Natural taste enhancing savoury base and a process for its preparation

The present invention concerns a natural shelf-stable taste enhancing savoury base and a process for its preparation.

The U.S. Pat. No. 6,838,100 concerns a process for the preparation of a cultured savoury base, which comprises hydrolyzing for a sufficient time to prepare a savoury material, a protein containing material using a combination of at least one enzyme with at least one thermotolerant lactic acid bacteria strain selected for its ability to provide a glutaminase activity (such that the base maintains glutaminase activity) in order to provide glutamic acid or a glutamate in the base in an amount sufficient to enhance body and taste. The umami taste obtained by following this way of procedure is not high enough. Therefore, it is necessary to add to these preparations purified MSG (Mono-Sodium-Glutamate) and nucleotides (IMP: Inosine Monophosphate and GMP: guanosine Monophosphate), or yeast extracts. The problem with such a procedure is that it is not natural or in the presence of yeast extract gives a yeasty taste to the final product.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a natural food composition that is useful to provide easily and conveniently an improved umami taste to food preparations without the use of additives and the inconvenience of chemical aftertaste. The basic idea sustaining the present invention is to provide a taste enhancing savoury base that can be in any shelf stable and/or concentrated form and that may be used for seasoning meals and any type of savoury meals.

The present invention concerns a taste enhancing savoury base comprising:

up to 80% of naturally derived compounds taken in the group consisting of glutamate, IMP and GMP, naturally food derived compounds such as organic acids, amino acids, peptides and aroma compounds.

According to the invention, all the above mentioned components (glutamate, IMP, GMP, the naturally food derived compounds) are of natural origin, present because of the raw products used in the process. In the present specification, we understand under naturally derived glutamate, IMP and GMP, that these compounds are obtained via at least one of the following way:

extraction from raw material such as plant, animal or microorganism material, fermentation or biocatalysis.

Under glutamate, we understand glutamate anions in combination with any type of cations and/or free glutamic acid. Preferably, these cations are sodium or potassium cations. Under aroma compounds, we understand volatile compounds, like for example trimethylpyrazine, acetic acid or propionic acid.

All the percentages given below are in weight, based on the dry matter.

It is possible according to the invention to produce a savoury base with only glutamate, or IMP and/or GMP or any combination. In the first case, the amount of glutamate is comprised between 0.01 and 80% and in the second case, the content of IMP and GMP is comprised between 0.01 and 30%. When glutamate, IMP and/or GMP are present, the total amount varies between 0.01 and 80%.

The taste enhancing cultured savoury base comprises further

sugars and macromolecules.

Under macromolecules, we understand polysaccharides, proteins and fats.

The type of sugars used according to the present invention is not critical. These sugars are of any type known in the art.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the quantity of natural glutamate, IMP and GMP is comprised between 10 and 80%. Preferably, this quantity is comprised between 10 and 60%, more preferably between 10 and 30%.

An important feature of the invention is that MSG, IMP and GMP are of natural origin. For determining the natural origin of these different components of the composition different techniques are possible. The most commonly used procedure is based on the isotopic 13C/12C ratio. For instance monosodium glutamate isolated from the product can be analysed using a Roboprep analyser coupled to a Europa 20-20 isotope ratio mass spectrometer which will chemically decompose monosodium glutamate (MSG) and the CO2 13C/12C isotope ratio is determined. In the case of a non natural MSG the 13C/12C isotope ratio will be lower than that for the natural one. The details concerning this type of measure is known from the man skilled in the art: see for example some details in Food Chemistry, Belitz-Grosch, Second Edition, pages 797-799, Abundance Ratios of Isotopes.

The savoury base provides improved umami sensory characteristics delivered in a natural way.

All the percentages in the present specification are given in weight.

The organic acids are mainly lactic acid, citric acid, acetic acid and malic acid.

The amino acids are mainly alanine, aspartic acid, glutamine, glutamic acid, glycine, leucine, lysine, methionine, tryptophan or valine.

The peptides are dipeptides, tripeptides or polypeptides.

Furthermore, the glutamate is not an added MSG, but natural glutamate, present on the base of the way of obtaining the cooking aid. The amount of glutamate is comprised between 10 and 80%. The amount of IMP and/or GMP is comprised between 0.01 and 15%.

NaCl is also present in the cooking aid according to the invention. The salt can be present naturally or can be also added, depending on the type of process and on the version concerned. The amount of salt can vary broadly.

The cooking aid further comprises between 0 and 20% of polysaccharides. These polysaccharides are taken from the group comprising derived cellulose, pectin, locust bean gum, starch, alone or in combination.

The shelf-stable cooking aid comprises further 0 to 70% of proteins. These protein are taken in the group comprising collagen, gelatine, myosin, actin, milk proteins, plant proteins, meat or fish proteins, alone or in combination. Further types of proteins are also possible.

Finally, the taste enhancing savoury base contains further at least one carbohydrate selected from the group comprising glucose, fructose, rhamnose, mannose, sorbitol, glycerol, maltodextrines alone or in combination. Further carbohydrates are also possible.

Another feature of the invention is the low amount of fat, which is comprised between 0 and 15%. More particularly, the cooking aid has a free fatty acid content comprised between 0 and 3.2%.

Different forms of presentation can be considered for the product according to the invention. It is possible to have the composition in any physical form, like cube, powder, paste, concentrate, granule or liquid.

The present invention concerns further the use of a taste enhancing savoury base as described above, wherein the base is comprised in food products taken from the group consisting of

culinary products, such as bouillons, sauces, dehydrated soups, dry foods including snacks, cereals and biscuits, chilled and frozen products, like prepared meals, nutritional products, products for foodservice, flavours and flavour ingredients oral supplements, pet foods, beverages and any other products where glutamate is part of the composition.

The amount of this savoury base is comprised between 0.01 and 50% based on the total weight of said product.

The typical umami organoleptic descriptors for deliciousness according to trained panel have been identified and listed as follows:

Fast Diffusion: corresponds to the first feeling that the consumer feels all over the mouth, Full Body: corresponds to well-balanced, appropriate levels of all flavour notes that result in a favourable, complete, mouth feeling sensation, Smoothness: corresponds to a smooth coating on the tongue, Salivation: this corresponds to the intensity of salivation that the product generates just after consumption, Retention: this is the post-consumption feeling that the product leaves in the mouth.

These five descriptors have been identified and are used to characterize and to hierarchise the different products made with the different ingredients used in different concentration.

It is noticeable that many descriptors refer to organoleptic features that are in relation not only with taste but are related to a textural effect. For example retention refers to a possible long interaction of the components of the stocks with the mouth mucus and epithelium on the tongue, where taste buds are located. So, one can notice that the deliciousness in the sense it is understood in the context of the present invention refers to a sensitive feeling that goes beyond the taste itself. The deliciousness may then be qualified as an interaction of taste with an occupation of the interior of the mouth thanks to an important or at least non-negligible textural effect.

There are different ways to use the cooking aid according to the invention. In the case of cubes, a paste or a powder, it is possible to add the cooking aid on the meal or in the meal, in a quantity depending on the taste wanted by the consumer. Normally, the cooking aid is added or mixed with the meal in a quantity of from 0.01 to 10% based on the total weight of the meal.

According to another feature, the invention concerns a method for bringing and/or enhancing taste in a meal by addition of a natural savoury base according to the invention in said meal in a quantity of from 0.01 to 50% based on the total weight of the meal.

According to a further feature, the invention concerns a process for the preparation of a taste enhancing savoury base as described before, comprising one or more of the processing steps described below:

Fermentation on substrate using a microorganism of genus Corynebacterium, Brevibacterium, Bacillus, cell disruption which yields a crude extract including cell debris.

According to an embodiment of the process of the invention, removal of cells or cell debris by filtration and/or centrifugation can be carried out, which yields a cell free broth. It is also possible to mix the broth with a natural hydrolysate in a ratio ranging from 0 to 99%.

The fermentation is carried out for obtaining the required amount of glutamate, which is then mixed with the product obtained according to the process object of the U.S. Pat. No. 6,838,100 as mentioned in the beginning of the specification: that means a product obtained by hydrolysing a protein-containing material using a combination of at least one enzyme with at least one thermotolerant lactic acid bacteria strain selected for its ability to provide a glutaminase activity. In this process, the enzyme is an exo- or endo-protease, deaminase, carbohydrase or amyloglucosidase.

According to this way of proceeding, the fermentation is carried out in 20 hours to 72 hours, at a pH comprised between 5 and 9 and at a temperature comprised between 25 and 40° C.

According to another feature of the invention, the process is more directed to increase the IMP and GMP content. In this case, the process is the same as above, but with other parameters concerning the reaction procedure.

As before, the natural hydrolysate is the product obtained according to U.S. Pat. No. 6,838,100.

In the case to increase the IMP and GMP content, the fermentation is carried out in 3 to 6 days, at a pH comprised between 5 and 9 and at a temperature comprised between 25 and 40° C.

It is clear that by proceeding according to the process to obtain more glutamate, there is also a presence of nucleotides and vice versa for the process increasing the nucleotides content.

In both of the above mentioned processes, it is also possible prior to mix with the natural hydrolysate to spray or vacuum/belt-dry the broth and convert it into any physical form, like powder, paste, cubes.

The substrate is preferably a natural substrate. This natural substrate used is from a carbon or nitrogen source of any kind, provided that they are utilizable for the strain employed. As for the carbon source, monosaccharides or oligosaccharides, like glucose, fructose, mannose, sucrose, maltose, enzymatic hydrolysate of starch, molasses may be used separately or in combination of two or more. As for the nitrogen source, ammonia, urea, ammonium salts, like ammonium sulphate, amino acids, peptides, proteins, yeast extract, corn steep liquor, enzymatic hydrolysate of plant material or starch, meat or fish products may be used separately or in combination of two or more. Nutrients can be also added: these nutrients are for example phosphates, minerals or vitamins.

The plant material is taken from the group comprising wheat, corn, tapioca and rye.

The enzymatically treated starch is the starch of one of the above mentioned plants.

The following examples illustrate the invention in more details.