Taste enhancement composition, method for producing same, and method for enhancing taste of food product

Abstract

The present specification discloses: a taste enhancement composition that is capable of enhancing the taste of a food product when added to the food product; and a method for producing the taste enhancement composition. The present disclosure pertains to a taste enhancement composition containing at least one heat-treated food material selected from heat-treated soybean and heat-treated tofu refuse. The heat-treated soybean is obtained by subjecting soybean to a heat treatment under a1) a condition that a heating value is at least 10 in an open system, b1) a condition that oil is present, or c1) a pressurized sealed condition. The heat-treated tofu refuse is obtained by subjecting tofu refuse to a heat treatment under a2) a condition that heating temperature is at least 175°C, b2) a condition that oil is present, or c2) a pressurized sealed condition. The present disclosure also pertains to a method for producing the taste enhancement composition.

Description

Composition for enhancing taste, method for producing the same, and method for enhancing taste of food

[0001] The present invention relates to a composition for enhancing taste, a method for producing the same, and a method for enhancing the taste of food.

[0002] Salt (sodium chloride) imparts a favorable taste to food and is used in food as a source of chlorine and sodium, which are essential elements for maintaining life. On the other hand, excessive intake of salt is known to cause many diseases such as hypertension, and suppression of salt intake is desired.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses, as a natural-derived flavor enhancer for solving the problem that the taste of the whole food becomes dull and unbalanced in salt reduction, the following requirements A to C: A) The raw material of the bean extract is beans that have been heat-treated in advance, B) The lipid content in the bean extract is 15% by weight or less in terms of solid content, C) The content ratio of protein to carbohydrates in the bean extract is 1 to 200% by weight. A flavor enhancer containing a bean extract satisfying these requirements as an active ingredient is disclosed. In Patent Document 1, soybeans, peas, kidney beans, mung beans, etc. are described as the beans in requirement A, and dry heat treatment, steam treatment, superheated steam treatment, microwave treatment, etc. are described as the heat treatment. As a specific example of the heat treatment, it is described that soybeans were heated at 80°C for 10 minutes, 120°C for 10 minutes, 160°C for 10 minutes, or 200°C for 10 minutes using an oven. Patent Document 1 describes that an extract obtained by extracting heat-treated beans with an aqueous solvent has a flavor-enhancing effect.

[0004] Patent Document 2 describes okara tea that has a rich taste, a deep and fragrant flavor, and is obtained from okara roasted in a pot immediately after squeezing soy milk.

[0005] International Publication WO2017 / 150482 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-141280

[0006] The present disclosure relates to a composition for enhancing taste that can enhance the taste of the food when blended with the food and a method for producing the same. The present disclosure also relates to a method for enhancing the taste of food.

[0007] The present inventors have discovered a flavor-enhancing composition that can enhance the taste of food, a method for producing the flavor-enhancing composition, and the following means as a method for enhancing the taste of food.

[0008] [1] A flavor-enhancing composition comprising one or more heat-treated food materials selected from the group consisting of heat-treated soybeans and heat-treated okara, wherein the heat-treated soybeans are subjected to heat treatment under one or more conditions selected from a1) conditions in which the heating value is 10 or more in an open system, b1) conditions in which oil is present, and c1) conditions under pressure and sealing, and the heat-treated okara are subjected to heat treatment under one or more conditions selected from a2) conditions in which the heating temperature is 175°C or higher, b2) conditions in which oil is present, and c2) conditions under pressure and sealing.

[0009] [2] A flavor-enhancing composition containing heat-treated soybeans, wherein the heat-treated food material contains heat-treated soybeans, specifically, the heat-treated food material is heat-treated soybeans.

[0010] [3] The flavor-enhancing composition according to [2], wherein the soybeans are one or more selected from unground soybeans and ground soybeans.

[0011] [4] The flavor-enhancing composition according to [2] or [3], wherein the soybean is a mixture of soybeans and amino acids or peptides.

[0012] [5] The heat-treated soybeans are subjected to 5 μg / g of caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g of L-methionine sulfone, and in the chromatogram obtained by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) according to the following method, (101) the total area ratio of the peak area derived from the alanine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.3 or more, (102) the total area ratio of the peak area derived from the arginine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.0 or more, (103) the total area ratio of the peak area derived from the aspartic acid-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.0 or more, (104) the total area ratio of the peak area derived from the asparagine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.80 or more. (105) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from glutamic acid-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.5 or more, (106) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from glutamine-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.30 or more, (107) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from glycine-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.1 or more, (108) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from histidine-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.0 or more, (109) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from leucine or isoleucine-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.0 or more, (110) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from lysine-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.36 or more, (111) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing methionine to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.70 or more.(112) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing phenylalanine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.2 or more, (113) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing proline to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 4.0 or more, (114) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing serine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.80 or more, (115) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing threonine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.5 or more, (116) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tryptophan to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.14 or more, (117) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tyrosine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.80 or more, (118) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from valine-containing cyclic dipeptides to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.0 or more, (119) The area ratio of peak areas derived from sulfurol to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.13 or more, (120) The area ratio of peak areas derived from acetate sulfurol to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.0010 or more, (121) The area ratio of peak areas derived from aconitic acid to the peak areas derived from L-methionine sulfone is 5.5 or more, (122) The area ratio of peak areas derived from succinic acid to the peak areas derived from L-methionine sulfone is 19 or more, (123) The area ratio of peak areas derived from tartaric acid to the peak areas derived from L-methionine sulfone is 2.2 or more. (124) The area ratio of the peak area derived from citric acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 12,000 or more, and (125) The area ratio of the peak area derived from fumaric acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 12 or more.(126) The area ratio of the peak area derived from pyroglutamic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 10 or more, and (127) The area ratio of the peak area derived from malic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 350 or more, satisfying one or more of the above. A taste-enhancing composition according to any one of [3] to [4]. (LC-MS measurement method) A 15 mL test tube containing 200 mg (dry weight) of the heat-treated soybeans and 7.5 mL of water is heated in a constant temperature water bath at 75°C for 10 minutes to prepare an aqueous extract. 2.5 mL of acetonitrile and 5 μg / g of caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g of L-methionine sulfone relative to the heat-treated soybeans (dry weight) are added to the aqueous extract in the test tube, and after stirring, the solid components are removed and the liquid components are recovered to prepare a sample. The aforementioned sample is analyzed by LC-MS (ionization method: electrospray ionization (ESI) positive mode and ESI negative mode) to obtain a chromatogram.

[0013] A method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of [6], [2] to [5], comprising: subjecting soybeans to a heat treatment under one or more conditions selected from a1) conditions in which the heating value is 10 or more in an open system, b1) conditions in which oil is present, and c1) conditions under pressure and sealing, in order to obtain the heat-treated soybeans.

[0014] [7] The method according to [6], wherein the soybeans are one or more selected from unground soybeans and ground soybeans.

[0015] [8] The method according to [6] or [7], wherein the soybeans are a mixture of soybeans and amino acids or peptides.

[0016] [9] The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the heat-treated food material contains the heat-treated okara, specifically, the heat-treated food material is the heat-treated okara.

[0017]

[10] The flavor-enhancing composition according to [9], wherein the condition in a2) further includes that the heating value is 150 or more, the condition in b2) further includes that the heating value is 150 or more, and the condition in c2) further includes that the heating value is 130 or more.

[0018]

[11] The flavor-enhancing composition according to [9] or

[10] , wherein the okara is a mixture of okara and amino acids or peptides.

[0019]

[12] The heat-treated okara is analyzed by adding 5 μg / g caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g L-methionine sulfone to the heat-treated okara and the resulting chromatogram obtained by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) according to the following method, in which: (201) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the alanine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.0 or more, (202) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the arginine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.40 or more, (203) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the aspartic acid-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.30 or more, (204) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the asparagine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.20 or more. (205) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing glutamic acid to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.650 or more, (206) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing glutamine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.30 or more, (207) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing glycine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.30 or more, (208) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing histidine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.5 or more, (209) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing leucine or isoleucine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.30 or more, (210) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing lysine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.70 or more, (211) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing methionine to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.30 or more.(212) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing phenylalanine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.30 or more, (213) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing proline to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.80 or more, (214) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing serine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.20 or more, (215) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing threonine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.40 or more, (216) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tryptophan to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.050 or more, (217) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tyrosine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.40 or more, (218) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from valine-containing cyclic dipeptides to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.15 or more, (219) The area ratio of peak areas derived from sulfurol to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.10 or more, (220) The area ratio of peak areas derived from acetate sulfurol to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.0005 or more, (221) The area ratio of peak areas derived from aconitic acid to the peak areas derived from L-methionine sulfone is 3.8 or more, (222) The area ratio of peak areas derived from succinic acid to the peak areas derived from L-methionine sulfone is 17.5 or more, (223) The area ratio of peak areas derived from tartaric acid to the peak areas derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.62 or more. (224) The area ratio of the peak area derived from citric acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 2200 or more, and (225) The area ratio of the peak area derived from fumaric acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 2.9 or more.(226) The area ratio of the peak area derived from pyroglutamic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.5 or more, and (227) The area ratio of the peak area derived from malic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 90 or more, satisfying one or more of the above, as described in any of [9] to

[11] . (LC-MS measurement method) A 15 mL test tube containing 200 mg (dry weight) of the heat-treated okara and 7.5 mL of water is heated in a constant temperature water bath at 75°C for 10 minutes to prepare an aqueous extract. 2.5 mL of acetonitrile and 5 μg / g of caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g of L-methionine sulfone relative to the heat-treated okara (dry weight) are added to the aqueous extract in the test tube, and after stirring, the solid components are removed and the liquid components are recovered to prepare a sample. The aforementioned sample is analyzed by LC-MS (ionization method: electrospray ionization (ESI) positive mode and ESI negative mode) to obtain a chromatogram.

[0020] A method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of

[13] , [9] to

[12] , comprising: subjecting okara to a heat treatment under one or more conditions selected from a2) a heating temperature of 175°C or higher, b2) a condition in which oil is present, and c2) a pressure-sealed condition, in order to obtain the heat-treated okara.

[0021]

[14] The method according to

[13] , wherein the condition in a2) further includes that the heating value is 150 or more, the condition in b2) further includes that the heating value is 150 or more, and the condition in c2) further includes that the heating value is 130 or more.

[0022]

[15] The method according to

[13] or

[14] , wherein the okara is a mixture of okara and amino acids or peptides.

[0023]

[16] A flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of [1] to [5] and [9] to

[12] , which is incorporated into food to enhance the flavor of the food itself.

[0024] A method for enhancing the taste of food, comprising incorporating a taste-enhancing composition described in any of [1] to [5] and [9] to

[12] into the food.

[0025]

[18] The method according to

[17] , wherein the enhanced taste is the taste of the food itself.

[0026]

[19] The method according to

[17] or

[18] , comprising blending the flavor-enhancing composition into the food such that the concentration of the heat-treated food material in the food is 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less.

[0027]

[20] The method according to any one of

[17] to

[19] , comprising blending the flavor-enhancing composition into the food such that the amount of heat-treated food material is 0.5 g or more per 100 g of salt equivalent in the food.

[21] The method according to any one of

[17] to

[20] , comprising, if the lipid content of the food is less than 20% by mass, blending the flavor-enhancing composition into the food such that the amount of heat-treated food material is 0.10 g or more per 100 g of lipid in the food, and if the lipid content of the food is 20% by mass or more, blending the flavor-enhancing composition into the food such that the amount of heat-treated food material is 1.0 mg or more per 100 g of lipid in the food.

[0028]

[22] Use of heat-treated food materials selected from the group consisting of heat-treated soybeans and heat-treated okara for the purpose of enhancing the taste of food, wherein the heat-treated soybeans are subjected to heat treatment under one or more conditions selected from a1) conditions in which the heating value is 10 or more in an open system, b1) conditions in which oil is present, and c1) conditions under pressure and sealing, and the heat-treated okara are subjected to heat treatment under one or more conditions selected from a2) conditions in which the heating temperature is 175°C or higher, b2) conditions in which oil is present, and c2) conditions under pressure and sealing.

[0029]

[23] The use according to

[22] , wherein the heat-treated food material contains the heat-treated soybeans, specifically, the heat-treated food material is the heat-treated soybeans, and the heat-treated soybeans are the heat-treated soybeans specified in any of [2] to [5].

[0030]

[24] The use according to

[22] or

[23] , wherein the heat-treated food material contains the heat-treated okara, specifically, the heat-treated food material is the heat-treated okara, and the heat-treated okara is the heat-treated okara specified in any of [9] to

[12] .

[0031]

[25] The use according to any one of

[22] to

[24] for which the food is incorporated into the food to enhance the taste of the food itself.

[0032]

[26] The use according to any one of

[22] to

[25] , wherein the heat-treated food material is incorporated into the food so that the concentration of the heat-treated food material in the food is 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, in order to enhance the taste of the food.

[0033]

[27] The use according to any one of

[22] to

[26] , wherein the heat-treated food material is added to the food in such a way that the amount of the heat-treated food material is 0.5 g or more per 100 g of salt equivalent in the food, thereby enhancing the taste of the food.

[0034]

[28] The use according to any one of

[22] to

[27] , wherein, when the lipid content of the food is less than 20% by mass, the heat-treated food material is added to the food so that there is 0.10 g or more of the heat-treated food material per 100 g of lipid in the food to enhance the taste of the food, and when the lipid content of the food is 20% by mass or more, the heat-treated food material is added to the food so that there is 1.0 mg or more of the heat-treated food material per 100 g of lipid in the food to enhance the taste of the food.

[0035]

[29] A method for enhancing the taste of a food, comprising incorporating one or more heat-treated food materials selected from the group consisting of heat-treated soybeans and heat-treated okara, wherein the heat-treated soybeans are subjected to heat treatment under one or more conditions selected from a1) a heat value of 10 or more in an open system, b1) a condition in which oil is present, and c1) a pressure-sealed condition, and the heat-treated okara are subjected to heat treatment under one or more conditions selected from a2) a heating temperature of 175°C or more, b2) a condition in which oil is present, and c2) a pressure-sealed condition.

[0036]

[30] The method according to

[29] , wherein the heat-treated food material contains the heat-treated soybeans, specifically, the heat-treated food material is the heat-treated soybeans, and the heat-treated soybeans are the heat-treated soybeans specified in any of [2] to [5].

[0037]

[31] The method according to

[29] or

[30] , wherein the heat-treated food material contains the heat-treated okara, specifically, the heat-treated food material is the heat-treated okara, and the heat-treated okara is the heat-treated okara specified in any of [9] to

[12] .

[0038]

[32] The method according to any one of

[29] to

[31] , wherein the enhanced taste is the taste of the food itself.

[0039]

[33] The method according to any one of

[29] to

[32] , comprising blending the heat-treated food material into the food such that the concentration of the heat-treated food material in the food is 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less.

[0040]

[34] The method according to any one of

[29] to

[33] , comprising adding the heat-treated food material to the food such that the amount of the heat-treated food material is 0.5 g or more per 100 g of salt equivalent in the food.

[0041]

[35] When the lipid content of the food is less than 20% by mass, the heat-treated food material is blended into the food so that it is 0.10 g or more per 100 g of the lipid in the food. When the lipid content of the food is 20% by mass or more, the heat-treated food material is blended into the food so that it is 1.0 mg or more per 100 g of the lipid in the food. The method according to any one of

[29] to

[34] .

[0042]

[36] One or more heat-treated food materials selected from the group consisting of heat-treated soybeans and heat-treated okara for use in enhancing the flavor of a food, wherein the heat-treated soybeans are soybeans that have been heat-treated under one or more conditions selected from: a1) a condition where the heating value is 10 or more in an open system; b1) a condition where oil coexists; and c1) a pressure-sealing condition. The heat-treated okara is okara that has been heat-treated under one or more conditions selected from: a2) a condition where the heating temperature is 175°C or more; b2) a condition where oil coexists; and c2) a pressure-sealing condition.

[0043]

[37] The heat-treated food material contains the heat-treated soybeans. Specifically, the heat-treated food material is the heat-treated soybeans, and the heat-treated soybeans are the heat-treated soybeans defined in any one of [2] to [5]. The heat-treated food material according to

[36] .

[0044]

[38] The heat-treated food material contains the heat-treated okara. Specifically, the heat-treated food material is the heat-treated okara, and the heat-treated okara is the heat-treated okara defined in any one of [9] to

[12] . The heat-treated food material according to

[36] or

[37] .

[0045]

[39] The use is for enhancing the flavor inherent in the food when blended into the food. The heat-treated food material according to any one of

[36] to

[38] .

[0046]

[40] The use includes incorporating the heat-treated food material into the food such that the concentration of the heat-treated food material in the food is from 0.002% by mass to 2% by mass, the heat-treated food material as described in any one of

[36] to

[39] .

[0047]

[41] The use includes incorporating the heat-treated food material into the food such that the amount of the heat-treated food material is 0.5 g or more per 100 g of the equivalent amount of salt in the food, the heat-treated food material as described in any one of

[36] to

[40] .

[0048]

[42] When the lipid content of the food is less than 20% by mass, the use includes incorporating the heat-treated food material into the food such that the amount of the heat-treated food material is 0.10 g or more per 100 g of the lipid in the food; when the lipid content of the food is 20% by mass or more, the use includes incorporating the heat-treated food material into the food such that the amount of the heat-treated food material is 1.0 mg or more per 100 g of the lipid in the food, the heat-treated food material as described in any one of

[36] to

[41] .

[0049] Use of a heat-treated food material selected from the group consisting of heat-treated soybeans and heat-treated okara in the production of an additive for enhancing the taste of a food, wherein the heat-treated soybeans are obtained by subjecting soybeans to heat treatment under one or more conditions selected from: a1) a condition where the heating value is 10 or more in an open system; b1) a condition where oil coexists; and c1) a pressure-sealing condition; and the heat-treated okara is obtained by subjecting okara to heat treatment under one or more conditions selected from: a2) a condition where the heating temperature is 175°C or more; b2) a condition where oil coexists; and c2) a pressure-sealing condition.

[0050]

[44] The use according to

[43] , wherein the heat-treated food material contains the heat-treated soybeans, specifically, the heat-treated food material is the heat-treated soybeans, and the heat-treated soybeans are the heat-treated soybeans defined in any one of [2] to [5].

[0051]

[45] The use according to

[43] or

[44] , wherein the heat-treated food material contains the heat-treated okara, specifically, the heat-treated food material is the heat-treated okara, and the heat-treated okara is the heat-treated okara specified in any of [9] to

[12] .

[0052]

[46] The use according to any one of

[43] to

[45] , wherein the additive is incorporated into a food to enhance the taste of the food itself.

[0053]

[47] The use according to any one of

[43] to

[46] , wherein the additive is incorporated into the food in such a way that the concentration of the heat-treated food material in the food is 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, in order to enhance the taste.

[0054]

[48] ​​The use according to any one of

[43] to

[47] , wherein the additive is incorporated into the food in such a way that the amount of the heat-treated food material is 0.5 g or more per 100 g of salt equivalent in the food, in order to enhance the taste.

[0055]

[49] Use according to any one of

[43] to

[48] , wherein if the lipid content of the food is less than 20% by mass, the additive is incorporated into the food so that the amount of heat-treated food material is 0.10 g or more per 100 g of lipid in the food to enhance the taste, and if the lipid content of the food is 20% by mass or more, the additive is incorporated into the food so that the amount of heat-treated food material is 1.0 mg or more per 100 g of lipid in the food to enhance the taste.

[0056] In any one embodiment of [1] to

[49] above, the food may be a low-sodium food, a low-fat food, or a low-carbohydrate food.

[0057] In one embodiment of

[19] ,

[26] ,

[33] ,

[40] and

[47] , the concentration of the heat-treated food material refers to the total concentration of one or more of the heat-treated food materials if the heat-treated food material includes one or more of the heat-treated soybeans and the heat-treated okara. In another embodiment of

[19] ,

[26] ,

[33] ,

[40] and

[47] , the concentration of the heat-treated food material refers to the individual concentrations of one or more of the heat-treated food materials if the heat-treated food material includes one or more of the heat-treated soybeans and the heat-treated okara. In the above

[19] ,

[26] ,

[33] ,

[40] and

[47] , the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated food material, or the additive is blended into the food so that the heat-treated food material in the food (calculated as dry food material; excluding components other than soybeans and okara, such as oil, amino acids, peptides, and water) is concentrated, either in total or individually, to, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, and more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less. In the above

[19] ,

[26] ,

[33] ,

[40] and

[47] , when used to enhance the taste of food with a lipid content of less than 20% by mass, the taste-enhancing composition, the heat-treated food material, or the additive can be blended such that, per the total amount of food, the heat-treated food material (calculated as dry food material) has a final concentration of, for example, 0.005% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.3% by mass or less. In the above

[19] ,

[26] ,

[33] ,

[40] and

[47] , when used to enhance the taste of a food product having a lipid content of 20% by mass or more (for example, chocolate), the taste-enhancing composition, the heat-treated food material, or the additive can be blended such that, per the total amount of food product, the heat-treated food material (calculated as a dry food material) has a final concentration of, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 1.0% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less, and more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.1% by mass or less.

[0058] In one embodiment of

[19] ,

[26] ,

[33] ,

[40] and

[47] above, the heat-treated food material is the heat-treated soybeans, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated food material, or the additive are blended into the food such that the total concentration of the heat-treated soybeans (calculated as dried soybeans) is, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, and more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less. In another embodiment of

[19] ,

[26] ,

[33] ,

[40] and

[47] above, the heat-treated food material is the heat-treated soybeans, and the food has a lipid content of less than 20% by mass, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated food material, or the additive is blended into the food such that the total concentration of the heat-treated soybeans (calculated as dried soybeans) is, for example, 0.005% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.3% by mass or less. In yet another embodiment of

[19] ,

[26] ,

[33] ,

[40] and

[47] above, the heat-treated food material is the heat-treated soybeans, the food has a lipid content of 20% by mass or more, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated food material, or the additive is blended into the food such that the total concentration of the heat-treated soybeans (calculated as dried soybeans) is, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 1.0% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less, more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.1% by mass or less.

[0059] In one embodiment of

[19] ,

[26] ,

[33] ,

[40] and

[47] above, the heat-treated food material is the heat-treated okara, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated food material, or the additive are blended into the food such that the total concentration of the heat-treated okara (calculated as dried okara) is, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, and more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less. In another embodiment of

[19] ,

[26] ,

[33] ,

[40] and

[47] above, the heat-treated food material is the heat-treated okara, the food has a lipid content of less than 20% by mass, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated food material, or the additive is blended into the food such that the total concentration of the heat-treated okara (calculated as dried okara) is, for example, 0.005% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.3% by mass or less. In yet another embodiment of

[19] ,

[26] ,

[33] ,

[40] and

[47] above, the heat-treated food material is the heat-treated okara, the food has a lipid content of 20% by mass or more, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated food material, or the additive is blended into the food such that the total concentration of the heat-treated okara (calculated as dried okara) is, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 1.0% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less, more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.1% by mass or less.

[0060] In one embodiment of

[20] ,

[27] ,

[34] ,

[41] and

[48] , the amount of heat-treated food material per 100 g of salt equivalent in the food refers to the total amount of one or more heat-treated food materials if the heat-treated food material includes one or more of the heat-treated soybeans and the heat-treated okara. In another embodiment of

[20] ,

[27] ,

[34] ,

[41] and

[48] , the amount of heat-treated food material per 100 g of salt equivalent in the food refers to the amount of one or more heat-treated food materials if the heat-treated food material includes one or more of the heat-treated soybeans and the heat-treated okara. In the above

[20] ,

[27] ,

[34] ,

[41] and

[48] , the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated food material, or the additive can be blended such that, for 100 g of salt equivalent in the food, the heat-treated food material (converted to an amount as dry food material) is, for example, 0.5 g or more, preferably 1 g or more, preferably 2 g or more, more preferably 4 g or more, even more preferably 5 g or more, for example, 0.5 g or more and 100 g or less, preferably 1 g or more and 75 g or less, more preferably 2 g or more and 60 g or less, particularly preferably 4 g or more and 50 g or less, and even more preferably 5 g or more and 40 g or less.

[0061] In one embodiment of

[20] ,

[27] ,

[34] ,

[41] and

[48] above, the heat-treated food material is the heat-treated soybeans, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated food material, or the additive is blended into the food such that the total amount of the heat-treated soybeans (calculated as dried soybeans) is, for example, 0.5 g or more, preferably 1 g or more, preferably 2 g or more, more preferably 4 g or more, even more preferably 5 g or more, for example, 0.5 g or more and 100 g or less, preferably 1 g or more and 75 g or less, more preferably 2 g or more and 60 g or less, particularly preferably 4 g or more and 50 g or less, and even more preferably 5 g or more and 40 g or less, with respect to 100 g of the salt equivalent amount of the food.

[0062] In one embodiment of

[20] ,

[27] ,

[34] ,

[41] and

[48] above, the heat-treated food material is the heat-treated okara, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated food material, or the additive is blended into the food such that the total amount of the heat-treated okara (calculated as dried okara) is, for example, 0.5 g or more, preferably 1 g or more, preferably 2 g or more, more preferably 4 g or more, even more preferably 5 g or more, for example, 0.5 g or more and 100 g or less, preferably 1 g or more and 75 g or less, more preferably 2 g or more and 60 g or less, particularly preferably 4 g or more and 50 g or less, and even more preferably 5 g or more and 40 g or less, with respect to 100 g of the salt equivalent amount of the food.

[0063] In one embodiment of

[21] ,

[28] ,

[35] ,

[42] and

[49] , the amount of heat-treated food material per 100g of lipids in the food refers to the total amount of one or more heat-treated food materials if the heat-treated food material includes one or more of the heat-treated soybeans and the heat-treated okara. In another embodiment of

[21] ,

[28] ,

[35] ,

[42] and

[49] , the amount of heat-treated food material per 100g of lipids in the food refers to the amount of one or more heat-treated food materials if the heat-treated food material includes one or more of the heat-treated soybeans and the heat-treated okara. In the above

[21] ,

[28] ,

[35] ,

[42] and

[49] , if the lipid content of the food is less than 20% by mass, the heat-treated food material (calculated as dry food material) per 100 g of lipid in the food may be blended into the food such that the amount of heat-treated food material (calculated as dry food material) is, for example, 0.10 g or more, preferably 0.50 g or more, more preferably 1.0 g or more, even more preferably 1.2 g or more, for example 0.10 g or more and 100 g or less, preferably 0.50 g or more and 75 g or less, more preferably 1.0 g or more and 50 g or less, and even more preferably 1.2 g or more and 25 g or less. In the above

[21] ,

[28] ,

[35] ,

[42] and

[49] , if the lipid content of the food is 20% by mass or more, the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated food material, or the additive can be blended into the food such that the amount of the heat-treated food material (calculated as dry food material) per 100 g of lipid in the food is, for example, 1.0 mg or more, preferably 10 mg or more, for example 1.0 mg to 500 mg, preferably 10 mg to 300 mg, and more preferably 30 mg to 100 mg.

[0064] In one embodiment of

[21] ,

[28] ,

[35] ,

[42] and

[49] above, the heat-treated food material is the heat-treated soybeans, the food has a lipid content of less than 20% by mass, and the heat-treated soybeans (calculated as dried soybeans) in total are, for example, 0.10 g or more, preferably 0.50 g or more, more preferably 1.0 g or more, even more preferably 1.2 g or more, for example 0.10 g or more and 100 g or less, preferably 0.50 g or more and 75 g or less, more preferably 1.0 g or more and 50 g or less, even more preferably 1.2 g or more and 25 g or less per 100 g of lipids in the food, the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated food material, or the additive is blended into the food. In another embodiment of

[21] ,

[28] ,

[35] ,

[42] and

[49] above, the heat-treated food material is the heat-treated soybeans, the food has a lipid content of 20% by mass or more, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated food material, or the additive is blended into the food such that the total amount of the heat-treated soybeans (calculated as dried soybeans) is, for example, 1.0 mg or more, preferably 10 mg or more, for example 1.0 mg to 500 mg, preferably 10 mg to 300 mg, and more preferably 30 mg to 100 mg per 100 g of lipids in the food.

[0065] In one embodiment of

[21] ,

[28] ,

[35] ,

[42] and

[49] above, the heat-treated food material is the heat-treated okara, the food has a lipid content of less than 20% by mass, and the heat-treated okara (calculated as dried okara) is, in total, 0.10 g or more, preferably 0.50 g or more, more preferably 1.0 g or more, even more preferably 1.2 g or more, for example, 0.10 g or more and 100 g or less, preferably 0.50 g or more and 75 g or less, more preferably 1.0 g or more and 50 g or less, even more preferably 1.2 g or more and 25 g or less per 100 g of lipid in the food, the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated food material, or the additive is blended into the food. In another embodiment of

[21] ,

[28] ,

[35] ,

[42] and

[49] above, the heat-treated food material is the heat-treated okara, the food has a lipid content of 20% by mass or more, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated food material, or the additive is blended into the food such that the heat-treated okara (calculated as dried okara) is in total, for example, 1.0 mg or more, preferably 10 mg or more, for example, 1.0 mg to 500 mg, preferably 10 mg to 300 mg, and more preferably 30 mg to 100 mg, per 100 g of lipids in the food.

[0066] In this specification and in the claims, the numerical range "X to Y" is synonymous with "X or greater, and Y or less," and refers to a range that includes the values ​​X and Y at both ends, as well as the values ​​in between.

[0067] This Specified Version incorporates the disclosures of Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2024-233094 and 2024-233097, which form the basis of the priority claim of this Application. All publications, patents, and patent applications cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0068] One or more flavor-enhancing compositions according to one or more embodiments of this disclosure can enhance the flavor of food when incorporated into the food.

[0069] According to the method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the flavor-enhancing composition can be produced.

[0070] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for enhancing the taste of a food can be used to enhance the taste of a food by incorporating the taste-enhancing composition into the food.

[0071] This specification discloses one or more heat-treated food materials selected from the group consisting of heat-treated soybeans and heat-treated okara, uses of the heat-treated food materials, and methods for producing the heat-treated food materials.

[0072] In this specification, an aspect of the present invention in which the heat-treated food material includes heat-treated soybeans, specifically, the heat-treated food material is heat-treated soybeans, is described as the "first disclosure."

[0073] In this specification, an aspect of the present invention in which the heat-treated food material includes heat-treated okara, specifically, the heat-treated food material is heat-treated okara, is described as the "second disclosure."

[0074] The first and second disclosures of this specification are collectively referred to as the "Disclosure" or the "Invention."

[0075] In this disclosure, "flavor" refers to the flavor possessed by food, and can be one or more flavors selected from, for example, saltiness, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, umami, richness, oiliness, and milkiness, and preferably one or more flavors selected from saltiness, sourness, bitterness, umami, richness, and oiliness. "Flavor enhancement" refers to enhancing the flavor perceived when food is consumed, and for example, it refers to enhancing the weak flavor perceived when consuming food containing flavor components in a reduced amount than usual (e.g., low-salt foods, low-fat foods, low-carbohydrate foods).

[0076] In this disclosure, the taste perceived when consuming food can be divided into three stages: the "top" taste perceived first, the "middle" taste perceived next, and the "last" taste perceived last. In this disclosure, taste enhancement refers to enhancing at least one of these tastes.

[0077] Saltiness, in terms of taste, is the taste perceived when consuming salt (sodium chloride). Saltiness encompasses both the taste of salt itself and the taste perceived when salt is combined with other ingredients. For example, the top taste of a food containing salt is the pungent taste of salt, known as "saltiness," while the middle tastes include "fullness" and "savory flavor," and the final tastes include "metallic complexity" and "lingering aftertaste." Saltiness may also include the taste resulting from "flavor enhancement," where the taste of other ingredients is enhanced by salt. In this disclosure, enhancing saltiness refers to enhancing at least one of these types of saltiness.

[0078] In this disclosure, "fatty sensation" refers to the taste perceived when consuming foods containing fats and oils. Examples of fat-induced tastes include richness, depth of flavor, fullness, lingering taste, aftertaste, and smoothness. Here, fat-induced taste also includes tastes produced by fat-soluble components contained in fats and oils.

[0079] In terms of taste, "richness" can also be described as the "depth" or "body" of the flavor perceived when eating food. Therefore, "enhancing richness" can also be rephrased as "adding depth" or "adding body."

[0080] In this disclosure, flavor enhancement more preferably refers to flavor enhancement derived from one or more flavor components selected from salt, oils and fats, sucrose, citric acid, tartaric acid, naringin, glutamic acid or its salt, aspartic acid or its salt, succinic acid or its salt, inosinic acid or its salt, guanylic acid or its salt, glycine or its salt, alanine or its salt, chili pepper, black pepper, animal or plant-derived extracts, and seasonings. Examples of salts in the one or more flavor components include sodium salts. Examples of animal or plant-derived extracts include one or more extracts selected from beef extract, chicken extract, pork extract, seafood extract, garlic extract, and onion extract. Examples of seasonings include one or more selected from tomato paste, banana paste, apple paste, honey, soy sauce, miso, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, cheese, noodle soup base, defatted soybeans, skim milk powder, yeast extract, protein hydrolysate, and curry powder. In this disclosure, enhanced taste more preferably refers to enhanced taste derived from the one or more taste components in a food containing the one or more taste components, particularly in a food containing the one or more taste components in a smaller amount than usual.

[0081] Examples of foods whose taste is enhanced in this disclosure include low-sodium foods, low-fat foods (low-oil foods), and low-carbohydrate foods.

[0082] Reduced-salt foods refer to foods in which the amount of salt equivalent is reduced compared to the corresponding regular foods. Examples include foods in which the amount of salt equivalent per unit mass is 95% or less by mass, 90% or less by mass, 70% or less by mass, or 50% or less by mass, or 10% to 95% by mass, 20% to 90% by mass, 30% to 70% by mass, or 40% to 50% by mass, compared to the amount of salt equivalent per unit mass of the corresponding regular food.

[0083] Low-fat foods refer to foods that contain or do not contain a reduced amount of fat compared to the corresponding regular foods. Examples include foods in which the amount of fat per unit mass is 95% or less by mass, 90% or less by mass, 70% or less by mass, or 50% or less by mass, or 10% to 95% by mass, 20% to 90% by mass, 30% to 70% by mass, or 40% to 50% by mass, compared to the amount of fat per unit mass of the corresponding regular food.

[0084] Low-carbohydrate foods refer to foods that contain or do not contain carbohydrates in a reduced amount compared to the corresponding regular foods. Examples include foods in which the amount of carbohydrates per unit mass is 95% or less by mass, 90% or less by mass, 70% or less by mass, or 50% or less by mass, or 10% to 95% by mass, 20% to 90% by mass, 30% to 70% by mass, or 40% to 50% by mass, compared to the amount of carbohydrates per unit mass of the corresponding regular food.

[0085] The salt equivalent in food can be measured, for example, based on the amount of sodium in the food. The amount of sodium can be measured by inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry. If the food consists of known ingredients, the salt equivalent can be calculated based on the amount of salt added. Also, if the salt equivalent is listed as a nutritional information on the packaging of the known ingredients that make up the food, that can be considered the salt equivalent of those ingredients, and the salt equivalent in the food can be calculated accordingly.

[0086] The amount of lipids in food can be measured, for example, by ether extraction. If the food consists of known ingredients, the amount of lipids in the food can be calculated based on the amount of lipids in the ingredients. Also, if the amount of lipids is listed as nutritional information on the packaging of the known ingredients that make up the food, that can be considered as the amount of lipids in those ingredients and used to calculate the amount of lipids in the food. In this specification, the terms "reduced-fat food" and "fat-reduced food" are used interchangeably.

[0087] The amount of sugar in food can be measured by methods such as the phenol-sulfuric acid method, enzymatic methods, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of free sugars, and the Bertrand method. If the food is made up of known ingredients, the amount of sugar in the food can be calculated based on the amount of sugar in the ingredients. Furthermore, if the amount of carbohydrates is listed as nutritional information on the packaging of the known ingredients that make up the food, this can be considered as the amount of sugar in those ingredients, and the amount of sugar in the food can be calculated accordingly.

[0088] In this disclosure of heating value, the heating value is determined as the value obtained by integrating the value expressed by the following formula (hereinafter referred to as the "CV value") with respect to the heating time (minutes).

[0089] (Formula): CV value = 10 [(product temperature - reference temperature) / Z value] In this disclosure, "reference temperature" is 110°C and "Z value" is 30°C. "Product temperature" refers to the temperature of the object being heated during the heat treatment.

[0090] In this disclosure, cyclic dipeptides are represented by (Val-Arg), etc., which represent a cyclic dipeptide consisting of two amino acids. Leu / Ile represents either or both of leucine (Leu) and isoleucine (Ile), for example, "peak area derived from cyclic (Leu / Ile-Ala))" refers to the sum of the peak area derived from cyclic (Leu-Ala) and the peak area derived from cyclic (Ile-Ala). In this disclosure, "hyPro" refers to γ-hydroxyproline. In this disclosure, each amino acid constituting the cyclic dipeptide may be the L-form, the D-form, or a mixture of the L-form and the D-form.

[0091] A. The First Disclosure of This Specification Sections A-1, A-2, A-3, and A-4 below specifically describe the first disclosure of this specification.

[0092] A-1. Flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first disclosure The first aspect of the first disclosure relates to a flavor-enhancing composition containing heat-treated soybeans, wherein the heat-treated soybeans are subjected to one or more conditions selected from a1) a heat value of 10 or more in an open system, b1) a condition in which oil is present, and c1) a pressure-sealed condition.

[0093] The first disclosed flavor-enhancing composition can enhance the flavor of food by being incorporated into the food itself. For example, a food containing one or more flavor components in a reduced amount compared to normal (for example, a low-salt food containing salt in a reduced amount compared to normal, a low-fat food containing oil in a reduced amount compared to normal, or a low-carbohydrate food containing carbohydrates in a reduced amount compared to normal) that incorporates the first disclosed flavor-enhancing composition can have a flavor closer to that of a food containing one or more flavor components in normal amounts compared to a food that does not contain it, and more preferably, a flavor equivalent to that of a food containing one or more flavor components in normal amounts. The first disclosed flavor-enhancing composition is more preferably a flavor-enhancing composition that enhances the flavor of a food by being incorporated into a salt-containing food such as a low-salt food, a lipid-containing food such as a low-fat food, or a carbohydrate-containing food such as a low-carbohydrate food. As shown in Reference Examples 1 to 3, cyclic dipeptides have the effect of enhancing the taste (greasy feel) of foods containing oils and fats when incorporated into such foods. As will be described later, heat-treated soybeans contain more cyclic dipeptides than raw soybeans, so the taste-enhancing composition of the first disclosure can be a taste-enhancing composition that enhances the taste (greasy feel) of foods containing oils and fats when incorporated into such foods.

[0094] In the first disclosure, "soybeans" refers to dried soybean seeds that are commonly consumed. Soybeans used as raw materials may be referred to as "raw soybeans" to distinguish them from heat-treated soybeans. As raw soybeans, one or more selected from unground soybeans and ground soybeans can be used. The ground soybeans are not particularly limited in particle size and may be coarsely ground soybeans or powdered soybean flour.

[0095] The raw material soybeans may be a mixture of soybeans and amino acids or peptides. By heating the mixture of soybeans and amino acids or peptides, heat-treated soybeans can be obtained that have a particularly high effect in enhancing the richness of the flavor. The amino acids or peptides are preferably one or more amino acids selected from alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, asparagine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, histidine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, and valine, or peptides containing the above amino acids as constituent amino acids. In specific examples, the amino acids or peptides mixed with soybeans are preferably one or more amino acids selected from proline, methionine, alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and histidine, or peptides containing the above amino acids as constituent amino acids, and are particularly preferably the above amino acids. In a mixture of soybeans and amino acids or peptides, the blending ratio of soybeans to amino acids or peptides is not particularly limited, but per 100 parts by mass (on a dry basis), the total amount of amino acids or peptides can be, for example, 0.5 parts by mass or more and 20 parts by mass or less, more specifically 1 part by mass or more and 15 parts by mass or less, and more specifically 2 parts by mass or more and 10 parts by mass or less. The amino acids can be L-forms, D-forms, or mixtures of L-forms and D-forms, for example, L-forms can be used.

[0096] The heat-treated soybeans in the flavor-enhancing composition of the first disclosure are preferably in powder form, and the particle size is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 1000 μm or less, preferably 500 μm or less. Here, the particle size can be determined by the mesh size of a standard sieve specified in JIS. The powdered heat-treated soybeans may be powdered before or after the heat treatment. The heat-treated soybeans in the flavor-enhancing composition of the first disclosure may be provided in the form of a mixture of heat-treated soybeans and oil. Depending on the melting point of the oil, the mixture may be solid at room temperature or liquid at room temperature.

[0097] The flavor-enhancing composition of the first disclosure may consist solely of heat-treated soybeans, or it may contain heat-treated soybeans and other components. Examples of other components include one or more components having a flavor-enhancing effect, or one or more components that are acceptable as food. The flavor-enhancing composition of the first disclosure may contain heat-treated soybeans in a proportion of preferably 5% to 100% by mass, more preferably 10% to 100% by mass, even more preferably 15% to 100% by mass, and most preferably 50% to 100% by mass, on a dry basis. The flavor-enhancing composition of the first disclosure may be in the form of powder, granules, paste, liquid, etc., and may contain one or more food-acceptable components, such as excipients and carriers, as necessary to achieve the desired form.

[0098] Next, a preferred embodiment of the heat treatment for preparing the heat-treated soybeans will be described.

[0099] In the aforementioned "a1) conditions in which the heating value is 10 or higher in an open system" (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "heating condition a1"), an open system refers to an environment that is not sealed and in which volatile components, including moisture and aroma components, can volatilize into the surrounding atmosphere during heat treatment. The inventors have found that soybeans heat-treated in an open system under conditions where the heating value is 10 or higher have a particularly strong effect in enhancing the taste when incorporated into food, compared to soybeans heat-treated in an open system under conditions where the heating value is less than 10. Examples of heat treatment devices that can be used for heat treatment in an open system under heating condition a1) include roasters equipped with open containers such as flat kettles, rotary cylindrical kettles, and pots, as well as ovens with open interiors, hot air roasters, and superheated steam stirring and mixing sterilization devices. Such heat treatment in an open system can be referred to as "roasting". Heat treatment in an open system can be carried out under non-pressurized conditions.

[0100] The heating value under heating condition a1) should be 10 or higher, but preferably 1500 or higher, more preferably 2000 or higher, more preferably 2500 or higher, even more preferably 2900 or higher, even more preferably 10000 or higher, particularly preferably 20000 or higher, preferably 10 to 500000, more preferably 1500 to 400000, more preferably 2000 to 400000, more preferably 2500 to 350000, even more preferably 2900 to 300000, even more preferably 10000 to 200000, particularly preferably 20000 to 100000. By setting the heating value under heating condition a1) within the above range, heat-treated soybeans with a particularly high flavor-enhancing effect can be obtained.

[0101] The temperature and time in the heat treatment under heating condition a1) can be appropriately set so that the heating value falls within the above range. The temperature in the heat treatment under heating condition a1) can be such that the maximum temperature reached is, for example, 130°C or higher, preferably 150°C or higher, more preferably 200°C or higher, and even more preferably 210°C or higher, and can be such as 130°C to 400°C, preferably 150°C to 350°C, more preferably 200°C to 320°C, and even more preferably 210°C to 300°C. The time in the heat treatment under heating condition a1) can be, for example, 5 minutes or more, preferably 10 minutes or more, and can be such as 5 minutes to 40 minutes, and even more preferably 10 minutes to 25 minutes.

[0102] The form of the raw soybeans used in the heat treatment under heating condition a1) is not particularly limited, but preferably one or more selected from unground soybeans and ground soybeans. The raw soybeans used in the heat treatment under heating condition a1) may be soybeans alone, or a mixture of soybeans and amino acids or peptides. In the heat treatment under heating condition a1), oil and / or water may be added to the raw soybeans, or not, but it is particularly preferable not to add them.

[0103] Soybeans that have been heat-treated under the conditions described in "b1) where oil is present" (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "heating conditions b1") are preferred because they have a high effect in enhancing flavor. The oil is not particularly limited as long as it is an edible oil derived from plants, animals, etc. that is acceptable as food. The oil may also have its melting point adjusted by techniques such as transesterification or hydrogenation of fatty acids. The amount of oil used in the heat treatment under heating conditions b1) is not particularly limited, but for example, per 100 parts by mass of soybeans, for example, 5 parts by mass or more and 500 parts by mass or less, preferably 50 parts by mass or more and 200 parts by mass or less, and more preferably 75 parts by mass or more and 150 parts by mass or less of oil can be used.

[0104] The heating treatment under heating condition b1) can be performed by setting the temperature and time so that the heating value is, for example, 50 or more, preferably 100 or more, more preferably 150 or more, for example 50 to 70000, preferably 100 to 56000, more preferably 150 to 10000, even more preferably 150 to 5000, particularly preferably 150 to 2000, and most preferably 150 to 1000. By setting the heating value of the heating treatment under heating condition b1) within the above range, heat-treated soybeans with a particularly high flavor-enhancing effect can be obtained.

[0105] The temperature and time during the heat treatment under heating condition b1) can be appropriately set so that the heating value falls within the above range. The temperature during the heat treatment under heating condition b1) can be such that the maximum temperature reached is, for example, 100°C or higher, preferably 120°C or higher, more preferably 130°C or higher, and even more preferably 145°C or higher, and can be such as 100°C to 300°C, preferably 120°C to 280°C, more preferably 130°C to 250°C, and even more preferably 145°C to 230°C. The time during the heat treatment under heating condition b1) can be, for example, 2 minutes or more, preferably 4 minutes or more, and can be such as 2 minutes to 40 minutes, and even more preferably 4 minutes to 25 minutes.

[0106] The heat treatment under heating condition b1) can be carried out in either an open or closed system, and can be performed by heating with superheated steam or heating with an oven. Examples of heating devices used for the heat treatment under heating condition b1) include ovens, flat-pan roasters, vertical heating mixers, and microwave heating devices.

[0107] The form of soybeans heated with oil in the heat treatment under heating condition b1) is not particularly limited, but preferably one or more selected from unground soybeans and ground soybeans, and particularly preferably ground soybeans. The soybeans heated with oil in the heat treatment under heating condition b1) may be soybeans alone, or a mixture of soybeans and amino acids or peptides.

[0108] Soybeans that have been heat-treated under the aforementioned "c1) pressurized and sealed conditions" (which may be referred to as "heating conditions c1") are preferable because they have a high effect in enhancing flavor.

[0109] The heating treatment under heating condition c1) can be performed by setting the temperature and time so that the heating value is, for example, 50 or more, preferably 100 or more, more preferably 150 or more, for example, 50 to 2000, preferably 100 to 1500, and more preferably 150 to 1000. By setting the heating value of the heating treatment under heating condition c1) within the above range, heat-treated soybeans with a particularly high flavor-enhancing effect can be obtained.

[0110] The temperature and time in the heat treatment under heating condition c1) can be appropriately set so that the heating value falls within the above range. The temperature in the heat treatment under heating condition c1) can be such that the maximum temperature reached is, for example, 100°C or higher, preferably 110°C or higher, more preferably 120°C or higher, and even more preferably 125°C or higher, and can be such as 100°C to 200°C, preferably 110°C to 180°C, more preferably 120°C to 160°C, and even more preferably 125°C to 150°C. The time in the heat treatment under heating condition c1) can be, for example, 10 minutes or more, preferably 20 minutes or more, and can be such as 10 minutes to 60 minutes, and even more preferably 20 minutes to 40 minutes.

[0111] The heat treatment under heating condition c1) can be carried out under pressure conditions where the gauge pressure is preferably 0.05 MPa or higher, more preferably 0.15 MPa or higher, preferably 0.05 MPa to 0.60 MPa, and more preferably 0.15 MPa to 0.40 MPa.

[0112] Examples of heating devices used for pressurized sealed heating under heating condition c1) include pressurized sealed kettles and retort-type sterilizers. Heat treatment under heating condition c1) using a retort-type sterilizer may involve placing the raw soybeans in a soft, heat-resistant bag (for example, a bag made of aluminum foil laminated resin sheet), sealing it, and heating it under pressurized conditions.

[0113] The form of the raw soybeans used in the heat treatment under heating condition c1) is not particularly limited, but preferably one or more selected from unground soybeans and ground soybeans, and particularly preferably ground soybeans. The raw soybeans used in the heat treatment under heating condition c1) may be soybeans alone, or a mixture of soybeans and amino acids or peptides. In the heat treatment under heating condition c1), oil and / or water may be added to the raw soybeans, or not.

[0114] In a preferred embodiment, the heat-treated soybeans obtained by heat-treating soybeans under one or more conditions selected from heating conditions a1), heating conditions b1), and heating conditions c1) show an increase in one or more compounds selected from the following: cyclic dipeptides, sulfurol, sulfuryl acetate, aconitic acid, succinic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, fumaric acid, pyroglutamic acid, and malic acid, compared to the soybeans before heating. The inventors have found that the amount of the compound contained in the heat-treated soybeans correlates with the strength of the flavor-enhancing effect.

[0115] In a preferred embodiment of the flavor-enhancing composition of the first disclosure, the heat-treated soybeans are treated with 5 μg / g of caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g of L-methionine sulfone added to the heat-treated soybeans, and in the chromatogram obtained by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) according to the following method, (101) the total area ratio of the peak area derived from the alanine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.3 or more, preferably 2.3 to 30, (102) the total area ratio of the peak area derived from the arginine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.0 or more, preferably 1.0 to 20, (103) the total area ratio of the peak area derived from the aspartic acid-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.0 or more, preferably 1.0 to 13. (104) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing asparagine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.80 or more, preferably 0.80 to 9.0; (105) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing glutamic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.5 or more, preferably 1.5 to 27; (106) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing glutamine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.30 or more, preferably 0.20 to 5.0; (107) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing glycine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.1 or more, preferably 1.1 to 12; (108) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing histidine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.0 or more, preferably 2.0 to 18. (109) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing leucine or isoleucine to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.0 or greater, preferably 1.0 to 29.(110) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing lysine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.36 or more, preferably 1.36 to 6.0; (111) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing methionine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.70 or more, preferably 0.7 to 3.0; (112) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing phenylalanine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.2 or more, preferably 1.2 to 13; (113) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing proline to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 4.0 or more, preferably 4.0 to 96; (114) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing serine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.80 or more, preferably 0.8 to 12. (115) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing threonine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.5 or more, preferably 1.5 to 40; (116) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing tryptophan to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.14 or more, preferably 0.14 to 3.0; (117) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing tyrosine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.80 or more, preferably 0.80 to 9.0; (118) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing valine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.0 or more, preferably 1.0 to 12; (119) The area ratio of the peak area derived from sulfurol to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.13 or more, preferably 0.13 to 2.0. (120) The area ratio of the peak area derived from sulfuryl acetate to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.0010 or more, preferably 0.0010 to 0.050.(121) The area ratio of the peak area derived from aconitic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 5.5 or more, preferably 5.5 to 24; (122) The area ratio of the peak area derived from succinic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 19 or more, preferably 19 to 200; (123) The area ratio of the peak area derived from tartaric acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 2.2 or more, preferably 2.2 to 12; (124) The area ratio of the peak area derived from citric acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 12000 or more, preferably 12000 to 50000; (125) The area ratio of the peak area derived from fumaric acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 12 or more, preferably 12 to 70. (126) The area ratio of the peak area derived from pyroglutamic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 10 or more, preferably 10 to 200, and (127) The area ratio of the peak area derived from malic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 350 or more, preferably 350 to 1600. The product satisfies one or more of these conditions, preferably 10 or more, more preferably 15 or more, even more preferably 20 or more, and most preferably all of them.

[0116] Here, the LC-MS measurement method is as follows, and more preferably, the LC-MS measurement method described in the examples.

[0117] A 15 mL test tube containing 200 mg of the aforementioned heat-treated soybeans (on a dry weight basis; if the heat-treated soybeans were heat-treated with oil, or with amino acids or peptides, the converted mass is calculated as soybeans excluding oil, amino acids, or peptides) and 7.5 mL of water is heated in a 75°C constant temperature water bath for 10 minutes to prepare an aqueous extract. To the aqueous extract in the test tube, 2.5 mL of acetonitrile and 5 μg / g of caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g of L-methionine sulfone per unit of the aforementioned heat-treated soybeans (on a dry weight basis; if the heat-treated soybeans were heat-treated with oil, or with amino acids or peptides, the converted mass is calculated as soybeans excluding oil, amino acids, or peptides) are added, stirred, and then the solid components are removed and the liquid components are recovered to prepare a sample. The aforementioned sample is analyzed by LC-MS (ionization method: electrospray ionization (ESI) positive mode and ESI negative mode) to obtain a chromatogram. Here, the heat-treated soybeans used as the analytical sample are preferably in the form of pulverized material.

[0118] Caffeine-d9 is the internal standard in positive mode. Caffeine-d9 and each of the compounds described in (101) to (120) and (126) above are separated by LC and detected as [M+H] ions in positive mode by MS, and the peak area of ​​the extracted ion chromatogram with m / z values ​​corresponding to the precise mass of the [M+H] ions described in the examples is determined. From the obtained peak area, the peak area ratios specified in (101) to (120) and (126) above can be calculated.

[0119] L-methionine sulfone is the internal standard in negative mode. L-methionine sulfone and each of the compounds described in (121) to (125) and (127) above are separated by LC and detected as [M-H] ions in negative mode by MS, and the peak area of ​​the extracted ion chromatogram with m / z values ​​corresponding to the precise mass of the [M-H] ions described in the examples is determined. From the obtained peak area, the peak area ratios specified in (121) to (125) and (127) above can be calculated.

[0120] The alanine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (101) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Alanine (Ala)" in Table 8.

[0121] The cyclic dipeptide containing arginine in (102) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the "Arginine (Arg)" row of Table 8.

[0122] The cyclic dipeptides containing aspartic acid in (103) above are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the "Aspartic Acid (Asp)" row of Table 8.

[0123] The asparagine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (104) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the "Asparagine (Asn)" row of Table 8.

[0124] The cyclic dipeptide containing glutamic acid in (105) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Glutamic Acid (Glu)" in Table 8.

[0125] The glutamine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (106) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the "Glutamine (Gln)" row of Table 8.

[0126] The cyclic dipeptide containing glycine in (107) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Gly" in Table 8.

[0127] The histidine-containing cyclic dipeptides in (108) above are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the "Histidine (His)" row of Table 8.

[0128] The leucine or isoleucine in (109) above is typically a cyclic dipeptide as shown in the row for "Leucine / Isoleucine (Leu / Ile)" in Table 8.

[0129] The lysine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (110) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Lys" in Table 8.

[0130] The cyclic dipeptide containing methionine in (111) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Methionine (Met)" in Table 8.

[0131] The cyclic dipeptide containing phenylalanine in (112) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Phenylalanine (Phe)" in Table 8.

[0132] The cyclic dipeptide containing proline in (113) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Proline (Pro)" in Table 8.

[0133] The serine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (114) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Serine (Ser)" in Table 8.

[0134] The cyclic dipeptide containing threonine in (115) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Threonine (Thr)" in Table 8.

[0135] The cyclic dipeptide containing tryptophan in (116) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Tryptophan (Trp)" in Table 8.

[0136] The tyrosine-containing cyclic dipeptides in (117) above are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the row for "Tyrosine (Tyr)" in Table 8.

[0137] The valine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (118) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Valine (Val)" in Table 8.

[0138] In certain cases, flavor enhancement, as described above, involves enhancing one or more flavors selected from saltiness, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, umami, richness, oiliness, and milkiness. However, differences in the heating conditions of heat-treated soybeans can lead to differences in the composition and ratio of cyclic dipeptides, and thus the types of flavors that can be enhanced may also differ.

[0139] To impart to the first disclosure a flavor-enhancing composition an effect of enhancing saltiness, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions having an effect of enhancing saltiness may be added; to impart to the first disclosure a flavor-enhancing composition an effect of enhancing sweetness, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions having an effect of enhancing sweetness may be added; to impart to the first disclosure a flavor-enhancing composition an effect of enhancing sourness, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions having an effect of enhancing sourness may be added; and to impart to the first disclosure a flavor-enhancing composition an effect of enhancing bitterness may be added. To enhance the umami flavor, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions that enhance the umami flavor can be incorporated; to enhance the richness flavor, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions that enhance the richness flavor can be incorporated; to enhance the oiliness flavor, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions that enhance the oiliness flavor can be incorporated; and to enhance the milkiness flavor, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions that enhance the milkiness flavor can be incorporated. Furthermore, in order to enhance multiple stages of flavor among saltiness, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, umami, richness, oiliness, and milkiness in the flavor-enhancing composition according to the first disclosure, multiple heat-treated soybeans can be combined and incorporated according to the flavor to be enhanced.

[0140] A-2. Method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to the first disclosure A second aspect of the first disclosure is a method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to the first aspect of the first disclosure, comprising: subjecting soybeans to a heat treatment under one or more conditions selected from a1) a heat value of 10 or more in an open system, b1) a condition in which oil is present, and c1) a pressure-sealed condition, thereby obtaining the heat-treated soybeans.

[0141] According to this embodiment, a flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first embodiment of the first disclosure can be manufactured.

[0142] In the method relating to the second aspect of the first disclosure, the characteristics of the soybeans used as raw materials, the heat treatment, etc., may have the characteristics described in the flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first aspect of the first disclosure. For example, "a1) conditions in which the heating value is 10 or more in an open system," "b1) conditions in which oil is present," and "c1) pressure-sealed conditions" may each have the characteristics described with respect to the heating conditions a1), heating conditions b1), and heating conditions c1) for obtaining the heat-treated soybeans of the flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first aspect of the first disclosure.

[0143] The method for producing the flavor-enhancing composition according to this embodiment may involve using the heat-treated soybeans as is for the flavor-enhancing composition, or it may further include preparing the flavor-enhancing composition by combining the heat-treated soybeans with other components. Preferred examples of the other components are as described with respect to the flavor-enhancing composition according to the first embodiment of the first disclosure.

[0144] The method for producing the flavor-enhancing composition according to this embodiment may include processing the obtained flavor-enhancing composition into the form of a powder, granules, paste, liquid, or the like.

[0145] A-3. A method for enhancing the taste using a taste-enhancing composition relating to the first disclosure. The third aspect of the first disclosure relates to a method for enhancing the taste of food, which includes incorporating a taste-enhancing composition relating to the first aspect of the first disclosure into food.

[0146] The method according to this embodiment can enhance the taste of food, and therefore can be suitably used to enhance the taste of foods containing one or more of the above-mentioned taste components in amounts lower than usual (for example, low-sodium foods with reduced salt content, low-fat foods with reduced fat content, and low-carbohydrate foods with reduced carbohydrate content).

[0147] In the method according to this embodiment, the amount of the flavor-enhancing composition according to the first embodiment of the first disclosure added to the food is not particularly limited and can be appropriately adjusted according to the form of the food. Preferably, the flavor-enhancing composition is added at a concentration in which it does not have a taste of its own, but is able to enhance the taste of the food. Specifically, the final concentration of heat-treated soybeans (calculated as dried soybeans) per unit of the total amount of food is, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, and more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less. When the aforementioned flavor-enhancing composition is used to enhance the flavor of a food product with a lipid content of less than 20% by mass, the flavor-enhancing composition can be blended such that, per unit amount of the food product, the final concentration of heat-treated soybeans (calculated as dried soybeans) is, for example, 0.005% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.3% by mass or less. When the aforementioned flavor-enhancing composition is used to enhance the flavor of a food product with a lipid content of 20% by mass or more (for example, chocolate), the flavor-enhancing composition can be blended such that, per unit amount of the food product, the final concentration of heat-treated soybeans (calculated as dried soybeans) is, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 1.0% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less, and more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.1% by mass or less. For example, for the purpose of enhancing saltiness, the flavor-enhancing composition can be blended such that, for every 100g of salt equivalent in the food, the amount of heat-treated soybeans (converted to dried soybeans) is, for example, 0.5g or more, preferably 1g or more, preferably 2g or more, more preferably 4g or more, even more preferably 5g or more, for example, 0.5g or more and 100g or less, preferably 1g or more and 75g or less, more preferably 2g or more and 60g or less, particularly preferably 4g or more and 50g or less, and even more preferably 5g or more and 40g or less.For example, for the purpose of enhancing the taste of food with lipids in a food with a lipid content of less than 20% by mass, the taste-enhancing composition can be blended so that, for example, the amount of heat-treated soybeans (calculated as dried soybeans) per 100g of lipids in the food is, for example, 0.10g or more, preferably 0.50g or more, more preferably 1.0g or more, even more preferably 1.2g or more, for example, 0.10g or more and 100g or less, preferably 0.50g or more and 75g or less, more preferably 1.0g or more and 50g or less, and even more preferably 1.2g or more and 25g or less. For example, for the purpose of enhancing the taste of food with lipids in a food with a lipid content of 20% by mass or more (e.g., chocolate), the taste-enhancing composition can be blended so that, for example, the amount of heat-treated soybeans (calculated as dried soybeans) per 100g of lipids in the food is, for example, 1.0mg or more, preferably 10mg or more, for example, 1.0mg or more and 500mg or less, preferably 10mg or more and 300mg or less, and even more preferably 30mg or more and 100mg or less. For the purpose of enhancing the taste with carbohydrates, the flavor-enhancing composition can be blended so that, for every 100g of carbohydrates in the food, the amount of heat-treated soybeans (calculated as dried soybeans) is, for example, 0.20g or more, preferably 0.50g or more, more preferably 0.60g or more, even more preferably 1g or more, particularly preferably 2g or more, for example, 0.20g to 100g, preferably 0.50g to 70g, more preferably 0.60g to 60g, even more preferably 1g to 50g, particularly preferably 2g to 50g.

[0148] In the method according to this embodiment, the type of food is not limited, but examples include liquid condiments such as curry sauce, stew sauce, soup, beverages, chocolate, and dressings, rice products, meat products, prepared foods, and confectionery. The food may contain one or more of the above-mentioned flavor components in amounts lower than usual. The food may contain one or more of the above-mentioned flavor components, such as salt.

[0149] A-4. Further aspects of the first disclosure of this specification relate to the use of heat-treated soybeans for enhancing the flavor of food, a method for enhancing the flavor of food, including incorporating heat-treated soybeans into food, and the use of heat-treated soybeans in the manufacture of heat-treated soybeans for the purpose of enhancing the flavor of food, or additives for the purpose of enhancing the flavor of food. Herein, the heat-treated soybeans are those that have been heat-treated under one or more conditions selected from a1), b1), and c1).

[0150] In the further embodiments described above, the heat-treated soybeans preferably have the characteristics described with respect to heat-treated soybeans contained in a flavor-enhancing composition according to the first aspect of the first disclosure.

[0151] In the further embodiments described above, the heat-treated soybeans can preferably be produced by the method for producing heat-treated soybeans described in the method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to the second aspect of the first disclosure.

[0152] In the further embodiments, the food preferably has the features described in relation to the method according to the third aspect of the first disclosure. In the further embodiments, the amount of heat-treated soybeans used in the food, or the amount of salt equivalent, lipids, or carbohydrates used in the food, is preferably the amount described in relation to the method according to the third aspect of the first disclosure.

[0153] B. Second Disclosure of This Specification Sections B-1, B-2, B-3 and B-4 below describe in detail the second disclosure of this Specification.

[0154] B-1. Flavor-enhancing composition relating to the second disclosure The first aspect of the second disclosure relates to a flavor-enhancing composition containing heat-treated okara, wherein the heat-treated okara is subjected to one or more conditions selected from a2) a heating temperature of 175°C or higher, b2) a condition in which oil is present, and c2) a pressure-sealed condition.

[0155] The flavor-enhancing composition of the second disclosure can enhance the flavor of food by being incorporated into the food itself. For example, a food containing one or more flavor components in a reduced amount compared to normal (for example, a low-salt food containing salt in a reduced amount compared to normal, a low-fat food containing oil in a reduced amount compared to normal, or a low-carbohydrate food containing carbohydrates in a reduced amount compared to normal) that incorporates the flavor-enhancing composition of the second disclosure can have a flavor closer to that of a food containing one or more flavor components in normal amounts compared to a food that does not contain it, and more preferably, can have a flavor equivalent to that of a food containing one or more flavor components in normal amounts. The flavor-enhancing composition of the second disclosure is more preferably a flavor-enhancing composition that enhances the flavor of a food by being incorporated into a food containing salt, such as a low-salt food, a food containing lipids, such as a low-carbohydrate food, or a food containing carbohydrates, such as a low-carbohydrate food. As shown in Reference Examples 1 to 3, cyclic dipeptides have the effect of enhancing the taste (greasy feel) of foods containing oils and fats when incorporated into such foods. As will be described later, heat-treated okara contains more cyclic dipeptides than raw okara, so the taste-enhancing composition of the second disclosure can be a taste-enhancing composition that enhances the taste (greasy feel) of foods containing oils and fats when incorporated into such foods.

[0156] In the second disclosure, "okara" refers to the solid residue remaining after squeezing soy milk from soybeans, and its moisture content is not particularly limited. Okara that undergoes heat treatment may be referred to as "raw okara" to distinguish it from heat-treated okara. Raw okara may be pre-dried okara or undried okara. The moisture content of undried okara is usually 70% by mass or more and 80% by mass or less of the total amount of okara. The drying method for pre-drying okara is not particularly limited, and freeze-drying can be used, for example.

[0157] The raw material okara may be a mixture of okara and amino acids or peptides. By heating the mixture of okara and amino acids or peptides, heat-treated okara can be obtained that has a particularly high effect in enhancing the richness of the flavor. The amino acids or peptides are preferably one or more amino acids selected from alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, asparagine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, histidine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, and valine, or peptides containing the above amino acids as constituent amino acids. In specific examples, the amino acids or peptides mixed with okara are preferably one or more amino acids selected from proline, methionine, alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and histidine, or peptides containing the above amino acids as constituent amino acids, and are particularly preferably the above amino acids. In a mixture of okara (soy pulp) and amino acids or peptides, the mixing ratio of okara to amino acids or peptides is not particularly limited, but for every 100 parts by mass (on a dry basis), the total amount of amino acids or peptides can be, for example, 0.5 parts by mass or more and 20 parts by mass or less, more specifically 1 part by mass or more and 15 parts by mass or less, and more specifically 2 parts by mass or more and 10 parts by mass or less. The amino acids can be L-forms, D-forms, or mixtures of L-forms and D-forms, for example, L-forms can be used.

[0158] The heat-treated okara in the flavor-enhancing composition of the second disclosure is preferably in powder form, and the particle size is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 1000 μm or less, preferably 500 μm or less. Here, the particle size can be determined by the mesh size of a standard sieve specified in JIS. The heat-treated okara in the flavor-enhancing composition of the second disclosure may be provided in the form of a mixture of heat-treated okara and oil. The mixture may be solid at room temperature or liquid at room temperature, depending on the melting point of the oil.

[0159] The flavor-enhancing composition of the second disclosure may consist solely of heat-treated okara, or it may contain heat-treated okara and other components. Examples of other components include one or more components having a flavor-enhancing effect, or one or more components that are acceptable as food. The flavor-enhancing composition of the second disclosure may contain heat-treated okara in a proportion of preferably 5% to 100% by mass, more preferably 10% to 100% by mass, even more preferably 15% to 100% by mass, and most preferably 50% to 100% by mass, on a dry basis. The flavor-enhancing composition of the second disclosure may be in the form of powder, granules, paste, liquid, etc., and may contain one or more food-acceptable components, such as excipients and carriers, as necessary to achieve the desired form.

[0160] Next, a preferred embodiment of the heat treatment for preparing the heat-treated okara will be described.

[0161] Okara that has been heat-treated under the condition described above as "a2) a heating temperature of 175°C or higher" (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "heating condition a2") has a particularly strong effect in enhancing the taste when incorporated into food, compared to okara that has been heat-treated at a temperature of less than 175°C. The heating temperature under heating condition a2) should be such that the maximum temperature reached is 175°C or higher, preferably 180°C or higher, more preferably 185°C or higher, and even more preferably 210°C or higher. For example, it can be 175°C or higher and 400°C or lower, preferably 180°C or higher and 350°C or lower, more preferably 200°C or higher and 320°C or lower, and even more preferably 210°C or higher and 300°C or lower.

[0162] The heating condition a2) more preferably includes a heating value of 150 or more. The heating value in heating condition a2) is more preferably 500 or more, more preferably 1500 or more, even more preferably 4000 or more, particularly preferably 7000 or more, preferably 150 to 500000, more preferably 500 to 450000, more preferably 1500 to 400000, even more preferably 4000 to 350000, particularly preferably 5000 to 350000, and most preferably 7000 to 250000. By setting the heating value of the heat treatment in heating condition a2) within the above range, heat-treated okara with a particularly high flavor-enhancing effect can be obtained.

[0163] The heating time under heating condition a2) can be set as appropriate. Preferably, the heating time under heating condition a2) can be set so that the heating temperature and heating value fall within the above range, for example, 4 minutes or more, preferably 6 minutes or more, for example, 4 minutes or more and 40 minutes or less, preferably 6 minutes or more and 25 minutes or less.

[0164] The heat treatment under heating condition a2) may be performed in an open system or a closed system, but it is preferably performed in an open system. An open system refers to an environment that is not sealed and in which moisture and volatile components including aroma components can volatilize into the surrounding atmosphere during heat treatment. The inventors have found that okara heat-treated in an open system at a temperature of 175°C or higher has a particularly strong effect in enhancing the taste when incorporated into food. Examples of heat treatment devices that can be used for heat treatment in an open system include roasters equipped with open containers such as flat kettles, rotary cylindrical kettles, and pots, as well as ovens with open interiors, hot air roasters, and superheated steam stirring and mixing sterilization devices. Such heat treatment in an open system can be called "roasting". Heat treatment in an open system can be performed under non-pressurized conditions. In the heat treatment under heating condition a2), oil and / or water may be added to the raw okara, or not, but it is particularly preferable not to add them.

[0165] The raw okara used in the heat treatment under heating condition a2) may be pre-dried okara or undried okara. The raw okara used in the heat treatment under heating condition a2) may be okara alone or a mixture of okara and amino acids or peptides.

[0166] Okara that has been heat-treated under the conditions described in "b2) where oil is present" (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "heating condition b2") is preferable because it has a high effect of enhancing the flavor. The oil is not particularly limited as long as it is an edible oil derived from plants, animals, etc. that is acceptable as food. The oil may have its melting point adjusted by techniques such as transesterification or hydrogenation of fatty acids. The amount of oil used in the heat treatment under heating condition b2) is not particularly limited, but for example, for 10 parts by mass or more and 1500 parts by mass or less, preferably 50 parts by mass or more and 1000 parts by mass or less, and more preferably 200 parts by mass or more and 600 parts by mass or less of oil can be used per 100 parts by mass of okara (on a dry basis).

[0167] The heating treatment under heating condition b2) can be performed by setting the temperature and time so that the heating value is preferably 150 or higher, more preferably 170 or higher, preferably 150 to 10000, more preferably 170 to 10000, even more preferably 170 to 5000, particularly preferably 170 to 2000, and most preferably 170 to 1000. By setting the heating value of the heating treatment under heating condition b2) within the above range, heat-treated okara with a particularly high flavor-enhancing effect can be obtained.

[0168] The temperature and time in the heat treatment under heating condition b2) can be appropriately set so that the heating value falls within the above range. The temperature in the heat treatment under heating condition b2) can be such that the maximum temperature reached is, for example, 100°C or higher, preferably 120°C or higher, more preferably 130°C or higher, and even more preferably 140°C or higher, and can be such as 100°C to 300°C, preferably 120°C to 280°C, more preferably 130°C to 250°C, and even more preferably 140°C to 230°C. The time in the heat treatment under heating condition b2) can be, for example, 2 minutes or more, preferably 4 minutes or more, and can be such as 2 minutes to 40 minutes, and even more preferably 4 minutes to 25 minutes.

[0169] The heat treatment under heating condition b2) can be carried out in either an open or closed system, and can be performed by heating with superheated steam or heating with an oven. Examples of heating devices used for the heat treatment under heating condition b2) include ovens, flat-pan roasters, vertical heating mixers, and microwave heating devices.

[0170] The raw okara used in the heat treatment under heating condition b2) may be pre-dried okara or undried okara. The raw okara used in the heat treatment under heating condition b2) may be okara alone or a mixture of okara and amino acids or peptides.

[0171] Okara that has been heat-treated under the aforementioned "c2) pressurized and sealed conditions" (which may be referred to as "heating conditions c2") is preferable because it has a high effect in enhancing the flavor.

[0172] The heating treatment under heating condition c2) can be performed by setting the temperature and time so that the heating value is preferably 130 or higher, more preferably 150 or higher, preferably 130 to 1500, and more preferably 150 to 1000. By setting the heating value of the heating treatment under heating condition c2) within the above range, heat-treated okara with a particularly high flavor-enhancing effect can be obtained.

[0173] The temperature and time in the heat treatment under heating condition c2) can be appropriately set so that the heating value falls within the above range. The temperature in the heat treatment under heating condition c2) can be such that the maximum temperature reached is, for example, 100°C or higher, preferably 110°C or higher, more preferably 120°C or higher, and even more preferably 125°C or higher, and can be such as 100°C to 200°C, preferably 110°C to 180°C, more preferably 120°C to 160°C, and even more preferably 125°C to 150°C. The time in the heat treatment under heating condition c2) can be, for example, 10 minutes or more, preferably 20 minutes or more, and can be such as 10 minutes to 60 minutes, and even more preferably 20 minutes to 40 minutes.

[0174] The heat treatment under heating condition c2) can be carried out under pressure conditions where the gauge pressure is preferably 0.05 MPa or higher, more preferably 0.15 MPa or higher, preferably 0.05 MPa to 0.60 MPa, and more preferably 0.15 MPa to 0.40 MPa.

[0175] Examples of heating devices used for pressurized sealed heating under heating condition c2) include pressurized sealed kettles and retort-type sterilizers. Heat treatment under heating condition c2) using a retort-type sterilizer may involve placing the raw okara in a soft, heat-resistant bag (for example, a bag made of aluminum foil laminated resin sheet), sealing it, and heating it under pressurized conditions.

[0176] The raw okara used in the heat treatment under heating condition c2) may be pre-dried okara or undried okara. The raw okara used in the heat treatment under heating condition c2) may be okara alone or a mixture of okara and amino acids or peptides. In the heat treatment under heating condition c2), oil and / or water may be added to the raw okara, or not.

[0177] In a preferred embodiment, the heat-treated okara obtained by heat-treating okara under one or more conditions selected from heating conditions a2), heating conditions b2), and heating conditions c2) shows an increase in one or more compounds selected from the following: cyclic dipeptides, sulfole, sulfole acetate, aconitic acid, succinic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, fumaric acid, pyroglutamic acid, and malic acid, compared to the okara before heating. The inventors have found that the amount of the compound contained in the heat-treated okara correlates with the strength of its flavor-enhancing effect.

[0178] In a preferred embodiment of the flavor-enhancing composition of the second disclosure, the heat-treated okara is subjected to the addition of 5 μg / g caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g L-methionine sulfone, and in the chromatogram obtained by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) according to the following method, (201) the total area ratio of the peak area derived from the alanine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.0 or more, preferably 1.0 to 160, (202) the total area ratio of the peak area derived from the arginine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.40 or more, preferably 0.40 to 7.0, and (203) the total area ratio of the peak area derived from the aspartic acid-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.30 or more, preferably 0.30 to 3.0. (204) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing asparagine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.20 or more, preferably 0.2 to 5.0; (205) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing glutamic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.650 or more, preferably 0.650 to 6.0; (206) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing glutamine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.30 or more, preferably 0.30 to 4.0; (207) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing glycine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.30 or more, preferably 0.30 to 4.5; (208) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing histidine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.5 or more, preferably 1.5 to 13. (209) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing leucine or isoleucine to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.30 or more, preferably 0.30 to 5.0.(210) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing lysine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.70 or more, preferably 0.70 to 5.0; (211) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing methionine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.30 or more, preferably 0.30 to 5.2; (212) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing phenylalanine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.30 or more, preferably 0.30 to 2.8; (213) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing proline to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.80 or more, preferably 0.80 to 11; (214) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing serine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.20 or more, preferably 0.20 to 2.0. (215) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing threonine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.40 or more, preferably 0.40 to 7.0; (216) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing tryptophan to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.050 or more, preferably 0.050 to 0.40; (217) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing tyrosine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.40 or more, preferably 0.40 to 5.0; (218) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing valine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.150 or more, preferably 0.15 to 4.0; (219) The area ratio of the peak area derived from sulfurol to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.10 or more, preferably 0.10 to 1.7. (220) The area ratio of the peak area derived from sulfuryl acetate to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.0005 or more, preferably 0.0005 to 0.060.(221) The area ratio of the peak area derived from aconitic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 3.8 or more, preferably 3.8 to 25; (222) The area ratio of the peak area derived from succinic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 17.5 or more, preferably 25 to 400; (223) The area ratio of the peak area derived from tartaric acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.62 or more, preferably 0.62 to 3.7; (224) The area ratio of the peak area derived from citric acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 2200 or more, preferably 2200 to 14000; (225) The area ratio of the peak area derived from fumaric acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 2.9 or more, preferably 2.9 to 25. (226) The area ratio of the peak area derived from pyroglutamic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.5 or more, preferably 1.5 to 30, and (227) The area ratio of the peak area derived from malic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 90 or more, preferably 90 to 700, with 1 or more of these conditions satisfied, preferably 10 or more, more preferably 15 or more, even more preferably 20 or more, and most preferably all of them.

[0179] Here, the LC-MS measurement method is as follows, and more preferably, the LC-MS measurement method described in the examples.

[0180] A 15 mL test tube containing 200 mg of the heat-treated okara (on a dry weight basis; if the heat-treated okara is heat-treated with oil, or with amino acids or peptides, the weight is calculated as okara excluding the oil, amino acids, or peptides) and 7.5 mL of water is heated in a 75°C constant temperature water bath for 10 minutes to prepare an aqueous extract. To the aqueous extract in the test tube, 2.5 mL of acetonitrile and 5 μg / g of caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g of L-methionine sulfone per okara (on a dry weight basis; if the heat-treated okara is heat-treated with oil, or with amino acids or peptides, the weight is calculated as okara excluding the oil, amino acids, or peptides) are added, stirred, and the solid components are removed and the liquid components are recovered to prepare a sample. The aforementioned sample is analyzed by LC-MS (ionization method: electrospray ionization (ESI) positive mode and ESI negative mode) to obtain a chromatogram.

[0181] Caffeine-d9 is the internal standard in positive mode. Caffeine-d9 and each of the compounds described in (201) to (220) and (226) above are separated by LC and detected as [M+H] ions in positive mode by MS, and the peak area of ​​the extracted ion chromatogram with m / z values ​​corresponding to the precise mass of the [M+H] ions described in the examples is determined. From the obtained peak area, the peak area ratios specified in (201) to (220) and (226) above can be calculated.

[0182] L-methionine sulfone is the internal standard in negative mode. L-methionine sulfone and each of the compounds described in (221) to (225) and (227) above are separated by LC and detected as [M-H] ions in negative mode by MS, and the peak area of ​​the extracted ion chromatogram with m / z values ​​corresponding to the precise mass of the [M-H] ions described in the examples is determined. From the obtained peak area, the peak area ratios specified in (221) to (225) and (227) above can be calculated.

[0183] The alanine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (201) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the "Alanine (Ala)" row of Table 16.

[0184] The cyclic dipeptide containing arginine in (202) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the "Arginine (Arg)" row of Table 16.

[0185] The cyclic dipeptides containing aspartic acid in (203) above are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the "Aspartic Acid (Asp)" row of Table 16.

[0186] The asparagine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (204) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the "Asparagine (Asn)" row of Table 16.

[0187] The glutamic acid-containing cyclic dipeptide in (205) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Glutamic Acid (Glu)" in Table 16.

[0188] The glutamine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (206) is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the "Glutamine (Gln)" row of Table 16.

[0189] The cyclic dipeptide containing glycine in (207) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Gly" in Table 16.

[0190] The histidine-containing cyclic dipeptides in (208) are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the "Histidine (His)" row of Table 16.

[0191] The leucine or isoleucine in (209) above is typically a cyclic dipeptide as shown in the row for "Leucine / Isoleucine (Leu / Ile)" in Table 16.

[0192] The lysine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (210) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Lys" in Table 16.

[0193] The cyclic dipeptide containing methionine in (211) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Methionine (Met)" in Table 16.

[0194] The cyclic dipeptide containing phenylalanine in (212) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "phenylalanine (Phe)" in Table 16.

[0195] The cyclic dipeptides containing proline in (213) above are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the "Proline (Pro)" row of Table 16.

[0196] The serine-containing cyclic dipeptides in (214) above are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the "Serine (Ser)" row of Table 16.

[0197] The cyclic dipeptides containing threonine in (215) are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the row for "Threonine (Thr)" in Table 16.

[0198] The cyclic dipeptide containing tryptophan in (216) is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Tryptophan (Trp)" in Table 16.

[0199] The tyrosine-containing cyclic dipeptides in (217) above are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the "Tyrosine (Tyr)" row of Table 16.

[0200] The valine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (218) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Valine (Val)" in Table 16.

[0201] In certain cases, flavor enhancement, as described above, involves enhancing one or more flavors selected from saltiness, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, umami, richness, oiliness, and milkiness. However, differences in the heating conditions of the heat-treated okara can lead to differences in the composition and ratio of cyclic dipeptides, and thus the types of flavors that can be enhanced may also differ.

[0202] To impart to the second disclosure a flavor-enhancing composition an effect of enhancing saltiness, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions having an effect of enhancing saltiness may be incorporated; to impart to the second disclosure a flavor-enhancing composition an effect of enhancing sweetness, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions having an effect of enhancing sweetness may be incorporated; to impart to the second disclosure a flavor-enhancing composition an effect of enhancing sourness, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions having an effect of enhancing sourness may be incorporated; and to impart to the second disclosure a flavor-enhancing composition an effect of enhancing bitterness may be incorporated. To enhance the umami flavor, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions that enhance the umami flavor can be incorporated. To enhance the richness flavor, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions that enhance the richness flavor can be incorporated. To enhance the oiliness flavor, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions that enhance the oiliness flavor can be incorporated. To enhance the milkiness flavor, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions that enhance the milkiness flavor can be incorporated. Furthermore, to enhance multiple stages of flavor among saltiness, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, umami, richness, oiliness, and milkiness in the flavor-enhancing composition according to the second disclosure, multiple heat-treated okara can be combined and incorporated according to the flavor to be enhanced.

[0203] The flavor-enhancing composition can be formulated by combining heat-treated okara (soy pulp) with other flavor-enhancing materials (for example, heat-treated soybeans, rice, wheat, corn, grains, spices, etc.). Depending on the type of material being heat-treated, the flavor-enhancing profile may differ. To impart a salty flavor-enhancing effect to the flavor-enhancing composition according to the second disclosure, one or more flavor-enhancing materials having a salty flavor-enhancing effect can be incorporated. Similarly, to impart a sweet flavor-enhancing effect to the flavor-enhancing composition according to the second disclosure, one or more flavor-enhancing materials having a sweet flavor-enhancing effect can be incorporated, and to impart a rich flavor-enhancing effect, one or more flavor-enhancing materials having a rich flavor-enhancing effect can be incorporated. Furthermore, in order to impart to the second disclosure a taste-enhancing composition the effect of enhancing multiple stages of taste among saltiness, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, umami, richness, oiliness, and milkiness, multiple taste-enhancing materials can be combined and blended according to the taste to be enhanced.

[0204] B-2. Method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to the second disclosure The second aspect of the second disclosure relates to a method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to the first aspect of the second disclosure, comprising: subjecting okara to a heat treatment under one or more conditions selected from a2) a heating temperature of 175°C or higher, b2) a condition in which oil is present, and c2) a pressure-sealed condition, in order to obtain the heat-treated okara.

[0205] According to this embodiment, a flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first embodiment of the second disclosure can be manufactured.

[0206] In the method relating to the second aspect of the second disclosure, the characteristics of the okara used as a raw material, the heat treatment, etc., may have the characteristics described in the flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first aspect of the second disclosure. For example, "a2) the condition that the heating temperature is 175°C or higher," "b2) the condition that oil is present," and "c2) the condition that is pressurized and sealed" may each have the characteristics described with respect to the heating conditions a2), heating conditions b2), and heating conditions c2) for obtaining the heat-treated okara of the flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first aspect of the second disclosure.

[0207] The method for producing the flavor-enhancing composition according to this embodiment may involve using the heat-treated okara as is for the flavor-enhancing composition, or it may further include preparing the flavor-enhancing composition by combining the heat-treated okara with other components. Preferred examples of the other components are as described with respect to the flavor-enhancing composition according to the first embodiment of the second disclosure.

[0208] The method for producing the flavor-enhancing composition according to this embodiment may include processing the obtained flavor-enhancing composition into the form of a powder, granules, paste, liquid, or the like.

[0209] B-3. ​​Method for enhancing taste using the taste-enhancing composition relating to the second disclosure The third aspect of the second disclosure relates to a method for enhancing the taste of food, which includes incorporating the taste-enhancing composition relating to the first aspect of the second disclosure into food.

[0210] The method according to this embodiment can enhance the taste of food, and therefore can be suitably used to enhance the taste of foods containing one or more of the above-mentioned taste components in amounts lower than usual (for example, low-sodium foods with reduced salt content, low-fat foods with reduced fat content, and low-carbohydrate foods with reduced carbohydrate content).

[0211] In the method according to this embodiment, the amount of the flavor-enhancing composition according to the first embodiment of the second disclosure added to the food is not particularly limited and can be appropriately adjusted according to the form of the food. Preferably, the flavor-enhancing composition is added at a concentration in which it does not have a taste of its own, but is able to enhance the taste of the food. Specifically, the final concentration of heat-treated okara (calculated as dried okara) per unit amount of the total food is, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, and more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less. When the aforementioned flavor-enhancing composition is used to enhance the flavor of a food product with a lipid content of less than 20% by mass, the flavor-enhancing composition can be blended such that, per total amount of food, the final concentration of heat-treated okara (calculated as dried okara) is, for example, 0.005% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.3% by mass or less. When the aforementioned flavor-enhancing composition is used to enhance the flavor of a food product with a lipid content of 20% by mass or more (for example, chocolate), the flavor-enhancing composition can be blended such that, per total amount of food, the final concentration of heat-treated okara (calculated as dried okara) is, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 1.0% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less, and more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.1% by mass or less. For example, for the purpose of enhancing saltiness, the flavor-enhancing composition can be blended such that, for every 100g of salt equivalent in the food, the amount of heat-treated okara (calculated as dried okara) is, for example, 0.5g or more, preferably 1g or more, preferably 2g or more, more preferably 4g or more, even more preferably 5g or more, for example, 0.5g or more and 100g or less, preferably 1g or more and 75g or less, more preferably 2g or more and 60g or less, particularly preferably 4g or more and 50g or less, and even more preferably 5g or more and 40g or less.For example, for the purpose of enhancing the taste of food with lipids in a food with a lipid content of less than 20% by mass, the taste-enhancing composition can be blended so that, for example, the amount of heat-treated okara (calculated as dried okara) per 100g of lipids in the food is, for example, 0.10g or more, preferably 0.50g or more, more preferably 1.0g or more, even more preferably 1.2g or more, for example, 0.10g or more and 100g or less, preferably 0.50g or more and 75g or less, more preferably 1.0g or more and 50g or less, and even more preferably 1.2g or more and 25g or less. For example, for the purpose of enhancing the taste of food with lipids in a food with a lipid content of 20% by mass or more (for example, chocolate), the taste-enhancing composition can be blended so that, for example, the amount of heat-treated okara (calculated as dried okara) per 100g of lipids in the food is, for example, 1.0mg or more, preferably 10mg or more, for example, 1.0mg or more and 500mg or less, preferably 10mg or more and 300mg or less, and even more preferably 30mg or more and 100mg or less. For the purpose of enhancing the taste with carbohydrates, the flavor-enhancing composition can be blended so that, for every 100g of carbohydrates in the food, the amount of heat-treated okara (calculated as dried okara) is, for example, 0.20g or more, preferably 0.50g or more, more preferably 0.60g or more, even more preferably 1g or more, particularly preferably 2g or more, for example, 0.20g to 100g, preferably 0.50g to 70g, more preferably 0.60g to 60g, even more preferably 1g to 50g, particularly preferably 2g to 50g.

[0212] In the method according to this embodiment, the type of food is not limited, but examples include liquid condiments such as curry sauce, stew sauce, soup, beverages, chocolate, and dressings, rice products, meat products, prepared foods, and confectionery. The food may contain one or more of the above-mentioned flavor components in amounts lower than usual. The food may contain one or more of the above-mentioned flavor components, such as salt.

[0213] B-4. Further aspects of the second disclosure of this specification relate to the use of heat-treated okara to enhance the flavor of food, a method for enhancing the flavor of food, including incorporating heat-treated okara into food, and the use of heat-treated okara in the manufacture of heat-treated okara for the purpose of enhancing the flavor of food, or additives for the purpose of enhancing the flavor of food. Herein, the heat-treated okara is heat-treated under one or more conditions selected from a2), b2), and c2).

[0214] In the further embodiments described above, the heat-treated okara preferably has the characteristics described with respect to the heat-treated okara contained in the flavor-enhancing composition according to the first aspect of the second disclosure.

[0215] In the further embodiments described above, the heat-treated okara can preferably be produced by the method for producing heat-treated okara described in the method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to the second aspect of the second disclosure.

[0216] In the further embodiments, the food preferably has the features described in relation to the method relating to the third aspect of the second disclosure. In the further embodiments, the amount of heat-treated okara used in the food, or the amount of salt equivalent, lipids, or carbohydrates used in the food, is preferably the amount described in relation to the method relating to the third aspect of the second disclosure.

[0217] Experiment 1 below relates to the first disclosure of this specification.

[0218] Experiment 2, described below, relates to the second disclosure of this specification.

[0219] 1. Experiment 1: Flavor-enhancing composition containing heat-treated soybeans

[0220] 1.1. Heat treatment of soybeans

[0221] (1) Heat Value The heat value is obtained by integrating the value expressed by the formula (hereinafter referred to as the "CV value") with respect to the heating time (minutes).

[0222] (Formula): CV value = 10 [(product temperature - reference temperature) / Z value] In this specification, "reference temperature" is 110°C and "Z value" is 30°C. "Product temperature" refers to the temperature of the object being heated during the heat treatment.

[0223] (2) The prepared soybeans were heat-treated under the conditions shown in the table below. The definition of the heat value is as previously described. The temperature and time listed in the processing conditions column are the theoretical maximum temperature reached and the time it is held (however, in the case of oven heating, the oven setting time and the total heating time), but the temperature measured over time with a temperature sensor was used to calculate the heat value. Therefore, the heat value reflects the change in temperature over time, including the temperature and time during temperature rise and fall.

[0224]

[0225] Comparative Example 101: 10 g of whole soybeans and 100 g of water were placed in a pot and boiled over low heat for 10 minutes until the water evaporated. The water was then removed using a freeze-dryer. After drying, the mixture was ground into a powder, which was used for evaluation and analysis.

[0226] Comparative Examples 102 and 103: Unheated ground soybeans (Comparative Example 102) or whole soybeans (Comparative Example 103) were placed on an aluminum tray and roasted in an oven preheated to 120°C for 10 minutes. After heating, they were transferred to a tray and allowed to cool to room temperature. Whole soybeans were ground into a powder and used for evaluation and analysis.

[0227] Example 101 The pressurized sealed heating in Example 101 was carried out according to the following procedure. 50 g of ground soybeans were filled into an aluminum foil pouch and sealed. The sealed pouch was heat-treated in a retort sterilizer at 130°C for 30 minutes and then cooled with water. The heat treatment in the retort sterilizer was carried out under a gauge pressure of 0.2 MPa.

[0228] Example 102 The oil heating in Example 102 was carried out by the following procedure. Unheated soybeans were crushed into a powder. 100 g of palm oil (melting point 45°C) was heated, and when it reached 80°C, 100 g of the crushed soybeans were mixed in. The resulting mixture was heated to 150°C while stirring, and held at that temperature for 5 minutes, after which the mixture was cooled. Cooling was carried out while stirring to the extent that the crushed soybeans did not separate in the mixture until it reached about 60°C, and thereafter it was cooled in a freezer until it solidified.

[0229] Example 103 The oven roasting in Example 103 was carried out using the following procedure. Unheated ground soybeans were placed on an aluminum tray and roasted in an oven preheated to 210°C for 10 minutes. After heating, they were transferred to a tray and allowed to cool to room temperature.

[0230] Example 104 The oven roasting in Example 104 was carried out according to the following procedure. 10 g of whole soybeans were placed on an aluminum tray and roasted in an oven set to 230°C for 21 minutes. The temperature reached 220°C after 15.5 minutes, and roasting continued for another 5.5 minutes. After heating, the soybeans were transferred to a tray and allowed to cool to room temperature. The powdered soybeans, which were crushed after heating, were used for evaluation and analysis.

[0231] Example 105 The oven roasting in Example 105 was carried out using the following procedure. 3 g of palm oil (melting point 45°C) was placed in an aluminum dish and heated. When it reached 80°C, 3 g of ground soybeans were added and mixed well. The dish was placed in an oven set to 230°C and roasted for 20 minutes. After heating, it was allowed to cool to room temperature.

[0232] Example 106 The oven roasting in Example 106 was carried out using the following procedure. Unheated whole soybeans were placed on an aluminum tray and roasted in an oven preheated to 300°C for 5 minutes. After heating, they were transferred to a tray and allowed to cool to room temperature. The whole soybeans were ground into a powder and used for evaluation and analysis.

[0233] Example 107 A mixture containing equal amounts by mass of L-proline, L-methionine, DL-alanine, L-aspartic acid, L-glutamic acid, and L-histidine was prepared as an amino acid mixture. 50 g of whole soybeans and 2.5 g of the amino acid mixture were mixed, placed on an aluminum dish, and heated in an oven set to 230°C for 5 minutes. The temperature was measured by inserting a sensor thermometer into the oven. After heating, the mixture was transferred to a tray and allowed to cool to room temperature. The mixture was then ground into a powder and used for evaluation and analysis.

[0234] 1.2. Enhancement of flavor by heat treatment of soybeans (1) (1) Preparation of regular curry roux 20g of wheat flour and 30g of beef fat were placed in a pot and heated and stirred at 120°C to make wheat flour roux.

[0235] To this wheat flour roux, 10g of salt, 10g of sugar, 10g of cornstarch, 5g of curry powder, and 15g of other seasoning ingredients (vegetable / fruit extract, yeast extract, seafood extract) were added, and after heating to 105°C, it was cooled and solidified to create a block-shaped, standard curry roux.

[0236] The salt content of this curry roux was 10.6g per 100g.

[0237] (2) Preparation of reduced-sodium curry roux A reduced-sodium curry roux was prepared using the same procedure as the regular curry roux described in (1) above, except that the amount of salt was reduced to 7g.

[0238] The sodium chloride content of this reduced-sodium curry roux was 7.7g per 100g. Foods containing sodium chloride (salt) have not only a salty taste, but also sweetness, sourness, bitterness, umami, richness, oiliness, and milkiness, and reduced-sodium foods tend to have weaker tastes in these various aspects. For this reason, reduced-sodium foods such as the reduced-sodium curry roux used in this experiment are useful as an evaluation system for taste enhancement.

[0239] (3) Sensory evaluation One sample was prepared by dissolving 44g of the regular curry roux from (1) above in 300g of hot water and boiling it while stirring.

[0240] Multiple solutions were prepared by dissolving 44 g of the reduced-sodium curry roux described in (2) above in 300 g of hot water and boiling it while stirring. To one of these solutions, a sample of the comparative example or example of the heat-treated soybean product was added to achieve a final concentration of 0.1% by mass. In this test system, 10.1 g of the comparative example or example of the heat-treated soybean product was added for every 100 g of sodium chloride equivalent in the hot water diluted solution of the reduced-sodium curry roux.

[0241] The taste of the reduced-sodium curry roux (dissolved in hot water) and the regular curry roux (dissolved in hot water) was compared, and evaluated by three evaluators (evaluators 1, 2, and 3) or two evaluators (evaluators 1 and 2) according to the following evaluation criteria.

[0242] The taste-enhancing effect was assigned a score of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 points as follows. The taste of each sample was evaluated by three or two evaluators in 0.1-point increments, and the average score was calculated.

[0243] 1 point: Taste similar to reduced-sodium curry roux. 2 points: Slightly stronger taste than reduced-sodium curry roux. 3 points: Stronger taste than reduced-sodium curry roux. 4 points: Significantly stronger taste than reduced-sodium curry roux. 5 points: Taste similar to regular curry roux.

[0244] When samples from comparative examples or examples of heat-treated soybeans were added, evaluators were asked to indicate which of the following tastes was enhanced: saltiness, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, umami, richness, oiliness, or milkiness, by marking with an asterisk (*). The number of asterisks (*) corresponds to the number of evaluators who reported feeling an enhancement effect on the corresponding taste.

[0245] (4) Evaluation Results The evaluation results are shown in the table below.

[0246]

[0247] 1.3. Component Analysis The components contained in the comparative example and example samples (soybean samples) of heat-treated soybeans were analyzed using the following procedure.

[0248] 1.3.1. Component Analysis by LC-MS (1) Preparation of LC-MS Sample 200 mg of soybean sample (on a dry basis; if the sample is a sample that has been heat-treated with oil, this refers to the mass calculated as the sample excluding the oil. For example, the mass of the sample in Example 102 was 400 mg) was taken into a 15 mL test tube, and 7.5 mL of ultrapure water was added and mixed well. The test tube was heated in a constant temperature water bath set to 75°C for 10 minutes, then the test tube was stirred in a benchtop high-speed shaker at 2,500 rpm for 10 minutes and allowed to stand until it reached room temperature. 2.5 mL of acetonitrile (Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries) was added to the test tube, and caffeine-d9 (Kanto Chemical Industries) was added as an internal standard for the positive mode, and L-methionine sulfone (Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries) was added as an internal standard for the negative mode. Caffeine-d9 and L-methionine sulfone were added to a soybean sample (on a dry weight basis; if the sample is one that has been heat-treated with oil (e.g., the sample in Example 102), the mass refers to the mass calculated after removing the oil) at a concentration of 5 μg / g each. The test tube was stirred in a benchtop high-speed shaker at room temperature at 2,500 rpm for 10 minutes, and after centrifugation, 0.5 mL of the solution in the test tube was transferred to an ultrafiltration filter (Nanosep centrifugal filtration device 3K, Nippon Pall). The ultrafiltration filter was centrifuged at room temperature at 15,000 rpm for 30 minutes, and then 0.75 mL of ultrapure water and 0.25 mL of acetonitrile were added to the filtrate below the filter and vortexed for 10 seconds. The solution after loading onto a 0.2 μm filter was used as the LC-MS sample (n=3).

[0249] (2) LC-MS analysis conditions The analysis conditions for LC-orbitrap-MS are shown below. Analytical equipment: LC: Vanquish Flex (Thermo Fisher Scientific) MS: ID-X (Thermo Fisher Scientific) Analytical column: Unison UK-C18, 3 μm [particle size], 250 mm [length] x 4.6 mm [inner diameter] (Imtakt) LC conditions: Column temperature: 40°C Injection volume: 5 μL Mode: ESI positive, ESI negative Flow rate: 0.3 mL / min Mobile phase: Solution A 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution (formic acid: LCMS grade, Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries) Solution B 0.1% formic acid / acetonitrile (LCMS grade, Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries) Mobile phase composition - Analysis time 68 minutes

[0250]

[0251] MS conditions: Ion source temperature: 230°C. Monitoring ions: As shown in the table below.

[0252] (3) Data Analysis The precise mass of each component (see table below) was extracted from the LC-MS ion chromatogram, and the peak area was obtained. The components in each sample were compared by calculating the peak area ratio (= peak area of ​​each component / peak area of ​​the internal standard). In the table below, A1 and A2 represent the two amino acids that make up each cyclic dipeptide. For cyclic dipeptides, the result of summing the peak area ratios for each bound amino acid is listed.

[0253]

[0254]

[0255]

[0256] 1.3.2. Results The results of the analysis of cyclic dipeptides in the comparative example and example samples of heat-treated soybeans are shown in Table 7 below. For each detected cyclic dipeptide, the peak area ratio relative to the internal standard (caffeine-d9) was determined, and the sum of the peak area ratios of cyclic dipeptides containing a predetermined amino acid is shown in Table 7. The molecular species of cyclic dipeptides detected by contained amino acid are shown in Table 8. The sample from Example 107 was not analyzed.

[0257]

[0258]

[0259] The table below shows the peak area ratios of aroma components and organic acids relative to the internal standard in the comparative example and example samples of heat-treated soybeans.

[0260]

[0261] 1.4. Enhancement of Flavor by Heat-Treated Soybeans (2) The effect of enhancing the flavor of the heat-treated soybean product of Example 107 (amino acid co-roasting in an oven at 230°C for 5 minutes) was confirmed.

[0262] (1) Reduced-sodium miso soup Miso soup was prepared using commercially available reduced-sodium dried miso soup powder (dried ingredients removed). The Example 107 sample was prepared by mixing the soybean heat-treated powder of Example 107 with the miso soup at a final concentration of 0.1% (w / w). The miso soup without the powder of Example 107 was used as the negative control sample. The positive control sample was prepared by mixing salt with the miso soup at a final concentration of 0.14% (w / w). The salt equivalent amount was 0.63% (w / w) for the Example 107 sample and the negative control sample of miso soup, and 0.77% (w / w) for the positive control sample. The Example 107 sample of reduced-sodium miso soup contains 15.9g of the soybean heat-treated powder of Example 107 (15.1g as soybeans) per 100g of salt equivalent.

[0263] (2) Reduced Fat Curry Sauce A reduced fat curry sauce was prepared using a commercially available curry roux with reduced fat content. The reduced fat curry sauce was mixed with the soybean heat-treated powder of Example 107 at a final concentration of 0.1% (w / w) to form the Example 107 sample. The reduced fat curry sauce of Example 107 without the powder was used as a negative control sample. The reduced fat curry sauce was mixed with palm oil at a final concentration of 0.36% (w / w) to form the positive control sample. The lipid concentration of the reduced fat curry sauce in Example 107 sample and the negative control sample was 1.10% (w / w), and the lipid concentration of the positive control sample was 1.46% (w / w). The reduced fat curry sauce in Example 107 sample contains 9.1g of the soybean heat-treated powder of Example 107 (8.7g as soybeans) per 100g of lipid.

[0264] (3) Reduced-sodium soy sauce flavored ramen soup A ramen soup was prepared using a commercially available soy sauce flavored powdered ramen soup. To facilitate the evaluation of enhanced flavor, a low-concentration reduced-sodium ramen soup was prepared by dispersing the powder in hot water at 0.8 times the concentration specified in the product. The prepared reduced-sodium ramen soup was mixed with the soybean heat-treated powder from Example 107 at a final concentration of 0.1% (w / w) to form the Example 107 sample. The reduced-sodium ramen soup from Example 107 without the addition of the powder was used as the negative control sample. In addition, a standard ramen soup was prepared by dispersing the powdered ramen soup in hot water at the concentration specified in the product, and this was used as the positive control sample. The sodium chloride equivalent was 1.13% (w / w) for the negative control sample and the Example 107 sample, and 1.41% (w / w) for the positive control sample. Example 107 of the soy sauce-flavored reduced-sodium ramen soup contains 8.8 g of the heat-treated soybean product from Example 107 (8.4 g as soybeans) per 100 g of salt equivalent.

[0265] (4) Evaluation Two evaluators consumed each of the 107 sample examples, negative control sample, and positive control sample for each of the above items, and evaluated the intensity of saltiness, sweetness, and oiliness of the 107 sample example according to the following criteria. The evaluation for each item was decided through discussion between the two evaluators. AA: Stronger than the positive control sample A: About the same as the positive control sample B: Stronger than the negative control sample and weaker than the positive control sample C: About the same as the negative control sample

[0266] The evaluation results are shown in the table below.

[0267]

[0268] 2. Experiment 2: Flavor-enhancing composition containing heat-treated okara (soy pulp)

[0269] 2.1. Heat treatment of okara (soy pulp)

[0270] (1) Heating value The heating value is as defined in 1. / 1.1. / (1) above.

[0271] (2) The prepared okara from the heat-treated okara was heat-treated under the conditions shown in the table below. The definition of the heat value is as previously described. The temperature and time listed in the processing conditions column are the theoretical maximum temperature reached and the time it is held (however, in the case of oven heating, the oven setting time and the total heating time), but the temperature measured over time with a temperature sensor was used to calculate the heat value. Therefore, the heat value reflects the change in temperature over time, including the temperature and time during temperature rise and fall.

[0272]

[0273] Comparative Example 201 Comparative Example 201 used freeze-dried okara (soy pulp) that had not undergone heat treatment, and then powdered it.

[0274] Example 201 The pressurized sealed heating in Example 201 was carried out according to the following procedure. 100 g of okara (freeze-dried product) was filled into an aluminum foil pouch and sealed. The sealed pouch was heat-treated in a retort sterilizer at 130°C for 30 minutes and then cooled with water. The heat treatment in the retort sterilizer was carried out under a gauge pressure of 0.2 MPa.

[0275] Example 202 The oil heating in Example 202 was carried out by the following procedure. Okara was freeze-dried and then pulverized to make a powder. 200 g of palm oil (melting point 45°C) was heated, and when it reached 80°C, 50 g of pulverized okara was mixed in. The resulting mixture was heated to 150°C while stirring, and held at that temperature for 5 minutes, after which the mixture was cooled. Cooling was carried out while stirring to the extent that the okara did not separate in the mixture until it reached about 60°C, and then cooled in a refrigerator until it solidified.

[0276] Examples 204 and 205 Roasting in Examples 204 and 205 was carried out using the following procedure. 200g of okara powder (freeze-dried) was placed in a home coffee roaster (open type). The roaster was rotated at 18.5 rpm (maximum rotation speed) and stirred. The roaster was ignited and heated until the okara reached a temperature of 190°C (8 minutes to rise). The okara was heated at a temperature of 190°C for 10 minutes (Example 204) or 12 minutes (Example 205) while stirring. The temperature was measured using an infrared thermometer. The heat-treated okara was removed to a tray and allowed to cool to room temperature.

[0277] Example 206 The oven roasting in Example 206 was carried out using the following procedure. 10 g of okara powder (freeze-dried) was placed on an aluminum tray and roasted for 5.5 minutes in an oven preheated to 230°C. The final temperature was 212°C. The temperature was measured by inserting a sensor-type thermometer into the oven. After heating, it was transferred to a tray and allowed to cool to room temperature.

[0278] Example 207 The oven roasting in Example 207 was carried out using the following procedure. 10 g of okara powder (freeze-dried) was placed on an aluminum tray and roasted in an oven set to 230°C for 21 minutes. The product temperature reached 220°C after 15.5 minutes, and then it was roasted for another 5.5 minutes at a temperature of 220°C. The product temperature was measured by inserting a sensor-type thermometer into the oven. After heating, it was transferred to a tray and allowed to cool to room temperature.

[0279] Comparative Examples 202, Examples 203, and 208: 10 g of okara powder (freeze-dried) was placed on an aluminum tray and roasted in an oven preheated to 160°C (Comparative Example 202), 180°C (Example 203), or 260°C (Example 208) for 10 minutes (Comparative Example 202), 20 minutes (Example 203), or 7 minutes (Example 208). After heating, the contents were transferred to a tray and allowed to cool to room temperature.

[0280] Examples 209 and 210: 10 g of okara (moist, unprocessed, not dried) was placed on an aluminum tray and roasted in an oven preheated to 260°C (Example 209) or 300°C (Example 210) for 7 minutes (Example 209) or 5 minutes (Example 210). After heating, it was transferred to a tray and allowed to cool to room temperature.

[0281] Example 211 A mixture containing equal amounts by mass of L-proline, L-methionine, DL-alanine, L-aspartic acid, L-glutamic acid, and L-histidine was prepared as an amino acid mixture. 50 g of okara (commercially available dried product) and 2.5 g of the amino acid mixture were mixed, placed on an aluminum tray, and heated in an oven set to 230°C for 5 minutes. The temperature of the product was measured by inserting a sensor thermometer into the oven. After heating, it was transferred to a tray and allowed to cool to room temperature. The powder obtained by grinding after heating was used for evaluation and analysis.

[0282] 2.2. Enhancement of flavor by heat treatment of okara (1) (1) Preparation of regular curry roux Regular curry roux (salt equivalent of 10.6g per 100g) was prepared according to the procedure described in 1. / 1.2. / (1) above.

[0283] (2) Preparation of reduced-sodium curry roux A reduced-sodium curry roux (sodium equivalent per 100g is 7.7g) was prepared according to the procedure described in 1. / 1.2. / (2) above.

[0284] (3) Sensory evaluation One sample was prepared by dissolving 44g of the regular curry roux from (1) above in 300g of hot water and boiling it while stirring.

[0285] Several preparations were made by dissolving 44 g of the reduced-sodium curry roux described in (2) above in 300 g of hot water and boiling it while stirring. To one of these preparations, the sample from the comparative example or the example was added to achieve a final concentration of 0.1% by mass.

[0286] The taste of the reduced-sodium curry roux (dissolved in hot water) and the regular curry roux (dissolved in hot water) was compared, and evaluated by three evaluators (evaluators 1, 2, and 3) or two evaluators (evaluators 1 and 2) according to the following evaluation criteria.

[0287] The evaluation criteria for the taste-enhancing effect and the method for calculating the average score are as described in 1. / 1.2. / (3) above.

[0288] When a sample from the comparative example or example of heat-treated okara was added, the evaluators evaluated which of the following tastes was enhanced: saltiness, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, umami, richness, oiliness, or milkiness, marking each with an asterisk (*). The number of asterisks corresponds to the number of evaluators who reported feeling an enhancement effect on the corresponding taste.

[0289] (4) Evaluation Results The evaluation results are shown in the table below.

[0290]

[0291] 2.3. Component Analysis The components contained in the comparative example and example samples (okara samples) of heat-treated okara were analyzed using the following procedure.

[0292] 2.3.1. Component analysis by LC-MS (1) Preparation of LC-MS sample The LC-MS sample was prepared according to the procedure described in 1. / 1.3. / 1.3.1. / (1) above, except that a okara sample was used instead of a soybean sample.

[0293] (2) LC-MS analysis conditions The analysis conditions for LC-orbitrap-MS are as described in 1. / 1.3. / 1.3.1. / (2) above. The monitoring ions are as follows.

[0294] (3) Data Analysis The precise mass of each component was extracted from the LC-MS ion chromatogram, and the peak area was obtained. The components in each sample were compared by calculating the peak area ratio (= peak area of ​​each component / peak area of ​​the internal standard). The retention time and precise mass of the LC-MS analytes other than cyclic dipeptides are shown in the table below. The retention time and precise mass of cyclic dipeptides are as shown in 1. / 1.3. / 1.3.1. / (3) above. For cyclic dipeptides, the result of summing the peak area ratio for each bound amino acid is listed.

[0295]

[0296]

[0297] 2.3.2 Results The results of the analysis of cyclic dipeptides in the comparative example and example samples of heat-treated okara are shown in Table 15 below. For each detected cyclic dipeptide, the peak area ratio relative to the internal standard (caffeine-d9) was determined, and the sum of the peak area ratios of cyclic dipeptides containing a predetermined amino acid is shown in Table 15. The molecular species of cyclic dipeptides detected by contained amino acid are shown in Table 16. The sample from Example 211 was not analyzed.

[0298]

[0299]

[0300] The table below shows the peak area ratios of aroma components and organic acids relative to the internal standard in the comparative example and example samples of heat-treated okara (soy pulp).

[0301]

[0302] 2.4. Enhancement of Flavor by Heat-Treated Okara (2) The effect of heat-treating the okara from Example 205 (roasted in a coffee roaster at 190°C for 12 minutes) on enhancing flavor was confirmed.

[0303] (1) Reduced Fat Curry Sauce A reduced fat curry sauce was prepared using a commercially available curry roux with reduced fat content. The reduced fat curry sauce was mixed with the powder of the heat-treated okara from Example 205 at a final concentration of 0.1% (w / w) to form the Example 205 sample. The reduced fat curry sauce from Example 205 without the powder was used as the negative control sample. The reduced fat curry sauce was mixed with palm oil at a final concentration of 0.36% (w / w) to form the positive control sample. The lipid concentration of the reduced fat curry sauce in Example 205 sample and the negative control sample was 1.10% (w / w), and the lipid concentration of the positive control sample was 1.46% (w / w). The reduced fat curry sauce in Example 205 sample contained 9.1g of the heat-treated okara from Example 205 per 100g of lipid.

[0304] (2) Reduced-sodium corn cream soup A reduced-sodium corn cream soup was prepared using commercially available reduced-sodium corn cream soup dried powder. The reduced-sodium corn cream soup was mixed with the okara heat-treated powder from Example 205 at a final concentration of 0.1% (w / w) to form the Example 205 sample. The reduced-sodium corn cream soup without the powder from Example 205 was used as the negative control sample. The reduced-sodium corn cream soup was mixed with salt at a final concentration of 0.06% (w / w) to form the positive control sample. The salt equivalent was 0.31% (w / w) for the Example 205 sample and the negative control sample of reduced-sodium corn cream soup, and 0.38% (w / w) for the positive control sample. The Example 205 sample of reduced-sodium corn cream soup contained 32g of the okara heat-treated powder from Example 205 for every 100g of salt equivalent.

[0305] (3) Reduced Fat Stew Sauce A reduced fat stew sauce was prepared using commercially available stew roux and low-fat milk. The reduced fat stew sauce was mixed with the okara heat-treated powder from Example 205 at a final concentration of 0.1% (W / W) to form the Example 205 sample. The reduced fat stew sauce from Example 205 without the powder was used as the negative control sample. A regular stew sauce prepared using the commercially available stew roux and milk with a normal fat concentration was used as the positive control sample. The lipid concentration of the reduced fat stew sauce in Example 205 sample and the negative control sample was 6.10% (W / W), and the lipid concentration of the positive control sample was 7.02% (W / W). The reduced fat stew sauce in Example 205 sample contained 1.64 g of the okara heat-treated powder from Example 205 per 100 g of fat.

[0306] (4) Evaluation Two evaluators consumed each of the above items: Sample 205 of Example, the negative control sample, and the positive control sample. The saltiness, sweetness, and oiliness of Sample 205 of Example were evaluated according to the following criteria. The evaluation for each item was decided through discussion between the two evaluators. AA: Stronger than the positive control sample A: About the same as the positive control sample B: Stronger than the negative control sample and weaker than the positive control sample C: About the same as the negative control sample

[0307] The evaluation results are shown in the table below.

[0308]

[0309] Reference Example 1. Evaluation of Low-Fat Milk (1) Sample Preparation Eight types of cyclic dipeptide mixtures (No. 1 to No. 8 shown in the table below) were prepared. Each cyclic dipeptide was prepared by heating one or two types of edible amino acids together. Each cyclic dipeptide mixture was prepared by mixing the multiple cyclic dipeptides shown in the table in equal amounts by mass.

[0310] The cyclic dipeptide mixtures prepared above were added to low-fat milk (processed milk) with a lipid content of 1.9%. The cyclic dipeptide mixtures were added so that the concentration of each cyclic dipeptide contained in them was 4 μg / g in the low-fat milk.

[0311] (2) Sensory evaluation Three evaluators evaluated samples containing two cups of additive-free low-fat milk and one cup of low-fat milk to which one of the cyclic dipeptide mixtures No. 1 to 8 had been added. Each evaluator selected the sample in which they felt the oiliness of the low-fat milk was most enhanced. If they felt there was no difference between the three samples, they responded accordingly and did not select a sample. The effect of the cyclic dipeptide mixture on enhancing oiliness was evaluated based on the number of evaluators who selected the sample with enhanced oiliness (test sample). A: Two or more evaluators selected the test sample. B: One evaluator selected the test sample. C: No evaluators selected the test sample.

[0312]

[0313] Example 2: Evaluation of dark chocolate

[0314] (1) Preparation of samples Eight types of cyclic dipeptide mixtures (No. 1 to No. 8) having the same composition as in Reference Example 1 (1) above were prepared by the method described in Reference Example 1 (1) above.

[0315] Each cyclic dipeptide mixture prepared above was added to an aluminum pouch and freeze-dried to remove moisture. 40 g of dark chocolate with a lipid content of 36.4% and a cocoa content of 54% was placed in the aluminum pouch containing the cyclic dipeptides, and the contents were thoroughly mixed while the aluminum pouch was heated in a water bath. The mixture was poured into a mold and cooled in a refrigerator until solid. The cyclic dipeptide mixture was added so that the concentration of each cyclic dipeptide in the chocolate was 10 μg / g. Chocolate without added cyclic dipeptides was prepared similarly using an aluminum pouch that did not contain cyclic dipeptides.

[0316] (2) Sensory evaluation Two samples were evaluated by three evaluators without disclosing the contents of the samples: one was additive-free chocolate, and the other was chocolate to which one of the cyclic dipeptide mixtures No. 1 to 8 had been added. Each evaluator selected the sample in which they felt the fattiness of the chocolate was enhanced. If they felt there was no difference between the two samples, they responded accordingly and did not select a sample. The effect of the cyclic dipeptide mixture on enhancing the fattiness was evaluated based on the number of evaluators who selected the sample with enhanced fattiness (test sample). A: Two or more evaluators selected the test sample. B: One evaluator selected the test sample. C: No evaluators selected the test sample.

[0317] If either sample was perceived as having an enhanced oily feel, evaluators were asked to indicate which of the following enhanced oily feel they perceived: "oiliness," "richness / body," "oil-like fullness," or "lingering aftertaste / oiliness," by marking it with an asterisk (*). The asterisks (*) in the table only represent the results of evaluators who assessed that the chocolate with the added cyclic dipeptide mixture had an enhanced oily feel. The number of asterisks (*) corresponds to the number of evaluators.

[0318]

[0319] Reference Example 3. Evaluation Results of Cocoa Powder Dissolved in Hot Water (1) Sample Preparation 4g of low-fat cocoa powder with a lipid content of 11% (11% cocoa butter) and 4g of granulated sugar were taken into a cup, and 140g of hot water and the cyclic dipeptide mixtures prepared above were added and mixed well. The cyclic dipeptide mixture was added so that the concentration of each cyclic dipeptide contained therein in the low-fat cocoa powder dissolved in hot water was 10 μg / g each.

[0320] For comparison, we prepared two solutions: one using 4g of cocoa powder with a fat content of 24% (24% cocoa butter) and 4g of granulated sugar dissolved in 140g of hot water, and another using 4g of low-fat cocoa powder with a fat content of 11% (11% cocoa butter) and 4g of granulated sugar dissolved in 140g of hot water.

[0321] Three evaluators (evaluators 1, 2, and 3) compared a hot water-dissolved cocoa powder product with a hot water-dissolved low-fat cocoa powder product, evaluating the "enhancement of the oily texture" based on the following criteria.

[0322] The effect of enhancing the oily sensation was assigned a score of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 points as follows. Three evaluators evaluated the oily sensation of each sample in 0.1-point increments, and the average score was calculated.

[0323] 1 point: Similar oiliness to low-fat cocoa powder dissolved in hot water. 2 points: Slightly stronger oiliness than low-fat cocoa powder dissolved in hot water. 3 points: Stronger oiliness than low-fat cocoa powder dissolved in hot water. 4 points: Significantly stronger oiliness than low-fat cocoa powder dissolved in hot water. 5 points: Similar oiliness to cocoa powder dissolved in hot water.

[0324] When any of the cyclic dipeptide mixtures No. 1 to 8 was added, the evaluators evaluated which of the following aspects of the oiliness was perceived to be enhanced: "oiliness," "richness, depth of flavor," "oily fullness," and "lingering aftertaste, oily aftertaste," marking each with an asterisk (*). The number of asterisks (*) corresponds to the number of evaluators who reported feeling an enhancement in the corresponding oiliness.

[0325]

Claims

1. A flavor-enhancing composition comprising one or more heat-treated food materials selected from the group consisting of heat-treated soybeans and heat-treated okara, wherein the heat-treated soybeans are subjected to heat treatment under one or more conditions selected from a1) conditions in which the heating value is 10 or more in an open system, b1) conditions in which oil is present, and c1) conditions under pressure and sealing, and the heat-treated okara are subjected to heat treatment under one or more conditions selected from a2) conditions in which the heating temperature is 175°C or higher, b2) conditions in which oil is present, and c2) conditions under pressure and sealing.

2. The flavor-enhancing composition according to claim 1, wherein the heat-treated food material contains the heat-treated soybeans.

3. The flavor-enhancing composition according to claim 2, wherein the soybeans are one or more selected from unground soybeans and ground soybeans.

4. The flavor-enhancing composition according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the soybean is a mixture of soybeans and amino acids or peptides.

5. The heat-treated soybeans are subjected to 5 μg / g of caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g of L-methionine sulfone, and in the chromatogram obtained by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) according to the following method, (101) the total area ratio of the peak area derived from the alanine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.30 or more, (102) the total area ratio of the peak area derived from the arginine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.0 or more, (103) the total area ratio of the peak area derived from the aspartic acid-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.0 or more, and (104) the total area ratio of the peak area derived from the asparagine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.80 or more. (105) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from glutamic acid-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.5 or more, (106) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from glutamine-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.30 or more, (107) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from glycine-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.1 or more, (108) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from histidine-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.0 or more, (109) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from leucine or isoleucine-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.0 or more, (110) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from lysine-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.36 or more, (111) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing methionine to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.70 or more.(112) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing phenylalanine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.2 or more, (113) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing proline to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 4.0 or more, (114) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing serine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.80 or more, (115) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing threonine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.5 or more, (116) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tryptophan to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.14 or more, (117) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tyrosine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.80 or more, (118) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from valine-containing cyclic dipeptides to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.0 or more, (119) The area ratio of peak areas derived from sulfurol to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.13 or more, (120) The area ratio of peak areas derived from acetate sulfurol to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.0010 or more, (121) The area ratio of peak areas derived from aconitic acid to the peak areas derived from L-methionine sulfone is 5.5 or more, (122) The area ratio of peak areas derived from succinic acid to the peak areas derived from L-methionine sulfone is 19 or more, (123) The area ratio of peak areas derived from tartaric acid to the peak areas derived from L-methionine sulfone is 2.2 or more. (124) The area ratio of the peak area derived from citric acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 12,000 or more, and (125) The area ratio of the peak area derived from fumaric acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 12 or more.(126) The area ratio of the peak area derived from pyroglutamic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 10 or more, and (127) the area ratio of the peak area derived from malic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 350 or more. The flavor enhancing composition according to any one of claims 2 to 4, which satisfies one or more of the above. (LC-MS measurement method) A 15 mL test tube containing 200 mg of the heat-treated soybean and 7.5 mL of water is heated in a constant temperature water bath at 75 °C for 10 minutes to prepare a water extract. To the aqueous extract in the test tube, 2.5 mL of acetonitrile and 5 μg / g of caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g of L-methionine sulfone relative to the heat-treated soybeans are added and stirred. After stirring, the solid components are removed and the liquid components are recovered to prepare the sample. The aforementioned sample is analyzed by LC-MS (ionization method: electrospray ionization (ESI) positive mode and ESI negative mode) to obtain a chromatogram.

6. A method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 2 to 5, comprising: heating soybeans under one or more conditions selected from a1) conditions in which the heating value is 10 or more in an open system, b1) conditions in which oil is present, and c1) conditions in which pressure sealing is applied, to obtain the heat-treated soybeans.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the soybeans are one or more selected from unground soybeans and ground soybeans.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the soybean is a mixture of soybeans and amino acids or peptides.

9. The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the heat-treated food material contains the heat-treated okara.

10. The flavor-enhancing composition according to claim 9, wherein the condition in a2) further includes that the heating value is 150 or more, the condition in b2) further includes that the heating value is 150 or more, and the condition in c2) further includes that the heating value is 130 or more.

11. The flavor-enhancing composition according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the okara is a mixture of okara and amino acids or peptides.

12. The heat-treated okara is analyzed by adding 5 μg / g caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g L-methionine sulfone to the heat-treated okara and the resulting chromatogram obtained by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) according to the following method: (201) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the alanine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.0 or more; (202) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the arginine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.40 or more; (203) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the aspartic acid-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.30 or more; (204) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the asparagine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.20 or more. (205) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing glutamic acid to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.65 or more, (206) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing glutamine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.30 or more, (207) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing glycine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.30 or more, (208) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing histidine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.5 or more, (209) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing leucine or isoleucine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.30 or more, (210) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing lysine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.70 or more, (211) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing methionine to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.30 or more.(212) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing phenylalanine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.30 or more, (213) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing proline to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.80 or more, (214) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing serine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.20 or more, (215) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing threonine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.40 or more, (216) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tryptophan to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.050 or more, (217) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tyrosine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.40 or more, (218) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from valine-containing cyclic dipeptides to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.15 or more, (219) The area ratio of peak areas derived from sulfurol to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.10 or more, (220) The area ratio of peak areas derived from acetate sulfurol to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.0005 or more, (221) The area ratio of peak areas derived from aconitic acid to the peak areas derived from L-methionine sulfone is 3.8 or more, (222) The area ratio of peak areas derived from succinic acid to the peak areas derived from L-methionine sulfone is 17.5 or more, (223) The area ratio of peak areas derived from tartaric acid to the peak areas derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.62 or more. (224) The area ratio of the peak area derived from citric acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 2200 or more, and (225) The area ratio of the peak area derived from fumaric acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 2.9 or more.(226) The area ratio of the peak area derived from pyroglutamic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.5 or more, and (227) The area ratio of the peak area derived from malic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 90 or more, satisfying one or more of the above, the flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 9 to 11. (LC-MS measurement method) A 15 mL test tube containing 200 mg (on a dry basis) of the heat-treated okara and 7.5 mL of water is heated in a constant temperature water bath at 75 °C for 10 minutes to prepare an aqueous extract. To the aqueous extract in the test tube, 2.5 mL of acetonitrile and 5 μg / g of caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g of L-methionine sulfone relative to the heat-treated okara (on a dry basis) are added and stirred. After stirring, the solid components are removed and the liquid components are recovered to prepare the sample. The aforementioned sample is analyzed by LC-MS (ionization method: electrospray ionization (ESI) positive mode and ESI negative mode) to obtain a chromatogram.

13. A method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 9 to 12, comprising: subjecting okara to a heat treatment under one or more conditions selected from a2) a heating temperature of 175°C or higher, b2) a condition in which oil is present, and c2) a pressure-sealed condition, in order to obtain the heat-treated okara.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the condition in a2) further includes that the heating value is 150 or more, the condition in b2) further includes that the heating value is 150 or more, and the condition in c2) further includes that the heating value is 130 or more.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the okara is a mixture of okara and amino acids or peptides.

16. A flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and 9 to 12, for which the composition is incorporated into a food product to enhance the flavor of the food product itself.

17. A method for enhancing the taste of food, comprising incorporating a taste-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and 9 to 12 into the food.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the enhanced taste is the taste of the food itself.

19. The method according to claim 17 or 18, comprising blending the flavor-enhancing composition into the food such that the concentration of the heat-treated food material in the food is 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less.

20. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 19, comprising blending the flavor-enhancing composition into the food such that the amount of the heat-treated food material is 0.5 g or more per 100 g of salt equivalent in the food.

21. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 20, comprising: if the lipid content of the food is less than 20% by mass, the flavor-enhancing composition being added to the food such that the amount of heat-treated food material is 0.10 g or more per 100 g of lipid in the food; and if the lipid content of the food is 20% by mass or more, the flavor-enhancing composition being added to the food such that the amount of heat-treated food material is 1.0 mg or more per 100 g of lipid in the food.

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