Gustation regulator as well as preparation method and application thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a taste regulator as well as a preparation method and application thereof. The taste regulator can inhibit unpleasant tastes such as bitter taste and astringent taste in food. The taste regulator is formed by gathering edible polymers with specific polymerization degree and multivalent ions in a solution through multivalent weak interaction. More specifically, the preparation method of the taste sense regulator comprises the following steps: adjusting a solution of an edible polymer to a specific pH value, carrying out membrane treatment, adding a multivalent ion extract solution filtered by a membrane, and incubating at room temperature for a certain time to obtain the taste sense regulator. The taste modulators can be used in liquid, semi-solid, and solid foods to improve or mitigate unpleasant taste therein. Therefore, the taste regulator is a broad-spectrum bitterness and other peculiar smell inhibitor, and not only improves the sensory quality of food, but also improves the acceptability of people.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of daily necessities, food or medicine, and in particular to a taste regulator for masking bitterness or foreign taste. The present invention also relates to a method for preparing the taste regulator and a method for using the taste regulator to prepare a composition for reducing or masking unpleasant taste sensation. Background Art

[0002] There are about 5,000 taste buds in the human mouth, which can sense five flavors: sweet, bitter, fresh, sour, and salty. It is worth noting that bitter taste perception plays a vital role in the survival of vertebrates. When animals come into contact with bitter food, the cerebral cortex will produce a strong sense of disgust, which becomes an important defense mechanism for animals to resist the invasion of toxic substances into the body. Because bitterness is closely related to toxicity, it seriously threatens the survival of organisms. Studies have shown that neurons expressing somatostatin (SST) regulate bitterness, and neurons expressing calcium binding protein 2 (Calbindin2) regulate sweetness. They are both located in the rostral segment of the solitary nucleus (rNST) of the brain. Interestingly, bitter neurons inhibit the excitation of sweet neurons. In other words, in order to offset the bitterness of food, people need to add a lot of sucrose to reduce, mask or cover up the bitterness.

[0003] In order to reduce the bitterness in food, artificial sweeteners and natural sweeteners are added to food to replace sucrose to improve consumer acceptance. However, while adding artificial sweeteners or natural sweeteners to improve the unpleasant taste of food, they also introduce odors, such as astringency, metallic taste and aftersweetness. These newly introduced taste characteristics not only affect the overall flavor of the product, but also reduce consumer acceptance to a certain extent. The rise of high-intensity sweeteners is accompanied by a problem that cannot be ignored - the taste of sugar substitutes is defective. For example, stevia is a non-nutritious, zero-calorie high-intensity sweetener, but its bitterness and metallic taste make many people feel uncomfortable. Acesulfame potassium has a strong sweetness, about 130 times that of sucrose, and its taste properties are similar to saccharin, but it has a bitter taste at high concentrations. Since it is difficult to find a sweetener with sensory properties and physical and chemical properties similar to sucrose, in recent years, bitterness blocking or masking has been urgently needed in the beverage, food and pharmaceutical fields. There are four main methods to prevent bitterness: (1) enhance aroma components through Maillard reaction; (2) mask unfavorable bitterness through emulsion encapsulation; (3) remove bitter substances by separating unnecessary components; (4) block receptor transduction by bitter blockers. For example, CN 113995077 B removes the bitterness of blue indigo fruit pulp by filtering and centrifuging equipment to remove the peel and pomace of blue indigo fruit, but this method will lead to the loss of nutrient components of pulp. CN112126668 B discloses a specific endo-enzyme to remove the bitterness of soybean peptides. This method may cause changes in the overall structure and stability of the peptide, affect the folding mode and secondary structure (such as α-helix or β-sheet), and thus affect the nutritional value of soybean peptides. CN 113248567B discloses a bitter receptor blocking peptide that can effectively bind to the bitter receptor T2R14 and has a sustained and stable inhibitory effect on bitter substances. However, there are 25 bitter receptors in the human oral cavity, and the bitterness blocking effect of the bitter receptor blocking peptide on the mixed peptide solution is greatly reduced. Therefore, it is of practical significance to develop a new bitter taste regulator to meet the needs of bitterness blocking or masking in the beverage, food and pharmaceutical fields. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention has developed a taste modifier that changes taste perception. The taste modifier can capture the inherent unpleasant taste components in some edible products or the additional additives with peculiar smell, and finally improve the overall taste attributes of these products. In addition, the taste modifier has the characteristics of low calories, stability, good biocompatibility, wide sources and simple production process. Whether it is for the improvement of product sensory attributes, the health effects caused by high sugar, or the green and sustainable environmental protection production concept, the taste modifier can be said to be basically in line with it.

[0005] Various exemplary, non-limiting aspects of the invention can be summarized as follows:

[0006] Aspect 1: The object of the present invention is to provide a taste modifier and a preparation method and application thereof.

[0007] Aspect 2: The taste regulator described in Aspect 1 is prepared according to the following method: the degree of polymerization of the edible polymer is controlled to be 2 to 500, the pH of the edible polymer solution is adjusted to 3 to 7, a multivalent ion extract solution is added, and the mixture is stirred and incubated at 0 to 100°C and 0 to 700 rpm for 1 to 10 minutes. The resulting composition is the taste regulator.

[0008] Aspect 3: The edible polymer described in Aspect 2 is a food-grade cationic polymer. According to the present invention, the extraction source of the edible polymer includes but is not limited to mushrooms, yeast fermentation, whey protein, shrimp crust, crab crust, bean protein, silkworm pupae, cell walls of some fungi, microbial protein and exoskeleton of arthropods or at least one of their combinations. Such as common edible polymers such as starch and chitosan. The extraction method of the edible polymer is a conventional method in the art. Or directly purchase a food-grade low molecular weight edible polymer. Preferably, chitosan formed by N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine with a degree of polymerization between 2 and 500 is selected. More preferably, an edible polymer with a degree of polymerization between 5 and 150 is selected.

[0009] Aspect 4: The extraction sources of the multivalent ion extract described in Aspect 2 include, but are not limited to, at least one of carrots, bananas, seeds of leguminous plants, potatoes, bran of cereals, button mushrooms, germs and nuts, or a combination thereof. The multivalent ion extract can be extracted by a crude extraction method, wherein the raw material is ground into powder, dissolved in water, filtered, centrifuged, and concentrated, and the resulting concentrated solution is the desired polyanion extract. Alternatively, food-grade polyanions can be purchased directly. Preferably, the multivalent ions are a variety of polyanions, including but not limited to triphosphates, hexametaphosphates and phytates. More preferably, triphosphates are selected as the material for synthesizing the taste modifier.

[0010] Aspect 5: In the composition described in Aspect 2, the net content (w / w) of the edible polymer is 5wt% to 90wt%, where the net content, i.e., weight percentage, refers to the dry weight percentage based on the total weight of the taste modifier.

[0011] Aspect 6: In the composition described in Aspect 2, the net content (w / w) of the multivalent ion extract is 5wt% to 90wt%, where the net content, i.e., weight percentage, refers to the dry weight percentage based on the total weight of the taste modifier.

[0012] Aspect 7: In aspect 2, the formation of the taste modifier by the edible polymer and the multivalent ion extract is a spontaneous process, which can be carried out at 0 to 100°C, preferably at 25 to 35°C.

[0013] Aspect 8: Preferably, in Aspect 2, the stirring speed is 200 rpm and the incubation time is 1 to 10 min.

[0014] Aspect 9: In aspect 2, the edible polymer solution is adjusted to a specific pH, and then treated with a membrane, and then the multivalent ion extract solution filtered through the membrane is added.

[0015] Aspect 10: The edible polymer and the multivalent ion extract in Aspect 2 are prepared in a certain mass ratio, and the mass ratio of the edible polymer solution to the multivalent ion extract solution is 1 to 10: 0.1 to 10. Preferably, the mass ratio of the edible polymer to the multivalent ion extract is 2:1, 3:1, 3:2, or 4:1.

[0016] Aspect 11: A taste modifier, which is prepared by the above preparation method.

[0017] Aspect 12: A composition for oral ingestion, comprising an edible product and a taste modifier. When the edible product is ingested in the absence of the taste modifier, an unpleasant taste (e.g., bitterness, astringency) is produced, and when the taste modifier forms a composition with the edible product, the unpleasant taste in the food can be reduced or masked.

[0018] Aspect 13: The edible product described in Aspect 12 contains an edible ingredient that has one or more unpleasant taste sensations, including but not limited to an unpleasant foreign taste, an unpleasant aftertaste, a lingering sweetness or bitterness.

[0019] Aspect 14: In the edible product described in Aspect 12, the edible ingredients include an edible bitter ingredient in food or a high-intensity sweetener added to food. Edible bitter ingredients include, but are not limited to, caffeine, limonin, tannin, polyphenols, flavonoids, active pharmaceutical ingredients, bitter peptides, and alkaloids. High-intensity sweeteners include, but are not limited to, steviol glycosides, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium.

[0020] Aspect 15: In a composition of aspects 12-14, the edible ingredient is coffee, a taste modifier, and may further contain steviol glycoside.

[0021] Aspect 16: In a composition of aspects 12-14, the edible ingredients are coffee, a taste modifier, and may further contain sucralose.

[0022] Aspect 17: In a composition of aspects 12-14, the edible ingredient is coffee, a taste modifier, and may further contain acesulfame potassium.

[0023] Aspect 18: In a composition of aspects 12-14, the edible ingredient is limonin, a taste modifier, and may further contain sucralose.

[0024] Aspect 19: The composition described in aspects 15-18 is a beverage product with an acidic pH value.

[0025] Aspect 20: In the composition described in aspects 12-19, the edible polymer is present in a concentration lower than, equal to or higher than its taste threshold concentration; and the multivalent ion extract is present in a concentration lower than, equal to or higher than its taste threshold concentration.

[0026] Aspect 21: A method for reducing or masking the unpleasant taste sensation associated with inherent bitter components and high-intensity sweeteners in a composition for orally ingested (e.g., liquid food, semi-solid food, solid food), wherein the taste modifier in the composition captures foreign taste substances to form a taste modifier containing bitter or foreign taste substances, thereby ultimately improving the overall taste attributes of the composition.

[0027] Aspect 22: The net content (w / w) of the taste modifier in the composition described in Aspect 12 is related to the method of obtaining the edible polymer and the multivalent ion extract. If it is a compound of crude food extracts, the net content (w / w) of the taste modifier in the composition is at least 0.01wt%; if the edible polymer or multivalent ion extract with high food grade purity is purchased, the net content (w / w) of the taste modifier in the composition is 0.01wt% to 2wt%. Generally, the net content (w / w) of the taste modifier in the composition is 0.01wt% to 2wt% to achieve the desired bitterness-reducing effect. The weight percentage refers to the dry weight percentage based on the total weight of the edible product and the taste modifier.

[0028] Aspect 23: A method for suppressing bitterness and enhancing sweetness of a product, comprising a taste modifier prepared by the method described in Aspect 2. The taste modifier can capture or isolate edible components (such as inherent bitter components and high-intensity sweeteners) in food (such as food, beverage products and medicines) that produce unpleasant taste sensations (such as bitterness, astringency, foreign taste and metallic taste), thereby improving the sensory quality of the food.

[0029] As described above, the taste modifier (or taste masking composition) of the present invention can mask, prevent, reduce and / or inhibit the unpleasant taste characteristics associated with certain edible ingredients (such as some inherent bitter ingredients or high-intensity sweeteners) in edible products without introducing new unpleasant tastes. Some high-intensity sweeteners have an unpleasant taste sensation. For example, stevia has a bitter and metallic taste; monk fruit has a citrus aftertaste; acesulfame potassium has a bitter and metallic taste; saccharin has a bitter and metallic taste; sodium cyclamate has a bitter and salty taste, etc. In some embodiments of the present invention, the effect of the taste modifier can be maintained as long as the off-flavor of at least one edible ingredient (such as a high-intensity sweetener) is perceived. That is, the taste modifier does not have a retention effect.

[0030] In other embodiments, the present invention also provides a method for preparing the taste modulator as described above, comprising the following steps:

[0031] i) preparing an aqueous solution A of a natural food-grade edible polymer having a degree of polymerization of 2 to 500 in a solution having a pH value of 3 to 7;

[0032] ii) preparing an aqueous solution B of a multivalent ionic acidic polymer;

[0033] iii) passing solution A through a membrane having a thickness of 0.45 μm to 0.8 μm, and passing solution B through a membrane having a thickness of 0.22 μm to 0.8 μm;

[0034] iv) Mix solution A and solution B in equal volumes, and stir at room temperature at 0 to 700 r / min for 1 to 10 min to obtain a taste modifier solution C.

[0035] Preferably, the present invention provides a method for preparing a taste modifier for capturing or isolating unpleasant taste in food as described above, comprising the following steps:

[0036] i) preparing an aqueous solution A of a natural food-grade edible polymer having a degree of polymerization of 2 to 500 at a concentration of 0.2 to 5 mg / mL in a solution having a pH value of 4 to 5;

[0037] ii) preparing an aqueous solution B of a multivalent ionic acidic polymer at a concentration of 0.2 to 2 mg / mL;

[0038] iii) passing solution A through a 0.45 μm membrane and solution B through a 0.22 μm membrane; mixing solution A and solution B in equal volumes, stirring and incubating at room temperature at 600 rpm for 1 to 10 minutes to obtain a taste modulator solution C;

[0039] iv) adding sweetener solution D dropwise to solution C while stirring at 600 rpm, the volume ratio of solution C to solution D being 100:0.1-2.

[0040] More preferably, the incubation time of step iii) is at least 1 min and no longer than 1 h, more preferably no longer than 6 h.

[0041] In various embodiments of the present invention, the edible product, in the absence of a taste modifier or a taste modifier, has an inherent off-flavor component or a high-intensity sweetener that tends to impart at least one unpleasant taste sensation to the food. High-intensity sweeteners, including all artificial synthetic sweeteners, natural sweeteners, sugar alcohols (or polyols) and sugar sweeteners (or carbohydrates), etc., are one of the edible ingredients. However, the edible ingredients also include any edible ingredients other than the high-intensity sweeteners. Such edible ingredients include, but are not limited to, xanthine alkaloids (e.g., caffeine), tannins, polyphenols, quinolone derivatives (e.g., quinine, quinine salts), limonin, naringin, phenolic glycosides, active pharmaceutical ingredients, bitter amino acids (e.g., tryptophan) and bitter peptides, etc.

[0042] In one embodiment, the sweetener is a stevia extract. For example, the sweetener may contain 0.02 wt% by weight of steviol glycosides, including one or more rebaudioside.

[0043] In another embodiment, the sweetener consists of sucralose. For example, the sweetener may include 0.025 wt% sucralose by weight.

[0044] Thus, in one aspect, the present invention relates to the use of a taste modulator as described above for masking, reducing, preventing and / or suppressing unpleasant taste characteristics, in particular at least one sweetener or other edible ingredient causing an unpleasant taste.

[0045] Preferably, the effect of the taste modulator remains at least as long as the taste of the at least one sweetener or other unpleasant taste-inducing ingredient is perceived.

[0046] Sweetener composition

[0047] As described above, the present invention provides a taste modifier that can be used to 1) capture or isolate bitter or foreign taste components in food; 2) reduce the amount of standard sugar (such as sucrose) in consumables; 3) give food a rich taste.

[0048] In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a sweetener composition comprising at least one sweetener (as described above) and a taste modifier.

[0049] In one embodiment, the sweetener comprises at least one artificial or natural sweetener or a combination of the two. Once ingested, the mixture can leave an unpleasant taste, aftertaste or lingering sweetness in the oral cavity.

[0050] In one embodiment, the amount of the taste modulator in the sweetener composition is such that when the sweetener composition is added to food, the amount of the taste modulator is below, equal to, or above its taste threshold concentration, the threshold concentration of the taste modulator being ≤ 1 wt %. When consumed, the presence of the taste modulator is not recognizable in the food.

[0051] In various embodiments, the taste modifier as described above can effectively improve, mask, reduce and / or inhibit the unpleasant taste, aftertaste or lingering sweetness of at least one sweetener. The net content (w / w) of the taste modifier in the composition can achieve the above effect at 0.01wt% to 2wt%.

[0052] As used herein, the term "taste threshold concentration associated with a taste modifier" refers to the lowest concentration of a taste modifier that can still be tasted by a person's taste buds, especially in an aqueous solution that contains no other ingredients besides the taste modifier. This taste threshold concentration may vary from person to person. For example, in a neutral aqueous solution that contains no other ingredients, the taste threshold concentration of a taste modifier is about 1 wt%.

[0053] The taste modifier of the present invention may also contain additional additives or edible ingredients, including but not limited to seasoning ingredients, flavor enhancers, sweetness enhancers, and humectants.

[0054] In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a sweetener composition in solution form. For example, a sweetener composition solution includes at least one solvent, at least one sweetener and a taste modifier. In particular, the solvent includes, but is not limited to, water, alcohols (e.g., ethanol, glycerol) that can be safely consumed. In addition, the solvent, particularly water, can include one or more edible buffers (e.g., citrate buffer). The sweetener composition solution can be in the form of a syrup or a relatively high concentration of a concentrate other than a solvent, wherein these ingredients are completely dissolved in a solvent (e.g., water).

[0055] Sweetener compositions in the form of dispersions or suspensions, in which at least a portion of at least one ingredient of the sweetener composition remains undissolved but is suspended or dispersed in a liquid carrier solvent (e.g., water and / or an edible organic solvent), are also considered within the scope of the present invention.

[0056] In one embodiment, the taste modifier is present in the sweetener composition solution at a weight percentage concentration of 20 wt% to 80 wt%, and when the sweetener composition solution is added to food, the flavor or taste of the sweetener (in the food) is improved compared to the food containing the sweetener but not the taste modifier.

[0057] In one embodiment, the sweetener composition solution includes a taste modifier and a sweetener, and the sweetener composition is present in the solution at a weight percentage concentration of 0.01 wt% to 2 wt%. When the sweetener composition solution is added to food, the taste modifier cannot be detected in the food by taste.

[0058] In one embodiment, the sweetener composition solution can be treated to inactivate microorganisms that may be present in the solution. The treatment step is a treatment step known in the art, such as ultraviolet treatment, microfiltration, pasteurization and combinations thereof. This is merely exemplary and is not intended to limit the scope of the above treatment step.

[0059] In various embodiments, the sweetener composition will typically include at least one natural or synthetic high-intensity sweetener, such as steviol glycosides, acesulfame potassium, or sucralose. For example, 1 gram of the sweetener composition can be at least 10 times, at least 50 times, or at least 100 times sweeter than 1 gram of sucrose (meaning that a relatively small amount of the sweetener composition needs to be incorporated into the food in order to give the food a level of sweetness comparable to that provided by a larger amount of sucrose). This allows the formulation of foods with reduced sugar content and reduced calorie content compared to traditional foods made using sucrose or other high-calorie sugars as sweeteners.

[0060] In other embodiments, the sweetener compositions may be evaluated by a panel of sensory assessors in a sensory test with respect to sweetness and / or sweetness enhancing properties and / or other tastes.

[0061] Sensory testing is used to evaluate the effectiveness of the taste modifiers described above in masking, reducing and / or suppressing the unpleasant taste, aftertaste or lingering sweetness of at least one sweetener. Sensory testing can also be used to evaluate whether the effect of the taste modifier remains unchanged at least when the taste of at least one sweetener is perceived.

[0062] The sensory evaluation experiment can also be used to analyze other taste-related bitterness intensity measurements and / or liking assessments.

[0063] In the above case, the panelists are asked to put a sample of the liquid taste modifier and sweetener composition to be evaluated as described above into their mouths and spit out the sample completely after keeping it in the mouth for a period of time. Subsequently, the panelists are asked to rinse their mouths with water or other liquids to reduce any potential carryover effects. During this period, the panelists can taste the samples repeatedly.

[0064] The first sensory evaluation is for the sweetness, aftertaste, and / or lingering sweetness of the sweetener ingredients in the sweetener composition composed of the above-mentioned taste modifier and sweetener. Panelists are asked to taste the taste quality of individual samples. Panelists are then asked to answer the following questions about taste quality: 1) Is the sample sweet? 2) Is there any bitter, sour, salty, metallic taste, etc. detected? 3) Is there an aftertaste or lingering sweetness? 4) Are there other significant flavors in the perception of the sample?

[0065] In the second sensory test, one sample contained at least one sweetener in a solvent. The other sample contained a combination of the above taste modifier and at least one sweetener. The two samples were labeled with three random numbers and decoded after the sensory scoring experiment. The questions to be answered were: 1) Is there a difference in sweetness between the two samples? If so, which one is sweeter? 2) Are the two samples the same in taste?

[0066] Method for making sweetener composition

[0067] On the other hand, the present invention relates to a method for preparing a sweetener composition, which comprises at least one sweetener and a taste modifier and optionally one or more additional additives or ingredients (e.g., spices) as described above. At the same time, compared with a sweetener composition containing a taste modifier, a sweetener composition without a taste modifier has an unpleasant taste, aftertaste and / or lingering sweetness.

[0068] In another aspect, the present invention relates to a method for masking, reducing, preventing and / or inhibiting the unpleasant taste, aftertaste or lingering sweetness of at least one sweetener. The method comprises adding a taste modifier to at least one sweetener to form a sweetener composition, wherein the amount of the taste modifier in the sweetener composition is 20 wt % to 80 wt %.

[0069] As mentioned above, the sweetener composition of the present invention can be a part of a liquid product. Therefore, in one embodiment, the method of the present invention also includes dissolving, suspending or dispersing the sweetener and taste modifier in a suitable solvent (such as water) or another polar solvent or a combination thereof. The sweetener or taste modifier can be mixed with a solvent (e.g., in the form of syrup) when combined with other components to form the sweetener composition.

[0070] The following exemplary foods and ingredients thereof are suitable for use in embodiments of the present invention.

[0071] Exemplary foods include, but are not limited to, cereal-derived foods, rice-derived foods, bread, biscuits, cakes, candies, desserts, chewing gum, chocolate, honey, cooked fruit and vegetable products, meat and meat products, jelly, jam, dairy products, cheese products, soy products, medicines, beverages, beer, fruit drinks, juices, coffee, tea, plant extracts, condiments, sweeteners, nutritional supplements, chewing gum, tablets, syrups and other beverage preparations, and combinations thereof.

[0072] In one embodiment, the food is a liquid product selected from the following group: including but not limited to beverages, water, enhanced / slightly sweetened water drinks, non-carbonated beverages, soft drinks, non-alcoholic beverages, alcoholic beverages (such as beer, wine), fruit drinks, fruit juices, vegetable juices, nectars, coffee, tea (such as black tea, green tea, oolong tea), herbal drinks, tea-based beverages, coffee-based beverages, cocoa-based beverages, desserts, syrups, juices, condiments, jams, canned fruits, delicious prepared food products, mustards, pickles, sauces, soups, as well as plant-based beverages, coffee powder, cocoa powder and instant tea powder.

[0073] The amount of the sweetener composition in the food of the present invention depends on the concentration of the natural and / or synthetic sweeteners contained therein, the desired sweetness level, and the content of other additionally added substances. These additives may affect the taste characteristics of the food in an unfavorable or undesirable manner without a taste modifier.

[0074] In another embodiment, the edible product is a pharmaceutical product (medicament). The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical product containing the sweetener composition of the present invention. Pharmaceutical products include, but are not limited to, over-the-counter and prescription drugs, such as chewable medicines, cough syrups, throat lozenges, and concentrated medicinal beverages.

[0075] In another embodiment, the present invention relates to an animal feed or animal food containing the sweetener composition as described above.

[0076] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0077] The taste regulator of the present invention is formed by an edible polymer with a specific degree of polymerization and a multivalent ion extract being aggregated together in a solution through multivalent weak interactions. Specifically: after adjusting the solution of a low molecular weight edible polymer to a specific pH, a multivalent ion extract is added, and the taste regulator is incubated at room temperature for a certain period of time. The taste regulator can be used in liquid, semi-solid and solid foods to improve or reduce unpleasant tastes (for example, bitterness, astringency, peculiar smell and metallic taste). Therefore, the taste regulator is a broad-spectrum bitterness and other odor inhibitor, which not only improves the sensory quality of food but also increases the acceptance of the population. When the taste regulator is added to food, the taste regulator can effectively block or reduce the unpleasant taste in the food. At the same time, the addition of the taste regulator has a significant improvement in sensory quality compared to the food without the addition of the taste regulator. The taste regulator of the present invention has good economic and practical benefits, and only a small amount (at least 0.01wt%) of the taste regulator needs to be added to the food to achieve the effect of preventing or inhibiting unpleasant bitterness or peculiar smell. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0078] Figure 1 The following are the results of microscopic observation of the taste modifier in Example 1.

[0079] Figure 2 This is a graph showing the effects of the sweetener composition formed by the taste modifier and acesulfame potassium in Example 1 and the comparative example acesulfame potassium on the bitterness and off-flavor of coffee.

[0080] Figure 3 This is a graph showing the effects of the sweetener composition formed by the taste modifier and steviol glycoside in Example 2 and the stevioside in the comparative example on the bitterness and off-flavor of coffee.

[0081] Figure 4 This is the TCATA curve result diagram of the coffee concentrate in Example 3.

[0082] Figure 5 This is the TCATA curve result diagram of adding 0.2 wt% stevioside to the coffee solution in Example 3.

[0083] Figure 6 This is a TCATA curve result diagram of the sweetener composition formed by adding 0.2 wt % of taste modifier and 0.2 wt % of steviol glycoside to the coffee solution in Example 3.

[0084] Figure 7 The diagram shows the results of a sensory scoring experiment on the bitterness intensity of green tea solutions and green tea stock solutions to which 0.375 wt%, 0.75 wt% and 1.5 wt% of taste modifiers were added, respectively.

[0085] Figure 8This is a diagram showing the results of a bitterness intensity sensory scoring experiment of corn peptide solutions and corn peptide stock solutions to which 0.375 wt%, 0.75 wt% and 1.5 wt% of taste modifiers were added, respectively.

[0086] Fig. 9 The diagram shows the results of the sensory scoring experiment on the bitterness intensity of red ginseng solutions and red ginseng stock solution to which 0.375 wt%, 0.75 wt% and 1.5 wt% of taste modifiers were added, respectively. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0087] In the present invention, the embodiments are described in a clear and concise manner. However, the embodiments may be combined or separated in various ways without departing from the present invention. In particular, the combination ratio, source and preparation of the taste modifiers may also be combined or separated in various ways.

[0088] In some embodiments, the present invention can be interpreted as excluding any preparation process steps that do not substantially affect the composition. In addition, in some embodiments, the present invention can be interpreted as excluding any elements or process steps not specified herein.

[0089] Although the invention is illustrated and described herein with reference to particular embodiments, the invention is not intended to be limited to the details shown. Rather, various modifications may be made in the details within the range and scope of equivalents of the claims without departing from the invention.

[0090] The present invention will be further explained and illustrated below in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0091] Example 1

[0092] First, we prepared a taste regulator. The preparation process is as follows: prepare a 0.2 mg / mL oligochitosan solution (degree of polymerization of 3-10), adjust the pH value to 4.7-4.8, and pass it through a 0.45 μm membrane for later use. Prepare a 0.2 mg / mL sodium triphosphate solution and pass it through a 0.22 μm membrane. Mix the above two solutions at equal concentrations, stir at 200 rpm at room temperature for 2 minutes to obtain the taste regulator. The prepared taste regulator solution was characterized using a microscope, and the results are as follows Figure 1As shown. The taste modifier is composed of particles with a size of 800nm ​​to 1500nm. Then, we applied the prepared taste modifier to the sensory experiment. The sensory test was carried out according to the following procedure: The sensory test compared different concentrations of acesulfame potassium at a certain interval, ranging from 300ppm to up to 900ppm, to characterize an adequate dose response. Due to the known retention effect, two concentrations were tested each time: 300 / 500ppm; 500 / 700ppm and 700 / 900ppm. The product is provided in ascending concentrations to make a clearer distinction between the two concentrations. The solution is contained in a 30mL tasting cup coded with three random numbers. Distilled water purchased in the store is available for panel members to rinse their mouths before and during the test. A total of 30 subjects (18 women, 12 men; age: 18-30 years old) were recruited. Subjects who smoked, drank, had an overweight BMI, had dental or gingivitis diseases, were pregnant or lactating, or used antibiotics and other medications during the experiment were not enrolled. In addition, those who had any allergy, intolerance, or oversensitivity to the samples used in this study during the experiment would be excluded. Finally, 28 subjects (16 females, 12 males; age: 18-30 years old) participated in the test.

[0093] The present invention designs a sensory scoring study and evaluates it in a sensory analysis sensory room. All volunteers could not eat for at least 1 hour before the test, but could drink water freely. Two-alternative forced choice (2-AFC) test was performed according to the sample evaluation procedure (ISO 5495). First, samples of different concentrations involving five basic tastes (salty, sweet, fresh, bitter and sour) were prepared: NaCl (15.00 and 3.00 g / L), glucose (50.00 and 10.00 g / L), monosodium glutamate (20.00 and 4.00 g / L), naringin (2.00 mg / L and mg / L) and citric acid (5.00 and 1.00 g / L). A nose clip was used during the sensory test to prevent cross-reaction with odors, and volunteers were required to identify the difference in taste intensity. Before tasting each sample, volunteers rinsed their mouths with tap water at least twice until there was no residual taste. Then, 1-2 mL of the sample was taken into the mouth. The solution was contained in the mouth for at least 10 seconds and then spit out. Only volunteers with all correct answers were selected for further training tests. Next, a ranking test was conducted on 22 volunteers (13 females, 9 males; age: 18-30 years old). Citric acid (6.00g / L), naringin (2.00mg / L), glucose (50.00g / L), monosodium glutamate (20.00g / L), and sodium chloride (15.00g / L) were serially diluted 2-fold to obtain solutions of 5 different concentrations. Each taste solution (five concentrations) was presented to the panelists, and they were asked to rank the taste solutions encoded with three-digit random numbers according to the perceived intensity. After the ranking test, 18 subjects (12 females, 6 males; age: 18-30 years old) were selected as formal test subjects.

[0094] Use coffee stock as a reference sample, that is, bitterness is 10 points and odor is 0 points. Coffee liquid preparation method: brand Santonban No. 6 coffee (extra dark roast): warm water = 3g: 240mL, unless otherwise specified, the coffee solution described in the present invention is prepared with this sample and this ratio. Pre-screening of the test scheme shows that most people think that the addition of sucrose, sweeteners or a combination of sweeteners and taste modifiers will reduce the bitterness of the coffee stock. Panelists were first asked to familiarize themselves with the bitterness and other tastes of the coffee stock. Next, they waited 30 seconds and rinsed their mouths with water to clean their palates. Then, the panelists tasted the test samples (each sample was identified by a random 3-digit code). Then, they scored the tested samples on the scoring sheet to match the bitterness and other tastes of their test samples relative to the coffee stock. Once completed, they were asked about the similarity of the bitterness intensity of the test sample and the coffee stock, the intensity of other odors, and the new sensory characteristics proposed by the subjects.

[0095] The values ​​for bitterness intensity ranged from 1 to 10, and the values ​​for off-flavor intensity ranged from 1 to 10. Descriptions of the other characteristics were open ended, allowing the panelists to give any descriptors they wanted and to rate the intensity on a scale of 1 to 10.

[0096] Next, a sensory test was conducted to compare the sensory scores (including bitterness intensity score and unpleasant taste score) of the following samples. Figure 2 The sensory evaluation test results (including bitterness intensity score and unpleasant taste score) of coffee solution alone; coffee solution formed by combining 300ppm, 500ppm, 700ppm and 900ppm of acesulfame potassium; 0.2wt% taste modifier premixed with 300ppm, 500ppm, 700ppm and 900ppm of acesulfame potassium and coffee solution respectively. Figure 2 It can be seen that the coffee solution with 0.2wt% taste modifier added is as bitter as the coffee solution with 12.5wt% sucrose added, and when the added amount of acesulfame potassium is less than or equal to 700ppm, the bitterness of coffee can be effectively suppressed. When the added amount of acesulfame potassium is 700ppm, the bitterness intensity is increased instead, which may be the peculiar smell caused by the high concentration sweetener. The coffee solution to which the sweetener composition composed of 0.2wt% taste modifier and acesulfame potassium described in the present invention is added is less bitter than the coffee solution to which 0.2wt% taste modifier is not added. In terms of odor masking, since the high-intensity sweetener acesulfame potassium introduces an unpleasant taste (for example, bitterness and astringency), the addition of 0.2wt% taste modifier not only reduces the bitterness of coffee, but also reduces the peculiar smell introduced by the high-intensity sweetener acesulfame potassium. When a sweetener composition of 300 ppm of acesulfame potassium and 0.2 wt% of a taste modifier is added, the coffee solution containing the composition is as bitter as a coffee solution containing 15 wt% sucrose. When 0.2 wt% of a taste modifier is used to form a sweetener composition with acesulfame potassium, not only is the unpleasant taste of acesulfame potassium greatly reduced, but the bitterness of coffee is also well suppressed. This demonstrates that a coffee solution with 0.2 wt% of a taste modifier added is considered to have a significant effect on reducing off-flavors.

[0097] Example 2

[0098] Figure 3 The sensory scoring test results (including bitterness intensity score and unpleasant taste score) of coffee solution alone; solutions formed by combining coffee with 500ppm, 1000ppm, 1250ppm, 1500ppm and 2000ppm of stevioside respectively; and solutions formed by a sweetener composition formed by premixing 0.2wt% of a taste modifier with 500ppm, 1000ppm, 1250ppm, 1500ppm and 2000ppm of stevioside respectively and coffee.

[0099] Depend on Figure 3 It can be seen that: in terms of bitterness suppression, the effect of steviol glycosides is better than sucrose, which is why high-intensity sweeteners are widely used. However, the addition of steviol glycosides introduces new unpleasant tastes such as bitterness, astringency and sourness to the coffee solution. Panelists were asked to evaluate the bitterness intensity of the samples and rinse their mouths with water between samples to eliminate any residual effects. Panelists unanimously agreed that the coffee solution containing 0.2wt% of the sweetener combination of taste modifiers and steviol glycosides was less bitter than the coffee solution containing steviol glycosides added alone. In addition, panelists unanimously agreed that the off-flavor intensity of the coffee solution containing 0.2wt% of the taste modifier and steviol glycoside combination was lower than that of the coffee solution containing only steviol glycosides. The addition of high concentrations of steviol glycosides will make the coffee solution have unpleasant bitterness, sourness and off-flavors, and increase in concentration-dependent manner. The 0.2wt% taste modifier well suppressed the off-flavor introduced by high concentrations of steviol glycosides. The results show that taste modifiers have a certain inhibitory effect on the bitterness and peculiar smell of stevioside and coffee. This is mainly because taste modifiers can capture taste active substances with bitterness or peculiar smell in the solution, so that the taste active substances that can penetrate the oral mucus layer to reach the taste buds are reduced, thereby reducing the intensity of taste perception. In addition, mucus, as a dynamic physicochemical semipermeable barrier, allows the transport and exchange of specific molecules (i.e. nutrients, water, gas, odorants, hormones), while capturing and intercepting foreign and harmful substances (toxins, pathogenic bacteria, viruses, etc.). The taste modifier of the present invention uses low molecular weight natural edible polymers as raw materials, and has high acceptability among the population. At the same time, the polyphosphate in the raw material of the taste modifier of the present invention has a high hydration capacity, which improves its barrier capacity by swelling the oral mucus layer. It is worth noting that bitter taste perception plays a vital role in the survival of vertebrates. When animals come into contact with bitter food, the cerebral cortex will produce a strong sense of disgust, which becomes an important defense mechanism for animals to resist the invasion of toxic substances into the body. Because bitterness is closely related to toxicity, it seriously threatens the survival of organisms. Improving the barrier capacity of the oral mucus layer can reduce the amount of bitter substances passing through the mucus layer, thereby reducing the bitterness or odor.

[0100] Example 3

[0101] Figure 4 Temporal check-all-that-apply (TCATA) sensory test for a single coffee solution; Figure 5 TCATA sensory test with 0.2wt% stevioside added to coffee solution; Figure 6TCATA sensory experiment of a sweetener composition (0.2wt% steviol glycosides and 0.2wt% taste modifiers) added to a coffee solution. Temporal examination of all applied methods can track multiple sensory attributes over time. TCATA allows the selection of perceived sweetness and side tastes, making it an effective and unbiased technique for studying the different temporal taste profiles of different sweeteners. A feature of the TCATA method is that it can be used with untrained consumers and rather than asking participants to rate attribute intensity, they are asked to select the attributes they perceive at intervals to produce a "citation ratio" at different time points during and after consumption. The citation ratio is the frequency with which participants select an attribute at a given time point to track the peak occurrence and decay of each attribute. Although not a direct measure of perceived intensity, the citation ratio is correlated with "intensity", with stronger sensations generally being cited more highly. Therefore, TCATA allows for relative comparisons of sweeteners across a range of key temporal parameters, such as peak citation, peak citation time, total duration of perceived individual attributes, and area under the attribute curve.

[0102] Figure 4 The TCATA results of the coffee concentrate are shown. The bitterness citation ratio is the highest in the first 10 seconds and gradually increases to 0.9 as time goes by. The coffee flavor citation ratio is as high as 0.4 at the moment of entrance, and then it decays. It is 0.1 at 10 seconds. In addition, there is a certain astringency in the first 10 seconds of the coffee concentrate, but the citation ratio is low. During the period of 10 to 50 seconds, the citation ratio of coffee astringency increases, with the highest being about 0.5. The citation ratios of bitterness and coffee flavor both decrease.

[0103] Figure 5 This is the TCATA curve of the coffee solution with 0.2wt% stevioside added. It can be seen that the bitterness of coffee is the highest in the first 10s, about 0.8, which is lower than the original coffee solution. The coffee flavor is 0.3, and the ratio is a U-shaped curve, but it is similar to the original coffee solution. The sweetness is 0.3. During 10 to 30s, the coffee flavor is the highest at about 0.8, the sweetness is about 0.4, and the astringency is slightly about 0.2. In summary, the addition of stevioside reduces the bitterness of coffee and increases the sweetness and astringency.

[0104] Figure 6The TCATA results of the coffee solution added with the sweetener composition, wherein the sweetener composition is composed of 0.2wt% stevioside and 0.2wt% taste modifier. The bitterness citation ratio of the coffee solution in the first 10s is up to 0.6 and continues to decrease to 0.3, which is much lower than the original coffee solution and the coffee solution added with stevioside. The coffee flavor citation ratio gradually increases, with a maximum of 0.4. The astringency citation ratio is 0. During 10-30s, the bitterness, coffee flavor and sweetness citation ratios of the coffee solution are the highest. After 40s, the coffee flavor citation ratio is the highest, which can reach about 0.8. In summary, the sweetener composition can not only reduce the bitterness and astringency of coffee, maintain the sweetness of stevioside and reduce its astringency, but also better maintain the coffee flavor.

[0105] Example 4

[0106] Figure 7 The results of the bitterness intensity sensory scoring experiment of the green tea solution and the green tea stock solution with 0.375wt%, 0.75wt% and 1.5wt% of taste modifier added respectively. The bitterness inhibition effect of the green tea solution with 1.5wt% of taste modifier added was the best, with a bitterness intensity score of 4.25 and a bitterness inhibition intensity (i.e., the degree of bitterness reduction) of 57.5%. And as the amount of taste modifier used decreased, the bitterness inhibition effect gradually decreased. Figure 8 The results of the sensory scoring experiment of the bitterness intensity of corn peptide solutions and corn peptide stock solutions with 0.375wt%, 0.75wt% and 1.5wt% of taste modifier added respectively. Compared with the corn peptide stock solution (bitterness intensity score of 10), the bitterness intensity score of the corn peptide solution with 1.5wt% taste modifier added was 4, and the bitterness resistance intensity (i.e., the degree of bitterness reduction) reached 60%. Fig. 9 The results of the sensory scoring experiment on the bitterness intensity of the red ginseng solution and the red ginseng stock solution respectively added with 0.375wt%, 0.75wt% and 1.5wt% of the taste regulator. The bitterness-blocking effect of the red ginseng solution with the added taste regulator is similar to that of the green tea solution and the corn peptide solution. In summary, within the content range of the taste regulator of the present invention, different added amounts of the taste regulator have a certain inhibitory effect on the bitterness or odor of different foods. This shows that the taste regulator of the present invention has a broad-spectrum bitterness or odor inhibitory effect.

Claims

1. A method for preparing a taste modifier, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: The polymerization degree of the edible polymer is controlled within the range of 2 to 500, the pH value of the edible polymer solution is adjusted to 3 to 7, and then a multivalent ion extract solution is added, and the mixture is stirred at 0 to 100° C. and 0 to 700 r / min for 1 to 10 minutes. The resulting composition is the taste regulator. The mass ratio of the edible polymer solution to the multivalent ion extract solution is 1 to 10:0.1 to 10.

2. The method for preparing a taste modifier according to claim 1, characterized in that: The edible polymer is a food-grade cationic polymer, and the degree of polymerization of the edible polymer is between 5 and 150; the extraction source of the edible polymer includes at least one of mushrooms, yeast fermentation, whey protein, shrimp shells, crab shells, bean protein, silkworm pupae, cell walls of some fungi, microbial protein and exoskeletons of arthropods or a combination thereof.

3. The method for preparing a taste modifier according to claim 1, characterized in that: The multivalent ion extract is a variety of polyanions, including triphosphate, hexametaphosphate and phytate; the extraction sources of the multivalent ion extract include at least one of carrots, bananas, seeds of leguminous plants, potatoes, bran of cereals, button mushrooms, germ and nuts or a combination thereof.

4. The method for preparing a taste modifier according to claim 1, characterized in that: The net content of the edible polymer is 5wt% to 90wt%, and the net content of the multivalent ion extract is 5wt% to 90wt%. The net content, namely weight percentage, refers to the dry weight percentage based on the total weight of the taste modifier.

5. The method for preparing a taste modifier according to claim 1, characterized in that: The concentration of the edible polymer solution is 0.2-5 mg / mL, and the concentration of the multivalent ion extract solution is 0.2-2 mg / mL.

6. A taste regulator, characterized in that Prepared by the preparation method described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A composition for oral ingestion that reduces or masks unpleasant taste sensations, characterized in that The invention comprises an edible product and the taste modifier according to claim 6; the unpleasant taste sensation comprises one or more unpleasant foreign tastes, one or more unpleasant aftertastes, one or more lingering sweetness or bitterness.

8. The composition according to claim 7, characterized in that The edible product contains edible bitter ingredients, including alkaloids, tannins, polyphenols, quinolone derivatives, limonin, naringin, phenolic glycosides, flavonoids, neohesperidin, active pharmaceutical ingredients, bitter amino acids and bitter peptides.

9. The composition according to claim 7, characterized in that The edible product also includes a high intensity sweetener, which includes artificial sweeteners, natural sweeteners, sugar alcohols or polyols, sugar sweetness or carbohydrates.

10. The composition according to claim 7, characterized in that The net content of the taste regulator in the composition is 0.01wt% to 2wt%.

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