CN111867396A - Salty and/or Spicy Enhancers - Google Patents

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a novel salty taste and/or spicy taste enhancer that can effectively enhance a salty taste and/or spicy taste, a method for enhancing a salty taste and/or spicy taste, and the like. The present invention relates to a salty taste and/or spicy taste enhancer containing a branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid or a salt thereof.

Description

Salty and/or Spicy Enhancers

technical field

The present invention relates to salty and/or spice enhancers. Moreover, this invention relates to the manufacturing method of the foodstuff using this salty and/or spicy flavor enhancer, etc.. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for enhancing salty and/or spicy taste using the salty and/or spicy taste enhancer or the like.

Background technique

Salt is used in food for various purposes such as imparting a salty taste. Excessive intake of salt can increase the risk of high blood pressure or heart disease. In addition, due to recent health awareness, reduction in salt intake is becoming more and more popular. Pay attention to. The intake of salt can be reduced by reducing the amount of salt used (salt reduction) or the like when manufacturing food, however, such a salt-reduced food has a problem of reduced satisfaction due to insufficient salty taste. Therefore, development of a technology for enhancing the salty taste of food without increasing the intake of salt is being sought.

On the other hand, in the past, it has been reported that 4-methylvaleric acid (also called isocaproic acid, 4-methylvaleric acid, etc.) can be used as a flavor having a cocoa or chocolate flavor, a tea flavor, or a yogurt or cheese-like flavor perfume composition (Patent Documents 1 to 3). However, none of Patent Documents 1 to 3 describes that 4-methylvaleric acid has a salty taste enhancing effect or a spicy flavor enhancing effect.

[Prior Art Literature]

[Patent Literature]

Patent Document 1: JP Patent Publication No. 2006-121958

Patent Document 2: JP Patent Publication No. 2005-143467

Patent Document 3: JP Patent Publication No. 2006-124490

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[Problems to be Solved by Invention]

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel salty and/or spicy flavor enhancer, a salty and/or spicy flavor enhancement method, and the like that can effectively enhance salty taste and spicy flavor.

[means to solve the problem]

The inventors of the present invention have newly discovered that the branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid has a salty taste enhancing effect as a result of various studies in order to solve the above-mentioned problems.

In addition, the present inventors have further studied and found that in addition to branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid, 3-methylthiopropanal (methional), butyric acid, and fenugreek (sotolon) can be used in combination to enhance more effectively. Salty.

In addition, the present inventors have also newly discovered that the branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid has a spicy flavor enhancing effect.

In addition, the present inventors found that the spice feeling can be more effectively enhanced by using 3-methylthiopropanal, butyric acid, and fenugreek in combination in addition to the branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid.

Based on these findings, the present inventors conducted further studies and completed the present invention.

That is, the present invention is as follows.

[1] A salty and/or spicy flavor enhancer comprising (A) a branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid having 4 to 18 carbon atoms or a salt thereof.

[2] The salty and/or spicy flavor enhancer according to [1], wherein (A) is a compound represented by the general formula (I) or a salt thereof:

[hua 1]

[In the formula, R represents a C _1-12 straight-chain alkylene group substituted with at least one C _1-4 alkyl group].

[3] The salty and/or spicy flavor enhancer according to [1] or [2], wherein (A) is selected from the group consisting of isobutyric acid, isovaleric acid, 2-methylvaleric acid, 3- At least one of methylvaleric acid, 4-methylvaleric acid, 2-methylhexanoic acid, 5-methylhexanoic acid, 2-methylheptanoic acid, 4-methyloctanoic acid and 4-methylnonanoic acid compound or its salt.

[4] The salty and/or spicy flavor enhancer according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein (A) is 4-methylvaleric acid or a salt thereof.

[5] The salty and/or spicy flavor enhancer according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the salty and/or spicy flavor enhancer further contains (B) At least one of 3-methylthiopropanal, (C) butyric acid or a salt thereof, and (D) fenugreek lactone.

[6] The salty and/or spicy flavor enhancer according to [5], wherein the salty and/or spicy flavor enhancer contains the content a1 of ( ^A ) and the content of (B) The weight ratio of b ¹ is a ¹ :b ¹ =1:0.01-50.

[7] The salty and/or spicy flavor enhancer according to [5] or [6], wherein the content of (A) in the salty and/or spicy flavor enhancer is a ¹ and ( The weight ratio of the content c ¹ of C) is a ¹ : c ¹ =1:0.1-500.

[8] The salty and/or spicy flavor enhancer according to any one of [5] to [7], wherein the content of (A) in the salty and/or spicy flavor enhancer is The weight ratio of a ¹ and the content d ¹ of (D) is a ¹ : d ¹ =1:0.01-50.

[9] The salty and/or spicy flavor enhancer according to any one of [5] to [8], wherein the salty and/or spicy flavor enhancer contains (B), (C) ) and (D).

[10] The salty and/or spicy flavor enhancer according to any one of [1] to [9], wherein the salty and/or spicy flavor enhancer further enhances a flavor selected from the group consisting of animal meat flavors and At least one of the cheese flavors.

[11] The salty and/or spicy flavor enhancer according to any one of [1] to [10], wherein the salty and/or spicy flavor enhancer is a salty taste enhancer.

[11-2] The salty and/or spicy flavor enhancer according to any one of [1] to [10], wherein the salty and/or spicy flavor enhancer is a spicy flavor enhancer agent.

[11-3] The salty and/or spicy flavor enhancer according to any one of [1] to [10], wherein the salty and/or spicy flavor enhancer is salty and/or spicy Fragrance enhancer.

[12] A salt and/or spice-containing food containing the salty and/or spice enhancer according to any one of [1] to [11].

[13] The salt and/or spice-containing food according to [12], wherein the content of (A) in the salty and/or spice enhancer is 0.01% by weight or more and 100% by weight the following.

[14] The salt and/or spice-containing food according to [12] or [13], wherein the salty and/or spice enhancer contains (B), the salty and/or The content of (B) in the spice enhancer is 0.01% by weight or more and 99.9% by weight or less.

[15] The salt and/or spice-containing food according to any one of [12] to [14], wherein the salty and/or spice enhancer contains (C), the salty The content of (C) in the taste and/or spice enhancer is 0.01% by weight or more and 99.9% by weight or less.

[16] The salt and/or spice-containing food according to any one of [12] to [15], wherein the salty and/or spice enhancer contains (D), the salty The content of (D) in the taste and/or spice enhancer is 0.01% by weight or more and 99.9% by weight or less.

[17] A method for producing a salt and/or spice-containing food, comprising adding (A) a branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid having 4 to 18 carbon atoms or a salt thereof.

[18] The production method according to [17], wherein (A) is a compound represented by the general formula (I) or a salt thereof:

[hua 2]

[In the formula, R represents a C _1-12 straight-chain alkylene group substituted with at least one C _1-4 alkyl group].

[19] The production method according to [17] or [18], wherein (A) is selected from the group consisting of isobutyric acid, isovaleric acid, 2-methylvaleric acid, 3-methylvaleric acid, and 4-methylvaleric acid. At least one compound or a salt thereof selected from the group consisting of valeric acid, 2-methylhexanoic acid, 5-methylhexanoic acid, 2-methylheptanoic acid, 4-methyloctanoic acid and 4-methylnonanoic acid.

[20] The production method according to any one of [17] to [19], wherein (A) is 4-methylvaleric acid or a salt thereof.

[21] The production method according to any one of [17] to [20], wherein the addition amount of (A) is not less than 0.00005 ppm by weight and not more than 15 ppm by weight.

[22] The production method according to any one of [17] to [21], wherein the production method further comprises adding a compound selected from the group consisting of (B) 3-methylthiopropanal, (C) butyric acid or At least one of its salts and (D) fenugreek lactone.

[23] The production method according to [22], wherein the weight ratio of the addition amount a ^{2 of (A) and the addition amount b 2 of} (B) is a ² :b ² =1:0.01-50.

[24] The production method according to [22] or [23], wherein the weight ratio of the addition amount a ^{2 of (A) and the addition amount c 2 of} (C) is a ² :c ² =1:0.1～ 500.

[25] The production method according to any one of [22] to [24], wherein the weight ratio of the addition amount a ^{2 of (A) and the addition amount d 2 of} (D) is a ² : d ² = 1: 0.01 to 50.

[26] The production method according to any one of [22] to [25], wherein the addition amount of (B) is 0.001 wt ppm or more and 10 wt ppm or less.

[27] The production method according to any one of [22] to [26], wherein the addition amount of (C) is 0.01 wt ppm or more and 100 wt ppm or less.

[28] The production method according to any one of [22] to [27], wherein the addition amount of (D) is not less than 0.0001 ppm by weight and not more than 50 ppm by weight.

[29] The production method according to any one of [22] to [28], wherein (B), (C) and (D) are added to the salt and/or spice-containing food.

[30] The production method according to any one of [17] to [29], wherein the salt and/or spice-containing food is a food with enhanced saltiness and/or spice.

[31] The production method according to [30], wherein the salt and/or spice-containing food is a food in which at least one selected from the group consisting of animal meat flavor and cheese flavor is also enhanced.

[32] The production method according to any one of [17] to [31], wherein the production method is a method for producing a salt-containing food.

[32-2] The production method according to any one of [17] to [31], wherein the production method is a method for producing a spice-containing food product.

[32-3] The production method according to any one of [17] to [31], wherein the production method is a method for producing a food containing salt and spices.

[33] A method for enhancing the salty taste of a food containing table salt, comprising adding (A) a branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid having 4 to 18 carbon atoms or a salt thereof.

[34] A method for enhancing the spice sensation of a food containing a spice, comprising adding (A) a branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid having 4 to 18 carbon atoms or a salt thereof.

[34-2] A method for enhancing salty and spicy flavor of a food containing salt and spices, comprising adding (A) a branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid having 4 to 18 carbon atoms or a salt thereof.

[35] The enhancement method according to [33] or [34], wherein (A) is a compound represented by the general formula (I) or a salt thereof:

[hua 3]

[In the formula, R represents a C _1-12 straight-chain alkylene group substituted with at least one C _1-4 alkyl group].

[36] The enhancement method according to any one of [33] to [35], wherein (A) is selected from the group consisting of isobutyric acid, isovaleric acid, 2-methylvaleric acid, and 3-methylvaleric acid , 4-methylpentanoic acid, 2-methylhexanoic acid, 5-methylhexanoic acid, 2-methylheptanoic acid, 4-methyloctanoic acid and at least one compound or its salt .

[37] The enhancement method according to any one of [33] to [36], wherein (A) is 4-methylvaleric acid or a salt thereof.

[38] The reinforcing method according to any one of [33] to [37], wherein the addition amount of (A) is 0.00005 wt ppm or more and 15 wt ppm or less.

[39] The enhancement method according to any one of [33] to [38], wherein the enhancement method further comprises: adding a compound selected from (B) 3-methylthiopropanal, (C) butyric acid or At least one of its salts and (D) fenugreek lactone.

[40] The reinforcing method according to [39], wherein the weight ratio of the addition amount a ^{3 of (A) and the addition amount b 3 of} (B) is a ³ :b ³ =1:0.01-50.

[41] The reinforcing method according to [39] or [40], wherein the weight ratio of the addition amount a ^{3 of (A) and the addition amount c 3 of} (C) is a ³ : c ³ =1:0.1～ 500.

[42] The reinforcing method according to any one of [39] to [41], wherein the weight ratio of the addition amount a ^{3 of (A) and the addition amount d 3 of} (D) is a ³ : d ³ = 1: 0.01 to 50.

[43] The reinforcing method according to any one of [39] to [42], wherein the addition amount of (B) is 0.001 wt ppm or more and 10 wt ppm or less.

[44] The reinforcing method according to any one of [39] to [43], wherein the addition amount of (C) is 0.01 wt ppm or more and 100 wt ppm or less.

[45] The reinforcing method according to any one of [39] to [44], wherein the addition amount of (D) is 0.0001 wt ppm or more and 50 wt ppm or less.

[46] The enhancement method according to any one of [39] to [45], wherein (B), (C) and (D) are added to the salt and/or spice-containing food.

[47] The enhancement method according to any one of [33] to [46], wherein the enhancement method further enhances at least one selected from the group consisting of meat flavor and cheese flavor.

[Inventive effect]

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a novel salty and/or spicy enhancer that can effectively enhance salty and spicy tastes. In addition, the salty and/or spicy flavor enhancer of the present invention can enhance not only the salty taste and the spicy flavor, but also the meat flavor and the cheese flavor.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, a salt-containing food product in which the salty taste is effectively enhanced can be produced. The production method of the present invention can produce a salt-containing food in which not only the salty taste but also the meat flavor and the cheese flavor are enhanced. In addition, according to the present invention, a spice-containing food product with effectively enhanced spice sensation can also be produced. Further, according to the present invention, a salt- and spice-containing food product with enhanced saltiness and spice can be produced.

Further, according to the present invention, the salty taste of food containing salt can be effectively enhanced. The enhancing method of the present invention can not only enhance the salty taste, but also enhance the meat flavor and cheese flavor. Further, according to the present invention, the spice feeling of the food containing spice can be effectively enhanced. Further, according to the present invention, the salty and spicy taste of food containing salt and spices can be effectively enhanced.

In addition, the present invention can universally enhance the salty taste and spice in various foods regardless of the types of salt-containing foods, spice-containing foods, and salt-and-spice-containing foods.

Detailed ways

(Salt and/or spice enhancer of the present invention)

The main feature of the salty and/or spicy flavor enhancer of the present invention (in this specification, it may be referred to as "the agent of the present invention") is that it contains (A) a branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid or its Salt (in this specification, it may be abbreviated as "(A)" in some cases) is used as an active ingredient.

[(A) Branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid or its salt]

The "branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid" used in the present invention refers to an aliphatic monocarboxylic acid whose carbon chain consists only of single bonds and has at least one branch on the carbon chain. The number of carbon atoms of the branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid is preferably 4 to 18, more preferably 4 to 14, still more preferably 6 to 12, and particularly preferably 6 to 10.

The branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid used in the present invention is preferably a compound represented by the following general formula (I) (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as compound (I))

General formula (I):

[hua 4]

[In the formula, R represents a C _1-12 straight-chain alkylene group substituted with at least one C _1-4 alkyl group]

"C _1-12 linear alkylene group" in R refers to a linear alkylene group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, specifically methylene, ethylene, propylene, butylene, Pentylene, hexylene, heptylene, octylene, nonylylene, decylene, undecylene, dodecylene. Among them, a C _1-10 straight-chain alkylene group is preferred, a C _1-8 straight-chain alkylene group is more preferred, and a C _3-8 straight-chain alkylene group is particularly preferred.

The C _1-12 straight-chain alkylene in R is preferably substituted with at least 1 C _1-4 alkyl group (ie, at least 1 hydrogen atom in the C _1-12 straight-chain alkylene is replaced by a C _1-4 alkyl group substituted), more preferably substituted with 1 to 4 C _1-4 alkyl groups, still more preferably substituted with 1 or 2 C _1-4 alkyl groups, particularly preferably substituted with 1 C _1-4 alkyl group.

The "C _1-4 alkyl group" in R refers to a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and examples thereof include methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl. Among them, a methyl group and an ethyl group are preferable, and a methyl group is more preferable.

R is preferably a C _1-12 straight-chain alkylene group substituted with at least one methyl group, more preferably a C _1-10 straight-chain alkylene group substituted with one or two methyl groups, still more preferably a C 1-10 straight-chain alkylene group substituted with one methyl group The C _1-8 straight-chain alkylene group substituted with a methyl group is particularly preferably a C _3-8 straight-chain alkylene group substituted with one methyl group.

Specific examples of compound (I) include isobutyric acid, isovaleric acid, 2-methylvaleric acid, 3-methylvaleric acid, 4-methylvaleric acid, 2-methylhexanoic acid, and 5-methylvaleric acid. hexanoic acid, 2-methylheptanoic acid, 4-methyloctanoic acid, 4-methylnonanoic acid, etc., preferably 2-methylpentanoic acid, 3-methylpentanoic acid, 4-methylpentanoic acid, 2-methylpentanoic acid, etc. Methylhexanoic acid, 5-methylhexanoic acid, 2-methylheptanoic acid, 4-methyloctanoic acid, 4-methylnonanoic acid, and particularly preferably 4-methylpentanoic acid.

Isobutyric acid (also known as 2-methylpropionic acid) is represented by the following formula, and its CAS accession number is 79-31-2.

[hua 5]

Isovaleric acid (also known as 3-methylbutyric acid) is represented by the following formula, and its CAS accession number is 503-74-2.

[hua 6]

2-Methylvaleric acid is represented by the following formula, and its CAS accession number is 97-61-0.

[hua 7]

3-Methylvaleric acid is represented by the following formula, and its CAS accession number is 105-43-1.

[hua 8]

4-Methylvaleric acid is represented by the following formula, and its CAS accession number is 646-07-1.

[Chemical 9]

2-Methylhexanoic acid is represented by the following formula, and its CAS accession number is 4536-23-6.

[Chemical 10]

5-Methylhexanoic acid is represented by the following formula, and its CAS accession number is 628-46-6.

[Chemical 11]

2-Methylheptanoic acid is represented by the following formula, and its CAS accession number is 1188-02-9.

[Chemical 12]

4-Methyloctanoic acid is represented by the following formula, and its CAS accession number is 54947-74-9.

[Chemical 13]

4-Methylnonanoic acid is represented by the following formula, and its CAS accession number is 45019-28-1.

[Chemical 14]

From the viewpoint of the salty taste enhancing effect, the compound (I) is preferably isobutyric acid, isovaleric acid, 3-methylvaleric acid, 4-methylvaleric acid, 5-methylhexanoic acid, 2-methylheptanoic acid , 4-methyloctanoic acid, 4-methylnonanoic acid, more preferably 3-methylpentanoic acid, 4-methylpentanoic acid, 5-methylhexanoic acid, 2-methylheptanoic acid, 4-methyloctanoic acid , 4-methylnonanoic acid.

Compound (I) is preferably isobutyric acid, isovaleric acid, 3-methylvaleric acid, 4-methylvaleric acid, 5-methylhexanoic acid, and 4-methyloctanoic acid from the viewpoint of the effect of enhancing the spicy flavor , 4-methylnonanoic acid, more preferably 3-methylpentanoic acid, 4-methylpentanoic acid, 5-methylhexanoic acid, 4-methyloctanoic acid, and 4-methylnonanoic acid.

The branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid salt used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is edible and does not impair the object of the present invention, and examples thereof include salts with alkali metals such as sodium and potassium; and Salts of alkaline earth metals such as calcium and magnesium; ammonium salts; aluminum salts; zinc salts; salts with organic amines such as triethylamine, ethanolamine, morpholine, pyrrolidine, piperidine, piperazine, dicyclohexylamine; and arginine Salts of basic amino acids such as acid and lysine. These salts may be hydrates (hydrated salts), and examples of such hydrates include 1 to 6 hydrates. Any of these salts may be used alone, or two or more of them may be used in combination.

The production method of (A) is not particularly limited, and one obtained by a method known per se or a method based thereon can be used. (A) A commercial item can be used, but it is preferable because of its simplicity.

In this invention, (A) may be used individually by 1 type, or may be used in combination of 2 or more types.

With respect to the agent of the present invention, the content of (A) in the agent of the present invention (in this specification, it may be referred to as "a1" or "content a1 of ( ^A )") is preferably 0.01% by weight or more, It is more preferably 0.1% by weight or more, and particularly preferably 1% by weight or more. In addition, the a1 is preferably ¹⁰⁰ % by weight or less, more preferably 99.9% by weight or less, still more preferably 99% by weight or less, and particularly preferably 90% by weight or less with respect to the agent of the present invention.

In this specification, "content of (A)" means, for example, when the agent of the present invention contains only one type of (A), it means the content of the one type of (A), and the agent of the present invention contains two types of (A). In the case of (A) above, it refers to their total content. In addition, when (A) contains a salt, the weight of this salt is converted into the weight of a free form.

Preferably, in addition to (A), the agent of the present invention further contains (B) 3-methylthiopropanal (in this specification, it may be abbreviated as "(B)" in some cases), (C) At least one of butyric acid or its salt (in this specification, it may be abbreviated as "(C)" in some cases) and (D) fenugreek (in this specification, it may be abbreviated as "(D)" in some cases). A sort of. The agent of the present invention can enhance the salty taste and spicy taste more effectively by containing at least one selected from the group consisting of (B), (C) and (D) in addition to (A).

[(B) 3-Methylthiopropanal]

The 3-methylthiopropanal used in the present invention is represented by the following formula, and its CAS registration number is 3268-49-3.

[Chemical 15]

[(C) Butyric acid or its salt]

The butyric acid used in the present invention is represented by the following formula, and its CAS accession number is 107-92-6.

[Chemical 16]

The salt of butyric acid used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is edible and does not impair the object of the present invention, and examples thereof include salts with alkali metals such as sodium and potassium; and alkaline earths such as calcium and magnesium. Metal salts; ammonium salts; aluminum salts; zinc salts; salts with organic amines such as triethylamine, ethanolamine, morpholine, pyrrolidine, piperidine, piperazine, dicyclohexylamine; salts of basic amino acids. These salts may be hydrates (hydrated salts), and examples of such hydrates include 1 to 6 hydrates. Any of these salts may be used alone, or two or more of them may be used in combination.

[(D) Fenugreek Lactone]

The fenugreek lactone used in the present invention is represented by the following formula, and its CAS accession number is 28664-35-9.

[Chemical 17]

The production method of (B), (C), and (D) is not particularly limited, and those produced by a method known per se or a method based thereon can be used. (B), (C), and (D) can use a commercial item, respectively, but it is preferable because of simplicity.

When the agent of the present invention contains (B), with respect to the agent of the present invention, the content of (B) in the agent of the present invention (in this specification, there may be a content b ¹ called "b ¹ " or "(B)) ”) is preferably 0.01% by weight or more, more preferably 0.1% by weight or more, and particularly preferably 1% by weight or more. Moreover, this b ¹ is preferably 99.9 wt % or less, more preferably 99 wt % or less, and particularly preferably 90 wt % or less with respect to the agent of the present invention.

When the agent of the present invention contains (C), with respect to the agent of the present invention, the content of (C) in the agent of the present invention (in this specification, there may be a content c ¹ called "c ¹ " or "(C)) ”) is preferably 0.01% by weight or more, more preferably 0.1% by weight or more, and particularly preferably 1% by weight or more. In addition, this c ¹ is preferably 99.9% by weight or less, more preferably 99% by weight or less, and particularly preferably 90% by weight or less with respect to the agent of the present invention.

In this specification, "content of (C)" means, for example, when the agent of the present invention contains only one type of (C), it means the content of the one type of (C), and the agent of the present invention contains two types of (C). In the case of (C) above, it refers to their total content. In addition, when (C) contains a salt, the weight of this salt is converted into the weight of a free form.

When the agent of the present invention contains (D), with respect to the agent of the present invention, the content of (D) in the agent of the present invention (in this specification, there may be a content d ¹ called "d ¹ " or "(D)) ”) is preferably 0.01% by weight or more, more preferably 0.1% by weight or more, and particularly preferably 1% by weight or more. In addition, this d ¹ is preferably 99.9 wt % or less, more preferably 99 wt % or less, and particularly preferably 90 wt % or less with respect to the agent of the present invention.

When the agent of the present invention contains (B), the weight ratio (a ¹ :b of the content a ^{1 of (A) and the content b 1 of} (B) in the agent of the present invention from the viewpoint that the salty taste can be effectively enhanced ¹ ) Preferably it is 1:0.01-50, More preferably, it is 1:0.1-10, Especially preferably, it is 1:0.5-5.

When the agent of the present invention contains (C), the weight ratio (a ¹ :c) of the content a ^{1 of (A) and the content c 1 of} (C) in the agent of the present invention from the viewpoint of effectively enhancing the salty taste ¹ ) Preferably it is 1:0.1-500, More preferably, it is 1:1-100, Especially preferably, it is 1:5-50.

When the agent of the present invention contains (D), from the viewpoint that the salty taste can be effectively enhanced, the weight ratio (a ¹ :d of the content a ¹ of (A) and the content d ¹ of (D) in the agent of the present invention ¹ ) Preferably it is 1:0.01-50, More preferably, it is 1:0.1-10, Especially preferably, it is 1:0.5-5.

The agent of the present invention preferably contains, in addition to (A), at least two selected from the group consisting of (B), (C) and (D), more preferably, in addition to (A) Contains all of (B), (C) and (D).

The form of the agent of the present invention is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include solid form (including powder form, granular form, etc.), liquid form (including slurry form, etc.), gel form, paste form, and the like.

The agent of the present invention may consist of (A) alone, or may consist of (A) and at least one selected from (B), (C) and (D), in addition to these, may also contain those commonly used in the field of fragrances base.

As a base when the form of the agent of the present invention is liquid, for example, water, ethanol, glycerol, propylene glycol, various animal and vegetable oils, etc. can be mentioned.

Examples of the base when the agent of the present invention is in the form of a solid include various saccharides such as starch, dextrin, cyclodextrin, sucrose, and glucose; protein; peptide; salt; solid fat; silicon dioxide, and Their mixtures, as well as yeast cells or various powder extracts, etc.

As long as the object of the present invention is not impaired, the agent of the present invention may contain, in addition to (A) to (D), for example, excipients, pH adjusters, antioxidants, thickening stabilizers, sweeteners (such as , sugar, etc.), sour agents, spices, colorants, etc.

Manufacture of the agent of this invention can be performed by the method conventionally used in the field of perfumery. The agent of the present invention can be implemented alone or in combination, for example, concentration treatment, drying treatment, decolorization treatment, and the like.

The agent of the present invention is suitable for enhancing the salty taste of food containing table salt. In the present invention, "food containing salt" refers to food that must contain salt, and the term "food" as used in food containing salt here refers to a concept that broadly includes food that can be orally ingested, and also includes beverages or foods. seasonings etc. Salt itself is also included in the "food containing salt" in this invention. In addition, the "salty and/or spicy flavor enhancer" in the present invention is a concept including a salty and/or spicy flavor enhancing composition. Foods that contain salt may contain spices.

In the present invention, "enhancing" the salty taste means that the salty taste is strongly felt as if the salt concentration was increased. The presence or absence and degree of salty taste can be evaluated by sensory evaluation (for example, sensory evaluation as shown in the examples described later) by a professional evaluator.

The salt-containing food to which the agent of the present invention can be added is not particularly limited as long as it contains salt and can be ingested orally, but is preferably a salt-containing food whose salty taste is expected to be enhanced, for example, corn soup, consommé soup (such as , chicken, pork, beef, etc.), French soup (potage), egg soup, wakame soup, shark fin soup, Chinese style soup, curry soup, ramen soup, Japanese clear soup, miso soup and other soups (including dry soups processed meat such as ham, sausage, dumplings, siomai, hamburger beef patties, dry-fried food, fried pork chops, etc.; processed aquatic food such as Japanese-style fish cakes (Kamaboko) and Chikuwa fish cakes; dairy products such as butter; Rice-processed foods such as fried rice; natural seasonings, flavored seasonings, menu seasonings, mayonnaise, dressings, sauces (e.g., demi-glace) sauce), medium-strength soy sauce, white sauce, cheese sauce, carbonara sauce, etc.); noodles, gratin, croquettes (Korokke), pickles and other processed foods; frozen foods (frozen foods of the above foods (eg, dumplings, siomai, fried rice, hamburger patties, fried foods, gratin, pork cutlets, fried balls, etc.), etc.).

In this specification, "natural seasoning" refers to seasonings produced by methods such as extraction, decomposition, heating, and fermentation using natural substances as raw materials, and specific examples thereof include chicken extracts, beef extracts, and pork extracts. various animal meat extracts such as extracts and mutton extracts; various skeleton extracts such as chicken skeleton extracts, beef bone extracts, pork bone extracts; bonito extracts, mackerel extracts, yellow croaker extracts, Various seafood extracts such as scallop extract, crab extract, shrimp extract, dried fish extract, dried scallop extract; dried bonito extract, dried mackerel extract, dried salmon (Zongtian Festival) Various dried fish extracts such as extracts; various vegetable extracts such as onion extract, cabbage extract, celery extract; various seaweed extracts such as kelp extract; garlic extract, pepper extract, pepper Extracts, various spice extracts such as cocoa extracts; yeast extracts; various protein hydrolyzates; various fermented seasonings such as soy sauce, fish sauce, shrimp paste, miso, etc., or their mixtures, processed products (for example, Japanese noodle soup base (Mentsuyu), processed soy sauce products such as orange vinegar soy sauce, etc.) The "flavor seasoning" refers to a seasoning for imparting the aroma, flavor, and taste of a flavor raw material to food, and can be produced by adding sugar, salt, or the like to natural seasonings, for example. Specific examples of the seasoning include various meat-flavored seasonings such as chicken-flavored seasoning, beef-flavored seasoning, and pork-flavored seasoning; bonito-flavored seasoning, dried fish seasoning, scallop-flavored seasoning, crustacean All kinds of seafood flavor seasonings; various spice and vegetable flavor seasonings; kelp flavor seasonings, etc. "Recipe-style seasoning" refers to seasoning suitable for cooking of a specific recipe (Chinese recipe, etc.), and specific examples thereof include Chinese compound seasoning, compound seasoning, general paste seasoning, and hot pot seasoning. , Jambalaya Seasoning, Fried Rice Seasoning, Mixed Spices, etc.

Salt-containing food to which the agent of the present invention can be added can be provided (sold, distributed) in a form suitable for eating, or can be provided in a form suitable for eating by requiring predetermined processing or cooking. For example, salt-containing food to which the agent of the present invention can be added can be provided (sold and distributed) as a concentrate or the like that needs to be diluted with water or the like in order to be in a form suitable for eating.

Salt-containing foods to which the agent of the present invention can be added can be provided, for example, as health functional foods, foods for specific health uses, nutritional functional foods, dietary supplements, nutritional supplement foods, health supplement foods, medical foods, medical foods, and the like.

The salt content (salt concentration) in the salt-containing food to which the agent of the present invention can be added is not particularly limited, and the content is usually 0.01% by weight or more relative to the total weight of the salt-containing food at the time of eating. From the viewpoint of salty taste, it is preferably 0.3% by weight or more, more preferably 0.5% by weight or more, and particularly preferably 1.5% by weight or more. In addition, the upper limit of the content is not particularly limited, but may be 100% by weight, and when the salt concentration in the actual food is considered, the content is preferably 20% by weight or less, more preferably, based on the total weight of the food containing salt at the time of eating It is 15 weight% or less.

The method and conditions for adding the agent of the present invention to salt-containing food are not particularly limited, and can be appropriately set according to the form of the agent of the present invention, the type of salt-containing food, and the like. The timing of adding the agent of the present invention to salt-containing food is not particularly limited, and may be added at any time, for example, during food production, after food is completed (for example, immediately before eating food, during food consumption, etc.). The agent of this invention can be added to the food raw material before manufacture of the foodstuff containing salt.

From the viewpoint that the salty taste can be effectively enhanced, the agent of the present invention is preferably added to the salt-containing food such that (A) added to the salt-containing food relative to the total weight of the salt-containing food at the time of eating is added to the salt-containing food. amount in a specific range. Specifically, the amount of (A) added to the salt-containing food is preferably 0.00005 wt ppm or more, more preferably 0.0005 wt ppm or more, and particularly preferably 0.003 wt ppm with respect to the total weight of the salt-containing food at the time of eating above. In addition, the amount of (A) added to the salt-containing food is preferably 15 wt ppm or less, more preferably 5 wt ppm or less, and particularly preferably 0.5 wt ppm or less with respect to the total weight of the salt-containing food at the time of eating. .

When the agent of the present invention contains (B), it is preferable to add the agent of the present invention to the salt-containing food from the viewpoint of effectively enhancing the salty taste so that the total weight of the salt-containing food at the time of eating is added to The amount of (B) in the salt-containing food is within a specific range. Specifically, the amount of (B) added to the salt-containing food is preferably 0.0008 wt ppm or more, more preferably 0.001 wt ppm or more, and further preferably 0.003 wt ppm with respect to the total weight of the salt-containing food at the time of eating Above, more preferably 0.005 weight ppm or more, particularly preferably 0.008 weight ppm or more. In addition, the amount of (B) added to the salt-containing food is preferably 10 wt ppm or less, more preferably 1 wt ppm or less, and still more preferably 0.5 wt ppm or less with respect to the total weight of the salt-containing food at the time of eating. , more preferably 0.3 wt ppm or less, particularly preferably 0.1 wt ppm or less, and most preferably 0.03 wt ppm or less.

When the agent of the present invention contains (C), it is preferable to add the agent of the present invention to a food containing salt from the viewpoint that the salty taste can be effectively enhanced so as to be added to the total weight of the food containing salt at the time of eating. The amount of (C) in the salt-containing food is within a specific range. Specifically, the amount of (C) added to the salt-containing food is preferably 0.008 wt ppm or more, more preferably 0.01 wt ppm or more, and further preferably 0.05 wt ppm with respect to the total weight of the salt-containing food at the time of eating More than 0.08 weight ppm or more is especially preferable. In addition, the amount of (C) added to the salt-containing food is preferably 100 ppm by weight or less, more preferably 10 wt ppm or less, and still more preferably 5 wt ppm or less with respect to the total weight of the salt-containing food at the time of eating. , more preferably 3 wt ppm or less, particularly preferably 1 wt ppm or less, and most preferably 0.3 wt ppm or less.

When the agent of the present invention contains (D), it is preferable to add the agent of the present invention to a food containing salt from the viewpoint that the salty taste can be effectively enhanced so as to be added to the total weight of the food containing salt at the time of eating The amount of (D) in the salt-containing food is within a specific range. Specifically, the amount of (D) added to the salt-containing food is preferably 0.0001 wt ppm or more, more preferably 0.0005 wt ppm or more, and still more preferably 0.0008 wt ppm with respect to the total weight of the salt-containing food at the time of eating Above, more preferably 0.001 weight ppm or more, particularly preferably 0.003 weight ppm or more. In addition, the amount of (D) added to the salt-containing food is preferably 50 ppm by weight or less, more preferably 5 wt ppm or less, and still more preferably 1 wt ppm or less with respect to the total weight of the salt-containing food at the time of eating. , more preferably 0.1 wt ppm or less, particularly preferably 0.03 wt ppm or less.

At least one selected from the group consisting of animal meat flavor and cheese flavor can also be enhanced by the agent of the present invention, and the agent of the present invention can be at least one selected from the group consisting of a meat flavor enhancer and a cheese flavor enhancer.

In the present invention, the "livestock flavor" refers to a food material derived from animal meat such as animal meat (for example, beef, pork, chicken, etc.) or animal meat extract (for example, beef extract, pork extract, chicken extract, etc.) In addition, the "enhancement" of the meat flavor means that the beef flavor is strongly felt as if the amount of the ingredients derived from the meat is increased. The presence or absence or degree of the meat flavor can be evaluated by sensory evaluation by a professional evaluator.

In the present invention, "enhancing" the cheese flavor means that the cheese flavor is strongly felt as if the amount of cheese is increased. The presence or absence or degree of the cheese flavor can be evaluated by sensory evaluation by a professional evaluator.

The agent of the present invention is also suitable for enhancing the spice sensation of food products containing spice. In the present invention, "food containing spice" refers to a food that must contain spice, and the spice is not particularly limited as long as it is generally used to impart flavor to food, impart pungent taste to food, and the like, for example, nutmeg ( nutmeg), mace, garlic, bay, thyme, pepper (eg, black pepper, white pepper, etc.), basil, ginger, turmeric, cumin, caraway, chili pepper, Cinnamon, oregano, rosemary, cumin, celery, coriander, onion, etc. As long as the object of the present invention is not impaired, these spices can be processed and cooked by a method known per se or by a method based on the type of food, cooking method, and the like. The "food product containing a spice" in the present invention also includes the spice itself. Foods containing spices may contain salt.

In the present invention, "enhancing" the sense of spice means that the flavor and pungency peculiar to spice are strongly felt as if the content of spice is increased. The presence or absence or degree of the spicy feeling can be evaluated by sensory evaluation by professional evaluators (for example, sensory evaluation shown in Examples described later, etc.).

There are no particular limitations on the spice-containing food to which the agent of the present invention can be added, as long as it contains a spice and can be orally ingested, but is preferably a spice-containing food for which an enhanced spice sensation is desired. The same example as the example listed for the salt-containing food of the agent.

The spice-containing food to which the agent of the present invention can be added can be provided in the same manner as the salt-containing food to which the agent of the present invention can be added.

The content of the spice in the spice-containing food to which the agent of the present invention can be added (the spice content) is not particularly limited as long as the spice can be felt, and is relative to the total amount of the food containing the spice at the time of eating. This content is usually 0.001 wt % or more, preferably 0.005 wt % or more, more preferably 0.008 wt % or more, and particularly preferably 0.01 wt % or more, from the viewpoint of effectively enhancing the spicy taste. In addition, the upper limit of the content is not particularly limited, and it may be 100% by weight, and considering the content of the spice in the actual food, the content is preferably 5% by weight or less relative to the total weight of the food containing the spice at the time of eating, More preferably, it is 1% by weight or less.

The method and conditions for adding the agent of the present invention to a food containing a spice are not particularly limited, and can be set in the same manner as the method and conditions for adding the agent to a food containing a salt.

From the viewpoint of effectively enhancing the sense of spice, the agent of the present invention is preferably added to the food containing the spice, so that the amount of the agent added to the food containing the spice relative to the total weight of the food containing the spice at the time of eating The amount of (A) is in a specific range. Specifically, the amount of (A) added to the spice-containing food is the same as the amount of (A) added to the salt-containing food described above, and the preferred range is also the same.

When the agent of the present invention contains (B), (C) and (D), it is preferable to add the agent of the present invention to a food containing a spice from the viewpoint of effectively enhancing the sense of spice, so that the amount of The amount of (B), (C), and (D) added to the spice-containing food is in a specific range, respectively, based on the total weight of the food at the time of eating. Specifically, the amounts of (B), (C), and (D) added to the food containing spices were the same as the amounts of (B), (C), and (D) added to the food containing salt described above, respectively. The same, the preferred range is also the same.

The agent of the present invention is also suitable for enhancing the salty and spicy taste of food products containing salt and spices. In the present invention, the "food containing salt and spices" means a food that must contain both salt and spices.

Foods containing salt and spices to which the agent of the present invention can be added are not particularly limited as long as they contain salt and spices and can be orally ingested, but are preferably salt- and spice-containing foods that are expected to have enhanced saltiness and spice, For example, the same example as the example exemplified as the salt-containing food to which the agent of the present invention can be added can be mentioned.

The salt and spice-containing food to which the agent of the present invention can be added can be provided in the same manner as the salt-containing food to which the agent of the present invention can be added.

The salt concentration and spice content of the food containing salt and spices to which the agent of the present invention can be added are not particularly limited, and are respectively the same as the salt concentration of the food containing salt to which the agent of the present invention can be added, and the salt of the food to which the agent of the present invention can be added. The spice content of the food containing the spice of the agent is the same, and the preferred range is also the same.

The method and conditions for adding the agent of the present invention to food containing salt and spices are not particularly limited, and can be set in the same manner as the method and conditions for adding the agent to food containing salt.

From the standpoint of effectively enhancing the salty and spicy taste, it is preferable to add the agent of the present invention to a food containing salt and spices so that it is added to the total weight of the food containing salt and spices when eating. The amount of (A) in the food containing salt and spice is within a specific range. Specifically, the amount of (A) added to the food containing salt and spices is the same as the amount of (A) added to the food containing salt described above, and the preferred range is also the same.

When the agent of the present invention contains (B), (C) and (D), it is preferable to add the agent of the present invention to a food containing salt and spice from the viewpoint of effectively enhancing the salty and spicy taste, so that The amounts of (B), (C), and (D) added to the salt and spice-containing food are within a specific range, respectively, relative to the total weight of the salt and the spice-containing food at the time of eating. Specifically, the amounts of (B), (C), and (D) added to the food containing salt and spices were the same as the amounts of (B), (C), (D) added to the food containing salt described above, respectively. The amount is the same, and the preferred range is also the same.

According to the present invention, salt-containing food containing the agent of the present invention, spice-containing food containing the agent of the present invention, and salt and spice-containing food containing the agent of the present invention (in this specification, sometimes These foods may be collectively referred to as "the foods of the present invention"). In this specification, salt-containing food, spice-containing food, and salt and spice-containing food may be collectively referred to as "salt and/or spice-containing food" in some cases.

The content of the agent of the present invention in the food of the present invention is appropriately adjusted so that (A) added to the food containing salt and/or spices is relative to the total weight of the food containing salt and/or spices when eating. ), (B), (C), and (D) should just be within the above-mentioned ranges, respectively, and are not particularly limited.

The type of the food of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably a type of food for which salty and spicy taste is desired to be enhanced, for example, the same examples as those listed as the food to which the agent of the present invention can be added.

(Manufacturing method of the present invention)

The present invention also provides a method for producing a salt-containing food including the addition of (A) a branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid or a salt thereof, and a method for producing a spice-containing food including the addition of (A) a branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid or a salt thereof. Production method, and production method of salt and spice-containing food including adding (A) branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid or salt thereof (in this specification, these production methods may be collectively referred to as "production method of the present invention" Case).

(A) used in the production method of the present invention is the same as (A) contained in the agent of the present invention, and the preferred embodiments are also the same.

In the production method of the present invention, the amount of (A) added (in this specification, the amount of (A) added relative to the total weight of the food containing salt and/or spice at the time of eating is considered to be able to effectively enhance the salty taste and the spicy taste. The addition amount a ² called "a ² " or "(A)" in some cases) is preferably 0.00005 wt ppm or more, more preferably 0.0005 wt ppm or more, and particularly preferably 0.003 wt ppm or more. In addition, from the viewpoint of effectively enhancing the salty and spicy taste, a ² is preferably 15 wt ppm or less, more preferably 5 wt ppm or less, relative to the total weight of the food containing salt and/or spice at the time of eating , particularly preferably 0.5 ppm by weight or less.

In this specification, the "addition amount of (A)" means, for example, when only one type of (A) is added in the production method of the present invention, it refers to the amount of the one type, and in the production method of the present invention, two types of (A) are added. In the case of (A) above, it refers to their total amount. In addition, when (A) contains a salt, the weight of this salt is converted into the weight of a free form.

Preferably, in addition to adding (A), the manufacturing method of the present invention also comprises adding selected from (B) 3-methylthiopropanal, (C) butyric acid or its salt and (D) fenugreek lactone at least one of.

(B), (C), and (D) that can be used in the production method of the present invention are the same as (B), (C), and (D) that can be contained in the agent of the present invention, respectively, and preferred embodiments are also the same.

When the production method of the present invention includes adding (B), the amount of (B) added is relative to the total weight of the food containing salt and/or spice at the time of eating, from the viewpoint of effectively enhancing the salty taste and spicy taste. (In this specification, the addition amount b ² may be referred to as "b ² " or "(B)".) Preferably it is 0.0008 wt ppm or more, more preferably 0.001 wt ppm or more, still more preferably 0.003 wt ppm or more, More preferably, it is 0.005 weight ppm or more, and particularly preferably 0.008 weight ppm or more. In addition, from the viewpoint of effectively enhancing the salty and spicy taste, b ² is preferably 10 wt ppm or less, more preferably 1 wt ppm or less, relative to the total weight of the food containing salt and/or spice when eating , more preferably 0.5 wt ppm or less, still more preferably 0.3 wt ppm or less, particularly preferably 0.1 wt ppm or less, and most preferably 0.03 wt ppm or less.

When the production method of the present invention includes adding (C), the amount of (C) to be added is relative to the total weight of the food containing salt and/or spice when eating, from the viewpoint of effectively enhancing the salty taste and spicy taste. (In this specification, the addition amount c ² may be referred to as "c ² " or "(C)".) Preferably, it is 0.008 wt ppm or more, more preferably 0.01 wt ppm or more, still more preferably 0.05 wt ppm or more, It is especially preferable that it is 0.08 weight ppm or more. In addition, from the viewpoint of effectively enhancing the salty and spicy taste, c ² is preferably 100 wt ppm or less, more preferably 10 wt ppm or less, with respect to the total weight of the food containing salt and/or spice at the time of eating , more preferably 5 wt ppm or less, still more preferably 3 wt ppm or less, particularly preferably 1 wt ppm or less, and most preferably 0.3 wt ppm or less.

In this specification, the "addition amount of (C)", for example, when only one type of (C) is added in the production method of the present invention, it refers to the amount of the one type, and in the production method of the present invention, two types of (C) are added. In the case of (C) above, it refers to their total amount. In addition, when (C) contains a salt, the weight of this salt is converted into the weight of a free form.

When the production method of the present invention includes adding (D), the amount of (D) to be added is relative to the total weight of the food containing salt and/or spice at the time of eating, from the viewpoint of effectively enhancing the salty and spicy taste. (In this specification, the addition amount d ² may be referred to as "d ² " or "(D)".) Preferably, it is 0.0001 wt ppm or more, more preferably 0.0005 wt ppm or more, still more preferably 0.0008 wt ppm or more, More preferably, it is 0.001 weight ppm or more, and particularly preferably 0.003 weight ppm or more. In addition, from the viewpoint of effectively enhancing the salty and spicy taste, d ² is preferably 50 wt ppm or less, more preferably 5 wt ppm or less, relative to the total weight of the food containing salt and/or spice at the time of eating , more preferably 1 wt ppm or less, still more preferably 0.1 wt ppm or less, particularly preferably 0.03 wt ppm or less.

When the production method of the present invention includes adding (B), from the viewpoint of effectively enhancing the salty taste and spicy taste, the weight ratio ⁽ a ^{2 :} b ² ) is preferably 1:0.01-50, more preferably 1:0.1-10, particularly preferably 1:0.5-5.

When the production method of the present invention includes adding (C), from the viewpoint of effectively enhancing the salty taste and spicy taste, the weight ratio ⁽ a ^{2 :} c ² ) is preferably 1:0.1 to 500, more preferably 1:1 to 100, particularly preferably 1:5 to 50.

When the production method of the present invention includes adding (D), from the viewpoint of effectively enhancing the salty taste and spicy taste, the weight ratio ⁽ a ^{2 :} d ² ) is preferably 1:0.01-50, more preferably 1:0.1-10, particularly preferably 1:0.5-5.

The manufacturing method of the present invention, preferably, in addition to the addition of (A), further comprises addition of at least two selected from (B), (C) and (D), more preferably, in addition to the addition of (A) In addition, the addition of all of (B), (C) and (D) is also included.

When the production method of the present invention includes addition of at least one selected from (B), (C) and (D) in addition to (A), (A) and (B), ( At least one of C) and (D), or they may be mixed in advance before addition, and the obtained mixture may be added. Alternatively, their addition can be carried out using the agent of the present invention. When adding (A) and at least one selected from (B), (C) and (D), respectively, the order and interval of adding are not particularly limited, for example, when adding (A) and (B), the Add in the order of (A), (B) or the reverse order thereof, or, (A) and (B) may be added at the same time.

In addition to the addition of the above-mentioned (A) to (D), the production method of the present invention may appropriately include a processing step and a cooking step commonly used in food production according to the type of food to be produced.

The type of salt and/or spice-containing food obtained by the production method of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably a type of salt and/or spice-containing food that is desired to be enhanced in salty and spicy taste, and examples thereof include It is the same example as the example exemplified as the salt-containing food to which the agent of the present invention can be added.

According to the production method of the present invention, salt-containing foods with enhanced saltiness, spice-containing foods with enhanced spiciness, and salt and spice-containing foods with enhanced salty and spicy flavors can be produced. In addition, according to the production method of the present invention, a salt-containing food product in which at least one selected from the group consisting of a meat flavor and a cheese flavor is also enhanced can be produced.

(Enhancing method of the present invention)

The present invention also provides a method for enhancing the salty taste of foods containing table salt including adding (A) a branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid or a salt thereof; including adding (A) a branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid or a salt thereof, containing A method for enhancing the spiciness of a food with a flavor; and a method for enhancing the salty and spiciness of a food containing a salt and a spice including adding (A) a branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid or a salt thereof (in this specification, sometimes There are cases where these enhancement methods are collectively referred to as "enhancement methods of the present invention").

The (A) used in the reinforcing method of the present invention is the same as (A) contained in the agent of the present invention, and the preferred modes are also the same.

In the reinforcing method of the present invention, the amount of addition of (A) (in this specification, it may be referred to as "a ³ " or "the amount of addition a ³ of (A)") may be the same as that in the production method of the present invention ( The addition amount a2 of ^A ) is set in the same manner, and the preferred range is also the same.

Preferably, in addition to the addition of (A), the enhancement method of the present invention further comprises addition of (B) 3-methylthiopropanal, (C) butyric acid or a salt thereof and (D) fenugreek lactone at least one of.

(B), (C), (D) that can be used in the enhancement method of the present invention are the same as (B), (C), (D) that can be contained in the agent of the present invention, respectively, and the preferred modes are also the same.

When the enhancement method of the present invention includes adding (B), the amount of (B) added (in this specification, sometimes referred to as “b ³ ” or “the amount of (B) added b ³ ”) can be compared with that of the present invention. The addition amount b ² of (B) in the production method is set in the same manner, and the preferred range is also the same.

When the enhancement method of the present invention includes adding (C), the addition amount of (C) (in this specification, it is sometimes referred to as "c ³ " or "(C) addition amount c ³ ") can be compared with that of the present invention. The addition amount c ² of (C) in the production method is set in the same manner, and the preferred range is also the same.

When the enhancement method of the present invention includes adding (D), the addition amount of (D) (in this specification, it is sometimes referred to as "d ³ " or "(D) addition amount d ³ ") can be compared with that of the present invention. The addition amount d ² of (D) in the production method is set in the same manner, and the preferred range is also the same.

When the enhancement method of the present invention includes adding (B), the weight ratio (a ³ : b ^{3 ) of the addition amount a 3 of (A) and the addition amount b 3 of} (B) can be the same as (A 3 : b ³ ) in the production method of the present invention. The weight ratio (a ² : b ² ) of the addition amount a ² of ) and the addition amount b ² of (B) is set in the same manner, and the preferred range is also the same.

When the enhancement method of the present invention includes adding (C), the weight ratio (a ³ : c ^{3 ) of the addition amount a 3 of (A) and the addition amount c 3 of} (C) can be the same as (A 3 : c ³ ) in the production method of the present invention. The weight ratio (a ² : c ² ) of the addition amount a ² of ) and the addition amount c ² of (C) is set in the same manner, and the preferred range is also the same.

When the enhancement method of the present invention includes adding (D), the weight ratio (a ³ : d ^{3 ) of the addition amount a 3 of (A) and the addition amount d 3 of} (D) can be the same as (A 3 : d ³ ) in the production method of the present invention. The weight ratio (a ² : d ² ) of the addition amount a ² of ) and the addition amount d ² of (D) is set in the same manner, and the preferred range is also the same.

Unless otherwise stated, the enhancement method of the present invention can be carried out in the same manner as the manufacturing method of the present invention, and the preferred manner is also the same.

In the enhancement method of the present invention, adding (A) or adding (A) and at least one selected from (B), (C) and (D) (hereinafter, they are sometimes collectively referred to as "(A) etc." The method and conditions of the case) are not particularly limited, and can be appropriately set according to the type of food containing salt and/or spice to which they are added. The timing of adding (A) etc. to the food containing salt and/or spice is not particularly limited, and may be added at any time, for example, in the production of food containing salt and/or spice, and salt and/or containing food. Or after the completion of the food with salt and/or spices (for example, just before eating the food containing salt and/or spices, eating the food containing salt and/or spices, etc.), etc. (A) etc. can be added to the food raw material before manufacture of the foodstuff containing salt and/or a spice.

According to the enhancement method of the present invention, the salty taste of food containing salt can be enhanced, the spicy feeling of food containing spices can be enhanced, and the salty and spicy taste of food containing salt and spices can be enhanced. In addition, according to the enhancement method of the present invention, at least one selected from the group consisting of animal meat flavor and cheese flavor can also be enhanced, and the enhancement method of the present invention can be at least one selected from the group consisting of animal meat flavor enhancement method and cheese flavor enhancement method.

The types of salt and/or spice-containing foods that can be enhanced in salty and spicy flavors by the enhancing method of the present invention are not particularly limited, but those that are desired to be enhanced in salty and spicy flavors are preferred. Examples are the same as those listed in the salt-containing food to which the agent of the present invention can be added.

The present invention is more specifically described in the following examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples at all. In addition, in this specification, when describing as "%" and "ppm", unless otherwise specified, "weight%" and "weight ppm" are meant.

The reagents used in the following test examples were all commercially available products (manufactured by Sigma-Aldrich) unless otherwise specified.

[Example]

(Test example 1: Japanese noodle soup base)

<Preparation of control group>

A commercially available concentrated noodle soup base (manufactured by Yamaki Co., Ltd., "Mentsuyu") was diluted with water so as to be 33% by weight with respect to the total weight of the diluted noodle soup base to prepare noodle soup. The bottom was used as a control group (salt concentration of the control group: 2.3%).

<Preparation of evaluation samples>

As shown in Table 1 below, 0.001 to 10 ppm by weight of 4-methylvaleric acid was added to the control group with respect to the total amount of the evaluation sample to prepare an evaluation sample.

Sensory evaluation was performed about the salty taste intensity of an evaluation sample.

Sensory evaluation was performed by comparing the evaluation sample with the control group by two expert evaluators, and evaluated based on the following criteria.

[Evaluation Criteria]

×: No salty taste enhancement effect

△: Slightly salty taste enhancement effect

○: There is a salty taste enhancing effect

◎: There is quite a salty taste enhancement effect

The results are shown in Table 1 below.

[Table 1]

Evaluation system: Japanese noodle soup base

(Test Example 2: Chicken Skeleton Soup)

<Preparation of control group>

A commercially available chicken skeleton soup seasoning (manufactured by Ajinomoto Co., Ltd., "Marudorigara Soup") was dissolved in hot water so that it was 1.67% by weight relative to the total weight of the chicken skeleton soup, and the chicken skeleton soup was prepared as a control group ( Salt concentration of control group: 0.8%).

<Preparation of evaluation samples>

As shown in Table 2 below, 0.0001 to 10 ppm by weight of 4-methylvaleric acid was added to the control group with respect to the total weight of the evaluation sample to prepare an evaluation sample.

The sensory evaluation was performed similarly to Test Example 1 about the salty taste intensity of the evaluation sample.

The results are shown in Table 2 below.

[Table 2]

Evaluation System: Chicken Skeleton Soup

(Test Example 3: Miso Soup)

<Preparation of control group>

A commercially available bonito-flavored seasoning (manufactured by Ajinomoto Co., Ltd., "Hondashi (registered trademark)") was dissolved in hot water so as to be 0.67% by weight relative to the total weight of the miso soup, and commercially available Miso (manufactured by MARUSAN-AI Co., Ltd., "Junsei Koji Miso") was 6% by weight relative to the total weight of the miso soup, and miso soup was prepared as a control group (salt concentration of control group: 0.97%).

<Preparation of evaluation samples>

As shown in Table 3 below, 0.0001 to 10 ppm by weight of 4-methylvaleric acid was added to the control group with respect to the total weight of the evaluation sample to prepare an evaluation sample.

The sensory evaluation was performed similarly to Test Example 1 about the salty taste intensity of the evaluation sample.

The results are shown in Table 3 below.

[table 3]

Evaluation System: Miso Soup

(Test Example 4: Corn Soup)

<Preparation of control group>

A commercially available dried corn soup (“Knorr (registered trademark) Cup SoupCorn Cream”) was dissolved in hot water so that it was 11.7% by weight with respect to the total weight of the corn soup to prepare a corn soup as a control group (salt concentration of control group: 0.67%).

<Preparation of evaluation samples>

As shown in Table 4 below, 0.0001 to 10 ppm by weight of 4-methylvaleric acid was added to the control group with respect to the total weight of the evaluation sample to prepare an evaluation sample.

The sensory evaluation was performed similarly to Test Example 1 about the salty taste intensity of the evaluation sample.

The results are shown in Table 4 below.

[Table 4]

Evaluation system: corn soup

(Test Example 5: French Bisque)

<Preparation of control group>

A commercially available dry bisque (manufactured by Ajinomoto Co., Ltd., "Knorr (registered trademark) Cup Soup Potage") was dissolved in hot water so that it was 11.3% by weight with respect to the total weight of the bisque to prepare bisque, As a control group (salt concentration of control group: 0.8%).

<Preparation of evaluation samples>

As shown in Table 5 below, 0.001 to 10 ppm by weight of 4-methylvaleric acid was added to the control group with respect to the total weight of the evaluation sample to prepare an evaluation sample.

The sensory evaluation was performed similarly to Test Example 1 about the salty taste intensity of the evaluation sample.

The results are shown in Table 5 below.

[table 5]

Rating System: French Bisque

(Test Example 6: French Clear Soup)

<Preparation of control group>

A commercially available dry French consomme (manufactured by Ajinomoto Co., Ltd., "Ajinomoto KK Consomme") was dissolved in hot water so that it was 1.77% by weight relative to the total weight of the consommé to prepare consommé as a control (control). group salinity: 0.83%).

<Preparation of evaluation samples>

As shown in Table 6 below, 0.01 to 10 ppm by weight of 4-methylvaleric acid was added to the control group with respect to the total weight of the evaluation sample to prepare an evaluation sample.

The sensory evaluation was performed similarly to Test Example 1 about the salty taste intensity of the evaluation sample.

The results are shown in Table 6 below.

[Table 6]

Evaluation system: French clear soup

(Test Example 7: Cheese Sauce)

<Control group>

A commercially available cheese sauce (manufactured by Mizkan America, "RAGU (registered trademark) Double Cheddarcheese sauce") was used as it was as a control group (salt concentration of control group: 1.8%).

<Preparation of evaluation samples>

As shown in Table 7 below, 0.0001 to 10 ppm by weight of 4-methylvaleric acid was added to the control group with respect to the total weight of the evaluation sample to prepare an evaluation sample.

The sensory evaluation was performed similarly to Test Example 1 about the salty taste intensity of the evaluation sample.

The results are shown in Table 7 below.

[Table 7]

Rating System: Cheese Sauce

From the results shown in Tables 1 to 7, it is clear that in various salt-containing foods to which 4-methylvaleric acid was added, the salty taste was enhanced compared with the control group, and it was confirmed that: 4-methylvaleric acid Valeric acid has a salty taste enhancing effect on a wide variety of foods containing table salt.

When the addition amount of 4-methylvaleric acid is large, an odor may be felt depending on the food.

(Test Example 8)

<Preparation of control group>

To the commercially available foods shown in Table 10 below, table salt was added so that the salt concentration shown in Table 11 below was used as a control group.

<Preparation of evaluation samples>

In each control group, the amount shown in Table 8 was added to the control group whose salt concentration exceeded 1%, and the amount shown in Table 9 was added to the control group whose salt concentration was 1% or less. Methylvaleric acid, 3-methylthiopropanal, butyric acid, and fenugreek lactone were prepared as evaluation samples.

Sensory evaluation was performed about the salty taste intensity of an evaluation sample.

The sensory evaluation was performed by two professional evaluators by comparing the evaluation sample with the control group and evaluating based on the following criteria.

[Evaluation Criteria]

×: No salty taste enhancement effect

△: Slightly salty taste enhancement effect

○: There is a salty taste enhancing effect

◎: There is quite a salty taste enhancement effect

The results are shown in Table 11 below.

[Table 8]

[Table 9]

From the results shown in Table 11, it is clear that the salty taste enhancing effect was confirmed in each of the salt-containing foods to which 4-methylvaleric acid, 3-methylthiopropanal, butyric acid, and fenugreek were added. Among them, a higher salty taste enhancing effect was confirmed in foods containing table salt with a salt concentration exceeding 1% by weight.

In addition, among the salt-containing foods to which 4-methylvaleric acid, 3-methylthiopropanal, butyric acid, and fenugreek were added, chicken skeleton soup, salt-reduced chicken skeleton soup, and beef flavor seasoning were included. , chicken flavor seasoning, consommé, salt-reduced consommé, and Dominguez sauce, the meat flavor-enhancing effect was confirmed, and in cheese sauce, the cheese flavor-enhancing effect along with the salty flavor-enhancing effect was confirmed.

(Test Example 9)

<Preparation of control group>

According to the following method, a control group was prepared for Japanese noodle soup base, French clear soup, chicken skeleton soup, miso soup, and carbonara sauce, respectively.

(Japanese noodle soup base)

A commercially available concentrated noodle soup base (manufactured by YAMAKI Co., Ltd., "Mentsuyu") was diluted with water so as to be 33% by weight with respect to the total weight of the diluted noodle soup base, and then 4-methyl was added. The valeric acid was 0.005 ppm by weight relative to the total amount of the control group, and the obtained noodle soup base was used as the control group (salt concentration of the control group: 2.3%).

(French Clear Soup)

A commercially available dry consommé (manufactured by Ajinomoto Co., Ltd., "Ajinomoto KK Consomme") was dissolved in hot water so that it was 1.77% by weight with respect to the total weight of consommé, and then 4-methylvaleric acid was added so that 4-methylvaleric acid was added. The total amount with respect to the control group was 0.005 ppm by weight, and the obtained consommé was used as the control group (salt concentration of the control group: 0.83%).

(Chicken Skeleton Soup)

A commercially available chicken skeleton soup seasoning (manufactured by Ajinomoto Co., Ltd., "Marudorigara Soup") was dissolved in hot water so as to be 1.67% by weight with respect to the total weight of the chicken skeleton soup, and then 4-methylvaleric acid was added , so that it was 0.005 ppm by weight relative to the total amount of the control group, and the obtained chicken skeleton soup was used as the control group (salt concentration of the control group: 0.8%).

(miso soup)

A commercially available bonito-flavored seasoning (manufactured by Ajinomoto Co., Ltd., "Hondashi (registered trademark)") was dissolved in hot water so that it was 0.67% by weight relative to the total weight of the miso soup, and a commercially available bonito-flavored seasoning was dissolved in hot water. Miso (manufactured by MARUSAN-AI Co., Ltd., "Junsei Koji Miso") so that it was 6% by weight relative to the total weight of the miso soup, and then, 4-methylvaleric acid was added so that it was 0.005% relative to the total weight of the control group ppm by weight, and the obtained miso soup was used as a control group (salt concentration of the control group: 0.97%).

(Carbonara sauce)

4-methylvaleric acid was added to a commercially available carbonara sauce (manufactured by Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd., "Carbonara") so as to be 0.005 ppm by weight relative to the total amount of the control group, and the obtained carbonara was added. Pulled sauce served as a control group (salt concentration of the control group: 0.97%).

<Preparation of evaluation samples>

As shown in Table 12 below, to each control group, 0.001 to 0.05 ppm by weight of 3-methylthiopropanal was added to the total amount of the evaluation samples to prepare evaluation samples.

Sensory evaluation was performed about the salty taste intensity of an evaluation sample.

Sensory evaluation was performed by comparing the evaluation sample with the control group of each food product by two professional evaluators, and evaluated based on the following criteria.

[Evaluation Criteria]

◎: The salty taste is quite strong

○: Strong salty taste

△: Slightly strong salty taste

×: No change or weak salty taste

The results are shown in Table 12 below.

[Table 12]

From the results shown in Table 12, it is clear that by adding 4-methylpentanoic acid to the food containing salt, respectively, the addition of 4-methylpentanoic acid to the food containing salt is 0.005 wt ppm Acid and 3-methylthiopropanal, so that they are respectively 0.005 ppm by weight and 0.001 to 0.05 ppm by weight, can more effectively enhance the salty taste of each salt-containing food.

(Test Example 10)

<Preparation of control group>

Control groups were prepared separately for Japanese noodle soup base, French clear soup, and carbonara sauce according to the following method.

(Japanese noodle soup base)

A commercially available concentrated noodle soup base (manufactured by YAMAKI Co., Ltd., "Mentsuyu") was diluted with water so as to be 33% by weight with respect to the total weight of the diluted noodle soup base, and then, 4-methyl methacrylate was added, respectively. valeric acid and 3-methylthiopropanal so that they were 0.005 ppm by weight and 0.01 ppm by weight, respectively, relative to the total amount of the control group, and the obtained noodle soup base was used as a control group (salt concentration of the control group: 2.3 %).

(French Clear Soup)

A commercially available dry consommé (manufactured by Ajinomoto Co., Ltd., "Ajinomoto KK Consomme") was dissolved in hot water so that it was 1.77% by weight with respect to the total weight of consommé, and then 4-methylvaleric acid and 4-methylvaleric acid were added, respectively. 3-methylthiopropanal was 0.005 wt ppm and 0.01 wt ppm with respect to the total amount of the control group, respectively, and the obtained consommé was used as a control group (salt concentration of control group: 0.83%).

(Carbonara sauce)

4-methylvaleric acid and 3-methylthiopropanal were added to a commercially available carbonara sauce (manufactured by Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd., "Carbonara") so that they were 0.005 in total relative to the control group, respectively. ppm by weight and 0.01 ppm by weight, the obtained carbonara sauce was used as a control group (salt concentration of the control group: 0.97%).

<Preparation of evaluation samples>

As shown in Table 13 below, to each control group, 0.01 to 0.5 ppm by weight of butyric acid was added to the total amount of the evaluation sample to prepare an evaluation sample.

Sensory evaluation was performed about the salty taste intensity of an evaluation sample.

Sensory evaluation was performed by comparing the evaluation sample with the control group of each food product by two professional evaluators, and evaluated based on the following criteria.

[Evaluation Criteria]

◎: The salty taste is quite strong

○: Strong salty taste

△: Slightly strong salty taste

×: No change or weak salty taste

The results are shown in Table 13 below.

[Table 13]

From the results shown in Table 13, it is clear that compared with the case where 4-methylvaleric acid and 3-methylthiopropanal were added to the food containing salt so as to be 0.005 wt ppm and 0.01 wt ppm, respectively , by adding 4-methylvaleric acid, 3-methylthiopropanal and butyric acid to foods containing table salt, respectively, so that they are 0.005 wt ppm, 0.01 wt ppm, and 0.01 to 0.5 wt ppm, respectively, it can be more effectively Enhance the salty taste of each salt-containing food.

(Test Example 11)

<Preparation of control group>

Control groups were prepared separately for Japanese noodle soup base, French clear soup, chicken skeleton soup, miso soup, and carbonara sauce according to the following method.

(Japanese noodle soup base)

A commercially available concentrated noodle soup base (manufactured by YAMAKI Co., Ltd., "Mentsuyu") was diluted with water so as to be 33% by weight with respect to the total weight of the diluted noodle soup base, and then, 4-methyl methacrylate was added, respectively. valeric acid, 3-methylthiopropanal, and butyric acid so that they were 0.005 wt ppm, 0.01 wt ppm, and 0.1 wt ppm, respectively, relative to the total amount of the control group, and the obtained noodle soup base was used as a control group ( Salt concentration of control group: 2.3%).

(French Clear Soup)

A commercially available dry consommé (manufactured by Ajinomoto Co., Ltd., "Ajinomoto KK Consomme") was dissolved in hot water so that it was 1.77% by weight with respect to the total weight of consommé, and then 4-methylvaleric acid, 4-methylvaleric acid, 3-Methylthiopropanal and butyric acid were 0.005 wt ppm, 0.01 wt ppm, and 0.1 wt ppm, respectively, relative to the total amount of the control group, and the obtained consommé was used as the control group (salt concentration of the control group: 0.83 %).

(Chicken Skeleton Soup)

A commercially available chicken skeleton soup seasoning (manufactured by Ajinomoto Co., Ltd., "Marudorigara Soup") was dissolved in hot water so as to be 1.67% by weight with respect to the total weight of the chicken skeleton soup, and then 4-methylvaleric acid was added, respectively. , 3-methylthiopropionaldehyde and butyric acid, so that they are respectively 0.005 weight ppm, 0.01 weight ppm and 0.1 weight ppm with respect to the control group total amount, the chicken skeleton soup obtained is used as control group (the salt concentration of control group) : 0.8%).

(miso soup)

A commercially available bonito-flavored seasoning (manufactured by Ajinomoto Co., Ltd., "Hondashi (registered trademark)") was dissolved in hot water so that it was 0.67% by weight relative to the total weight of the miso soup, and a commercially available bonito-flavored seasoning was dissolved in hot water. Miso (manufactured by MARUSAN-AI Co., Ltd., "Junsei Koji Miso") so as to be 6% by weight with respect to the total weight of the miso soup, and then, 4-methylvaleric acid, 3-methylthiopropanal and butyric acid so that they were 0.005 wt ppm, 0.01 wt ppm, and 0.1 wt ppm, respectively, with respect to the total amount of the control group, and the obtained miso soup was used as a control group (salt concentration of control group: 0.97%).

(Carbonara sauce)

To a commercially available carbonara sauce (manufactured by Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd., "Carbonara"), 4-methylvaleric acid, 3-methylthiopropanal, and butyric acid were added, respectively, so that they were relative to the total amount of the control group. 0.005 wt ppm, 0.01 wt ppm, and 0.1 wt ppm, respectively, and the obtained carbonara sauce was used as a control (salt concentration of control: 0.97%).

<Preparation of evaluation samples>

As shown in Table 14 below, 0.001 to 0.05 ppm by weight of fenugreek lactone was added to each control group with respect to the total amount of the evaluation samples to prepare evaluation samples.

Sensory evaluation was performed about the salty taste intensity of an evaluation sample.

Sensory evaluation was performed by comparing the evaluation sample with the control group of each food product by two professional evaluators, and evaluated based on the following criteria.

[Evaluation Criteria]

◎: The salty taste is quite strong

○: Strong salty taste

△: Slightly strong salty taste

×: No change or weak salty taste

The results are shown in Table 14 below.

[Table 14]

From the results shown in Table 14, it is clear that 4-methylvaleric acid, 3-methylthiopropanal, and butyric acid were added to the food containing salt so that they were 0.005 wt ppm, 0.01 wt ppm, and 0.01 wt ppm, respectively. Compared with the case of 0.1 wt ppm, by adding 4-methylvaleric acid, 3-methylthiopropanal, butyric acid and fenugreek to food containing salt, respectively, they are 0.005 wt ppm, 0.01 wt ppm, respectively. Weight ppm, 0.1 weight ppm, and 0.001 to 0.05 weight ppm can more effectively enhance the salty taste of each salt-containing food.

(Test Example 12)

<Preparation of control group>

(sodium chloride aqueous solution)

A 1% aqueous sodium chloride solution was prepared and used as a control group.

(Hand-Pulled Noodle)

8 g of commercially available instant ramen (manufactured by Sanyo Foods Co., Ltd., "Sapporo Ichiban Shoyu Aji") powder for soup was dissolved in 500 mL of boiled hot water to prepare ramen soup, which was used as a control group.

<Preparation of evaluation samples>

To the control group, each component shown in Table 15 below was added so as to be 0.01 ppm by weight relative to the total amount of the evaluation sample to prepare an evaluation sample.

Sensory evaluation was performed about the salty taste intensity and spice intensity of the evaluation samples.

The sensory evaluation of the salty taste intensity was performed by comparing the evaluation sample of the sodium chloride aqueous solution with the control group by two professional evaluators, and evaluated based on the following reference|standard.

In addition, the sensory evaluation of the intensity of spicy flavor was performed by comparing the evaluation samples of the ramen noodles with the control group by two professional evaluators, and evaluated based on the following criteria.

[Evaluation Criteria]

◎: The intensity of salty taste or the intensity of spicy taste is significantly stronger than that of the control group

○: The intensity of salty taste or the intensity of spicy taste is slightly stronger than that of the control group

△: The intensity of salty taste or the intensity of spicy taste is the same as that of the control group

×: The intensity of the salty taste or the intensity of the spicy taste is weaker than that of the control group

The results are shown in Table 15 below.

[Table 15]

It was confirmed that isobutyric acid, isovaleric acid, 2-methylvaleric acid, 3-methylvaleric acid, 4-methylvaleric acid, 2-methylhexanoic acid, 5-methylvaleric acid, 2-methylhexanoic acid, 5-methylvaleric acid were added compared with the control group. In foods containing table salt and foods containing spice, such as hexanoic acid, 2-methylheptanoic acid, 4-methyloctanoic acid, and 4-methylnonanoic acid, the salty and spicy flavors are enhanced. The food has the effect of enhancing the salty taste, and also has the effect of enhancing the spiciness of the food containing the spice.

(Test Example 13)

<Preparation of Negative Control>

(Japanese noodle soup base)

A commercially available concentrated noodle soup base (manufactured by YAMAKI Co., Ltd., "Mentsuyu") was diluted with water (2-fold dilution) so that it was 50% by weight with respect to the total weight of the diluted noodle soup base, and prepared daily. Noodle soup base was used as a negative control (salt concentration of negative control: 3.5%).

(cheese sauce)

A commercially available cheese sauce (manufactured by Mizkan America, "RAGU (registered trademark) Double Cheddarcheese sauce") was directly used as a negative control (salt concentration of the negative control: 1.8%).

<Preparation of positive control>

(Japanese noodle soup base)

A commercially available concentrated noodle soup base (manufactured by YAMAKI Co., Ltd., "Mentsuyu") was diluted with water (2-fold dilution) so that it was 50% by weight with respect to the total weight of the diluted noodle soup base, and then, 4-methylvaleric acid, 3-methylthiopropanal, butyric acid and fenugreek were added respectively so that they were the amounts shown in Table 16 below with respect to the total amount of the positive control, respectively, and the obtained Japanese noodles were The soup base served as a positive control (salt concentration of the positive control: 3.5%).

(cheese sauce)

4-methylvaleric acid, 3-methylthiopropanal, butyric acid, and fenugreek were added to commercially available cheese sauce (manufactured by Mizkan America, Inc., "RAGU (registered trademark) Double Cheddarcheese sauce"). The obtained cheese sauce was used as a positive control (salt concentration of positive control: 1.8%) so as to be the amounts shown in Table 17 below with respect to the total amount of the positive control, respectively.

[Table 16]

[Table 17]

<Preparation of evaluation samples>

Evaluation samples were prepared for the noodle soup base and the cheese sauce, respectively, by the same procedure as the positive control, except that each organic acid described in Table 18 below was used instead of 4-methylvaleric acid.

Sensory evaluation was performed about the salty taste intensity of an evaluation sample.

Sensory evaluation was carried out by the following method: 2 professional evaluators scored each evaluation sample (in increments of 0.5 points) in an unblinded manner by collegiality, wherein the negative control was set to 0 point and the positive control was set to 5 points.

The results are shown in Table 18 below.

[Table 18]

It has been confirmed that isobutyric acid, isovaleric acid, 5-methylhexanoic acid, 4-methyloctanoic acid, and 4-methylnonanoic acid are combined with 3-methylthiopropanal, The combination of butyric acid and fenugreek can more effectively enhance the salty taste of foods containing table salt.

(Test Example 14)

<Preparation of Negative Control>

(Hand-Pulled Noodle)

8 g of commercially available instant ramen (manufactured by Sanyo Foods Co., Ltd., "Sapporo Ichiban Shoyu Aji") powder for soup was dissolved in 500 mL of boiled hot water to prepare ramen soup as a negative control.

(Kimchi (kimchi) pot)

A commercially available pot seasoning (manufactured by EBARA Food Industry Co., Ltd., "Kimchi Nabe no moto") was diluted with 6 times (weight) hot water to prepare kimchi pot soup as a negative control.

<Preparation of positive control>

(Hand-Pulled Noodle)

8 g of a commercially available instant ramen (manufactured by Sanyo Foods Co., Ltd., "Sapporo Ichiban Shoyu Aji") for soup was dissolved in 500 mL of boiling hot water, and then 4-methylvaleric acid, 3- Methylthiopropionaldehyde, butyric acid, and fenugreek so that they were respectively the amounts shown in the above Table 16 with respect to the total amount of the positive control, and the obtained ramen soup was used as a positive control.

(Kimchi pot)

A commercially available pot seasoning (manufactured by Ebara Food Industry Co., Ltd., "Kimchi Nabe no moto") was diluted with 6 times (weight) hot water, and then 4-methylvaleric acid and 3-methylthiopropanal were added, respectively. , butyric acid and fenugreek so that they are respectively the amounts shown in Table 17 above with respect to the total amount of the positive control, and the obtained kimchi pot soup was used as a positive control.

<Preparation of evaluation samples>

Evaluation samples were prepared for ramen noodles and kimchi hot pot, respectively, by the same procedure as the positive control except that each organic acid described in Table 19 below was used instead of 4-methylvaleric acid.

The sensory evaluation was performed about the spice intensity of each evaluation sample.

Sensory evaluation was carried out by the following method: 2 professional evaluators scored each evaluation sample (in increments of 0.5 points) in an unblinded manner by collegiality, wherein the negative control was set to 0 point and the positive control was set to 5 points.

The results are shown in Table 19 below.

[Table 19]

It has been confirmed that isobutyric acid, isovaleric acid, 5-methylhexanoic acid, 4-methyloctanoic acid, and 4-methylnonanoic acid are combined with 3-methylthiopropanal, The combination of butyric acid and fenugreek can more effectively enhance the spice sensation of foods containing spices.

[Industrial Availability]

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a novel salty and/or spicy flavor enhancer that can effectively enhance salty and spicy flavors. In addition, the salty and/or spicy flavor enhancer of the present invention can enhance the meat flavor and cheese flavor in addition to the salty taste and the spicy flavor.

Further, according to the present invention, a salt-containing food product in which the salty taste is effectively enhanced can be produced. The production method of the present invention can produce a salt-containing food product with enhanced meat flavor and cheese flavor in addition to the enhanced salty taste. In addition, according to the present invention, a spice-containing food product with effectively enhanced spice sensation can also be produced. Further, according to the present invention, a salt-containing food product with enhanced saltiness and spice can be produced.

In addition, according to the present invention, the salty taste of food containing salt can be effectively enhanced. In addition to enhancing the salty taste, the enhancing method of the present invention can also enhance the meat flavor and cheese flavor. In addition, according to the present invention, the spice feeling of a food containing a spice can be effectively enhanced. Further, according to the present invention, the salty and spicy taste of foods containing salt and spices can be effectively enhanced.

In addition, the present invention can enhance the salty taste and spicy taste of various foods regardless of the types of salt-containing foods, spice-containing foods, and salt-and-spice-containing foods.

This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-046784 (filing date: March 14, 2018) filed in Japan, the entire contents of which are included in the present specification.

Claims (47)

1. A salty and/or spicy taste enhancer characterized by comprising (A) a branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid having 4 to 18 carbon atoms or a salt thereof.

2. The salty and/or spicy taste enhancer according to claim 1, wherein (a) is a compound represented by the general formula (I):

in which R represents a group represented by at least 1C_1～4Alkyl substituted C_1～12A linear alkylene group.

3. The salty and/or spicy feeling enhancer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein (a) is at least one compound selected from isobutyric acid, isovaleric acid, 2-methylvaleric acid, 3-methylvaleric acid, 4-methylvaleric acid, 2-methylhexanoic acid, 5-methylhexanoic acid, 2-methylheptanoic acid, 4-methyloctanoic acid, and 4-methylnonanoic acid, or a salt thereof.

4. The salty and/or spicy taste enhancer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein (A) is 4-methylpentanoic acid or a salt thereof.

5. The salty and/or spicy taste enhancer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which further comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of (B) 3-methylthiopropanal, (C) butyric acid or a salt thereof, and (D) fenugreek lactone.

6. The salty and/or spicy taste enhancer according to claim 5, wherein the content a of (A) in the salty and/or spicy taste enhancer¹Content B of (A) and (B)¹In a weight ratio of¹：b¹＝1：0.01～50。

7. The salty and/or spicy taste enhancer according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the content a of (A) in the salty and/or spicy taste enhancer¹Content C of (A) and (B)¹In a weight ratio of¹：c¹＝1：0.1～500。

8. The salty and/or spicy enhancing agent according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the content a of (A) in the salty and/or spicy enhancing agent¹The content D of (A) and (D)¹In a weight ratio of¹：d¹＝1：0.01～50。

9. The salty and/or spicy taste enhancer according to any one of claims 5 to 8, which comprises (B), (C) and (D).

10. The salty and/or spicy taste enhancer of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the salty and/or spicy taste enhancer further enhances at least one selected from the group consisting of meat flavor and cheese flavor.

11. A salty and/or spicy taste enhancer as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the salty and/or spicy taste enhancer is a salty taste enhancer.

12. A food containing common salt and/or spices, characterized by comprising the salty taste and/or spicy sensation enhancer according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. The food product containing common salt and/or spice according to claim 12, wherein the content of (a) in the salty taste and/or spicy taste enhancer is 0.01% by weight or more and 100% by weight or less.

14. The food product containing common salt and/or spice according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the salty taste and/or spicy taste enhancer comprises (B), and the content of (B) in the salty taste and/or spicy taste enhancer is 0.01% by weight or more and 99.9% by weight or less.

15. The food product containing common salt and/or spice according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the salty taste and/or spicy taste enhancer contains (C), and the content of (C) in the salty taste and/or spicy taste enhancer is 0.01% by weight or more and 99.9% by weight or less.

16. The food product containing common salt and/or spice according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein the salty taste and/or spicy taste enhancer comprises (D), and the content of (D) in the salty taste and/or spicy taste enhancer is 0.01% by weight or more and 99.9% by weight or less.

17. A method for producing a food containing common salt and/or spices, comprising: adding (A) a branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid having 4 to 18 carbon atoms or a salt thereof.

18. The production process according to claim 17, wherein (A) is a compound represented by the general formula (I):

in which R represents a group represented by at least 1C_1～4Alkyl substituted C_1～12A linear alkylene group.

19. The production process according to claim 17 or 18, wherein (A) is at least one compound selected from isobutyric acid, isovaleric acid, 2-methylvaleric acid, 3-methylvaleric acid, 4-methylvaleric acid, 2-methylhexanoic acid, 5-methylhexanoic acid, 2-methylheptanoic acid, 4-methyloctanoic acid, and 4-methylnonanoic acid, or a salt thereof.

20. The production process according to any one of claims 17 to 19, wherein (A) is 4-methylvaleric acid or a salt thereof.

21. The production process according to any one of claims 17 to 20, wherein the amount of (A) is 0.00005 ppm by weight or more and 15 ppm by weight or less.

22. The manufacturing method according to any one of claims 17 to 21, further comprising: at least one selected from (B) 3-methylthiopropanal, (C) butyric acid or a salt thereof, and (D) fenugreek lactone is added.

23. The production process according to claim 22, wherein the addition amount of (A) is a²The addition amount B of (A) and (B)²In a weight ratio of²：b²＝1：0.01～50。

24. The production process according to claim 22 or 23, wherein the addition amount a of (A) is²The addition amount C of (A) and (C)²In a weight ratio of²：c²＝1：0.1～500。

25. The production process according to any one of claims 22 to 24, wherein the addition amount a of (A) is²The addition amount D of (D) and (D)²In a weight ratio of²：d²＝1：0.01～50。

26. The production process according to any one of claims 22 to 25, wherein the amount of (B) is 0.001 ppm by weight or more and 10 ppm by weight or less.

27. The production method according to any one of claims 22 to 26, wherein the amount of (C) is 0.01 ppm by weight or more and 100 ppm by weight or less.

28. The production process according to any one of claims 22 to 27, wherein the amount of (D) is 0.0001 to 50 ppm by weight.

29. The method according to any one of claims 22 to 28, wherein (B), (C) and (D) are added to the food containing common salt and/or spices.

30. The production method according to any one of claims 17 to 29, wherein the food containing common salt and/or spices is a food with enhanced salty taste and/or spicy sensation.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the food containing common salt and/or spices is a food in which at least one of the flavor of meat and the flavor of cheese is also enhanced.

32. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 31, wherein the method is a method for producing a common salt-containing food.

33. A method for enhancing the salty taste of a common salt-containing food product, comprising: adding (A) a branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid having 4 to 18 carbon atoms or a salt thereof.

34. A method for enhancing the spicy taste of a food containing a spice, comprising: adding (A) a branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid having 4 to 18 carbon atoms or a salt thereof.

35. The enhancing method as claimed in claim 33 or 34, wherein (a) is a compound represented by the general formula (I):

in which R represents a group represented by at least 1C_1～4Alkyl substituted C_1～12A linear alkylene group.

36. The reinforcing method according to any one of claims 33 to 35, wherein (A) is at least one compound selected from isobutyric acid, isovaleric acid, 2-methylvaleric acid, 3-methylvaleric acid, 4-methylvaleric acid, 2-methylhexanoic acid, 5-methylhexanoic acid, 2-methylheptanoic acid, 4-methyloctanoic acid, and 4-methylnonanoic acid, or a salt thereof.

37. The enhancing method according to any one of claims 33 to 36, wherein (A) is 4-methylvaleric acid or a salt thereof.

38. The reinforcing method according to any one of claims 33 to 37, wherein the amount of (A) added is 0.00005 ppm by weight or more and 15 ppm by weight or less.

39. The enhancement method according to any one of claims 33 to 38, wherein the enhancement method further comprises: at least one selected from (B) 3-methylthiopropanal, (C) butyric acid or a salt thereof, and (D) fenugreek lactone is added.

40. The reinforcing method according to claim 39, wherein the addition amount of (A) is a³The addition amount B of (A) and (B)³In a weight ratio of³：b³＝1：0.01～50。

41. The reinforcing method according to claim 39 or 40, wherein the addition amount of (A) a³The addition amount C of (A) and (C)³In a weight ratio of³：c³＝1：0.1～500。

42. The reinforcing method according to any one of claims 39 to 41, wherein the addition amount a of (A) is³The addition amount D of (D) and (D)³In a weight ratio of³：d³＝1：0.01～50。

43. The reinforcing method according to any one of claims 39 to 42, wherein the amount of (B) added is 0.001 ppm by weight or more and 10 ppm by weight or less.

44. The reinforcing method according to any one of claims 39 to 43, wherein the amount of (C) added is 0.01 ppm by weight or more and 100 ppm by weight or less.

45. The reinforcing method according to any one of claims 39 to 44, wherein the amount of (D) added is 0.0001 to 50 ppm by weight.

46. The enhancing method according to any one of claims 39 to 45, wherein (B), (C) and (D) are added to the common salt-containing food or the spice-containing food.

47. The enhancement method according to any one of claims 33 to 46, wherein the enhancement method further enhances at least one selected from the group consisting of meat flavor and cheese flavor.