JP2020129993A - Flavor improving agent - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a flavor improving agent that alleviates off-taste or foreign taste possessed by food or beverage and raw material thereof, and to provide a flavor improving agent that imparts enhancement of saltiness leading to salt-reduction.SOLUTION: 1. A flavor improving agent containing alliin (S-(2-propenyl)-L-cysteine sulfoxide) as an active ingredient. 2. A flavor improving agent containing a component of Allium genus plant, especially garlic, in which C-S lyase is inactivated in advance, as an active ingredient. 3. A flavor improving agent in which one of the active ingredients is alliin (S-(2-propenyl)-L-cysteine sulfoxide), and further a food or beverage containing said flavor improving agent. 4. A flavor improving agent in which the improvement in flavor is an alleviation of off-taste.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

The present invention relates to flavor-improving agents for foods and beverages containing alliin (S- (2-propenyl) -L-cysteine sulfoxide) as an active ingredient, and allium plants in which CS lyase has been inactivated in advance, particularly garlic. The present invention relates to a flavor improving agent for foods and beverages, which comprises containing an ingredient as an active ingredient.

Various seasonings and additives are used in foods and beverages for the purpose of improving their taste quality. By adding them, it is possible to control not only umami, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, and saltiness, but also the addition and preparation of flavors such as taste and richness.

In addition, the taste quality of recent foods is required to be precise and complex, and it is often the case that subtle flavor improvements are made. Therefore, various flavor improvers have been developed so far. For example, a flavor improver having effects such as reducing vinegar kasu, reducing seafood odor and livestock meat odor, and imparting umami and richness (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2), rich flavor and taste according to the material. A processed protein hydrolyzate product in which a peculiar offensive odor is reduced by using a flavor improving agent having a thickness-imparting effect (see, for example, Patent Documents 3 and 4), sake lees and reduced sugar (see, for example, Patent Document 5). , An agent for suppressing the green odor of soybean foods (see, for example, Patent Document 6) and the like.
However, since these flavor improvers have their own unique flavors, they may upset the original balance of taste, and there are problems such as insufficient effect and poor versatility. It was.

In addition, formulations have been found that can comprehensively improve various flavor factors. For example, D-amino acids can reduce taste kado (sour kado, salt kado, bitter kado, alcohol kado and pungent kado), improve richness, improve durability, improve simmering feeling, and improve egg feeling by combining them. It has effects such as improvement (see, for example, Patent Document 7 and Patent Document 8). However, unlike L-amino acids, D-amino acids have no established mass production technology for individual amino acids, and there is a problem that it is difficult to prepare a preparation having a desired combination. Therefore, so far, only fermented seasonings containing a relatively large amount of D-amino acids have been put on the market (for example, Taste Summary DJ, MC Food Specialties Inc.).

Contrary to the reduction of saltiness, a flavor improver (salty taste enhancer) having a salty taste enhancing effect has also been developed. There are preparations containing basic amino acids (arginine, lysine, ornithine, etc.) and salts thereof as main components (see, for example, Patent Document 9), but there is a problem that a large amount of addition causes a unique taste. Further, a salty taste enhancer containing onion or garlic as a raw material and sterols, furans and sulfides as active ingredients has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 10).

Allium plants include allium, onions, garlic, leeks, scallions, shallot, etc., which are important crops as vegetables and spices. It has a peculiar odor, and its main component is a sulfur compound represented by allyl disulfide of garlic. Since ancient times, humans have taken in the odors of these plants and have been familiar with them as a favorable flavor. Onions, in particular, are still widely used today as a base for the taste of various dishes. However, these conventional usages are mainly intended for use as food materials. Garlic may be used to mask the odor of seafood and meat, but this is to make it difficult to feel an unpleasant odor due to the strong odor of garlic, which may impair the original flavor and taste balance. There are many.

It is a well-known fact that raw garlic contains a large amount of alliin (S- (2-propenyl) -L-cysteine sulfoxide), and this substance is a starting material for other sulfur compounds. When raw garlic is damaged, alliin is converted to allicin by the action of alliinase, and then a spontaneous reaction occurs to produce allyl disulfide, which is the main component of the garlic odor. Alliin is a tasteless and odorless water-soluble substance, which is a kind of L-amino acid, and it has been reported that when it encounters glutamic acid, which is an umami component, it exhibits a rich taste (persistence and thickness of taste) (Non-Patent Document 1). reference). Alliin also has the effect of masking the unpleasant odor of seafood and livestock meat (see Patent Document 11), but it alleviates vinegar and bitterness and enhances saltiness, soybean odor, protein hydrolyzate odor, and yeast. It was not known at all that it had a flavor improving effect such as alliin odor reduction.

The flavor improving agent described in Patent Document 3 is derived from plant tissue, but the active ingredient is sterols. When a plant tissue is finely pulverized, the contained sterols adsorb the flavor of the plant, and this is a technique for utilizing it as an agent for imparting the flavor of the plant. Liliaceae vegetables containing onions of Allium plants are preferred, but in the case of onions, the flavor improving agent is intended to impart the onion flavor, and the purpose is different from that of the flavor improving agent of the present invention. Further, the salty taste enhancer described in Patent Document 10 is similar to the present invention in that onion and / or garlic is used as a raw material, but this salty taste enhancer is added to the finely ground products of these plants to generate the Maillard reaction. It is essential to contain furans, which are substances, and sulfides as sulfur-containing compounds. Furans and sulfides are not added to the crushed plant afterwards, but are produced by crushing the plant raw, subjecting it to enzymatic treatment, and then cooking it at a temperature of 160 ° C. or higher. In particular, sulfides are not produced unless the CS lyase of onions and garlic is used. On the other hand, in the flavor improving agent of the present invention, it is the most important step to inactivate CS lyase to prevent the formation of sulfides and leave alliin as a base substance. However, Patent Document 10 does not mention alliin at all.
Furthermore, alliin exhibits a rich taste due to the synergistic effect with monosodium glutamate (see Non-Patent Document 1), but it has not been known at all that the addition of both shows a stronger bitterness-relieving effect than the addition of alliin alone. ..

JP 2016-42818 JP-A-2002-191317 JP 2017-12173 JP 2015-53886 JP 2012-213356 JP-A-2007-31626 JP 2016-93182 JP-A-2018-19728 JP 2017-135996 WO2013 / 103031 JP 2012-070647 JP-A-2010-22289 JP 2011-10612

Agric. Biol. Chem. , 54,163-169, 1990 Planta Med. , 56, 320-326, 1990

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to reduce salt in addition to alleviating the peculiar offensive odor (offensive taste) of sour and bitter kado, protein hydrolyzate and yeast extract contained in foods and beverages and their raw materials. A flavor improver that enhances saltiness, a method for improving the flavor of foods and beverages by adding this flavor improver, a method for producing foods and beverages with improved flavor, and foods with improved flavor. The purpose is to provide beverages.

As a result of diligent research to achieve the above object, the present inventors have found that allium plants in which CS lyase has been inactivated in advance, particularly garlic extract obtained by inactivating alliinase, is a food product. It has been found that it has an effect of alleviating the prominent flavors (for example, sour garlic and bitter garlic) of garlic, beverages, or their materials (food materials, food additives, etc.). Regarding bitterness, it was found that it is particularly effective in reducing the bitterness (egg taste) of potassium chloride and disodium succinate. It was found that this bitterness-reducing effect becomes stronger when sodium glutamate is dissolved in the above garlic extract and used.
In addition, the unique taste of vegetable protein and soy milk made from soybeans (called soybean odor), and the unique taste of protein hydrolyzate and yeast extract (protein hydrolyzate odor, yeast extract odor) It has been found that (called) is reduced. Furthermore, they have found an effect of enhancing saltiness, and have completed the present invention.

Therefore, the invention of the present application is configured as follows.
[Claim 1]
A flavor improver containing alliin (S- (2-propenyl) -L-cysteine sulfoxide) as an active ingredient.
[Claim 2]
A flavor improver containing an ingredient of a plant belonging to the genus Allium in which CS lyase has been inactivated in advance as an active ingredient.
[Claim 3]
The flavor improving agent according to claim 2, wherein one of the active ingredients is alliin (S- (2-propenyl) -L-cysteine sulfoxide).
[Claim 4]
The flavor improving agent according to claim 2, wherein the Allium plant is garlic.
[Claim 5]
The flavor improving agent according to claim 4, wherein garlic is used in which CS lyase (alliinase) in raw garlic is inactivated in advance to prevent the decomposition of alliin.
[Claim 6]
The flavor improving agent according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the improving of the flavor is the relaxation of the taste crab.
[Claim 7]
The flavor improving agent according to claim 6, wherein the taste kado is one or two kinds of taste kado composed of sour kado and bitter kado.
[Claim 8]
The flavor improver according to claim 7, wherein the sour cado is a pre-taste of an organic acid or phosphoric acid, or a salt thereof.
[Claim 9]
One or more organic acids selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, citric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, ascorbic acid, tartaric acid, phytic acid, fumaric acid, maleic acid, adipic acid, gluconic acid, and itaconic acid. The flavor improving agent according to claim 8.
[Claim 10]
The bitter taste of succinic acid or a salt thereof, stevia, potassium chloride, potassium salt of an organic acid, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, vegetables, wild vegetables, seaweeds, claims 1 to 5, or The flavor improving agent according to any one of claim 7.
[Claim 11]
The flavor improving agent according to claim 10, wherein glutamic acid or sodium glutamate is added to the flavor improving agent according to any one of claims 1 to 5 to exert a stronger bitterness crab alleviating effect. ..
[Claim 12]
The flavor improving agent according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the improving of the flavor is the enhancement of the salty taste.
[Claim 13]
The flavor improving agent according to claim 11, wherein the salty taste is enhanced by soy sauce.
[Claim 14]
The flavor improver according to any one of claims 10 or 11, wherein the flavor improvement enhances the salty taste with respect to the mixture of salt and potassium chloride, and at the same time reduces the bitterness to bring the flavor closer to that of salt alone.
[Claim 15]
The flavor improving agent according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the improvement of the flavor is the alleviation of the protein hydrolyzate odor and the yeast extract odor.
[Claim 16]
The flavor improver according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the improvement of taste is alleviation of soybean odor.
[Claim 17]
A method for improving the flavor of a food or beverage, which comprises a step of adding the flavor improving agent according to any one of claims 1 to 16 to the food or beverage.
[Claim 18]
A method for producing a food or beverage, which comprises a step of adding the flavor improving agent according to any one of claims 1 to 16 to the food or beverage.
[Claim 19]
A food or beverage to which the flavor improving agent according to any one of claims 1 to 16 is added.

By adding the flavor improving agent of the present invention to foods and beverages, the taste kado (sour kado and bitter kado) possessed by them can be alleviated. In addition, the unique green odor (soybean odor) of soybeans such as soybean-derived vegetable proteins and soymilk contained in foods and beverages, and the unique taste (protein hydrolyzate) of protein hydrolysates and yeast extracts. The odor and yeast extract odor) can be alleviated to reduce the unpleasant flavor of foods and beverages. Furthermore, this flavor improver has a salty taste enhancing effect, and in combination with the effect of alleviating the bitter taste of bitterness, especially potassium chloride, the unpleasant flavor of low-salt foods in which a part of salt is replaced with potassium chloride is remarkable. Can be improved.

The raw material of the flavor improving agent of the present invention contains alliin (S- (2-propenyl) -L-cysteine sulfoxide) as an active ingredient. Since the Allium plants contain alliin, although there are some differences, any Allium plant that can be eaten by humans can be used. Allium plants show some flavor-improving effect no matter how they are processed after the CS lyase has been inactivated in advance, but garlic has an overwhelmingly high alliin content. It is the best raw material. When using garlic, it is an important step to inactivate CS lyase (alliinase) before alliin is degraded. Alliin can also be produced synthetically (Non-Patent Document 2), and technically, a synthetic product can also be used as the present flavor improving agent.

The simplest and most well-known method for inactivating alliinase in raw garlic is to heat the raw bulbs in boiling water for as short a time as possible. In addition, a method of homogenizing raw bulbs in an organic solvent such as ethanol (see, for example, Patent Document 12), homogenizing raw bulbs by adding an acidic or alkaline substance, and bringing the homogenate to a low pH or high pH state. (For example, see Patent Document 13) and the like.

The inactivation of alliinase due to heating can be reliably achieved by immersing the raw bulbs in water heated to 75 ° C. or higher and then heating the bulbs until the core temperature reaches 75 ° C. or higher. In the method of immersing the bulbs in water at room temperature and then heating, alliinase works before inactivation and the loss of alliin increases. Therefore, the time until the enzyme is inactivated by immersing in preheated water. To be as short as possible. If heating is performed in a short time, microwave irradiation using a microwave oven or the like is also effective. However, it should be noted that if the energy is too large or the irradiation time is too long, alliin will be physically decomposed.

To inactivate alliinase with an organic solvent, the bulbs are immersed in the solvent and homogenized as they are with a juicer or the like, but it is desirable to freeze the raw bulbs in advance. When frozen garlic is immersed in an organic solvent, the solvent becomes very cold, but the temperature at the time of thawing is below freezing because garlic has a high solute content. When homogenized in this state, alliinase can be inactivated while the activity is very low. The type of organic solvent can be methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, acetone, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, glycerin, acetic acid, ethyl acetate, ether, hexane, etc. and a mixed solution thereof or a mixed solution of these and water, but ethanol or ethanol can be used. A mixed solution of ethanol and water is desirable (see Patent Document 12).

When acidifying ground scaly to inactivate ariinase, inorganic acids (eg, hydrochloric acid and phosphoric acid) and organic acids (eg, acetic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, malic acid, ascorbic acid, fumal) that can be used in food production Acids, phytic acid, adipic acid, succinic acid, gluconic acid, itaconic acid) can be used. In addition, when the ground product is made basic to inactivate ariinase, strongly basic substances that can be used for food production (for example, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, pyroline) (Tetrapotassium acid acid, tripotassium phosphate, trisodium phosphate, etc.) can be used. For the same reason as in the case of solvent inactivation, it is desirable to freeze the raw bulbs in advance (see Patent Document 13).

The crushed scale stalk inactivated with alliinase as described above can be used as it is as a flavor improving agent, but after inactivating alliinase, a dried product and crushed after drying are used using various known techniques. Powder, extract by filtration / concentration of juice, powder produced by drying the extract, extract by solvent, enzymatic decomposition product, supercritical extract, component fraction, purified product, etc. may be produced and used. ..

As a preferable method for producing a concentrated extract, water is added to the bulbs or crushed bulbs after inactivating the ariinase, homogenized with a juicer, and then a squeezed juice is obtained using a filter cloth or the like. Proteases for food processing (for example, Sumiteam MP, Kyowa Kasei Co., Ltd.) and cellulase (for example, Acremocellulase KM, Kyowa Kasei Co., Ltd.) are added to this juice to decompose turbid components, and filtration is performed with diatomaceous earth. To clarify. Since the odorous component is volatile, it is considerably removed in the process of concentration, but in order to remove it to a state close to odorless, activated carbon is added to the clarified solution and stirred well. Activated carbon on which odorous components are adsorbed can be removed by filtration through diatomaceous earth. Since the active ingredient alliin is hardly adsorbed on activated carbon, it is recovered in the filtrate. The filtrate is concentrated by a concentrator such as a rotary evaporator or vacuum kneader. Since the extract treated with activated carbon has a very low odor, it is useful as a material for soft drinks and health foods in the form of a liquid or powdered after drying.

As a preferred method for producing a powder formulation, the above-mentioned juice and concentrated extract are freeze-dried and then pulverized. Alternatively, dextrin may be added to the juice or concentrated extract and pulverized by a spray-drying method. The bulbs and crushed bulbs after alliinase deactivation may be freeze-dried or drum-dried, and then pulverized to be pulverized. The concentrated extract is easy to add to beverages, and the powder is convenient to use when blended with other powdered seasonings and spices.

Alliin may be separated and purified from the concentrated extract to produce a preparation having a high alliin content. When 99.5% ethanol is added to the concentrated extract after removing the odorous component with activated carbon so that the content is about 60% and stirred, the polysaccharides in the extract are precipitated. Precipitation can be removed by centrifugation. After distilling ethanol with a concentrator such as a rotary evaporator, an ionic organic substance containing allyine is passed through a column packed with an ion exchange resin (for example, DEAE-cellulose for column chromatography, Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.). Adsorb. After thoroughly washing the column with pure water, the adsorbed component is eluted with a dilute aqueous sodium chloride solution. This eluate is applied to a column packed with silica gel (for example, Wako Gel 50C18, Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) modified with an ODS group (octadecylsilyl group), and a fraction of the eluate is taken while flowing pure water as a mobile phase. .. A part of each fraction is taken and analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography, and the fraction having a high alliin concentration is collected. The analysis conditions are, for example, column: Phenomenex Luna 5 μ C18, 250 mm × 4.6 mm i. d. , Eluent: water, column temperature: 40 ° C., flow rate: 1 ml / min, detection wavelength: 210 nm can be used. When this fraction solution is freeze-dried and pulverized, a high-purity alliin powder is obtained.

The flavor improving agent of the present invention exerts its effect with a small amount of addition. An example is garlic extract prepared to have an alliin content of 0.3%. For example, with regard to the relaxing effect of vinegar cud, simply adding 0.05 g to 0.1 g of the above garlic extract to 100 g of an aqueous acetic acid solution having a weight of 1% acetic acid alleviates the pungent flavor peculiar to acetic acid. When the above garlic extract is added to an aqueous solution having a weight of 1% citric acid in the same amount, the sharply piercing acidity of citric acid is alleviated. That is, this flavor improving agent has an effect of alleviating sourness in a small amount.

For bitterness kado, for example, the bitterness can be reduced by simply adding 0.1 g to 0.2 g of the above garlic extract to a cup of instant coffee (about 200 ml). Further, when 0.05% to 0.1% by weight of the above garlic extract is added to an aqueous solution of 1% by weight of disodium succinate, the harsh taste peculiar to succinic acid is significantly reduced. For beverages containing Stevia, the addition of 0.01 to 0.05% by weight reduces the peculiar harsh taste of Stevia. For vegetables, for example, adding 0.5% by weight to a crushed raw bitter melon significantly reduces bitterness. When glutamic acid or sodium glutamate having a weight of 0.1 to 10 times, preferably 0.5 to 2.0 times the weight of the above garlic extract is added at the same time as the garlic extract, the effect of reducing the bitterness and harsh taste is further enhanced. Will be done.
Also, regarding potassium chloride, which is used as a substitute for salt for salt reduction, adding 0.1% to 0.2% by weight of the above garlic extract to a 5% potassium chloride aqueous solution greatly reduces the harsh taste. .. Further, when 0.05% to 0.5% by weight of sodium glutamate is added in addition to the above garlic extract, the harsh taste as the remaining aftertaste is further reduced. That is, this flavor improving agent has an effect of greatly alleviating bitterness.

Some commercially available foods using minced meat such as hamburger steak contain soybean-derived plant protein. These have a flavor peculiar to soybeans (soybean odor), and if the amount is large, the flavor as a meat product is impaired, giving the eater a sense of discomfort. For example, after swelling by adding 4 times the weight of water to dried soy protein, 50 g may be added to 100 g of minced beef and pork, and 0.1 g to 0.3 g of the above garlic extract may be added. Mix. The hamburger steak that is molded and baked is greatly reduced from the discomfort derived from soy protein, and you can enjoy the rich flavor of meat. In addition, the green odor of soybeans is greatly alleviated simply by adding 0.05% to 0.1% by weight of the above garlic extract to commercially available unadjusted soymilk.

Protein hydrolyzate and yeast extract have a unique taste (protein hydrolyzate odor, yeast extract odor), and when added to light-tasting foods and beverages such as salty-based soups, the taste balance is lost. Sometimes. Especially for foods that claim to be additive-free, these are valuable food materials as umami enhancers, but their unique flavor may hesitate to use them. The new seasoning produced by mixing 5% to 10% by weight of the above garlic extract with these seasonings imparts umami when 1% to 2% by weight is added to the food, but the above-mentioned unfavorable flavor is It is greatly reduced and does not destroy the taste.

Chinese soup with a salt concentration of 1% feels unpleasant for some people, but when the above garlic extract is added by weight from 0.05% to 0.1%, the salty taste is enhanced and the soup becomes more delicious. In addition, foods using a mixture of salt and potassium chloride instead of salt have an unsatisfactory salty taste and the harsh taste of potassium chloride is unpleasant. When the above garlic extract is added to such a food as a mixture containing garlic extract by adding 5% to 10% by weight to the mixture, the flavor becomes very close to that using only salt. In general, many processed foods such as Chinese soup are rich in monosodium glutamate as an umami ingredient, so the synergistic effect with monosodium glutamate can be obtained simply by adding the above garlic extract, and the umami taste is strong. Relax to.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be further described with reference to Examples and the like, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[Manufacturing Example 1]
Raw garlic bulbs retaining a high concentration of alliin were produced as follows. 1 kg of raw Chinese stripped garlic bulbs for business use was immersed in 2 L of water previously kept at 80 ° C. in a water bath. When garlic was added, the water temperature dropped, so the whole was heated to 74 ° C to 77 ° C with occasional stirring. After reaching the target temperature, the temperature was kept as it was and kept warm for 20 minutes to inactivate alliinase. After the heat insulation was completed, the garlic bulbs were taken out and cooled with tap water. The garlic bulbs had a high concentration of alliin and at the same time had very little odor and pungency, leaving a crispy, raw texture. The bulbs were pasted with a food processor (MK-K78, Panasonic Corporation) or a juicer (BM-RS08, Zojirushi Corporation). It was possible to easily make rough-cut or fine-cut shapes with kitchen knives. Further, the bulbs were freeze-dried with a freeze-dryer (DC800, Yamato Scientific Co., Ltd.) and then pulverized with a mill (BM-RS08, Zojirushi Mahobin Co., Ltd.) to produce a powder preparation.

[Manufacturing Example 2]
A concentrated extract of garlic containing a high concentration of alliin was produced as follows. 200 g of raw Chinese garlic was added to 400 ml of boiling water little by little so that the water temperature did not fall below 75 ° C., and the whole amount was added and reboiled, and then the boiling state was maintained for 1 hour. After 1 hour, the heating was stopped and the bulbs were cooled to about room temperature, and the bulbs were crushed together with the boiled juice with a juicer (BM-RS08, Zojirushi Mahobin Co., Ltd.). This operation was repeated 5 times to obtain about 2.5 L of homogenate. The homogenate was poured into a fine metal sieve and separated into a residue and a filtrate that did not pass through the sieve. The residue was wrapped in a filter cloth and squeezed, and the squeezed solution was combined with the filtrate to obtain about 3 L of a water extract. To this water extract, 3 g of Sumiteam MP (Kyowa Kasei Co., Ltd.) and the same amount of acremocellulase KM (Kyowa Kasei Co., Ltd.) were added, and the mixture was kept warm at a liquid temperature of 50 ° C. to 55 ° C. for 1 hour. After that, it was heated until the liquid temperature reached 75 ° C., and kept warm at that temperature for 20 minutes to inactivate the enzyme. The supernatant was collected by allowing it to stand overnight at room temperature to lower the slag, and taking care not to mix the precipitate as much as possible. The slag portion was filtered using a copo filter (Otsuka Foods Co., Ltd.), and the filtrate was combined with the supernatant. This recovered liquid was suction-filtered using pearlite (Showa Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) as a filtering agent, and then suction-filtered using diatomaceous earth Fine Flow (Showa Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) as a filtering agent to clarify it. This clarified solution was concentrated under reduced pressure with a rotary evaporator (RE400, Yamato Scientific Co., Ltd.), and Brix was adjusted to about 40% while measuring with a handheld refractometer (Brix 28-62, AS ONE Corporation). This concentrated extract was dark brown and had a weak garlic flavor. This concentrated extract has a very low odor, but in order to produce an extract that is almost odorless, activated carbon powder (special Shirasagi, Japan Enviro Chemicals Co., Ltd.) with a weight of 1.5% to 2.0% of the liquid volume is added to the clarified extract before concentration. Company) is added and stirred well, and then suction filtration is performed using diatomaceous earth fine flow as a filter agent. The concentrated extract obtained by concentrating this filtrate under reduced pressure was pale yellowish green and almost odorless.

[Manufacturing Example 3]
Water was added to the clarified extract of Production Example 2 before concentration, and Brix was adjusted to about 8% while measuring with a handheld refractometer (Brix 0 to 32, AS ONE Corporation). 9% by weight of water-soluble dextrin was added to 10% by weight of this garlic extract to uniformly dissolve it, and then powdered by a spray-drying method. The powder had an ocher color close to white and had a weak garlic flavor.

[Manufacturing Example 4]
For comparison, a garlic powder containing almost no alliin was prepared as follows. 400 g of room temperature water was added to 200 g of raw garlic bulbs, and the mixture was pulverized with a juicer (BM-RS08, Zojirushi Mahobin Co., Ltd.). After the pulverized product was heated to 40 ° C., the mixture was kept warm for 1 hour, and alliinase was allowed to work sufficiently to convert alliin to allicin. The pulverized material was poured into a fine metal sieve and separated into a residue and a filtrate that did not pass through the sieve. The residue was wrapped in a filter cloth and squeezed, and the squeezed solution was combined with the filtrate to obtain about 400 g of a water extract. To this water extract, 0.4 g of Sumiteam MP (Kyowa Kasei Co., Ltd.) and the same amount of acremocellulase KM (Kyowa Kasei Co., Ltd.) were added, and the mixture was kept warm at a liquid temperature of 50 ° C. to 55 ° C. for 1 hour. After that, it was heated until the liquid temperature reached 75 ° C., and kept warm at that temperature for 20 minutes to inactivate the enzyme. The supernatant was collected by allowing it to stand overnight at room temperature to lower the slag, and taking care not to mix the precipitate as much as possible. The slag portion was filtered using a copo filter (Otsuka Foods Co., Ltd.), and the filtrate was combined with the supernatant. This recovered liquid was suction-filtered using pearlite (Showa Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) as a filtering agent, and then suction-filtered using diatomaceous earth Fine Flow (Showa Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) as a filtering agent to clarify it. Water was added to this clarified solution, and Brix was adjusted to about 10% while measuring with a handheld refractometer (Brix 0 to 32, AS ONE Corporation). Eight weights of water-soluble dextrin was added to 20 parts by weight of this garlic extract to uniformly dissolve it, and then freeze-dried in a freeze-dryer (DC800, Yamato Scientific Co., Ltd.). After drying, the dried product was pulverized with a mill (BM-RS08, Zojirushi Mahobin Co., Ltd.) and pulverized. This powder had a darker ocher color than the above-mentioned garlic powder containing alliin, and had a slightly bitter taste but a poor flavor.

[Analysis Example 1]
Since alliin is a type of amino acid, it was performed using a system for simultaneous analysis of biological amino acids by an amino acid analyzer (JLC-500 / V, JEOL Ltd.). The column and mobile phase buffer solution were purchased from JEOL Ltd. and used, and the operation of the equipment was also in accordance with the dedicated manual. The standard reagent for the analysis of alliin is LKT Laboratories Inc. L (+)-Alliin was purchased and used.

Analytical samples of garlic bulbs were prepared as follows. Several bulbs of the heat-treated grains prepared as shown in Production Example 1 were finely chopped with a kitchen knife, mixed well, and then 10.0 g was sampled. This sample was placed in a cup for a homogenizer (Ace Homogenizer AM-3, Nissei Tokyo Office Co., Ltd.), 50 ml of pure water was added, and homogenized at 15,000 rpm for 10 minutes. The homogenate was filtered through a quantitative filter paper (No. 5A, 150 mm, Toyo Filter Paper Co., Ltd.), and the residue remaining on the filter paper was recovered, and 50 ml of pure water was added again to homogenize at 15,000 rpm for 10 minutes. The homogenate was filtered through a quantitative filter paper (No. 5A, 150 mm, Toyo Filter Paper Co., Ltd.), combined with the above filtrate, transferred to a 200 ml volumetric flask, and the volume was adjusted with pure water. A part of this solution is filtered through a membrane filter (Minisalt RC15, Zartorius Co., Ltd.) having a pore size of 0.2 μm, and the filtrate is a sample diluent for amino acid analysis (lithium citrate buffer: 6.9 g / L lithium citrate (4H2O). ), 1.3 g / L lithium chloride, 8.8 g / L citric acid, 4.0 ml / L hydrochloric acid, 40.0 ml / L ethanol, 3.1 ml / L BRIJ-35 (20%), 2.5 ml / L It was appropriately diluted with thiodiglycol and 0.1 ml / L n-capric acid (sold by Nippon Denshi Co., Ltd.) to prepare a sample solution for amino acid analysis. The concentrated extract prepared as in Production Example 2 was measured at 1.0 g with a micropipette, placed in a volumetric flask, and the volume was adjusted to 100 ml with pure water. A part of this solution was filtered through a membrane filter having a pore size of 0.2 μm, and the filtrate was appropriately diluted with a sample diluent for amino acid analysis to prepare a sample solution for amino acid analysis.

An analytical sample of garlic extract was prepared as follows. 10.0 g of the concentrated extract of Brix 40.0% prepared as shown in Production Example 2 was sampled, pure water was added, and the volume was adjusted to 100 ml. This aqueous solution was appropriately diluted with the above-mentioned sample diluent for amino acid analysis to prepare a sample for amino acid analysis.

An analytical sample of garlic powder was prepared as follows. Two types of garlic powder (garlic powder 1 and garlic powder 2) prepared as shown in Production Example 3 and Production Example 4 were sampled at 10.0 g each, pure water was added, and the volume was adjusted to 100 ml. A part of these aqueous solutions was filtered through a membrane filter (Minisalt RC15, Sartorius Co., Ltd.) having a pore size of 0.2 μm, and appropriately diluted with the above-mentioned sample diluent for amino acid analysis to prepare a sample for amino acid analysis.
The analysis results are shown in Table 1.

<Relief effect of sourness>
The alleviating effect of the flavor improver of the present invention on sourness was evaluated as follows. Brewed vinegar with an acidity of 10% (DV, Kewpie Jyozo Co., Ltd.) was diluted with water to prepare an acetic acid aqueous solution having an acidity of 1% by weight. As a control, an acetic acid aqueous solution without additives, an acetic acid aqueous solution with 0.05% weight added to garlic powder 1 and an acetic acid aqueous solution with 0.05% weight added to garlic powder 2 were prepared, and sensory evaluation was performed by 6 panelists. The evaluation was based on the additive-free aqueous acetic acid solution, with no effect: 0 points, slightly relaxed: 1 point, clearly relaxed: 2 points, and very relaxed: 3 points. In addition, when the sour taste was felt stronger than the control, it was written as +.
In addition, alliin (L (+)-Alliin, LKT Laboratories Inc.) in an amount (0.015% by weight) substantially equal to the alliin content contained in the garlic powder 1 is added to the above-mentioned additive-free aqueous acetic acid solution to add garlic. The sensory evaluation was performed in the same manner as the powder additive.

For other acids, prepare a 1% weight citrate aqueous solution of anhydrous citric acid (Fuso Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) and a 1% weight lactic acid aqueous solution obtained by diluting 50% fermented lactic acid (Cupy Brewing Co., Ltd.) with water, and acetic acid. A solution to which garlic powder 1 and garlic powder 2 were added was prepared in the same manner as in the case of the aqueous solution, and sensory evaluation was carried out in the same manner as in the acetic acid aqueous solution.
The results are shown in Tables 2 to 4.

As shown in Tables 2 to 4, the flavor improver of the present invention (for example, garlic powder 1) showed a clear alleviating effect on the sourness of various organic acids. Further, as shown in Table 2, alliin showed the same vinegar-kado-relieving effect as garlic powder 1, and it was clarified that the main component of sour-kado-relieving was alliin. On the other hand, the alliin-free garlic powder 2 did not show a clear effect.
The flavor improver also showed a clear alleviating effect on malic acid, ascorbic acid, tartaric acid, phytic acid, fumaric acid, maleic acid, adipic acid, gluconic acid, itaconic acid, and phosphoric acid.

<Relief effect of bitterness>
The alleviating effect of the flavor improving agent of the present invention on bitterness was evaluated as follows. First, a 1% weight aqueous solution of disodium succinate (Fuso Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) was prepared. As a control, an additive-free aqueous solution of disodium succinate, an aqueous solution of disodium succinate to which garlic powder 1 was added by 0.05% by weight, and an aqueous solution of disodium succinate to which garlic powder 2 was added by 0.05% by weight were prepared. Sensory evaluation was performed in the same manner as in 1. Further, an amount (0.015% by weight) of alliin (L (+)-Alliin, LKT Laboratories Inc.) substantially equal to the content of alliin contained in the garlic powder 1 was added to the above-mentioned additive-free aqueous solution of disodium succinate. Then, the sensory evaluation was performed in the same manner as the garlic powder additive.
The results are shown in Table 5.

In addition, a Stevia aqueous solution was prepared by diluting a 1% weight aqueous solution of Stevia (Rebaudio J-100, Morita Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) 20 times with water, and an additive-free aqueous solution, garlic, was prepared in the same manner as in the case of the disodium succinate aqueous solution. The functional evaluation of the aqueous solution to which the powder 1 was added and the aqueous solution to which the garlic powder 2 was added was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1.
The results are shown in Table 6.

Purified salt (Nippon Shio Seizo Co., Ltd.): Potassium chloride (Taki Chemical Co., Ltd.) = 1: 1, Purified salt: Potassium chloride: Garlic powder 1 = 1: 1: 0.02, Purified salt: Potassium chloride: Garlic powder Three kinds of powder preparations were prepared by mixing at a weight ratio of 2 = 1: 1: 0.02, and a 3% weight aqueous solution of each preparation was prepared and sensory evaluation was performed. Using an aqueous solution containing no garlic powder as a control, the mitigation effect was evaluated according to the same criteria as in Example 1. Further, a 3% weight aqueous solution of a mixture of purified salt: potassium chloride = 1: 1 was prepared, and 0.01% weight of alliin (L (+)-Alliin, LKT Laboratories Inc.) was added to this aqueous solution to make garlic. The sensory evaluation was performed in the same manner as the powder additive.
The results are shown in Table 7.

As shown in Tables 5 to 7, the flavor improving agent of the present invention showed a high alleviating effect on bitterness. In particular, disodium succinate and potassium chloride tended to have a high effect on the harsh taste. In addition, as shown in Tables 5 and 7, alliin showed the same harsh taste-relieving effect as garlic powder 1, and it was clarified that the main component of bitterness-relieving kado was alliin. On the other hand, the garlic powder 2 containing no alliin showed almost no effect.
A clear alleviating effect was also observed on the harsh taste of organic acids such as potassium salt, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, vegetables, edible wild plants, and seaweeds described in paragraph 0045, excluding succinic acid.

<Salty enhancement effect>
The salty taste enhancing effect of the flavor improving agent of the present invention was evaluated as follows. Salt (Naruto average salt, Naruto salt industry Co., Ltd.) 3% weight salt solution was prepared, and as a control, additive-free salt solution, salt solution to which 0.05% weight of garlic powder 1 was added, and garlic powder 2 were added. A saline solution was prepared by adding 05% by weight. The evaluation was performed using additive-free saline as a control, and compared with the control, no effect: 0 points, slightly enhanced: 1 point, clearly enhanced: 2 points, highly enhanced: 3 points. .. If the salty taste is weaker than that of the control, it is written as-.
The results are shown in Table 8.

In addition, after preparing a soy sauce aqueous solution obtained by diluting soy sauce (special soy sauce 011; Tenyo Takeda Co., Ltd.) 5 times with water, control and garlic powder additives are prepared in the same manner as in the case of saline solution, and the same as in saline solution. The sensory evaluation of saltiness was performed based on the criteria.
The results are shown in Table 9.

As shown in Tables 9 and 10, the flavor improver of the present invention showed a clear enhancing effect on salty taste. On the other hand, the garlic powder 2 containing no alliin showed almost no effect.

<Soybean odor mitigation effect>
The alleviating effect of the flavor improving agent of the present invention on soybean odor was evaluated as follows. Dried soybean protein (New Soymy S, Nisshin Oillio Group Co., Ltd.) was swollen by adding 4 times the weight of water, then 33 g was added to 66 g of minced beef and pork, and 1 g of salt and 0. 2 g was added and mixed well. Using this as a control, 0.05 g of garlic powder 1 was added and mixed, and 0.05 g of garlic powder 2 was added and mixed. These three types of dough were molded into a bite-sized hamburger steak and baked with rapeseed oil (canola oil, Tsuji Oil Co., Ltd.) for sensory evaluation. The evaluation was performed based on the same criteria as in Example 1.
The results are shown in Table 10.

In addition, unadjusted soymilk (organic soymilk, Sujata Meiraku Co., Ltd.) with 0.1% weight of garlic powder 1 and 0.1% weight of garlic powder 2 was prepared, and the additive-free product was used as a control. Sensory evaluation was performed based on the same criteria as in Example 1.
The results are shown in Table 11.

As shown in Tables 10 and 11, the flavor improving agent of the present invention showed a high alleviating effect on soybean odor.

<Effect of alleviating protein hydrolyzate odor and yeast extract odor>
The alleviating effect of the flavor improver of the present invention on the protein hydrolyzate odor and the yeast extract odor was evaluated as follows. An aqueous solution prepared by dissolving 3% by weight of a protein hydrolyzate (ML-HG, Shinshin Co., Ltd.), and 0.1% by weight of garlic powder 1 added to this aqueous solution and 0.1% by weight of garlic An aqueous solution to which powder 2 was added was prepared. Using the additive-free aqueous solution of the protein hydrolyzate as a control, the sensory evaluation of each aqueous solution was performed according to the same criteria as in Example 1.
The results are shown in Table 12.
In addition, a 3% weight-dissolved aqueous solution of yeast extract (Alomild, Kojin Life Science Co., Ltd.) was prepared, and two types of aqueous solutions in which garlic powder was dissolved were prepared in the same manner as in the case of protein hydrolyzate. The sensory evaluation was performed in the same manner as in the case of the protein hydrolyzate.
The results are shown in Table 13.

As shown in Tables 13 and 14, the flavor improver of the present invention showed a clear taste-mitigating effect on the protein hydrolyzate odor and the yeast extract odor.

<Confirmation of effect due to difference in addition concentration>
Sensory evaluation of Examples 1 to 5 regarding the degree of effect of the sourness, bitterness, soybean odor, protein hydrolyzed odor alleviating effect and saltiness enhancing effect due to the difference in the addition concentration of the flavor improving agent of the present invention. The sample used in was evaluated. The evaluation was carried out by three panelists according to the following criteria.

(A) The effect of alleviating sourness, bitterness, soybean odor, and protein hydrolyzed odor was determined according to the following criteria.
〔Evaluation criteria〕
No effect: 0 points, relaxation was observed: 1 point, clearly alleviated: 2 points, very alleviated: 3 points (b) The salty taste enhancing effect was performed according to the following criteria.
〔Evaluation criteria〕
No effect: 0 points, felt stronger: 1 point, clearly stronger: 2 points, very strong: 3 points The results are shown in Table 14.

As shown in Table 14, the minimum addition amount at which the effect can be confirmed differs depending on the food, but the degree of effect tends to increase depending on the addition amount for all the evaluation items.

<Relief effect of bitterness cud by combined use of monosodium glutamate>
A disodium succinate aqueous solution prepared by adding 0.05% by weight of garlic powder 1 to a 1% by weight disodium succinate aqueous solution prepared in the same manner as in Example 2, and a purified salt: potassium chloride: garlic powder 1 = 1: Aqueous solutions were prepared by dissolving 3% by weight of a powder formulation mixed at a weight ratio of 1: 0.02, and monosodium glutamate was added to these solutions at 0 (no addition: control), 0.02% by weight, 0.05%. By weight, 0.1% by weight was added, and the degree of relaxation of the harsh taste with respect to the control was evaluated by a sensory test with 6 panelists. The evaluation criteria were no effect: 0 points, slightly relaxed: 1 point, clearly relaxed: 2 points, and very relaxed: 3 points.
The results are shown in Table 15.

As shown in Example 2, the garlic powder 1 remarkably alleviated the harsh taste of disodium succinate and potassium chloride, but in the test of Example 2, a slight harsh taste remained in the aftertaste. However, as shown in Table 15, when sodium glutamate was added in addition to the garlic powder 1, the remaining harsh taste was further reduced. The degree of reduction was dependent on the amount added. In the sample of this example, when the amount of sodium glutamate added was 0.05% by weight, no harsh taste was felt at all, but when 0.1% by weight was added, the harsh taste was not felt, but the taste of sodium glutamate was strongly felt. It became so.

<Effect of addition to seasoning vinegar>
Add 0.1% by weight of garlic powder 1 to commercially available seasoned vinegar (pickle vinegar, Kewpie Jyozo Co., Ltd.) consisting of the raw materials shown in Table 16 and control the additive-free product to affect the flavor (salty salty taste mitigation effect, The salty taste enhancing effect) was sensory evaluated.

The evaluation was performed by 6 panelists according to the following evaluation criteria.
[Evaluation criteria for sourness-relieving effect]
No effect: 0 points, alleviation was observed: 1 point, clearly alleviated: 2 points, very alleviated: 3 points [evaluation criteria for salty taste enhancing effect]
No effect: 0 points, felt stronger: 1 point, clearly stronger: 2 points, very strong: 3 points The results are shown in Table 17.

As shown in Table 17, the flavor improving agent of the present invention showed a remarkable vinegar cud relaxing effect and salty taste enhancing effect on the seasoned vinegar. In particular, regarding the salty taste, as a result of the large relaxation of the vinegar cud, it seems that the portion where the salty taste masked by the vinegar cud has surfaced also contributes. Applying these effects, in dishes that use vinegar and salt, such as sweet and sour pork, adding a small amount of this flavor improving agent can be expected to reduce vinegar and salt considerably.

<Effect of addition to Chinese soup>
Three types of Chinese soup (soup (a)) prepared by using the chicken extract seasoning (chicken extract powder 501SBD, Fuji Food Industry Co., Ltd.) made from the raw materials shown in Table 18 according to the formulation table shown in Tables 19 to 21. ), Soup (b), ~ Soup (c)) by adding 0.05% by weight of garlic powder 1 to each of them, and using the additive-free product as a control, the effect on the flavor (salty enhancement effect, acidity kado (egg taste)) (Relief effect) was sensorimetrically evaluated.

0.05g of garlic powder 1 is added to 100g of each soup, and the additive-free product is used as a control. The harsh taste-relieving effect of disodium succinate was sensory-evaluated. The evaluation was carried out by three panelists according to the following evaluation criteria.
[Evaluation criteria for salty taste enhancing effect]
No effect: 0 points, I felt stronger: 1 point, clearly stronger: 2 points, very strong: 3 points [Evaluation criteria for harsh taste mitigation effect]
No effect: 0 points, mitigation was observed: 1 point, clearly mitigated: 2 points, very mitigated: 3 points The results are shown in Table 22.

As shown in Table 22, the flavor improving agent of the present invention had a difficult salty taste-enhancing effect on the above-mentioned Chinese soups (a) and soups (c), but the effect was clearly observed in the soups (b). .. Regarding the bitter taste, both the soup (b) and the soup (c) had a remarkable alleviating effect, and no harsh taste was felt. In particular, in the soup (b), the quality of saltiness became so close that there was almost no discomfort with the control of the soup (a). Since the amount of salt added to the soup (b) is half the amount added to the soup (a) (the other half is potassium chloride), the salt content in the chicken extract powder 501SBBD is taken into consideration, which means that the salt content has been reduced by about 45%. The chicken extract powder 501SBD used in this example contains a yeast extract and a protein hydrolyzate, and it is considered that the glutamic acid and its salt contained therein have a stronger effect of alleviating the harsh taste.

In addition to imparting the already known rich taste (persistence and thickness of taste) and masking the unpleasant odor of seafood and livestock meat, the product of the present invention alleviates the taste of sour and bitter sardines and has a soy odor. , Protein hydrolyzate odor, yeast extract odor, which is said to have the effect of alleviating the unpleasant taste and enhancing the salty taste, can be imparted to foods and beverages. In particular, the effect of bringing the taste of a mixture of salt and potassium chloride closer to the taste of salt alone is great, and it is expected to provide low-salt foods without sarcasm.

Claims (19)

A flavor improver containing alliin (S- (2-propenyl) -L-cysteine sulfoxide) as an active ingredient. A flavor improver containing an ingredient of a plant belonging to the genus Allium in which CS lyase has been inactivated in advance as an active ingredient. The flavor improving agent according to claim 2, wherein one of the active ingredients is alliin (S- (2-propenyl) -L-cysteine sulfoxide). The flavor improving agent according to claim 2, wherein the Allium plant is garlic. The flavor improving agent according to claim 4, wherein garlic is used in which CS lyase (alliinase) in raw garlic is inactivated in advance to prevent the decomposition of alliin. The flavor improving agent according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the improving of the flavor is the relaxation of the taste crab. The flavor improving agent according to claim 6, wherein the taste kado is one or two kinds of taste kado composed of sour kado and bitter kado. The flavor improver according to claim 7, wherein the sour cado is a pre-taste of an organic acid or phosphoric acid, or a salt thereof. One or more organic acids selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, citric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, ascorbic acid, tartaric acid, phytic acid, fumaric acid, maleic acid, adipic acid, gluconic acid, and itaconic acid. The flavor improving agent according to claim 8. The bitter taste of succinic acid or a salt thereof, stevia, potassium chloride, potassium salt of an organic acid, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, vegetables, wild vegetables, seaweeds, claims 1 to 5, or The flavor improving agent according to any one of claim 7. The flavor improving agent according to claim 10, wherein glutamic acid or sodium glutamate is added to the flavor improving agent according to any one of claims 1 to 5 to exert a stronger bitterness crab alleviating effect. .. The flavor improving agent according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the improving of the flavor is the enhancement of the salty taste. The flavor improving agent according to claim 11, wherein the salty taste is enhanced by soy sauce. The flavor improver according to any one of claims 10 or 11, wherein the flavor improvement enhances the salty taste with respect to the mixture of salt and potassium chloride, and at the same time reduces the bitterness to bring the flavor closer to that of salt alone. The flavor improving agent according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the improvement of the flavor is the alleviation of the protein hydrolyzate odor and the yeast extract odor. The flavor improver according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the improvement of taste is alleviation of soybean odor. A method for improving the flavor of a food or beverage, which comprises a step of adding the flavor improving agent according to any one of claims 1 to 16 to the food or beverage. A method for producing a food or beverage, which comprises a step of adding the flavor improving agent according to any one of claims 1 to 16 to the food or beverage. A food or beverage to which the flavor improving agent according to any one of claims 1 to 16 is added.