Low-Salt Food Composition Using Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein and Yeast Extract
Solution Overview
Problem
Current salt substitutes and saltiness enhancers fail to effectively impart good taste to reduced-salt foods and beverages, often resulting in weak effects and undesirable tastes such as bitterness and acidity, especially in products with high salt reduction levels.
Innovation Solution
A composition comprising hydrolyzed vegetable protein and yeast extract, mixed in specific weight ratios, combined with amino acids, nucleic acids, organic acids, inorganic salts, and sugar alcohols, is used to enhance the taste balance and palatability of reduced-salt foods and beverages without adding salty taste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If potassium chloride is used as a salt substitute, then salty taste is provided, but bitterness and harsh taste occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses umami substances (glutamate, nucleic acid-based umami substances) as intermediary substances that mediate between the salt substitute and the taste receptors. These umami substances enhance the overall taste experience and mask the bitterness and harsh taste of potassium chloride, allowing the salt substitute to function effectively without its adverse taste effects
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite seasoning composition that combines potassium chloride (salt substitute) with multiple other components including glutamate, amino acids, organic acid salts, and nucleic acid-based umami substances. This composite approach allows the beneficial salty taste enhancement to be achieved while the adverse bitterness and harsh taste are suppressed through the synergistic effects of the combined components
2Object-affected harmful factors
If salt amount is reduced by 25% or more, then health benefits are achieved, but good taste and palatability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the compositional parameters of the seasoning by incorporating multiple types of umami substances (glutamate, amino acids, nucleic acid-based umami substances) and adjusting their concentrations. This parameter optimization allows reduced-salt foods to maintain good taste and palatability through enhanced umami flavor that compensates for the reduced salt content
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite seasoning formulation that combines multiple functional components: salt substitutes (potassium chloride), umami enhancers (glutamate, amino acids, nucleic acid-based substances), and flavor balancers (organic acid salts). This composite material approach enables the achievement of both health benefits from salt reduction and maintenance of good taste through synergistic flavor enhancement
3Quantity of substance
If conventional saltiness enhancers are used in high salt reduction foods, then some taste enhancement occurs, but weak effects and acid taste remain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces nucleic acid-based umami substances as intermediary compounds that provide a different mechanism for taste enhancement compared to conventional saltiness enhancers. These substances work as mediators to enhance umami flavor without producing the acid taste associated with conventional enhancers, and they maintain effectiveness even in high salt reduction formulations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the concentration parameters of various umami substances to achieve effective taste enhancement without the adverse effects of conventional enhancers. By carefully controlling the amounts of glutamate, amino acids, and nucleic acid-based umami substances, the patent achieves strong taste enhancement effects while avoiding the weak effects and acid taste problems of conventional approaches
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The composition significantly improves the flavor and taste of reduced-salt products, providing a well-balanced and palatable experience even in high-salt reduction scenarios, with optimal results achieved within specific concentration ranges.
Implementation Method 1
a step of removing a fraction with a molecular weight of 20,000 or more using a membrane, a column, or electrophoresis
Data Source
AI summary
It becomes possible to adjust the balance of taste of a low-salt food or beverage and impart good taste to the low-salt food or beverage for general purposes without the need of imparting salty taste to the low-salt food or beverage. A hydrolysate of a plant-derived protein and an yeast extract are added to a low-salt food or beverage.