JP6853632B2 - Salty enhancer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a salty taste enhancer capable of enhancing saltiness without impairing the flavor and taste quality of foods and drinks by adding a small amount, and foods and drinks using the salty taste enhancer.

The salty taste seasoned with salt, that is, sodium chloride, is extremely important as the flavor of food and drink. However, due to health problems, in recent years, low-salt foods and drinks with a reduced sodium content have tended to be preferred.

On the other hand, simply reducing the sodium chloride content in foods and drinks reduces the sodium intake, but at the same time reduces the saltiness intensity and the flavor and taste of the foods and drinks. Therefore, a method capable of reducing the sodium chloride content while maintaining the flavor of food and drink has been studied. This method can be roughly classified into two methods: (1) a method using a sodium chloride substitute such as potassium chloride or an organic acid metal salt, and (2) a method using a salty taste enhancer.

The salty taste enhancer is not salty or has a very light salty taste by itself, but when added in a very small amount to sodium chloride, it has an effect of making the salty taste of sodium chloride strongly felt, and has a small sodium chloride content. Even foods and drinks of the above can have the same salty taste as foods and drinks having a higher sodium chloride content. That is, the method of using the salty taste enhancer is a method of adding a salty taste enhancer to make the salty taste of sodium chloride strongly felt at the time of eating, that is, increasing the salty taste intensity per amount of sodium chloride contained by the salty taste enhancer. , A method of reducing the content of sodium chloride in food and drink.

This method has been widely studied because it does not involve a large change in flavor or taste, unlike the method using a sodium chloride substitute such as potassium chloride or an organic acid metal salt. For example, specific lactate minerals (Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2), furfuryl alcohol (Patent Document 3), acidic amino acids, basic amino acids and succinic acid or salts thereof (Patent Document 4), sodium lactate and / or lactic acid. Potassium (Patent Document 5) and the like have been studied as saltiness enhancers.

However, in the method using these salty taste enhancers, if the degree of salty taste enhancement is small or if an amount sufficient to obtain a sufficient salty taste enhancing effect is added, a flavor that the food or drink itself does not have may be imparted. was there. In addition, these salty taste enhancers usually tend to reduce the sodium intake, that is, the so-called "salt-reducing effect", and as a result, they have to be used in combination with a method using a sodium chloride substitute such as potassium chloride. The off-flavor of potassium chloride and the like often impaired the flavor of food and drink.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-054662 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-054665 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-170393 JP-A-2002-345430 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-054661

Therefore, an object of the present invention is a salty taste enhancer capable of enhancing the salty taste of a food or drink so that the food or drink has a reduced sodium content but can exhibit the same salty taste as before the reduction. Is to provide.

As a result of diligent studies, the present inventors have conducted a diligent study, and by using a salty taste enhancer containing a specific lactic acid fermented product as an active ingredient, the strength and expression pattern of salty taste are usually obtained without imparting an unpleasant taste or unpleasant taste. It was found that it is possible to reduce the sodium content of foods and drinks while having the same salt content as foods and drinks.
In addition, when the above lactic acid fermented product is used in combination with milky minerals and extracts, the present inventors replace sodium chloride in foods and drinks with a sodium chloride substitute such as potassium chloride or an organic acid metal salt to further contain sodium chloride. It was found that even when the amount is reduced, the intensity of saltiness, the expression pattern, and the taste can be made similar to those of foods and drinks having a normal salt content.

The present invention has been made based on the above findings, and is a salty taste enhancer containing a lactic acid fermented product containing an oil-in-water emulsion containing a dairy raw material as a substrate as an active ingredient, and food and drink using the salty taste enhancer. It provides goods.

By using the salty taste enhancer of the present invention, although the sodium chloride content is reduced, the salty taste intensity and expression pattern can be changed to the normal salty content of food and drink without impairing the flavor and taste quality of the food and drink. Since it can be the same as the product, the sodium intake can be reduced.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on preferred embodiments.
The salty taste enhancer of the present invention is characterized by containing a lactic acid fermented product containing an oil-in-water emulsion containing a dairy raw material as a substrate as an active ingredient, and is used for the purpose of imparting a salty taste to foods and drinks. The salty substance) can enhance the salty taste given to foods and drinks.

<Lactic acid fermented product>
First, the lactic acid fermented product which is the active ingredient of the present invention will be described.
The lactic acid fermented product is a flavor material obtained by lactic acid fermentation of a substrate that can be assimilated by lactic acid bacteria. In the present invention, a small amount of an oil-in-water emulsion containing a dairy raw material is used as the substrate. The addition makes it possible to enhance the salty taste without impairing the flavor and taste of food and drink.

The above dairy ingredients include milk, concentrated milk, condensed milk, whey, cream, butter, butter cream, cream cheese, natural cheese, processed cheese, butter oil, milk and dairy products such as milk fat decomposition products, skim milk powder, and all. Milk powders such as powdered milk, whey powder, and total milk protein, and dairy products containing lactose such as skim milk and skim concentrated milk can also be used.

The content of the milk raw material in the oil-in-water emulsion is preferably 2 to 50% by mass as the non-fat milk solid content in that a lactic acid fermented product having a good flavor can be stably produced. It is more preferably ~ 20% by mass.
The non-fat milk solids are solids other than fats and oils in dairy raw materials such as milk and dairy products, and their main components are proteins and carbohydrates. The pure fats and oils contained in the dairy raw material shall be included in the fats and oils content described later.

Oils and fats used to make oil-in-water emulsions include soybean oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, olive oil, peanut oil, rice oil, beni flower oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, palm oil, and monkeys. Various vegetable oils and fats such as fat, mango fat, milk fat, beef fat, pork fat, coconut fat, fish oil, whale oil, soybean-derived, sunflower-derived, milk-derived, egg-derived lecithin and phospholipids, and hydrogen in these fats and oils. Oils and fats that have been subjected to one or more physical or chemical treatments such as addition, separation, ester exchange, enzymatic decomposition, and chemical decomposition can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The oil and fat content in the oil-in-water emulsion is preferably 1.5 to 50% by mass, more preferably 1.5 to 30% by mass, and most preferably 2 to 20% by mass.
When the fat content is less than 1.5% by mass, it is difficult to obtain an excellent salty taste strengthening effect, and the retention of products by lactic acid fermentation is weakened, so that the stability of the salty taste strengthening agent is also deteriorated. There is a fear. Further, when the fat content exceeds 50% by mass, the non-fat milk solid content cannot be sufficiently contained in the oil-in-water emulsion which is the substrate of the lactic acid fermentation product which is the active ingredient of the present invention. There is a risk of becoming a water-in-oil emulsion, and the emulsion stability of the oil-in-water emulsion may be poor, which may delay the progress of lactic acid fermentation.
The fats and oils content shall be calculated as the total amount of the pure fats and oils derived from the above fats and oils and the pure fats and oils in the dairy raw materials and other raw materials described later.

In the present invention, among the above fats and oils, it is preferable to use milk fat from the viewpoint of obtaining a salty taste enhancer having a particularly high salty taste enhancing effect. When milk fat is used, milk fat itself can be used, and milk containing milk fat such as milk, concentrated milk, condensed milk, cream, butter, butter cream, cream cheese, natural cheese, and process cheese as the above milk raw materials. And by using dairy products, milk fat can also be used, and these milks and dairy products can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Water can be used to obtain the oil-in-water emulsion. The water to be used is not particularly limited, and any of tap water, soft water / hard water mineral water, ion-exchanged water, distilled water and the like can be used, and these can also be mixed and used.
Further, in the oil-in-water emulsion, instead of or in addition to water, the milk or dairy product containing a large amount of water, or the food or drink containing a large amount of water is used. However, in the present invention, one or more of milk and dairy products containing a large amount of water such as milk, concentrated milk, whey, cream, butter, cream cheese, natural cheese, and processed cheese are used. It is preferable to do so.
The oil-in-water emulsion is prepared so that the water content is preferably 30 to 95% by mass, more preferably 70 to 90% by mass.

In the present invention, the free fatty acid can be contained in the oil-in-water emulsion, and in particular, by containing 0.001 to 0.5% by mass of the free fatty acid in the oil-in-water emulsion, the food or drink can be prepared. It is possible to improve the expression pattern of salty taste, especially the initial taste (first taste) when ingested.

The form of free fatty acid when added is not limited, but the above fats and oils are treated with one or more types by chemical decomposition using alkali or the like or enzymatic decomposition using an enzyme such as lipase. It is particularly preferable to add it in the form of a decomposed product of fats and oils, because a taste closer to the salty taste of sodium chloride can be obtained. The type of fats and oils to be decomposed is not particularly limited, but when a decomposed product of milk fat is used, a salty taste enhancer capable of enhancing the taste can be obtained. It should be noted that only fatty acids can be extracted from this decomposition product of fats and oils by an operation such as extraction and added, or commercially available free fatty acids can be added as they are, but free fatty acids have various carbon numbers and saturations. A mixture of fatty acids is preferable because it does not have an unpleasant odor and can enhance the salty taste.

In addition, other components other than the above can be added to the oil-in-water emulsion as needed. Other ingredients include, for example, alginic acid, alginate, pectin, LM pectin, HM pectin, seaweed extract, seaweed extract, agar, glucomannan, locust bean gum, guar gum, gellan gum, taragant gum, xanthan gum, carrageenan, curdlan, Gelling agents and stabilizers such as tamarind seed gum, karaya gum, tara gum, tragant gum, arabic gum, cassia gum, methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, polydextrin, metal ion sequestering agents, salting agents such as salt and rock salt, inorganic salts, organic acid salts. , Inorganic acid, organic acid, linear dextrin, branched dextrin, cyclic dextrin, indigestible dextrin and other dextrins, sucrose, liquid sugar, honey, glucose, fructose, malt sugar, lactose, cyclodextrin, enzyme saccharified candy, acid Saccharified water candy, reduced starch saccharified product, reduced sugar polydextrose, reduced lactose, sorbitol, xylitol, martitol, erythritol, mannitol, isomerized liquid sugar, sucrose-bound candy, oligosaccharide, xylose, trehalose, fructo-oligosaccharide, soybean oligosaccharide , Galacto-oligosaccharides, xylooligosaccharides, arabinose, palatinose oligosaccharides, agarooligosaccharides, chitin oligosaccharides, milk fruit oligosaccharides, hemicellulose, molaces, isomaltooligosaccharides, maltooligosaccharides, raffinose, lacturose, theande-oligosaccharides, gentioligosides Sweeteners such as potassium, sucrose, stevia, aspartame, saccharin, neotame, licorice, Rakanka, glycyrrhizin, glycyrrhizinate, dihydrocalcon, somatin, monerin, alcohol, propylene glycol, fragrance, bitterness / seasoning, etc. , Colorants, preservatives, antioxidants, pH adjusters, emulsifiers, excipients, anti-caking agents, dispersants, brighteners, vitamins and the like can be blended.

The amount of other components added is preferably 20% by mass or less, more preferably 15% by mass or less, and most preferably 10% by mass or less in the solid content of the oil-in-water emulsion.
If more than 20% by mass of other components are added, a flavor that the food or drink does not originally have may be imparted when the salty taste enhancer is added to the food or drink, and a texture that the food or drink does not originally have may be imparted.

The oil-in-water emulsion is prepared so that the amount ratio of protein to 75 to 250 parts by mass and carbohydrate to 120 to 300 parts by mass is satisfied with respect to 100 parts by mass of fat and oil in the oil-in-water emulsion. Is preferable. The amount of protein and carbohydrate shall be calculated together with the amount of protein and carbohydrate contained in other components other than the dairy raw material.

In the above oil-in-water emulsion, if the amount of protein is less than 75 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of fat and oil, the emulsion stability of the obtained oil-in-water emulsion may be lowered, and the obtained invention of the present invention. There is a risk that the salty taste enhancer and the flavor of foods and drinks will be reduced, and the effect of reducing the sodium chloride content will be reduced. Further, when the amount of protein exceeds 250 parts by mass, a taste component and an aroma component are excessively produced during protein decomposition during lactic acid fermentation, and the obtained salty taste enhancer and food and drink of the present invention are given an unpleasant taste. There is a fear.
Further, in the above-mentioned oil-in-water emulsion, if the amount of carbohydrate is less than 120 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of fats and oils, the substrate for lactic acid fermentation may be insufficient, and the production of flavor components and aroma components may not be sufficient. , Sodium reduction effect may be reduced. Further, when the amount of carbohydrate exceeds 250 parts by mass, the obtained salty taste enhancer and food / drink of the present invention may be imparted with an unpleasant taste or an unpleasant taste.

Next, a method for producing an oil-in-water emulsion containing the above dairy raw material will be described.
The method for producing an oil-in-water emulsion containing the above dairy raw material is not particularly limited. For example, milk or dairy products containing a large amount of water such as milk, concentrated milk, whey, cream, cream cheese, natural cheese, process cheese, or milk powder such as nonfat dry milk, whole milk powder, whey powder, or milk. After adding dairy ingredients such as protein and milk sugar to make an aqueous phase, the aqueous phase contains an oil phase containing fats and oils, or a food material containing a large amount of fats and oils, particularly butter, cream, cream cheese, and natural cheese. A method of adding a milk raw material containing milk fat such as processed cheese and emulsifying it into an oil-in-water mold can be mentioned. The other raw materials can be added to the aqueous phase, the oil phase, or separately.

After this, it is preferable to perform homogenization in order to stabilize the obtained oil-in-water emulsion. Examples of the homogenizing machine for performing homogenization include a kettle-type cheese emulsifying kettle, a high-speed shear emulsifying kettle such as a Stefan mixer, a static mixer, an in-line mixer, a homogenizer, a colloid mill, and a disper mill, and 1 is preferable. Homogeneity is performed at a homogenization pressure of ~ 200 MPa.

After homogenization, heat sterilization is further performed if necessary. The heat sterilization method includes a direct heating method such as an injection type, an infusion type, a microwave, and a Joule heating type, or an indirect heating method such as a batch type, a plate type, a tubular type, and a scraping type. UHT, HTST, LTLT and the like can be heat-treated at 50 to 160 ° C, preferably 55 to 140 ° C. Further, after heat sterilization, if necessary, in addition to homogenization, cooling operations such as rapid cooling and slow cooling can be performed.

In the present invention, the oil-in-water emulsion is used as a mixed solution which is a substrate for lactic acid fermentation. The lactic acid bacteria used for lactic acid fermentation are not particularly limited, but Lactococcus lactis subsp. Lactis, Lactococcus lactis subsp. Cremoris, Lactococcus lactis subsp. Lacttis biovar diacetylactis, Lactobacillus casei subsp. Casei, Lactobacillus acidlus . delbrueckii, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis, Lactobacillus jugurti, Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus kefyr, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Streptococcus thermophilus, Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium infantis, Bifidobacterium breve And so on. These can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

In the present invention, Lactococcus helveticus, Lactococcus lactis subsp. Lactis, Lactococcus lactis subsp. Cremoris, Lactococcus lactis subsp. Lactis biovar diacetylactis, can be obtained in that a lactic acid fermented product having a good flavor and aroma and a high sodium reducing effect can be obtained. It is preferable to use one or more of Streptococcus thermophilus and Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. Cremoris.

In the present invention, the use of lactic acid bacteria having high lipid assimilation and / or free fatty acid assimilation makes the aroma component of the obtained lactic acid fermented product more complicated, so that the sodium reducing effect in foods and drinks is enhanced. It is preferable in that respect.
Examples of lactic acid bacteria having high lipid assimilation or free fatty acid assimilation include Streptococcus thermophilus and Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. Cremoris.

That is, in the present invention, among Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactococcus lactis subsp. Lactis, Lactococcus lactis subsp. Cremoris, Lactococcus lactis subsp. Lacttis biovar diacetylactis, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. It is preferable to use one or more species containing cremoris, more preferably Lactococcus helveticus, Lactococcus lactis subsp. Lacttis, Lactococcus lactis subsp. Cremoris, Lactococcus lactis subsp. Lacttis biovar diacetylactis, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Leucon 6 types are used together.

The amount of lactic acid bacteria added is 0.0001 parts by mass or more and 0.2 parts by mass or less in terms of dry mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the oil-in-water emulsion from the viewpoint of efficiently obtaining a lactic acid fermented product having a pH described later. It is preferable, and it is more preferable that it is 0.004 part by mass or more and 0.05 part by mass or less.

The temperature conditions for lactic acid fermentation may be set appropriately in consideration of the optimum temperature range of the lactic acid bacteria to be used, but in order to prevent the death of the fermenting lactic acid bacteria, the liquid temperature of the fermented liquid during the lactic acid fermentation is less than 60 ° C. It is preferable to have.

The lactic acid fermentation time can be appropriately selected according to the substrate concentration, the amount of lactic acid bacteria added, and the like, but preferably, the fermentation end point of the lactic acid fermentation product is appropriately determined by the pH. Specifically, it is preferable to stop the fermentation between pH 2.8 and 5.5, and it is more preferable to stop the fermentation between pH 3.0 and 5.0, and it is more preferable to stop the fermentation between pH 3.5 and 5.0. Most preferably, the fermentation is stopped between. When the pH lower than pH 2.8 is set as the fermentation end point, the acidity of the lactic acid fermented product is too strong and the food and drink may be given sourness. When the pH higher than pH 5.5 is set as the fermentation end point, The salty taste enhancer of the present invention may have a poor salty taste enhancing effect.

At the time of lactic acid fermentation, the mixed solution to which lactic acid bacteria are added can be in a stationary state, but is preferably stirred. Preferred stirring conditions are 5 to 50 revolutions per minute, more preferably 10 to 30 revolutions.

Fermentation end point pH, that is, after the pH is lowered by lactic acid fermentation and the growth of lactic acid bacteria is suppressed, fermentation is stopped. Alternatively, when the fermentation end point pH is lower than the optimum pH, the fermentation is stopped when the optimum pH range is reached. Heat sterilization is usually carried out as a means for stopping fermentation. Regarding the heating temperature and heating time at this time, conditions for sufficiently inactivating lactic acid bacteria are appropriately selected, and it is desirable to carry out the heating at 65 ° C. for about 30 minutes, for example.

In the obtained lactic acid fermented product, in addition to organic acids such as lactic acid, hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes, esters, sulfur-containing compounds, ketones, fatty acids, fatty acid esters, aromatic compounds, etc. Flavor components such as lactones are produced and contained by lactic acid fermentation using the above oil-in-water emulsion as a substrate.
The obtained lactic acid fermented product can be filtered with a filter paper or a filter, microfiltration, ultrafiltration, centrifugation or the like.

The salty taste enhancer of the present invention contains the above-mentioned lactic acid fermented product as an active ingredient, and does not distinguish between a salty taste derived from sodium chloride and a salty taste derived from a sodium chloride substitute such as potassium chloride. It is possible to enhance the salty taste of (a salty substance used for the purpose of imparting salty taste) in foods and drinks.

In foods and drinks, the salty taste enhancer of the present invention has, for example, 0.00001 to 0.1 parts by mass of the solid content of the lactic acid fermented product in the salty taste enhancer of the present invention with respect to 1 part by mass of the salty agent. It is preferable that it is added so as to be 0.0005 to 0.004 parts by mass, and it is further preferable that it is added so as to be 0.001 to 0.003 parts by mass. ..

The salty taste enhancer of the present invention preferably contains whey minerals and / or extracts in order to obtain a salty salty taste intensity and a salty taste expression pattern in addition to the above lactic acid fermented product.

<Whey minerals>
Whey minerals are obtained by separating and removing whey protein and lactose from whey and purifying them. When the salty taste enhancer of the present invention contains milky minerals, it becomes easy to obtain the same salty taste intensity and salty taste development pattern before and after reducing the sodium chloride content in foods and drinks, and in particular, chloride in the salty taste agent. It is preferable because it has the effect of relieving the bitterness peculiar to the case where potassium is contained.

The whey mineral used in the present invention preferably has a low impurity content such as protein and lactose for the purpose of preventing the addition of unpleasant taste and unpleasant taste to the salty taste enhancer, and the ash content in the solid content is 30% by mass or more. It is preferable to use a certain whey mineral, and it is more preferable to use a whey mineral having an ash content of 50% by mass or more in the solid content. The higher the ash content, the more preferable.

In addition, the whey mineral used may be a whey mineral having a calcium content in its solid content of preferably less than 2% by mass, more preferably less than 1% by mass, still more preferably less than 0.5% by mass. preferable.

In the salty taste enhancer of the present invention, the whey mineral is contained so that the solid content in the whey mineral is 0.001 to 1.0 part by mass with respect to 1 part by mass of the solid content of the lactic acid fermented product. Is more preferable, and the content is more preferably 0.005 to 0.3 parts by mass, and most preferably 0.05 to 0.3 parts by mass.
If it is less than 0.001 part by mass, the effect of adding whey mineral cannot be obtained. On the other hand, if it exceeds 1.0 part by mass, the miscellaneous taste of whey minerals may be added to foods and drinks.

The form of the whey mineral when used in the present invention is not particularly limited, and it can be used in a liquid state or in a solid state such as powder, granules, tablets, etc., but in powder form. Alternatively, it is preferable that it is in a liquid state because it can be easily mixed uniformly with lactic acid fermented products, extracts and the like.

<Extracts>
The extracts in the present invention refer to extracts obtained from one or more of livestock products, marine products, agricultural products and microorganisms. Specifically, livestock extracts such as chicken extract, beef extract, pork extract, eel extract, mackerel extract, salmon extract, sardine extract, boiled dried extract, glutinous extract, hamo extract, cod extract, squid extract, oyster extract, abalone extract, scallop extract, shrimp extract, etc. Crab extract, okiami extract, oyster extract, asari extract, kelp extract, wakame extract, marine extract such as fish soy sauce extract, malt extract, onion extract, carrot extract, white vegetable extract, cabbage extract, celery extract, garlic extract, ginger extract, etc. Agricultural extracts such as shiitake mushroom extract, mushroom extract and fruit extract, yeast extracts such as beer yeast extract, bread yeast extract and torula yeast extract can be mentioned. In the present invention, one or more selected from these extracts can be used, but yeast extract is preferably used.

When the salty taste enhancer of the present invention contains the above extracts, it becomes easy to obtain the same salty taste intensity and salty taste expression pattern before and after reducing the sodium chloride content in foods and drinks, and in particular, potassium chloride in the salty taste agent. It is preferable because it has the effect of softening salty acid when it contains.

The above extracts may be used in any form such as liquid, paste, or solid (powder, granule, tablet) as long as they can be uniformly contained in the salty taste enhancer. be able to. When the above extracts are in the form of a liquid or a paste, the solid content thereof is preferably 20 to 80% by mass, more preferably 40 to 70% by mass.

In the salty taste enhancer of the present invention, the above extracts are preferably contained so that the amount of the extracts is 0.001 to 10 parts by mass with respect to 1 part by mass of the solid content of the lactic acid fermented product, and more preferably 0. It is contained in an amount of .02 to 3.0 parts by mass, most preferably 0.1 to 3.0 parts by mass.
If it is less than 0.001 part by mass, the effect of adding the extracts cannot be obtained. On the other hand, if it exceeds 10 parts by mass, the umami of the extracts is imparted, which may change the flavor of foods and drinks to which the salty taste enhancer is added.

<Form of salty taste enhancer>
The form of the salty taste enhancer of the present invention may be solid or liquid, and is arbitrarily selected depending on the form of the food or drink in which the salty taste enhancer of the present invention is used.
The mixing method and mixing order of each component in producing the salty taste enhancer of the present invention are not particularly limited as long as the components contained in the obtained salty taste enhancer are uniformly mixed. As the form of the raw material used in producing the salty taste enhancer, a solid raw material such as powder, a liquid raw material or the like can be arbitrarily selected. The salty taste enhancer of the present invention can be prepared into a uniform powder by distilling off the solvent after making an aqueous solution once. When distilling off the solvent, distilling off the solvent by any method is possible. The solvent can be distilled off by a method such as spray drying or granulation drying.

<Food and drink>
The food and drink of the present invention is a food and drink using the salty taste enhancer of the present invention.
Here, the above-mentioned food and drink generally refers to all foods using salt containing sodium chloride as a main component, and is not particularly limited. For example, miso, soy sauce, noodle soup, sauce, soup, pasta sauce, dressing, mayonnaise, tomato ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, tonkatsu sauce, sprinkle, seasoning salt, etc. , Instant cooked foods such as soup base, miso soup, soup, consomme soup, potage soup and other soups, processed livestock products such as beef jerky, ham, sausage, cheese, kamaboko, dried food, salted food, boiled rice, delicacies, etc. Processed marine products, processed vegetables such as pickles, sweets snacks such as potato chips and roasted rice cakes, bakery foods such as bread, sweet bread and cookies, simmered foods, fried foods, grilled foods, curry, stew, gratin, rice, rice porridge, rice balls, etc. Cooked foods and the like. Even if the food or drink does not contain salt, the salty taste enhancer of the present invention can be used as long as the food or drink contains salt when eating or drinking.

<Reduced salt food and drink>
The food and drink of the present invention is characterized in that the salty taste per sodium chloride content is enhanced while maintaining its taste quality. In the case of a food or drink in which a part of the sodium chloride is replaced with a sodium chloride substitute such as potassium chloride, the salty taste per sodium chloride content can be further enhanced. That is, when the salty taste enhancer of the present invention is added to reduce the amount of salt contained in conventional foods and drinks, even if the amount of salt used is reduced, the salty taste equivalent to that of conventional foods and drinks is obtained. It can be a food or drink to have, and can be preferably used as a low-salt food or drink. Therefore, compared to conventional low-salt foods and drinks in which the sodium chloride content is simply reduced, and low-salt foods and drinks in which part or all of sodium chloride is replaced with a sodium chloride substitute, low-salt foods and drinks have better taste. Can be.

In the present invention, the low-salt food or drink refers to a food in which the sodium chloride content is reduced by 10 to 90% by mass, preferably 20 to 80% by mass, and more preferably 30 to 70% by mass as compared with ordinary foods and drinks. If the ratio of reduced sodium chloride content is less than 10% by mass, the superiority of the salt-reduced food and drink is poor, and if it is reduced by more than 90% by mass, the saltiness enhancer of the present invention has the same strength. It becomes difficult to obtain salty taste.

As a method for incorporating the salty taste enhancer of the present invention into the above-mentioned food or drink, a method of adding the salty taste enhancer of the present invention at the time of manufacturing the food or drink or at the time of eating or drinking can be mainly used, and is preferably used by the time of eating. It suffices that the salty agent and the salty taste enhancer of the present invention are contained in the food or drink in the above-mentioned ratio.
For example, a method of adding the salty taste enhancer of the present invention to a food or drink containing a salty agent, a method of adding a salty taste enhancer of the present invention at the time of producing a food or drink containing a salty agent, or a method of adding the salty taste enhancer of the present invention to a salty agent. A method of using the seasoned salt to which the agent is added in the production of food and drink, a method of adding the seasoned salt to the food and drink, a method of adding the food and drink containing a salty taste enhancer to the food and drink containing the salty agent, and the like. Can be mentioned.

Further, since the salty taste enhancer of the present invention is also effective in improving the flavor of a sodium chloride substitute such as potassium chloride, the present invention is used together with a sodium chloride substitute such as potassium chloride for a low-salt food or drink having an unsatisfactory salty taste. It is also possible to adopt the method of adding the salty taste enhancer.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to specific examples, but the present invention is not limited by the description of the following examples.

<Manufacturing of lactic acid fermented products>
[Manufacturing Example 1]
Skimmed milk powder (non-fat milk solid content 95.2% by mass, protein content 34% by mass, lipid 1% by mass) 4.5% by mass, whey powder (non-fat milk solid content 95% by mass) with respect to 83.0% by mass of water Mass%, protein content 13% by mass, lipid 1% by mass) 3.5% by mass, total milk protein (non-fat milk solids content 91% by mass, protein content 81% by mass, lipid 4% by mass) 1% by mass, and skim milk 4% by mass of concentrated milk (non-fat milk solid content 25.6% by mass, protein content 9.2% by mass, lipid 3.5% by mass) was added, and the mixture was stirred while maintaining the temperature of the water bath at 60 ° C., and sufficiently. After dispersion and dissolution, 2% by mass of unsalted butter (non-fat milk solids 1.20% by mass, 83% by mass of lipids) and cream cheese (14% by mass of non-fat milk solids, 55% by mass of lipids). 2% by mass was added, and the mixture was further stirred while maintaining the temperature of the water bath at 60 ° C., and emulsified into an oil-in-water mold.
After stirring until no lumps of raw materials are observed, homogenize with a pressure homogenizer H20 manufactured by Sanwa Engineering Co., Ltd. at a homogeneous pressure of 20 MPa, heat sterilize at 80 ° C. for 3 minutes with a plate heat exchanger, and then plate. The mixture was cooled to 30 ° C. in a heat exchanger to prepare an oil-in-water emulsion containing a dairy raw material having a non-fat milk solid content content of 9.8% by mass and a fat content of 2.9% by mass.

Subsequently, the oil-in-water emulsion containing this dairy raw material was used as it was as a mixed solution, and Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactococcus lactis subsp. Lactis, Lactococcus lactis subsp. Cremoris, Lactococcus lactis subsp. 0.04 parts by mass of a freeze-dry type lactic acid bacterium starter containing 6 types of diacetylactis, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. Cremoris was added, and fermentation was carried out at 30 ° C. for 12 hours with stirring at 15 rpm. The pH at the time when the lactic acid bacterium starter was added was 6.4, and the pH at the end of the lactic acid fermentation step was 4.5. Through the above lactic acid fermentation step, a lactic acid fermented product A having a solid content of 12.3% by mass was obtained.

[Manufacturing Example 2]
Of the formulation of Production Example 1, unsalted butter was reduced from 2% by mass to 1.7% by mass, and 0.3% by mass of the reduced amount was used as a free fatty acid source. An oil-in-water emulsion containing a dairy raw material having a non-fat milk solid content content of 9.8% by mass and a fat content of 2.9% by mass was prepared in the same manner as in Production Example 1 except that it was replaced with. Prepared. Subsequently, this oil-in-water emulsion was fermented in the same manner as in Production Example 1 to obtain a lactic acid fermented product B having a solid content of 12.3% by mass.

[Manufacturing Example 3]
Soymilk (manufactured by Marusan Eye Co., Ltd., fat-free solid content 6.3% by mass, protein content 4.7% by mass, lipid content 3.1% by mass) 65.3% by mass, based on 28.2% by mass of water. And Fujipro F (soy protein manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd., non-fat solid content 94.3% by mass, protein content 85.8% by mass, lipid content 0.20% by mass) 5.5% by mass was added, and the temperature of the water bath was added. Was stirred while maintaining the temperature at 60 ° C., and after sufficiently dispersing and dissolving, 1% by mass of soymilk oil was added and further stirred, and emulsified into an oil-in-water mold.
After stirring until no lumps of raw materials are observed, homogenize with a pressure homogenizer H20 manufactured by Sanwa Engineering Co., Ltd. at a homogeneous pressure of 20 MPa, heat sterilize at 80 ° C. for 3 minutes with a plate heat exchanger, and then plate. The mixture was cooled to 30 ° C. with a formula heat exchanger to prepare an oil-in-water emulsion having a non-fat solid content content of 9.3% by mass and a fat content of 3.0% by mass.

Subsequently, this oil-in-water emulsion was used as it was as a mixed solution, and Lactococcus helveticus, Lactococcus lactis subsp. Lactis, Lactococcus lactis subsp. Cremoris, Lactococcus lactis subsp. Lacttis biovar diacetylactis, Streptococcus thermophilus were used as they were. , Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. Cremoris 6 kinds of freeze-dried type lactic acid bacterium starter was added by 0.008 part, and fermentation was carried out under the same fermentation conditions as in the production of lactic acid fermented product A, and the solid content was 12.3% by mass. Lactococcus fermented product C was obtained.

[Manufacturing Example 4]
10.3% by mass of skim milk powder (non-fat milk solid content 95.2% by mass, protein content 34% by mass) was added to 89.7% by mass of water, and the mixture was stirred while maintaining the temperature of the water bath at 60 ° C. Then, it was sufficiently dispersed and dissolved. After stirring until no lumps of raw materials are observed, homogenize with a pressure homogenizer H20 manufactured by Sanwa Engineering Co., Ltd. at a homogeneous pressure of 20 MPa, heat sterilize at 80 ° C. for 3 minutes with a plate heat exchanger, and then plate. The mixture was cooled to 30 ° C. with a formula heat exchanger to prepare a mixed solution containing a dairy raw material having a non-fat milk solid content of 9.8% by mass and a fat content of 0.1% by mass.

Subsequently, the mixed solution containing this dairy raw material was used as it was as the mixed solution, and Lactococcus helveticus, Lactococcus lactis subsp. Lactis, Lactococcus lactis subsp. Cremoris, Lactococcus lactis subsp. A freeze-dried type lactic acid bacterium starter group containing 6 types of thermophilus and Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. Cremoris was added by 0.04 parts by mass and fermented under the same fermentation conditions as in the production of lactic acid fermented product A, and the solid content was 9.9. Lactococcus fermented product D in mass% was obtained.

<Manufacturing of whey minerals>
[Manufacturing Example 5]
The sweet whey obtained as a by-product in the production of cheese was separated by nanofiltration membrane, and then further concentrated by reverse osmosis filtration membrane separation until the solid content became 20% by mass. Subsequently, the precipitate formed by heat treatment at 80 ° C. for 20 minutes was removed by centrifugation, and further concentrated by an evaporator to obtain whey mineral having a solid content of 30% by mass. The calcium content in the solid content of the obtained whey mineral was 0.4% by mass, and the ash content in the solid content was 55% by mass.

<Manufacturing of salty taste enhancer>
[Example 1]
The lactic acid fermented product A obtained in Production Example 1 was used as it was as the salty taste enhancer A of the present invention.
[Example 2]
The lactic acid fermented product B obtained in Production Example 2 was used as it was as the salty taste enhancer B of the present invention.
[Comparative Example 1]
The lactic acid fermented product C obtained in Production Example 3 was used as it was as the salty taste enhancer C of Comparative Example 1.
[Comparative Example 2]
The lactic acid fermented product D obtained in Production Example 4 was used as it was as the salty taste enhancer D of Comparative Example 2.
[Example 3]
The lactic acid fermented product A obtained in Production Example 1 and the whey mineral obtained in Production Example 5 were mixed and dispersed at a mass ratio of 90:10 to obtain the salty taste enhancer E of the present invention.
[Example 4]
The lactic acid fermented product A obtained in Production Example 1 and yeast extract (Wellnex YN-1, manufactured by Fuji Food Industry Co., Ltd., powdered product having a solid content of 98% by mass) were mixed and dispersed at a mass ratio of 75:25 to obtain the present invention. It was designated as a saltiness enhancer F.
[Example 5]
The lactic acid fermented product A obtained in Production Example 1 and the whey mineral and yeast extract obtained in Production Example 5 (Wellnex YN-1, manufactured by Fuji Food Industry Co., Ltd., powdered product having a solid content of 98% by mass) were combined at 72: 8: It was mixed and dispersed at a mass ratio of 20 to obtain the saltiness enhancer G of the present invention.

<Saltyness enhancer evaluation test 1>
A 1% by mass aqueous solution of sodium chloride was prepared. Here, the salty taste enhancer A has a solid content of 0.000002 parts by mass, 0.00002 parts by mass, 0.0002 parts by mass, 0.002 parts by mass, and 0.02, respectively, with respect to 1 part by mass of sodium chloride. It was added in a mass amount of 0.2 parts by mass, 1 part by mass, and 2 parts by mass, and was sufficiently dispersed and dissolved to prepare an aqueous solution.
(Evaluation method of saltiness strength and taste quality)
Eleven panelists were allowed to lick the above aqueous solution and a 1% by mass aqueous solution of sodium chloride prepared as a control, and the salty taste intensity and taste quality were evaluated on a 4-point scale according to the following panelist's evaluation criteria, and the total score was obtained. A 5-grade or 4-grade evaluation was performed according to the following evaluation criteria. The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2, respectively.

・ Evaluation criteria for saltiness strength of panelists I feel a clearly enhanced salty taste compared to the control ・ ・ 2 points I feel a slightly enhanced salty taste compared to the control ・ ・ ・ 1 point I feel almost the same salty taste as the control ・ ・・ ・ ・ ・ ・ 0 points I feel a weaker salty taste than the control ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ -1 point ・ Saltiness intensity evaluation criteria ◎: The total score of 11 panelists is 17 to 22 points ○: 11 people Total score of 11 panelists is 11 to 16 points △: Total score of 11 panelists is 6 to 10 points ×: Total score of 11 panelists is 1 to 5 points × ×: Total score of 11 panelists is 0 points Less than

・ Paneler's taste evaluation criteria I do not feel any flavor other than sodium chloride ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ 2 points I feel a flavor other than sodium chloride, but there is no discomfort as a salty taste ・ ・ ・ ・ 1 point Other than sodium chloride I feel the flavor and the salty taste is uncomfortable ... 0 points I feel an unbearable offensive taste ... -1 point ・ Taste evaluation criteria ◎: 2 points were the most panelists.
◯: The number of panelists with 1 point was the highest.
Δ: The number of panelists with 0 points was the highest.
X: The number of panelists with -1 point was the highest.

From the results of Tables 1 and 2, the salty taste-enhancing effect of the lactic acid fermented product is observed when the amount added per 1 part by mass of sodium chloride is 0.00002 to 0.2 parts by mass, but it is 1 part by mass or more. It can be seen that the salty taste is not enhanced and the salty taste is almost the same level as sodium chloride. Further, it can be seen that when the amount is 0.2 parts by mass or more, a flavor other than the salty taste is felt, and when the amount is 1 part by mass or more, a sense of discomfort as the salty taste appears.
From the above, it can be seen that the lactic acid fermented product according to the present invention can be suitably used as a salty taste enhancer by using it in an appropriate amount.

<Saltyness enhancer evaluation test 2>
A 0.5% by mass aqueous solution of sodium chloride was prepared. The salty taste enhancers A to G are added thereto so that the solid content of the lactic acid fermented product contained in the salty taste enhancer is 0.002 parts by mass with respect to 1 part by mass of sodium chloride, and the saltiness enhancer is sufficiently dispersed and dissolved. Then, it was made into an aqueous solution.
(Evaluation method of saltiness strength and taste quality)
Eleven panelists were allowed to lick the above-mentioned aqueous solution and a 0.5% by mass aqueous solution of sodium chloride prepared as a control, and the salty taste intensity and taste quality were evaluated on a four-point scale according to the following panelist's evaluation criteria. The total score was evaluated on a 5-point or 4-point scale according to the following evaluation criteria. The results are shown in Tables 3 and 4, respectively.

・ Evaluation criteria for saltiness strength of panelists I feel a clearly enhanced salty taste compared to the control ・ ・ 2 points I feel a slightly enhanced salty taste compared to the control ・ ・ ・ 1 point I feel almost the same salty taste as the control ・ ・・ ・ ・ ・ ・ 0 points I feel a weaker salty taste than the control ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ -1 point ・ Saltiness intensity evaluation criteria ◎: The total score of 11 panelists is 17 to 22 points ○: 11 people Total score of 11 panelists is 11 to 16 points △: Total score of 11 panelists is 6 to 10 points ×: Total score of 11 panelists is 1 to 5 points × ×: Total score of 11 panelists is 0 points Less than

・ Paneler's taste evaluation criteria A salty taste expression pattern that feels a strong taste and is equivalent to sodium chloride ..... 2 points A salty taste expression pattern that feels a little strong and is almost the same as sodium chloride.・ 1 point The salty taste expression pattern is weak and different from sodium chloride. ・ ・ 0 point The salty taste expression pattern is weak and completely different from sodium chloride. Evaluation Criteria ◎: The number of panelists with 2 points was the highest.
○: The number of panelists with 1 point was the highest.
Δ: The number of panelists with 0 points was the highest.
X: The number of panelists with -1 point was the highest.

<Saltyness enhancer evaluation test 3>
A 0.5% by mass aqueous solution of a salting agent having a mass ratio of sodium chloride and potassium chloride of 90:10 was prepared. The salty taste enhancers A to G are added thereto so that the solid content of the lactic acid fermented product contained in the salty taste enhancer is 0.002 parts by mass with respect to 1 part by mass of the salty agent, and the salty taste enhancer is sufficiently dispersed and dissolved. Then, it was made into an aqueous solution. An aqueous solution to which no salty taste enhancer was added was also prepared.
(Evaluation method of saltiness strength and taste quality)
Eleven panelists were allowed to lick the above-mentioned aqueous solution and a 0.5% by mass aqueous solution of sodium chloride prepared as a control, and the salty taste intensity and taste quality were evaluated on a four-point scale according to the following panelist's evaluation criteria. The total score was evaluated on a 5-point or 4-point scale according to the following evaluation criteria. The results are shown in Tables 5 and 6, respectively.

・ Evaluation criteria for saltiness strength of panelists I feel a clearly enhanced salty taste compared to the control ・ ・ 2 points I feel a slightly enhanced salty taste compared to the control ・ ・ ・ 1 point I feel almost the same salty taste as the control ・ ・・ ・ ・ ・ ・ 0 points I feel a weaker salty taste than the control ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ -1 point ・ Saltiness intensity evaluation criteria ◎: The total score of 11 panelists is 17 to 22 points ○: 11 people Total score of 11 panelists is 11 to 16 points △: Total score of 11 panelists is 6 to 10 points ×: Total score of 11 panelists is 1 to 5 points × ×: Total score of 11 panelists is 0 points Less than

・ Paneler's taste evaluation criteria Salty taste expression pattern equivalent to sodium chloride ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ 2 points Salty taste expression pattern almost equivalent to sodium chloride ・ ・ ・ ・ 1 point Discomfort different from sodium chloride A certain salty taste expression pattern ... 0 points A salty taste expression pattern completely different from sodium chloride ... -1 point-Taste evaluation criteria ◎: 2 points were the most common panelists.
○: The number of panelists with 1 point was the highest.
Δ: The number of panelists with 0 points was the highest.
X: The number of panelists with -1 point was the highest.

<Manufacturing of food and drink>
[Example 6]
Using 10 g of kelp and 20 g of bonito shavings for 1 L of water, the best dashi (bonito and kelp dashi) was prepared by a conventional method. Using 25 g of low-salt miso (manufactured by Takeya: low-salt miso) with respect to 300 ml of this first soup stock, miso soup containing 0.4% by mass of sodium chloride was prepared according to a conventional method. Here, the salty taste enhancer B was added so that the amount of the lactic acid fermented product added was 0.002 parts by mass as a solid content with respect to 1 part by mass of sodium chloride, and the mixture was sufficiently mixed.
When 2 mL was drunk in a cup while being held at 60 ° C. and the saltiness intensity and saltiness were compared with the miso soup without the salty taste enhancer, the miso soup with the salty taste enhancer had a salty taste as compared with the miso soup without the salty taste enhancer. It was a natural salty taste that was fortified and had a strong first taste.

[Example 7]
100 g of low-salt miso (manufactured by Miyasaka Brewery: Shinshu Ichimiso additive-free low-salt), 80 g of fine white sugar, 50 g of sake, and 25 g of hon mirin (Takara hon mirin) are put in a pot, and the saltiness enhancer B is added to the lactic acid fermented product. Add soybean paste so that the solid content is 0.002 parts by mass with respect to 1 part by mass of sodium chloride, mix well while heating over low heat, cool, and add 3.9% by mass of sodium chloride to the kneaded miso. Created (finished weight 220 g).
After burning cotton tofu cut into 7 cm in length, 3 cm in width and 1.5 cm in thickness, 2 g of kneaded miso was applied to both sides of the tofu and lightly cooked to make tofu Dengaku.
We ate a length of 2 cm (width 3 cm, thickness 1.5 cm) excluding both ends of this tofu taraku, and compared its saltiness intensity and saltiness with tofu taraku without saltiness enhancer. The added tofu taraku had a more salty taste than the non-added tofu taraku, and had a natural salty taste with a strong first taste.

[Example 8]
Put 1000 ml of water in a pan and heat it. When the water boiled, reduce the heat to low and melt 60 g of powdered consomme. Add the salty taste enhancer B so that the amount of the lactic acid fermented product added is 0.002 parts by mass as a solid content with respect to 1 part by mass of sodium chloride, mix well while heating on low heat, cool, and sodium chloride. To prepare a consomme soup containing 0.5% by mass of.
When 2 mL was drunk in a cup while being held at 60 ° C. and the saltiness intensity and saltiness were compared with the consomme soup without the salty taste enhancer, the consomme soup with the salty taste enhancer was converted into the consomme soup without the salty taste enhancer. It was a natural salty taste with a stronger salty taste and a stronger first taste.

[Example 9]
Add salty taste enhancer B to low-salt soy sauce (manufactured by Kikkoman) so that the amount of lactic acid fermented product added is 0.002 parts by mass as a solid content with respect to 1 part by mass of sodium chloride, and mix well to add 8 sodium chloride. A low-salt soy sauce containing% by mass was prepared.
When the saltiness intensity and saltiness were compared with the low-salt soy sauce without the salty taste enhancer, the low-salt soybean oil with the added salty taste enhancer had a stronger salty taste and the first taste than the low-salt soybean oil without the additive-free salty taste enhancer. It was a natural salty taste that was strongly felt.

Claims (7)

A salty taste enhancer containing a lactic acid fermented product containing an oil-in-water emulsion containing a dairy raw material as a substrate, and the solid content of the lactic acid fermented product in the salty taste enhancer is 0 with respect to 1 part by mass of the salty taste agent. salty strengthening agent used in an amount of .00001～0.004 parts by mass. The lactic acid fermentation product is, Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. Lactic acid fermentations were lactic acid fermentation using cremoris, salty strengthening agent according to claim 1. The above dairy ingredients are concentrated milk, condensed milk, whey, cream, butter, butter cream, cream cheese, natural cheese, process cheese, butter oil, milk fat decomposition products, skim milk powder, whole milk powder, whey powder, total milk protein, skim milk. and containing one or more selected from the defatted concentrated milk, salty strengthening agent according to claim 1 or 2. The salty taste enhancer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further containing whey mineral. The salty taste enhancer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further containing extracts. A method for producing a food or drink, which uses a salty taste enhancer containing a lactic acid fermented product as a substrate of an oil-in-water emulsion containing a dairy raw material as an active ingredient in a food or drink containing a salty agent.
The salty taste enhancer is added to the food or drink in an amount such that the solid content of the lactic acid fermented product in the salty taste enhancer is 0.00001 to 0.004 parts by mass with respect to 1 part by mass of the salty taste agent in the food or drink. How to make food and drink . The method for producing a food or drink according to claim 6, wherein the food or drink with reduced salt is produced .