JP5231356B2 - Taste improver for high-intensity sweeteners - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a taste improving agent for high-intensity sweeteners. More specifically, the present invention relates to a taste improver that improves the unpleasant aftertaste of high-intensity sweeteners.

  Due to the recent increase in health orientation, products using low-calorie high-intensity sweeteners such as aspartame, stevia, acesulfame K, sucralose and neotame are increasing. Such a high-intensity sweetener has an excellent performance of having a sweetness several tens to several thousand times that of sucrose, but on the other hand, it has a long lasting sweet taste, resulting in poor taste and results. It has the disadvantage that the quality of taste is inferior to that of sucrose. Therefore, with respect to the general-purpose use of high-intensity sweeteners, improvement of the taste is the biggest issue.

  For improving the taste of high-intensity sweeteners, methods using amino acids such as L-asparagine, organic acids such as gluconic acid and citric acid and salts thereof (Patent Documents 1 to 3), high-intensity sweeteners and A method of combining natural products such as rutin and hesperidin (Patent Documents 4 and 5), a method of using saccharides such as galactomannan degradation products, nigerooligosaccharides, beet oligosaccharides and mannose for improving the taste of high-intensity sweeteners (Patent Documents) 6-9), a method of blending plant-derived extracts such as sugarcane-derived bagasse extract or enzyme-treated ginkgo biloba extract with a high-intensity sweetener (Patent Documents 10 and 11), adding coffee beans with enzymes or alkalis Various methods such as a method of using quinic acid obtained by purifying a processed product obtained by the decomposition treatment as a sweet taste improving agent have been proposed (Patent Document 12). Can not be sufficiently reduced unpleasant aftertaste in the small amount, increasing the amount the food original taste, had a problem that changing the fragrance.

JP 2000-270804 A JP 2003-210147 A JP 60-188035 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-146165 JP-A-8-256725 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-19268 JP-A-10-234331 JP 2000-197462 A JP 2002-272411 A JP 2000-217540 A JP 2003-180288 A JP 2001-321115 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and effectively reduces the unpleasant aftertaste and taste peculiar to a high-intensity sweetener without changing the original flavor of a food or drink product or oral hygiene product. The main object is to provide a taste improving agent for a high-intensity sweetener that is suppressed.

  As a result of intensive studies to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present inventors include ginger extract and one or more selected from caraway essential oil, peppermint tail essential oil, cardamom essential oil, nutmeg extract and hop essential oil. The present inventors have found that the composition can effectively suppress the unpleasant aftertaste and taste of high-intensity sweeteners with a small addition amount, and have reached the present invention.

That is, the gist of the present invention is as follows.
[1] As an active ingredient for improving the taste of high-intensity sweeteners, a ginger extract, and a high content comprising at least one selected from caraway essential oil, peppermint tail essential oil, cardamom essential oil and nutmeg extract Sweetness level sweetener taste improver,
[2] The taste improver according to the above [1], further comprising one or more selected from a fragrance component , a solvent, an emulsion thickening stabilizer and a pH adjuster ,
[3] The taste improving agent according to the above [1] or [2], wherein the high-intensity sweetener is aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame K or neotame,
[4] Presentation of a high-intensity sweetener in a food or drink, comprising the taste improver according to any one of [1] to [3] and a high-intensity sweetener in the food or drink. A method of suppressing taste,
[5] A high-intensity sweetener in an oral hygiene product comprising the taste improver according to any one of [1] to [3] and a high-intensity sweetener in an oral hygiene product To suppress the taste.

  By adding a small amount of the taste improver according to the present invention to a food / beverage product or oral hygiene product containing a high-sweetness sweetener, the high-sweetness sweetener can be used without changing the original flavor of the food / beverage product or oral hygiene product. Unique unpleasant aftertaste and taste are effectively suppressed.

  As described above, the taste improver according to the present invention includes at least one selected from ginger extract, caraway essential oil, peppermint tail essential oil, cardamom essential oil, nutmeg extract and hop essential oil as a taste improving component. Containing.

  Ginger is a perennial herb belonging to the family Ginger, and the ginger extract used in the present invention is a known one and is not particularly limited. Examples of the ginger extract include ginger oil, ginger oleidine, ginger extract and the like. Ginger oil is obtained, for example, by steam distillation or supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of dried rhizomes, and ginger olein is obtained by solvent extraction of dried rhizomes and then removing the solvent. The ginger extract is obtained, for example, by immersing dry ginger powder in a sugar solution and extracting it for several days, and removing the solid content by filtration. Furthermore, the ginger extract also includes an extract obtained by extracting ginger powder, ginger oil, ginger oleidine or the like with a solvent such as water, ethanol, or a water-ethanol solution.

  The taste improving agent of the present invention is effective only with the ginger extract (A), but one or more flavors selected from caraway essential oil, peppermint tail essential oil, cardamom essential oil, nutmeg extract and hop essential oil It is preferable to use the improving component (B) in combination (hereinafter referred to as “taste improving component” when both components (A) and (B) are collectively referred to). The caraway essential oil is obtained, for example, by steam distillation or solvent extraction of seeds and fruits. Peppermint tail essential oil can be obtained, for example, by steam distillation or solvent extraction of whole plant to remove low boiling point substances such as menthol. Cardamon essential oil can be obtained by, for example, steam distillation or solvent extraction of dried fruits. The nutmeg extract is obtained, for example, by subjecting the seed to steam distillation, supercritical carbon dioxide extraction or solvent extraction. Hop essential oil is obtained by, for example, steam distillation or solvent extraction of dried flowers. Commercially available products are readily available for any of the above taste improving components.

  The weight ratio in the case where the ginger extract (A) and the other taste improving component (B) are used in combination is not particularly limited, and usually (A) :( B) is from 1: 0.01 to 1: 100, Preferably it is 1: 0.1 to 1:10.

  The taste improver of the present invention can be provided in a form in which only the stock solutions of the above components (A) and (B) are mixed in the above-described predetermined weight ratio. May be diluted with a solvent. Examples of such a solvent include ethanol, glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, medium chain fatty acid triglyceride, benzyl alcohol and the like.

  Moreover, the taste improving agent of this invention can also contain suitably a well-known fragrance | flavor component, an emulsification thickening stabilizer, a pH adjuster etc. other than the form of the undiluted | stock solution and dilution liquid which were mentioned above, for example.

  Examples of perfume ingredients include acetophenone, benzaldehyde, phenylacetaldehyde, cinnamaldehyde, anisaldehyde, ionone, isoamyl isovalerate, ethyl isovalerate, ethyl acetoacetate, ethyl levulinate, ethyl pyruvate, indole, nonalactone, decalactone, Decalactone, dodecalactone, ethyl vanillin, vanillin, maltol, ethyl maltol, furaneol, sotron, pinene, limonene, myrcene, terpinolene, linalool, geraniol, citronellol, menthol, cineol, mentofuran, limonene oxide, pinene oxide, linalool oxide, Citral, Citronellal, Mentone, Carvone, Pregon, Piperitone, Linalyl acetate, Geranyl acetate, Citron acetate Perfume chemicals such as Loneryl, menthyl acetate and terpinyl acetate; Fruit essential oils such as citrus fruits; Recovered flavors such as apple, pineapple and grape; Milk flavors such as milk, butter, cheese and yogurt; Anise, fennel, allspice, chamomile , Peppermint tail, licorice, cumin, cloves, coriander, savory, salvia, salamander, perilla, cinnamon, celery, spearmint, thyme, tarragon, dill, sagebrush, carrot, basil, hyssop, lavender, lemongrass, rosemary, laurel Such as essential oils or extracts of spices and the like;

  When using the taste improving agent containing a fragrance component, the weight of the taste improving component with respect to 100 parts by weight of the taste improving agent is preferably 0.005 to 99 parts by weight, and more preferably 0.01 to 5 parts by weight. . It is an advantage of the present invention that even when a taste improver containing a fragrance component is used, the fragrance of the fragrance component is not adversely affected.

  Examples of the emulsion thickening stabilizer include agar, alginic acid, carrageenan, guar gum, pectin, xanthan gum and gellan gum. Examples of the pH adjuster include hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide, citric acid, sodium citrate, malic acid, sodium malate, lactic acid, sodium lactate, tartaric acid, and sodium tartrate.

  The taste-improving agent of the present invention is a high-intensity sweetener-containing composition in which an unpleasant aftertaste and taste unique to a high-intensity sweetener are effectively suppressed by adding a small amount to the high-intensity sweetener. Can serve as. When a high-intensity sweetener composition is used, in addition to the high-intensity sweetener and the taste improver of the present invention, various commonly used dispersants, excipients, etc., such as various sugars, organic acids, starches, and dextrins Can be included as appropriate. When adding the taste improving agent of this invention to a high sweetness degree sweetener, 10-10000 ppm is normal as a taste improving component content with respect to a high sweetness degree sweetener, and 100-1000 ppm is preferable.

  In the present invention, the high-intensity sweetener means a sweetener having a high sweetness several hundred to several thousand times that of sucrose. Stevia, licorice extract, thaumatin, glycyrrhizin, disodium glycyrrhizinate, ammonium glycyrrhizinate, saccharin Saccharin sodium, aspartame, acesulfame K, sucralose, alitame, neotame and the like. The taste improving agent of the present invention can be used without being limited to the kind of high-intensity sweetener, but is particularly preferably used for aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame K, and neotame.

  In addition, the taste improver of the present invention can be effectively added to a food / beverage product or oral hygiene product containing a high-intensity sweetener so that an unpleasant aftertaste or taste unique to the high-intensity sweetener is effectively obtained. It is suppressed and the taste of food and drink products and oral hygiene products can also be improved.

  The food or drink or oral hygiene product to which the taste improving agent of the present invention can be added is not particularly limited. Examples of the food and drink include beverages such as coffee, tea, sports drinks and milk drinks; confectionery such as candy, tablet confectionery and chewing gum; frozen confectionery such as jelly and chilled dessert; dairy products such as yogurt; Pet foods such as pet food are also included in the food and drink. Examples of oral hygiene products include toothpaste, mouthwash, mouth freshener, and sheet-like film. In addition, when the taste improver of the present invention is added to a food or beverage or oral hygiene product containing a high-intensity sweetener, it varies depending on the type or dosage form of the food or oral hygiene product, As a taste improvement component content in a sanitary product, 0.0001 to 5 weight% is normal, and 0.001 to 0.5 weight% is preferable.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to test examples and the like, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

  Ginger extract (GINGER OIL), Peppermint tail essential oil (Peppermint tail), Cardamom essential oil (OIL CARDAMON), Origanum essential oil (Origanum), Cassia essential oil (CASSIA OIL), Clove bat essential oil (TEMPLAR CLOVE BUD OIL), Pimento leaf essential oil ( OIL PIMENT LEAF), basil essential oil (Basilic vietnam), and thyme essential oil (OIL THYME) were purchased from Chuo Fragrance Co., Ltd. as taste improvers. Similarly, Callaway Oil (CARAWAY OIL) is Koei Kogyo Co., Nutmeg Extract (Oil Nutmeg) is Gibodan Japan, Hop Essential Oil (HOP OIL) is Sodaact, and TEMPLAR PIMENTOBERRY is Sensient Technologies Japan. The green tea extract (green tea extract) was purchased from Maruzen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Lime Oil was purchased from Kyoritsu Bussan Co., Ltd., and Orange Oil was purchased from Tanemura Trading Company. It was.

1. Preliminary test Samples 1-1 to 1-16 in which each extract or essential oil described in Table 1 (hereinafter referred to as “each additive material”) is added to maltitol are prepared, and about 1 teaspoon is eaten, and high sweetness is obtained. Narrow down the additive materials based on the evaluation criteria that the taste of sweeteners can be expected to improve and that the flavor (specifically, fragrance) of each additive material does not affect the original flavor of the food. It was. Specifically, a non-added product consisting only of maltitol (test sample 1-17) was comparatively evaluated according to the evaluation criteria shown in Table 1 as a control sample. The results are shown in Table 1.

  Of the evaluation criteria in Table 1, for taste evaluation criteria, the closer to A, the stronger the taste and the higher the taste evaluation. For flavor evaluation criteria, the closer the value to ○, the less fragrance and the flavor evaluation. Indicates that it will be higher. From the results of Table 1, among the test samples 1-1 to 1-16, when the relationship of the addition amount is also taken into consideration, the taste evaluation and flavor evaluation of the test sample 1-1 are more remarkable than the other test samples. It was considered that the ginger extract had excellent characteristics as a taste improving component. In addition, among the test samples 1-2 to 1-16, the evaluation of the test samples 1-2, 1-4 to 1-6 and 1-11 is superior to other test samples, and the caraway essential oil, Peppermint tail essential oil, cardamom essential oil, nutmeg extract and hop essential oil were also considered to have useful properties as taste-improving ingredients.

2. Evaluation of each sample containing a high-intensity sweetener In response to the result of the “1. Preliminary test”, ginger extract and at least one of caraway essential oil, peppermint tail essential oil, cardamom essential oil, nutmeg extract and hop essential oil Was added to ethanol as a taste improving component to prepare taste improving agents (samples 2-1 to 2-9) shown in Table 2. Subsequently, 0.1% by weight of each taste improver prepared above was added to maltitol containing 0.2% by weight of sucralose, which is a high-intensity sweetener, to prepare a sample containing high-intensity sweetener. . Then, 6 evaluators ate each high-sweetness sweetener-containing sample about a teaspoon, and evaluated how much the remaining sweetness remaining as a sucralose aftertaste was improved. Specifically, maltitol containing 0.2% by weight of sucralose was used as a control sample, and comparative evaluation was performed according to the evaluation criteria shown in Table 2. The results are shown in Table 2.

  From the results shown in Table 2, the high-sweetness sweetener-containing samples in which the test samples 2-1 to 2-9 were blended were more evaluated by the evaluators than the control samples, and remained after unpleasant sweetness derived from sucralose. Was rated as improved. Therefore, it was found that the specimens 2-1 to 2-9 used in this test example can reduce the remaining amount after the unpleasant sweetness derived from sucralose by adding a small amount.

  The taste improver of the present invention is a taste improver that can effectively suppress unpleasant aftertaste and taste peculiar to high-intensity sweeteners without changing the original flavor of food or drink products or oral hygiene products. As widely available.

Claims (5)

High sweetness sweetness consisting of ginger extract and one or more selected from caraway essential oil, peppermint tail essential oil, cardamom essential oil and nutmeg extract as active ingredients for improving the taste of high sweetness sweetener Taste improver. Furthermore , the taste improving agent of Claim 1 containing 1 or more chosen from a fragrance | flavor component , a solvent, an emulsion thickening stabilizer, and a pH adjuster .   The taste improving agent according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the high-intensity sweetener is aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame K or neotame. A method for suppressing the taste of a high-intensity sweetener in a food or drink, comprising the taste improver according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and a high-intensity sweetener in the food or drink. The taste improver according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and a high-intensity sweetener are contained in an oral hygiene product, thereby suppressing the taste of the high-intensity sweetener in the oral hygiene product. Method.