Flavor-enhanced concentrate and method for producing same

Abstract

To provide an original concentrated liquid having enhanced flavor, and a new method for producing the same, where the production method can provide an original concentrated liquid which is economical while having a high extraction yield for extracting an active ingredient from an original, reduces nutrition destruction, has good flavor and is excellent in merchantability, and can be utilized as a base material of a food product.SOLUTION: A method for producing an original concentrated liquid includes the steps of: thin film concentrating an original squeezed juice; and plate concentrating the original squeezed juice subjected to thin film concentration. A method for enhancing the flavor of an original concentrated liquid includes the steps of: thin film concentrating an original squeezed juice; and plate concentrating the original squeezed juice subjected to thin film concentration. There is provided an onion concentrated liquid containing 600 μg / ml or more of Thiosulfinate. There is provided a food product containing the onion concentrated liquid.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application relates to flavor-enhanced original concentrates and new methods for their production. [Background technology]

[0002] As consumer demand for health and natural foods grows, efforts to increase the use of natural ingredients and eliminate the use of chemical food additives are accelerating. In this context, fruits, vegetables, or fruit and vegetable concentrates can be used as ingredients in a variety of processed foods because they contain the nutritional components of the originals.

[0003] Such fruit, vegetable, or fruit and vegetable concentrates are generally produced by heating and decomposing the fruit, vegetable, or fruit and vegetable, and then concentrating the resulting product, but this process has the problem of excessive destruction of nutritional components and a reduction in the inherent flavor and aroma of the original product.

[0004] In particular, when the solid content is increased to a high Brix through a concentration process, the content of impurities increases and the content of effective ingredients decreases relatively, resulting in a problem that the resulting product is insufficient for use as an ingredient in processed foods. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] One object of the present application is to provide a new method for producing a concentrate of raw material, which is economical due to a high extraction yield of active ingredients from the raw material, while producing a concentrate with excellent marketability due to less nutritional destruction and a good flavor.

[0006] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for enhancing the flavor of an original concentrate.

[0007] It is yet another object of the present application to provide an original concentrate with enhanced flavor.

[0008] A further object of the present application is to provide a food product containing said original concentrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, the present application provides a method for producing an original juice concentrate, which includes a step of thin-film concentrating an original juice and a step of plate concentrating the thin-film concentrated original juice. The present application also provides a method for enhancing the flavor of an original juice concentrate, which includes a step of thin-film concentrating an original juice and a step of plate concentrating the thin-film concentrated original juice.

[0010] The present application also provides an onion concentrate containing 600 μg / ml or more of thiosulfinate.

[0011] The present application also provides a food product containing the onion concentrate.

[0012] The contents of this application are explained in more detail below.

[0013] In one aspect, the present application provides a method for producing an original juice concentrate, the method comprising the steps of thin-film concentrating an original juice and plate concentrating the thin-film concentrated original juice. As used in the present application, the terms "original" or "raw material" refer to an unprocessed, natural product, and "natural" refers to a product that has not been subjected to a chemical reaction. Specifically, in the present application, "original" refers to a plant in its original form with its inherent flavor, and the plant may be a fruit, a fruit or vegetable, or a vegetable.

[0014] Specifically, the vegetable may be one or more selected from the group consisting of chili pepper, wasabi, perilla leaf, ginseng, Chinese bellflower, garlic, ginger, mugwort, turnip, onion, chive, wild greens, Hooker chives (Allium hookeri), bok choy, green onion, kale, rosemary, rutabaga, basil, peppermint, celery, chrysanthemum, and parsley. Specifically, the vegetable may be an Allium plant, including onion, garlic, green onion, chive, and wild greens, but is not limited thereto.

[0015] In this application, "original juice" means a liquid obtained by squeezing an original product in order to maintain the original flavor.

[0016] The solid content of the raw juice may be 1 Brix° to 15 Brix°, specifically 1 Brix° to 10 Brix, 3 Brix° to 10 Brix, 5 Brix° to 9 Brix, 6 Brix° to 8 Brix, or 7 Brix° to 8 Brix°.

[0017] The turbidity of the raw juice may be 120 to 160 NTU, for example, 125 to 160 NTU, or 130 to 155 NTU.

[0018] When the turbidity of the raw juice is within the above range, the content of suspended matter in the raw juice is low, so that the suspended matter can be prevented from forming a hard layer during the concentration process, and a combined concentration process can be performed.

[0019] The turbidity of the raw juice may be a value measured based on the solid content of the raw juice, or may be a value measured based on 7 Brix°.

[0020] The method for producing the original concentrate may include thin film concentration followed by plate concentration.

[0021] The thin film and plate concentration steps may be combined to keep the original components unchanged or to derive new useful components.

[0022] In an exemplary embodiment, when the combined concentration according to the present application is performed in the order of thin film concentration followed by plate concentration, the thin film concentration may be performed until the solid content reaches 20 to 50 Brix°.

[0023] The lower limit of the solids content of the raw squeezed juice obtained after thin film concentration in the present application may be 20 Brix, 21 Brix, 22 Brix, 23 Brix, 24 Brix, 25 Brix, 30 Brix, 35 Brix, 40 Brix, or 45 Brix°, and the upper limit of the solids content of the raw squeezed juice obtained after thin film concentration may be 50 Brix, 49 Brix, 48 Brix, 47 Brix, 46 Brix, 45 Brix, 40 Brix, 35 Brix, 30 Brix°, or 25 Brix°. The solids content of the raw squeezed juice obtained after thin film concentration may also be within a range combining one value selected from the lower limit values ​​and one value selected from the upper limit values ​​of the above-described contents, for example, 20 Brix° or more to 50 Brix, over 20 Brix° to 50 Brix, 25 to 50 Brix, 25 to 45 Brix, or 25 to 40 Brix°.

[0024] In an exemplary embodiment, when plate concentration is performed after the thin film concentration, the plate concentration may be performed until the solid content of the concentrate is 60 Brix° or more.

[0025] The lower limit of the solids content of the raw concentrate finally produced by the production method of the present application may be 60 Brix, 65 Brix, 70 Brix, 75 Brix, 76 Brix, 77 Brix, 78 Brix, or 79 Brix°, and the upper limit of the solids content of the raw concentrate finally produced may be 80 Brix, 75 Brix, 70 Brix, 65 Brix, 64 Brix, 63 Brix, 62 Brix°, or 61 Brix°. The solids content of the raw concentrate finally produced may also be within a range that combines one value selected from the lower limit and one value selected from the upper limit of the above-described contents, such as 60 Brix° or more to 80 Brix, over 60 Brix° to 80 Brix, 62 Brix° to 78 Brix°, or 65 Brix° to 76 Brix°.

[0026] The thin film concentration step may be carried out at any evaporation temperature in the thin film concentrator as long as the evaporation temperature is such that the raw juice can be evaporated, and specifically, may be carried out at a temperature in the range of 20 to 50°C. For example, the temperature may be 25 to 45°C, 30 to 40°C, 30 to 38°C, 30 to 36°C, or 30 to 35°C.

[0027] The thin film concentration may be repeated until the solid content of the concentrate after the thin film concentration reaches the Brix° of the solid content mentioned above.

[0028] The plate concentration step may be carried out at any evaporation temperature in the plate concentrator as long as the temperature is such that the raw juice can be evaporated, and specifically, may be carried out at a temperature in the range of 20 to 50°C. For example, the temperature may be 25 to 45°C, 30 to 40°C, 30 to 38°C, 30 to 36°C, or 30 to 35°C.

[0029] As another example, the difference between the evaporation temperature of the plate concentrator and the evaporation temperature of the thin film concentrator may be within 10°C, 8°C, 6°C, or 5°C.

[0030] The plate concentration step may be repeated until the solid content reaches the Brix° of the solid content mentioned above.

[0031] The manufacturing method of the present application may further include a step of preparing raw juice prior to the thin film concentration step.

[0032] The step of preparing the raw juice may include a raw juice squeezing step, or may include any one or more steps of a raw peel removal step, a raw bacteria control step, a crushing step, and a filtration step.

[0033] The raw fruit peeling step, fungus control step, and crushing step may be carried out before the raw fruit juicing step.

[0034] The filtering step may be carried out after the original juicing step.

[0035] The raw material juicing step is a step of obtaining useful components in a liquid form from the raw material, and the juicing method is not limited, and may be a method of juicing under pressure or a method of juicing by heating. For example, gear juicing, press juicing, crushing juicing, or enzymatic decomposition juicing may be used.

[0036] The step of removing the pericarp from the raw product is for separating the edible portion of the raw product, and any removal method may be used without limitation.

[0037] The bacteria control step of the raw material is a process to prevent bacteria in the raw material from multiplying or to kill them. The method may be any method, including heating, pH adjustment, or a bacteria control method using electrolyzed water. Specifically, a bacteria control method using electrolyzed water may be used, or hypochlorite ions (OCl-) may be added to the raw material to control bacteria. The hypochlorite ions may be in any known form, such as hypochlorous acid water (HOCl) or sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), without limitation.

[0038] The crushing step may be performed by any method that can increase the efficiency of squeezing the raw material without any limitation.

[0039] The filtration step is intended to reduce the content of suspended matter in the raw juice, and known methods such as, but not limited to, a filtration filter, a filtration membrane, chromatography, or centrifugation may be used.

[0040] The filtration step may be repeated at least two times or more. The filtration step may be performed by at least two filtration processes.

[0041] When the filtration step is carried out in at least two steps, each step may be carried out separately taking into consideration the size or properties of the substance to be filtered.

[0042] In an exemplary embodiment, when the filtration step according to the present application is performed by two or more filtration steps, the filtration step may include a filter press filtration step. The filter press filtration step may be performed by adding 3 to 7 wt % of diatomaceous earth to the raw squeezed juice, specifically, 5 wt % of diatomaceous earth, based on the total weight of the raw squeezed juice.

[0043] According to the filter press filtration process, suspended matter contained in the juice squeezed from the raw material flocculates, and low molecular weight fibrous matter can be removed by the filter press filtration process, and then, by an additional filtration process, the residual diatomaceous earth on which the suspended matter flocculates can be removed.

[0044] If the raw juice contains a large amount of suspended matter, the suspended matter may form a hard layer during the concentration process, making it difficult to perform combined concentration.

[0045] The filtering step can reduce the content of suspended matter in the raw juice and prevent the suspended matter from solidifying during the concentration process.

[0046] In an exemplary embodiment, the manufacturing method of the present application may concentrate the original concentrate so that the antioxidant or original flavor component content is maintained high, or may concentrate so that the original heated flavor component content is maintained low.

[0047] Specifically, the onion concentrate may be concentrated so as to maintain a high content of one or more of thiosulfate, sulfur-containing compounds, glutamic acid, histidine, and arginine. Specific details regarding each compound will be described later, but the onion concentrate is not limited to this.

[0048] Specifically, the onion concentrate may be concentrated so as to maintain a low content of one or more of furan compounds, pyrazine compounds and phenylalanine. Specific details regarding each compound will be described later, but the onion concentrate is not limited to this.

[0049] In an exemplary embodiment, the production method of the present application may concentrate the produced original concentrate so that the turbidity of the concentrate is maintained low. Specific details regarding turbidity will be described later, but the present invention is not limited to the onion concentrate.

[0050] In another aspect, the present application provides a method for enhancing the flavor of an original juice concentrate, the method including the steps of thin film concentrating the original juice and plate concentrating the thin film concentrated original juice.

[0051] In the method for enhancing the flavor of the original concentrate of the present application, the steps of thin film concentrating the original juice and plate concentrating the thin film concentrated original juice are the same as those described in the method for producing the original concentrate, which is one aspect of the present application, and therefore will not be described again to avoid excessive complexity of the specification.

[0052] In yet another aspect, the present application provides an onion concentrate.

[0053] The onion concentrate may contain 600 μg / ml or more of thiosulfinate. In an exemplary embodiment, the onion concentrate may contain 600 μg / ml or more of thiosulfinate based on a total solids content of 60 Brix°.

[0054] The lower limit of the thiosulfinate content in the onion concentrate according to the present application may be 600 μg / ml, 610 μg / ml, 620 μg / ml, 630 μg / ml, 640 μg / ml or 650 μg / ml, based on a total solid content of 60 Brix°, and the upper limit of the thiosulfinate content in the onion concentrate according to the present application may be 1500 μg / ml, 1000 μg / ml or 800 μg / ml, based on a total solid content of 60 Brix°. Furthermore, based on a total solids content of 60 Brix° in the onion liquid concentrate, the thiosulfinate content may be within a range combining a numerical value selected from the above-mentioned lower limit values ​​and one numerical value selected from the above-mentioned upper limit values, for example, 600 μg / ml to 1500 μg / ml, 610 μg / ml to 1500 μg / ml, 610 μg / ml to 1000 μg / ml, 630 μg / ml to 1500 μg / ml, or 630 μg / ml to 1000 μg / ml.

[0055] When the thiosulfinate content falls within the above range, the original taste of original onions can be maintained in the onion concentrate, and the original onion concentrate can be used as an ingredient of foods such as sauces.

[0056] In an exemplary embodiment, the onion concentrate may contain 3 mol / L or more of pyruvic acid based on a total solids content of 60 Brix°. For example, based on a total solids content of 60 Brix° in the onion concentrate, the pyruvic acid content may be 3 to 10 mol / L, 3.7 to 10 mol / L, 3.7 to 8 mol / L, 3.8 to 6 mol / L, or 3.8 to 5 mol / L. When pyruvic acid is contained in the above range, the pungency of original onions is maintained in the onion concentrate and the onion concentrate can be used as a material for imparting pungency to processed foods.

[0057] In the present application, Brix° is the amount of solids contained in 100 g of solution expressed in grams based on sugars, and can be used interchangeably with brix, brix%, bx, etc. The brix may be measured by a known method, and may be measured at room temperature, such as 15°C to 35°C.

[0058] In this application, the content of each component based on a specific Brix° of the total solids content includes the content determined after adjusting the total solids content to that Brix°. For example, if the total solids content is higher than a specific Brix°, the content can be determined by diluting with an appropriate solvent such as water. If the total solids content is lower than a specific Brix°, the content can be determined by concentrating using a known concentration method that minimizes the impact on the content of each component. The known concentration method may be the concentration method of the present invention.

[0059] In an exemplary embodiment, the onion concentrate may include a sulfur-containing compound.

[0060] The onion concentrate may contain any one or more sulfur-containing compounds selected from the group consisting of dimethyl trisulfide, methyl propyl trisulfide, and 1,3-dithiane.

[0061] The onion concentrate may further contain, in addition to dimethyl trisulfide, methyl propyl trisulfide, and 1,3-dithiane, one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of 5-diethyl-1,2,3-trithiolane, dipropyl trisulfide, methyl 2-propenyl disulfide, methyl thiirane, dimethyl disulfide, dimethyl trisulfide, methyl propyl trisulfide, methyl 1-propenyl disulfide, 2,4-dimethylthiophene, 2,5-dimethylthiophene, dipropyl disulfide, 3-methylthiophene, diaryl disulfides, and diaryl sulfides.

[0062] The lower limit of the sulfur-containing compound content may be 100 μg / ml, 150 μg / ml, 180 μg / ml, 200 μg / ml, 210 μg / ml, 220 μg / ml, 240 μg / ml, or 250 μg / ml, and the upper limit of the sulfur-containing compound content in the onion concentrate may be 1500 μg / ml, 1000 μg / ml, 800 μg / ml, 500 μg / ml, 400 μg / ml, or 300 μg / ml. The content of the sulfur-containing compounds in the onion concentrate may be within a range combining one numerical value selected from the above-mentioned lower limit values ​​and one numerical value selected from the above-mentioned upper limit values ​​of the content, for example, 100 μg / ml to 1500 μg / ml, 180 μg / ml to 1500 μg / ml, 200 μg / ml to 800 μg / ml, 220 μg / ml to 500 μg / ml, or 250 μg / ml to 400 μg / ml.

[0063] The content of the sulfur-containing compound may be measured based on a total solid content of 60 Brix°.

[0064] The lower limit of the dimethyl trisulfide content may be 20 μg / ml, 50 μg / ml, 100 μg / ml, 105 μg / ml, 107 μg / ml, 110 μg / ml, 113 μg / ml, or 115 μg / ml, and the upper limit of the dimethyl trisulfide content in the onion concentrate may be 800 μg / ml, 400 μg / ml, 200 μg / ml, 150 μg / ml, 130 μg / ml, or 125 μg / ml. The content of dimethyl trisulfide in the onion concentrate may be within a range combining a numerical value selected from the above-mentioned lower limit values ​​and a numerical value selected from the above-mentioned upper limit values ​​of the content, for example, 20 μg / ml to 800 μg / ml, 100 μg / ml to 800 μg / ml, 105 μg / ml to 400 μg / ml, 107 μg / ml to 200 μg / ml, or 110 μg / ml to 150 μg / ml.

[0065] The content of dimethyl trisulfide may be measured based on a total solids content of 60 Brix°.

[0066] The lower limit of the methyl propyl trisulfide content may be 20 μg / ml, 30 μg / ml, 40 μg / ml, 45 μg / ml, 50 μg / ml, 52 μg / ml, 55 μg / ml, or 60 μg / ml, and the upper limit of the methyl propyl trisulfide content in the onion concentrate may be 600 μg / ml, 400 μg / ml, 200 μg / ml, 100 μg / ml, 80 μg / ml, or 70 μg / ml. The content of methyl propyl trisulfide in the onion concentrate may be within a range combining a numerical value selected from the above-mentioned lower limit values ​​and a numerical value selected from the above-mentioned upper limit values ​​of the content, for example, 20 μg / ml to 600 μg / ml, 40 μg / ml to 600 μg / ml, 50 μg / ml to 400 μg / ml, 52 μg / ml to 200 μg / ml, or 60 μg / ml to 70 μg / ml.

[0067] The content of methyl propyl trisulfide may be measured based on a total solids content of 60 Brix°.

[0068] The lower limit of the 1,3-dithiane content may be 5 μg / ml, 10 μg / ml, 20 μg / ml, 25 μg / ml, 30 μg / ml, 32 μg / ml, 35 μg / ml, or 40 μg / ml, and the upper limit of the 1,3-dithiane content in the onion concentrate may be 500 μg / ml, 300 μg / ml, 150 μg / ml, 80 μg / ml, 60 μg / ml, or 50 μg / ml. The content of 1,3-dithiane in the onion concentrate may be within a range combining a numerical value selected from the above-mentioned lower limit values ​​and a numerical value selected from the above-mentioned upper limit values ​​of the content, for example, 5 μg / ml to 500 μg / ml, 10 μg / ml to 300 μg / ml, 30 μg / ml to 300 μg / ml, 32 μg / ml to 150 μg / ml, or 40 μg / ml to 50 μg / ml.

[0069] The content of 1,3-dithiane may be measured based on a total solids content of 60 Brix°.

[0070] In an exemplary embodiment, the onion concentrate may contain low or no furan-based compounds or pyrazine-based compounds as determined by GC / MS.

[0071] The furan-based compound may be one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of 3-methylfuran, 2-methylfuran, 2-ethylfuran, 2,5-dimethylfuran, and 2-(1-pentenyl)furan, and the pyrazine-based compound may be one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of methylpyrazine, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, and 2-ethenyl-6-methylpyrazine.

[0072] In this application, "volatile compound" means a compound that has the property of evaporating into a gas.

[0073] When the onion concentrate contains high amounts of volatile sulfur-containing compounds or low levels of or no furan-based compounds and pyrazine-based compounds, the onion concentrate can have pungency and the characteristic onion flavor. The amounts of such volatile compounds can be measured by GC / MS.

[0074] In an exemplary embodiment, the onion concentrate may have a content of one or more furan-based compounds selected from the group consisting of 3-methylfuran, 2-methylfuran, 2-ethylfuran, 2,5-dimethylfuran, and 2-(1-pentenyl)furan of 0.1 part by weight or less based on 100 parts by weight of total volatile components, or may be undetectable, as measured by GC / MS.

[0075] The upper limit of the content of the furan-based compound may be 0.1 parts by weight, 0.08 parts by weight, 0.06 parts by weight, 0.04 parts by weight, 0.02 parts by weight, 0.05 parts by weight, 0.005 parts by weight, or 0.0005 parts by weight, and the lower limit may be 0.09 parts by weight, 0.07 parts by weight, 0.05 parts by weight, 0.03 parts by weight, 0.01 parts by weight, 0.0025 parts by weight, 0.00025 parts by weight, or 0.000025 parts by weight. The content of the furan-based compound may be within a range that combines one of the lower limits and one of the upper limits, for example, 0.01 to 0.1 parts by weight, 0.0025 to 0.05 parts by weight, or 0.00025 to 0.01 parts by weight.

[0076] In an exemplary embodiment, the onion concentrate may have a content of one or more pyrazine compounds selected from the group consisting of methylpyrazine, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, and 2-ethenyl-6-methylpyrazine of 0.1 part by weight or less based on 100 parts by weight of total volatile components, or may be undetectable, as measured by GC / MS.

[0077] The upper limit of the content of the pyrazine-based compound may be 0.1 parts by weight, 0.08 parts by weight, 0.06 parts by weight, 0.04 parts by weight, 0.02 parts by weight, 0.05 parts by weight, 0.005 parts by weight, or 0.0005 parts by weight, and the lower limit may be 0.09 parts by weight, 0.07 parts by weight, 0.05 parts by weight, 0.03 parts by weight, 0.01 parts by weight, 0.0025 parts by weight, 0.00025 parts by weight, or 0.000025 parts by weight. The content of the pyrazine-based compound may be within a range that combines one of the lower limit values ​​and one of the upper limit values, for example, 0.01 to 0.1 parts by weight, 0.0025 to 0.05 parts by weight, or 0.00025 to 0.01 parts by weight.

[0078] When the contents of the furan-based compounds and pyrazine-based compounds are within the above ranges or are not detectable, bitterness and odor due to deterioration products are suppressed, and the taste and odor of the original onion concentrate are improved without being altered even after concentration.

[0079] The absence of detectable furan-based compounds and pyrazine-based compounds may mean that the furan-based compounds or pyrazine-based compounds are contained at a concentration below the detection limit of GC / MS, which may be 1,000 ppm (w / w), 100 ppm (w / w), 10 ppm (w / w), 5 ppm (w / w), or 1 ppm (w / w).

[0080] In an exemplary embodiment, the onion concentrate may include amino acids.

[0081] The amino acids may include any one or more of glutamic acid, histidine, and arginine.

[0082] The amino acid may be contained at 10 g / L or more, specifically 10 g / L to 20 g / L, 10.2 g / L to 20 g / L, or 11 g / L to 15 g / L.

[0083] The glutamic acid may be contained at 1.6 g / L or more, specifically, 1.6 g / L to 10 g / L, 1.8 g / L to 10 g / L, 1.9 g / L to 5 g / L, or 1.9 g / L to 3 g / L.

[0084] The histidine may be contained at 0.16 g / L or more, specifically, 0.16 g / L to 5 g / L, 0.17 g / L to 5 g / L, 0.17 g / L to 3 g / L, 0.18 g / L to 3 g / L, or 0.19 g / L to 1 g / L.

[0085] The arginine may be contained at 4.5 g / L or more, specifically, 4.5 g / L to 10 g / L, 5 g / L to 10 g / L, 5 g / L to 8 g / L, 5 g / L to 7 g / L, or 5.3 g / L to 7 g / L.

[0086] The contents of the amino acids, glutamic acid, histidine, and arginine may be measured based on a total solids content of 60 Brix°.

[0087] By including the amino acids glutamic acid, histidine, and arginine in the above amounts, the concentrate can have a taste and / or health-improving function.

[0088] The content of phenylalanine in the amino acids may be 24 parts by weight or less relative to 100 parts by weight of glutamic acid. Specifically, it may be 24 parts by weight or less, 23 parts by weight or less, 20 parts by weight or less, or 19 parts by weight or less, and phenylalanine may be absent or may be contained at an undetectable level.

[0089] By including 24 parts by weight or less of phenylalanine per 100 parts by weight of glutamic acid, the bitterness of the concentrate can be reduced.

[0090] In an exemplary embodiment, the turbidity of the onion concentrate may be 1,600 NTU or less. Specifically, it may be 1,600 NTU or less, 1,500 NTU or less, 1,400 NTU or less, or 1,100 NTU or less. The lower limit of the turbidity may be unlimited, including 0, but may be 500 NTU or more.

[0091] The turbidity of the onion concentrate may be measured based on a total solids content of 60 Brix°.

[0092] In yet another aspect, the present application provides a food product containing the onion concentrate.

[0093] The food includes, but is not limited to, general foods, health foods, and medical (or patient) foods. Specifically, the food may be a beverage (e.g., dietary fiber drinks, carbonated water, buckwheat flour (grain drink), tea, etc.), alcoholic beverage, bread, sauce (e.g., ketchup, pork cutlet sauce, tare, etc.), dairy products (e.g., fermented milk, etc.), meat products (e.g., ham, sausage, etc.), chocolate products, gum, candy, jelly, ice cream, syrup, dressing, snacks (e.g., cookies, crackers, etc.), pickled fruits and vegetables (e.g., candied fruits, candied fruits, red ginseng extract, red ginseng slices, etc.), fermented foods (e.g., soybean paste, ssamjang, gochujang, etc.), meal replacements (e.g., frozen foods, retort foods, room temperature foods, HMR, etc.), or processed foods.

[0094] When the onion concentrate of the present application is used in foods, the concentrate of the present application may be added as is or together with other food ingredients, and may be used appropriately by a conventional method. The food of the present application may contain various sweeteners or natural carbohydrates as additional ingredients. The natural carbohydrates include monosaccharides such as glucose and fructose, disaccharides such as maltose and sucrose, polysaccharides such as dextrin and cyclodextrin, and sugar alcohols such as xylitol, sorbitol, and erythritol. As sweeteners, natural sweeteners such as thaumatin and stevia extract, and synthetic sweeteners such as saccharin and aspartame may be used.

[0095] In addition to the above, the food products of the present application may contain various nutrients, vitamins, electrolytes, flavoring agents, coloring agents, pectin and its salts, alginic acid and its salts, organic acids, protective colloidal thickeners, pH adjusters, stabilizers, preservatives, glycerin, alcohol, carbonation agents used in carbonated beverages, etc. Additionally, the food products of the present application may contain fruit pulp for the production of natural fruit juices, fruit juice drinks, and vegetable drinks. Such ingredients may be used independently or in combination.

[0096] The onion concentrate may be contained in the food product in any amount, for example, 0.001 to 50 parts by weight, 0.01 to 30 parts by weight, 0.01 to 20 parts by weight, 0.1 to 10 parts by weight, or 0.1 to 5 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of the food product.

[0097] The food product may be for imparting the antioxidant properties, spiciness, or flavor of onion to food.

[0098] In still another aspect, the present application provides a method for enhancing the flavor of onion concentrate, comprising the steps of thin film concentrating original onion juice and plate concentrating the thin film concentrated onion juice.

[0099] The onion concentrate, original onion juice, thin film concentration and plate concentration are as described above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0100] The present application has the effect of providing a method for producing a concentrate of raw material that has excellent marketability because it has a high extraction yield of active ingredients from the raw material, is economical, causes little nutritional damage, and has a good flavor.

[0101] The present invention has an effect of providing an original onion concentrate having enhanced flavor, which retains the inherent onion flavor but does not generate an unpleasant odor, since the components which give off the inherent onion taste and aroma are not destroyed and deterioration products are reduced even after the concentration process.

[0102] The present application has an effect that an original onion concentrate having a high content of active ingredients but not losing the inherent onion flavor can be used as an ingredient of processed foods. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0103] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a process for producing onion juice according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0104] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the following examples, but these examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. [Example]

[0105] Production example 1. Production of original squeezed liquid

[0106] 1-1. Preparation of ingredients

[0107] Raw onions harvested from Jeju Island, Korea were purchased and used. Peeled onions were washed with running water until all the soil was removed, then packaged and stored refrigerated at 10°C or below.

[0108] 1-2. Pre-treatment and juicing

[0109] To maintain the fresh onion flavor, the raw onions were treated with slightly acidic electrolyzed water (HOCl, pH 5.0, 20 ppm) for 30 minutes instead of heating them to control the initial bacterial count. Next, the raw onions were crushed and squeezed using a juicer (HSJ-120, HANSUNG Co., Kr) to produce raw onion juice.

[0110] 1-3.Filtration process

[0111] To effectively remove various sizes of impurities from the raw juice, a two-stage filtration process was carried out: primary filtration using a filter press (JUNGDO 1000, JUNGDO Co., Kr) and secondary filtration using a 5 μm MF filter.

[0112] Specifically, 5 wt% of diatomaceous earth based on the total weight of the raw juice was added to the raw juice to allow the viscous polysaccharides to aggregate on the diatomaceous earth, and then 15 cc of the juice was filtered through a filter press filter cloth to remove low molecular weight fibers. The primary filtered raw juice was then subjected to a second filtration using a 5 μm MF filter to further remove residual diatomaceous earth and fine particles, resulting in a clarified juice.

[0113] 1-4. Turbidity measurement

[0114] The turbidity of the filtered raw juice was measured to determine the degree to which suspended solids were removed after the filtration process. Specifically, the turbidity was measured using a turbidimeter (HACH 2001N TURBIDIMETER).

[0115] After the two-stage filtration process of the present invention, the concentration of the raw juice was maintained at a low level of 7.3 Brix° and 154 NTU in turbidity.

[0116] 1-5. Quick freezing and storage

[0117] The filtered raw juice was cooled to below 20°C to minimize browning and evaporation of aroma components, then packaged in 15kg portions and quickly frozen at below -18°C for storage.

[0118] Examples 1 to 4. Combined process of thin film concentration process and plate type concentration process

[0119] The original onion juice produced by the method of Preparation Example 1 was concentrated by a combination of thin film concentration and plate concentration.

[0120] Specifically, a centrifugal thin-film concentrator (CEP-1, OKAWARA CO., Japan) was optimized and set to an evaporation temperature of 30-35°C, a heat medium temperature of 100°C, a vacuum degree of 4.0 kPa, and a drum speed of 1500 rpm.

[0121] The initial onion juice was concentrated to a solid content of 20 (Example 1), 30 (Example 2), 40 (Example 3) or 50 (Example 4) Brix°. The above process was repeated until the target concentrations were reached.

[0122] Next, in the case of plate concentration, the evaporation temperature was optimized to be 30 to 35°C, the heat medium temperature to be 60°C or less and the vacuum degree to be 2.0 kPa, and plate concentration was continued until the concentration of the finally produced onion concentrate reached 60 Brix°.

[0123] The final raw onion concentrate was stored at a temperature of 20°C or less, and the content of active ingredients and main quality characteristics according to the concentration method and conditions were confirmed.

[0124] Comparative Example 1: General vacuum concentration process

[0125] An original onion concentrate was produced by a conventionally used method for producing a concentrate.

[0126] An original onion juice was produced by hot squeezing. Specifically, the same raw material as in Preparation Example 1-1 was extracted at 90 to 100°C for 60 minutes, and then filtered (80 mesh), cooled (below 20°C), packaged, and quick-frozen (below -18°C) to produce an original onion juice. The concentration of the squeezed juice was 7.7 Brix° and the turbidity was 549 NTU.

[0127] The produced raw onion juice was vacuum concentrated using a commonly used batch type vacuum concentrator (PILOT, Seo Kang, Co., Kr). Specifically, the vacuum concentrator was set to an evaporation temperature of 45 to 50°C, a heat medium temperature of 60°C or higher and a vacuum of 9.0 kPa, and then stirred to produce a raw onion concentrate.

[0128] Comparative Example 2. Optimized thin film concentration process

[0129] The original onion juice produced in Production Example 1 was charged into a centrifugal thin-film concentrator to give an original onion concentrate.

[0130] The same equipment as in Example 1, using a centrifugal thin-film concentrator, temperature and the like were used, and the concentrate was recycled until the concentration of the concentrate reached 40 Brix°, to produce an original onion concentrate.

[0131] Comparative Example 3. Optimized plate-type concentration process

[0132] The original onion juice produced in Production Example 1 was charged into a plate concentrator to give an original onion concentrate.

[0133] Specifically, the plate concentration step was carried out using the same equipment, temperature and other conditions as in Example to produce an original onion concentrate with a Brix of 60°.

[0134] That is, in Comparative Example 3, the thin film concentration step was omitted compared to the Examples.

[0135] Experimental Example 1. Confirmation of changes in turbidity, browning, and pH of the original concentrate according to the concentration process

[0136] The changes in turbidity, browning degree, and pH of various original onion concentrates prepared by the methods of the Examples and Comparative Examples were confirmed.

[0137] The turbidity was measured using a turbidity meter (HACH 2100N TURBIDIMETER), the degree of browning was measured by measuring the absorbance at 420 nm using a spectrophotometer (U-2900, HITACHI, Co., Japan), and the pH was measured using a pH meter (METTLER TOLEDO).

[0138] [Table 1]

[0139] As a result, as shown in Table 1, it was confirmed that the turbidity and browning degree differed depending on the concentration method, and that in the case of combined concentration (Examples 1 to 4), the turbidity and browning degree were reduced compared to the conventional concentration method, vacuum concentration (Comparative Example 1).

[0140] Experimental example 2: Confirmation of color change of original concentrate according to the concentration process

[0141] The color of various original onion concentrates prepared by the methods of the Examples and Comparative Examples was measured by Hunter's method.

[0142] The color of the original concentrate was measured using a colorimeter (SA-2000, NIPPON Denshoku Co., Japan) to measure lightness (L), redness (a), yellowness (b), and the ΔE value, which indicates the overall color difference. Each sample was measured three times and the average values ​​were expressed. The standard white board used had an L value of 98.01, an a value of 2.27, and a b value of 1.13.

[0143] [Table 2]

[0144] As a result, as shown in Table 2, the original concentrates (Examples 1 to 4) produced by combined concentration exhibited higher brightness, lower redness, and higher yellowness than the conventional concentration method (Comparative Example 1), and the ΔE value, which indicates the overall color difference, was relatively low. A lower ΔE value indicates less color deviation, while a higher ΔE value indicates more deviation. Therefore, the above results indicate that the original concentrates produced by combined concentration exhibited less color change during the concentration process.

[0145] Experimental Example 3: Confirmation of the content of each amino acid type in the original concentrate according to the concentration process

[0146] The amino acid contents in various original onion concentrates prepared by the methods of the Examples and Comparative Examples were analyzed and are shown in Table 3 below.

[0147] For amino acid content analysis, 0.1 mL of sample solution was mixed with 9.9 mL of distilled water and then centrifuged (10,000 rpm, 10 min, 4°C). The supernatant was filtered through a 0.25 μm syringe filter. The amino acid content of the filtrate was measured using a High Speed ​​Amino Acid Analyzer (L-8900, Hitachi Co., Japan).

[0148] A 2622SC-PH ion exchange column (4.6 × 60 mm, Hitachi, Co., Japan) was used for the analysis. The mobile phase was run in gradient mode. Pump 1 used sodium acetate buffer (MCI buffer PH1, PH4, RG) at a column temperature of 57°C and a flow rate of 0.4 mL / min. Pump 2 used ninhydrin solution (R1, R2) at a flow rate of 0.35 mL / min. A 10 μL injection volume was used. The detector was a dual channel (Channel 1: UV-570 nm, Channel 2: UV-440 nm).

[0149] [Table 3]

[0150] As a result, as shown in Table 3, it was confirmed that the total amino acid content was higher in the original concentrate prepared by combined concentration than in the conventional concentration method (Comparative Example 1) and the single concentration methods (Comparative Examples 2 and 3).

[0151] Furthermore, compared to the Comparative Example, the content of phenylalanine, which produces a bitter taste, decreased and the content of glutamic acid, which produces a umami taste, increased in the concentrate of the Example, confirming an improved flavor. It was also confirmed that the antioxidants histidine and arginine also increased in the concentrate of the Example. This change in the content of amino acids is believed to be due to some heat-labile amino acids being continuously exposed to heat, reacting with other components or being decomposed to produce volatile aroma compounds or being converted into other amino acids. The increase in the content of some amino acids is believed to be due to the release of amino acids that were not fully released during the concentration process.

[0152] Experimental Example 4: Confirmation of flavor-enhancing index components in the original concentrate according to the concentration process

[0153] Pyruvic acid, which is an indicator of the pungency of garlic and onion, is lost when heated. Thiosulfinate, a sulfur-containing compound in onion and known as an antioxidant, is also known to decrease in its characteristic component when heated. The contents of thiosulfinate and pyruvic acid in various raw onion concentrates prepared by the methods of the Examples and Comparative Examples were analyzed and the results are shown in Table 4 below.

[0154] Determination of thiosulfinate content

[0155] 0.5 mL of 50 mM N-(2-hydroxyethyl)piperazine-N'-(2-ethane sulfonic acid) (HEPES, pH 7.5, Sigma, USA) containing 2 mM cysteine ​​(Sigma, USA), 0.1 mL of the extract, and 4.4 mL of 50 mM HEPES were mixed to a total volume of 5 mL (0.2 mM cysteine / mL). After 10 minutes of incubation at 27°C, 1 mL of the solution was taken and 1 mL of 0.4 mM 5,5'-dithio-bis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB, Sigma, USA) prepared in 50 mM HEPES buffer (pH 7.5) was added. The mixture was then incubated for 10 minutes at 27°C. The absorbance at 412 nm was measured to determine the amount of residual cysteine. A standard curve was constructed using 1 mL of 0.05–0.3 mM cysteine ​​prepared in 50 mM HEPES buffer (pH 7.5) and 0.4 mM The sample was mixed with 1 mL of DTNB and incubated at 27°C for 10 minutes, after which the absorbance was measured at 412 nm. The amount of cysteine ​​was determined from the standard curve, and the total thiosulfinate content was calculated using Equation 1. For the control group, a buffer solution was added instead of the extract solution to develop color, and for samples affected by dyes, the sample extract solution was added instead of the coloring agent DTNB, and the absorbance was subtracted from the absorbance of the sample.

[0156] [Mathematical formula 1] Total thiosulfinate (mM / mL) = [Ab-(As-Ac)] x 25

[0157] Ab: Cysteine ​​content in the control group (mM / mL) As: Cysteine ​​content (mM / mL) of the extract As: cysteine ​​content (mM / mL) corresponding to the pigment contained in the extract

[0158] Measurement of pyruvic acid content

[0159] 4 mL of 0.0125% DNPH (2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine) was added to 80 μL of the supernatant of the original onion concentrate, and the mixture was shaken and incubated at 37°C for 10 minutes. 8 mL of 0.6 N NaOH solution was added, and the absorbance was measured at 485 nm. The pyruvic acid concentration was calculated using a calibration curve. The calibration curve was prepared using sodium pyruvate solutions with concentrations of 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 mg / mL.

[0160] [Table 4]

[0161] As a result, as shown in Table 4, thiosulfinate, a standard sulfur-containing compound, was contained at a content of 296.5 μg / mL in Comparative Example 1, whereas the original onion concentrate produced by the combined concentration method of the present invention contained 638 to 713.9 μg / mL, confirming that the concentration efficiency was more than twice as high as that of Comparative Example 1. Furthermore, pyruvic acid, an index component of pungency, was contained at 3.61 mol / L in Comparative Example 1, whereas in the case of combined concentration, the original onion concentrate produced by thin-film concentration of the original juice to a solid content of 30 to 40 Brix° and then plate concentration contained 3.89 to 4.02 mol / L of pyruvic acid, confirming that the pyruvic acid content was increased compared to Comparative Example 1. This indicates that, when the concentration efficiency and the degree of heat transferred per unit time during large-scale concentration are taken into consideration, the change in the quality of the original onion juice can be minimized in the combined concentration method of the Example compared to Comparative Examples 1 to 3.

[0162] Experimental Example 5: Confirmation of flavor enhancement index components in the original concentrated liquid according to the concentration process

[0163] It is known that sulfur-containing compounds, which are the main aroma components of onions, are lost due to heat. The aroma components of various original onion concentrates prepared by the methods of the Examples and Comparative Examples were analyzed by GC / MS and the results are shown in Tables 5 to 8 below. The analysis of volatile aroma substances was carried out as follows.

[0164] Volatile substance analysis methods

[0165] The following method was used to identify the aroma components of the extract. For the analysis of volatile compounds, SPME (Solid Phase Microextraction Fiber Holder, Supelco., Bellefonte, PA, USA) was performed using a DVB / CAR / PDMS (50 / 30 μm) filter. 1 mL of the pretreated extract was placed in a 20 mL EPA vial and capped with PTFE / Silicon. An SPME needle was inserted into the vial containing the extract, and the vial was then subjected to adsorption at 60°C for 30 minutes before being used for GC / MS analysis.

[0166] GC / MS analysis was performed using an Agilent gas chromatograph (GC2010 plus, Agilent, USA) with a DB-5MS column (thickness: 0.25 μm, length: 30 m, diameter: 0.25 mm). He was used as the carrier gas. The column oven temperature was 100°C, the injection temperature was 200°C, the total flow rate was 1.10 mL / min, and the total program time was 37 min.

[0167] The detection limit in GC / MS analysis was confirmed to be 1 ppm (weight ratio).

[0168] [Table 5]

[0169] As shown in Table 5, the vacuum concentration method of Comparative Example 1 showed a decrease in the intensity of sulfur compounds, while the onion concentrate concentrated by the combined concentration method of Examples showed a tendency for some sulfur-containing compounds to decrease or increase, although this tendency varied somewhat depending on the time of combining.

[0170] [Table 6]

[0171] The heterocyclic compounds shown in Table 6 are compounds produced by the Maillard reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars. In Comparative Example 1, a variety of furan-based compounds and pyrazine-based compounds, which are typical heat-induced reactants, were detected. In contrast, in the onion concentrates of Comparative Examples 2 and 3 and the Example, no pyrazine-based compounds were detected, and only some furan compounds were detected in small amounts. Furan compounds with peak area / 10,000 values ​​of less than about 1,000 are expected to be present in very small amounts, about 0.1 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of volatile components.

[0172] [Table 7]

[0173] Furthermore, as shown in Table 7, 2-methyl-2-pentenal, which can be said to be a main aroma component of fresh onions, showed a low intensity in Comparative Example 1, and the characteristics of fresh onion were reduced, whereas the onion concentrates of the Examples, which were subjected to combined concentration at the appropriate time, showed a specific increase in the flavor of fresh onion. Furthermore, 1-(2-furanyl)-1-propanone, which is known to cause the odor of cooked onion, and 3-methyl-butanal, which is produced by oxidative decomposition of fat, were produced only in Comparative Example 1, but not in Comparative Examples 2 and 3 or the Examples.

[0174] Therefore, in each concentration process for realizing the original product's unique flavor, the thin film concentration process of Comparative Example 2 does not produce strong aromas or thermal reaction-induced products, but it is expected that thermal reaction products will be produced as the concentration increases, making it unsuitable for high concentration concentration. The plate concentration process of Comparative Example 3 is one in which the conditions have been optimized for combined concentration, and there is less change in quality than under commercial conditions, so it does not appear to be significantly different from the combined concentration process. However, considering the concentration efficiency per unit time, the combined concentration process of the example is judged to be the most advantageous for realizing the original product's unique flavor.

[0175] Meanwhile, in order to confirm the content of each sulfur-containing compound contained in the original onion concentrate, the sulfur-containing compounds were quantitatively analyzed and the results are shown in Table 8.

[0176] The sulfur-containing compounds were quantified by adding 100 μL of 100 mg / L n-butylbenzene as an internal standard to 1.0 g of sample, and calculating the content of volatile aroma components in the sample using comparative relative quantification.

[0177] [Table 8]

[0178] The contents of each sulfur-containing compound showed a similar tendency to the results of identifying the aroma components. Among the sulfur-containing compounds, the main aroma components methyl trisulfide (methyl propyl), dimethyl trisulfide and 1,3-dithiane showed the highest contents in the original onion concentrate of the Examples, while their contents were relatively low in the onion concentrate produced by the vacuum concentration process of Comparative Example 1.

Claims

1. An onion concentrate containing 600 μg / ml or more of thiosulfinate based on a total solids content of 60 Brix° and 10 g / L to 20 g / L of amino acids based on a total solids content of 60 Brix°, the amino acids include glutamic acid, histidine, and arginine; the onion concentrate has a content of one or more furan-based compounds selected from the group consisting of 3-methylfuran, 2-methylfuran, 2-ethylfuran, 2,5-dimethylfuran and 2-(1-pentenyl)furan of 0.1 part by weight or less based on 100 parts by weight of volatile components of the onion concentrate, as measured by GC / MS; An onion concentrate, wherein a content of one or more pyrazine compounds selected from the group consisting of methylpyrazine, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine and 2-ethenyl-6-methylpyrazine is 0.1 part by weight or less based on 100 parts by weight of volatile components of the onion concentrate.

2. 2. The onion concentrate according to claim 1, which contains one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of dimethyl trisulfide, methyl propyl trisulfide, and 1,3-dithiane.

3. 3. A food product comprising the onion concentrate according to claim 1 or 2.

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