Flavoring composition

Abstract

Provided is a flavoring composition comprising a flavoring substance produced by a method comprising fermenting a carbohydrate by bacteria of the genus Clostridium in a fermentation medium comprising ammonia to provide a fermentation broth having a pH of 5-7 comprising the bacteria, ammonium butyrate and a fermentation co-product; separating the bacteria to form a fermentation liquor; removing water from the fermentation liquor and acidulating the fermentation liquor with sulfuric acid, wherein an acidulated concentrated fermentation liquor is formed, having a first phase comprising a liquid aqueous mother liquor saturated with ammonium sulfate, a second phase comprising solid ammonium sulfate wetted with the mother liquor, and a third phase which is a liquid organic phase comprising butyric acid; separating the first phase and / or the second phase to form a separated first phase and / or a separated second phase; wherein the flavoring substance is obtained.

Description

FLAVORING COMPOSITIONCross-reference to related application

[0001] The present application gains priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 524,018 filed 29 June, 2023 which is incorporated by reference as if fully set-forth herein.Field of the invention

[0002] The present invention relates to flavoring compositions, and more specifically to flavoring compositions comprising a flavoring substance comprising a by-product of butyric acid produced by a method comprising fermenting a carbohydrate by bacteria of the genus Clostridium in a fermentation medium comprising ammonia.Background

[0003] Flavoring substances are commonly used to add a desired flavor to an ingestible product, such as a food or oral medicament, or to improve or intensify an inherent flavor.

[0004] Production of such substances is often expensive and / or time-consuming.

[0005] Furthermore, known flavoring substances often have a high sodium content, which is known to be deleterious to health, commonly leading to conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease and even stroke.

[0006] There is thus an unmet need for an improved flavoring substance which is devoid of at least some of the disadvantages of the prior art.Summary of the invention

[0007] According to an aspect of some embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a flavoring composition comprising a flavoring substance produced by a method comprising:(i) fermenting a carbohydrate by bacteria of the genus Clostridium in a fermentation medium comprising ammonia to provide a fermentation broth comprising the bacteria, ammonium butyrate and a fermentation co-product, the fermentation broth having a pH of between 5 and 7;(ii) separating the bacteria from the fermentation broth to form a fermentation liquor and separated bacteria;(iii) removing water from the fermentation liquor and acidulating the fermentation liquor with sulfuric acid having a concentration of at least 70wt%, wherein acidulating is carried out prior to, simultaneously with, or subsequent to removing water, wherein an acidulated concentrated fermentation liquor having a total solute concentration of at least 35wt%, and a pH of less than about 3.5 is formed, the acidulated concentrated fermentation broth comprising a first phase comprising a liquid aqueous mother liquor saturated with ammonium sulfate, a second phase comprising solid ammonium sulfate wetted with the mother liquor, and a third phase which is a liquid organic phase comprising butyric acid;(iv) separating the first phase and / or the second phase to form a separated first phase and / or a separated second phase; and optionally(v) drying the separated first phase and / or the separated second phase, wherein the flavoring substance is obtained.Brief description of the figures

[0008] Some embodiments of the invention are described herein with reference to the accompanying figures. The description, together with the figures, makes apparent to a person having ordinary skill in the art how some embodiments of the invention may be practiced. The figures are for the purpose of illustrative discussion and no attempt is made to show structural details of an embodiment in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention. For the sake of clarity, some objects depicted in the figures are not to scale.

[0009] In the Figures:[OOIO] FIG. 1 A is a schematic representation of a method of production of a flavoring substance in accordance with the principles of the present invention.[OOH] FIG. IB is a schematic representation of an alternative method of production of a flavoring substance in accordance with the principles of the present invention.Detailed description of the invention

[0012] The present invention relates to flavoring compositions comprising a by-product of butyric acid preparation by a method comprising fermenting a carbohydrate by bacteria of the genus Clostridium in a fermentation medium comprising ammonia.

[0013] The flavoring compositions of the present invention are useful in food and medicament applications and are particularly useful in low sodium diets as a salt substitute or a salt enhancer.

[0014] The particulars shown herein are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the various embodiments of the present invention only and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention, the description making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice.

[0015] The present invention will now be described by reference to more detailed embodiments. This invention may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0016] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The terminology used in the description of the invention herein is for describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention.

[0017] As used herein, the term “flavoring substance” refers to a pharmaceutically inactive substance which when added to an ingestible product, including a food or a medicament, imparts or improves the flavor and / or smell of the product. The term “flavoring substance” is intended to encompass flavoring agents, flavoring enhancers and acidulants. As used herein, the term “flavoring agent” (also known as a flavorant) is used to improve the taste and / or smell of the product. As used herein, the term “flavor enhancer” is a substance with supplements or enhances the natural flavor or a food or a component thereof.

[0018] The effect on flavor may be determined, for example, by one or more professional tasters skilled in the art of flavor determination.

[0019] As used herein, the term “fermentation medium” refers to a starting medium to which cells are added to initiate the fermentation process.

[0020] As used herein, the term “fermentation broth” refers to the medium comprising cells produced during the fermentation process.

[0021] As used herein, the term “fermentation liquor” refers to the fermentation broth from which cells have been removed.

[0022] As used herein, the term “fermentation by-product” refers to proteins, peptides, amino acid, vitamins, and salts that are either minor metabolites required for fermentation, extrudates of the cultivated microorganism, or constituents of the microorganism resulting from cell lysis during handling separation of cellular biomass from fermentation liquor.

[0023] As used herein, the term “mother liquor” refers to a residual liquid resulting from crystallization and remaining after the crystallized substances have been removed.

[0024] As used herein, the term “refining” refers to removal of at least 85wt% impurities.

[0025] As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0026] Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of ingredients, reaction conditions, and so forth used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about.” Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the following specification and attached claims are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the present invention. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter should be construed in light of the number of significant digits and ordinary rounding approaches.

[0027] Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the invention are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. Any numerical value, however, inherently contains certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements.Every numerical range given throughout this specification will include every narrower numerical range that falls within such broader numerical range, as if such narrower numerical ranges were all expressly written herein. Additional advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed. As used herein, when a numerical value is preceded by the term "about", the term "about" is intended to indicate + / -10% of that value.

[0028] As used herein, the terms “comprising”, “including”, "having" and grammatical variants thereof are to be taken as specifying the stated features, integers, steps or components but do not preclude the addition of one or more additional features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof. These terms encompass the terms "consisting of" and "consisting essentially of".

[0029] According to an aspect of some embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a flavoring composition comprising a flavoring substance produced by a method comprising:(i) fermenting a carbohydrate by bacteria of the genus Clostridium in a fermentation medium comprising ammonia to provide a fermentation broth comprising the bacteria, ammonium butyrate and a fermentation co-product, the fermentation broth having a pH of between about 5 and about 7 ;(ii) separating the bacteria from the fermentation broth to form a fermentation liquor and separated bacteria;(iii) removing water from the fermentation liquor and acidulating the fermentation liquor with sulfuric acid having a concentration of at least about 70wt%, wherein acidulating is carried out prior to, simultaneously with, or subsequent to removing water, wherein an acidulated concentrated fermentation liquor having a total solute concentration of at least about 35wt%, and a pH of less than about 3.5 is formed, the acidulated concentrated fermentation broth comprising a first phase comprising a liquid aqueous mother liquor saturated with ammonium sulfate, a second phase comprising solid ammonium sulfate wetted with the mother liquor, and a third phase which is a liquid organic phase comprising butyric acid;(vi) separating the first phase and / or the second phase to form a separated first phase and / or a separated second phase; and optionally(vii) drying the separated first phase and / or the separated second phase, wherein the flavoring substance is obtained.

[0030] According to some embodiments, the carbohydrate is selected from the group consisting of a starch, cellulose, xylan, a sugar (such as glucose, xylose, galactose and combinations thereof), a sugar alcohol (such as 1,5-anhydroglucitol, erythritol, galactinol, lyxitol, myo-inositol, pentitol, sorbitol, threitol, xylitol and combinations thereof) and combinations thereof.

[0031] According to some embodiments, the fermentation broth has a pH of about 5.0, about 5.2, about 5.4, about 5.6, about 5.8, about 6.0, about 6.2, about 6.4, about 6.6, about 6.8 or about 7.0. According to some embodiments, the pH of the fermentation broth is determined by neutralization of butyric acid present in the broth by ammonia.

[0032] According to some embodiments, separating the bacteria from the fermentation broth comprises centrifugation or microfiltration.

[0033] According to some embodiments, separating the first phase and / or the second phase comprises centrifugation.

[0034] According to some embodiments, removing water from the fermentation liquor is carried out by reverse osmosis or by single or multi-effect evaporation.

[0035] According to some embodiments, acidulating of the fermentation liquor is carried out prior to removing water. According to some embodiments, acidulating of the fermentation liquor is carried out subsequent to removing water. According to some embodiments, acidulating of the fermentation liquor is carried out simultaneously with removing water. According to some embodiments, the amount of water removed is sufficient to result in crystallization of at least about 50wt% (such as about 50wt%, about 55wt%, about 60wt%, about 65wt%, about 70wt%, about 75wt%, about 80wt%, about 85wt%, about 90wt%, about 95wt% or even about 100wt%) of the ammonium sulfate present in the fermentation liquor.

[0036] According to some embodiments, the acidulated concentrated fermentation liquor has a total solute concentration of about 35wt%, about 40wt%, about 45wt%, about 50wt%, or about 55wt%.

[0037] According to some embodiments, the acidulated concentrated fermentation liquor has a pH of about 3.4, about 3.2, about 3.0, about 2.8, about 2.6, about 2.4, about 2.2 or about 2.0.

[0038] According to some embodiments, the method comprises separating the first phase to form a separated first phase and drying the separated first phase, wherein the flavoring substance is obtained from the dried and separated first phase.

[0039] According to some embodiments, the method comprises separating the second phase to form a separated second phase and drying the separated second phase, wherein the flavoring substance is obtained from the dried and separated second phase.

[0040] According to some embodiments, the method comprises crystallizing ammonium sulfate out of the first phase prior to drying to form a separated second mother liquor and drying the second mother liquor, wherein the flavoring substance is obtained from the dried second mother liquor.

[0041] According to some embodiments, the method further comprises drying the separated first phase, wherein the flavoring substance is obtained by blending the dried and separated first phase with the dried and separated second phase.

[0042] According to some embodiments, the method further comprises heating to a temperature of at least about 100°C, such as about 100°C, about 110°C, about 120°C, about 130°C, about 140°C, about 150°C, about 160°C, about 170°C, about 180°C, about 190°C or about 200°C for a period of at least 10 minutes (such as about 10 minutes, about 20 minutes, about 30 minutes, about 40 minutes, about 50 minutes, about 60 minutes, about 70 minutes, about 80 minutes, about 90 minutes, about 100 minutes, about 110 minutes or about 120 minutes) at least one selected from the group consisting of the separated first phase, the dried separated first phase, the separated second phase, the dried separated second phase, the separated second mother liquor, and the separated dried second mother liquor.

[0043] According to some embodiments, the fermentation co-product comprises at least one amino acid. According to some such embodiments, the amino acid is present in the form of a peptide or a protein. According to some embodiments, the amino acid is present in free form or salt form.

[0044] According to some embodiments, the at least one amino acid comprises at least three amino acids (such as three, four, five or more than five amino acids). According to some embodiments, the at least one amino acid is selected from the group consisting of glutamic acid, glycine, aspartic acid, alanine, tyrosine and combinations thereof.

[0045] According to some embodiments, the flavoring composition comprises less than about 2wt% sodium, such as less than about 2wt%, less than about 1.5wt%, less than about 1.0wt%, less than about 0.5wt%, less than about 0.2wt%, less than about 0. lwt%, less than about 0.05 wt%, less than about 0.02wt%, less than about 0.01wt%. According to some embodiments, the flavoring composition is substantially devoid of sodium.

[0046] According to some embodiments, the composition comprises ammonium sulfate. According to some such embodiments, ammonium sulfate is present at a concentration in the range of from about lwt% about 98wt%, such as about lwt%, about 5wt%, about 10wt%, about 15wt%, about 20wt%, about 25wt%, about 30wt%, about 35wt%, about 40wt%, about 45wt%, about 50wt%, about 55wt%, about 60wt%, about 65wt%, about 70wt%, about 75wt%, about 80wt%, about 85wt%, about 90wt%, about 95wt% or about 98wt%. According to some embodiments, ammonium sulfate is not present as a sole flavoring substance (such as a sole flavoring agent or sole flavor enhancer). According to some embodiments, the flavoring substance of the present invention at least partially mitigates the negative taste features associated with use of ammonium sulfate, such as a metallic aftertaste, particularly when used with certain foods such as potatoes, eggs and chicken.

[0047] According to some embodiments, the bacteria of the genus Clostridium are of a species selected from the group consisting of Clostridium butyricum, Clostridium tyrobutyricum and a combination thereof.

[0048] According to some embodiments, there is provided a food product comprising the flavoring composition as disclosed herein.

[0049] According to some embodiments, there is provided a method of flavoring a food, comprising use of the flavoring composition as disclosed herein.

[0050] The flavoring composition of the present invention is useful as a flavorant and / or salt substitute for a wide variety of foods, including beef (such as steak, ribs, ground beef, and ground beef products, such as hamburgers and sausages); pork (such as loin, ribs, pork chops and ground pork products, such as hamburgers and sausages); chicken or turkey (such as breast, thighs, wing and ground chicken or turkey products); lamb (such as roast lamb, lamb chops and ground lamb products); meat and meat products from less commonly used animals, such as elk, bison or deer; or plant-based meat substitutes, including legume -derived products such as tofu, seitan or tempeh.

[0051] Referring now to FIGs. 1A, IB, there are schematically presented exemplary methods 10a, 10b, respectively, for the preparation of the flavorant of the present invention.

[0052] Methods 10a, 10b comprise fermentation 12 of a carbohydrate 14 by bacteria 16 of the genus Clostridium in a fermentation medium 18 comprising ammonia to provide a fermentation broth 20 comprising bacteria 16, ammonium butyrate and a fermentation co-product, the fermentation broth having a pH of between 5 and 7. Bacteria 16 are then separated 22 from fermentation broth 20 to form a fermentation liquor 24 and separated bacteria 26.

[0053] According to method 10a (FIG. 1A), water is then removed 28 from fermentation liquor 24 to provide concentrated fermentation liquor 30a which is then acidulated 32 with sulfuric acid 34 to provide acidulated concentrated fermentation liquor 36 having a total solute concentration of at least 35wt%, and a pH of less than about 3.5.

[0054] Alternatively, according to method 10b (FIG. IB), fermentation liquor 24 is first acidulated 28 to provide acidulated fermentation liquor 30b and then water is removed 28 to provide acidulated concentrated fermentation liquor 36.

[0055] Acidulated concentrated fermentation broth 36 is separated 38 into a first phase comprising a liquid aqueous mother liquor 40 saturated with ammonium sulfate, a second phase comprising solid ammonium sulfate wetted with said mother liquor 42, and a third phase which is a liquid organic phase 44 comprising butyric acid, wherein the flavoring substance is obtained from first 40 and / or second phase 42.ExamplesExample 1: Preparation of the flavoring substance[OO56] Clostridium tyrobutyricum bacteria were grown in a fermentation medium comprising at least one carbohydrate and the bacterial cells were separated from the resultant fermentation broth to provide a fermentation liquor, substantially devoid of bacterial cells. Water was removed from the fermentation liquor to provide a fermentation liquor concentrated by a factor of approximately 25.

[0057] 96% sulfuric acid was slowly added to the concentrated fermentation liquor while under agitation and active cooling in an ice bath to reduce the pH of the concentrated fermentation liquor from an initial value of about 6 to a value of less than 3. The liquor separated into an upper organic phase, comprising butyric acid and acetic acid; an intermediate aqueous phase, comprising water and ammonium sulfate; and a solid precipitate slurry, comprising ammonium sulfate, proteins and fragments thereof, and amino acids and salts thereof.

[0058] The solid precipitate slurry was dried by spreading out on an aluminum baking sheet and baking for 120°C for 90 minutes, stirring, baking at 150°C for an additional 60 minutes and milling using a NutriBullet® blender.

[0059] The product obtained subsequent to blending had the appearance and texture of brown sugar.Example 2: Flavor testing - steak

[0060] The effect of the flavoring substance of the present invention (referred to as BrewSpice), prepared according to the method of Example 1 was tested on ribeye beef steak and compared to that of commercial flavoring substances as follows:Batch #1 : table salt / pepper;Batch #2: umami granules (takii mushroom-base);Batch #3: BrewSpice;Batch #4: Tony Chacer’s Creole Seasoning®;Batch #5: Traeger’s Garlic / Chili Pepper Rub®; andBatch #6: Luigi’s seasoning®.

[0061] A water bath was pre-heated to 129°F.

[0062] Five cooking bags were each labelled with one of batch numbers 1 -5.

[0063] Five steaks were provided and each steak was assigned a batch number, then seasoned on all sides with the seasoning assigned to the respective batch number. The seasoned steaks were placed into the respective labelled cooking bags, vacuum sealed and placed in the heated water bath for 90 minutes.

[0064] The bags were then removed from the water bath, each steak was removed from its bag, patted dry and seared on each side in a hot skillet.

[0065] The steaks were then sliced and a slice of each was tasted by two expert tasters.Results

[0066] All steaks were considered to be flavorful and have no “off notes”.Example 3: Flavor testing — short ribs

[0067] The effect of the flavoring substance of the present invention (referred to as BrewSpice), prepared according to the method of Example 1 was tested on boneless beef short ribs and compared to that of commercial flavoring substances as follows:Batch #6: table salt (1 tsp)Batch #7: table salt (0.25 tsp) + monosodium glutamate (0.75 tsp); andBatch #8: table salt (0.25 tsp) + BrewSpice (0.75 tsp).

[0068] A water bath was pre-heated to 135°F.

[0069] Three cooking bags were each labelled with one of batch numbers 6-8.

[0070] Salt mixtures were prepared according to batch numbers 6-8 as detailed above.

[0071] Three short ribs were provided and each rib was assigned a batch number, patted dry, then seasoned on all sides with the full amount of seasoning assigned to the respective batch number.

[0072] Each rib was seared separately on both sides.

[0073] The seared ribs were placed into the respective labelled cooking bags, vacuum sealed and placed in the heated water bath for 45-48 hours.

[0074] The bags were then removed from the water bath, each steak was removed from its bag, patted dry and seared on each side in a hot skillet. Liquid in the bags was retained for tasting.

[0075] The steaks were then sliced and a slice of each was tasted by four expert tasters.ResultsLiquid / broth

[0076] Broths obtained from batches #6 and #8 (salt alone and salted BrewSpice, respectively) were very similar in appearance, being thin, brown, opaque liquids. Broth obtained from batch # (salted MSG) was similarly thin and opaque but had an almost wine -red color. All three batches were considered to have an acceptable flavor, but the broth from batch #7 was considered to taste beefier and less seasoned than the other two. Three of the four tastes were unable to differentiate between the saltiness of broth from batch #7 and the reduced salt batch #8.Meat

[0077] Meat of batch #6 (salt alone) was found to be the most tender, verging on texture -less and mushy, but was still considered flavorful and well-seasoned. Meat of batch #7 (salted MSG) was considered to have less beef flavor and less saltiness than that of batch #6 or #8. Meat of batch #7 and of batch #8 was very tender but still had a good meaty texture.

[0078] Meat of batch #8 (salted BrewSpice) was ranked highest by 3 out of 4 testers. The fourth considered batch #8 to need more salt.Example 4: Flavor testing — pea protein ground meat substitute

[0079] The effect of the flavoring substance of the present invention (referred to as BrewSpice), prepared according to the method of Example 1 was tested as a flavoring added to pea protein ground meat substitute and compared to that of commercial flavoring substances as follows:Ingredients

[0080] Master blend slurry of spices and water:1.0 g onion powder2.0 g garlic powder1.0 g smoked paprika1.0 g mustard powder2.020.0 g water

[0081] Ground meat substitute (Wegman’s® pea protein ground meat substitute)

[0082] Umami granules, takii mushroom based

[0083] BrewSpice

[0084] Salt

[0085] WaterTable 2Procedure

[0086] Four bowls and four plates were labeled as Batch #1-4, respectively. Bowls were labeled on the side and plates on the bottom so as not to be visible to tasters.

[0087] Master spice blend and dry ingredients were added to the bowls according to Table 2, water added, and the bowls swirled to mix.

[0088] Ground meat substitute was added and the ingredients mixed thoroughly with a spatula, using a different or clean spatula between each bowl. Each mixture was formed into a patty.

[0089] A large nonstick pan was heated to medium heat for 5 minutes. Each patty was placed in a separate, designated area of the pan, with patties kept apart within the pan and separate utensils used for each patty.

[0090] The patties were cooked for 3 minutes on each side, then each patty was transferred to a labeled plate, corresponding to the batch number.[OO91] Results

[0092] Batch #1 was very bland, but edible.

[0093] Batch #2 had a nice flavor, with very mild metallic mid-notes that did not appear after the first bite.

[0094] Batch #3 had a nice flavor with no metallic notes.

[0095] Batch #4 had an acceptable flavor.Analysis

[0096] The base sodium level of an 85 g pea protein patty was 330 mg. Even with the addition of garlic, onion, mustard, and smoked paprika, the base patty did not have much taste. Adding salt helped, but raised the sodium level up to 700 mg per serving. The addition of the BrewSpice greatly increased the flavor without an increase in the sodium level. Adding umami powder in addition to the BrewSpice had little effect.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A flavoring composition comprising a flavoring substance produced by a method comprising:(i) fermenting a carbohydrate by bacteria of the genus Clostridium in a fermentation medium comprising ammonia to provide a fermentation broth comprising said bacteria, ammonium butyrate and a fermentation co-product, said fermentation broth having a pH of between 5 and 7 ;(ii) separating said bacteria from said fermentation broth to form a fermentation liquor and separated bacteria;(iii) removing water from said fermentation liquor and acidulating said fermentation liquor with sulfuric acid having a concentration of at least 70wt%, wherein said acidulating is carried out prior to, simultaneously with or subsequent to said removing water, wherein an acidulated concentrated fermentation liquor having a total solute concentration of at least 35wt%, and a pH of less than about 3.5 is formed, said acidulated concentrated fermentation broth comprising a first phase comprising a liquid aqueous mother liquor saturated with ammonium sulfate, a second phase comprising solid ammonium sulfate wetted with said mother liquor, and a third phase which is a liquid organic phase comprising butyric acid;(iv) separating said first phase and / or said second phase to form a separated first phase and / or a separated second phase; and optionally(v) drying said separated first phase and / or said separated second phase, wherein said flavoring substance is obtained.

2. The flavoring composition of claim 1, wherein said method comprises drying said separated second phase and wherein said flavoring substance is obtained from said dried and separated second phase.

3. The flavoring composition of claim 1, wherein said method comprises drying said separated first phase and wherein said flavoring substance is obtained from said dried and separated first phase.

4. The flavoring composition of claim 3, wherein said method comprises crystallizing ammonium sulfate out of said first phase prior to said drying to form a separated second motherliquor and drying said second mother liquor, wherein said flavoring substance is obtained from said dried second mother liquor.

5. The flavoring composition of claim 2, wherein said method further comprises drying said separated first phase and wherein said flavoring substance is obtained by blending said dried and separated first phase with said dried and separated second phase.

6. The flavoring composition of any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising heating to a temperature of at least about 100°C for a period of at least 10 minutes at least one selected from the group consisting of said separated first phase, said dried separated first phase, said separated second phase, said dried separated second phase, said separated second mother liquor, and said separated dried second mother liquor.

7. The flavoring composition of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said fermentation coproduct comprises at least one amino acid.

8. The flavoring composition of claim 7, wherein said at least one amino acid is present in the form of at least one selected from the group consisting of a peptide and a protein.

9. The flavoring composition of claim 7 or claim 8, wherein said at least one amino acid comprises at least three amino acids.

10. The flavoring composition of any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein said at least one amino acid is selected from the group consisting of glutamic acid, glycine, aspartic acid, alanine, tyrosine and combinations thereof.

11. The flavoring composition of any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising less than 2wt% sodium.

12. The flavoring composition of any one of claims 1 to 11, comprising ammonium sulfate.

13. The flavoring composition of claim 12, wherein said ammonium sulfate is present at a concentration in the range of from about lwt% to about 98wt%.

14. The flavoring composition of claim 12 or claim 13, wherein ammonium sulfate is not present as a sole flavoring agent or flavor enhancer.

15. The flavoring composition of any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein said bacteria of the genus Clostridium are of a species selected from the group consisting of Clostridium butyricum or Clostridium tyrobutyricum.

16. A food product comprising the flavoring composition of any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. A method of flavoring a food, comprising use of the flavoring composition of any one of claims 1 to 15.Y1

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