Composition for improving unpleasant odor

Abstract

To provide a composition effective for unpleasant aroma and taste improvement.SOLUTION: An unpleasant aroma and taste improving composition includes palmitoleic acid as an active ingredient. The unpleasant aroma and taste is preferably such as to be sensed from bean-containing food and drink, vinegar-containing food and drink, wheat and barley-containing food and drink, almond-containing food and drink, vitamin-containing food and drink, or milk-containing food and drink. The unpleasant aroma and taste may be one or more selected from the group consisting of, for example, acidic taste, acid smell, harsh taste, bitter taste, astringent taste, whey smell, grain smell, burnt sense, oil and fat deterioration smell, grassy smell, musty smell, sulfur smell, and phenolic smell.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a composition for improving unpleasant flavors. [Background technology]

[0002] Consumer demands for the scent and taste (sometimes collectively referred to as flavor in this specification) of various consumer goods such as foods, beverages, and cosmetics are becoming more sophisticated, and several technologies have been proposed to improve unpleasant flavors.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 proposes that adding 7-dodecenoic acid, 8-dodecenoic acid, 9-dodecenoic acid or 10-dodecenoic acid to food or drink reduces unpleasant tastes in the food or drink, particularly unpleasant tastes derived from sourness, bitterness and astringency, and improves the flavor of the food or drink. Patent Document 2 describes an odor suppressant for the casein odor or collagen odor of casein or collagen, which is characterized by containing chlorogenic acid as an active ingredient. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-188705 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2003-210119 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, conventionally used materials for improving unpleasant flavors have not been sufficient to improve various unpleasant flavors, and it has been an issue to discover a useful material capable of improving unpleasant flavors. Therefore, an issue of the present invention is to provide an unpleasant flavor improving composition containing a compound useful for improving unpleasant flavors. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present inventors conducted intensive research in view of the above problems and discovered that a composition containing palmitoleic acid is useful for improving unpleasant flavors, thereby completing the present invention.

[0007] Thus, the following will briefly explain the outline of the representative inventions disclosed in this application. For example, [1] A composition for improving unpleasant flavors containing palmitoleic acid as an active ingredient The unpleasant flavor improving composition, wherein the unpleasant flavor is an unpleasant flavor felt in a bean-containing food or drink, a vinegar-containing food or drink, a wheat-containing food or drink, an almond-containing food or drink, a vitamin-containing food or drink, or a milk-containing food or drink. . [ 2 The unpleasant flavor is a sour taste, a sour odor, a bitter taste, taste, Astringent taste, whey smell, grain smell, fragrant difference, One or more selected from the group consisting of grassy odor, moldy odor, sulfur odor and phenol odor. ] The unpleasant flavor improving composition described above. [ 3 The unpleasant flavor improving composition according to [1] or [2], which contains palmitoleic acid at a concentration of 10% to 50%. [ 4 A method for producing an unpleasant flavor improving composition containing palmitoleic acid as an active ingredient, the method comprising adding a composition containing palmitoleic acid to a composition that can be added to consumer goods. The unpleasant flavor is an unpleasant flavor felt in a bean-containing food or drink, a vinegar-containing food or drink, a wheat-containing food or drink, an almond-containing food or drink, a vitamin-containing food or drink, or a milk-containing food or drink. . [ 5 ] A method for improving an unpleasant flavor in a consumer good, comprising blending the unpleasant flavor improving composition according to [1] or [2] into the consumer good. [ 6 [1] or [2] is added to a consumer good so that palmitoleic acid is in a concentration range of 1 ppb to 100 ppm, and the consumer good is a food or drink. 5 ] A method for improving the unpleasant flavor of a consumer product described in the above. [ 7 ] A consumer product comprising the unpleasant flavor improving composition according to [1] or [2] added thereto. Effect of the Invention

[0008] INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention makes it possible to provide an unpleasant flavor improving composition which is effective in improving unpleasant flavors. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to specific examples. In this specification, the symbol "to" means a range including a lower limit and an upper limit, and concentrations (ppt, ppb, ppm, etc.) and % mean mass concentrations and mass %, respectively, unless otherwise specified, and concentrations refer to final concentrations unless otherwise specified.

[0010] [Unpleasant flavor improving composition] The unpleasant flavor improving composition according to one embodiment of the present invention (sometimes referred to as the present unpleasant flavor improving composition in this specification) is a composition containing palmitoleic acid, which can be added to various consumer goods to improve the unpleasant flavor of the consumer goods. Unless otherwise specified, palmitoleic acid means free palmitoleic acid.

[0011] As used herein, the term "adding" includes at least one of simply adding to an object by spraying, dropping, or the like, and mixing with an object.

[0012] In this specification, "flavor" typically refers to the senses including smell and taste, and "unpleasant flavor" refers to an unpleasant flavor felt by animals, typically humans. In one embodiment of the present invention, the unpleasant flavor may include one or more selected from the group consisting of sourness, sour odor, harshness, bitterness, astringency, whey odor, grain odor, savory, odor of deteriorated oil and fat, grassy odor, moldy odor, sulfur odor, and phenol odor. In another embodiment of the present invention, the one or more selected from the group consisting of sourness, sour odor, harshness, bitterness, astringency, whey odor, grain odor, savory, odor of deteriorated oil and fat, grassy odor, moldy odor, sulfur odor, and phenol odor may be an unpleasant flavor derived from beans (particularly soybeans), wheat, almonds, vitamins, milk, or vinegar. That is, the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention can be effectively used to improve the unpleasant flavor of, for example, foods and beverages containing beans (particularly soybeans), wheat and barley, almonds, vitamins, milk, or vinegar. The grain odor refers to a sensation including a flavor reminiscent of dried flour of grains such as barley and wheat. The whey odor refers to a flavor sensation including a slightly sour animal odor or fishy odor. The deteriorated oil odor refers to a flavor sensation including a sour oil-like flavor such as that felt from deep-frying oil. The phenol odor refers to a flavor sensation including a pungent odor like that of medicine.

[0013] In this specification, "improving" includes making the unpleasant flavor felt from a consumer good weaker or substantially non-perceivable compared to when the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention is not added. The unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention can also be used as a flavor imparting composition capable of improving an unpleasant flavor, and such use is also included in the use of improving an unpleasant flavor of the present invention.

[0014] Examples of the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention include various additives containing palmitoleic acid that can be added to various consumer goods such as food and beverages, fragrances and cosmetics, health and hygiene products, etc. More specific examples include fragrance compositions containing palmitoleic acid, various animal and plant extracts, or fermented products, enzyme-treated products, or heat-treated products of various animal and plant raw materials that can be added to various consumer goods, and the forms of these include water-soluble or oil-soluble solvent solutions, emulsion preparations, powder preparations, and other solid preparations (solid fats, etc.), but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0015] The unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention may contain, in addition to palmitoleic acid, any other components (specific examples will be described later) such as a solvent, a dispersion medium, a flavor-imparting component other than palmitoleic acid, and an auxiliary component such as an antioxidant component, but may also consist essentially of palmitoleic acid. When the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention contains components other than palmitoleic acid, the concentration of palmitoleic acid in the unpleasant flavor improving composition can be arbitrarily determined depending on the object to which the unpleasant flavor improving composition is added and the odor characteristics.

[0016] As an example of the concentration of palmitoleic acid in the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention, when the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention substantially contains only palmitoleic acid, or only palmitoleic acid and its solvent or dispersion medium (specific examples will be described later), the concentration can be in the range of 10 ppb to 100%, and preferably in the range of 10 ppm to 99%. For example, commercially available palmitoleic acid with a purity of 95% or more (e.g., 98%, 99%, etc.) can be used as the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention.

[0017] As an example of the concentration of palmitoleic acid in the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention, particularly when the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention contains components other than palmitoleic acid and its solvent, the concentration of palmitoleic acid in the unpleasant flavor improving composition can be arbitrarily determined according to the object to which the unpleasant flavor improving composition is added and the aroma characteristics as described above, and may be an appropriate concentration so that the composition can be added to consumer goods at a concentration that exerts an unpleasant flavor improving effect, for example, 10 ppm to 90%, more specifically, the lower limit of which is 10 ppm, 10 ... %, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, and the upper limit is 90%, 85%, 80%, 75%, 70%, 65%, 60%, 55%, 50%, 45%, 40%, 35%, 30%, 25%, 20%, 15%, 10%, 5%, 1%, 1000ppm, 100ppm, and the range can be any combination of these lower limit and upper limit values, but is not limited thereto. Preferably, the range is 1% to 60%, more preferably 5% to 55%, even more preferably 10 to 50%, and even more preferably 15 to 35%. Although it depends on the formulation of the unpleasant flavor improving composition, if the concentration of palmitoleic acid in the unpleasant flavor improving composition is 10 ppm to 90%, the unpleasant flavor improving effect in consumer goods can be easily obtained without the flavor derived from palmitoleic acid being excessively prominent. However, depending on the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention, the flavor of the object to which it is added, and other conditions, palmitoleic acid may be contained at a concentration outside the range of 10 ppm to 90%.

[0018] Specific examples of optional other components that may be contained in the unpleasant flavor improving composition in addition to palmitoleic acid include various types of fragrance compounds, fragrance compositions, colorants, vitamins, functional substances, fish meat extracts, livestock meat extracts, animal and plant extracts, animal and plant oils and fats, yeast extracts, animal and plant proteins, animal and plant protein hydrolysates, starch, dextrin, sugars, amino acids, nucleic acids, organic acids, solvents, emulsifiers, specific gravity adjusters, antioxidants, etc. For example, examples of such natural essential oils, natural flavors, and synthetic flavors include those described in "Japan Patent Office Official Gazette, Collection of Well-Known and Commonly Used Technology (Flavors) Part II Food Flavors, published on January 14, 2000," "Survey on the Actual Use of Food Flavoring Compounds in Japan" (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Science Research Report for 2000, Japan Flavor and Flavor Manufacturers Association, published in March 2001), and "Synthetic Flavors: Chemistry and Product Knowledge" (revised and expanded new edition published on December 20, 2016, edited by the Synthetic Flavor Editorial Committee, Chemical Daily Co., Ltd.).

[0019] Other examples of fragrance compounds include hydrocarbon compounds such as monoterpenes, such as α-pinene, β-pinene, myrcene, camphene, and limonene, sesquiterpenes, such as valencene, cedrene, caryophyllene, and longifolene, and 1,3,5-undecatriene.

[0020] Examples of the alcohol compound include saturated or unsaturated alcohols such as butanol, pentanol, 3-octanol, hexanol, (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, prenol, and 2,6-nonadienol; terpene alcohols such as linalool, geraniol, citronellol, tetrahydromyrcenol, farnesol, nerolidol, cedrol, and terpineol; and aromatic alcohols such as benzyl alcohol, phenylethyl alcohol, and cinnamyl alcohol.

[0021] Examples of the aldehyde compound include saturated or unsaturated aldehydes such as acetaldehyde, hexanal, octanal, decanal, (E)-2-hexenal, and 2,4-octadienal; terpene aldehydes such as citronellal, hydroxycitronellal, citral, myrtenal, and perillaldehyde; and aromatic aldehydes such as benzaldehyde, cinnamaldehyde, amylcinnamaldehyde, vanillin, ethyl vanillin, heliotropin, and p-tolylaldehyde.

[0022] Examples of the ketone compounds include saturated or unsaturated ketones such as 2-heptanone, 2-undecanone, 1-octen-3-one, and acetoin; diketones and hydroxyketones such as diacetyl, 2,3-pentanedione, maltol, ethyl maltol, cyclotene, and 2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3(2H)-furanone; terpene ketones such as carvone, menthone, and nootkatone; ketones derived from terpene degradation products such as α-ionone, β-ionone, and β-damascenone; and aromatic ketones such as raspberry ketone.

[0023] Examples of the furan or ether compounds include furfuryl alcohol, furfural, rose oxide, linalool oxide, menthofuran, theaspirane, estragole, eugenol, and 1,8-cineole.

[0024] Examples of the ester compound include aliphatic esters such as ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl isobutyrate, isoamyl butyrate, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl 3-methylbutyrate, 2-methylbutyl isobutyrate, ethyl hexanoate, allyl hexanoate, ethyl heptanoate, ethyl caproate, isoamyl isovalerate, and ethyl nonanoate; terpene alcohol esters such as linalyl acetate, geranyl acetate, lavandulyl acetate, and terpenyl acetate; and aromatic esters such as benzyl acetate, benzyl butyrate, methyl salicylate, benzyl salicylate, methyl cinnamate, cinnamyl propionate, ethyl benzoate, cinnamyl isovalerate, and ethyl 3-methyl-2-phenylglycidate.

[0025] Examples of the lactone compound include saturated or unsaturated lactones such as γ-decalactone, γ-dodecalactone, δ-decalactone, δ-dodecalactone, 7-decen-4-olide, and 2-decen-5-olide.

[0026] The acid compounds include saturated or unsaturated fatty acids such as acetic acid, butyric acid, octanoic acid, isovaleric acid, caproic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid.

[0027] Examples of the nitrogen-containing compound include pyridine, alkyl-substituted pyrazine, methyl anthranilate, and trimethylpyrazine.

[0028] Examples of sulfur-containing compounds include methanethiol, dimethyl sulfide, dimethyl disulfide, allyl isothiocyanate, 3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol, 3-methyl-2-butanethiol, 3-methyl-1-butanethiol, 2-methyl-1-butanethiol, and furfuryl mercaptan.

[0029] Natural essential oils include sweet orange, bitter orange, petitgrain, lemon, bergamot, mandarin, neroli, peppermint, spearmint, lavender, chamomile, rosemary, eucalyptus, sage, basil, rose, hyacinth, lilac, geranium, jasmine, ylang-ylang, anise, clove, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, cedar, cypress, vetiver, patchouli, labdanum, elderflower, and clary sage.

[0030] Examples of various animal and plant extracts include herb or spice extracts, various tea extracts such as coffee, green tea, black tea, or oolong tea, milk or dairy products, and various enzymatic decomposition products thereof using lipase and / or protease, etc.

[0031] In addition, it may be used in combination with a known material related to improving unpleasant flavors. Examples of such materials include those described in JP 2021-171023 A, JP 2021-142111 A, JP 2021-108822 A, JP 2020-188705 A, JP 2018-87153 A, JP 2015-144621 A, JP 6009616 A, JP 2015-67558 A, Japanese Patent No. 6158664, Japanese Patent No. 2015-67557, Japanese Patent No. 2014-240360, Japanese Patent No. 6216543, Japanese Patent No. 2014-34517, Japanese Patent No. 5220942, Japanese Patent No. 2013-143930, Japanese Patent No. 5019659, Japanese Patent No. 2013-21926, Japanese Patent No. 4925488, Japanese Patent No. 2012-80840, Japanese Patent No. 5198533 Publication No. 2012-80778, No. 6005333, No. 2012-34603, No. 5340238, No. 2011-103873, No. 4562049, No. 2011-223942, No. 5349399, No. 2011-103774, No. 4606505, No. 2008-253217, No. 200 Those described in JP-A-6-104257, JP-4391378, JP-A-2004-248611, JP-4216091, JP-A-2004-18829, JP-A-2003-210119, JP-3830137, JP-A-2003-96486, JP-A-9-221429, JP-3431383, and JP-A-8-119843 may be used.

[0032] Particularly preferred examples of animal and plant extracts that can be used in combination include those obtained by adding appropriate amino acids and sugars to animal and plant extracts and subjecting them to heat treatment (for example, within a range of 80 to 200°C, preferably 100 to 180°C) (for example, JP 2018-102308 A, JP 2018-102309 A, JP 2018-102310 A, JP 2018-102307 A, JP 2017- No. 51206, WO 2016 / 72114, WO 2016 / 72111, WO 2016 / 63394, JP 2015-112038, JP 2013-252111, JP 2013-252113, JP 2013-252112, or JP 2013-252114.

[0033] Since palmitoleic acid is oil-soluble, the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention can be used in a wide range of foods and beverages by forming it into an oil-in-water type emulsion preparation, without causing separation of palmitoleic acid from water even when added to various foods and beverages. Furthermore, by forming it into an emulsion preparation, the flavor improving effect is sustained more than palmitoleic acid itself or a solution in which palmitoleic acid is simply dissolved in a solvent, and the improving effect on unpleasant flavors in the aftertaste is particularly enhanced.

[0034] In another aspect of the present invention, the unpleasant flavor improving composition may be a plant fruit or seed containing palmitoleic acid, its juice, oil, or the residue of the juice or oil extraction, and may further be an emulsion preparation obtained by emulsification, or a powder preparation obtained by powderization (specific examples of the emulsion and powder processing procedures will be described later).

[0035] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the unpleasant flavor improving composition can be an enzyme-treated product of a composition containing a compound that contains palmitoleic acid in its molecule (also referred to in this specification as a palmitoleic acid-encapsulated compound), which contains palmitoleic acid released from the palmitoleic acid-encapsulated compound by the enzyme treatment.

[0036] In this specification, a compound containing palmitoleic acid in its molecule (palmitoleic acid-containing compound) means a compound that contains palmitoleic acid in its molecular structure or in a part thereof, and can release palmitoleic acid by enzyme treatment (specific examples of enzyme treatment procedures will be described later). A representative example is a glyceride having a structure in which a carboxyl group of palmitoleic acid is ester-bonded to a hydroxyl group of glycerol, and the enzyme treatment is lipase treatment, and palmitoleic acid is released by hydrolysis of the ester bond by lipase. A specific example of a palmitoleic acid-containing compound is triacylglycerol (also called triglyceride), in which at least one of three ester bonds is an ester bond with palmitoleic acid. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and any compound that can release palmitoleic acid by hydrolysis by enzyme treatment or other action can be used as a palmitoleic acid-containing compound.

[0037] The composition containing the palmitoleic acid-containing compound may contain both palmitoleic acid and the palmitoleic acid-containing compound. In this case, the above-mentioned enzyme treatment may be performed according to the desired palmitoleic acid concentration to liberate palmitoleic acid from the palmitoleic acid-containing compound, or the composition containing palmitoleic acid may be used as it is (or further emulsified and / or powdered) as the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention without the enzyme treatment.

[0038] The composition containing the palmitoleic acid-containing compound is preferably a plant fruit or seed, its juice, oil, or the residue of juice or oil, more preferably oil from the fruit or seed of a plant. Specific examples thereof include, but are not limited to, macadamia nut oil, avocado oil, almond oil, cashew nut oil, hazelnut oil, and pistachio oil, which contain palmitoleic acid-containing compounds.

[0039] When the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention is the lipase-treated product, the palmitoleic acid concentration is in the range of 10 to 40%, preferably 15 to 35%, from the viewpoint of being able to reduce the amount of palmitoleic acid added to consumer goods by ensuring a certain or higher palmitoleic acid concentration, and from the viewpoint of the cost-effectiveness of the time and cost of lipase treatment. When the palmitoleic acid concentration of the emulsified preparation is in the range of 100 ppm to 1%, and an example of a preferred concentration range is 2000 ppm to 5000 ppm, from the viewpoint of being able to reduce the amount of palmitoleic acid added to consumer goods by ensuring a certain or higher palmitoleic acid concentration. When the palmitoleic acid concentration of the powder preparation is in the range of 100 ppm to 5%, and an example of a preferred concentration range is 1% to 3%, from the viewpoint of being able to reduce the amount of palmitoleic acid added to consumer goods by ensuring a certain or higher palmitoleic acid concentration. However, the palmitoleic acid concentration may be outside the range exemplified here, depending on the object to which the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention is added and the desired effect of addition.

[0040] [Method of producing composition for improving unpleasant flavor] The method for producing the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention includes adding a composition containing palmitoleic acid (herein, this includes both those consisting essentially of palmitoleic acid and those containing palmitoleic acid and other components) to a composition that can be added to consumer goods, and the composition obtained by this addition can be the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention. Examples of compositions that can be added to various consumer goods include compositions that contain one or more selected from solvents, antioxidants, colorants, and other additives that can be added to foods and beverages, cosmetics, and health and hygiene products. Furthermore, the unpleasant flavor composition of the present invention may be prepared by further forming the composition into an emulsion preparation, a powder preparation, or other solid preparation (such as solid fat).

[0041] There is no particular limitation on the type of solvent used. Examples of water-soluble solvents include ethanol, methanol, acetone, tetrahydrofuran, acetonitrile, 2-propanol, methyl ethyl ketone, glycerin, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, hexyl glycol, benzyl benzoate, triethyl citrate, and diethyl phthalate. Among these, ethanol or propylene glycol is particularly preferred when used in food and beverages. Examples of oil-soluble solvents include vegetable oils and fats, animal oils and fats, refined oils and fats (for example, processed oils and fats such as medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides, and short-chain fatty acid triglycerides such as triacetin and tripropionin), hercolin, various essential oils, and triethyl citrate.

[0042] In order to prepare the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention into an emulsion preparation, palmitoleic acid or a composition containing palmitoleic acid can be appropriately diluted with vegetable oil or fat, and further containing a specific gravity adjuster (such as sucrose acetate isobutyrate ester) and an oil-soluble antioxidant as necessary, and then emulsified with a water-soluble solvent and an emulsifier to obtain the composition. The emulsification method is not particularly limited, and an emulsion with excellent stability can be obtained by emulsifying using various types of emulsifiers conventionally used in foods and beverages, such as fatty acid monoglycerides, fatty acid diglycerides, fatty acid triglycerides, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, polyglycerol fatty acid esters, lecithin, modified starch, sorbitan fatty acid esters, quillaja extract, gum arabic, tragacanth gum, guar gum, karaya gum, xanthan gum, pectin, alginic acid and its salts, carrageenan, gelatin, casein, quillaja saponin, sodium caseinate, etc., using a homomixer, colloid mill, rotating disk homogenizer, high-pressure homogenizer, etc. The amount of these emulsifiers used is not strictly limited and can vary over a wide range depending on the type of emulsifier used, but is usually within the range of about 0.01 to about 100 parts by mass, preferably about 0.1 to about 50 parts by mass, per part by mass of palmitoleic acid. In order to stabilize the emulsion, the water-soluble solvent may contain, in addition to water, one or a mixture of two or more polyhydric alcohols such as glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbitol, maltitol, sucrose, glucose, trehalose, sugar solution, and reduced starch syrup.

[0043] The emulsion thus obtained can be dried to produce a powder formulation, if desired. When producing the powder, sugars such as gum arabic, trehalose, dextrin, sugar, lactose, glucose, starch syrup, and reduced starch syrup can be added as needed. The amount of these to be used can be appropriately selected depending on the desired properties of the powder formulation.

[0044] Another embodiment of the method for producing the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention includes a method including at least the following steps 1 and 2. The enzyme-treated product obtained in step 2 can be used as it is as the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention. (Step 1) A step of preparing a composition containing a compound containing palmitoleic acid in its molecule (palmitoleic acid-containing compound) (Step 2) A step of enzymatically treating the composition prepared in Step 1 to obtain an enzyme-treated product containing palmitoleic acid liberated from the compound (also referred to as the present enzyme-treated product). The enzyme treatment means a treatment capable of liberating palmitoleic acid from the palmitoleic acid-encapsulating compound as described above. The enzyme-treated product obtained in step 2 can be used as the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention.

[0045] Furthermore, a step of adding a composition containing palmitoleic acid to the composition of step 1 may be included before step 1 or between steps 1 and 2, for the purpose of increasing the palmitoleic acid concentration.

[0046] The composition is preferably the above-mentioned plant fruit or seed, its juice or oil, or the residue of the juice or oil.Preferably, the oil is extracted from the fruit or seed of a plant, more preferably, the oil is extracted from the seed of a plant, and specific examples thereof include, but are not limited to, macadamia nut oil, avocado oil, almond oil, cashew nut oil, hazelnut oil, and pistachio oil.

[0047] As an example of a specific procedure for the enzyme treatment, the oil extracted from the seeds and fruits of plants containing palmitoleic acid-containing compounds is appropriately heat-sterilized (for example, at 70 to 98°C for 5 to 30 minutes), and then any lipase and water are added and treated with the lipase at the optimum temperature for the lipase for about 10 to 30 hours to liberate palmitoleic acid from the palmitoleic acid-containing compounds. If necessary, further heat-sterilization, removal of the water layer, and filtration can be performed to obtain the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention. The concentration of palmitoleic acid in the lipase-treated product thus obtained is not particularly limited, and can be, for example, within the above-mentioned concentration range.

[0048] The present enzyme-treated product can also be made into an emulsion preparation by the above-mentioned emulsification process, or into a powder preparation by the above-mentioned powderization process, to be used as the unpleasant flavor improving composition. The palmitoleic acid concentration in the emulsion preparation or powder preparation is not particularly limited, and can be exemplified by the concentration range described above.

[0049] As another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for producing an unpleasant flavor improving composition, which comprises adding the unpleasant flavor improving composition obtained from a composition containing a palmitoleic acid encapsulating compound as described above to any composition that can be added to various consumer goods. Examples of the composition that can be added to various consumer goods include compositions that contain one or more selected from solvents, antioxidants, colorants, and other additives that can be added to foods, beverages, fragrances, cosmetics, and health and hygiene products.

[0050] Furthermore, as another embodiment of the present invention, the unpleasant flavor improving composition obtained by any method can be added to another flavor imparting composition to produce the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the flavor imparting composition to which it is to be added. The unpleasant flavor improving composition produced in this manner can be used in the production of various consumer goods, such as food and beverages, cosmetics, and health and hygiene products, as an additive composition for such consumer goods.

[0051] [Method for improving unpleasant flavor of consumer goods and consumer goods] By adding the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention to various consumer goods (typically, foods and beverages, fragrances and cosmetics, health and hygiene products, etc.), consumer goods with suppressed unpleasant flavors are produced. Therefore, in the present invention, the method for improving unpleasant flavors in various consumer goods can also be said to be a method for producing consumer goods with suppressed unpleasant flavors. The timing of adding the unpleasant flavor improving composition to various consumer goods is arbitrary, and the unpleasant flavor improving composition itself may be added to various consumer goods such as foods and beverages, fragrances and cosmetics, health and hygiene products, etc., or it may be added to various consumer goods together with one or more other flavor-imparting compositions (for example, one or more selected from a water-soluble flavor composition, an emulsified flavor composition, any flavor compound, and a natural essential oil (for example, a flavor compound described in the above-mentioned "Japan Patent Office Official Gazette, Collection of Well-Known and Commonly Used Technology (Flavors) Part II Food Flavors," "Survey on the Actual Use of Food Flavor Compounds in Japan," and "Synthetic Flavors: Chemistry and Product Knowledge")).

[0052] Foods and beverages to which the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention can be added are not particularly limited, and may have any flavor (also referred to as taste). Examples of flavors include various citrus flavors such as lemon, orange, grapefruit, lime, mandarin, mandarin orange, kabosu, sudachi, hassaku, iyokan, yuzu, shikuwasa, and kumquat; strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, apple, cherry, plum, apricot, peach, pineapple, banana, melon, mango, papaya, Various fruit flavors such as kiwi, pear, grapes (grape, muscat, Kyoho, etc.), lychee, passion fruit, etc.; milk flavors or flavors containing milk flavors such as milk, yogurt, butter, custard, etc.; vanilla flavor; various tea flavors such as green tea, matcha, roasted tea, black tea, oolong tea, barley tea, corn tea, buckwheat tea, pu-erh tea, herbal tea, etc.; coffee flavor; cola flavor; cacao flavor; cocoa flavor; various mint flavors such as spearmint and peppermint; China Various spice or herb flavors such as mon, chamomile, cardamom, caraway, cumin, clove, pepper, coriander, Japanese pepper, shiso, ginger, star anise, thyme, chili pepper, nutmeg, basil, marjoram, rosemary, laurel, wasabi, Japanese pepper, garlic; various nut flavors such as almond, cashew nut, walnut; wine, brandy, whiskey, rum, gin, liqueur, sake, shochu, beer, etc. Examples of foods and beverages that have one or more of the following flavors include: various types of alcohol flavors; vegetable flavors such as carrot, tomato, cucumber, onion, corn, potato, etc., especially bean flavors such as soybean, pea, chickpea, etc.; meat flavors such as chicken, pork, beef, lamb, horse meat, etc.; seafood flavors; bouillon flavors such as vegetables, meat, and seafood; consomme flavor; caramel flavor; wheat flavors such as barley and wheat; and vinegar flavors such as rice vinegar, black vinegar, and apple vinegar.That is, the food or beverage may be one that imparts only one of the above flavors, or two or more flavors, and the multiple flavors may be similar or different. For example, examples of the former include food or beverage that imparts multiple fruit flavors such as banana, peach and apple flavors among other fruit flavors (so-called mixed fruit flavors), and examples of the latter include food or beverage that imparts a citrus flavor such as lemon and a milky flavor (such as a citrus-flavored lactic acid bacteria drink), and food or beverage that imparts a mint flavor or a citrus flavor and a cola flavor (such as a mint or lemon-flavored cola drink), but the flavor may be any flavor that can be improved by the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention.

[0053] Examples of flavors for which the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention has a high effect of improving unpleasant flavors include flavors in which at least one of the following may be perceived: sourness, sour odor, harshness, bitterness, astringency, whey odor, grain odor, fragrantness, odor of deteriorated oils and fats, grassy odor, moldy odor, sulfur odor, and phenol odor.

[0054] More specific examples of food and drink include rice crackers, arare, okoshi, mochi, manju, uiro, bean paste, yokan, mizuyokan, kingyoku, jelly, castella, candy, biscuits, crackers, potato chips, cookies, pies, puddings, ice cream, ice milk, butter cream, custard cream, cream puffs, waffles, sponge cakes, donuts, chocolate, chewing gum, caramel, candy, peanut paste, etc. or other pastes, whipped cream and other confectioneries or confectionery ingredients; bread, udon, ramen, Chinese noodles, sushi, gomoku-meshi, fried rice, pilaf, gyoza wrappers, shumai wrappers, okonomiyaki, takoyaki and other breads, noodles, rice dishes and other grains; pickles such as bran-pickled plums, fukujin-zuke, bettara-zuke, senma-zuke, rakkyo, miso-zuke, takuan-zuke and the bases for these pickles; mackerel, sardines, pacific saury, salmon, tuna, bonito, whale, turtle, etc. Seafood such as ray, sand lance, sweetfish, squid such as pacific flying squid, spear squid, crested squid, firefly squid, octopus such as common octopus and Japanese octopus, shrimp such as kuruma shrimp, button shrimp, spiny lobster, black tiger prawn, crab such as king crab, snow crab, blue crab, hairy crab, shellfish such as clams, mussels, scallops, oysters, mussels, etc.; livestock meat such as chicken, pork, beef, lamb, horse meat; canned goods, boiled fish, tsukudani, surimi, fish paste products (chikuwa, kamaboko, Deep-fried fish cake, crab leg fish cake, etc.), fries, tempura, curry, stew, beef stew, hayashi rice sauce, meat sauce, mapo tofu, hamburger steak, dumplings, kamameshi seasoning, soups (corn soup, tomato soup, consommé soup, etc.), meatballs, braised pork, canned meat, boiled vegetables, Chikuzen-ni, oden, hotpots, takeaway side dishes, ramen, soba, udon, somen, and other noodles and the soups used for them, vegetable soups, and other processed foods made from animal and plant ingredients;Table salt, seasoning salt, soy sauce, powdered soy sauce, miso, powdered miso, moromi, hisio, furikake, ochazuke seasoning, margarine, mayonnaise, dressing, vinegar, sanbai-zu, powdered sushi vinegar, Chinese seasoning, tempura sauce, noodle sauce (kelp stock or bonito stock, etc.), sauce (medium-thick sauce, tomato sauce, etc.), ketchup, yakiniku sauce, curry roux, stew seasoning, soup seasoning, dashi seasoning (kelp stock or bonito stock, etc.), compound seasoning, new mirin, mixed powders such as fried chicken powder and takoyaki powder, etc. Any seasonings, or animal or vegetable broth-flavored foods and beverages to which such seasonings have been added; dairy products such as cheese, yogurt, butter, and fresh cream; fruit drinks made from fruit juice, pulp, grains, or peels of apples, grapes, mangoes, peaches, and citrus fruits (grapefruit, oranges, lemons, etc.); vegetables such as tomatoes, bell peppers, celery, melons, bitter melons, carrots, potatoes, asparagus, bracken, and fern, as well as vegetable drinks and vegetable soups that contain these vegetables, etc. Examples of such beverages include: vegetable-containing foods and beverages; coffee, cocoa, green tea, black tea, oolong tea, soft drinks, carbonated drinks, cola drinks, lactic acid bacteria drinks, milk-containing beverages (milk tea, cafe au lait, etc.), and beverages containing fruit or fruit juice (fruit teas such as lemon tea and orange tea); beverages containing herbal medicines or herbs; functional beverages such as cola drinks, sports drinks, honey drinks, vitamin supplement drinks, mineral supplement drinks, nutritional drinks, and nutritious drinks; non-alcoholic beverages such as alcohol-flavored beverages with various alcohol flavors (beer flavor, plum wine flavor, chuhai flavor, etc.) (non-alcoholic beer, non-alcoholic chuhai, etc.); beer-flavored beverages (also called beer-flavored beverages) including wine, shochu, awamori, sake, beer, chuhai, cocktail drinks, happoshu, fruit wine, condiment wine, and so-called "third beer", as well as other brewed alcohol (sparkling), liqueur (sparkling), or alcoholic beverages containing these;

[0055] Particularly suitable examples of consumer goods to which the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention is added include foods and beverages containing at least one selected from beans (particularly soybeans), wheat, almonds, vinegar, milk, and vitamins. Specific examples of soybean-containing foods and beverages include tofu, fried tofu, deep-fried tofu, soy milk, okara, natto, miso, soy sauce, boiled beans, soybean flour, yuba, and vegetable protein made from soybeans (also referred to as soy protein in this specification), with soy milk and soy protein being particularly preferred. Examples of other beans include paste and protein made from peas, and paste and protein made from chickpeas. Examples of wheat-containing foods and beverages include products made from barley, with oatmeal and oat milk being suitable examples. Examples of almond-containing foods and beverages include almond paste and almond milk. Specific examples of vinegar-containing foods and beverages include rice vinegar, grain vinegar, black vinegar, wine vinegar, apple vinegar, balsamic vinegar itself, and various drinks and seasonings containing these, and soft drinks or functional drinks containing vinegar are particularly preferred.Specific examples of milk-containing foods and beverages include milk itself, such as cow's milk, goat's milk, sheep's milk, and horse's milk, and various dairy products using these milks.Specific examples of dairy products include adjusted milk, processed milk, skim milk, skim concentrated milk, lactic acid bacteria drinks, milk drinks, fermented milk (yogurt, etc.), butter, cheese, cream, ice cream, condensed milk, milk powder, whey powder, buttermilk powder, and various drinks containing or produced using these (such as various tea drinks containing milk, such as milk tea).Specific examples of vitamin foods and beverages include vitamin drinks and vitamin-containing supplement tablets.However, the subject to which the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention is added is not limited to these.

[0056] The concentration of palmitoleic acid in various consumer goods such as foods and beverages, cosmetics, and health and hygiene products to which the present unpleasant flavor improving composition has been added can be determined as desired depending on the flavor of the consumer goods and the degree of the desired effect.

[0057] The inventors have confirmed that, for edible consumer goods (typically food and drink), the unpleasant flavor of food and drink can be suppressed when the palmitoleic acid concentration in the consumer goods is in the range of 1 ppb to 100 ppm. For example, the lower limit may be any of 1 ppb, 10 ppb, 100 ppb, 1 ppm, and the upper limit may be any of 100 ppm, 10 ppm, 1 ppm, 100 ppb, and 10 ppb, and the range may be any combination of the lower limit and upper limit, but is not limited to these concentration ranges. Specific preferred concentration ranges include the ranges of 10 ppb to 100 ppm, 100 ppb to 10 ppm, 100 ppb to 1 ppm, and 10 ppb to 100 ppm. EXAMPLES

[0058] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, although the present invention is not limited to these.

[0059] [Example 1] Confirmation of unpleasant flavor improving effect 1: Bean-containing food and drink 1 A commercially available unsweetened soy milk was prepared (hereinafter, also referred to as a basic soy milk beverage). In addition, commercially available palmitoleic acid (purity 98%) was prepared, and used as an unpleasant flavor improving composition according to one embodiment of the present invention (Product 1-1 of the present invention).

[0060] Next, Product 1-1 of the present invention was added to the basic soy milk beverage so that the palmitoleic acid concentration was 100 ppm, 20 ppm, 1 ppm, 100 ppb, 10 ppb, or 1 ppb, to obtain soy milk beverages according to one embodiment of the consumer good of the present invention (Products 1-2 to 1-7 of the present invention; hereinafter, each of these will also be referred to as the soy milk beverages of the present invention).

[0061] In addition, commercially available palmitic acid (purity 98%) and commercially available stearic acid (purity 98%) were prepared. Then, the palmitic acid and stearic acid were added to the basic soy milk beverage to a concentration of 1 ppm, to obtain comparative soy milk beverages (Comparative Product 1-1 (palmitic acid added), Comparative Product 1-2 (stearic acid added)).

[0062] A sensory evaluation was then conducted on the flavors of the soy milk beverages of the present invention and the comparative product. In the sensory evaluation, the basic soy milk beverage was designated as the control product 1, and the flavors of the products of the present invention 1-2 to 1-7 and the comparative products 1-1 to 1-2 were compared to the control product 1 by 12 well-trained panelists with 10 years or more of experience. In the evaluation, the unpleasant flavors of the products of the present invention and the comparative products were scored according to the following criteria, and the panelists were also allowed to freely comment on the flavors that were felt to be different from the control product 1. (Standard) Unpleasant flavor compared to the control product "Much improved" = 4 points "Improved" = 3 points "Slightly improved" = 2 points "No improvement felt" = 1 point "Unpleasant flavor was felt more strongly" = 0 points Table 1 shows the average scores and representative comments of the 12 panelists.

[0063] [Table 1]

[0064] As shown in Table 1, it was confirmed that the unpleasant flavor of food or drink can be improved by adding a composition containing palmitoleic acid (Product 1-1 of the present invention) to the food or drink as an unpleasant flavor improving composition. On the other hand, palmitic acid and stearic acid, which are fatty acids similar to palmitoleic acid, did not have sufficient unpleasant flavor improving effects.

[0065] [Example 2] Confirmation of effect of improving unpleasant flavor 2: Milk-containing food and drink (1) A commercially available yogurt was prepared (hereinafter, also referred to as basic yogurt). In addition, commercially available palmitoleic acid (purity 98%) was prepared, and used as an unpleasant flavor improving composition according to one embodiment of the present invention (Product 2-1 of the present invention).

[0066] Next, product 2-1 of the present invention was added to the basic yogurt so that the palmitoleic acid concentration was 100 ppm, 20 ppm, 1 ppm, 100 ppb, 10 ppb, or 1 ppb, to obtain yogurt according to one embodiment of the consumer product of the present invention (products 2-2 to 2-7 of the present invention; hereinafter, each of these will also be referred to as yogurt of the present invention).

[0067] A sensory evaluation was then conducted on the flavor of the yogurt of the present invention. In the sensory evaluation, the basic yogurt was used as control product 2, and the flavors of the products of the present invention 2-2 to 2-7 were compared with control product 2 and evaluated by 12 well-trained panelists with 10 years or more of experience. In the evaluation, the unpleasant flavors of the products of the present invention were scored according to the following criteria, and the panelists were also allowed to freely comment on flavors that were felt to be different from control product 2. (Standard) Unpleasant flavor compared to the control product "Much improved" = 4 points "Improved" = 3 points "Slightly improved" = 2 points "No improvement felt" = 1 point "Unpleasant flavor was felt more strongly" = 0 points Table 2 shows the average scores and representative comments of the 12 panelists.

[0068] [Table 2]

[0069] As shown in Table 2, it was confirmed that the unpleasant flavor of a food or drink can be improved by adding a composition containing palmitoleic acid (Product 2-1 of the present invention) to the food or drink as an unpleasant flavor improving composition.

[0070] [Example 3] Confirmation of effect of improving unpleasant flavor 3: Milk-containing food and drink (2) A commercially available milk protein (Milk Protein Concentrate 480, Fonterra) was prepared and diluted with water to prepare a milk protein drink with a milk protein content of about 7.7% (hereinafter, also referred to as a basic milk protein drink). In addition, commercially available palmitoleic acid (purity 98%) was prepared to prepare an unpleasant flavor improving composition according to one embodiment of the present invention (Product 3-1 of the present invention).

[0071] Next, product 3-1 of the present invention was added to the basic milk protein beverage so that the palmitoleic acid concentration was 100 ppm, 20 ppm, 1 ppm, 100 ppb, or 10 ppb, to obtain milk protein beverages according to one embodiment of the consumer product of the present invention (products 3-2 to 3-6 of the present invention; hereinafter, each of these will also be referred to as the milk protein beverages of the present invention).

[0072] A sensory evaluation was then conducted on the flavor of the milk protein beverages of the present invention. In the sensory evaluation, the basic milk protein beverage was used as control product 3, and the flavors of the present invention products 3-2 to 3-6 were compared to control product 3 by 12 well-trained panelists with 10 years or more of experience. In the evaluation, the unpleasant flavors of the present invention products were scored according to the following criteria, and the panelists were also allowed to freely comment on flavors that were felt to be different from control product 3. (Standard) Unpleasant flavor compared to the control product "Much improved" = 4 points "Improved" = 3 points "Slightly improved" = 2 points "No improvement felt" = 1 point "Unpleasant flavor was felt more strongly" = 0 points Table 3 shows the average scores and representative comments of the 12 panelists.

[0073] [Table 3]

[0074] As shown in Table 3, it was confirmed that the unpleasant flavor of a food or drink can be improved by adding a composition containing palmitoleic acid (Product 3-1 of the present invention) to the food or drink as an unpleasant flavor improving composition.

[0075] [Example 4] Confirmation of effect of improving unpleasant flavor 4: Vinegar-containing food and drink A commercially available black vinegar beverage (acetic acid concentration: about 3 mg / mL) was prepared (hereinafter, also referred to as basic black vinegar beverage). In addition, commercially available palmitoleic acid (purity: 99%) was prepared, and used as an unpleasant flavor improving composition according to one embodiment of the present invention (Product 4-1 of the present invention).

[0076] Next, product 4-1 of the present invention was added to the basic black vinegar beverage so that the palmitoleic acid concentration was 100 ppm, 20 ppm, 1 ppm, 100 ppb, 10 ppb, or 1 ppb, to obtain black vinegar beverages according to one embodiment of the consumer product of the present invention (products 4-2 to 4-7 of the present invention; hereinafter, each of these will also be referred to as the black vinegar beverages of the present invention).

[0077] A sensory evaluation was then conducted on the flavor of the black vinegar beverages of the present invention. In the sensory evaluation, the basic black vinegar beverage was used as control product 4, and the flavors of the present invention products 4-2 to 4-7 were compared to control product 4 by 10 well-trained panelists with 10 years or more of experience. In the evaluation, the unpleasant flavors of the present invention products were scored according to the following criteria, and the panelists were also allowed to freely comment on the flavors that were felt to be different from control product 4. (Standard) Unpleasant flavor compared to the control product "Much improved" = 4 points "Improved" = 3 points "Slightly improved" = 2 points "No improvement felt" = 1 point "Unpleasant flavor was felt more strongly" = 0 points Table 4 shows the average scores and representative comments of the 10 panelists.

[0078] [Table 4]

[0079] As shown in Table 4, it was confirmed that the unpleasant flavor of a food or drink can be improved by adding a composition containing palmitoleic acid (Product 4-1 of the present invention) to the food or drink as an unpleasant flavor improving composition.

[0080] [Example 5] Confirmation of effect of improving unpleasant flavor 5: Vitamin-containing food and drink A commercially available vitamin drink was prepared (hereinafter referred to as the basic vitamin drink). The main vitamins contained in the basic vitamin drink were vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and vitamin D (the concentration of vitamin B1 was approximately 0.2%).

[0081] In addition, commercially available palmitoleic acid (purity 99%) was prepared and used as an unpleasant flavor improving composition according to one embodiment of the present invention (Product 5-1 of the present invention).

[0082] Next, product 5-1 of the present invention was added to the basic vitamin drink so that the palmitoleic acid concentration was 100 ppm, 20 ppm, 1 ppm, 100 ppb, or 10 ppb, to obtain a vitamin drink according to one embodiment of the consumer good of the present invention (products 5-2 to 5-6 of the present invention; hereinafter, each of these will also be referred to as the vitamin drink of the present invention).

[0083] A sensory evaluation was then conducted on the flavor of the vitamin drinks of the present invention. In the sensory evaluation, the basic vitamin drink was used as control product 5, and 10 well-trained panelists with 10 years or more of experience were asked to evaluate the flavor of the products of the present invention 5-2 to 5-6 in comparison with control product 5. In the evaluation, the panelists were asked to score the unpleasant flavor of the products of the present invention according to the following criteria, and were also asked to freely comment on the flavors that were felt to be different from control product 5. (Standard) Unpleasant flavor compared to the control product "Much improved" = 4 points "Improved" = 3 points "Slightly improved" = 2 points "No improvement felt" = 1 point "Unpleasant flavor was felt more strongly" = 0 points Table 5 shows the average scores and representative comments of the 10 panelists.

[0084] [Table 5]

[0085] As shown in Table 5, it was confirmed that the unpleasant flavor of a food or drink can be improved by adding a composition containing palmitoleic acid (Product 5-1 of the present invention) to the food or drink as an unpleasant flavor improving composition.

[0086] [Example 6] Example of production of a composition containing palmitoleic acid and its emulsion preparation As a production example of an unpleasant flavor improving composition according to one embodiment of the present invention, a composition containing a compound containing palmitoleic acid in its molecule (palmitoleic acid-encapsulated compound) was enzymatically treated to liberate palmitoleic acid from the compound in the following procedure, thereby obtaining a composition containing palmitoleic acid as the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention. As the palmitoleic acid-encapsulated compound, oil extracted from plant seeds, specifically oil extracted from macadamia seeds, was used.

[0087] (Step 1) 850 g of commercially available macadamia nut oil (oil extracted from macadamia seeds) was prepared, heat-sterilized at approximately 75°C, and then cooled to around 40°C.

[0088] (Step 2) After cooling, 4g of lipase (Lipase AY "Amano" 30SD, Amano Enzyme Co., Ltd.) and 110g of water were added to the cooled macadamia nut oil, and then enzyme treatment was performed at about 40°C for about 22 hours. Then, 26g of ordinary salt was added and heat sterilization was performed at about 85°C for 15 minutes. Then, 3g of antioxidant (tocopherol) was added, and the mixture was cooled to about 70°C and left to stand for about 1 hour. Then, the separated water layer was discarded to obtain an oil layer. 7g of filter aid was added to the obtained oil layer, and the mixture was stirred for 10 minutes, and suction filtration was performed to remove impurities, and 704g of enzyme-treated macadamia nut oil (lipase treatment) was obtained.

[0089] The obtained enzyme-treated macadamia nut oil contains 25% palmitoleic acid and can be used as it is as a composition for improving unpleasant flavors according to one embodiment of the present invention (Product 6-1 of the present invention).

[0090] Next, an emulsified formulation of the present invention product 6-1 was prepared according to the following procedure.

[0091] A mixture of 30g of decaglyceryl monooleate and 770g of glycerin was prepared, and heated to about 90°C to sterilize and dissolve decaglyceryl monooleate to obtain mixture 1. Meanwhile, mixture 2 was obtained from 80g of vegetable oil and 20g of product 6-1 of the present invention. Next, mixture 2 was added to mixture 1 while stirring at 2000 rpm using TK Robomix (manufactured by Primix Corporation), and emulsified by stirring at 7000 rpm for 5 minutes, and 100g of water was further added, mixed well, left to stand overnight, and filtered to obtain an unpleasant flavor improving composition according to one embodiment of the present invention (emulsion preparation, average particle size about 178 nm) (product 6-2 of the present invention). The palmitoleic acid concentration of product 6-2 of the present invention was 0.5%.

[0092] As another embodiment of the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention, in order to increase the palmitoleic acid concentration, palmitoleic acid with a purity of 98% prepared in Example 1 was added to the present invention product 6-1 so that the palmitoleic acid concentration was 50%, to obtain the unpleasant flavor improving composition of the present invention (the present invention product 6-3). Furthermore, in order to prepare an emulsion formulation of the present invention product 6-3, the present invention product 6-3 was prepared as an emulsion formulation in the same manner as the preparation method of the present invention product 6-2, except that the present invention product 6-1 was replaced with the present invention product 6-3, and an unpleasant flavor improving composition according to one embodiment of the present invention (emulsion formulation, average particle size about 180 nm) was obtained (the present invention product 6-4). The palmitoleic acid concentration of the present invention product 6-4 was 1%. Thus, even if it is an enzyme-treated product, a desired palmitoleic acid concentration can be obtained by enzyme-treating the product to which palmitoleic acid is appropriately added.

[0093] [Example 7] Confirmation of effect of improving unpleasant flavor 6: Milk-containing food and drink (3) A commercially available cheese sauce was prepared (hereinafter also referred to as the basic cheese sauce). To this, 4 ppm of the product 6-1 of the present invention (palmitoleic acid concentration 25%) prepared in Example 6 was added (1 ppm as palmitoleic acid concentration) to obtain a cheese sauce according to one embodiment of the present invention (product 7-1 of the present invention; hereinafter also referred to as the cheese sauce of the present invention). In addition, 4 ppm of the product 6-3 of the present invention (palmitoleic acid concentration 50%) prepared in Example 6 was added to the basic cheese sauce (2 ppm as palmitoleic acid concentration) to obtain a cheese sauce according to another embodiment of the present invention (product 7-2 of the present invention; hereinafter also referred to as the cheese sauce of the present invention).

[0094] Then, the flavor of the cheese sauce of the present invention was subjected to a sensory evaluation. In the sensory evaluation, the basic cheese sauce was used as control product 7, and five well-trained panelists with more than 10 years of experience were allowed to freely comment on the flavor of the present invention products 7-1 and 7-2 compared to control product 7. As a result, all five panelists answered that the unpleasant mold-like or sulfur-like flavor felt when eating control product 7 was reduced, and the reduction was particularly noticeable for the top flavor, and the unpleasant flavor was improved. In addition, all five panelists evaluated that the effect of the present invention product 7-2, which contains the present invention product 6-2 with a high palmitoleic acid concentration, was higher than that of the present invention product 7-1.

[0095] [Example 8] Confirmation of unpleasant flavor improvement effect 7: Addition of emulsion preparation to foods and beverages of Examples 1 to 5 The basic soy milk beverage prepared in Example 1, the basic yogurt prepared in Example 2, the basic milk protein beverage prepared in Example 3, the basic black vinegar beverage prepared in Example 4, and the basic vitamin beverage prepared in Example 5 were added with the present invention product 6-2 (an emulsion preparation containing 0.5% palmitoleic acid) prepared in Example 6 as shown in Table 6 below to obtain various foods and beverages according to one embodiment of the present invention (present invention products 8-1 to 8-25).

[0096] Then, sensory evaluation was performed on the flavor of various foods and beverages of the present invention. In the sensory evaluation, the flavors of the present invention products 8-1 to 8-6 were compared with the control product 8-1, the flavors of the present invention products 8-7 to 8-11 were compared with the control product 8-2, the flavors of the present invention products 8-12 to 8-15 were compared with the control product 8-3, the flavors of the present invention products 8-16 to 8-20 were compared with the control product 8-4, and the flavors of the present invention products 8-21 to 8-25 were compared with the control product 8-5, all of which were evaluated by 10 well-trained panelists with 12 years of experience or more. In the evaluation, the unpleasant flavors of the present invention products were scored according to the following criteria, and the panelists were also allowed to freely comment on the flavors that were felt to be different from each control product. (Standard) Unpleasant flavor compared to the control product "Much improved" = 4 points "Improved" = 3 points "Slightly improved" = 2 points "No improvement felt" = 1 point "Unpleasant flavor was felt more strongly" = 0 points Table 6 shows the average scores and representative comments of the 10 panelists.

[0097] [Table 6]

[0098] As shown in Table 6, it was confirmed that the unpleasant flavor of various foods and beverages can be improved by adding a composition containing palmitoleic acid (Product 6-2 of the present invention, an emulsified preparation) to the foods and beverages as an unpleasant flavor improving composition. It is considered that when Product 6-4 of the present invention (an emulsified preparation with a higher palmitoleic acid concentration than Product 6-2 of the present invention) is used instead of Product 6-2 of the present invention, the amount of the emulsified preparation added can be reduced compared to Product 6-2 of the present invention.

[0099] [Example 9] Confirmation of unpleasant flavor improvement effect 8: Bean-containing food 2 Soy meat hamburgers were prepared using the ingredients shown in Table 7 below and following the procedure below.

[0100] [Table 7]

[0101] First, ingredients 3 to 6 (salt, white sugar, monosodium L-glutamate) were dissolved in ingredient 2 (hot water), and beef flavor 1 (water-soluble, manufactured by Hasegawa Fragrance Co., Ltd.) was added thereto to obtain a flavoring liquid, and ingredient 1 (granular soy protein) was quickly immersed in it. Component 7 (modified starch) was added thereto and kneaded until uniform to obtain mixture 1. Also, ingredient 9 (powdered soy protein) and ingredient 10 (methylcellulose) were dispersed in ingredient 11 (rice salad oil 1) to obtain a paste, and ingredient 8 (cold water, ice water may be used) was added thereto, and the mixture was stirred with a hand mixer to prepare a curd, and mixture 2 was obtained. Then, mixture 1 and mixture 2 were thoroughly mixed, and then ingredient 12 (rice salad oil 2) and beef flavor 2 (oil-soluble, manufactured by Hasegawa Fragrance Co., Ltd.) were added thereto to prepare mixture 3. About 100 g of the obtained mixture 3 was taken, molded, steamed in a steam oven (120°C, 10 minutes), and then baked on a hot plate to obtain a basic soy meat hamburger.

[0102] On the other hand, soy meat hamburgers according to one embodiment of the present invention (Products 9-1 to 9-4) were obtained in the same manner as the basic hamburger, except that the commercially available palmitoleic acid (purity 98%, Product 1-1 of the present invention) prepared in Example 1 was added together with beef flavor 2 at concentrations of 1000 ppm, 100 ppm, 10 ppm, or 1 ppm in the preparation of the basic hamburger.

[0103] Then, a sensory evaluation was performed on the flavor of the soy meat hamburger of the present invention. In the sensory evaluation, the basic soy meat hamburger was used as control product 9, and the flavors of the present invention products 9-1 to 9-4 were compared with control product 9 by 10 well-trained panelists with 12 years or more of experience. In the evaluation, the unpleasant flavors of the present invention products were scored according to the following criteria, and the panelists were allowed to freely comment on the flavors that were felt to be different from control product 9. (Standard) Unpleasant flavor compared to the control product "Much improved" = 4 points "Improved" = 3 points "Slightly improved" = 2 points "No improvement felt" = 1 point "Unpleasant flavor was felt more strongly" = 0 points Table 8 shows the average scores and representative comments of the 10 panelists.

[0104] [Table 8] As shown in Table 8, it was confirmed that the food or drink can be improved by adding a composition containing palmitoleic acid (Product 1-1 of the present invention) to the food or drink as a composition for improving an unpleasant flavor.

[0105] [Example 10] Confirmation of unpleasant flavor improving effect 9: Other foods and beverages The commercially available palmitoleic acid (purity 98%, Product 1-1 of the present invention) prepared in Example 1 was added to the commercially available foods and beverages shown in Table 9 below so that the palmitoleic acid concentration was 1 ppm, thereby obtaining various foods and beverages according to one embodiment of the present invention (Products 10-1 to 10-8 of the present invention).

[0106] A sensory evaluation was then carried out on the flavor of the food and drink of the present invention. In the sensory evaluation, commercially available food and drink were used as control products as shown in Table 9 below, and five well-trained panelists with 10 years or more of experience were asked to freely comment on the unpleasant flavor of the product of the present invention, which was reduced compared to each control product. Representative comments are shown in Table 9.

[0107] [Table 9]

[0108] As shown in Table 9, it was confirmed that various foods and beverages can be improved by adding a composition containing palmitoleic acid (Product 1-1 of the present invention) to the foods and beverages as a composition for improving unpleasant flavors.

[0109] In addition, although Table 9 only shows an example of 1 ppm, it was confirmed that when palmitoleic acid is added to these commercially available foods and beverages so that the concentration is in the range of 1 ppb to 10 ppm, the unpleasant flavor described above is improved.

Claims

1. The unpleasant flavor improving composition contains palmitoleic acid as an active ingredient, and the unpleasant flavor is an unpleasant flavor felt in a food or drink containing beans, a food or drink containing vinegar, a food or drink containing wheat or barley, a food or drink containing almonds, a food or drink containing vitamins, or a food or drink containing milk.

2. 2. The unpleasant flavor improving composition according to claim 1, wherein the unpleasant flavor is one or more selected from the group consisting of sourness, sour odor, harshness, astringency, whey odor, grain odor, fragrantness, grassy odor, moldy odor, sulfur odor and phenol odor.

3. 3. The unpleasant flavor improving composition according to claim 1, which contains palmitoleic acid at a concentration of 10% to 50%.

4. A method for producing a composition for improving an unpleasant flavor that contains palmitoleic acid as an active ingredient, the method comprising adding a composition containing palmitoleic acid to a composition that can be added to consumer goods, wherein the unpleasant flavor is an unpleasant flavor felt in food and beverages containing beans, food and beverages containing vinegar, food and beverages containing wheat, food and beverages containing almonds, food and beverages containing vitamins, or food and beverages containing milk.

5. A method for improving an unpleasant flavor in a consumer good, comprising blending the unpleasant flavor improving composition according to claim 1 or 2 with the consumer good.

6. 6. A method for improving an unpleasant flavor in a consumer good according to claim 5, comprising adding the unpleasant flavor improving composition according to claim 1 or 2 to a consumer good so that palmitoleic acid has a concentration in the range of 1 ppb to 100 ppm, wherein the consumer good is a food or beverage.

Images