DE10253773B3 - Use of acesulfamic acid as acidulant, useful in foods, beverages, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, provides lower pH than standard food acids at equal acidic taste - Google Patents

Abstract

Use of acesulfamic acid (I; 2,2,4-trioxo-6-methyl-1-oxa-2-thia-3-aza-cyclohex-5-ene) for lowering the pH in foods, beverages, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) composition containing (I) and an intense sweetener (II) at (I):(II) ratio 1:1-100 to 100-1:1; and (2) method for 'equiacidic' reduction of pH by complete or partial replacement of an acid by (I).

Description

The present invention relates to the use of acesulfamic acid for lowering the pH value, especially in food, beverages, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, being the intensity of the acid taste is less than the amount of a conventional food acid that is necessary to achieve the same pH reduction. Farther The invention relates to an agent containing acesulfamic acid and at least one high-intensity sweetener.

High-intensity sweeteners are compounds of synthetic or more natural Origin that has no or negligible in relation to the sweetness have physiological calorific value and a much higher sweetness than Have sucrose. High-intensity sweeteners are found in foods and drinks used individually or in combinations with the aim of a sweet taste cause.

Acidifying agents are constituents in food and beverages that contribute a number of taste, microbiological and / or technological functions and properties. Acidifiers are divided into organic and inorganic acidulants. The acidulants commonly used in the food and beverage sector include the organic acids adipic acid, malic acid, succinic acid, acetic acid, fumaric acid, glucono-delta-lactone or gluconic acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid and the inorganic acid phosphoric acid. These acidulants impart a more or less characteristic acid taste to foods and beverages. The basic acidic taste is triggered by the H ⁺ or H ₃ O ⁺ ions formed by dissociation of the acid in the aqueous medium. However, the phenomenon of the intensity of the sour taste has not been scientifically clarified. Since the intensity of the acidic taste of various acids does not correlate with the acid strength (acid constant) (see Table 1), other factors such as concentration, pH value and the specific anion of the acidifying agent seem to play a decisive role. In particular, the ability of the anions to penetrate or bind the receptor membrane is attributed to an influence on the intensity of the acid taste. At the same concentrations, the intensity of the acid taste decreases in the following order: fumaric acid> tartaric acid> malic acid> acetic acid> citric acid> lactic acid> gluconic acid. Table 1: Flavor profile and acidity of acidulants

In addition, the various acidifiers have a different taste profile, which has a decisive influence on their use in food and beverages (see Table 1). Citric acid, the most common organic acidifier used in the beverage sector, has, for example, a quick onset and not long lasting acid taste. Malic acid, on the other hand, is characterized by a later onset and longer persistence of the acid taste. In addition to the sensor-related use of acidulants in food and beverages, acidulants are used for lowering the pH value and inhibition of microorganisms caused thereby. The pH optimum of most food-spoiling or food-poisoning bacteria is pH 5-8. While most food-poisoning bacteria have their pH minimum at pH 4-5 and can therefore be inhibited in many foods by adding acidulants alone, many food-spoiling microorganisms such as lactic acid and acetic acid bacteria as well as yeasts and molds are significantly more acid-tolerant. Acidifying agents are often used to preserve food and beverages in combination with other methods of preservation such as chemical preservation as well as biological and physical processes in order to build up cumulative inhibitory effects. The effect of chemical preservation of food and beverages with sorbic acid or benzoic acid is enhanced by lowering the pH with acidifying agents.

The pH value mediated by acidulants of food and drink has over the taste and its microbiological importance Influence on technological properties of food and Drinks. On the pH can acidifiers stabilize the color of the product, change turbidity, melting and flowing behavior as well as the foaming, gelling and emulsion behavior of Affect food. Furthermore, these acids can also act as blowing agents or emulsifiers in food and beverages. As so-called synergists, acidifiers intensify the action of antioxidants by providing catalytic heavy metal ions complex.

acidifiers, the for usually for taste acidification and pH lowering of beverages and foods used increase the intensity of the acid taste and change the aroma profile of the acidified beverages and food. The change of the aroma profile can, in addition to a general overlay by the basic taste sour also due to the specific non-acidic taste properties the acidulant caused, such as for acetic acid (see Table 1).

In food and beverages, at those caused by the addition of an acidulant changes in taste not wished are or can negatively influence consumer acceptance when using the above mentioned market sours none sufficient for microbiological or technological reasons pH value can be lowered. Those common in the market acidifiers, the comparatively weaker ones or have a milder taste, e.g. Lactic acid or gluconic, are weaker too acidifiers (see Table 1), which either results in a lower pH reduction or in a higher one Use concentration to the desired to achieve pH.

Object of the present invention was therefore to provide a food additive which causes a significant drop in pH in the food or drink, without influencing this product too strongly. The agent according to the invention should lower the pH especially in food and beverages, being the intensity of the acid taste is less than the amount of a conventional food acid that is necessary to achieve the same pH reduction.

This task is solved by the use of acesulfamic acid for lowering the pH value in food, beverages, Pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, whereby the intensity of the acid taste is lower than the amount of a conventional one Food acid, which is necessary to achieve the same pH reduction.

Acesulfamic acid is the acid of the known as a high-intensity sweetener Acesuifam K. Because of its low pH of 1.5, acesulfamic acid has so far been used never as a sweetener taken into consideration. If acesulfamic acid is used in food and beverages, was surprisingly found during sensory tasting, that acesulfamic acid despite its property as a strong acid and therefore clear pH-lowering potential has only a low acid intensity in taste. The acid taste is balanced. The time-intensity profile of the acid taste of acesulfamic acid is comparable to that of malic acid (see Table 1).

At the same time, acesulfamic acid has one on a molar basis sweetness equivalent to acesulfame-K. Next the described acid and sweet taste there is no aftertaste and aftertaste.

Acesulfamic acid is obtained, for example, by the so-called SO ₃ process, as described in US Pat EP-A-0155 634 and according to which acesulfame-K is also produced. The acid is obtained after ring closure with SO ₃ and before neutralization with potassium hydroxide. However, acesulfamic acid can also be prepared from the commercially available acesulfame-K by acidification, for example with sulfuric acid. Acesulfamic acid is then extracted from the acidic solution with an organic solvent such as ethyl acetate and then isolated, for example by evaporation of the solvent.

According to the invention, the acesulfamic acid in foods, beverages and pharmaceuticals is expediently used in amounts of 20-3000 ppm, preferably in amounts of 100-2500 ppm, in particular in amounts of 150-500 ppm (in each case based on the mass of the food, beverage or pharmaceutical used). used. Higher concentrations up to 4500 ppm can also be used for cosmetics become.

The use of acesulfamic acid as Sweets and acidifiers in drinks and food causes a pH reduction and enables Use of associated microbiological and / or technological Benefits with less impact on the intensity of the acid taste and the aroma profile than when using commercially available acidulants. With the same acid Taste (= equisaure taste) can thus with acesulfamic acid significantly lower pH value can be achieved than with commercially available acidulants. Preferably leaves with an equisauric taste the pH-value is around 0.2 to 0.3 units Lower. This effect is relevant for drinks and all foods, in those from the above microbiological or technological establish a pH reduction should be achieved, e.g. Fruit juice drinks, jams and jellies, canned fruits and vegetables, Desserts, delicatessen products, sauces, table sweets. With the same good effect let yourself acesulfamic used in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

The invention further relates to an agent containing acesulfamic acid and at least one high-intensity Sweetener, being the weight ratio between acesulfamic acid and high-intensity sweetener suitably at 1: 1 to 1: 100, preferably 1: 1 to 1:20, particularly preferably 1: 1 up to 1:10; or at 100: 1 to 1: 1, preferably 20: 1 to 1: 1, particularly is preferably 10: 1 to 1: 1.

Among high-intensity sweeteners are sweeteners according to the invention understood like aspartame, alitame, neotame, acesulfame-K, saccharin, Cyclamate, sucralose, thaumatin, neohesperidine dihydrochalcone (NHDC), Neotame and Stevioside. Preferred high-intensity sweeteners are aspartame, alitame, neotame, acesulfame-K, saccharin, cyclamate and sucralose.

The invention is explained below of examples closer explained.

Examples

Use of acesulfamic acid in drinks for pH-reduction:

An acidifier used very often in drinks is citric acid. The effect of acesulfamic acid on the pH value and the acid impression compared to citric acid is described below. As the perception of the intensity of sweetness and acidity changes influence each other, all citric acid solutions were used with one of the Acesulfamic concentration equimolar and equisweet acesulfame K concentration offset.

a) Determination of the relative Acid intensity at the same PH value

Method:

Solution A: acesulfamic acid (Nutrinova, Frankfurt, Germany) (203 mg / l) and
Solution B: Acesulfame K (Sunett ^® ) (250 mg / l), adjusted to the same pH with citric acid as solution A
Triangle test (DIN ISO 4120 (January 1995)) with the question: Which sample is more acidic? (forced choice, n = 12)

Result:

With the same pH value setting, solution A is rated as less acidic by 10 out of 12 testers than solution B. Solution B achieves a highly significantly more acid taste than solution A (level of significance = 0.1%). This is clearly a specific effect of acesulfamic acid, since equal amounts of the acesulfame anion were present in the test systems. The results are summarized in Table 2. Table 2: Triangle test to determine the relative acid intensity at the same pH

b) Equic acid determination of acesulfamic acid against citric acid

Method:

Test solution: acesulfamic acid (203 mg / l)
Standard A: Acesulfame K (Sunett ^® ) (250 mg / l) + citric acid (0.07 g / l)
Standard B: Acesulfame K (Sunett ^® ) (250 mg / l) + citric acid (0.12 g / l)
Standard C: Acesulfame K (Sunett ^® ) (250 mg / l) + citric acid (0.17 g / l) Pairwise comparison test with the question: Which sample is more acidic? (forced choice, n = 13) result

Fig. 1: Paired comparison test for the determination of equic acid of acesulfamic acid and citric acid

An aqueous solution with 203 mg / l acesulfamic acid is acidic with a solution consisting of 137 mg / l citric acid + 250 mg / l acesulfame K. The acesulfamic acid solution has a significantly lower pH value of 3.07 than the citric acid solution (pH 3.51). The results are summarized in Table 3. Table 3: Equisaure solutions of acesulfamic acid and citric acid

Food:

Acetic acid is used as a fruit acid acidification of foods such as Delicatessen products and other acidic Canned products often used. In the case of sour vegetables in particular, the typical acetic acid acid peak rounded off with sugar or high-intensity sweeteners to the products a higher To give acceptance to the consumer. In addition, a (partial) Replacement of acetic acid through the combined sweetening and acidifiers Acesulfamic acid economic Relevance as the desired technological (pH) and sensory properties of the product due to a lower total amount of acidifier and sugar or sweeteners can be achieved.

The effect of the sweetener / acidifier acesulfamic acid on the pH value and the acid impression compared to sweetener solutions based on the salt of acesulfamic acid (Acesulfame-K) and acetic acid let yourself describe as follows:

a) Determination of the relative Acid intensity at the same PH value

Method:

Solution A: acesulfamic acid (203 mg / l) and
Solution B: Acesulfame K (250 mg / l), adjusted to the same pH value as solution A with acetic acid
Triangle test with the question: Which sample is more acidic? (forced choice, n = 12)

Result:

With the same pH value setting becomes solution A with the sweetener / acidifier Acesulfamic acid from 12 out of 12 testers rated as less acidic than solution B, consisting of acesulfame-K and acetic acid. Solution B achieves a most significant stronger sour taste compared to solution A (level of significance = 0.1%). This is clearly a specific one Effect of acesulfamic acid, since equal amounts of the acesulfane anion were present in the test systems. The results are summarized in Table 4.

Table 4: Triangle test to determine the relative acid intensity at the same pH

b) Equic acid determination of acesulfamic acid against acetic acid

Method:

Test solution: acesulfamic acid (203 mg / l)
Standard A: Acesulfame K (250 mg / l) + acetic acid (0.1 g / l)
Standard B: Acesulfame K (250 mg / l) + acetic acid (0.2 g / l)
Standard C: Acesulfame K (250 mg / l) + acetic acid (0.3 g / l)
Paaniveiser comparison test with the question: Which sample is more acidic? (forced choice, n = 14) result:

Fig. 2: Paired comparison test for the determination of equic acid of acesulfamic acid and acetic acid

An aqueous solution with 203 mg / l acesulfamic acid is equivalent to a solution consisting of 190 mg / l acetic acid + 250 mg / l acesulfame K. The acesulfamic acid solution has a significantly lower pH value of 3.07 than the citric acid solution (pH 3.71). The results are summarized in Table 5. Table 5: Equisaure solutions of acesulfamic acid and acetic acid

Use of the acidulant

There was a mixture of 175 mg / l acesulfamic and 150 mg / l aspartame in a water-based orange juice drink manufactured. The pH was 3.5; the sense of acid corresponded to the same orange drink, however acidified with citric acid instead of acesulfamic acid, where the pH was 4.0.

Claims (9)

Use of acesulfamic acid of the formula

for reducing the pH in food, beverages, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Use according to claim 1, characterized in that that the acesulfamic acid in amounts of 20-3000 ppm is used. Use according to claim 1 or 2 as an acidulant. Use according to one of claims 1 to 3 as a complete or partial replacement of food acids. Agent containing acesulfamic acid of the formula

and at least one high-intensity sweetener, the weight ratio between acesulfamic acid and high-intensity sweetener being 1: 1 to 1: 100 or 100: 1 to 1: 1. Agent according to claim 5, characterized in that the sweetener is selected from one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of aspartame, alitame, neotame, acesulfame-K, saccharin, cyclamate, sucralose, thaumatin, neohesperidine dihydrochalcone (NHDC), neotame and Stevioside. Process for equisauren reduction of the pH, characterized in that an acid present in whole or in part by acesulfamic acid of the formula

replaced. A method according to claim 7, characterized in that the pH in a food, drink, pharmaceutical or cosmetic is reduced. A method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the acid to be replaced a food acid is.