification, the "volatile component" refers to the content ratio of the volatile component when the sample is heated in an electric constant temperature dryer at 105 ° C. for 15 minutes, and the following formula (1) is used from the mass of the sample before and after heating. ) Is the value calculated by. Volatiles is a concept that includes, for example, water and volatile substances other than water.

Volatile content (mass%) = (PQ) / P × 100 (1)

[In the formula, P indicates the mass of the sample before heating, and Q indicates the mass of the sample after heating. ]

As used herein, the term "powder" means a particulate form, and is a concept that includes not only a powder form but also a granular form. The powdered green tea extraction composition of the present invention is preferably in the form of powder from the viewpoint of ease of handling and solubility.

The powdered green tea extraction composition of the present invention preferably has an average particle size of 1 μm or more, more preferably 10 μm or more, further preferably 20 μm or more, and solubility, from the viewpoint of suppressing aggregation (sprinkling) during dissolution. From the above viewpoint, 1000 μm or less is preferable, 800 μm or less is more preferable, and 500 μm or less is further preferable. The range of the average particle size is preferably 1 to 1000 μm, more preferably 10 to 800 μm, and further preferably 20 to 500 μm. Here, in the present specification, the "average particle size" is measured by a laser diffraction / scattering method, and the median size (d) obtained by preparing the particle size distribution of the powdered green tea extraction composition on the basis of the number of particles. ₅₀ ) is the average particle size.

The powdered green tea extraction composition of the present invention suppresses the change in hue when stored for a long period of time. ^{Specifically, the a *} value of the powdered green tea extraction composition after storage in an atmosphere of 37 ° C./50% RH for 8 weeks _{and the a 1} of the powdered green tea extraction composition before the start of storage (for example, immediately after production). ^{The absolute value Δa *} (| a ^* −a ₁ ^* |) of the difference from the ^* value is usually 6 or less, preferably 5 or less, more preferably 4 or less, still more preferably 3 or less, still more preferably 2 or less. Particularly preferably, it can be 1.5 or less.

The condition of storage for 8 weeks in an atmosphere of 37 ° C./50% RH usually corresponds to storage at 25 ° C. ± 2 ° C./60% RH ± 5% for about 10 months. Here, in the present specification, the "a ^* value" is a coordinate value representing hue and saturation when a color is expressed by an ^{L *} a ^* b ^{* color system, and the saturation in the red direction is defined.} It is a coordinate value to be shown. The L ^* a ^* b ^* color system also has a coordinate value b ^* that indicates saturation in the yellow direction, but in the present invention, the powdered green tea extraction composition is most likely to become apparent when the hue changes. ^* Is specified. The measurement of the a ^* value shall be in accordance with the "Measurement of hue change" described in the examples below.

[Manufacturing method of powdered green tea extract composition]
The powdered green tea extraction composition of the present invention can be produced by an appropriate method as long as it has the above characteristics, and is not particularly limited, but for example, (a) non-polymer catechins in the solid content. The mass ratio of the component (B) to the component (A) [(B) / (A)] of the green tea extract having a content of 40% by mass or more and the metal ion (B) is 0.005 or more. It can be produced by a method including a step of drying the mixed solution after mixing in the presence of an aqueous solvent at a certain ratio. Here, the term "solid content" as used herein refers to a residue obtained by drying a sample in an electric constant temperature dryer at 105 ° C. for 3 hours to remove volatile components.

The (a) green tea extract is obtained by purifying the raw material green tea extract to remove impurities and adjusting the content of the (A) non-polymer catechins in the solid content to 40% by mass or more.
The raw material green tea extract can usually be obtained by extracting from green tea leaves. Examples of green tea leaves include tea leaves of the genus Camellia, for example, tea leaves selected from C. sinensis.var.sinensis (including Camellia seeds), C.sinensis.var.assamica and their hybrids (Camellia sinensis). Can be mentioned. Specific examples thereof include sencha, deep-steamed sencha, roasted tea, bancha, gyokuro, kabusecha, tencha, potted tea, kukicha, bar tea, and mecha. The tea variety and collection time of the tea leaves are not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected.

As the extraction method, known methods such as kneader extraction, stirring extraction (batch extraction), countercurrent extraction (drip extraction), and column extraction can be adopted.
The extraction conditions can be appropriately selected depending on the extraction method, and for example, an aqueous solvent can be used as the extraction solvent. Here, the "aqueous solvent" as used herein refers to a solvent containing water, and the content of water in the aqueous solvent is usually 1 to 100% by mass, preferably 30 to 100% by mass. Examples of the aqueous solvent include water, an aqueous solution of an organic solvent, carbonated water and the like. Examples of the organic solvent include alcohols, ketones, esters and the like. Considering the use in foods, alcohol is preferable, and ethanol is more preferable. Of these, water is preferable as the aqueous solvent. Examples of water include tap water, natural water, distilled water, ion-exchanged water and the like. Of these, ion-exchanged water is preferable from the viewpoint of taste.

The pH (20 ° C.) of the aqueous solvent is usually 4 to 10, preferably 5 to 7. A pH adjuster may be added to the aqueous solvent in order to obtain a desired pH.
The temperature of the aqueous solvent is usually 25 to 100 ° C, preferably 50 to 100 ° C, and more preferably 80 to 99 ° C.
The extraction magnification and the extraction time are not uniform depending on the extraction method and scale, but for example, the extraction magnification is usually 1 to 50 times, and the extraction time is usually 5 to 60 minutes.
After extraction, the green tea leaves and the raw green tea extract can be separated by known solid-liquid separation means such as filtration, centrifugation, and membrane treatment.

Further, a commercially available product may be used as the raw material green tea extract. For example, "Polyphenone" manufactured by Mitsui Norin Co., Ltd., "Theafran" manufactured by Ito En Co., Ltd., "Sanphenon" manufactured by Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd., and the like can be mentioned.

The purification method is not particularly limited as long as the content of the (A) non-polymer catechins in the solid content is 40% by mass or more, but from the viewpoint of flavor and the viewpoint of easily enjoying the effects of the present invention, the following ( i) Any one of the methods (iii) to (iii), or a combination of two or more can be mentioned.
(I) A method of suspending a raw material green tea extract in water or an aqueous solution of an organic solvent (for example, an aqueous solution of ethanol) to remove the resulting precipitate.
(Ii) A method in which a raw material green tea extract is brought into contact with at least one adsorbent selected from activated carbon, acid clay and activated clay.
(Iii) A method of contacting a raw material green tea extract with a synthetic adsorbent or an ion exchange resin.

For the method (i) above, for example, JP-A-2004-147508, JP-A-2004-149416 and the like can be referred to. Further, for the method (ii) above, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-222719, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-2770094 and the like can be referred to. Further, for the method (iii) above, for example, JP-A-2004-222592, JP-A-2006-8580, JP-A-2006-160656 and the like can be referred to.
Further, in the above methods (i) to (iii), a tannase-treated extract may be used as the raw material green tea extract, or after the treatment by any one or more of the methods (i) to (iii). , Can also be treated with tannase. Here, "tannase treatment" means contacting the green tea extract with an enzyme having tannase activity. As a specific operation method in the tannase treatment, a known method can be adopted, and examples thereof include the method described in JP-A-2004-321105.

The green tea extract thus obtained has a content of (A) non-polymer catechins in the solid content of 40% by mass or more, but enjoys the effects of the present invention from the viewpoint of flavor. From the viewpoint of ease, the content of the (A) non-polymer catechins in the solid content is preferably 45% by mass or more, more preferably 50% by mass or more, still more preferably 55% by mass or more. The upper limit of the content of the (A) non-polymer catechins in the solid content may be 100% by mass, but from the viewpoint of production efficiency, 95% by mass or less is preferable, and 90% by mass or less is preferable. More preferably, 85% by mass or less is further preferable.

(A) The green tea extract may be used as it is, or after being concentrated or dried. Examples of the concentration method include a normal pressure concentration method in which the solvent is evaporated at normal pressure, a vacuum concentration method in which the solvent is evaporated under reduced pressure, and a membrane concentration method in which the solvent is removed by membrane separation. Further, as the drying method, for example, known methods such as spray drying, drum drying, freeze drying and the like can be adopted.

Next, (a) green tea extract and (B) metal ions are mixed at a predetermined ratio in the presence of an aqueous solvent to prepare a mixed solution. The component (B) may be contained in the form of a salt, for example, an inorganic salt or an organic acid salt. Specific examples of the salt are as described above.
The mixing order of (a) green tea extract and (B) metal ions is not particularly limited, and these may be added in any order or both may be added at the same time, and an aqueous solvent may be added to the mixed solution before drying. It suffices if (a) the green tea extract and (B) the metal ion coexist.

(A) Green tea extract and (B) metal ions are mixed at a ratio of (A) mass ratio of (B) metal ions to non-polymer catechins [(B) / (A)] of 0.005 or more. However, the mass ratio [(B) / (A)] is preferably 0.010 or more, more preferably 0.02 or more, and 0.04 or more, from the viewpoint of suppressing color change during long-term storage. More preferably, 0.09 or more is even more preferable. Further, the mass ratio [(B) / (A)] is preferably 0.3 or less, more preferably 0.25 or less, and further preferably 0.2 or less, from the viewpoint of easily enjoying the flavor and the effect of the present invention. preferable. The range of the mass ratio [(B) / (A)] is preferably 0.005 to 0.3, more preferably 0.010 to 0.3, and further preferably 0.02 to 0. It is 0.3, more preferably 0.04 to 0.25, and even more preferably 0.09 to 0.2.

Examples of the aqueous solvent include water, an aqueous solution of an organic solvent, and the like. Specific examples of the water and the organic solvent include the same as described above. The organic solvent aqueous solution may contain 1% by mass or more, preferably 30% by mass or more of water in the organic solvent aqueous solution. Among them, as the aqueous solvent, water is preferable, and ion-exchanged water is more preferable, from the viewpoint of suppressing hue change during long-term storage.

The amount of the aqueous solvent used is preferably adjusted so that the mixed solution contains 1% by mass or more of the (A) non-polymer catechins from the viewpoint of suppressing the change in hue during long-term storage. It is more preferably 5% by mass or more, further preferably 7% by mass or more, further preferably 10% by mass or more, and from the same viewpoint, it may be adjusted to contain 30% by mass or less. Preferably, it is more preferably 25% by mass or less, further preferably 20% by mass or less, still more preferably 15% by mass or less. The range of the content of the (A) non-polymer catechins in the mixed solution is preferably 1 to 30% by mass, more preferably 2.5 to 25% by mass, still more preferably 5 to 20% by mass, and more. It is more preferably 7 to 20% by mass, and even more preferably 10 to 15% by mass.

When neither (a) green tea extract nor (B) metal ion contains a solvent, an aqueous solvent is used. When mixing (a) green tea extract and (B) metal ion, an aqueous solvent is used. The amount of (A) non-polymer catechins in the mixed solution may be adjusted so as to be within the above range. Further, a predetermined amount of an aqueous solvent, (a) green tea extract, and (B) metal ions are mixed, and an additional aqueous solvent is added to add the content of (A) non-polymer catechins in the mixed solution. Can also be adjusted to be within the above range. On the other hand, when any one or more of (a) green tea extract and (B) metal ion contains a solvent, the amount of the solvent is taken into consideration in consideration of the amount of the (A) non-polymer catechins in the mixed solution. The amount of the aqueous solvent used can be adjusted so that the content is within the above range. When the content of (A) non-polymer catechins in the mixed solution satisfies the above requirements depending on the amount of solvent contained in any one or more of (a) green tea extract and (B) metal ion. If water is contained in the solvent, (a) green tea extract and (B) metal ions may be mixed as they are. Further, when the content of (A) non-polymer catechins in the mixed solution satisfies the above requirements depending on the amount of the solvent contained in any one or more of (a) green tea extract and (B) metal ion. If water is not contained in the solvent, the solvent is concentrated or removed, and then an aqueous solvent is added to bring the content of (A) non-polymer catechins in the mixed solution within the above range. Can be adjusted as follows.

As the mixing method, for example, an appropriate method such as stirring or shaking can be adopted, and the mixing method is not particularly limited.
The mixing temperature is preferably 15 ° C. or higher, more preferably 18 ° C. or higher, further preferably 20 ° C. or higher, and preferably 40 ° C. or lower from the viewpoint of flavor, from the viewpoint of suppressing hue change during long-term storage. The temperature is more preferably 30 ° C or lower, and even more preferably 30 ° C or lower. The mixing temperature range is preferably 15 to 40 ° C, more preferably 18 to 35 ° C, and even more preferably 20 to 30 ° C.
The mixing time is preferably 3 minutes or more, more preferably 5 minutes or more, further preferably 6 minutes or more, and preferably 90 minutes or less from the viewpoint of production efficiency, from the viewpoint of suppressing hue change during long-term storage. 60 minutes or less is more preferable, and 40 minutes or less is further preferable. The mixing time range is preferably 3 to 90 minutes, more preferably 5 to 60 minutes, and even more preferably 6 to 40 minutes.

The mixture is then dried.
As a drying method, a known method can be adopted. For example, spray drying, drum drying, freeze drying and the like can be mentioned. The drying is carried out so that the volatile content of the powdered green tea extraction composition is within the above range, and the drying time can be appropriately selected.
Further, it may be a granulated product by a known granulation method. Examples of the granulation method include spray granulation, fluidized bed granulation, compression granulation, rolling granulation, stirring granulation, extrusion granulation, powder-coated granulation and the like. The granulation conditions can be appropriately selected depending on the granulation method.

With respect to the above embodiments, the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be further disclosed below.
<1> The following components (A) and (B):
Contains (A) non-polymer catechins and (B) metal ions,
A powder having a content of the component (A) of 40 to 95% by mass and a mass ratio of the component (B) to the component (A) [(B) / (A)] of 0.010 to 0.3. Green tea extraction composition.

<2> The following components (A) and (B):
Contains (A) non-polymer catechins and (B) metal ions,
The content of the component (A) is 40 to 95% by mass, and the content is 40 to 95% by mass.
The content of the component (B) is 1.0 to 12% by mass, and the mass ratio [(B) / (A)] of the component (B) to the component (A) is 0.005 or more.
Powdered green tea extraction composition.

<3> The following components (A) and (B):
Contains (A) non-polymer catechins and (B) metal ions,
The content of the component (A) is 40% by mass or more, and the content is 40% by mass or more.
The content of the component (B) is 1.0 to 12% by mass, and the mass ratio [(B) / (A)] of the component (B) to the component (A) is 0.010 to 0.3. , Powdered green tea extraction composition.

<4> The following components (A) and (B):
Contains (A) non-polymer catechins and (B) metal ions,
The content of the component (A) is 40 to 95% by mass, and the content is 40 to 95% by mass.
The content of the component (B) is 1.0 to 12% by mass, and the mass ratio [(B) / (A)] of the component (B) to the component (A) is 0.010 to 0.3. , Powdered green tea extraction composition.

<5> The powdered green tea extraction composition according to any one of <1> to <4> above, which comprises one or more selected from monovalent metal ions and divalent metal ions as the component (B). Stuff.
<6> The powdered green tea extraction composition according to any one of <1> to <4> above, which comprises one or more selected from sodium ion, potassium ion and calcium ion as the component (B).
<7> The powdered green tea extraction composition according to any one of <1> to <4>, wherein the volatile content is 0.6 to 5.0% by mass.
<8> The powdered green tea extraction composition according to any one of <1> to <4>, wherein the average particle size is 1 to 1000 μm.

<9> The mass of the component (B) with respect to the component (A) of the green tea extract in which the content of the (A) non-polymer catechins in the solid content is 40 to 95% by mass and the (B) metal ion. A method for producing a powdered green tea extraction composition, which comprises a step of mixing in the presence of an aqueous solvent so that the ratio [(B) / (A)] is 0.010 to 0.3, and then drying the mixed solution. ..

<10> A green tea extract in which the content of (A) non-polymer catechins in the solid content is 40 to 95% by mass and (B) 0.2 to 14% by mass of metal ions are contained in the component (A). Powdered green tea extraction composition including a step of mixing in the presence of an aqueous solvent so that the mass ratio of the component (B) to (B) / (A)] is 0.005 or more, and then drying the mixed solution. How to make things.

<11> The method for producing a powdered green tea extraction composition according to <9> or <10>, wherein the aqueous solvent is water or an aqueous solution of an organic solvent.
<12> The method for producing a powdered green tea extraction composition according to <9> or <10>, wherein the amount of the aqueous solvent used is such that the component (A) is 1 to 30% by mass in the mixed liquid.
<13> The method for producing a powdered green tea extraction composition according to <9> or <10>, wherein the mixing time is 3 to 90 minutes.

1. 1. Analysis of non-polymer catechins A sample dissolved and diluted in pure water was used by a high performance liquid chromatograph (model SCL-10AVP) manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation, and a packed column for an octadecyl group-introduced liquid chromatograph (L-column TM ODS, 4). .6 mmφ × 250 mm: manufactured by Chemical Substance Evaluation and Research Organization) was attached, and the measurement was performed by the gradient method at a column temperature of 35 ° C. The mobile phase A solution is a distilled aqueous solution containing 0.1 mol / L of acetic acid, the B solution is an acetonitrile solution containing 0.1 mol / L of acetic acid, the flow velocity is 1 mL / min, the sample injection amount is 10 μL, and the UV detector wavelength is It was carried out under the condition of 280 nm. The gradient conditions are as follows.

Concentration gradient condition (% by volume)
Time A liquid concentration B liquid concentration 0 minutes 97% 3%
5 minutes 97% 3%
37 minutes 80% 20%
43 minutes 80% 20%
43.5 minutes 0% 100%
48.5 minutes 0% 100%
49 minutes 97% 3%
60 minutes 97% 3%

2. Analysis of metal ions Add 5 mL of 10% hydrochloric acid to 2 g of the sample and evaporate to dryness on a water bath. Further, 5 mL of 10% hydrochloric acid is added and heated, and then the whole volume is filtered into a volumetric flask and the volume is adjusted with water. Dilute to an appropriate concentration with 1% hydrochloric acid so that it is within the range of the calibration curve, add 2.5 mL of 20000 ppm strontium solution, and use the constant volume as the test solution. The absorbance of the test solution is measured using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer, and the metal is quantified from the calibration curve prepared in advance.

-Atomic absorption spectrophotometer: Z-2310 (manufactured by HITACHI)
-Frame: Air-acetylene-Measurement wavelength: 589.0 nm (sodium), 766.5 nm (potassium), 422.7 nm (calcium)

3. 3. Evaluation of hue change Using a spectrophotometer (type Color Meter ZE-2000, manufactured by Nippon Denshoku Kogyo Co., Ltd.), put a powder sample in a 30φ circular cell and set ^{the a *} value of the ^{L *} a ^* b ^* color system. The reflection was measured. ^{Absolute value Δa *} (|) of the difference between the ^{a *} value of the powdered green tea extract composition after storage in an atmosphere of 37 ° C./50% RH for 8 weeks _{and the a 1} ^* value of the powdered green tea extract composition immediately after production. a ^* −a ₁ ^* |) was obtained.

Manufacturing example 1
[Manufacturing of green tea extract]
3 kg of dried green tea leaves from Kenya were extracted with 30 L of hot water at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes, filtered, and the obtained green tea extract was spray-dried to obtain a powdered green tea extract (I). .. The green tea extract (I) had a content of (A) non-polymer catechins of 38.3% by mass.
200 g of the obtained green tea extract (I) was added to 800 g of a 92.2 mass% ethanol aqueous solution, followed by 100 g of acid clay (Mizuka Ace # 600, manufactured by Mizusawa Industrial Chemicals), and a filtration aid (Solkaflock, Kurita Water Industries, Ltd.). 12.6 g was added. Then, the mixture was stirred at 25 ° C. for 6 hours. Next, it was filtered through No. 2 filter paper on which the precoating agent was deposited. Next, the filtrate was hydrated to an ethanol concentration of 60% by mass, and then centrifuged to recover the supernatant. Next, the supernatant was passed through a column packed with 24 g of activated carbon (SG-K, manufactured by Futamura Chemical Co., Ltd.), topped with the recovered liquid, and ethanol was distilled off to obtain a green tea extract (II). The obtained green tea extract (II) has a content of (A) non-polymer catechins of 14.8% by mass and a content of (A) non-polymer catechins in the solid content of 62.5. It was mass%.

Examples 1-6
The ratio of the green tea extract (II) and the metal salt shown in Table 1 to the mass ratio of (B) metal ion to (A) non-polymer catechins [(B) / (A)] is shown in Table 1. After mixing, the mixture was stirred at 25 ° C. for 30 minutes. Then, the mixed solution was spray-dried until the volatile content became the ratio shown in Table 1 to obtain a powdered green tea extraction composition. The obtained powdered green tea extraction composition was analyzed. Moreover, the hue change was evaluated using 2 g of the powdered green tea extraction composition. The results are shown in Table 1.

Comparative Example 1
A powdered green tea extraction composition was obtained by the same operation as in Example 1 except that no metal ion was added. The obtained powdered green tea extraction composition was analyzed and evaluated for hue change in the same manner as in Example 1. The results are shown in Table 1.

From Table 1, when the content of (A) non-polymer catechins is 40% by mass or more, (A) mass ratio of (B) metal ions to non-polymer catechins [(B) / (A)). ] Is controlled to 0.005 or more, it can be seen that a powdered green tea extraction composition in which the hue change during long-term storage is suppressed can be obtained.

Claims (8)

The following components (A) and (B):
Contains (A) non-polymer catechins and (B) metal ions,
The content of the component (A) is 40% by mass or more, and the mass ratio [(B) / (A)] of the component (B) to the component (A) is 0.005 or more.
Powdered green tea extraction composition. The powdered green tea extraction composition according to claim 1, which comprises one or more selected from monovalent metal ions and divalent metal ions as the component (B). The powdered green tea extraction composition according to claim 1 or 2, which comprises one or more selected from sodium ion, potassium ion and calcium ion as the component (B). The powdered green tea extraction composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the volatile content is 5.0% by mass or less. The powdered green tea extraction composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which has an average particle size of 1 to 1000 μm. The mass ratio of the component (B) to the component (A) of the green tea extract in which the content of the (A) non-polymer catechins in the solid content is 40% by mass or more and (B) the metal ion [(B) ) / (A)] is a method for producing a powdered green tea extraction composition, which comprises a step of mixing in the presence of an aqueous solvent so that the mixture is 0.005 or more, and then drying the mixed solution. The method for producing a powdered green tea extraction composition according to claim 6, wherein the content of the component (A) in the mixed liquid is adjusted to be 1 to 30% by mass. The method for producing a powdered green tea extraction composition according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the mixing time is 3 minutes or more.