Egg-flavoring enhancer and method for improving the egg-flavoring of food products

Abstract

To provide an egg feeling improver that can effectively improve an egg feeling of food, and a method for improving an egg feeling of food.SOLUTION: The present invention provides an egg feeling improver comprising yeast extract and onion raw material, and a method for improving an egg feeling of food including the step for adding the egg feeling improver to food.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to an egg feeling improver containing yeast extract and onion raw material, and a method for improving the egg feeling of food.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, various methods for improving the egg flavor of food have been studied. For example, Patent Documents 1 to 4 disclose methods for improving the egg flavor by adding yeast extract to food.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide an egg feeling improver capable of effectively improving the egg feeling of food more than conventional methods, and a method for improving the egg feeling of food. <00,00032>

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] As a result of intensive studies by the present inventors, it was discovered that the combined use of yeast extract and onion raw material effectively improves the egg flavor more than when yeast extract is singly added to food, and the present invention was thus achieved. The inventors also revealed that the flavor of egg white is enhanced by further adding soy flour and / or milk protein. Specifically, they found that a good balance between egg yolk and egg white flavors can be achieved by using yeast extract, onion ingredients, soy flour, and / or milk protein in combination. In other words, the present invention provides the following: [1] An egg-flavoring enhancer containing yeast extract and onion ingredients. [2] The egg-flavor enhancer according to [1], further comprising at least one of soy flour and milk protein. [3] An egg-flavor enhancer as described in [1] or [2] above, manufactured by heating and mixing at a temperature of 90 to 115°C. [4] An egg-flavor enhancer as described in [1] or [2] above, manufactured by heating and mixing at a temperature of 95 to 100°C. [5] An egg-flavoring enhancer according to any one of [1] to [4] above, in the form of a powder, granules, paste, or solid. [6] An egg-flavoring enhancer according to any one of [1] to [4] above, which is in the form of a powder coated with oil or fat. [7] A method for producing an egg-flavor enhancer, comprising the step of heating and mixing oil, yeast extract, and onion raw materials at a product temperature of 90 to 115°C. [8] A method for producing an egg-flavor enhancer, comprising the step of heating and mixing oil and fat, yeast extract, onion raw material, and at least one of soy flour and milk protein at a product temperature of 95 to 100°C. [9] A method for improving the eggy taste of food, comprising the step of adding yeast extract and onion raw materials to the food.

[10] The method according to [9], further comprising the step of adding at least one of soy flour and milk protein to the food. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, by adding an egg-flavoring enhancer containing yeast extract and onion raw materials to an egg-containing food, the egg flavor of the food can be improved. In particular, the present invention makes it possible to give a food with a reduced egg content a flavor comparable to that of a food made using a normal amount of eggs. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] The present invention will be described in detail below. Furthermore, the preferred and more preferred embodiments exemplified below can be used in appropriate combinations with each other, regardless of expressions such as "preferred" or "more preferred." In addition, the numerical ranges are illustrative examples, and ranges obtained by appropriately combining the upper and lower limits of each range and the numerical values ​​of the examples can also be used. Moreover, terms such as "contains" or "includes" may be interpreted as "essentially constitutes" or "consists only of."

[0008] [Egg-flavor enhancer] The egg-flavoring enhancer of the present invention comprises yeast extract and onion raw materials, and by adding the egg-flavoring enhancer to a food containing eggs, the egg-flavoring of the food is improved. As used herein, "egg-like sensation" refers to the taste, flavor, and smell associated with the characteristic sweet aroma of eggs that occurs when eggs or food products containing eggs as an ingredient are heated. Egg-like sensation can be perceived by the taste and smell of the person consuming the food. As used in this specification, "egg yolk sensation" refers to the taste, flavor, and smell associated with egg yolk, among other aspects of egg sensation. In this specification, "egg white sensation" refers to the taste, flavor, and smell associated with egg whites, among other aspects of the egg sensation. As used in this specification, "enhancing the eggy taste" refers to enhancing the eggy taste of foods containing eggs.

[0009] [Yeast extract] The term "yeast extract" as used herein refers to an extract of various components found in yeast, including amino acids, peptides, nucleic acids, minerals, and the like. The yeast used as the raw material for the yeast extract in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is an edible yeast, and any yeast commonly used in the field of food manufacturing can be used. Examples of such yeasts include baker's yeast used in bread making, Torula yeast used in the production of food and animal feed, and brewer's yeast used in beer making.

[0010] One type of yeast may be used as the raw material for the yeast extract, or multiple types of yeast may be used. For example, the yeast extract may be obtained by extracting from a mixed bacterial cell obtained by separately culturing yeast belonging to Saccharomyces cerevisiae and yeast belonging to Candida utilis, and then mixing the collected cells. Alternatively, the yeast extract may be obtained by mixing yeast extracts obtained by separately extracting each cultured yeast. The yeast culture can be carried out by conventional methods.

[0011] The method for extracting yeast extract is not particularly limited, and any method commonly used when extracting extracts from biological raw materials such as yeast may be used. Examples of such extraction methods include autolysis and enzymatic decomposition. Here, autolysis is a method of solubilizing and extracting yeast using enzymes naturally present in the yeast. Enzymatic decomposition is a method of inactivating enzymes present in yeast by heat treatment or the like, and then adding a decomposing enzyme to solubilize and extract the yeast.

[0012] The amount of yeast extract in the egg-flavoring enhancer of the present invention is not particularly limited, but can be appropriately determined considering the type and concentration of the yeast extract, the type of food, etc. For example, the amount of yeast extract is about 0.5% to about 20% by mass, preferably about 2% to about 10% by mass, relative to the total mass of the egg-flavoring enhancer. When determining the amount of yeast extract, it is also possible to consider the compatibility between the yeast extract and the food to which the egg-flavoring enhancer is added, and the amount of yeast extract may be appropriately adjusted depending on the type of food. By adjusting the amount of yeast extract depending on the type of food, a more effective egg-flavoring effect can be obtained.

[0013] [Onion ingredient] The "onion raw material" described in this specification refers to a food raw material derived from fresh onions. As the onion raw material, those commonly used in the art can be adopted without particular limitation. For example, it may be onion powder (dried powder of onions), onion paste, minced onions, or grated onions, etc.

[0014] The blending amount of the onion raw material in the egg feeling improver of the present invention is not particularly limited. For example, the blending amount of the onion raw material is about 0.1% by mass to about 5% by mass, preferably about 0.3% by mass to about 3% by mass, based on the total mass of the egg feeling improver. When determining the blending amount of the onion raw material, it is also possible to consider the compatibility between the onion raw material and the food to which the egg feeling improver is added, and the blending amount of the onion raw material may be appropriately adjusted according to the type of food. By adjusting the blending amount of the onion raw material according to the type of food, the effect of improving the egg feeling can be obtained more effectively.

[0015] Moreover, the blending ratio of the yeast extract and the onion raw material blended in the egg feeling improver is preferably 1:10 to 10:1, more preferably 1:5 to 5:1. By setting such a blending ratio, the effect of improving the egg feeling of the yeast extract and the onion raw material can be enhanced. When determining the blending ratio of the yeast extract and the onion raw material, the blending ratio may be appropriately adjusted according to the type of food. By adjusting the blending ratio according to the type of food, the effect of improving the egg feeling can be obtained more effectively.

[0016] The egg feeling improver of the present invention may further contain at least one of soybean powder and milk protein. The egg feeling improver of the present invention has the effect of particularly improving the egg yolk feeling by the combination of the yeast extract and the onion raw material. On the other hand, the egg feeling improver of the present invention exhibits the effect of enhancing the egg white feeling by further containing at least one of soybean powder and milk protein.

[0017] [Soybean powder] As used herein, "soybean flour" refers to a powder obtained by grinding soybeans using methods commonly practiced in the art. While any soybean flour commonly used in the art may be used without particular limitation, for example, one or more types of soybean flour selected from whole soybean flour (made by grinding hulled whole soybeans), defatted soybean flour (made by grinding defatted soybeans), and deodorized whole soybean flour (made by heating and deodorizing whole soybean flour) may be used.

[0018] The amount of soy flour used in the egg-flavoring enhancer of the present invention is not particularly limited. For example, the amount of soy flour used may be about 1% to 10% by mass, preferably about 2% to 5% by mass, relative to the total mass of the egg-flavoring enhancer. When determining the amount of soy flour to use, the compatibility of soy flour with the food to which the egg flavor enhancer is added may be considered, and the amount of soy flour may be adjusted as appropriate depending on the type of food. Depending on the type of food, adjusting the amount of soy flour can more effectively enhance the egg white flavor.

[0019] [Milk protein] As used herein, "milk protein" is a general term for proteins derived from milk, and consists of casein and whey protein. So-called whole milk powder and skim milk powder are also included as long as they meet the conditions. As milk protein, those commonly used in the art can be used without particular restriction, but for example, materials containing milk protein can be used. Examples of materials containing milk protein include whey protein concentrate (WPC), whey protein isolate (WPI), whey protein hydrolysate (WPH), etc., as well as calcium caseinate, sodium caseinate, potassium caseinate, magnesium caseinate, acid casein, rennet casein, casein peptide, micellar casein, etc.

[0020] The amount of milk protein included in the egg-flavoring enhancer of the present invention is not particularly limited. For example, the amount of milk protein included may be about 1% to about 10% by mass, preferably about 3% to about 5% by mass, relative to the total mass of the egg-flavoring enhancer. When determining the amount of milk protein to include, the compatibility between the milk protein and the food to which the egg-flavoring enhancer is added may be considered, and the amount of milk protein may be adjusted as appropriate depending on the type of food. By adjusting the amount of milk protein depending on the type of food, the egg white flavor can be enhanced more effectively.

[0021] The form of the egg-flavor enhancer of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably in the form of a powder, granules, paste, or solid. More preferably, the egg-flavor enhancer is in the form of a powder with its surface coated with oil or fat. As used herein, "oils and fats" refers to natural oils and fats or processed oils and fats intended for consumption. The oils and fats may be those commonly used in the art and are not particularly limited. For example, the oils and fats may be at least one selected from the group consisting of animal oils and fats such as butter, beef tallow, and lard; vegetable oils and fats such as margarine, palm oil, cottonseed oil, and corn oil; hydrogenated oils and fats thereof; and mixed oils and fats thereof. The content of the oils and fats may be about 5% to about 40% by mass, preferably about 10% to about 20% by mass, relative to the total mass of the egg flavor enhancer. The yeast extract contained in the egg-flavor enhancer has a property of easily absorbing moisture. When the egg-flavor enhancer is in powder form, by incorporating the aforementioned oil into the egg-flavor enhancer, the surface of the powder can be coated, suppressing the deterioration of handling due to adhesion between the powder particles.

[0022] [Food] The foods to which the egg-flavoring enhancer of the present invention can be used are not particularly limited as long as they contain eggs. Examples of foods to which the egg-flavoring enhancer of the present invention can be suitably used include omelets, potato salad, prepared foods, soups, condiments such as mayonnaise and dressings, cakes and baked goods such as sponge cake, castella, and cookies, frozen desserts such as pudding, custard cream, and ice cream, and staple foods such as bread and Chinese noodles.

[0023] [Manufacturing method for egg-flavoring enhancer] The egg-flavoring enhancer of the present invention can be prepared in any form, such as powder, granules, paste, or solid (such as roux), by appropriately blending various raw materials and using any method commonly used in the art. Furthermore, the egg-flavoring enhancer may further contain any seasonings, spices, food ingredients, and / or additives commonly used in the art, as long as they do not impair the purpose of the present invention.

[0024] Through diligent research by the inventors, it was discovered that heating the raw materials of the egg flavor enhancer to a temperature of 90°C or higher further enhances the effect of improving the egg yolk flavor. Therefore, the method for producing the egg-flavoring enhancer of the present invention may include a step of heating and mixing yeast extract and onion raw materials, and, if combined, at least one of soy flour and milk protein, at a product temperature of, for example, 90°C or higher. The temperature during the heating and mixing is preferably 90 to 115°C, more preferably 95 to 100°C.

[0025] When the egg-flavoring enhancer of the present invention is in the form of a powder coated with oil or fat, the method for producing the egg-flavoring enhancer may include a step of heating and mixing, for example, oil or fat, yeast extract, and onion raw material, and, if combined, at least one of soy flour and milk protein, at a product temperature of 90°C or higher. The temperature during the heating and mixing is preferably 90 to 115°C, more preferably 95 to 100°C. When the egg-flavoring enhancer of the present invention is in powder form, the particle size of the egg-flavoring enhancer is not particularly limited.

[0026] [How to improve the eggy texture] The present invention provides a method for improving the egginess of a food product, comprising the steps of adding yeast extract and onion raw materials to the food product, and more preferably, further comprising the step of adding at least one of soy flour and milk protein. The steps of adding yeast extract and onion raw materials and further adding at least one of soy flour and milk protein may be the same step or different steps. The present invention provides a method for improving the egginess of a food product, and more preferably, comprises the step of adding the egginess-enhancing agent of the present invention to the food product. The amount of the egginess-enhancing agent of the present invention added is 0.01% to 5% by mass, preferably 0.05% to 3% by mass, relative to the total mass of the food product. The egg-flavoring enhancer of the present invention can be added to the food at any point during the food manufacturing process.

[0027] The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to examples, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples. [Examples]

[0028] [Manufacturing Example 1] Powdered compositions were prepared by mixing the raw materials listed in Table 1 below, and these were used to create the powdered compositions of Examples 1 to 5 (egg flavor enhancers of the present invention) and Comparative Examples 1 to 3, respectively.

[0029] [Test Example 1] The powdered compositions of Examples 1-5 and Comparative Examples 1-3 were added to commercially available custard cream. The amount of each powdered composition added was 0.1% by mass relative to the total mass of the custard cream. Five panelists evaluated the egginess (yolkiness, egg whiteiness, and the balance between yolkiness and egg whiteiness) of the prepared custard cream according to the following criteria. The average of the evaluation values ​​given by each panelist is shown in Table 1 as "Evaluation Results". (Egg yolk-like texture) 5: Very strong egg yolk flavor 4: Strong egg yolk flavor 3: The egg yolk flavor is a little strong. 2: The egg yolk flavor is a little weak. 1: The egg yolk flavor is weak. (Egg white texture) 5: Very strong egg white taste 4: Has a strong egg white taste 3: The egg white taste is a little too strong. 2: The egg white flavor is slightly weak. 1: The egg white flavor is weak. (Balance of egg yolk and egg white) 5: The balance between the egg yolk and egg white is excellent. 4: Good balance between egg yolk and egg white textures. 3: The balance between the egg yolk and egg white flavors is just right. 2; The balance between the egg yolk and egg white flavors is not very good. 1: The balance between the egg yolk and egg white is poor.

[0030] [Table 1]

[0031] Custard creams prepared from the powdered compositions of Comparative Examples 1-3, which did not contain either yeast extract or onion raw materials, had a slight but weak egg yolk flavor. On the other hand, the custard cream made from the egg-flavoring enhancer of Example 1, which contains both yeast extract and onion raw materials, had a sufficiently eggy flavor. Example 1 demonstrates that the egg-flavoring enhancer containing yeast extract and onion raw materials improves the eggy flavor of custard cream. Furthermore, the custard creams in Examples 2-5, which contained either soy flour or milk protein in addition to yeast extract and onion ingredients, exhibited both egg yolk and egg white flavors, indicating a good balance between the two. In particular, the custard creams in Examples 4 and 5, which contained both soy flour and milk protein, exhibited a sufficient egg white flavor and a good balance between egg yolk and egg white. It was also revealed that both whole-fat soy flour and defatted soy flour had the effect of enhancing the egg white flavor.

[0032] [Manufacturing Example 2 and Test Example 2] Each of the raw materials listed in Table 2 below (excluding dextrin) was heated and mixed at a temperature of 98°C, and after cooling to 70°C, dextrin was added and mixed. This produced the powdered compositions of Examples 6 to 11 (egg flavor enhancers of the present invention), as well as the powdered compositions of Comparative Examples 4 and 5. Then, each powdered composition was added to custard cream in the same manner as in Test Example 1, and the egg flavor (egg yolk flavor, egg white flavor, and the balance between egg yolk and egg white flavors) was evaluated by five panelists using the same criteria as in Test Example 1. The average values ​​of each panelist's evaluation are shown in Table 2.

[0033] [Table 2]

[0034] It was shown that heating and mixing each ingredient at a temperature of 98°C resulted in an even better balance of egg yolk and egg white flavors in the custard cream compared to mixing at room temperature. This is thought to be because heating at 98°C further enhanced the effect of improving the egg yolk flavor. In addition, in Examples 9 and 10, it was possible to suppress the onion flavor and achieve a very good balance of egg yolk and egg white flavors.

[0035] [Manufacturing Example 3 and Test Example 3] Each of the raw materials listed in Table 3 below (excluding dextrin) was heated and mixed at a temperature of 115°C, and after cooling to 70°C, dextrin was added and mixed. This produced the powdered compositions of Examples 12 and 13 (egg-flavoring enhancers of the present invention). Then, each powdered composition was added to custard cream in the same manner as in Test Example 1, and the egg flavor (egg yolk flavor, egg white flavor, and the balance between egg yolk and egg white flavors) was evaluated by five panelists using the same criteria as in Test Example 1. The average values ​​of each panelist's evaluation are shown in Table 3.

[0036] [Table 3]

[0037] By heating and mixing each ingredient at a temperature of 115°C, the egg yolk flavor of the custard cream was further improved compared to when the ingredients were mixed at room temperature.

[0038] [Manufacturing Example 4 and Test Example 4] Each of the raw materials listed in Table 4 below (excluding dextrin) was heated and mixed at a temperature of 90°C, and after cooling to 70°C, dextrin was added and mixed. This produced the powdered compositions of Examples 14 and 15 (egg-flavoring enhancers of the present invention). Then, each powdered composition was added to custard cream in the same manner as in Test Example 1, and the egg flavor (egg yolk flavor, egg white flavor, and the balance between egg yolk and egg white flavors) was evaluated by five panelists using the same criteria as in Test Example 1. The average values ​​of each panelist's evaluation are shown in Table 4.

[0039] [Table 4]

[0040] By heating and mixing each ingredient at a temperature of 90°C, the egg yolk flavor of the custard cream was improved compared to when the ingredients were mixed at room temperature. Furthermore, from Test Examples 2-4, it was shown that the egg-flavoring enhancer of the present invention is not affected by the heating temperature during raw material mixing.

[0041] Based on the above, it was found that using yeast extract and onion ingredients together synergistically improves the eggy flavor compared to using yeast extract alone. Furthermore, it was found that heating each ingredient to a temperature of 90°C or higher can further effectively enhance the egg yolk flavor. In particular, while the flavor of onions may increase with heating, in order to suppress the onion flavor while enhancing the egg yolk flavor and balancing the egg yolk and egg white flavors, it is desirable to heat and mix each ingredient at a temperature of 90°C to 115°C, more preferably 95°C to 100°C. Furthermore, by using soy flour and / or milk protein in addition to yeast extract and onion ingredients, we were able to enhance the egg white flavor and achieve a good balance between the egg yolk and egg white flavors.

Claims

1. An egg yolk texture enhancer containing yeast extract and onion ingredients.

2. The egg yolk texture enhancer according to Claim 1, manufactured by heating and mixing at a temperature of 90 to 115°C.

3. The egg yolk texture enhancer according to Claim 1, manufactured by heating and mixing at a temperature of 95 to 100°C.

4. The egg yolk texture enhancer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is in the form of a powder, granules, paste, or solid.

5. The egg yolk texture enhancer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is in the form of a powder coated with oil or fat.

6. An egg-flavoring enhancer comprising yeast extract and onion raw material, and further comprising at least one of soy flour and milk protein.

7. An egg-flavor enhancer according to claim 6, manufactured by heating and mixing at a temperature of 90 to 115°C.

8. An egg-flavor enhancer according to claim 6, manufactured by heating and mixing at a temperature of 95 to 100°C.

9. An egg-flavoring enhancer according to any one of claims 6 to 8, which is in the form of a powder, granules, paste, or solid.

10. An egg-flavoring enhancer according to any one of claims 6 to 8, which is in the form of a powder coated with oil or fat.

11. A method for producing an egg yolk texture enhancer, comprising the step of heating and mixing oil, yeast extract, and onion raw materials at a product temperature of 90 to 115°C.

12. A method for producing an egg-flavor enhancer, comprising the step of heating and mixing oil and fat, yeast extract, onion raw material, and at least one of soy flour and milk protein at a product temperature of 95 to 100°C.

13. A method for improving the egg yolk-like texture of food, comprising the step of adding yeast extract and onion raw materials to the food.

14. A method for improving the eggy taste of a food, comprising the steps of adding yeast extract and onion raw material to the food, and further comprising the step of adding at least one of soy flour and milk protein to the food.

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