Seasoning derived from seaweed

Abstract

To utilize seaweed effectively that has traditionally been made into industrial waste or low-cost fertilizer and feed, and use it effectively as seaweed-derived seasoning in addition to ordinary edible seaweed to enable significant weight loss of waste without requiring high-cost equipment.SOLUTION: After extracting seaweed in the presence of an inorganic acid, the resulting extract is heated and reacted in the presence of an amino acid or a peptide. The obtained heated reaction product can be used as a new food material that imparts sweet flavor.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a new food material using an extract from seaweed and a method for producing the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Seaweed is an important food resource found in oceans around the world. Surrounded by ocean, Japan is known as a major seaweed-eating nation, boasting the world's largest variety of edible seaweed. However, some seaweed species have been known to overgrow and harm the environment, or to become entangled in fishing boats and disrupt economic activity. As a result, some algae are of little value. On the other hand, seaweed is generally known to contain various nutrients and physiologically active substances, and various efforts have been made to effectively utilize algae, which have previously had little value as edible resources. For example, fucoidan, a water-soluble polysaccharide, is extracted from brown algae and used in health foods. Green algae such as spirulina and chlorella are cultivated and used as dietary supplements as sources of protein and vitamins. Despite these industrial applications, the problems surrounding algae have not been completely resolved, and further effective utilization is needed. For example, although akamoku (seaweed) grows wild throughout Japan except for eastern Hokkaido, its consumption is not widely practiced in many areas. Furthermore, Akamoku is a one-year-old seaweed, and in some areas it is discarded in large quantities because it drifts and gets tangled in the propellers of oyster farms and fishing boats. Large amounts of sea lettuce and seaweed such as Ulva laver are also washed up on beaches, and in some cases local governments are collecting and disposing of them in an effort to protect the beach environment, resulting in significant costs.

[0003] As mentioned above, various studies have been conducted on the use of seaweed as a health food ingredient, but there are very few examples of its use as a seasoning ingredient. Regarding its use as a seasoning ingredient, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 report methods for producing seasonings by fermenting seaweed as a raw material. However, these products utilize the seafood flavor derived from seaweed, and their use is limited by the lingering smell of seaweed. In the present invention, by processing seaweed-derived raw materials, it has been possible to produce a novel seasoning that has a strong sweet flavor and can be used in a wide range of dishes without exhibiting the original seaweed flavor or seafood flavor. As a result, even more effective use of seaweed has become possible. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-011781 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-174904 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method for producing a flavor improving agent that effectively utilizes seaweed resources, and to obtain a seaweed-derived composition that imparts a desirable sweet flavor to foods when added to them. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] As a result of their research, the inventors have discovered that by heating and reacting an extract obtained from seaweed in the presence of amino acids or peptides, it is possible to produce a composition that can impart a unique, strong, sweet and fragrant flavor that has not previously been seen.

[0007] That is, the present invention relates to the following (1) to (6). (1) A method for producing a flavor improver, comprising the steps of subjecting seaweed to an extraction treatment in the presence of an inorganic acid to prepare an extract, and heating the extract in the presence of an amino acid or peptide. (2) The method according to (1) above, wherein the inorganic acid is phosphoric acid. (3) The method according to (1) or (2) above, characterized in that phosphoric acid or a phosphate is added to the extract and then the extract is heated in the presence of an amino acid or a peptide. (4) Any one of the above methods (1) to (3), wherein the extraction is carried out in an aqueous inorganic acid solution having a concentration of 5 to 100% of the solid content of the seaweed at 100 to 150°C for 0.5 to 24 hours. (5) A flavor improver for foods and beverages obtained by any one of the production methods (1) to (4) above. (6) A method for improving the flavor of a food or drink, which comprises adding the flavor improver of (5) above to the food or drink. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The flavor improver obtained by the present invention does not exhibit the original flavor of seaweed or seafood flavor, but imparts a sweet and fragrant flavor reminiscent of cooked or aged flavor, and can be used as a new type of seasoning. The present invention makes it possible to effectively use seaweed, which has previously been treated as industrial waste or low-cost fertilizer and feed, as a seasoning without requiring expensive equipment, and is therefore expected to significantly reduce waste. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The present invention will be specifically described below. The seaweed used in the present invention is preferably brown or green algae. For example, the seaweed family, Ulvae, Chlorellaceae, Pyrrhoea, Sargassum, and Laminariaceae can be used as raw materials, particularly green algae such as Monostroma and brown algae such as Undaria pinnatifida, Mekabu, Laminaria japonica, Mozuku, and Akamoku. These algae contain polysaccharides, lipids, proteins, and other vitamins and minerals.

[0010] The inorganic acid used in the present invention is not particularly limited, but acids acceptable for foods and beverages such as hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, and phosphoric acid can be used, and phosphoric acid is particularly preferred for promoting the flavor-imparting reaction after extraction. By using an inorganic acid, the extraction rate of water-soluble components is extremely high, and a seaweed-derived extract containing a large amount of components that are the source of flavor can be obtained. The inorganic acid may be used as it is, or may be dissolved in an aqueous medium such as water or alcohol and used as a solution such as an aqueous solution.

[0011] To explain the present invention in more detail, first, 1 part by weight of the above-mentioned seaweed, 2 to 100 parts by weight of water, and inorganic acid in an amount of 5 to 100% of the seaweed solids, preferably 50 to 70%, are placed in an autoclave. This mixture is then heat-treated at a temperature of 100 to 150°C, preferably 110 to 130°C, for 0.5 to 24 hours, preferably 4 to 10 hours. This treatment may be repeated several times as needed. After the heat treatment, solid-liquid separation is performed using a centrifuge or strainer, if necessary, and the supernatant is obtained as the extract. The solid content of the extract thus obtained reaches approximately 30 to 80% of the solid content of the seaweed used.

[0012] Thereafter, amino acids or peptides or salts thereof are added and mixed in an amount of 5 to 100%, preferably 30 to 60%, based on the solid content of the extracted water-soluble components, and the mixture is neutralized with sodium hydroxide (NaOH), followed by heat treatment at a temperature of 80 to 150°C, preferably 80 to 120°C, for 0.5 to 56 hours, preferably 1 to 36 hours. A pressurized container may be used for the heat treatment, if necessary.

[0013] The amino acids or peptides in the amino acids or peptides or salts thereof used in the present invention are not particularly limited as long as they are acceptable for addition to foods and beverages, but basic amino acids such as lysine and arginine, or those containing basic amino acids, are preferably used. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Proteins hydrolyzed with acid or protease may also be used. The amino acids, peptides, and proteins used may be of any origin, including plant origin, animal origin, bacterial origin such as yeast, and synthetic products.

[0014] The amino acids and peptides used in the present invention may also be used in the form of edible materials containing them, such as seafood, poultry and animal meat, dairy products, eggs and their products, grains such as wheat, rice, and corn, beans such as soybeans, root vegetables such as onions and sweet potatoes, and microbial cells or cultures of baker's yeast, lactic acid bacteria, and the like.

[0015] The peptides used in the present invention are not particularly limited, and may be synthesized using a peptide synthesizer or the like, or peptides obtained from food materials containing the above-mentioned proteins may be used as they are, or may be obtained by decomposing such food materials with acids, alkalis, enzymes, etc.

[0016] The amino acids and peptides used in the present invention may be in the form of ions or salts, and may be of one type or two or more types. The content of amino acid residues in the composition of the peptide, molecular weight, etc. are not particularly limited.

[0017] The heat-treated product (hereinafter simply referred to as "heat-reacted product") obtained by heating the extract in the presence of amino acids or peptides can be used as is as a flavor improver (seasoning) of the present invention, but if necessary, it may be subjected to concentration treatment, drying treatment such as hot air drying, steam drying, freeze drying, or spray drying, separation and purification treatment, decolorization treatment, etc., and then made into a concentrate or dried product, which can be used as a flavor improver of the present invention.

[0018] The flavor improving agent of the present invention may be in either solid or liquid form. Examples of solid forms include powder, granules, blocks, capsules, etc. In the case of a liquid form, the solvent may be any of water, organic solvents such as alcohol (e.g., ethanol), and liquid substances such as acetic acid and liquid sugar.

[0019] The heat-reacted product can be used as is as the flavor improver of the present invention, but the flavor improver of the present invention may contain other food additives, for example, inorganic salts such as sodium chloride, acids such as ascorbic acid, fumaric acid, malic acid, acetic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, carboxylic acids such as fatty acids, L-amino acids such as sodium L-glutamate, L-glycine, L-alanine, nucleic acids such as sodium inosinate and sodium guanylate, sugars such as sucrose, glucose, lactose, thickeners (xanthan gum, guar gum, carrageenan, etc.), pH adjusters, sweeteners (sucralose, thaumatin, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, xylitol, licorice extract, saccharin and its salts, stevia, sorbitol, etc.), antioxidants (erythorbic acid, catechin, tocopherol, etc.), and the like, as needed. It may also contain additives that can be used in foods and beverages such as water, seasonings such as soy sauce, miso, meat extract, poultry extract, seafood extract, yeast extract, and protein hydrolysate, seasonings such as spices and herbs, and excipients such as dextrin and various starches.

[0020] The flavor improving agent of the present invention, which is made from seaweed as a raw material, may be in either solid or liquid form. Examples of solid forms include powder, granules, blocks, capsules, etc. In the case of a liquid form, the solvent may be any of water, organic solvents such as alcohol (e.g., ethanol), and liquid substances such as acetic acid and liquid sugar.

[0021] The flavor improving method of the present invention is expected to improve the flavor of a food or drink by adding the flavor improving agent of the present invention to the food or drink, and also to improve or modify the flavor of the food or drink to a desired flavor. The flavor improving agent of the present invention may be added to the food or drink as part of the raw materials when the food or drink is produced, or may be added when the food or drink is consumed.

[0022] The method for adding the flavor improving agent of the present invention to a food or drink is not particularly limited, but it is preferably used as a method for improving the flavor of a food or drink.

[0023] Foods and beverages to which the flavor improver of the present invention can be added include, but are not limited to, beverages (e.g., coffee), natural seasonings such as vinegar, miso, soy sauce, meat extract, poultry extract, seafood extract, yeast extract, and protein hydrolysates, spices and herbs, seasonings such as sauces, dashi, dressings, mayonnaise, tomato ketchup, and other condiments, soups such as clear soup, consommé soup, egg soup, wakame seaweed soup, shark fin soup, potage, and miso soup, noodle soups (soba, udon, ramen, pasta, etc.), soups, sauces, rice dishes such as porridge, rice porridge, and ochazuke, processed livestock products such as ham, sausage, and cheese, processed seafood products such as kamaboko, dried fish, salted fish, and delicacies, processed vegetables such as pickles, and snacks such as potato chips, rice crackers, and cookies. Examples of such foods include cooked foods such as simmered foods, fried foods, grilled foods, and curries, fruit and vegetable juice drinks, soy milk, milk, processed dairy products, carbonated drinks, sports drinks, nutritional supplements, various tea drinks such as coffee, black tea, Japanese tea, barley tea, and multigrain tea, alcoholic beverages such as shochu, sake, and beer, supplements such as vitamins, instant foods such as retort curry and retort stew, corn soup, consommé soup, simmered dishes such as curry and stew, snacks such as potato chips, fast foods such as hamburgers, french fries, and fried chicken, instant noodles such as instant ramen and instant spaghetti, Japanese dishes using dashi (udon noodles, boiled fish, etc.), Chinese-style foods (fried rice, mapo tofu, etc.), fish paste products, processed fruit products, and bread. When the food or drink to which the flavor improving agent of the present invention is added is a seasoning, the seasoning to which the flavor improving agent of the present invention has been added may be added to other food or drink.

[0024] The amount of the flavor improving agent of the present invention to be added to a food or drink is not particularly limited and may be appropriately determined depending on the type and properties of the food or drink, but for example, the flavor improving agent of the present invention is added in an amount of preferably 0.001 to 10 parts by weight, more preferably 0.01 to 5 parts by weight, in dry weight, per 100 parts by weight of the food or drink. The field of use of this flavor improving agent is often suitable for use as a seasoning liquid or a raw material thereof, similar to so-called protein enzymatic hydrolysates and hydrochloric acid hydrolysates, but is not particularly limited and can be used in a wide range of processed foods.

[0025] The method for producing the food and drink of the present invention may be carried out in the same manner as a conventional method for producing the food and drink, except that the flavor improving agent of the present invention is added to the food and drink. There are no particular limitations on the food and drink to which the flavor improving agent of the present invention is added. The food and drink obtained by the method for producing the food and drink of the present invention has a strong and pleasant flavor.

[0026] The seasoning obtained by the above-mentioned method using seaweed as a raw material has a sweet and fragrant flavor similar to cotton candy. This flavor is unique and different from any of the conventional heat-reaction products. The field of use of this seasoning is not particularly limited, and it can be used in a wide range of processed foods. [Example]

[0027] The present invention will be specifically explained below with reference to examples, although the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0028] Example 1 100 g of raw Akamoku and 41 ml of water were placed in a beaker with an internal volume of approximately 200 ml, and 4.2 g of 85% phosphoric acid was added. The pH was 1.8. The mixture was autoclaved at 120°C for 10 hours, then cooled. The treated product was removed from the kettle and subjected to solid-liquid separation using a centrifuge, yielding 140 g of supernatant (extract). 3.1 g of protein hydrolysate (Potemic, manufactured by Cosmo Co., Ltd., derived from potatoes) was added to this extract as an amino acid source, and the pH was adjusted to 6.5 with 48% sodium hydroxide (NaOH). The mixture was then heated in an autoclave at 120°C for 45 minutes. The resulting liquid was used as the reaction liquid, and after filtration, a seasoning (Seasoning 1) with a solids content of 13.8% by mass was obtained.

[0029] <Example 2> The same procedure as in Example 1 was carried out except that 2.1 g of concentrated hydrochloric acid was used instead of phosphoric acid, to obtain a seasoning (seasoning 2) with a solid content of 11.1 mass %.

[0030] Example 3 In Example 2, disodium hydrogen phosphate dodecahydrate was added at the same time as the addition of the protein hydrolysate. The same procedure was carried out except that 13.0 g of the above-mentioned product was added, thereby obtaining a seasoning (seasoning 3) with a solid content of 14.2 mass %.

[0031] <Comparative Example 1> The same process as in Example 1 was carried out for extracting 200 g of Akamoku, except that no phosphoric acid was added, to obtain a seasoning (seasoning 4) with a solid content of 8.8 mass %.

[0032] <Evaluation Test 1> Seasonings 1 to 4 obtained in Examples 1, 2, and 3 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 were each added to commercially available onion consommé soup in an amount of 0.5%. Using a sample with no added seasoning as the standard, the sweet flavor and savory flavor were rated on a 7-point scale: 1 point (very weak), 2 points (very weak), 3 points (slightly weak), 4 points (same), 5 points (slightly strong), 6 points (very strong), and 7 points (very strong).

[0033] The average scores of the three evaluators are shown in Table 1 below.

[0034] [Table 1]

[0035] As shown in Table 1, seasonings 1 to 3 imparted a sweet and savory flavor to the onion consommé soup. Furthermore, they did not exhibit any seaweed or seafood flavor. Since seasoning 3 scored higher than seasoning 2, the addition of phosphoric acid or phosphate salts is considered more preferable.

[0036] In contrast, the onion soup to which seasoning 4 was added, obtained using an extract prepared without using phosphoric acid, was evaluated to be almost the same as the onion consommé soup without added seasoning, which shows that inorganic acid extraction is important.

[0037] Example 4 10 g of raw human oyster and 198 g of water were placed in a beaker with an internal volume of approximately 300 ml, and 2 g of 85% phosphoric acid was added. The mixture was autoclaved at 120°C for 10 hours, then cooled. The product was removed from the kettle and subjected to solid-liquid separation using a centrifuge to obtain the supernatant (extract). 3 g of protein hydrolysate (derived from soybeans, manufactured by Mitsubishi Corporation Life Sciences Co., Ltd.) was added to this extract as an amino acid source, and the pH was adjusted to 6.8 with 48% sodium hydroxide (NaOH). The mixture was then heated in an autoclave at 120°C for 60 minutes. The resulting liquid was used as the reaction solution, and after filtration, a seasoning (Seasoning 5) similar to Seasoning 1 was obtained with a solids content of 4.74% by mass.

[0038] Thus, the seasoning obtained by the above-described method using seaweed as a raw material can impart a unique, strong, sweet and fragrant flavor without exhibiting the inherent seaweed flavor or seafood flavor. This flavor is unique and different from any of the conventional heat-reaction products. The field of use of this seasoning is not particularly limited, and it can be used in a wide range of processed foods. [Industrial Applicability]

[0039] The flavor improver of the present invention can be used as an allergen-free ingredient, for example, as an ingredient in processed meat foods such as ham, sausage, and hamburger steak, processed seafood foods such as kamaboko, confectioneries such as cookies, bread, noodles, gyoza wrappers, etc. The seasoning of the present invention has a unique flavor, but can be used in the same way as general protein enzyme hydrolysates and yeast extracts, and can be incorporated as an ingredient in, for example, onion sauce, curry roux, soy sauce, soup stock, dashi, and dressings, or as a seasoning for processed foods. According to the present invention, seaweed, which has conventionally been treated as industrial waste or low-cost fertilizer and feed, can be effectively utilized as a seasoning without requiring expensive facilities, and a great reduction in the amount of waste can be expected. The resulting seasoning has a unique and pleasant flavor different from other heat-reacted products, which are sweet and fragrant, and can be used as a new type of seasoning.

Claims

1. A method for producing a flavor enhancer, comprising the steps of: preparing an extract by subjecting seaweed to an extraction treatment in the presence of an inorganic acid; and heating the extract in the presence of amino acids or peptides.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the inorganic acid is phosphoric acid.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that phosphoric acid or a phosphate is added to the extract, and then heated in the presence of an amino acid or a peptide.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the extraction is carried out in an aqueous solution of inorganic acid containing 5 to 100% of the solid content of the seaweed at 100 to 150°C for 0.5 to 24 hours.

5. A flavor enhancer for food and beverages obtained by the manufacturing method described in any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A method for improving the flavor of food and beverages, comprising incorporating the flavor enhancer described in claim 5 into the food and beverages.