Emulsified flavor composition

Abstract

To provide an emulsified flavor composition capable of imparting and enhancing fruit juice feeling.SOLUTION: The emulsified flavor composition comprises the following components: (A) a solvent, (B) a food flavor, (C) an emulsifier, and (D) a polysaccharide thickener, wherein the polysaccharide thickener (D) is one or more selected from pectin, soybean polysaccharide, xanthan gum, citrus fiber, guar gum, carboxymethylcellulose sodium, cellulose nanofiber, and microcrystalline cellulose.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an emulsified flavor composition. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, fruit drinks, available in a wide range of flavors such as orange, apple, and grape, have enjoyed steady demand due to consumers' health-conscious and delicious taste. In response to this trend, there is a growing market need for product differentiation through the addition of more realistic fruit flavors, creating a challenging market environment for fruit (juice) drinks. While increasing the fruit juice content in products is one possible solution to meet this market need, the aroma components contained in fruit juice are easily oxidized by light, heat, and oxygen, which can lead to flavor degradation over long-term storage, potentially reducing product value. Furthermore, the prices of raw fruit juices, including those from concentrates, such as orange, have been rising and trending high, creating an increasingly challenging cost environment. Consequently, various flavoring ingredients that can enhance the fruit juice flavor of food and beverages without increasing the fruit juice content in the product are widely used.

[0003] As an example of a conventional technique for enhancing the fruit juice feel of foods and beverages, Patent Document 1 describes a fruit juice feel enhancer containing rebaudioside A and mogroside V in a mass ratio of 50:50 to 99:1.

[0004] Patent Document 2 also describes a fruit juice feel enhancer for fruit juice-flavored food or drink, which comprises (a) a starch hydrolysate having a DE of 20 to 50, (b) fructose, and (c) sucrose, in which the ratios of the respective contents (mass equivalent to solid content) of (a), (b), and (c) to the total content (mass equivalent to solid content) of (a), (b), and (c) in the enhancer are 3 to 17%, 35 to 85%, and 10 to 50%, respectively. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-005639 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-058289 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, conventionally proposed fruit juice sensation enhancing materials alone are unable to fully meet the current market demands, and therefore there is a demand for the development of flavor materials that can impart a strong fruit juice sensation.

[0007] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide an emulsified flavor composition that can impart and enhance the fruit juice flavor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] As a result of intensive research to solve the above problems, the present inventors have found that an emulsified flavor composition containing a thickening polysaccharide is useful for imparting and enhancing the fruit juice flavor, thereby arriving at the present invention.

[0009] Thus, the present invention provides the following: [1] Contains: (A) Solvent (B) Fruit juice flavoring (C) Emulsifier (D) Thickening polysaccharides An emulsified flavor composition comprising: An emulsified flavoring composition, characterized in that the thickening polysaccharide (D) is one or more selected from pectin, soybean polysaccharides, xanthan gum, citrus fiber, guar gum, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, cellulose nanofiber, and microcrystalline cellulose. [2] The emulsified flavor composition according to [1] above, wherein the emulsifier (C) is one or more selected from gum arabic, glycerin fatty acid esters, and quillaja saponin. [3] The emulsified flavor composition according to [1] or [2], wherein (B) is a fruit juice-based flavor. [4] The emulsion flavor composition according to any one of [1] to [3] above, wherein the concentration of the thickening polysaccharide (D) is 1 ppm to 10 mass % relative to the total mass of the emulsion flavor composition. [5] The emulsion flavor composition according to any one of the above [1] to [4], further comprising (E) an oil or fat component. [6] (F) The emulsion flavor composition according to any one of [1] to [5] above, further comprising water. [7] The emulsified flavor composition according to any one of [1] to [6] above, which is used to enhance the feeling of fruit juice. [8] An emulsification step of mixing an oil phase containing a food flavoring and an aqueous phase containing a thickening polysaccharide, A method for producing an emulsified flavoring composition, characterized in that the thickening polysaccharide is one or more selected from pectin, soybean polysaccharides, xanthan gum, citrus fiber, guar gum, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, cellulose nanofiber, and microcrystalline cellulose. [9] The method for producing an emulsified flavor composition according to [8], wherein the emulsifying step uses one or more emulsifiers selected from gum arabic, glycerin fatty acid esters, and quillaja saponin.

[10] The method for producing an emulsified flavor composition according to [8] or [9], wherein the thickening polysaccharide is added so that the concentration of the thickening polysaccharide is 1 ppm to 10 mass % relative to the total mass of the emulsified flavor composition.

[11] The method for producing an emulsified flavor composition according to any one of [8] to

[10] above, wherein the emulsified flavor composition is used to enhance the fruit juice flavor of a food or drink.

[12] A method for producing a food or drink having an enhanced fruit juice flavor, comprising adding the emulsified flavor composition according to any one of [1] to [7] above to the food or drink.

[13] A food or drink containing the emulsified flavoring composition according to any one of [1] to [7] above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, there is provided an emulsified flavor composition that imparts and enhances a good fruit juice flavor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] As described above, the present invention provides an emulsified flavor composition comprising the following components: (A) a solvent, (B) a food flavoring, (C) an emulsifier, (D) a thickening polysaccharide, and optionally further comprising (E) an oil or fat component and (F) water. This emulsified flavor composition will be described in detail below.

[0012] (A) Solvent The solvents that can be used in the present invention are not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected depending on the type of (B) food flavoring. Examples include water, propylene glycol, glycerin, ethanol, xylitol, sorbitol, etc., and these solvents can be used alone or as a mixture of two or more.

[0013] The content of the solvent can be appropriately selected depending on the type of (B) food flavoring, and is, for example, usually 0.1 to 80% by mass, preferably 0.1 to 70% by mass, and more preferably 0.1 to 60% by mass, relative to the total mass of the emulsified flavoring composition. A solvent content within the above range is preferred for stably dispersing emulsified particles in the aqueous phase, which is the continuous phase.

[0014] (B) Food flavoring Examples of food flavorings include those listed in the "Japan Patent Office Gazette, Collection of Well-Known and Commonly Used Techniques (Flavors) Part II Food Flavorings, published January 14, 2000" and the "Survey on the Actual Use of Food Flavoring Compounds in Japan" (2000 Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Science Research Report, Japan Flavor and Flavor Manufacturers Association, published March 2001). In particular, fruit flavorings (fruit flavorings) can be used to achieve the purpose of imparting and enhancing a fruity flavor. Examples of fruit juice flavors include citrus flavors, apple flavors, grape flavors (such as muscat flavors and Kyoho grape flavors), strawberry flavors, pineapple flavors, banana flavors, pear flavors, peach flavors, plum flavors, blueberry flavors, raspberry flavors, melon flavors, watermelon flavors, guava flavors, mango flavors, kiwi fruit flavors, acerola flavors, apricot flavors, cherry flavors, and papaya flavors, and one or more selected from these can be used. Examples of the citrus flavors include lemon flavors, mandarin orange flavors, orange flavors, tangerine flavors, mandarin flavors, lime flavors, grapefruit flavors, yuzu flavors, and bergamot flavors.

[0015] The fruit juice flavor is selected depending on the fruit juice flavor to be imparted or enhanced. For example, if it is desired to impart an apple juice flavor to unflavored carbonated water, an apple flavor is selected, and if it is desired to enhance the peach juice flavor of peach chuhai, a peach flavor is selected. These fruit juice flavors can be conventionally prepared by those skilled in the art, or can be purchased commercially.

[0016] Examples of food flavorings other than fruit juice-based flavorings include plant essential oils such as spice oils such as peppermint oil, spearmint oil, cinnamon oil, allspice, anise seed, basil, laurel, cardamom, celery, clove, jujube, cumin, dill, garlic, ginger, mace, mustard, onion, paprika, and rosemary; and oil-soluble extracts or oil layers obtained by steam distillation of cola nut, coffee, vanilla, cocoa, black tea, green tea, oolong tea, spices, and the like.

[0017] Synthetic fragrance compounds can also be added to food flavorings. Examples of synthetic fragrance compounds that can be added to food flavorings include those listed in "Synthetic Fragrances: Chemistry and Product Knowledge" (revised and expanded edition published December 20, 2016, edited by the Synthetic Fragrances Editorial Committee, published by The Chemical Daily). Examples include limonene, linalool, nerol, citronellol, geraniol, citral, l-menthol, eugenol, cinnamic aldehyde, anethole, perillaldehyde, vanillin, gamma-undecalactone, allyl caproate, l-carvone, maltol, and allyl isothiocyanate.

[0018] The content of the food flavor can be appropriately selected taking into consideration the type of fruit juice flavor to be imparted and enhanced, cost, emulsion stability, etc., and is, for example, usually 0.1 to 40% by mass, preferably 0.5 to 35% by mass, and more preferably 1 to 30% by mass, relative to the total mass of the emulsion flavor composition.

[0019] (C) Emulsifier In the present invention, various hydrophilic emulsifiers that have conventionally been used in foods and beverages can be used as the emulsifier, but it is preferable to use one or more selected from gum arabic, glycerin fatty acid esters, and quillaja saponin, and gum arabic is particularly preferable in terms of imparting and enhancing the fruit juice feel.

[0020] The content of the emulsifier is usually 0.1 to 50% by mass, preferably 0.5 to 40% by mass, and more preferably 1 to 30% by mass, relative to the total mass of the emulsified flavor composition. If the content of the emulsifier is within the above range, it is preferable for stably dispersing the emulsified particles in the aqueous phase, which is the continuous phase.

[0021] (D) Thickening polysaccharides One of the features of the present invention is that a thickening polysaccharide is blended into an emulsified flavor composition, which makes it possible to obtain an excellent effect of imparting and enhancing a fruit juice feel. With an emulsified flavor composition that does not contain a thickening polysaccharide, even when the emulsified flavor composition and a separate thickening polysaccharide are blended into a target food or drink, it is not possible to obtain an excellent effect of imparting and enhancing a fruit juice feel comparable to that of the present invention (see Comparative Examples 1-2 and 1-3 described below).

[0022] In the present invention, the thickening polysaccharide is preferably one or more selected from pectin, soybean polysaccharides, xanthan gum, citrus fiber, guar gum, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, cellulose nanofiber, and microcrystalline cellulose. Of these, pectin is particularly preferred for imparting and enhancing a fruity flavor. Note that an emulsion flavor composition using pectin as an emulsifier rather than as a thickening polysaccharide has very poor emulsion stability and is clearly distinguishable from the emulsion flavor composition of the present invention in which pectin is used as a thickening polysaccharide.

[0023] From the viewpoints of production costs and emulsion stability, the content of the thickening polysaccharide is usually 1 ppm to 10 mass %, preferably 10 ppm to 5 mass %, and more preferably 50 ppm to 1 mass %, relative to the total mass of the emulsified flavor composition.

[0024] The mass ratio of the (E) oil / fat component to the thickening polysaccharide (oil / fat component / thickening polysaccharide) can be 0.01 to 500,000, preferably 0.1 to 40,000, and more preferably 1 to 6,000, from the viewpoint of obtaining good emulsion stability.

[0025] (E) Component The fat and oil component is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include vegetable fats and oils such as coconut oil, soybean oil, rice oil, corn oil, sesame oil, linseed oil, palm oil, safflower oil, rapeseed oil, olive oil, cocoa butter, coconut oil, and peanut oil; medium-chain fatty acid (MCT) oils in which fatty acids having about 8 to 12 carbon atoms (e.g., capric acid, caprylic acid) are bonded to glycerol; animal fats and oils such as beef tallow, lard, chicken fat, mutton tallow, and fish oil; fatty acids such as oleic acid; and mixtures thereof. The fat and oil component may be used alone or in combination of two or more. A preferred example is medium-chain fatty acid (MCT).

[0026] The content of the oil and fat component is usually 0.1 to 50% by mass, preferably 0.5 to 40% by mass, and more preferably 1 to 30% by mass, relative to the total mass of the emulsified flavor composition. If the content of the oil and fat component is within the above range, it is preferable for stably dispersing the emulsified particles in the aqueous phase, which is the continuous phase.

[0027] In the present invention, the oil and fat component may contain an oil-soluble substance as long as it does not interfere with the effects of the present invention. The oil-soluble substance is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include pigments and functional substances.

[0028] Examples of pigments include α-carotene, β-carotene, lycopene, paprika pigment, annatto pigment, chlorophyll, and marigold pigment.

[0029] A functional substance refers to a substance that has a bioregulatory effect, and examples of such functional substances include docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), DHA- and / or EPA-containing fish oil, linoleic acid, γ-linolenic acid, α-linolenic acid, evening primrose oil, borage oil, lecithin, octacosanol, rosemary antioxidant extract, sage antioxidant extract, γ-oryzanol, β-carotene, palm carotene, perilla oil, royal jelly, propolis; oil-soluble vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K, and derivatives thereof.

[0030] The content of the oil-soluble substance is not particularly limited and can be set appropriately depending on the type of substance used.

[0031] (F)Water The water content is usually 0 to 80% by mass, preferably 0 to 70% by mass, and more preferably 0 to 60% by mass, relative to the total mass of the emulsified flavor composition. A water content within the above range is preferred for stably dispersing emulsified particles in the aqueous phase, which is the continuous phase.

[0032] In addition to the components (A) to (F), the emulsified flavor composition of the present invention may contain other emulsifiers, thickeners, antioxidants, inorganic salts, pH adjusters, preservatives, food additives, etc., as long as they do not interfere with the effects of the present invention.

[0033] In the emulsified flavor composition of the present invention, the particle size of the emulsified particles is not particularly limited, but since it affects the degree of turbidity of a food or drink when blended therein, the average emulsion particle size is usually preferably 0.01 to 30 μm, more preferably 0.03 to 20 μm, and even more preferably 0.05 to 10 μm. The average emulsion particle size can be measured using a laser diffraction particle size distribution analyzer.

[0034] The emulsified flavor composition of the present invention can be produced according to a conventional emulsification process. In a typical example, (B) a food flavoring, (E) an oil / fat component, and other oil-soluble components are mixed to prepare an oil phase. Separately, (A) a solvent, (C) an emulsifier, (D) a thickening polysaccharide, (F) water, and other water-soluble components are mixed to prepare an aqueous phase. These separately prepared oil and aqueous phases are mixed and stirred to homogenize the entire mixture, thereby obtaining the emulsified flavor composition of the present invention, which is an oil-in-water emulsion. The stirring is typically carried out at 3,000 to 12,000 rpm, preferably 4,000 to 10,000 rpm, and more preferably 5,000 to 9,000 rpm. Commercially available emulsifying machines, such as a homomixer, colloid mill, rotating disk homogenizer, or high-pressure homogenizer, can be used. The stirring time is not particularly limited, but is typically 1 to 40 minutes, preferably 3 to 30 minutes, and more preferably 5 to 20 minutes. A high-pressure homogenizer is an emulsifier that obtains a homogenized emulsion by passing a treatment liquid through a pressurized part that is kept under ultra-high pressure, and the usual pressure conditions are 5 to 200 MPa, preferably 8 to 100 MPa, and more preferably 10 to 70 MPa.

[0035] Furthermore, the emulsified flavor composition thus obtained can be dried to form a powder preparation or other form, if desired. When powdering, etc., sugars such as gum arabic, trehalose, dextrin, sugar, lactose, glucose, starch syrup, and reduced starch syrup can also be added as needed. The amounts of these used can be selected appropriately depending on the properties desired for the powder preparation, etc.

[0036] There are no particular limitations on the products to which the emulsified flavor composition of the present invention can be added, and examples include foods and beverages, fragrances and cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and health and hygiene products, with foods and beverages being preferred.

[0037] The present invention also provides a method for producing a food or drink having an enhanced fruit juice flavor, which method comprises the step of adding the above-mentioned emulsified flavoring composition to a food or drink. The emulsified flavoring composition of the present invention can be added to various foods and beverages to impart and enhance a fruit juice feel to the foods and beverages, thereby producing foods and beverages with an enhanced fruit juice feel. In this specification, the term "imparting and enhancing a fruit juice feel" includes both the concept of adding a new fruit juice feel and the concept of enhancing an existing fruit juice feel. In addition, in this specification, the term "fruit juice feel" refers to a fruit flavor that comprehensively includes the flavor, richness, thickness, thickness, and thick feeling that are imparted by fruit juice obtained by squeezing fruit.

[0038] The concentration of the emulsified flavoring composition in the food or drink to which it is added need only be an effective amount for imparting a fruity flavor, and can be determined arbitrarily depending on the properties of the food or drink to which it is added, the desired level of fruity flavor, the type and form of the food or drink, etc., but the concentration of the thickener (D) such as pectin in the emulsified flavoring composition is usually preferably 1 ppb to 100 ppm, more preferably 10 ppb to 1 ppm, and even more preferably 50 ppb to 0.5 ppm, relative to the total mass of the food or drink. Therefore, it is preferable to add the emulsified flavoring composition to the food or drink so that the concentration is within the above range.

[0039] In the method for producing a food or drink having an enhanced fruit juice flavor, the method for adding the emulsified flavor composition of the present invention to the food or drink is not particularly limited, and the time (timing) for adding the emulsified flavor composition to the food or drink is also not particularly limited.

[0040] The present invention also provides a food or beverage containing the aforementioned emulsified flavoring composition. The food or beverage is not particularly limited as long as it is intended to impart or enhance a fruity flavor, but typical examples include beverages (carbonated drinks, fruit drinks, fruit juice drinks, fruit pulp drinks, soft drinks, dairy drinks, sports drinks, vitamin supplement drinks, mineral supplement drinks, energy drinks, nutritious drinks, lactic acid bacteria drinks, etc.); alcoholic beverages (chuhai, wine, fruit liquor, shochu, awamori, sake, beer, cocktail drinks, happoshu, condiment liquor, etc.); non-alcoholic beverages; processed foods (yogurt, jam, soup, etc.); and confectioneries (jelly, ice cream, sorbet, gummy candy, snacks, chocolate, etc.). [Example]

[0041] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these. The units of formulations shown in the tables are % by mass.

[0042] Test Example 1: Confirmation of the Effect of Emulsified Flavoring Composition on Imparting and Enhancing Fruit Juice Feeling 1: Orange Juice Drink Various emulsified flavor compositions containing orange flavor (manufactured by Hasegawa Fragrance Co., Ltd.) were prepared, and orange juice drinks were prepared using these compositions to examine the effect of the emulsified flavor compositions in imparting and enhancing the fruit juice flavor. First, emulsified flavor compositions having the compositions shown in Table 1 were prepared according to the following (Preparation of emulsified flavor compositions) (Examples 1-1 to 1-5, Comparative Examples 1-1 to 1-3). (Preparation of Emulsified Flavor Composition) (1) Mix ingredients 1, 4-6 shown in Table 1 uniformly. (2) Mix ingredients 2 and 3 shown in Table 1 uniformly. (3) Add the mixture from (1) to the mixture from (2) and mix with a TK homomixer at 8000 rpm for 5 minutes.

[0043] Next, orange juice beverages 1 to 4 containing 0% or 0.1% of the emulsified flavoring composition were prepared according to the following formulation (unit: mass %). Note that orange juice beverages 3 and 4 contained pectin (LM-102AS-J: manufactured by Sansho Co., Ltd.; the same applies to the pectin referred to as additive product No. 5 in the following examples) as a thickening polysaccharide. (Orange juice drink 1) 1 Citric acid 0.15 2 Trisodium Citrate 0.05 3 sugar 7 4 5x concentrated orange juice 2 5 Water remaining Total 100 Mix 1-5 evenly. The mixture is heated to 3°C and then hot packed. (Orange juice drink 2) 1 Citric acid 0.15 2 Trisodium Citrate 0.05 3 sugar 7 4 5x concentrated orange juice 2 5 Emulsified fragrance composition 0.1 6 Water remaining Total 100 Mix 1-6 evenly. The mixture is heated to 3°C and then hot packed. (Orange juice drink 3) 1 Citric acid 0.15 2 Trisodium Citrate 0.05 3 sugar 7 4 5x concentrated orange juice 2 5 Emulsified fragrance composition 0.099 6. Thickening polysaccharide (pectin) 0.001 7 Water remaining Total 100 Mix 1-7 evenly. The mixture is heated to 3°C and then hot packed. (Orange juice drink 4) 1 Citric acid 0.15 2 Trisodium Citrate 0.05 3 sugar 7 4 5x concentrated orange juice 2 5 Emulsified fragrance composition 0.099 6. Thickening polysaccharide (pectin) 0.001 7 Water remaining Total 100 Mix 1-7 evenly. The mixture is heated to 3°C and then hot packed.

[0044] The resulting emulsified flavoring compositions were subjected to a sensory evaluation of their effect of imparting and enhancing a fruit juice flavor according to the following method. In the sensory evaluation, the orange juice beverage 1 was used as a control product, and the fruit juice flavor of the orange juice beverages 2 (Examples 1-1 to 1-5, Comparative Example 1-1), 3 (Comparative Example 1-2), and 4 (Comparative Example 1-3) was compared to Control Product 1. Ten well-trained panelists with 10 years or more of experience were asked to evaluate the fruit juice flavor in comparison with Control Product 1. In the evaluation, the panelists were asked to rate the fruit juice flavor according to the following criteria and to freely comment on any sensations that were perceived to be different from the control product. Table 1 shows the average scores and representative comments of the 10 panelists. (standard) Juice sensation evaluation score 4: Feels more noticeable than the control product 3: Clearly more noticeable than the control product 2: Slightly more noticeable than the control product 1: No change from the control product

[0045] [Table 1]

[0046] (result) As shown in Table 1, it was confirmed that the orange juice beverages containing the emulsified flavoring compositions of Examples 1-1 to 1-5 were able to impart a stronger fruit juice flavor than the orange juice beverages of Comparative Examples 1-1 to 1-3. Furthermore, the orange juice beverages of Comparative Examples 1-2 and 1-3, which contained the thickening polysaccharide pectin in addition to the emulsified flavoring composition, did not have the flavor of real fruit juice.

[0047] Test Example 2: Confirmation of the fruit juice flavor enhancing effect of the emulsified flavoring composition 2: Peach Chuhai Various emulsified flavor compositions containing peach flavor (manufactured by Hasegawa Fragrance Co., Ltd.) were prepared, and peach chuhai was prepared using these compositions to examine the effect of the emulsified flavor compositions in imparting and enhancing the fruit juice flavor. First, emulsified flavor compositions having the compositions shown in Table 2 were prepared according to the following (Preparation of emulsified flavor compositions) (Examples 2-1 to 2-16, Comparative Example 2-1). (Preparation of Emulsified Flavor Composition) (1) Mix ingredients 1, 4-6 shown in Table 2 uniformly. (2) Mix ingredients 2 and 3 shown in Table 2 uniformly. (3) Add the mixture from (1) to the mixture from (2) and mix with a TK homomixer at 8000 rpm for 5 minutes.

[0048] Next, peach chuhai 1 and 2 containing 0% or 0.1% of the emulsified flavor composition were prepared according to the following formulation (unit: mass %). (1 Peach Chuhai) 1 Citric acid 0.15 2 Trisodium Citrate 0.05 3 sugar 7 4 5x concentrated peach juice 1 5 Vodka (Alc. 40%) 10 6 Carbonated water remaining Total 100 Mix 1-6 evenly. The mixture is heated to 3°C and then hot packed. (Peach Chuhai 2) 1 Citric acid 0.15 2 Trisodium Citrate 0.05 3 sugar 7 4 5x concentrated peach juice 1 5 Emulsified fragrance composition 0.1 6 Vodka (Alc. 40%) 10 7 Carbonated water remaining Total 100 Mix 1-7 evenly. The mixture is heated to 3°C and then hot packed.

[0049] The resulting emulsified flavoring compositions were subjected to a sensory evaluation of their effect of imparting and enhancing a fruity flavor according to the following procedure. In the sensory evaluation, the Peach Chuhai 1 was used as a control product, and the Peach Chuhai 2 (Examples 2-1 to 2-16, Comparative Example 2-1) was compared to the control product in terms of the fruity flavor, and 10 well-trained panelists with 10 years or more of experience were asked to evaluate the fruity flavor in comparison with the control product. In the evaluation, the panelists were asked to rate the fruity flavor according to the following criteria, and to freely comment on any sensations that were perceived to be different from the control product. Table 2 shows the average scores and representative comments of the 10 panelists. (standard) Juice sensation evaluation score 4: Feels more noticeable than the control product 3: Clearly more noticeable than the control product 2: Slightly more noticeable than the control product 1: No change from the control product

[0050] [Table 2]

[0051] (result) As shown in Table 2, it was confirmed that the peach chuhai containing the emulsified flavoring compositions of Examples 2-1 to 2-16 could impart a higher fruit juice feel compared to the peach chuhai of Comparative Example 2-1. It was also confirmed that thickening polysaccharides other than pectin, i.e., soybean polysaccharides, xanthan gum, citrus fiber, guar gum, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, cellulose nanofiber, and microcrystalline cellulose (Examples 2-3 to 2-16), could also impart and enhance the fruit juice feel.

[0052] Test Example 3: Confirmation of the Effect of Emulsified Flavoring Composition on Imparting and Enhancing Fruit Juice Feeling 3: Mango Carbonated Drink Various emulsified flavor compositions containing mango flavor (manufactured by Hasegawa Fragrance Co., Ltd.) were prepared, and mango carbonated drinks were prepared using these compositions to examine the effect of the emulsified flavor compositions in imparting and enhancing the fruit juice flavor. First, emulsified flavor compositions having the compositions shown in Table 3 were prepared according to the following (Preparation of emulsified flavor compositions) (Examples 3-1 to 3-9, Comparative Examples 3-1 to 3-3). (Preparation of Emulsified Flavor Composition) (1) Mix ingredients 1, 4-6 shown in Table 3 uniformly. (2) Mix ingredients 2 and 3 shown in Table 3 uniformly. (3) Add the mixture from (1) to the mixture from (2) and mix with a TK homomixer at 8000 rpm for 5 minutes.

[0053] Next, mango carbonated drinks 1 and 2 containing 0% or 0.1% of the emulsified flavoring composition were prepared according to the following formulation (unit: mass %). (Mango carbonated drink 1) 1 Citric acid 0.15 2 Trisodium Citrate 0.05 3 sugar 8 4 5x concentrated mango juice 2 5 Water remaining Total 100 Mix 1-5 evenly. The mixture is heated to 3°C and then hot packed. (Mango carbonated drink 2) 1 Citric acid 0.15 2 Trisodium Citrate 0.05 3 sugar 8 4 5x concentrated mango juice 2 5 Emulsified fragrance composition 0.1 6 Carbonated water remaining Total 100 Mix 1-6 evenly. The mixture is heated to 3°C and then hot packed.

[0054] The resulting emulsified flavoring compositions were subjected to a sensory evaluation of their effect of imparting and enhancing a fruity flavor as follows. In the sensory evaluation, the mango carbonated drink 1 was used as a control, and the mango carbonated drink 2 (Examples 3-1 to 3-9, Comparative Examples 3-1 to 3-3) was compared to the control product in terms of fruity flavor by 10 well-trained panelists with 10 years or more of experience. In the evaluation, the panelists were asked to rate the fruity flavor according to the following criteria and to freely comment on any sensations that were perceived to be different from the control product. Table 3 shows the average scores and representative comments of the 10 panelists. (standard) Juice sensation evaluation score 4: Feels more noticeable than the control product 3: Clearly more noticeable than the control product 2: Slightly more noticeable than the control product 1: No change from the control product

[0055] [Table 3]

[0056] (result) As shown in Table 3, it was confirmed that the mango carbonated beverages containing the emulsified flavor compositions of Examples 3-1 to 3-9 were able to impart a stronger fruit juice flavor than the mango carbonated beverages of Comparative Examples 3-1 to 3-3, which did not contain a thickening polysaccharide. The beverages not containing a thickening polysaccharide (Comparative Examples 3-1 to 3-3) were insufficient in the effect of imparting and enhancing the fruit juice flavor. It was also confirmed that the beverages using emulsifiers other than gum arabic, i.e., glycerin fatty acid esters and quillaja saponin (Examples 3-4 to 3-9), and the beverages using thickening polysaccharides other than pectin, i.e., guar gum and microcrystalline cellulose (Examples 3-2, 3-5, 3-6, 3-8, and 3-9), were also able to impart a strong fruit juice flavor.

[0057] Test Example 4: Confirmation of the Effect of Emulsified Flavoring Composition on Imparting and Enhancing Fruit Juice Feeling 4: Beverages Using Various Flavorings Various emulsified flavoring compositions containing grapefruit flavoring, lemon flavoring, apple flavoring, grape flavoring, and strawberry flavoring (all manufactured by Hasegawa Fragrance Co., Ltd.) were prepared, and various beverages were prepared using these compositions to examine the effect of the emulsified flavoring compositions in imparting and enhancing the fruit juice flavor. First, emulsified flavor compositions having the compositions shown in Table 4 were prepared according to the following (Preparation of emulsified flavor compositions) (Examples 4-1 to 4-5, Comparative Examples 4-1 to 4-5). (Preparation of Emulsified Flavor Composition) (1) Mix ingredients 1, 4-6 shown in Table 4 uniformly. (2) Mix ingredients 2 and 3 shown in Table 4 uniformly. (3) Add the mixture from (1) to the mixture from (2) and mix with a TK homomixer at 8000 rpm for 5 minutes.

[0058] Next, grapefruit chuhai 1 and 2, lemon chuhai 1 and 2, apple carbonated drinks 1 and 2, grape carbonated drinks 1 and 2, and strawberry drinks 1 and 2 were prepared, each containing 0% or 0.1% of the emulsified flavoring composition, according to the following formulations (unit: mass %). (Grapefruit Chuhai 1) 1 citric acid 0.2 2 Trisodium Citrate 0.05 3 sugar 8 4 5x concentrated grapefruit juice 1 5 Vodka (Alc. 40%) 10 6 Carbonated water remaining Total 100 Mix 1-6 evenly. The mixture is heated to 3°C and then hot packed. (Grapefruit Chuhai 2) 1 citric acid 0.2 2 Trisodium Citrate 0.05 3 sugar 8 4 5x concentrated grapefruit juice 1 5 Emulsified fragrance composition 0.1 6 Vodka (Alc. 40%) 10 7 Carbonated water remaining Total 100 Mix 1-7 evenly. The mixture is heated to 3°C and then hot packed. (Lemon Chuhai 1) 1 citric acid 0.2 2 Trisodium Citrate 0.05 3 sugar 8 4 5x concentrated lemon juice 1 5 Vodka (Alc. 40%) 10 6 Carbonated water remaining Total 100 Mix 1-6 evenly. The mixture is heated to 3°C and then hot packed. (Lemon Chuhai 2) 1 citric acid 0.2 2 Trisodium Citrate 0.05 3 sugar 8 4 5x concentrated lemon juice 1 5 Emulsified fragrance composition 0.1 6 Vodka (Alc. 40%) 10 7 Carbonated water remaining Total 100 Mix 1-7 evenly. The mixture is heated to 3°C and then hot packed. (Apple carbonated drink 1) 1 Citric acid 0.15 2 Trisodium Citrate 0.05 3 sugar 8 4 5x concentrated apple juice 1 5 Water remaining Total 100 Mix 1-5 evenly. The mixture is heated to 3°C and then hot packed. (Apple carbonated drink 2) 1 Citric acid 0.15 2 Trisodium Citrate 0.05 3 sugar 8 4 5x concentrated apple juice 1 5 Emulsified fragrance composition 0.1 6 Carbonated water remaining Total 100 Mix 1-6 evenly. The mixture is heated to 3°C and then hot packed. (Grape carbonated drink 1) 1 citric acid 0.2 2 Trisodium Citrate 0.05 3 sugar 8 4 5x concentrated grape juice 1 5 Water remaining Total 100 Mix 1-5 evenly. The mixture is heated to 3°C and then hot packed. (Grape carbonated drink 2) 1 citric acid 0.2 2 Trisodium Citrate 0.05 3 sugar 8 4 5x concentrated grape juice 1 5 Emulsified fragrance composition 0.1 6 Carbonated water remaining Total 100 Mix 1-6 evenly. The mixture is heated to 3°C and then hot packed. (Strawberry drink 1) 1 citric acid 0.2 2 Trisodium Citrate 0.05 3 sugar 8 4 5x concentrated strawberry juice 1 5 Water remaining Total 100 Mix 1-5 evenly. The mixture is heated to 3°C and then hot packed. (Strawberry drink 2) 1 citric acid 0.2 2 Trisodium Citrate 0.05 3 sugar 8 4 5x concentrated strawberry juice 1 5 Emulsified fragrance composition 0.1 6 Water remaining Total 100 Mix 1-6 evenly. The mixture is heated to 3°C and then hot packed.

[0059] The resulting emulsified flavoring compositions were subjected to a sensory evaluation of their effect of imparting and enhancing a fruity flavor as follows: In the sensory evaluation, ten well-trained panelists with 10 years or more of experience evaluated the fruity flavor of Grapefruit Chuhai 1 (control product) compared to Grapefruit Chuhai 2 (Example 4-1, Comparative Example 4-1), the fruity flavor of Lemon Chuhai 1 (control product) compared to Lemon Chuhai 2 (Example 4-2, Comparative Example 4-2), the fruity flavor of Apple Carbonated Drink 1 (control product) compared to Apple Carbonated Drink 2 (Example 4-3, Comparative Example 4-3), the fruity flavor of Grape Carbonated Drink 1 (control product) compared to Grape Carbonated Drink 2 (Example 4-4, Comparative Example 4-4), and the fruity flavor of Strawberry Drink 1 (control product) compared to Strawberry Drink 2 (Example 4-5, Comparative Example 4-5). The panelists were asked to rate the fruit juice sensation according to the following criteria and to freely comment on any sensations they felt were different from the control product. Table 4 shows the average scores and representative comments of the 10 panelists. (standard) Juice sensation evaluation score 4: Feels more noticeable than the control product 3: Clearly more noticeable than the control product 2: Slightly more noticeable than the control product 1: No change from the control product

[0060] [Table 4]

[0061] As shown in Table 4, it was confirmed that the grapefruit chuhai, lemon chuhai, apple carbonated drink, grape carbonated drink, and strawberry drink containing the emulsified flavoring compositions of Examples 4-1 to 4-5, respectively, could impart a higher fruit juice feel compared to the grapefruit chuhai, lemon chuhai, apple carbonated drink, grape carbonated drink, and strawberry drink of Comparative Examples 4-1 to 4-5, respectively, which did not contain thickening polysaccharides. The fruit juice feel imparting and enhancing effect was insufficient in the drinks not containing thickening polysaccharides (Comparative Examples 4-1 to 4-5).

[0062] Test Example 5: Confirmation of the Effect of Emulsified Flavoring Composition on Imparting and Enhancing Fruit Juice Feeling 5: Orange-Flavored Jelly Various emulsified flavor compositions containing orange flavor (manufactured by Hasegawa Fragrance Co., Ltd.) were prepared, and orange-flavored jelly was prepared using these compositions to examine the effect of the emulsified flavor compositions in imparting and enhancing the fruit juice flavor. First, emulsified flavor compositions having the compositions shown in Example 1-3 and Comparative Example 1-1 in Table 1 were prepared according to the method described above (Example 5-1, Comparative Example 5-1).

[0063] Next, orange-flavored jellies 1 and 2 containing 0% or 0.1% of the emulsified flavor composition were prepared according to the following formulation (unit: mass %). (1 orange flavored jelly) 1 60g granulated sugar 2 Sorbitol 12 3 5x concentrated orange juice 5 4 agar 0.3 5 Citric acid (crystals) 1 6 Coloring agent 0.3 7 Water remaining Total 100 Mix 1-7 uniformly and heat, cool, etc. according to the usual method. (Orange flavored jelly 2) 1 60g granulated sugar 2 Sorbitol 12 3 5x concentrated orange juice 5 4 agar 0.3 5 Citric acid (crystals) 1 6 Coloring agent 0.3 7 Emulsified fragrance composition 0.1 8 Water remaining Total 100 Mix 1-8 uniformly and heat, cool, etc. according to the usual method.

[0064] The effect of the obtained emulsified flavoring composition in imparting and enhancing a fruit juice feel was subjected to a sensory evaluation in the same manner as in Test Example 1. In the sensory evaluation, the orange-flavored jelly 1 was used as a control product, and the fruit juice feel of the orange-flavored jelly 2 (Example 5-1, Comparative Example 5-1) was compared with the control product and evaluated by 10 well-trained panelists with 10 years or more of experience. In the evaluation, the panelists were asked to rate the fruit juice feel according to the following criteria and to freely comment on any sensations that were perceived to be different from the control product.

[0065] (result) The results of Example 5-1 and Comparative Example 5-1 were similar to those of Example 1-1 and Comparative Example 1-1, respectively. That is, it was confirmed that the orange-flavored jelly containing the emulsified flavoring composition of Example 5-1 can impart a stronger fruit juice flavor than the orange-flavored jelly of Comparative Example 5-1. The orange-flavored jelly of Comparative Example 5-1 had a sweetness that was not significantly different from that of the control product, and only the aroma was enhanced.

Claims

1. Ingredients: (A) Solvent (B) Food flavoring (C) Emulsifier (D) thickening polysaccharides An emulsified flavor composition comprising:

1. An emulsified flavoring composition, wherein the thickening polysaccharide (D) is one or more selected from pectin, soybean polysaccharides, xanthan gum, citrus fiber, guar gum, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, cellulose nanofiber, and microcrystalline cellulose.

2. 2. The emulsified flavor composition according to claim 1, wherein the emulsifier (C) is at least one selected from gum arabic, glycerin fatty acid esters, and quillaja saponin.

3. 2. The emulsified flavor composition according to claim 1, wherein (B) is a fruit juice-based flavor.

4. 2. The emulsion flavor composition according to claim 1, wherein the concentration of the thickening polysaccharide (D) is 1 ppm to 10% by mass relative to the total mass of the emulsion flavor composition.

5. The emulsion flavor composition according to claim 1, further comprising (E) an oil or fat component.

6. The emulsion fragrance composition according to claim 1, further comprising (F) water.

7. The emulsion flavor composition according to claim 1, which is used to enhance fruit juice flavor.

8. The method includes an emulsification step of mixing an oil phase containing a food flavoring and an aqueous phase containing a thickening polysaccharide, A method for producing an emulsified flavoring composition, characterized in that the thickening polysaccharide is one or more selected from pectin, soybean polysaccharides, xanthan gum, citrus fiber, guar gum, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, cellulose nanofiber, and microcrystalline cellulose.

9. 9. The method for producing an emulsified flavor composition according to claim 8, wherein the emulsifying step uses one or more emulsifiers selected from gum arabic, glycerin fatty acid esters, and quillaja saponin.

10. 9. The method for producing an emulsified flavor composition according to claim 8, wherein the thickening polysaccharide is added so that the concentration of the thickening polysaccharide is 1 ppm to 10% by mass relative to the total mass of the emulsified flavor composition.

11. The method for producing an emulsified flavor composition according to claim 8, wherein the emulsified flavor composition is used to enhance the fruit juice flavor of a food or drink.

12. A method for producing a food or drink having an enhanced fruit juice flavor, comprising the step of adding the emulsified flavor composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7 to the food or drink.

13. A food or drink comprising the emulsified flavor composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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