CONTAINER-PACKED COMPOSITION CONTAINING GREEN VEGETABLES AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SAME

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a composition containing green vegetables and a method for producing the same.

BACKGROUND

Green vegetables such as young barley leaves are known to possess various functions, such as blood pressure lowering effects (Patent Document 1). In addition, with the abundant nutritional components, green vegetables such as young barley leaves are used as raw materials for health foods. Generally, health foods including green vegetables have a long shelf life, and it often takes several months from the time when the food is manufactured until the health food is consumed by consumers. However, with the long storage period, nutritional components like β-carotene and vitamin E included in the green vegetables may be lost, and the flavor of the green vegetables may deteriorate. Therefore, there has been a demand to develop health foods including green vegetables that are less likely to lose the nutritional components and flavor during storage.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENT(S)

Patent Document(s)

• • [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. S59-116226

SUMMARY

Issues to be Solved by the Invention

The invention has been made in view of the above issues and aims to provide a composition in which the nutritional components and the flavor of green vegetables are less likely to be lost during storage, as well as a method for producing the same.

Means for Solving the Issues

As a result of extensive research, the inventors found that, by sealing the composition containing green vegetables in a container in which internal air is replaced with nitrogen, the nutritional components and the flavor of the green vegetables are less likely to be lost during storage, and thus completed the invention.

That is, the invention is related to the following.

• • [1] A container-packed composition, which is a composition containing green vegetables, wherein the container-packed composition is sealed in a container in which internal air is replaced with nitrogen.
  • [2] In the container-packed composition according to [1], the composition is powdery.
  • [3] In the container-packed composition according to [1], the composition is a powdered beverage.
  • [4] In the container-packed composition according to any one of [1] to [3], the green vegetables are green leaves of at least one selected from wheat, kale, sweet potato, mulberry, ashitaba, mugwort, chomeiso, kumazasa, spinach, swiss chard, and celery.
  • [5] In the container-packed composition according to any one of [1] to [4], the green vegetables are young barley leaves.
  • [6] In the container-packed composition according to any one of [1] to [5], the green vegetables are a dried powder of green vegetables.
  • [7] In the container-packed composition according to any one of [1] to [6], the green vegetables are a ground powder of green vegetables.
  • [8] In the container-packed composition according to any one of [1] to [7], a content of the green vegetables in the composition is 10 weight % or more.
  • [9] In the container-packed composition according to any one of [1] to [8], the container is bag-shaped.
  • [10] In the container-packed composition according to any one of [1] to [9], the container is an aluminum pouch.
  • [11] A method for producing the container-packed composition according to any one of [1] to [10] includes:
  • a process of filling into the container the composition containing green vegetables and a nitrogen gas; and
  • a process of, after the filling, sealing the container by sealing an opening part of the container.

Inventive Effects

According to the invention, by sealing the composition containing green vegetables in a container in which the internal air is replaced with nitrogen, it is possible to provide a container-packed composition in which the nutritional components and the flavor of the green vegetables are less likely to be lost during storage.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The invention will be described in detail below.

[1. Green Vegetables]

“Green vegetables” of the invention refers to vegetables that present a green color, and examples of green vegetables may include the green leaves of plants such as wheat, kale, sweet potatoes, mulberries, ashitaba, mugworts, chomeiso, kumazasa, spinach, swiss chards, celery, cabbages, collard green, lettuce, carrots and tea, and vegetables such as bell peppers, bitter melons, komatsuna, green onions, leeks, broccoli, peas. As for the portions of green vegetables used in the invention, any portion that presents a green color can be included, such as leaves, stems, fruits.

As the green vegetables in the invention, plants belonging to any family can be used, but examples may include plants from the families of Poaceae, Brassicaceae, Amaranthaceae, Apiaceae, Convolvulaceae, Moraceae, Asteraceae, Chenopodiaceae, etc., can be used. From the perspective of excellent dispersibility and case of drinking when used as a powdered beverage, and from the perspective of containing abundant nutritional components, plants from the families of Poaceae, Brassicaceae, Amaranthaceae, and Apiaceae are more preferable, plants from the families of Poaceae, Brassicaceae, and Amaranthaceae are particularly preferable, and plants from the family of Poaceae are most preferable.

As the green vegetables in the invention, plants belonging to any genus can be used. However, for example, plants from the genera of Poaceae Hordeum, Poaceae Sasa, Brassicaceae Brassica, Amaranthaceae Spinacia, Apiaceae Angelica, Apiaceae Peucedanum, Apiaceae Apium, Convolvulaceae Ipomoea, Moraceae Morus, Asteraceae Artemisia, Chenopodiaceae Beta, etc. can be used. From the perspective of excellent dispersibility and ease of drinking when used as a powdered beverage, and from the perspective of containing abundant nutritional components, plants of Poaceae Hordeum, Poaceae Sasa, Brassicaceae Brassica, Amaranthaceae Spinacia are more preferable, and plants from Poaceae Hordeum, Brassicaceac Brassica, Amaranthaceae Spinacia are most preferable.

[2. Green Leaves of Specific Plants]

As the green vegetables in the invention, any green vegetables can be used, but from the perspective of particularly excellent dispersibility and case of drinking when used as a powdered beverage, and from the perspective of containing abundant nutritional components, it is particularly preferable to use green leaves of specific plants as green vegetables, as described in the following. The specific plants in the invention refer to at least one plant selected from wheat, kale, sweet potatoes, mulberries, ashitaba, mugworts, chomeiso, kumazasa, spinach, swiss chards, and celery. A single type may be used, or two or more types may be used. From the perspective of particularly excellent dispersibility and case of drinking when used as a powdered beverage, and from the perspective of containing abundant nutritional components, among the green leaves of specific plants, the green leaves of wheat are particularly preferable, and green leaves of barley (young barley leaves) are most preferable.

The green leaves of specific plants in the invention refer to plant bodies including leaf portions of the specific plants, and may include stems or other portions together with leaves. Removing stems from the aerial parts and selecting only the leaf portions at the harvest time is labor-consuming, and since the stem portion also includes abundant nutritional components such as insoluble dietary fiber, it is preferable to include stems along with leaves from the perspective of reducing manufacturing costs and having nutritional value.

(Wheat)

The expression “wheat” in the invention refers to the general term for Poaceae plants with similar appearances, such as barley, wheat, rye, oat, etc. Among the wheats in the invention, barley is particularly preferable.

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) originates from central Asia and is an annual or biennial herbaceous plant belonging to the Poaceae family. The plant variety of barley used in the invention is not particularly limited. Any plant variety of barley can be used, including wild species or hybrids. Examples may include two-row barley, six-row barley, naked barley, etc., and these can be used alone or in combination of two or more types.

As the green leaves of wheat, the green leaves may be harvested at any harvest time, and the harvest time is not particularly limited. However, for example, in the case where the wheat is barley, it is preferable to use leaves (young barley leaves) harvested before the maturity stage, namely, leaves harvested from the start of tillering to the early stage when heading begins. Specifically, it is preferable to use young barley leaves harvested from barley with a height of 10 cm or more, preferably about 10-90 cm, more preferably about 20-80 cm, and particularly about 30-70 cm.

(Kale)

The expression “kale” in the invention refers to a plant belonging to Brassicaceae Brassica with a scientific name Brassica oleracea var. acephala. The plant variety of kale is not particularly limited, and various types of kale can be used, such as kitchen kale, tree kale, bush kale, marrow kale, collard (also called collard green), green leaf kale, etc. The green leaves of kale may be harvested at any harvest time and the harvest time is not particularly limited.

(Sweet Potato)

The expression “sweet potato” in the invention refers to a plant belonging to Convolvulaceae Ipomoe with the scientific name Ipomoea batatas. The sweet potato is not particularly limited as long as it is generally referred to as sweet potato. The plant variety of sweet potato is not particularly limited, and examples may include varieties such as suiou, joy white, kogane sengan, shiroyutaka, satsumastarch, and ayamurasaki. Among these, suiou, which includes a high content of polyphenol, is preferred. The green leaves of sweet potato may be harvested at any harvest time and are not particularly limited, but the tip portion of the stem and leaves (young stem and leaves) is preferable, and young stem and leaves that maintain a yellowish-green color are even more preferable.

<Mulberry>

The expression “mulberry” of the invention refers to a plant of Moraceae Morus. The plant variety of mulberries is not particularly limited, and examples may include white mulberries, Korean mulberries, common mulberries, long mulberries, wild mulberries, Morus boninensis, and Himalayan mulberries. The green leaves of mulberries may be leaves harvested at any harvest time and are not limited.

(Ashitaba)

The expression “ashitaba” in the invention refers to a plant belonging to Apiaceae Angelica and having a scientific name Angelica keiskei. The plant variety of Ashitaba is not particularly limited, and can be appropriately used. The green leaves of Ashitaba may be those harvested at any harvest time and are not limited.

(Mugwort)

The expression “mugwort” in the invention refers to perennial herbs belonging to Asteraceae Artemisia (the genus of Artemisia). The plant variety of mugwort is not particularly limited, and examples may include mugwort, wormwood, Tarragon, Nitrofu mugwort, Artemisia congesta, fragrant wormwood, Artemisia japonica, redstem wormwood, Artemisia apiacea, sweet annie, Artemisia keiskeana, Artemisia pedunculosa, Artemisia furcata var. pedunculosa, Artemisia arctica var. sachalinensis, Artemisia sinanensis, Artemisia glomerata, Artemisia tanacetifolia, hoary mugwort, Artemisia sacrorum, Artemisia lancea, Artemisia gilvescens, Artemisia codonocephala, Artemisia monophylla, Artemisia unalaskensis, Artemisia koidzumii, Artemisia stolonifera, Artemisia momiyamae, Artemisia rubripes, Artemisia montana, Artemisia indica, Artemisia schmidtiana, and Artemisia kitadakensis. As the green leaves of mugwort, mugwort is particularly preferred. The green leaves of mugwort may be harvested at any harvest time and are not thereto.

(Chomeiso)

The expression “chomeiso” of the invention refers to a plant belonging to Apiaceae Peucedanum with the scientific name Peucedanum japonicum. Chomeiso is called by various names in different regions, such as botanbofu, chomeiso, chomeigusa, chomifusa, bofu, sakuna, upuba-safuna, chomigusa, and botan-bofu. The plant variety of chomeiso is not particularly limited and can be used as appropriate. The green leaves of chomeiso may be harvested at any harvest time and the harvest time is not particularly limited.

(Kumazasa)

Kumazasa of the invention refers to a plant of Poaceae Sasa (from the genus of Sasa). The plant variety of kumazasa is not particularly limited, and Sasa veitchii, Sasa kurilensis, Sasamorpha borealis, Sasa senanensis, Sasa palmata, Sasa niponica, etc., can be used. The green leaves of kumazasa may be harvested at any harvest time and the harvest time is not particularly limited.

(Spinach)

The expression “spinach” in the invention refers to a plant belonging to Amaranthaceae Spinacia and having a scientific name Spinacia oleracea. The plant variety of spinach is not particularly limited and can be used as appropriate. The green leaves of spinach may be harvested at any harvest time and the harvest time is not particularly limited.

(Swiss Chard)

The expression “swiss chard” in the invention refers to a plant belonging to Chenopodiaceae Beta and having a scientific name Beta vulgaris. In Japan, it is also called Fudanso. The plant variety of swiss chards is not particularly limited and can be used as appropriate. The green leaves of swiss chards can be harvested at any harvest time and the harvest time is not particularly limited.

(Celery)

The expression “celery” in the invention refers to a plant belonging to Apiaceae Apium with the scientific name Apium graveolens. The plant variety of celery is not particularly limited and can be used as appropriate. The green leaves of celery can be harvested at any harvest time and the harvest time is not particularly limited.

[3. Dried Powder of Green Vegetables]

As the green vegetables used in the container-packed composition of the invention, for example, the dried powder of green vegetables can be used. The dried powder of the green vegetables in the invention refers to the green vegetables that have been processed, dried and powdered. Examples of the dried powder of the green vegetables may include those obtained by grinding and drying the green vegetables (ground powder of green vegetables), those obtained by drying and powdering the juice of the green vegetables (juice powder of green vegetables), and those obtained by drying and powdering the extract of the green vegetables (extract powder of green vegetables). However, the invention is not limited thereto. As the dried powder of the green vegetables in the invention, the ground powder of the green vegetables is preferred from the viewpoint of excellent dispersibility and case of drinking, the viewpoint of case of processing, storage, transportation, etc., and from the viewpoint of including abundant dietary fiber.

The ground powder of the green vegetables in the invention, for example, can be obtained by combining a drying process and grinding process. The drying process and the grinding process may be performed simultaneously, or one of the processes may be performed first, but it is preferable to perform the drying process first and then the grinding process. If necessary, one or two or more processes selected from the processes such as a blanching process, a sterilization process, may be performed in combination. In addition, the number of times of performing the grinding process is not particularly limited, and it may be implemented as one or two or more processes, such as performing a fine grinding process to grind more finely after performing a coarse grinding process.

The blanching process is a process to keep the green color of the green vegetables of the specific plants vivid, and the examples of methods of the blanching process may include a hot water process and a steaming process.

As the hot water process, examples may include a method of treating green vegetables in hot water or steam at 70° C. to 100° C., preferably 80° C. to 100° C., for 60 seconds to 240 seconds, preferably 90 seconds to 180 seconds. As the steaming process, examples may include an intermittent steaming process, in which a process of steaming green vegetables with steam and a process of cooling are repeated under a normal pressure or pressurized condition.

The sterilization process is not particularly limited as long as it is a sterilization process commonly adopted by those skilled in the art. Nevertheless, the sterilization process may be considered as a process that physically or chemically eliminates microorganisms using, for example, temperature, pressure, electromagnetic waves, or chemical agents.

In the case of performing a blanching process in addition to the drying process and the grinding process, it is preferable that the blanching process is performed prior to the drying process. Also, in the case of performing a sterilization process in addition to the drying process and the grinding process, it is preferable that the sterilization process is performed after the drying process, or before or after the grinding process.

The drying process is not particularly limited. However, examples may include a process of drying the green vegetables so that the moisture content becomes 10% by weight or less, preferably 8% by weight or less.

The grinding process is not particularly limited. However, examples may include a process of grinding the plant body by adopting any method commonly adopted by those skilled in the art. In the grinding process, it is preferable to combine coarse grinding and fine grinding from the viewpoint of improving the grinding efficiency, such as the uniformity of particle size, and reducing the grinding time.

As the green vegetable juice powder of the invention, for example, a product obtained by concentrating the solid content of the green vegetable juice through low-temperature concentration, and then freeze-drying or spray-drying the concentrated liquid can be used.

[4. Composition Containing Green Vegetables]

As an aspect of the composition containing the green vegetables of the invention, examples may include food or beverage containing green vegetables. The food or beverage of the invention may contain solely of green vegetables, or can include other food ingredients commonly used in addition to green vegetables. As such ingredients, various excipients, binders, glazing agents, lubricants, stabilizers, diluents, bulking agents, thickeners, emulsifiers, antioxidants, pH adjusters, colorants, flavoring agents, and additives can be selected as appropriate.

As forms of the composition containing green vegetables of the invention, examples may include tablet, capsule, powder, granule, liquid, paste, and stick forms. Among the dosage forms, from the viewpoint of manufacturability and case of intake, powder, granule, and tablet forms are preferable, and a powder or granule form is particularly preferable. The expression “granule” refers to a granulated product. In the case where the form of the composition of the invention is powdery or granular, such form has excellent properties in terms of manufacturability, such as good flowability and ease of filling into individual packages.

In the case where the composition containing green vegetables of the invention is powdery or granular, it is particularly preferable for the composition to be a powdered beverage. The expression “powdered beverage” refers to a powdery processed food product intended for drinking by mixing with liquids such as water, hot water, milk, or soy milk. The composition containing green vegetables of the invention is suitable for a powdered beverage due to the properties of being easily dispersed when suspended in water. Moreover, the powdered beverage is more preferable than a liquid beverage such as a PET bottle drink due to the point of being light in weight and easy to carry, as well as the point of being easy to store.

The composition containing green vegetables of the invention may include other food ingredients normally used in addition to green vegetables. In the case where the composition containing green vegetables of the invention includes food ingredients other than green vegetables, there is no particular limitation on the content of green vegetables in the composition. However, from the viewpoint of consuming a large amount of nutritional components from green vegetables, for example, in terms of dry mass conversion of the entire composition, 0.1 weight % or more is preferable, 0.5 weight % or more is more preferable, 1 weight % or more is further preferable, 10 weight % or more is even more preferable, and 20 weight % or more is particularly preferable.

In the composition containing green vegetables of the invention, the daily intake amount of green vegetables is not particularly limited, but for example, the daily intake amount may be 0.01 g to 100 g, preferably 0.05 g to 70 g, more preferably 0.5 g to 50 g, and further preferably 1 g to 30 g. Similarly, in the composition containing green vegetables of the invention, the intake amount of green vegetables per serving is not particularly limited. However, for example, the intake amount of green vegetables per serving may be 0.01 g to 30 g, preferably 0.05 g to 20 g, more preferably 0.1 g to 10 g, and further preferably 0.3 g to 7 g.

[5. Container-Packed Composition]

The expression “container-packed composition” of the invention refers to a composition packed and scaled in a container. The container used in the invention is not particularly limited. However, for example, a bag-shaped container (including pouch-shaped ones), a plastic container, a metal can, and a glass bottle can be used. As the bag-shaped container, examples may include a bag-shaped container made of materials such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyolefin (PO), and a bag-shaped container (aluminum pouch) made of an aluminum laminate film or an aluminum vapor-deposited film combining synthetic resin and aluminum. A film material is particularly preferable because such material is easy to process into a bag-shaped container, and after filling the composition, the container can be easily sealed through heat scaling the opening part of the container. As a plastic container, examples may include containers made of polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene terephthalate. Specifically, examples may include a PET bottle container. As metal cans, examples may include an aluminum can and a steel can. Among the containers, from the point of being lightweight, flexible, easy to process, and durable, and from the point of stably maintaining the nutritional components and flavor of green vegetables easily, the container of the invention is preferably bag-shaped, and among the bag-shaped containers, a stick-shaped container is particularly preferable. Also, from the point of being lightweight, flexible, easy to process, and durable, and from the point of easily maintaining the nutritional components and flavor of green vegetables stably, the container of the invention is particularly preferably an aluminum pouch.

The container-packed composition of the invention is a composition containing green vegetables, and is sealed in a container where the internal air is replaced with nitrogen. As a method for manufacturing the container-packed composition of the invention, for example, examples may include a method where a nitrogen gas filling device is installed to a commercially available filling and packaging machine, nitrogen gas is filled simultaneously at the time when the contents are filled into the container, and immediately after the filling, the opening part is sealed to seal the container. In the case where the container of the invention is a stick-shaped container, the container-packed composition of the invention can be manufactured by installing the nitrogen gas filling device to the stick filling and packaging machine. As the stick filling and packaging machine, for example, “FC1000GS” manufactured by SANKO MACHINERY Co., Ltd., “SL-65” manufactured by TOPACK Co., Ltd., “TM60-ZC” manufactured by TOYO MACHINE MANUFACTURING Co., Ltd. can be used.

In the invention, the container in which the internal air is replaced with nitrogen indicates that a portion of the air inside the container is replaced with nitrogen gas. By replacing the air with nitrogen gas, the oxygen concentration in the container decreases to be lower than that in air (oxygen concentration 21%). The oxygen concentration in the container is preferably 10% or less, and particularly preferably 5% or less. It is also possible to fill, to a portion, with nitrogen containing some inert gas such as helium or argon.

EXAMPLES

The invention is described in more detail below with examples, but the invention is not limited to the examples and can take various forms as long as it can solve the problems of the invention.

[1. Evaluation of Stability]

Example 1

As the raw material, the aerial part (leaves and stems) of barley harvested at a height of about 30 cm was used. After the aerial part was washed to remove adhered mud and cut into pieces of about 5 cm in size, a blanching process was performed only once for about 100 seconds in hot water at 95° C., followed by cooling with cold water. The obtained young barley leaves were dried in a dryer with warm air, and subjected to a coarse grinding process to about 1 mm in size. Furthermore, a fine grinding process was performed by using a jet mill grinder to manufacture young barley leaf powder (a median diameter of about 20 μm, a moisture content of 5 mass % or less, dietary fiber derived from the young barley leaves 51 mass %).

Then, by using a stick filling and packaging machine equipped with a nitrogen gas filling device, 3 g of the obtained young barley leaf powder was filled into a stick-shaped aluminum pouch, and nitrogen gas was simultaneously sealed therein. By heat sealing the opening part of the aluminum pouch immediately after sealing, a container-packed composition containing young barley leaves sealed in a container with internal air replaced with nitrogen was obtained (Example 1). The container (aluminum pouch) was rectangular with dimensions of 13.0 cm in length and 2.5 cm in width, with 1.0 cm at both top and bottom heat sealed (in other words, the composition is sealed in a space of 11.0 cm in length and 2.5 cm in width).

Comparative Example 1

A commercially available product in which 3 g of young barley leaf powder per package was filled in a stick-shaped aluminum pouch (size similar to the example) and the internal air was replaced with nitrogen was purchased and used as a comparative example.

[Test Method]

The container-packed compositions of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 were stored in a constant temperature chamber (temperature 40° C., humidity 75%) for 1 month. The stability of the young barley leaves filled in the container was confirmed by evaluating the nutritional components, appearance, and flavor of the young barley leaves before and after storage according to the methods described below.

(Analysis of β-Carotene and Vitamin E)

The contents of β-carotene and vitamin E in the compositions of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 were quantified. The quantification of β-carotene and vitamin E was conducted by a high-performance liquid chromatography method, outsourced to Japan Food Research Laboratories. By using the measurement results, the reduction rate after storage with respect to the state before storage was calculated according to Equation 1 as follows.

Reduction ⁢ rate ( % ) = Content ⁢ before ⁢ storage - Content ⁢ after ⁢ storage Content ⁢ before ⁢ storage × 100 ( Equation ⁢ 1 )

The results are as shown in Table 1. Compared to Comparative Example 1, the composition of Example 1 showed suppressed reduction of β-carotene and vitamin E.

	TABLE 1
	Reduction rate (%)

	β-carotene	Vitamin E

	Example 1	15	0
	Comparative	24	3.8
	Example 1

(Evaluation of Appearance and Flavor)

The appearances and flavors of the young barley leaf powder before and after storage were evaluated by sensory testing. The evaluation was determined by the consensus of 4 panelists engaged in the development of health foods using young barley leaves, based on the following evaluation criteria. The appearance was evaluated by visually observing the surface of the young barley leaf powder, and the flavor was evaluated by ingesting a small amount of the young barley leaf powder.

(Evaluation Criteria)

• • 0: No change compared to the state before storage
  • 1: Slight change compared to the state before storage
  • 2: Obvious change compared to the state before storage
  • 3: Significant change compared to the state before storage, but within acceptable range as a product
  • 4: Very significant change compared to the state before storage, with issues in marketability

The results are as shown in Table 2. Regarding the appearance, both samples showed only slight changes compared to the state before storage. On the other hand, in terms of flavor, while Comparative Example 1 showed an obvious change, Example 1 exhibited only a slight change. According to the above, it was found that in the composition of Example 1, changes in flavor were changed as compared to Comparative Example 1.

	TABLE 2
	Appearance	Flavor

	Example 1	1	1
	Comparative	1	2
	Example 1

[2. Manufacture of Container-Packed Composition]

Examples 2 to 12

Powdered beverages were manufactured by mixing respective raw materials in the proportions shown in Table 3. Then, by using the stick filling and packaging machine equipped with the nitrogen gas filling device, 3 g of the obtained powdered beverage was filled into a stick-shaped aluminum pouch, and nitrogen gas was simultaneously sealed therein. By heat sealing the opening part of the aluminum pouch immediately after sealing, the container-packed compositions containing green vegetables sealed in the containers with internal air replaced with nitrogen were obtained (Examples 2 to 12). The container (aluminum pouch) was rectangular with dimensions of 13.0 cm in length and 2.5 cm in width, with 1.0 cm at both top and bottom heat sealed (in other words, the composition is sealed in a space of 11.0 cm in length and 2.5 cm in width).

TABLE 3
Raw	Exam-	Exam-	Exam-	Exam-	Exam-	Exam-	Exam-	Exam-	Exam-	Exam-	Exam-
material	ple 2	ple 3	ple 4	ple 5	ple 6	ple 7	ple 8	ple 9	ple 10	ple 11	ple 12

Green

Ground powder of

80

vegetables

young barley

leaves

Ground powder of

80

kale

Ground powder of

80

sweet potato

Ground powder of

80

mulberry

Ground powder of

80

Ashitaba

Ground powder of

80

mugwort

Ground powder of

80

chomeiso

Ground powder of

80

kumazasa

Ground powder of

80

spinach

Ground powder of

80

Swiss chard

Ground powder of

80

celery

Indigestible dextrin	15	15	15	15	15	15	15	15	15	15	15
Erythritol	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5
Total	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100

The container-packed compositions of Examples 2 to 12 are all less likely to lose nutritional components from the green vegetables during the storage period, and exhibit suppressed changes in flavor over time. Additionally, when mixed with water at the time of intake, the container-packed compositions were easily dispersible in water and easy to drink.

INDUSTRIAL UTILITY

The container-packed composition of the invention is less likely to lose nutritional components from the green vegetables during the storage period and exhibits suppressed changes in flavor. Therefore, it is possible to consume green vegetables with good flavor even after long-term storage. The container-packed composition of the invention can be used as a food or beverage such as a powdered beverage, thus having high industrial utility.