Flavor enhancer

Abstract

To provide a flavor enhancer of food and drink, a flavor enhancing method of the food and drink of which flavor is required to be enhanced and a manufacturing method of the food and drink of which flavor is enhanced, food and drink containing an egg preferable as this food and drink.SOLUTION: A flavor enhancer is produced by a manufacturing method of a flavor enhancer comprising a step of mixing a whole egg, egg yolk or egg white with liquid oil, a step of preparing a fat soluble extract by separating an oil layer, and a step of contacting the acquired fat soluble extract and an amino compound to react by heating. As the amino compound, a yeast extract or a protein hydrolyzate is preferably used. By using the flavor enhancer, the flavor of food and drink, especially egg flavor can be enhanced.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a flavor enhancer, a method for enhancing the flavor of food and drink products, and a method for producing food and drink products with enhanced flavor.

Background Art

[0002] Due to its flavor and characteristics, eggs are excellent food materials rich in nutrients that are widely used in various cookings. In particular, the unique flavors derived from egg yolks and egg whites improve the palatability of dishes and contribute to the deliciousness of various foods.

[0003] When heated, eggs have the property of coagulating and solidifying due to protein denaturation, and while they are used in various foods by utilizing this property, in order to emphasize the flavor derived from eggs more, in some situations where eggs are desired to be used, there are cases where eggs cannot be added due to their heat coagulation property. Also, since eggs are raw, there are problems such as microbiological safety and susceptibility to spoilage, and they are foods with problems in terms of shelf life and storage stability.

[0004] In response to such problems, materials such as powdered eggs have been developed, but due to the influence of heating during drying and the like, the flavor is significantly weaker than in the raw state, and there are problems such as the need to use a large amount of powder when compared with raw eggs. Therefore, as methods for imparting or enhancing egg flavor, a method of heating a composition containing egg yolk solids, non-fat milk solids, and water in oil and then separating insoluble substances (Patent Document 1), a method using trehalose (Patent Document 2), a method of mixing egg yolk with edible oil to form an emulsified state and heat-treating it at 180 to 230°C until a burnt odor is generated (Patent Document 3), a method using a yeast-derived food having a viscosity of 2000 mPa·s or more in a solid content concentration of 10% by weight and a 25°C mixed solution (Patent Document 4), etc. have been developed, but they utilize the physical properties of the added substances or are due to the enhancement of creaminess and sweetness, and there are also insufficient points from the viewpoint of enhancing the flavor of the whole egg.

[0005] In addition, in the conventional method, egg yolk is often used as a raw material. Even when egg white is used, it is in the state contained in whole eggs, and no method using egg white as the main raw material has been reported.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a flavor enhancer for food and drink products, a method for enhancing the flavor of food and drink products for which flavor enhancement is required, and a method for producing food and drink products with enhanced flavor. As food and drink products, food and drink products containing eggs are preferably mentioned.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] As a result of intensive efforts, the present inventor has found a method for enhancing egg flavor that has no heat coagulability. That is, the present invention relates to the following (1) to (8). (1) A method for producing a flavor enhancer, comprising a step of mixing whole eggs, egg yolk or egg white with liquid oil and fat, separating the oil layer to prepare a fat-soluble extract, and bringing the obtained fat-soluble extract into contact with an amino compound and subjecting it to a heating reaction. (2) The method according to (1) above, wherein an amino compound-containing substance is used as the amino compound. (3) The method according to (1) or (2) above, wherein the amino compound-containing substance is yeast extract or a protein hydrolyzate.

[0009] (4) The method according to any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein the flavor enhancer is an agent for enhancing egg flavor. (5) A flavor enhancer obtained by the method according to any one of (1) to (4) above. (6) A method for enhancing the flavor of a food or drink, characterized by containing the flavor enhancer according to (5) above in the food or drink. (7) A method for producing a food or drink, comprising the step of adding the flavor enhancer according to (5) above to the food or drink. (8) A method for enhancing the flavor of a food or drink, comprising blending a product obtained by contacting a fat-soluble extract from whole eggs, egg yolks or egg whites with an amino compound and subjecting them to a heating reaction into the food or drink.

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a flavor enhancer, a method for enhancing the flavor of a food or drink, and a method for producing a food or drink with enhanced flavor. By adding the flavor enhancer of the present invention to a food or drink, enhancement of the flavor of the food or drink, improvement and modification to a desired flavor can be expected. Since an extract derived from eggs is used in the present invention, it is particularly excellent in the effect on egg-containing foods or drinks.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] The flavor enhancer of the present invention is a composition containing a product obtained by contacting a fat-soluble extract obtained from egg yolks or egg whites with an amino compound and subjecting them to a heating reaction. Any eggs that can be eaten can be used in the present invention. Examples include chicken eggs, quail eggs, ostrich eggs, duck eggs, etc. Among them, chicken eggs or quail eggs are preferred, and chicken eggs are more preferred.

[0012] In the present invention, egg yolks or egg whites are used, but it is not necessarily required to separate them, and whole eggs may be used. The present invention is different from the conventional inventions in that only egg whites can be used. The state for extraction may be any of liquid, powder, or paste form. The solvent used for extraction may be any one as long as it can dissolve fat-soluble components, such as salad oil, soybean oil, rice oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, avocado oil, grape seed oil, rapeseed oil, cottonseed oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, olive oil, sesame oil, linseed oil, perilla oil, beef tallow, lard, chicken oil, butter and other edible oils, monohydric alcohols such as ethanol, propanol, butanol, pentanol, hexanol, dihydric alcohols such as ethylene glycol, propanediol, butanediol, trihydric alcohols such as glycerol and other aliphatic alcohols, and organic solvents such as hexane, ether, dichloromethane. Any of them may be used, or a mixed solvent of two or more kinds may be used.

[0013] The extraction method is not particularly limited. For example, 1 to 20 parts by weight of an extraction solvent is added to 1 part by weight of whole eggs, egg yolks, or egg whites (hereinafter, these are collectively referred to simply as eggs), mixed, and they are brought into contact with each other by stirring for 0.5 to 90 hours, preferably 0.5 to 12 hours as needed. There is no particular limitation on the temperature during extraction, and it may be carried out in a heated state. Usually, it is 15 to 150 °C, preferably 20 to 120 °C.

[0014] After extraction, solid-liquid separation is carried out by a method such as filtration as needed, and further, the aqueous layer and the oil layer are separated as needed. The oil layer is obtained as a composition containing the fat-soluble extract of eggs used in the present invention (even a composition containing an extraction solvent, hereinafter, it is treated as the fat-soluble extract of eggs). The fat-soluble extract of eggs may be used as it is, or may be used after being subjected to concentration, fractionation, and purification. Examples of the amino compound to be subjected to a heat reaction with the fat-soluble extract of eggs include compounds typified by amino acids having an amino group, such as alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, cystine, glutamine, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, hydroxyproline, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, valine, ornithine, citrulline, etc. Further, the amino compound may be a salt such as these acid addition salts, metal salts, ammonium salts, etc. The amino compound may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

[0015] Further, as the amino compound, an amino compound-containing substance which is a composition containing an amino compound may be used. Examples of the amino compound-containing substance include peptides, proteins, yeast extracts, animal and plant extracts, meat, seafood, corn, soybeans, wheat, rice, hydrolysates of animal and plant proteins, etc.

[0016] When using the amino compound-containing substance, it may be used as it is, but it is preferably used after increasing the free amino compound by hydrolysis or the like. The amino compound-containing substance may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds. The fat-soluble extract of eggs and the amino compound are brought into contact by mixing them, etc., and a heat reaction is carried out.

[0017] The conditions for carrying out the heat reaction may be either in the acidic range or the alkaline range, but preferably, it is carried out under the conditions of pH 3 to pH 8, more preferably pH 4 to pH 7. When using an acid, the type of the acid is not particularly limited, and an acid acceptable for food and drink such as hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, acetic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, phosphoric acid, etc. can be used. Further, the pH may be adjusted by adding an alkali acceptable for food and drink such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, etc. The heating temperature is 70 to 150°C, preferably 90 to 130°C, and the time for carrying out the heat reaction is 0.5 to 90 hours, preferably 0.5 to 24 hours.

[0018] In the above description, a mode of separately preparing a fat-soluble extract of eggs and an amino compound and subjecting them to a heating reaction was explained. However, in the present invention, the preparation of the fat-soluble extract of eggs and the reaction with the amino compound may be carried out simultaneously. The product obtained by the above heating reaction (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "the product used in the present invention" in this specification) can be used as it is as the flavor enhancer of the present invention. However, if necessary, it may be subjected to concentration treatment, drying treatment such as hot air drying, steam drying, freeze drying, spray drying, separation and purification treatment, decolorization treatment, etc., and the concentrate, dried product, etc. may be used as the flavor enhancer of the present invention.

[0019] The form of the flavor enhancer of the present invention may be either solid or liquid. Examples of the solid form include powder form, granular form, block form, capsule form, etc. In the case of liquid, the solvent may be any of water, oil, organic solvents such as alcohol (for example, ethanol), liquid substances such as acetic acid and liquid sugar, or they may be used in a mixed state.

[0020] The flavor enhancer of the present invention may contain other food additives as long as they do not interfere with the intended flavor enhancement. For example, if necessary, inorganic salts such as sodium chloride, acids such as carboxylic acids like ascorbic acid, fumaric acid, malic acid, acetic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, fatty acids, L-amino acids such as sodium L-glutamate, L-glycine, L-alanine, nucleic acids such as sodium inosinate, sodium guanylate, saccharides such as sucrose, glucose, lactose, excipients such as dextrin, various starches, thickeners (such as xanthan gum, guar gum, carrageenan), pH adjusters, sweeteners (such as sucralose, thaumatin, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, xylitol, licorice extract, saccharin and its salts, stevia, sorbitol, etc.), antioxidants (such as erythorbic acid, catechin, tocopherol, etc.), coloring agents (such as annatto pigment, turmeric pigment, β-carotene, etc.), preservatives (such as sodium benzoate, white extract of squid, potassium sorbate, calcium propionate, polylysine, etc.), nutrient fortifiers (such as vitamins like vitamin A, vitamin C, minerals such as calcium chloride, etc.), additives that can be used in foods and beverages such as water, natural seasonings such as soy sauce, miso, meat extract, poultry extract, seafood extract, yeast extract, protein hydrolysate, spices such as spices, herbs, and excipients such as dextrin, various starches may also be contained.

[0021] By adding the flavor enhancer of the present invention to foods and beverages, not only can the flavor of the foods and beverages be enhanced, but also the effect of improving and modifying the flavor of the foods and beverages into a desired flavor can be expected. The addition may be made as a part of the raw materials when manufacturing the foods and beverages, or may be added when consuming the foods and beverages. The method of adding the flavor enhancer of the present invention to foods and beverages is not particularly limited, but it is preferably used as a method for enhancing the egg flavor such as the egg feeling in the foods and beverages.

[0022] The food and drink products to which the flavor enhancer of the present invention is added are not particularly limited, but include natural seasonings such as vinegar, miso, soy sauce, livestock extract, poultry extract, seafood extract, yeast extract, protein hydrolysate, etc., mayonnaise, tartar sauce, hollandaise sauce, carbonara sauce, custard, cream sauce, etc., sauces, egg soup, wakame soup, shark fin soup, puree, soups, noodles (buckwheat noodles, udon noodles, ramen noodles, pasta, etc.), rice cooked foods such as rice porridge, mixed rice, tea with rice, etc., livestock processed products such as cheese, snack foods such as cookies, biscuits, financiers, etc., cooked foods such as boiled foods, fried foods, grilled foods, white stew, gratin, quiche, omelette, etc., dairy processed products such as ice cream, instant foods such as retort curry and retort stew, stewed dishes such as corn soup and egg soup, curry and stew, instant noodles such as instant ramen and instant spaghetti, etc. Among them, sauces such as mayonnaise, tartar sauce, carbonara sauce, custard cream, etc., and seasonings such as confectionery mixes for making donuts, cakes, etc. are preferred, and among these, food and drink products using eggs as raw materials are more preferred. When the food and drink product to which the flavor enhancer of the present invention is added is a seasoning, the seasoning added with the flavor enhancer of the present invention may be added to other food and drink products.

[0023] The amount of the flavor enhancer of the present invention added to the food and drink product is not particularly limited and may be appropriately set according to the type, amount, nature, etc. of the food and drink product. For example, in 100 parts by weight of the food and drink product, the flavor enhancer of the present invention is preferably added in an amount of 0.001 to 10 parts by weight, more preferably 0.05 to 5 parts by weight, based on the dry weight. The method for producing the food and drink product of the present invention may be carried out by the usual production method of the food and drink product, except that the flavor enhancer of the present invention is added to the food and drink product. The food and drink products to which the flavor enhancer of the present invention is added are not particularly limited, and examples include the above-mentioned food and drink products containing eggs. In the case of food and drink products that do not contain eggs, eggs may be added separately. The food and drink product obtained by the production method of the food and drink product of the present invention is a food and drink product with a strong egg flavor and a preferable flavor.

[0024] The method for enhancing the flavor of food and drink products of the present invention and the method for manufacturing food and drink products may be a method in which, in addition to adding the flavor enhancer of the present invention to the food and drink products, an oil-soluble extract of eggs and an amino compound or raw materials containing these are added to the food and drink products, and then the reaction is carried out according to the heating conditions in the production of the flavor enhancer of the present invention. Hereinafter, the present invention will be described using examples. However, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples.

Examples

[0025] (1) 70 g of salad oil was heated to 75°C, and 7 g of egg yolk, 1.5 g of chicken breast meat, 0.2 g of yeast extract (manufactured by Mitsubishi Corporation Life Sciences), and 1.4 g of water were slowly mixed, and an extraction heating reaction was carried out at 105°C for 45 minutes. The obtained reaction solution was filtered to obtain 50 g of an egg flavor enhancer A.

[0026] Also, using egg yolk, salad oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper, mayonnaise "Control (1)" was prepared according to a conventional method. Also, "Control (2)" was adjusted in the same manner as Control (1), except that 1.5 times the amount (10.5 g) of egg yolk was used. Egg flavor enhancer A was added to Control (1) so as to be 1.5 w / v%, and an evaluation group was prepared. Regarding the egg feeling and the intensity of the flavor (richness) of the obtained evaluation group, a panel consisting of 4 skilled persons evaluated the similarity to Control (2) by a 3-point scale method according to the following criteria, with Control (1) as a reference (0 point).

[0027] 0 point: No change 1 point: Slightly similar 2 point: Similar 3 point: Very similar The results are shown in Table 1. The evaluations in the table are the averages of 4 panelists. Also, "*" or "**" at the upper right of the numerical values in the table indicate that there are significant differences at P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively, compared to Control (1).

[0028]

Table 1

[0029] As shown in Table 1, mayonnaise to which a heating reaction product of a fat-soluble extract of egg yolk and an amino compound (contained in chicken breast meat and yeast extract) was added as Egg Flavor Enhancer A was extremely effective in terms of both the flavor and richness of eggs.

[0030] (2) Except for using 7 g of egg white instead of 7 g of egg yolk, the same operations as the preparation of Egg Flavor Enhancer A were carried out to obtain 50 g of Egg Flavor Enhancer B. Using the mayonnaise “Control (1)” prepared in (1) above, hard-boiled eggs, commercially available piccalilli, salt, and pepper, “Control (3)” of tartar sauce was prepared according to a conventional method. Also, “Control (4)” was prepared in the same manner as Control (3), except that 1.5 times the amount (10.5 g) of hard-boiled eggs was used. Egg Flavor Enhancer B was added to Control (3) to a concentration of 1.0 w / v% to prepare an evaluation group.

[0031] For the egginess and taste intensity of the obtained evaluation groups, sensory evaluations were performed. The sensory evaluations were carried out by a panel of 6 trained individuals. Using Control (3) as a reference (0 points), the similarity to Control (4) was sensory-evaluated by a 3-point scale method according to the following criteria.

[0032] 0 points: No change 1 point: Slightly similar 2 points: Similar 3 points: Very similar The results are shown in Table 2. The evaluations in the table are the averages of 6 panelists. Also, “*” or “**” at the upper right of the numerical values in the table indicates that there is a significant difference at P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively, compared to Control (3).

[0033]

Table 2

[0034] As shown in Table 2, tartar sauce to which a heating reaction product of a fat-soluble extract of egg white and an amino compound (contained in yeast extract) was added as an egg flavor enhancer B was extremely effective in terms of both the flavor and the intensity of the taste of eggs.

[0035] (3) 90 g of canola oil was heated to 60°C, 7 g of egg yolk was added and mixed gently, and oil extraction was carried out at 60°C for 30 minutes. To the obtained extract, 0.5 g of a protein hydrolyzate (manufactured by Mitsubishi Corporation Life Sciences) and 1.5 g of water were added while mixing gently, and a heating reaction was carried out at 90°C for 60 minutes. The obtained reaction solution was filtered to obtain 50 g of an egg flavor enhancer C. Also, 50 g of an egg yolk extract A was obtained by performing the same operations as for the egg flavor enhancer C except that an acid hydrolyzate was used and water was not added. Also, 50 g of an egg yolk extract B prepared in the same manner as the egg yolk extract A except that the heating reaction at 90°C was not carried out was obtained. Also, 50 g of an egg yolk reactant A prepared by the same method as the egg flavor enhancer C except that canola oil was not used and the oil extraction step at 60°C for 30 minutes was not included was obtained. Table 3 shows an overview of the preparation process.

[0036]

Table 3

[0037] Carbonara sauce "Control (5)" was prepared in accordance with a conventional method using whole eggs, fresh cream, bacon, grated cheese, salt, and pepper. "Control (6)" was prepared in the same manner as Control (5) except that 1.5 times the amount of whole eggs was used. Egg flavor enhancer C, egg yolk extract A, egg yolk extract B, and egg yolk reactant A were added to Control (5) to a concentration of 1.5 w / v% to prepare an evaluation group.

[0038] Regarding the egginess and the intensity of the flavor (richness) of the obtained evaluation group, a panel consisting of 5 skilled persons evaluated the similarity to Control (6) on a 3-point scale based on the following criteria with Control (5) as a reference (0 points). 0 points: No change 1 point: Slightly similar 2 points: Similar 3 points: Very similar

[0039] The results are shown in Table 4. The evaluations in the table are the averages of 5 panelists. Also, "*" or "**" on the upper right of the numerical values in the table indicate that there are significant differences at P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively, compared to the control (5).

[0040] [Table 4]

[0041] As shown in Table 4, the carbonara sauce to which the heating reaction product of the oil extract of egg yolk and an amino compound (contained in the protein hydrolyzate) was added as the egg flavor enhancer C was significantly highly effective in both the egg flavor and the intensity of the flavor (richness).

[0042] (4) 70 g of sunflower oil was heated to 75 °C, and 7 g of whole egg, 0.3 g of powdered yeast (manufactured by Mitsubishi Corporation Life Sciences), and 1.5 g of water were slowly mixed, and an extraction heating reaction was carried out at 105 °C for 90 minutes. The obtained reaction solution was filtered to obtain 50 g of egg flavor enhancer D. Using whole egg, milk, granulated sugar, cake flour, butter, and vanilla essence, custard cream "Control (7)" was prepared according to a conventional method. "Control (8)" was prepared in the same manner as Control (7), except that 1.5 times the amount (10.5 g) of whole egg was used. Egg flavor enhancer D was added to Control (7) to a concentration of 1.0 w / v% to prepare an evaluation group.

[0043] Regarding the egg feeling and the intensity of the flavor (richness) of the obtained evaluation groups, a panel consisting of 4 skilled persons evaluated the similarity to Control (8) on a 3-point scale based on the following criteria, with Control (7) as the reference (0 point).

[0044] 0 point: No change 1 point: Somewhat similar 2 points: Similar 3 points: Very similar

[0045] The results are shown in Table 5. The evaluations in the table are the average of four panelists. Also, the "*" or "**" on the upper right of the numerical values in the table indicates that there are significant differences at P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively, compared to Control 1.

[0046]

Table 5

[0047] As shown in Table 5, the custard cream to which the heating reaction product of the fat-soluble extract of whole egg and the amino compound (contained in powdered yeast) was added as Egg Flavor Enhancer D was significantly effective in both the egg flavor and the intensity of the flavor (richness).

[0048] (5) 5 g of Egg Flavor Enhancer C prepared in (3) above, 3 g of protein hydrolyzate (manufactured by Mitsubishi Corporation Life Sciences), and 6 g of dextrin were mixed to obtain 14 g of Egg Flavor Enhancing Seasoning Preparation A. 5 g of Egg Flavor Enhancer D prepared in (4) above, 5 g of yeast extract (manufactured by Mitsubishi Corporation Life Sciences), and 3 g of dextrin were mixed to obtain 13 g of Egg Flavor Enhancing Seasoning Preparation B.

[0049] Using eggs, sugar, milk, cake flour, baking powder, salad oil, and butter, muffin "Control (8)" was prepared according to a conventional method. "Control (9)" was prepared in the same manner as Control (8), except that 1.5 times the amount of whole eggs was used. Egg Flavor Enhancing Seasoning Preparations A and B were added to Control (8) so that the ratio to the flour was 3.5 w / v%, respectively, to prepare the evaluation groups.

[0050] Regarding the egg feeling and the intensity of the flavor (richness) of the obtained evaluation groups, a panel consisting of seven skilled persons evaluated the similarity to Control (8) on a 3-point scale based on the following criteria, with Control (8) as the reference (0 point).

[0051] 0 point: No change 1 point: Slightly similar 2 points: Similar 3 points: Very similar

[0052] The results are shown in Table 6. The evaluations in the table are the averages of 7 panelists. Also, the "*" or "**" on the upper right of the numerical values in the table indicate that there are significant differences at P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively, compared to Control 1.

[0053]

Table 6

[0054] As shown in Table 6, the muffins added with the egg flavor enhancer C prepared in the above (3) and the egg flavor enhancer D prepared in the above (4), namely, the egg flavor enhanced seasoning preparations A and B, were both significantly highly effective in terms of both the egg flavor and the intensity (richness) of the flavor.

Industrial Applicability

[0055] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a flavor enhancer, a method for enhancing the flavor of food and drink, and a method for producing a food and drink with enhanced flavor. By adding the flavor enhancer of the present invention to food and drink, enhancement of the flavor of food and drink, improvement and modification to a desired flavor can be expected. In particular, the effect on egg-containing food and drink is excellent.

Claims

1. A method for producing a flavor enhancer, comprising the steps of mixing whole eggs, egg yolks or egg whites with liquid oil and fat, separating an oil layer to prepare a fat-soluble extract, and contacting the obtained fat-soluble extract with an amino compound-containing substance to cause a heating reaction, wherein the amino compound-containing substance is a yeast extract or a protein hydrolyzate. A method for producing a flavor enhancer.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the flavor enhancer is an agent for enhancing egg flavor.

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