Composition of imparting or enhancing flavor of animal-derived material

Abstract

To provide: a production method for a composition of imparting or enhancing a flavor of an animal-derived material to a beverage / food product without using an animal-derived material; and a flavor improvement method for a beverage / food product using the flavor seasoning.SOLUTION: A flavor imparting and enhancing composition can be obtained without using an animal-derived material by culturing Bacillus bacteria on a yeast extract including a sugar source and 5 wt.% or more of glutamate on a solid content basis as a culture medium. A flavor of an animal-derived material can be imparted or enhanced to a beverage / food product by adding the composition to the beverage / food product.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing a flavor-imparting or flavor-enhancing composition that does not use animal ingredients, a seasoning that imparts or enhances the flavor of animal-derived ingredients using the composition, and a method for improving the flavor of foods and beverages. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the water consumed and carbon dioxide emitted when raising livestock for meat production have become major social issues, and foods that do not use or contain reduced amounts of animal-derived ingredients, such as meat substitutes, have attracted attention. Meanwhile, there is still a need for foods and beverages that have a meat flavor. For this reason, there is a demand for foods and beverages that can exhibit a meat flavor without using ingredients derived from meat, and microbial-derived meat-flavored seasonings have attracted attention.

[0003] A liquid seasoning composition using microorganisms without using meat as a raw material has been reported to date, in which soy protein is used as a fermentation raw material and fermented by Bacillus subtilis natto (Patent Document 1). However, in order to control the fermentation, it was necessary to use porous soy protein and purified soy protein as the fermentation raw material. In addition, a food flavor-improving composition that can enhance the spicy flavor using a cell wall fraction of Gram-positive bacteria has been reported (Patent Document 2). However, neither of these has resulted in a seasoning composition that exhibits a meat flavor.

[0004] A seasoning composition that exhibits a meat flavor has been reported, which is a Staphylocuccus Xylosus culture medium containing 80 ppm or more of isovaleric acid and 1000 ppm or more of acetic acid (Patent Document 3). However, because animal-derived raw materials are used as the culture medium, this does not satisfy the need to avoid using animal-derived raw materials. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-059333 [Patent Document 2] WO2023-013655 Brochure [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-115768 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a composition that can impart or enhance the flavor of animal-derived ingredients without using animal-derived ingredients, and a method for improving the flavor of foods and beverages using the composition. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] As a result of intensive research into solving the above problems, the present inventors have discovered that a flavor-imparting or flavor-enhancing composition can be obtained without using animal-derived raw materials by culturing a Bacillus microorganism in a medium containing a specific yeast extract, and have thus completed the present invention. That is, the present invention relates to the following first to ninth aspects. The first method is a method for producing a flavor-imparting or flavor-enhancing composition containing 0.1% by weight or more of isovaleric acid, the method comprising culturing a Bacillus microorganism in a medium containing a carbon source and yeast extract, wherein the medium does not contain any animal-derived raw materials. Second, in the method according to the first aspect, the yeast extract contains 5% by weight or more of glutamic acid in terms of solid content. Third, in the production method according to the first or second aspect, the yeast extract contains branched-chain amino acids in an amount of 5% by weight or more in terms of solid content. Fourth, there is provided a method for improving the flavor of food or beverage, characterized in that a flavor-imparting or flavor-enhancing composition obtained by the manufacturing method described in the first or second aspect is added to the food or beverage so that the concentration of isovaleric acid at the time of consumption is 0.0002% by weight to 0.1% by weight. Fifth, there is provided a method for improving the flavor of food or beverage, characterized in that the flavor-imparting or flavor-enhancing composition obtained by the manufacturing method described in the third is added to the food or beverage so that the concentration of isovaleric acid at the time of consumption is 0.0002% by weight to 0.1% by weight. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, by using a culture solution of a Bacillus microorganism cultured in a specific yeast extract medium in a food or beverage, a flavor composition can be obtained without using animal-derived ingredients, and by adding the composition to a food or beverage, the flavor of animal-derived ingredients can be imparted to or enhanced in the food or beverage. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The flavor of animal-derived ingredients refers to the flavor felt when eating animal-derived foods, such as meat and dairy products, particularly the flavors of meat, cheese, and even aged meat. A flavor-imparting or flavor-enhancing seasoning is a seasoning that can impart a meat flavor or aged flavor or enhance the meat flavor or cheese flavor when used in a food or beverage. Furthermore, the flavor-imparting or flavor-enhancing seasoning of the present invention includes a fermentation product of a Bacillus microorganism containing 0.1% by weight or more, preferably 0.3% by weight or more, and more preferably 0.5% by weight or more of isovaleric acid. Isovaleric acid can be quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography.

[0010] The method for producing a flavor-imparting or flavor-enhancing seasoning of the present invention comprises a step of liquid-cultivating a Bacillus microorganism in a medium containing a carbon source and yeast extract and not containing any animal-derived raw materials.

[0011] The Bacillus microorganisms used in the present invention are not particularly limited as long as they are suitable for use in foods. Specific examples include Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus coagulans, and Bacillus natto. These microorganisms are highly safe and suitable for use in Japan, where they are used in the production of not only natto but also miso paste. Furthermore, these microorganisms are commercially available and therefore easily available. Furthermore, these microorganisms can also be obtained from public collections (e.g., National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NBRC), National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (JCM), RIKEN BioResource Center (JCM), American Type Culture Collection (ATCC), etc.).

[0012] The medium for Bacillus microorganisms of the present invention does not contain animal-derived raw materials, which here refer to extracts derived from fish and livestock meat, such as meat extract, milk protein, and hydrolysates thereof.

[0013] The carbon source used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it can be assimilated by a Bacillus microorganism, and any commonly available carbon source used in microbial culture can be used, such as glucose, sucrose, dextrin, starch, glycerol, molasses, blackstrap molasses, etc., or a combination of two or more of these may be used.

[0014] The medium used for culturing the Bacillus microorganism of the present invention is supplemented with yeast extract, which contains glutamic acid in an amount of 5% by weight or more, preferably 10% or more, and more preferably 15% or more, calculated on solid content. The content of the yeast extract added to the medium may be the same as that of yeast extract typically used in fermentation with Bacillus microorganisms and can be adjusted as desired. Such yeast extracts are produced using Torula yeast, brewer's yeast, baker's yeast, or the like as raw materials. Torula yeast is particularly suitable for the present invention because it has a low yeast odor. Commercially available yeast extracts may also be used. The glutamic acid content in the present invention refers to the free glutamic acid in the dry powdered yeast extract, and can be measured by a conventional method using an amino acid analyzer L8800 (manufactured by Hitachi).

[0015] In a more preferred embodiment, the yeast extract used in the medium contains branched-chain amino acids. The branched-chain amino acids contained in the yeast extract include yeast extracts in which the total content of valine, leucine, and isoleucine is 5% by weight or more, calculated as solid content, and preferably 8% by weight or more. Such yeast extracts are produced using Torula yeast, brewer's yeast, baker's yeast, or the like as raw materials. Torula yeast is particularly suitable in the present invention because it has a low yeast odor. Alternatively, commercially available products may be used. The branched-chain amino acid content in the present invention refers to the branched-chain amino acids contained as free amino acids in the dry powdered yeast extract, and can be measured in the same manner as the glutamic acid content.

[0016] A single type of yeast extract may satisfy the specified contents of glutamic acid and branched-chain amino acids, or if a single type of yeast extract does not satisfy the specified contents of either glutamic acid or branched-chain amino acids, a combination of multiple yeast extracts may be used to achieve the specified amounts of glutamic acid and branched-chain amino acids.

[0017] In addition, as long as no animal-derived raw materials are used, the culture medium may contain vitamins, trace nutrients, and the like necessary for culturing Bacillus microorganisms, but it is also possible to culture the microorganisms in a medium containing only yeast extract as a substantial nitrogen source.

[0018] The aforementioned medium compositions are mixed by a method commonly used for culturing Bacillus microorganisms, for example, by preparing a sterilized glucose solution and a sterilized yeast extract solution and mixing them so that the final glucose concentration is 100-150 g / L and the final yeast extract concentration is 10-50 g / L.

[0019] Culture conditions for Bacillus microorganisms can be set appropriately, but aerobically culturing them in liquid form using aeration, shaking, stirring, etc. is preferred. The culture temperature can be, for example, 20 to 50°C, preferably 30 to 45°C, and the culture time can be, for example, 4 to 48 hours, preferably 6 to 36 hours. The pH of the medium can be adjusted with an alkali such as calcium carbonate, aqueous ammonia, ammonia gas, or aqueous sodium hydroxide solution, and can be, for example, 5.0 to 9.0, preferably 5.5 to 8.5. Fresh medium can also be fed during the culture.

[0020] The Bacillus microorganism may be sterilized after cultivation. The sterilization conditions are not particularly limited as long as they are common methods. For example, the heating temperature is 70 to 150°C, and the heating time may be determined depending on the temperature, but is usually 1 to 60 minutes.

[0021] The Bacillus microorganism culture obtained by the above method can be used as a flavor-imparting or flavor-enhancing composition as is, and if necessary, the content may be adjusted by removing the bacterial cells using conventional methods such as centrifugation or filtration, or by concentrating. If powdering is required, the composition can be dried by using an appropriate excipient. Furthermore, the flavor-imparting or flavor-enhancing composition of the present invention may be in the form of either a liquid or a solid (including powder, granules, and particulates), and the content of each component can be appropriately adjusted by adding an excipient such as starch or dextrin.

[0022] The method for improving the flavor of foods and beverages of the present invention can achieve a flavor improving effect by adding the flavor-imparting or flavor-enhancing composition obtained by the production method up to the previous step to foods and beverages. Specifically, the flavor-imparting or flavor-enhancing composition obtained by the present invention can be added to foods and beverages so that the concentration of isovaleric acid at the time of consumption is 0.0002% by weight to 0.1% by weight, preferably 0.0005% by weight to 0.01% by weight or less, thereby imparting or enhancing the flavor of animal-derived ingredients to the foods and beverages.

[0023] Foods and beverages to which the flavor can be imparted by adding the composition obtained by the present invention are not particularly limited, but preferably include meat substitute foods using protein materials derived from plants or microorganisms.Furthermore, foods and beverages to which the flavor seasoning obtained by the present invention can be added to enhance the meat flavor or aged feeling are also not particularly limited, but include processed meat foods such as ham, sausage, hamburger steak, meatballs, dairy products such as cheese and butter, vegetable oil processed products such as margarine, and even soups, sauces, and dipping sauces.

[0024] The method of adding the flavor-imparting or flavor-enhancing composition is not particularly limited as long as it does not inhibit the effects of the present invention, and it may be added during the production of a food or beverage so that the isovaleric acid content at the time of consumption is 0.0002% by weight to 0.1% by weight, preferably 0.0005% by weight to 0.01% by weight. [Example]

[0025] The present invention will be specifically described below using examples, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[0026] (Obtaining Bacillus genus microorganism cultures) Into two 1000 mL Erlenmeyer flasks with baffles, 125 mL each of a medium containing 4.0 wt% glucose, 19 wt% glutamic acid, 0.5 wt% yeast extract (manufactured by Mitsubishi Corporation Life Sciences, hereinafter referred to as yeast extract A), and 1.5 wt% yeast extract (manufactured by Mitsubishi Corporation Life Sciences, hereinafter referred to as yeast extract B) containing 8 wt% branched-chain amino acids was poured. Bacillus subtilis (NBRC16449) was inoculated into each medium, and precultivation was carried out at 37 °C with stirring at 200 rpm. Then, 2000 mL of the same composition medium was poured into a 5 L incubator equipped with a stirrer, the entire amount of the preculture solution was inoculated, and while controlling the pH to around 7.8 with 4 moL / L NaOH, stirring was carried out at 700 rpm, aeration was carried out at 1.34 mL / min, and cultivation was carried out at 37 °C for 24 hours. After the culture solution was sterilized by heating at 121 °C for 20 minutes, the cells were removed by centrifugation, and the culture supernatant was obtained. The isovaleric acid content contained in the obtained culture supernatant was quantified by high performance liquid chromatography under the following conditions, and it was 7875.8 ppm per solid content. Dextrin was added to this culture supernatant, concentrated with a rotary evaporator, and then dried with a spray dryer to obtain a powder with an isovaleric acid content of 5,600 ppm. Hereinafter, this sample was designated as sample 1. <HPLC Conditions> Derivatization: Labeling reagent for long-chain and short-chain fatty acid analysis (manufactured by YMC) Column: YMC-PackFA (250×6.0 mm) (manufactured by YMC) Mobile phase: Acetonitrile / methanol / water (30 / 20 / 50) Flow rate: 0.5 ml / min Column temperature: 50 °C Detection wavelength: 400 nm

[0027] (Addition test to commercially available soup)[[ID=I9]] The above sample I (isovaleric acid content 5,600 ppm) or a standard product of isovaleric acid was added to commercially available chicken consommé, and the addition effect was confirmed. The chicken consommé was prepared with boiling water at the recommended amount of the product. The addition amount of sample 1 or isovaleric acid standard product was added so that the isovaleric acid concentration at the time of eating would be 2.8 ppm or 5.6 ppm. The results are shown in Table 1. The chicken consommé containing Sample 1 had a meaty and roasted taste, resulting in a pleasant flavor. On the other hand, the isovaleric acid sample did not have a roasted taste. This demonstrates that adding Sample 1 can impart not only a meaty taste but also a roasted taste, thereby imparting a pleasant flavor to foods and beverages.

[0028] [Table 1]

[0029] (Comparative test with and without fermentation: Test with beef bouillon) Beef bouillon (manufactured by Mitsubishi Corporation Life Sciences) was diluted 50-fold to prepare the test group for Reference Example 1. The test group for Example 1 was prepared by adding 0.1% of Sample 1 (isovaleric acid content: 5,600 ppm). The test group for Comparative Example 1 was prepared by adding 3,000 ppm of an isovaleric acid preparation to Reference Example 1. Comparative Example 2 was prepared by adding 3,000 ppm of an isovaleric acid preparation and adding yeast extract A and yeast extract B to concentrations of 0.5 wt % and 1.5 wt %, respectively. Six panelists evaluated each test group on a scale of 1 to 7 for "beef flavor (aroma)," "meat flavor (aroma)," "thickness," and "palatability," with Reference Example 1 being given a score of 3, with higher scores indicating a more preferable score.

[0030] The results of the sensory evaluation are shown in Table 2. As a result, Example 1 showed higher values ​​than Reference Example 1 in all items. Furthermore, Comparative Example 1, to which an isovaleric acid preparation was added, tended to show higher values ​​than Reference Example 1, but was inferior to Example 1, particularly in the items of "meatiness" and "thickness." Furthermore, when Example 1 and Comparative Example 2 were compared with respect to the presence or absence of fermentation, Example 1 was superior in all items. From the above, it was clear that the Bacillus microorganism fermented seasoning produced by the production method of the present invention has an excellent effect of improving the flavor of livestock meat.

[0031] [Table 2]

[0032] (Confirmation of meat texture enhancement effect) For Example 2 and Comparative Examples 3 and 4, chicken minced meat was prepared according to the description in Table 3. A panel of four members evaluated the "vegetable protein odor," "meatiness (aroma)," and "palatability" on a scale of 1 to 7, with higher numbers indicating stronger perception. The test plots of Example 2 were relatively evaluated, with the "vegetable protein odor" of Comparative Example 3 being given 5 points and the "meatiness (aroma)" being given 3 points, and the "vegetable protein odor" of Comparative Example 4 being given 1 point and the "meatiness (aroma)" being given 6 points.

[0033] [Table 3]

[0034] The results are shown in Table 4. Example 2 had a lower value compared to Comparative Example 3, which contained an equal amount of vegetable protein, demonstrating that the "vegetable protein odor" could be suppressed. Furthermore, Example 2 showed a higher value in the "meatiness" category when compared to Comparative Example 3. Additionally, despite the small amount of meat raw material used, Example 2 showed values ​​close to those of Comparative Example 4 in the "meatiness" and "palatability" categories, demonstrating that by using a product in which the meat raw material is partially replaced with vegetable protein, a more meat-like flavor can be imparted and made more preferable.

[0035] [Table 4]

[0036] (Test to enhance meaty texture in pork bone soup) For Example 3 and Comparative Examples 5 and 6, pork bone soups were prepared according to the description in Table 5. For the pork bone soy sauce soup, "Pork Bone Soy Sauce" (Shoda Foods Co., Ltd.) was used, and for the pork bone plain soup, "Tonkotsu Paitan C206" (Sumitomo Pharma Food & Chemical Co., Ltd.) was used. Four panelists evaluated the "tonkatsu flavor," "meat flavor (aroma)," and "palatability" on a scale of 1 to 7, with higher numbers indicating stronger and more preferable flavors. The "tonkatsu flavor" and "meat flavor (aroma)" of Comparative Example 5 were given a score of 3, and the "tonkatsu flavor" and "meat flavor (aroma)" of Comparative Example 6 were given a score of 6, and the test plots of Example 3 were relatively evaluated.

[0037] [Table 5]

[0038] The results are shown in Table 6. When compared with Comparative Examples 5 and 6, Example 3 showed higher values ​​in all items than Comparative Example 5, and the results were close to the values ​​of Comparative Example 6, in which pork bone broth was added. This demonstrates that the meat flavor of foods and beverages can be enhanced without using animal-derived ingredients.

[0039] [Table 6]

[0040] (Test to enhance the cheese flavor in cheese potage soup) For Example 4 and Comparative Examples 7 and 8, cheese potage soup powder was blended according to the composition in Table 7. The blended powder was diluted with hot water to a concentration of 6 g / 100 ml. Six panelists evaluated the "richness," "persistence of flavor," and "cheese flavor" on a scale of 1 to 7, with larger numbers indicating stronger and more preferable flavors. Comparative Example 7 was given a score of 4, and Comparative Example 8 was given a score of 7, with larger numbers indicating more preferable flavors, and the test plot of Example 4 was relatively evaluated.

[0041] [Table 7]

[0042] The results are shown in Table 8. Example 4 showed significantly better results than Comparative Example 7 in all items, and the results approached the values ​​of Comparative Example 8, in which the amount of cheese powder was increased. This demonstrates that the cheese flavor of foods and beverages can be enhanced by adding Sample 1 without using animal-derived ingredients.

[0043] [Table 8]

[0044] The above results demonstrate that Bacillus microorganisms can be cultured without using animal-derived raw materials, and that adding the obtained Bacillus microorganism culture to foods and beverages can impart or enhance an animal-derived flavor.

Claims

1. A method for producing a flavor-imparting or flavor-enhancing composition containing 0.1% by weight or more of isovaleric acid, the method comprising the step of culturing a Bacillus microorganism in a medium containing a carbon source and yeast extract, wherein the medium does not contain any raw materials of animal origin.

2. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the yeast extract contains 5% by weight or more of glutamic acid in terms of solid content.

3. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the yeast extract contains 5% by weight or more of branched-chain amino acids in terms of solid content.

4. A method for improving the flavor of a food or drink, comprising adding a flavor-imparting or flavor-enhancing seasoning obtained by the production method according to claim 1 or 2 to the food or drink so that the concentration of isovaleric acid at the time of consumption is 0.0002% by weight to 0.1% by weight.

5. A method for improving the flavor of a food or drink, comprising adding a flavor-imparting or flavor-enhancing seasoning obtained by the production method described in claim 3 to the food or drink so that the isovaleric acid concentration at the time of consumption is 0.0002% by weight to 0.1% by weight.

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