Composition for imparting freshly fried feeling

Abstract

To provide a composition capable of imparting freshly fried feeling.SOLUTION: A composition for imparting a freshly fried feeling contains a branched saturated aldehyde (limited to those having 4 or 5 carbon atoms) as an active ingredient. A freshly-fried feeling-imparting composition further contains a trans isomer of a linear monounsaturated aldehyde having a double bond at the 2-position (limited to those having 6 to 11 carbon atoms). A method for imparting a freshly-fried feeling effect of a flavor-imparting composition comprises a step of adding the freshly-fried feeling-imparting composition to a flavor-imparting composition. A method for imparting the freshly-fried feeling of fried foods comprises a step of adding the composition for imparting a freshly-fried feeling to fried foods or raw materials thereof.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a freshly fried feeling imparting composition for imparting or enhancing the freshly fried feeling of fried foods.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, fried foods such as French fries, tempura, tonkatsu, and shrimp fry have generally been made by frying, such as plain frying, breading, and deep frying (oil cooking, oil frying), at home. In recent years, however, fried foods have been widely sold as cooked ready-to-eat foods or frozen foods (hereinafter referred to as "fried food products") at convenience stores and supermarkets. Since fried food products do not require the labor of frying compared to fried foods made at home, there is a certain need for them.

[0003] In fried food products, a composition for imparting a flavor suitable for fried foods (hereinafter referred to as "flavor imparting composition") is added to the fried food products to obtain an appealing effect on consumers.

[0004] As a flavor imparting composition that can be used for fried foods, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a composition that imparts a cooked flavor (e.g., a baked feeling, an oil-fried feeling) and enhances the greasiness, which contains at least one selected from the group consisting of (A1) 4-methylphenol and (A2) 4-ethylphenol, at least one selected from the group consisting of (B1) (E)-2-decenal and (B2) (E,E)-2,4-decadienal, and at least one selected from the group consisting of (C1) 1-penten-3-one, (C2) furfural, and (C3) 4-vinylguaiacol, and a composition further containing at least one selected from the group consisting of (D1) (E)-2-octenal, (D2) 2-acetyl-2-thiazoline, (D3) 1-octen-3-one, (D4) 2-furfurylthiol, and (D5) furaneol.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1 International Publication No. 2018 / 181630 Summary of the Invention Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Fried food products differ from home - made fried food in the following aspects. Specifically, fried food sold in a fried - cooked state is often stored at room temperature of 20 - 30°C for a long time after cooking, or stored in a warming case at 60 - 80°C for a long time, and is not eaten shortly after frying, especially deep - frying. Also, in the case of frozen foods, to save the trouble of frying, many products can be eaten after microwave cooking, and in this case, the state is very different from fried food cooked by frying.

[0007] According to the study by the present inventors, it has been found that, as an important element in fried food, there is not only the texture such as a crispy texture, a crunchy texture or a flaky texture immediately after frying, but also an aroma and flavor of "just - fried feeling". Therefore, the present inventors focused on this just - fried feeling and searched for a composition that can impart the just - fried feeling to fried food products.

[0008] According to the study by the inventors, although the composition described in Patent Document 1 can impart fragrance, roasted feeling, cooking feeling like grease, etc. to fried food, it has been found that it cannot impart the just - fried feeling.

[0009] From the above, the problem of the present invention is to provide a composition that can impart the just - fried feeling. Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] As a result of intensive research to solve the above problems, the present inventors have found that a specific branched - chain saturated aldehyde imparts the just - fried feeling, and have completed the invention according to the present application.

[0011] Thus, the outline of typical inventions disclosed in the present application will be briefly described as follows.

[0012] [1] A freshly fried feeling-imparting composition containing a branched-chain saturated aldehyde (limited to those having 4 or 5 carbon atoms) as an active ingredient. [2] In the freshly fried feeling-imparting composition described in [1], a freshly fried feeling-imparting composition further containing a trans form of a linear monounsaturated aldehyde having a double bond at the 2-position (limited to those having 6 to 11 carbon atoms). [3] A method for imparting a freshly fried feeling effect to a flavor-imparting composition, including the step of adding the freshly fried feeling-imparting composition described in [1] or [2] to the flavor-imparting composition. [4] A method for imparting a freshly fried feeling to a fried food, including the step of adding the freshly fried feeling-imparting composition described in [1] or [2] to the fried food or its raw material. [5] In the method for imparting a freshly fried feeling to a fried food described in [4], when the addition target is the fried food, based on the total mass of the fried food, and when the addition target is the raw material of the fried food, based on the total mass of the fried food produced using the raw material, the freshly fried feeling-imparting composition is added so that the concentration of the branched-chain saturated aldehyde becomes 0.001 to 0.1 ppm. A method for imparting a freshly fried feeling to a fried food.

Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, a composition capable of imparting a freshly fried feeling can be provided.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. In this specification, "~" means a range including the lower limit value and the upper limit value, and "concentration (ppm, ppb)" and "%" represent "mass concentration" and "mass percent concentration", respectively, unless otherwise specified. Further, in this specification, the term "freshly fried feeling" means a crispy texture immediately after frying fried foods, a crispy texture, or a crispy texture, as well as flavors such as a light fragrance, sweetness, juiciness, etc. that evoke such textures. "Imparting a freshly fried feeling (imparting a freshly fried feeling)" includes newly adding and / or enhancing the freshly fried feeling. For example, it includes those in which the freshly fried feeling is improved as a result of imparting or enhancing the freshly fried feeling. In this specification, "flavor" means one or more kinds of sensations that can be changed by aroma, typically including sensations such as smell and / or taste. Furthermore, as a result of imparting a freshly fried feeling, it may enhance, suppress, or improve sensations other than smell and / or taste, such as a cold feeling, a warm feeling, a texture (also called texture, such as throat feel, firmness, viscosity, etc.), a tingling or spicy feeling, etc. Also, in this specification, the flavor of food and drink may be referred to as taste. Also, in this specification, "addition" includes at least one of simply adding to an object by spraying, dropping, etc. and mixing with an object. Also, in this specification, for example, when it is said that "containing the present compound or the present freshly fried feeling-imparting composition", unless otherwise specified, it includes not only the case of containing any one of the present compound or the present freshly fried feeling-imparting composition, but also the case of containing both the present compound and the present freshly fried feeling-imparting composition.

[0015] (Freshly fried feeling-imparting composition) The freshly fried feeling-imparting composition according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "the present freshly fried feeling-imparting composition") contains a branched-chain saturated aldehyde (however, limited to those having 4 or 5 carbon atoms) as an active ingredient. Hereinafter, when simply referred to as "branched-chain saturated aldehyde", it means "branched-chain saturated aldehyde having 4 or 5 carbon atoms".

[0016] As shown in the following examples, the present freshly fried feeling-imparting composition can be used for various fried foods to impart to the fried foods a freshly fried feeling, that is, a crispy texture, a crunchy texture, or a crispy texture immediately after frying, and flavors such as a light fragrance, a sweet taste, a juicy feeling, etc. In particular, the present freshly fried feeling-imparting composition can be suitably used for the fried food products described above. That is, for fried foods using the present freshly fried feeling-imparting composition, the freshly fried feeling is maintained even when stored in a warming case for a long time after frying. Also, for frozen foods using the present freshly fried feeling-imparting composition, a freshly fried feeling is imparted even when cooked in a microwave oven.

[0017] Incidentally, the present freshly fried feeling-imparting composition is preferably added to any of the raw materials of fried foods such as frying seeds (ingredients), batter, batter liquid, batter mix, etc. for use. However, in the case of fried food products such as frozen foods, it may be added to the fried foods after frying for use.

[0018] In addition, the present freshly fried feeling-imparting composition can mask the stuffiness, oil deterioration odor, burnt odor, stickiness, meat odor, etc. of the food by being used for various fried foods. Therefore, the present freshly fried feeling-imparting composition can also be used as a composition for masking unpleasant odors of fried foods.

[0019] According to the study by the inventor, it was found that linear saturated aldehydes having 4 to 6 carbon atoms and branched-chain saturated aldehydes having 6 carbon atoms have a strong green feeling, linear and branched-chain saturated aldehydes having 7 or more carbon atoms have a strong heavy oil feeling, and saturated aldehydes having 3 or less carbon atoms have a strong fermentation feeling, and none of them exhibit the effect of imparting a freshly fried feeling.

[0020] Specifically writing down the branched-chain saturated aldehyde, which is the active ingredient of the present freshly fried feeling-imparting composition, for those with 4 carbon atoms, it is 2-methylpropanal (isobutyl aldehyde), for those with 5 carbon atoms, it is 2-methylbutanal (2-methylbutyl aldehyde), 3-methylbutanal (isovaleraldehyde, 3-methylbutyl aldehyde), 2,2-dimethylpropanal (pivalaldehyde).

[0021] The branched-chain saturated aldehyde can be obtained by any method that can be carried out by those skilled in the art. The obtained branched-chain saturated aldehyde may be further purified using means such as column chromatography or vacuum distillation as necessary.

[0022] The present freshly fried feeling-imparting composition may be composed only of the branched-chain saturated aldehyde, or may contain other components such as a solvent as long as it contains a predetermined amount of the branched-chain saturated aldehyde. And the branched-chain saturated aldehyde may be composed of only one of the aforementioned compounds, or may be composed of a combination of two or more of the aforementioned compounds. The concentration of the branched-chain saturated aldehyde in the present freshly fried feeling-imparting composition can be arbitrarily determined according to the addition target of the freshly fried feeling-imparting composition. Examples of the concentration of the branched-chain saturated aldehyde include ranges of 1 ppm to 100%, preferably 100 ppm to 10% with respect to the total mass of the freshly fried feeling-imparting composition. More specifically, the lower limit value can be any one of 1 ppm, 10 ppm, 100 ppm, 0.1%, 1%, 10%, and the upper limit value can be any one of 100%, 10%, 1%, 0.1%, 100 ppm, 10 ppm, and can be within the range of any combination of these lower limit values and upper limit values, but is not limited thereto.

[0023] Examples of the addition target of the present freshly fried feeling-imparting composition include a flavor-imparting composition or a food (fried food or its raw materials). Details of each addition target will be described later.

[0024] The present freshly fried feeling-imparting composition may be added to food (fried food or its raw materials) as it is, or may be added to food (fried food or its raw materials) in combination with one or more selected from one or more water-soluble and oil-soluble flavors, emulsified flavor compositions, optional flavor compounds, and natural essential oils (for example, the flavor compounds described in the "Patent Office Gazette, Collection of Well-Known and Conventional Techniques (Flavors), Part II, Food Flavors", "Investigation of the Actual Use of Food Flavor Compounds in Japan", and "Synthetic Flavors, Chemistry and Product Knowledge").

[0025] The freshly fried feeling-imparting composition according to another embodiment of the present invention contains, in the present freshly fried feeling-imparting composition, a trans form of a linear monounsaturated aldehyde having a double bond at the 2-position (however, limited to those having 6 to 11 carbon atoms). Hereinafter, when simply referred to as "trans linear monounsaturated aldehyde", it means "a trans form of a linear monounsaturated aldehyde having 6 to 11 carbon atoms and having a double bond at the 2-position".

[0026] The present freshly fried feeling-imparting composition further containing a trans linear monounsaturated aldehyde can further impart a freshly fried feeling to various foods by adding it to the foods. Specifically, the trans linear monounsaturated aldehyde can impart a juicy oily feeling and a cooking feeling without impairing the freshly fried feeling imparted by the branched-chain saturated aldehyde when used in combination with the branched-chain saturated aldehyde. The applicant of the present application has conducted a sufficient prior art search, but there is no description of further imparting a freshly fried feeling by using the trans linear monounsaturated aldehyde in combination with the branched-chain saturated aldehyde.

[0027] According to the inventor's study, it has been found that linear monounsaturated aldehydes having 5 or fewer carbon atoms have a strong green feeling, and linear monounsaturated aldehydes having 12 or more carbon atoms have a strong heavy oily feeling, which impairs the freshly fried feeling. Also, it has been found that linear monounsaturated aldehydes having a double bond at a position other than the 2-position have a stronger green feeling and fruity feeling than linear monounsaturated aldehydes having a double bond at the 2-position.

[0028] In addition, the cis form of the linear monounsaturated aldehyde has a strong green and fruity feeling and few elements that evoke an oily feeling. Therefore, the linear monounsaturated aldehyde may be a mixture of cis-trans isomers, but a mixture with a high ratio of the trans form is preferred, and a mixture composed only of the trans form is more preferred.

[0029] Specifically writing down the trans linear monounsaturated aldehyde that constitutes the present freshly fried feeling-imparting composition, for those with 6 carbon atoms, it is (E)-2-hexenal (trans-2-hexenal), for those with 7 carbon atoms, it is (E)-2-heptenal (trans-2-heptenal), for those with 8 carbon atoms, it is (E)-2-octenal (trans-2-octenal), for those with 9 carbon atoms, it is (E)-2-nonenal (trans-2-nonenal), for those with 10 carbon atoms, it is (E)-2-decenal (trans-2-decenal), and for those with 11 carbon atoms, it is (E)-2-undecenal (trans-2-undecenal).

[0030] The trans linear monounsaturated aldehyde can be obtained by any method that can be carried out by those skilled in the art. The obtained trans linear monounsaturated aldehyde may be further purified using means such as column chromatography or vacuum distillation as necessary.

[0031] This freshly fried flavor-imparting composition may be composed only of a trans linear monounsaturated aldehyde, or may contain other components such as a solvent as long as it contains a predetermined amount of the trans linear monounsaturated aldehyde. And the trans linear monounsaturated aldehyde may be composed of only one of the aforementioned compounds, or may be composed of a combination of two or more of the aforementioned compounds. The concentration of the trans linear monounsaturated aldehyde in this freshly fried flavor-imparting composition can be arbitrarily determined according to the addition target of the freshly fried flavor-imparting composition. Examples of the concentration of the trans linear monounsaturated aldehyde include a range of 1 ppm to 100%, preferably 100 ppm to 10% based on the total mass of the freshly fried flavor-imparting composition. More specifically, the lower limit value can be any one of 1 ppm, 10 ppm, 100 ppm, 0.1%, 1%, 10%, and the upper limit value can be any one of 100%, 10%, 1%, 0.1%, 100 ppm, 10 ppm, and can be within a range by any combination of these lower limit values and upper limit values, but is not limited thereto.

[0032] Regarding the concentration ratio of the branched-chain saturated aldehyde and the trans linear monounsaturated aldehyde in this freshly fried flavor-imparting composition, it can also be arbitrarily determined according to the addition target of the freshly fried flavor-imparting composition. As an example of the concentration ratio of the branched-chain saturated aldehyde and the trans linear monounsaturated aldehyde, it is preferable that the trans linear monounsaturated aldehyde is in a ratio of 0.25 to 30 with the branched-chain saturated aldehyde as 1. Thereby, it is possible to achieve both a freshly fried flavor and an oily feeling leading to richness. Also, when emphasizing lightness (a light fragrance) as the freshly fried flavor, it is more preferable that the trans linear monounsaturated aldehyde is in a ratio of 0.25 to 1 with the branched-chain saturated aldehyde as 1, and when emphasizing an oily feeling (juiciness) as the freshly fried flavor, it is more preferable that the trans linear monounsaturated aldehyde is in a ratio of 1 to 30 with the branched-chain saturated aldehyde as 1.

[0033] (Method for imparting the freshly fried flavor effect of the flavor-imparting composition) The method for imparting a freshly fried feeling effect to a flavor - imparting composition according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a step of adding the present freshly fried feeling - imparting composition to the flavor - imparting composition. By adding the present freshly fried feeling - imparting composition to the flavor - imparting composition in an effective amount, the freshly fried feeling effect of the flavor - imparting composition to be added can be imparted.

[0034] In this method, the addition amount of the present freshly fried feeling - imparting composition to the flavor - imparting composition to be added may be an effective amount by which the freshly fried feeling effect is imparted by the branched - chain saturated aldehyde (and optionally the trans - linear monounsaturated aldehyde used in combination) contained as an active ingredient, and can be arbitrarily set according to the type and form of the flavor - imparting composition to be added. Specific examples of the concentration are as described in the item of the above - mentioned "freshly fried feeling - imparting composition".

[0035] In this method, the method of adding the present freshly fried feeling - imparting composition to the flavor - imparting composition is not particularly limited. Also, the timing of adding the present freshly fried feeling - imparting composition to the flavor - imparting composition is not particularly limited.

[0036] (Flavor - imparting composition) Hereinafter, the flavor - imparting composition, which is the addition target of the present freshly fried feeling - imparting composition, will be described. The flavor - imparting composition exhibits an excellent flavor - imparting effect when added to various articles. The articles to which the flavor - imparting composition is added are not particularly limited, but other flavor - imparting compositions or foods (fried foods or their raw materials) can be exemplified. Examples of the flavor - imparting composition include a fragrance composition, a flavor improver, a flavor modifier, a taste - imparting agent, a taste improver, and a taste modifier.

[0037] The present freshly fried feeling - imparting composition can be added to the flavor - imparting composition to impart a freshly fried feeling effect. That is, the flavor - imparting composition added with the present freshly fried feeling - imparting composition can be used as a flavor - imparting composition having a freshly fried feeling - imparting effect.

[0038] Further, by constituting the present freshly fried feeling-imparting composition with the present compound and a compound capable of imparting flavor (for example, a fragrance compound), the present freshly fried feeling-imparting composition can also be used as a flavor-imparting composition having a freshly fried feeling-imparting effect.

[0039] Specific examples of the fragrance composition, which is one aspect of the flavor-imparting composition, include fragrance compositions for foods and drinks (also referred to as flavor compositions). Examples of the article to which addition is made include foods (fried foods or their raw materials) as described above. The form of the fragrance composition is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include water-soluble fragrance compositions, oil-soluble fragrance compositions, emulsified fragrance compositions, and powdered fragrance compositions.

[0040] The fragrance composition may contain the compounds or components exemplified below. Examples thereof include various types of fragrance compounds or fragrance compositions, oil-soluble pigments, vitamins, functional substances, fish extracts, livestock extracts, plant extracts, yeast extracts, animal and plant proteins, animal and plant proteolysates, starch, dextrin, saccharides, amino acids, nucleic acids, organic acids, solvents, and the like. For example, natural essential oils, natural fragrances, synthetic fragrances, etc. described in "Patent Gazette, Collection of Well-Known and Conventional Technologies (Fragrances), Part II, Food Fragrances, Issued on January 14, 2000", "Investigation of the Actual Use of Food Fragrance Compounds in Japan" (Report on Hygiene Science Research in 2000, Japan Flavor Industry Association, Issued in March 2001), and "Synthetic Fragrances - Chemistry and Product Knowledge" (Supplemented New Edition Issued on December 20, 2016, Edited by the Synthetic Fragrance Editorial Committee, Chemical Industry Daily) can be mentioned.

[0041] Specific examples of the synthetic fragrance compound include, as hydrocarbon compounds, monoterpenes such as α-pinene, β-pinene, γ-terpinene, myrcene, camphene, limonene, sesquiterpenes such as valencene, cedrene, caryophyllene, longifolene, and 1,3,5-undecatriene.

[0042] Examples of alcohol compounds include saturated alcohols such as butanol, pentanol, 3-octanol, hexanol, unsaturated alcohols such as (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, prenol, 2,6-nonadienol, terpene alcohols such as linalool, geraniol, citronellol, tetrahydromyrcenol, farnesol, nerolidol, cedrol, α-terpineol, terpinene-4-ol, borneol, and aromatic alcohols such as benzyl alcohol, phenylethyl alcohol, cinnamyl alcohol.

[0043] Examples of aldehyde compounds include saturated aldehydes such as acetaldehyde, hexanal, octanal, decanal, unsaturated aldehydes such as (E)-2-hexenal, 2,4-octadienal, terpene aldehydes such as citronellal, hydroxycitronellal, citral, myrtenal, perillyl aldehyde, and aromatic aldehydes such as benzaldehyde, cinnamyl aldehyde, vanillin, ethylvanillin, heliotropin, p-tolyl aldehyde.

[0044] Examples of ketone compounds include saturated and unsaturated ketones such as 2-heptanone, 2-undecanone, 1-octen-3-one, acetoin, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one (methylheptenone), diketones and hydroxyketones such as diacetyl, 2,3-pentanedione, maltol, ethylmaltol, cyclotene, 2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3(2H)-furanone, terpene ketones such as carvone, menthone, nootkatone, ketones derived from terpene degradation products such as α-ionone, β-ionone, β-damascenone, and aromatic ketones such as raspberry ketone.

[0045] Examples of furan or ether compounds include furfuryl alcohol, furfural, rose oxide, linalool oxide, menthofuran, teaspirane, estragole, eugenol, 1,8-cineole, etc.

[0046] Examples of ester compounds include aliphatic esters such as ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, octyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl isobutyrate, isoamyl butyrate, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl isovalerate, 2-methylbutyl isobutyrate, ethyl hexanoate, allyl hexanoate, ethyl heptanoate, ethyl octanoate, isoamyl isovalerate, ethyl nonanoate, etc.; terpene alcohol esters such as linalyl acetate, geranyl acetate, lavandulyl acetate, terpinyl acetate, neryl acetate, etc.; and aromatic esters such as benzyl acetate, methyl salicylate, methyl cinnamate, cinnamyl propionate, ethyl benzoate, cinnamyl isovalerate, ethyl 3-methyl-2-phenylglycidate, etc.

[0047] Examples of lactone compounds include saturated lactones such as γ-decalactone, γ-dodecalactone, δ-decalactone, δ-dodecalactone, etc.; and unsaturated lactones such as 7-decen-4-olide, 2-decen-5-olide, etc.

[0048] Examples of acid compounds include saturated and unsaturated fatty acids such as acetic acid, butyric acid, isovaleric acid, hexanoic acid, octanoic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, etc.

[0049] Examples of nitrogen-containing compounds include indole, skatole, pyridine, alkyl-substituted pyrazine, methyl anthranilate, trimethylpyrazine, etc.

[0050] Examples of sulfur-containing compounds include methanethiol, dimethyl sulfide, dimethyl disulfide, allyl isothiocyanate, 3-methyl-2-buten-1-thiol, 3-methyl-2-butanethiol, 3-methyl-1-butanethiol, 2-methyl-1-butanethiol, 3-mercaptohexanol, 4-mercapto-4-methyl-2-pentanone, 3-mercaptohexyl acetate, p-mentha-8-thiol-3-one, and furfuryl mercaptan, etc.

[0051] Examples of 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, hinoki, vetiver, patchouli, labdanum, etc.

[0052] Examples of various extracts of animals and plants include extracts of herbs or spices, extracts of coffee, green tea, black tea, or oolong tea, and various enzymatic hydrolyzates such as milk or dairy products and their lipases or proteases.

[0053] The flavor composition can be prepared by adding the flavoring composition to a suitable solvent or dispersion medium by a known method.

[0054] As the form of the flavor composition, a solution in which the flavoring composition or other components are dissolved in a water-soluble or oil-soluble solvent, an emulsified preparation, a powder preparation, or other solid preparations (such as solid fats) are preferred.

[0055] Examples of water-soluble solvents include ethanol, methanol, acetone, tetrahydrofuran, acetonitrile, 2-propanol, methyl ethyl ketone, glycerin, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, etc. Among these, from the viewpoint of use in food and beverages, ethanol or glycerin is particularly preferred. Examples of oil-soluble solvents include vegetable oils, animal fats, refined oils (such as processed oils like medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides (MCT), and short-chain fatty acid triglycerides such as triacetin and tripropionin), various essential oils, triethyl citrate, etc. Among these, from the viewpoint of minimizing the influence on the flavor of food and beverages, MCT is particularly preferred.

[0056] In addition, in order to obtain an emulsified preparation, the flavoring composition can be obtained by emulsifying it together with a water-soluble solvent and an emulsifier. The emulsification method of the flavoring composition is not particularly limited, and various emulsifiers conventionally used in foods and drinks, etc., for example, 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, quillaia extract, gum arabic, tragacanth gum, guar gum, karaya gum, xanthan gum, pectin, alginic acid and its salts, carrageenan, gelatin, casein quillaia saponin, or casein sodium, etc., can be used to perform emulsification treatment using a homomixer, colloid mill, rotary disk type homogenizer, high-pressure homogenizer, etc., to obtain an emulsion with excellent stability. The usage amount of these emulsifiers is not strictly limited and can be varied over a wide range depending on the type of emulsifier used, etc. Further, in order to stabilize the emulsified state, in addition to water, for example, one or a mixture of two or more polyhydric alcohols such as glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbitol, maltitol, sucrose, glucose, trehalose, sugar solution, and reduced maltose can be added to such an emulsion.

[0057] In addition, the emulsion thus obtained can be made into a powder preparation by drying if desired. When powdering, sugars such as gum arabic, trehalose, dextrin, sugar, lactose, glucose, maltose, and reduced maltose can be appropriately added as necessary. These usage amounts can be appropriately selected according to the properties desired for the powder preparation, etc.

[0058] In addition to the above, the fragrance composition may contain, if necessary, components commonly used in fragrance compositions. For example, it can contain solvents such as water and ethanol, and fragrance retention agents such as ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, glycerin, hexyl glycol, benzyl benzoate, triethyl citrate, diethyl phthalate, hercolyn, medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides, and medium-chain fatty acid diglycerides.

[0059] (Method for imparting a just-fried feeling to fried foods) The method for imparting a just-fried feeling effect to fried foods according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "the present just-fried feeling effect imparting method") includes a step of adding the present just-fried feeling imparting composition to food (fried foods or their raw materials).

[0060] By adding an effective amount of the present just-fried feeling imparting composition to food (fried foods or their raw materials), a just-fried feeling can be imparted to fried foods produced using the fried foods or their raw materials as the addition target.

[0061] In this method, the addition amount of the present just-fried feeling imparting composition to the food (fried foods or their raw materials) to be added may be an effective amount that imparts a just-fried feeling by the branched-chain saturated aldehyde (and optionally the trans linear monounsaturated aldehyde used in combination) contained as an active ingredient, and can be arbitrarily set according to the type and form of the food to be added.

[0062] As the concentration of the preferred branched-chain saturated aldehyde, when the addition target is fried food, based on the total mass of the fried food, and when the addition target is the raw material of the fried food, based on the total mass of the fried food produced using the raw material, a freshly fried feeling can be imparted within a range of at least 0.0001 ppm (0.1 ppb, 100 ppt) to 1 ppm, and a freshly fried feeling can be more effectively imparted within a range of 0.001 ppm (1 ppb) to 0.1 ppm (100 ppb). More specifically, the lower limit can be any one of 100 ppt, 1 ppb, 10 ppb, 100 ppb, and the upper limit can be any one of 1 ppm, 100 ppb, 10 ppb, 1 ppb, and it can be within a range by any combination of these lower and upper limits, but is not limited thereto.

[0063] In this method, the method of adding the present freshly fried feeling-imparting composition to food (fried food or its raw material) is not particularly limited. Also, the timing of adding the present freshly fried feeling-imparting composition to food (fried food or its raw material) is not particularly limited.

[0064] When the freshly fried feeling imparting composition of the present case is added to and used in the raw materials of fried foods, in consideration of the loss of branched-chain saturated aldehydes (and optionally trans linear monounsaturated aldehydes used in combination) due to frying, it may be added in an amount more than the aforementioned preferred concentration. Similarly, when the freshly fried feeling imparting composition of the present case is added to and used in fried food products such as frozen foods, in consideration of the loss of branched-chain saturated aldehydes (and optionally trans linear monounsaturated aldehydes used in combination) due to range cooking, it may be added in an amount more than the aforementioned preferred concentration. According to the studies of the present inventors, the remaining amount of branched-chain saturated aldehydes (and optionally trans linear monounsaturated aldehydes used in combination) after frying is higher when the freshly fried feeling imparting composition of the present case is added to the meat seasoning liquid (in the case of tempura) or the pre-ferment (in the case of croquettes), than when it is added to the coating liquid containing tempura flour (batter liquid, in the case of tempura) or the coating liquid containing batter powder (batter liquid, in the case of croquettes). Therefore, the freshly fried feeling imparting composition of the present case can be effectively used in a small amount when added inside rather than to the coating of fried foods.

[0065] (Method for manufacturing fried foods) The method for manufacturing fried foods according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a step of adding the freshly fried feeling imparting composition of the present case to fried foods or their raw materials.

[0066] By adding an effective amount of the freshly fried feeling imparting composition of the present case to fried foods or their raw materials to manufacture fried foods (as products), a freshly fried feeling can be imparted to the manufactured fried foods.

[0067] Examples of the manufacturing method include a method in which the freshly fried feeling imparting composition of the present case is added to known coating liquid components, namely wheat flour, starch, protein, eggs, water, etc., and homogenized, and this is adhered to the frying seeds (ingredients) as a coating liquid and then deep-fried; and a method in which the freshly fried feeling imparting composition of the present case is added to known seasoning liquid components, namely salt, soy sauce, sugar, cooking wine, water, etc., and homogenized, and after this is adhered to the frying seeds (ingredients) as a seasoning liquid, a known coating liquid is further adhered and then deep-fried.

[0068] In this manufacturing method, the addition amount of the present deep-fried freshness-imparting composition to the deep-fried food to be manufactured may be any effective amount that imparts a deep-fried freshness by the branched-chain saturated aldehyde (and, if necessary, the trans linear monounsaturated aldehyde used in combination) contained as an active ingredient, and can be arbitrarily set according to the type and form of the deep-fried food to be manufactured. Specific examples of the concentration are as described in the item of "Method for imparting deep-fried freshness to deep-fried food" mentioned above.

[0069] In this manufacturing method, the method of adding the present deep-fried freshness-imparting composition to the deep-fried food or its raw material is not particularly limited. Also, the timing of adding the present deep-fried freshness-imparting composition to the deep-fried food or its raw material is not particularly limited. Specific examples of the addition method are as described in the item of "Method for imparting deep-fried freshness to deep-fried food" mentioned above.

[0070] (Food) Hereinafter, the food (deep-fried food or its raw material), which is the addition target of the present deep-fried freshness-imparting composition, will be described.

[0071] Examples of deep-fried foods include fried chicken, fried chicken, tonkatsu, French fries, croquettes, tempura, deep-fried takoyaki, fried dumplings, American dogs, cheese hot dogs, potato chips, deep-fried cakes, doughnuts, sesame balls, and the like. As described above, examples of the deep-fried food that is a preferred addition target of the present deep-fried freshness-imparting composition include deep-fried food products, that is, deep-fried foods stored in a warming case for a long time after frying or frozen foods cooked in a microwave oven.

[0072] As raw materials for deep-fried foods, deep-frying seeds (ingredients), seasoning liquids, coatings, coating liquids, deep-frying oils, etc. can be mentioned. The deep-frying seeds (ingredients) are not particularly limited, but include livestock meats, seafoods, and vegetables. As the seasoning liquid, a mixture of various seasonings and spices such as soy sauce, sake, sugar, salt, vinegar, soy sauce, miso, water, and oils and fats can be mentioned. As the coating, wheat flour, arrowroot starch, breadcrumbs, mochi rice flour, cellophane noodles, sesame seeds, nuts, etc. can be mentioned. Examples of the coating liquid include a mixture of coating liquid powder (also referred to as batter powder, batter mix, etc.) and water, and a mixture in which eggs and other seasonings and spices are homogeneously mixed, dissolved, emulsified, or dispersed as necessary. The coating liquid powder is a mixed powder composed of powder components among the raw materials used for the coating liquid, that is, wheat flour, starch, protein, etc.

[0073] More specific examples of the deep-fried ingredients include various livestock meat flavors such as chicken, duck, pork, beef, mutton, and horse meat; red meat fish flavors such as tuna, white meat fish flavors such as mackerel, sea bream, Thai fish, salmon, and horse mackerel, freshwater fish flavors such as ayu, trout, and carp, shellfish flavors such as turban shell, clam, ark shell, and mussel, various crustacean flavors such as shrimp and crab, various seaweed flavors such as wakame and kelp, etc.; various grain flavors such as rice, barley, wheat, and malt; various fat flavors such as livestock fats like beef tallow, chicken fat, and lard, and oils of various fish; various spice or herb flavors such as cinnamon, chamomile, cardamom, caraway, cumin, clove, pepper, coriander, sansho, perilla, ginger, star anise, thyme, chili pepper, nutmeg, basil, marjoram, rosemary, laurel, garlic, and wasabi; various nut flavors such as almond, cashew nut, and walnut; various liquor flavors such as wine, brandy, whiskey, rum, gin, liqueur, sake, shochu, and beer; vegetable flavors such as onion, celery, carrot, tomato, and cucumber; various citrus flavors such as lemon, orange, grapefruit, lime, mandarin, tangerine, kabosu, sudachi, hassaku, yokan, yuzu, calamondin, and kumquat; various fruit flavors such as strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, apple, cherry, plum, apricot, peach, pineapple, banana, melon, mango, papaya, kiwi, pear, grape, muscat, and Kyoho; dairy flavors such as milk, yogurt, and butter; vanilla flavor; various tea flavors such as green tea, black tea, oolong tea, and herbal tea; coffee flavor; cola flavor; cocoa flavor; various mint flavors such as spearmint and peppermint; etc. Foods having one or more of the above flavors can be mentioned. That is, it may be a food that gives the impression of only one of the above flavors, or a food that gives the impression of two or more flavors, and the plurality of flavors may be of the same type or different types.

[0074] More specific examples of foods include confectioneries such as senbei (rice crackers), arare (tiny rice crackers), okoshi (puffed rice cakes), mochi (rice cakes), manju (steamed buns), an (sweet bean paste), biscuits, crackers, potato chips, cookies, pies, puddings, waffles, sponge cakes, doughnuts, chocolate, caramel, peanut paste or other pastes; breads, noodles, rice, and other grains such as udon (thick wheat noodles), ramen (noodles in soup), Chinese noodles, gomoku rice (rice with various ingredients), fried rice, pilaf, dumpling wrappers, shumai wrappers, okonomiyaki (savory pancakes), takoyaki (octopus balls); seafood such as fish including mackerel, sardines, saury, salmon, tuna, bonito, whale, flounder, needlefish, ayu; squids such as surume squid, spear squid, marbled squid, firefly squid; octopuses such as common octopus, longarm octopus; shrimps such as kuruma shrimp, button shrimp, ise shrimp, black tiger shrimp; crabs such as taraba crab, snow crab, swimming crab, hairy crab; shellfish such as clams, ark shell, scallop, oyster, mussel; processed food and drink products made from seafood such as canned seafood, cooked fish, tsukudani (simmered seafood or vegetables), surimi, processed seafood products (chikuwa, kamaboko, fried kamaboko, crab leg kamaboko, etc.); meats such as chicken, pork, beef, mutton, horse meat; processed food and drink products made from meat such as hamburgers, dumplings, meatballs, stewed meat; seasonings such as table salt, seasoning salt, soy sauce, powdered soy sauce, miso, powdered miso, moromi (soy sauce mash), shiokara (fermented fish sauce), furikake (seasoned rice topping), ochazuke base, margarine, mayonnaise, dressing, vinegar, sanbai vinegar, powdered sushi vinegar, Chinese seasoning, tenkasu (tempura scraps), mentaiko sauce (kelp stock or bonito stock, etc.), sauce (medium thick sauce, tomato sauce, etc.), ketchup, yakiniku sauce, curry roux, stew base, soup base, dashi base (kelp stock or bonito stock, etc.), compound seasonings, new mirin (sweet cooking sake), mixed powders such as tempura powder and takoyaki powder; animal or plant-based dashi-flavored food and drink products added with these seasonings; dairy products such as cheese, yogurt, butter; various fermented products of microorganisms such as various yeasts like brewer's yeast and baker's yeast, and lactic acid bacteria; boiled foods such as boiled vegetables, chikuzenni (simmered vegetables), oden (simmered fish cakes and vegetables in dashi), nabe (hot pot); ingredients and side dishes for takeout bento; fruits such as apples, grapes, citrus fruits (grapefruit, orange, lemon, etc.); vegetables such as tomatoes, bell peppers, celery, melons, bitter melons, carrots, potatoes, asparagus, bracken, fiddlehead ferns, and vegetable-containing foods such as vegetable soup containing these vegetables; foods containing crude drugs or herbs;Alcoholic beverages such as wine, shochu, awamori, sake, beer, chu-hi, cocktail drinks, sparkling wine, fruit wine, medicinal herb wine, other fermented alcoholic beverages (sparkling) or liqueurs (sparkling), etc., or seasonings containing these; etc. can be mentioned.

Example

[0075] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to examples. Note that the present invention is not limited to these.

[0076] [Example 1] Deep-fried chicken (microwave cooking) The evaluation of the effect of imparting a freshly fried feeling to deep-fried chicken (microwave cooking) added with the composition for imparting a freshly fried feeling of this case was carried out according to the following procedure.

[0077] <Example 1-1> Confirmation of the effect of branched-chain saturated aldehyde 1000 g of chicken meat (without skin) was cut into pieces of about 25 to 30 g. 2 g of the spice for deep-fried chicken prepared according to the formulation in Table 1, 8 g of salt, and 140 g of water were mixed and dissolved to prepare a seasoning liquid. In Table 1, "MCT" means a neutral fat composed of fatty acids having 8 to 12 carbon atoms (the same shall apply hereinafter).

[0078]

Table 1

[0079] To this seasoning liquid, a commercially available product of a branched-chain saturated aldehyde having 4 or 5 carbon atoms (2-methylpropanal, 2-methylbutanal, 3-methylbutanal; hereinafter denoted as compound (a) in the tables of the examples) diluted with MCT as needed was added as the composition for imparting a freshly fried feeling of this case.

[0080] Here, in the deep-fried chicken (microwave cooking) of Examples 1-1 to 1-4 and the deep-fried chicken (stored in a warming case) of Example 2 described below, considering the loss due to deep-frying, based on the mass of the deep-fried chicken after deep-frying, branched-chain saturated aldehydes (and trans straight-chain monounsaturated aldehydes used in combination in some examples) were added to the meat seasoning liquid to achieve the concentrations shown in Table 2 (Table 3 in Example 1-2, Tables 4 and 5 in Example 1-3, Table 6 in Example 1-4, and Table 7 in Example 2).

[0081] Thereafter, the chopped chicken meat was immersed in the seasoning liquid after adding the branched-chain saturated aldehyde for 45 minutes. Next, commercially available deep-frying powder was dissolved in water (hereinafter referred to as "coating liquid"), and the chicken meat immersed in the seasoning liquid was immersed in this for 5 minutes. Next, the chicken meat immersed in the coating liquid was fried in rice salad oil heated to 180°C for 4 minutes to obtain deep-fried chicken (basic product).

[0082] The obtained deep-fried chicken (basic product) was immediately rapidly frozen at -35°C for 1 hour. Thereafter, the frozen deep-fried chicken was heated in a microwave oven (600 W) for 1 minute to obtain the deep-fried chicken of the present invention products 1-1 to 1-18.

[0083] On the other hand, in the production procedure of the deep-fried chicken of the present invention products 1-1 to 1-18 (including freezing and microwave cooking; the same applies in Example 1 below), instead of the branched-chain saturated aldehyde, straight-chain saturated aldehydes shown in Table 2 (propanal, butanal, pentanal, hexanal, heptanal), branched-chain saturated aldehydes having 6 or more carbon atoms (2-ethylbutanal, 2-methylhexanal), and flavor compounds conventionally used in fried foods (2,4-dodecadienal, 2-acetyl-2-thiazoline) were added and prepared as the deep-fried chicken of Comparative Products 1-1 to 1-9 (each compound added in Comparative Products 1-1 to 1-9 is also described in the column of compound (a) in Table 2 for convenience). In Comparative Products 1-1 to 1-9 as well, the concentrations shown in Table 2 were based on the mass of the deep-fried chicken after deep-frying, similar to the present invention products 1-1 to 1-18.

[0084] Then, for the deep-fried products of the obtained Invention Products 1-1 to 1-18 and Comparative Products 1-1 to 1-9, sensory evaluations were conducted by 10 well-trained panelists (with more than 10 years of experience). The sensory evaluation was carried out as follows: In the deep-fried product preparation procedure of Invention Products 1-1 to 1-18, the deep-fried product prepared without adding branched-chain saturated aldehyde was used as Control Product 1 (the same hereinafter in Examples 1-2 to 1-4). The panelists were asked to comment on the flavor of Invention Products 1-1 to 1-18 and Comparative Products 1-1 to 1-9 compared with Control Product 1, and the panelists scored the freshly fried feeling compared with Control Product 1 according to the following evaluation criteria, and the average value was taken.

[0085] <Evaluation Criteria for Freshly Fried Feeling> Significantly increased compared with Control Product 1: 5 points Greatly increased compared with Control Product 1: 4 points Somewhat increased compared with Control Product 1: 3 points Slightly increased compared with Control Product 1: 2 points Equivalent to Control Product 1 or decreased compared with Control Product 1: 1 point

[0086] The results of the sensory evaluations of the deep-fried products of Invention Products 1-1 to 1-18 and Comparative Products 1-1 to 1-9 are shown in Table 2.

[0087]

Table 2

[0088] As shown in Table 2, it was confirmed that the deep-fried products manufactured by adding branched-chain saturated aldehydes having 4 or 5 carbon atoms had a freshly fried feeling imparted even when frozen and heated in a microwave oven after deep frying, compared with those without addition. In particular, it was confirmed that the freshly fried feeling was more effectively imparted in the range of 1 to 100 ppb (0.001 to 0.1 ppm) of the concentration of the branched-chain saturated aldehyde with respect to the mass of the deep-fried product.

[0089] On the other hand, as shown in Table 2, it was confirmed that compounds that do not apply to branched-chain saturated aldehydes having 4 or 5 carbon atoms, namely straight-chain saturated aldehydes, branched-chain saturated aldehydes having 6 or 7 carbon atoms, and other flavor compounds that have been conventionally used for fried foods, do not impart a freshly fried feeling. From the above results, the usefulness of a freshly fried feeling-imparting composition containing a branched-chain saturated aldehyde having 4 or 5 carbon atoms as an active ingredient was shown.

[0090] <Example 1-2>Combined use of two types of branched-chain saturated aldehydes In the frying procedure of the fried products of the Invention Product 1-1 to 1-18 of Example 1-1, those prepared by adding (using in combination) two types rather than one type of branched-chain saturated aldehyde were used as the fried products of the Invention Product 1-19 to 1-21 (hereinafter, when using branched-chain saturated aldehydes in combination in the table of examples, one of them is denoted as compound (a-1), the other one is denoted as compound (a-2), and these are collectively denoted as compound (a), and the same applies to all the following examples). In addition, also in the Invention Product 1-19 to 1-21 shown in Table 3, the concentration was based on the mass of the fried product after deep-frying, similar to that of the Invention Product 1-1 to 1-18.

[0091] Then, sensory evaluations were conducted on the fried products of the obtained Invention Product 1-19 to 1-21 by 10 well-trained panelists (with more than 10 years of experience). The sensory evaluation was carried out by asking the panelists to comment on the flavor when comparing the Invention Product 1-19 to 1-21 with Control Product 1, which was a fried product prepared without adding branched-chain saturated aldehyde in the frying procedure of the Invention Product 1-1 to 1-18, and averaging the scores given by the panelists according to the following evaluation criteria for the freshly fried feeling compared with Control Product 1.

[0092] Table 3 shows the results of the sensory evaluation of the fried products of the Invention Product 1-19 to 1-21.

[0093]

Table 3

[0094] As shown in Table 3, it was confirmed that the fried food produced by adding two types of branched-chain saturated aldehydes having 4 or 5 carbon atoms had a freshly fried feeling compared to the one without addition. In particular, when two types of branched-chain saturated aldehydes were used in combination, it was confirmed that the freshly fried feeling was more effectively imparted compared to the case of using one type (see Table 2).

[0095] <Example 1-3>Combined use of branched-chain saturated aldehyde and trans linear monounsaturated aldehyde (1) In the fried food preparation procedure of the inventive products 1-1 to 1-18 of Example 1-1, in addition to the branched-chain saturated aldehyde, a commercially available product of a trans form of a linear monounsaturated aldehyde having 6 to 11 carbon atoms with a double bond at the 2-position ((E)-2-hexenal, (E)-2-heptenal, (E)-2-octenal, (E)-2-nonenal, (E)-2-decenal, (E)-2-undecenal; hereinafter referred to as compound (b) in the tables of the examples) diluted with MCT as needed was added (used in combination) to prepare fried food, which was used as the fried food of the inventive products 1-22 to 1-61 (hereinafter, in the tables of the examples, the trans linear monounsaturated aldehyde is referred to as compound (b)). In addition, also in the inventive products 1-22 to 1-61 shown in Tables 4 and 5, the concentration was based on the mass of the fried food after deep-frying, similar to that of the inventive products 1-1 to 1-18.

[0096] On the other hand, in the frying preparation procedure of the products of the present invention 1-22 to 1-61 (including freezing and microwave cooking; the same applies to Example 1 below), instead of the trans linear monounsaturated aldehyde, the trans isomers of linear monounsaturated aldehydes with 5 or 12 carbon atoms having a double bond at the 2-position shown in Table 5 ((E)-2-pentenal, (E)-2-dodecenal), the cis isomer of a linear monounsaturated aldehyde with 9 carbon atoms having a double bond at the 2-position ((Z)-2-nonenal), and the trans isomer of a linear monounsaturated aldehyde with 6 carbon atoms having a double bond at the 6-position ((E)-6-nonenal) were added to prepare the fried foods of Comparative Products 1-10 to 1-13 (each compound added in Comparative Products 1-10 to 1-13 is also described in the column of Compound (b) in Table 5 for convenience). In Comparative Products 1-10 to 1-13 shown in Table 5, the concentration was based on the mass of the fried food after frying, similar to Products of the Present Invention 1-1 to 1-18.

[0097] Then, sensory evaluations were conducted on the obtained fried foods of Products of the Present Invention 1-22 to 1-61 and Comparative Products 1-10 to 1-13 by 10 well-trained panelists (with more than 10 years of experience). The sensory evaluation involved asking the panelists to comment on the flavor when comparing Products of the Present Invention 1-22 to 1-61 and Comparative Products 1-10 to 1-13 with Control Product 1, and averaging the scores given by the panelists to the freshly fried feeling compared with Control Product 1 according to the following evaluation criteria.

[0098] The results of the sensory evaluations of the fried foods of Products of the Present Invention 1-22 to 1-61 and Comparative Products 1-10 to 1-13 are shown in Tables 4 and 5.

[0099]

Table 4

[0100]

Table 5

[0101] As shown in Tables 4 and 5, the deep-fried food was produced by adding a branched-chain saturated aldehyde and a trans-form of a linear monounsaturated aldehyde having 6 to 11 carbon atoms with a double bond at the 2-position. It was confirmed that, even when the deep-fried food was frozen and heated in a microwave oven after frying, it was imparted with a freshly fried feeling and a juicy oiliness as compared with the non-added one. In particular, when a branched-chain saturated aldehyde and a trans-linear branched-chain saturated aldehyde were used in combination, it was confirmed that a juicy oiliness was effectively imparted without impairing the freshly fried feeling as compared with the case where only the branched-chain saturated aldehyde was added (see Table 2).

[0102] On the other hand, as shown in Table 5, for compounds that do not fall under the trans-form of a linear monounsaturated aldehyde having 6 to 11 carbon atoms with a double bond at the 2-position, that is, the trans-form of a linear monounsaturated aldehyde having 5 or 12 carbon atoms, the cis-form of a linear monounsaturated aldehyde, and a linear monounsaturated aldehyde having a double bond at the 6-position, it was confirmed that a juicy oiliness was not imparted or the freshly fried feeling was impaired. From the above results, the usefulness of a freshly fried feeling-imparting composition containing a branched-chain saturated aldehyde and a trans-form of a linear monounsaturated aldehyde having 6 to 11 carbon atoms was shown.

[0103] <Example 1-4> Combined use of branched-chain saturated aldehyde and trans-linear monounsaturated aldehyde (2) In the deep-fried food production procedure of the inventive products 1-22 to 1-61 of Examples 1-3, those produced by adding one or two types of branched-chain saturated aldehydes and two types of trans-linear monounsaturated aldehydes (used in combination) were used as the deep-fried foods of the inventive products 1-62 to 1-69 (hereinafter, when two types of trans-linear monounsaturated aldehydes are used in combination, one of them is denoted as compound (b-1), the other one is denoted as compound (b-2), and these are collectively denoted as compound (b), and the same applies to all the following examples). In addition, also in the inventive products 1-62 to 1-69 shown in Table 6, the concentration was based on the mass of the deep-fried food after frying, similar to that of the inventive products 1-1 to 1-61.

[0104] Then, for the deep-fried products of the obtained Invention Products 1-62 to 1-69, sensory evaluations were conducted by 10 well-trained panelists (with more than 10 years of experience). The sensory evaluations were carried out by asking the panelists to comment on the flavor when comparing Invention Products 1-62 to 1-69 with Control Product 1, and averaging the scores given by the panelists according to the following evaluation criteria for the freshly fried feeling when compared with Control Product 1.

[0105] Table 6 shows the results of the sensory evaluations of the deep-fried products of Invention Products 1-62 to 1-69.

[0106]

Table 6

[0107] As shown in Table 6, it was confirmed that the deep-fried products manufactured by adding one or two types of branched-chain saturated aldehydes and two types of trans straight-chain monounsaturated aldehydes had a freshly fried feeling even when frozen and heated in a microwave oven after deep frying, compared with those without addition. In particular, when two types of trans straight-chain monounsaturated aldehydes were used in combination, a freshly fried feeling and a juicy greasiness were more effectively imparted compared with the case of using one type (see Tables 4 and 5). It was also confirmed that when two types of trans straight-chain monounsaturated aldehydes were used in combination and two types of branched-chain saturated aldehydes were also used in combination, a freshly fried feeling and a juicy greasiness were even more effectively imparted.

[0108] [Example 2] Deep-fried chicken (stored in a warming case) Hereinafter, the evaluation of the effect of imparting a freshly fried feeling to deep-fried chicken (stored in a warming case) added with the composition for imparting a freshly fried feeling was conducted according to the following procedure.

[0109] In the procedure for preparing deep-fried products of Invention Products 1-1 to 1-69 of Example 1, the same steps were taken until obtaining the deep-fried product (basic product). Thereafter, instead of freezing and heating the deep-fried product (basic product) in a microwave oven, it was placed in a warming case at 80°C for 6 hours to obtain the deep-fried products of Invention Products 2-1 to 2-5.

[0110] In addition, also in the inventive products 2-1 to 2-5 shown in Table 7, the concentration was based on the mass of the deep-fried product after frying, similar to the inventive products 1-1 to 1-69.

[0111] Then, sensory evaluations were conducted on the deep-fried products of the obtained inventive products 2-1 to 2-5 by 10 well-trained panelists (with more than 10 years of experience). The sensory evaluation was carried out by having the panelists comment on the flavor when comparing the inventive products 2-1 to 2-5 with the control product 2, which was a deep-fried product prepared without adding branched-chain saturated aldehydes and trans straight-chain monounsaturated aldehydes in the preparation procedure of the deep-fried products of the inventive products 2-1 to 2-5, and averaging the scores given by the panelists to the freshly fried feeling compared with the control product 2 according to the following evaluation criteria.

[0112] <Evaluation Criteria for Freshly Fried Feeling> Significantly increased compared to control product 2: 5 points Greatly increased compared to control product 2: 4 points Somewhat increased compared to control product 2: 3 points Slightly increased compared to control product 2: 2 points Equivalent to control product 2 or decreased compared to control product 2: 1 point

[0113] The results of the sensory evaluations of the deep-fried products of the inventive products 2-1 to 2-5 are shown in Table 7.

[0114]

Table 7

[0115] As shown in Table 7, the deep-fried foods produced by adding only branched-chain saturated aldehydes or a combination of branched-chain saturated aldehydes and trans straight-chain monounsaturated aldehydes were found to have a freshly fried feeling even when stored in a warming case for a long time after deep frying, compared to those without any additives. In particular, when two types of trans straight-chain monounsaturated aldehydes were used in combination, a freshly fried feeling and a juicy oiliness were more effectively imparted compared to using only one type. It was also confirmed that when two types of branched-chain saturated aldehydes were used in combination in addition to two types of trans straight-chain monounsaturated aldehydes, a freshly fried feeling and a juicy oiliness were even more effectively imparted.

[0116] [Example 3] Beef Croquettes (Cooked in a Microwave Oven) The evaluation of the effect of imparting a freshly fried feeling to beef croquettes (cooked in a microwave oven) added with the composition for imparting a freshly fried feeling of the present invention was carried out according to the following procedure.

[0117] 80 g of ground beef and 80 g of minced onion were stir-fried with 10 g of salad oil, and 10 g of soy sauce was added. The mixture was added to 724.7 g of boiled and strained potatoes, and further 8 g of sugar, 7 g of salt, and 0.3 g of black pepper were added and thoroughly mixed (hereinafter referred to as "seed mixture"). The seed mixture was formed into small portions, each weighing 50 g.

[0118] Commercially available batter powder was dissolved in water (hereinafter referred to as "batter solution"), and 2 g of the spice for croquettes prepared according to the formulation in Table 8 was added thereto. Commercially available products of branched-chain saturated aldehydes (one or two types) and commercially available products of trans straight-chain monounsaturated aldehydes (one or two types) to be used in part in combination, diluted with MCT as necessary, were added as the composition for imparting a freshly fried feeling of the present invention.

[0119]

Table 8

[0120] Here, in the beef croquettes of Example 3 (cooked in a microwave oven) and the beef croquettes of Example 4 described later (stored in a warming case), similar to Examples 1 and 2, after considering the loss due to deep-frying, branched-chain saturated aldehydes (and trans straight-chain monounsaturated aldehydes used in combination in some examples) were added to the batter so as to achieve the concentrations shown in Table 9 (Table 10 in Example 4) based on the mass of the beef croquettes after deep-frying.

[0121] Thereafter, the branched-chain saturated aldehydes (and trans straight-chain monounsaturated aldehydes used in combination in part) added to the batter were evenly applied to the small-sized formed sponge, and then breadcrumbs were evenly applied. The sponge coated with the batter and breadcrumbs was fried in rice salad oil heated to 180°C for 3 minutes and 30 seconds to obtain beef croquettes (basic products).

[0122] The obtained beef croquettes (basic products) were immediately rapidly frozen at -35°C for 1 hour. Thereafter, the frozen beef croquettes were heated in a microwave oven (600 W) for 1 minute and 20 seconds to obtain croquettes of the inventive products 3-1 to 3-5.

[0123] Then, sensory evaluations were conducted on the obtained croquettes of the inventive products 3-1 to 3-5 by 10 well-trained panelists (with more than 10 years of experience). The sensory evaluations were carried out by having the panelists comment on the flavor when comparing the inventive products 3-1 to 3-5 with the control product 3, which was prepared without adding branched-chain saturated aldehydes and trans straight-chain monounsaturated aldehydes in the production procedure of the croquettes of the inventive products 3-1 to 3-5, and averaging the scores given by the panelists to the freshly fried feeling compared with the control product 3 according to the following evaluation criteria.

[0124] <Evaluation Criteria for Freshly Fried Feeling> Significantly increased compared to the control product 3: 5 points Greatly increased compared to the control product 3: 4 points Somewhat increased compared to the control product 3: 3 points Slightly increased compared to the control product 3: 2 points Equivalent to the control product 3 or decreased compared to the control product 3: 1 point

[0125] Table 9 shows the results of the sensory evaluation of the croquettes of the products 3-1 to 3-5 of the present invention.

[0126]

Table 9

[0127] As shown in Table 9, it was confirmed that the croquettes produced by adding one or two types of branched-chain saturated aldehydes and two types of trans linear monounsaturated aldehydes had a freshly fried feeling even when frozen and heated in a microwave oven after frying, compared to those without addition. In particular, when two types of branched-chain saturated aldehydes were used in combination, it was confirmed that the freshly fried feeling was more effectively imparted compared to the case of using one type (see Table 2). Furthermore, when two types of trans linear monounsaturated aldehydes were used in combination, the freshly fried feeling and juicy oiliness were more effectively imparted compared to the case of using one type (see Tables 4 and 5). It was also confirmed that when two types of trans linear monounsaturated aldehydes were used in combination and two types of branched-chain saturated aldehydes were also used in combination, the freshly fried feeling and juicy oiliness were more effectively imparted.

[0128] [Example 4] Beef Croquette (Stored in a Warm Box) Hereinafter, the evaluation of the effect of imparting a freshly fried feeling of the beef croquette (stored in a warm box) added with the composition for imparting a freshly fried feeling of the present case was carried out according to the following procedure.

[0129] In the procedure for preparing the croquettes of the products 3-1 to 3-5 of the present invention in Example 3, the same procedure was followed until obtaining the beef croquette (basic product). Thereafter, instead of freezing and heating the beef croquette (basic product) in a microwave oven, it was placed in a warm box at 80°C for 6 hours to obtain the croquettes of the products 4-1 to 4-5 of the present invention.

[0130] Note that also in the products 4-1 to 4-5 of the present invention shown in Table 10, the concentration was based on the mass of the beef croquette after frying, in the same manner as in the products 3-1 to 3-5 of the present invention.

[0131] Then, sensory evaluations were conducted on the croquettes of the obtained inventive products 4-1 to 4-5 by 10 well-trained panelists (with more than 10 years of experience). The sensory evaluation was carried out as follows: in the production procedure of the croquettes of the inventive products 4-1 to 4-5, the fried product prepared without adding branched-chain saturated aldehyde and trans linear monounsaturated aldehyde was used as the control product 4. The panelists were asked to comment on the flavor when comparing the inventive products 4-1 to 4-5 with the control product 4, and the panelists scored according to the following evaluation criteria for the freshly fried feeling when compared with the control product 4, and the average value was taken.

[0132] <Evaluation Criteria for Freshly Fried Feeling> Significantly increased compared to the control product 4: 5 points Greatly increased compared to the control product 4: 4 points Somewhat increased compared to the control product 4: 3 points Slightly increased compared to the control product 4: 2 points Equivalent to the control product 4 or decreased compared to the control product 4: 1 point

[0133] The results of the sensory evaluation of the croquettes of the inventive products 4-1 to 4-5 are shown in Table 10.

[0134]

Table 10

[0135] As shown in Table 10, it was confirmed that the croquettes produced by adding only branched-chain saturated aldehyde or a combination of branched-chain saturated aldehyde and trans linear monounsaturated aldehyde had a freshly fried feeling imparted even when stored in a warming case for a long time after deep frying, compared to those without addition. In particular, when two types of trans linear monounsaturated aldehydes were used in combination, a freshly fried feeling and a juicy oily feeling were more effectively imparted compared to the case of using one type. It was also confirmed that when two types of trans linear monounsaturated aldehydes were used in combination and two types of branched-chain saturated aldehydes were also used in combination, a freshly fried feeling and a juicy oily feeling were even more effectively imparted.

[0136] <Summary of Examples> It was confirmed that the present freshly fried feeling-imparting composition can impart a freshly fried feeling regardless of the type of fried food and the flavoring method.

Claims

1. In a freshly fried flavor-imparting composition containing a branched-chain saturated aldehyde (limited to those having 4 or 5 carbon atoms) as an active ingredient, a freshly fried flavor-imparting composition further containing a trans form of a linear monounsaturated aldehyde having a double bond at the 2-position (limited to those having 6 to 11 carbon atoms).

2. A freshly fried flavor-imparting composition containing a branched-chain saturated aldehyde (limited to those having 4 or 5 carbon atoms) as an active ingredient, wherein the freshly fried flavor-imparting composition is used by adding it to fried food or raw materials of fried food, and is used in an addition amount such that the concentration of the branched-chain saturated aldehyde derived from the freshly fried flavor-imparting composition is 0.001 to 0.1 ppm based on the total mass of the fried food (excluding powdered cheese).

3. A method for imparting a freshly fried flavor effect to a flavor-imparting composition, comprising the step of adding the freshly fried flavor-imparting composition according to Claim 1 to the flavor-imparting composition.

4. A method for imparting a freshly fried flavor to fried food, comprising the step of adding the freshly fried flavor-imparting composition according to Claim 1 or 2 to the fried food or its raw materials.

5. In the method for imparting a freshly fried flavor to fried food according to Claim 4, when the addition target is fried food, based on the total mass of the fried food, when the addition target is a raw material of fried food, based on the total mass of the fried food produced using the raw material, the freshly fried flavor-imparting composition is added such that the concentration of the branched-chain saturated aldehyde derived from the freshly fried flavor-imparting composition is 0.001 to 0.1 ppm. A method for imparting a freshly fried flavor to fried food.

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