WO2025203994A1 - Emulsified food, egg flavor imparting agent, and egg flavor imparting method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a technique capable of imparting a good egg flavor to food (in particular, emulsified food).　The present invention provides an emulsified food comprising: 0.05 mass% to 2.00 mass% (in terms of solid content) of a mushroom extract; and 0.0010 mass% to 0.0150 mass% (in terms of free form) of sulfur, wherein the mushroom extract includes a shiitake mushroom extract and/or a button mushroom extract.

Description

Emulsified food, egg flavor imparting agent, and method for imparting egg flavor

The present invention relates to an emulsified food, an egg flavor imparting agent, and a method for imparting egg flavor.

In recent years, with consumers becoming more health-conscious and with dietary restrictions due to allergies, there has been an increasing demand for foods made solely from plant-based ingredients, without using any animal-derived ingredients.
One such food is the "plant-based egg," which is a reproduction of an egg made only from plant-based ingredients.

Furthermore, for example, Patent Document 1 proposes an egg flavoring agent containing oxidized glutathione as an active ingredient, with the aim of providing a food that can be safely eaten by people with egg allergies.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-094809

However, conventional plant-based eggs have had issues in terms of reproducing the unique flavor (egg flavor) of eggs, and therefore there is a need for technology that can reproduce a good egg flavor.
Among foods, emulsified foods (such as mayonnaise) used for seasoning and the like are required to express a good flavor, and it is particularly important to meet such needs.

The present invention was made in light of the above situation, and aims to provide a technology that can impart a good egg flavor to foods (especially emulsified foods).

The inventors discovered that the above problems could be solved by incorporating a specific mushroom extract and sulfur into foods (especially emulsified foods), and thus completed the present invention. Specifically, the present invention provides the following:

(1) An emulsified food,
The emulsified food contains a mushroom extract in an amount of 0.05% by mass or more and 2.00% by mass or less (solid content equivalent),
The emulsified food contains sulfur in an amount of 0.0010% by mass or more and 0.0150% by mass or less (equivalent to a free form),
The mushroom extract contains shiitake mushroom extract and/or mushroom extract.
Emulsified food.

(2) The emulsified food according to (1), wherein the mass ratio (mushroom extract/sulfur) of the mushroom extract (solid content equivalent) to the sulfur (free form equivalent) is 20 or more and 400 or less.

(3) The emulsified food according to (1) or (2), wherein the sulfur is in the form of one or more sulfur-containing substances selected from rock salt and solar salt.

(4) An emulsified food product according to any one of (1) to (3), which does not contain any egg-derived ingredients.

(5) An emulsified food product according to any one of (1) to (3), which does not contain any animal ingredients.

(6) An egg flavoring agent,
The egg flavor imparting agent contains mushroom extract and sulfur as active ingredients,
The mushroom extract contains shiitake mushroom extract and/or mushroom extract.
Egg flavoring agent.

(7) A method for imparting egg flavor to an emulsified food, comprising:
The method includes adjusting the mushroom extract content and sulfur content in the emulsified food.
Method for imparting egg flavor.

The present invention provides a technology that can impart a good egg flavor to foods (especially emulsified foods).

Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below, but the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and can be practiced with appropriate modifications within the scope of the object of the present invention. Note that the preferred and more preferred aspects exemplified below can be used in appropriate combination with each other regardless of expressions such as "preferred" and "more preferred."
The numerical ranges described are examples, and regardless of expressions such as "preferably" or "more preferably," the upper and lower limits of each range, as well as ranges that appropriately combine these values with the numerical values of the examples, can also be preferably used.
Terms such as "contain" or "include" may be read as "essentially consisting of" or "consisting only of," as appropriate.
In the present invention, "A (numerical value) to B (numerical value)" means "A or more and B or less."

(1) Emulsified Food An emulsified food according to one aspect of the present invention satisfies all of the following requirements.
- The emulsified food contains mushroom extract in an amount of 0.05% by mass or more and 2.00% by mass or less (equivalent to solid content).
- The emulsified food contains sulfur in an amount of 0.0010% by mass or more and 0.0150% by mass or less (equivalent to free sulfur).
- The mushroom extract includes shiitake mushroom extract and/or mushroom extract.

The present inventors have conducted extensive research to reproduce the unique flavor of eggs (hereinafter also referred to as "egg flavor") without using any animal ingredients.
As a result, it was unexpectedly discovered that by blending a specific mushroom extract and sulfur in the amounts specified above, a good egg flavor can be imparted to food.
When either the specified mushroom extract or sulfur was not blended, or when both were blended but did not satisfy the above range, a sufficient egg flavor was not achieved.

In the present invention, "egg flavor" includes flavors derived from table eggs in any state. The animals from which table eggs are derived are not particularly limited, but birds are preferred, with chickens being particularly preferred.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, "egg flavor" particularly includes the flavor of emulsified foods containing raw egg yolk and/or white (eggs that have not been heated or denatured). Examples of such flavors include mayonnaise flavor.

The presence or absence and degree of egg flavor in a food product can be determined by comparing it with the flavor of similar foods containing eggs, as shown in the examples.

In the present invention, "imparting an egg flavor (to a food)" includes the ability to impart an egg flavor to any food (especially an emulsified food) that is equal to or better than the flavor of the same type of food containing eggs.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the emulsified food does not contain any animal ingredients (particularly, egg-derived ingredients).
In the present invention, "animal raw materials" includes any part (muscle, skin, bone, etc.) that constitutes an animal used for food (cattle, pigs, chickens, horses, etc.), raw materials derived from animals used for food (eggs, milk, blood, etc.), and processed products thereof.
In the present invention, the term "egg-derived component" includes edible eggs themselves or parts thereof, components constituting edible eggs, processed edible egg products, and the like.

However, this does not exclude embodiments in which the emulsified food of the present invention contains animal ingredients (especially egg-derived components). For example, by blending egg-derived components with the ingredients specified in the present invention in an emulsified food, an enhanced egg flavor can be achieved.

The composition of the emulsified food of the present invention is described in detail below.

(1-1) Mushroom Extract The emulsified food of the present invention contains shiitake mushroom extract and/or mushroom extract as the mushroom extract.

Shiitake mushrooms, mushrooms, and their extracts are known to be rich in umami components, and the inventors have discovered that by combining them with sulfur, as described below, it is possible to recreate a good egg flavor.

(1-1-1) Form of Mushroom Extract, etc. In the present invention, the term "shiitake mushroom extract" includes an extract that is extracted from any part (cap, stem, base, etc.) of shiitake mushroom (scientific name: Lentinula edodes) and can be used as a food or drink.
In the present invention, the term "mushroom extract" includes an extract that is extracted from any part (cap, stem, base, etc.) of a mushroom (scientific name: Agaricus bisporus Imbach) and that can be used as a food or drink.
The mushroom extract may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.
The present invention does not exclude embodiments in which shiitake mushroom extract and/or mushroom extract other than mushroom extract (for example, maitake mushroom extract) is contained within the scope that does not impair the effects of the present invention.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the emulsified food of the present invention contains shiitake mushroom extract and/or mushroom extract in an amount that is 0.05% by mass or more and 2.00% by mass or less (solid content equivalent).

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mushroom extract contained in the emulsified food of the present invention consists solely of shiitake mushroom extract and/or mushroom extract.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mushroom extract includes a soluble fraction and/or an insoluble fraction extracted from mushrooms using a solvent (e.g., alcohol (e.g., ethanol), water).

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mushroom extract is a juice obtained by extracting any part of a mushroom with hot water and then subjecting all components (soluble and insoluble components) to a juicer.
This squeezed juice may be used as an extract after being subjected to appropriate filtering, drying, concentration, etc.

The form of the mushroom extract is not particularly limited, and it can be a powder type, a liquid type, a mixture of these, etc.

The mushroom extract may be a commercially available product.
For example, commercially available shiitake mushroom extracts include those under the trade name "Shiitake Extract 55" (manufactured by Dan Foods Co., Ltd.) and "Shiitake Extract SK-60" (manufactured by Nikken Foods Co., Ltd.).
Commercially available mushroom extracts include those under the trade name "mz Mushroom Extract T 20K" (manufactured by Kiso Kogyo Co., Ltd.).

(1-1-2) Mushroom Extract Content In the emulsified food of the present invention, the mushroom extract content (equivalent to solid content) is 0.05% by mass or more and 2.00% by mass or less relative to the emulsified food.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the mushroom extract includes shiitake mushroom extract and/or mushroom extract other than mushroom extract. In this embodiment, the "mushroom extract content (solid content equivalent)" refers to the total amount of these mushroom extracts.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the "mushroom extract content (solid content equivalent)" refers to the total amount of shiitake extract and/or mushroom extract. In this embodiment, the total amount of shiitake extract and/or mushroom extract in the emulsified food of the present invention is 0.05% by mass or more and 2.00% by mass or less (solid content equivalent).

In order to achieve a sufficient egg flavor, the lower limit of the mushroom extract content (solid content equivalent) is 0.05% by mass or more, preferably 0.07% by mass or more, more preferably 0.12% by mass or more, even more preferably 0.16% by mass or more, and most preferably 0.20% by mass or more, relative to the emulsified food.

The upper limit for the mushroom extract content (equivalent to solids content) is 2.00% by mass or less, preferably 1.70% by mass or less, more preferably 1.60% by mass or less, even more preferably 1.00% by mass or less, even more preferably 0.60% by mass or less, and most preferably 0.40% by mass or less, based on the viewpoints of suppressing the development of an excessive mushroom flavor (shiitake or mushroom flavor) and suppressing excessive coloring of the food (coloring due to components derived from the mushroom extract, etc.).

In the present invention, the "solid content equivalent amount (of mushroom extract)" can be determined by the following method.
The mass of the mushroom extract used as the raw material is measured before and after heating (105°C, 4 hours), and the moisture content (unit: mass %) relative to the total mushroom extract is calculated from the mass difference.
Next, "100 - moisture content" is defined as the solid content percentage (unit: mass %), and the solid content equivalent is calculated by multiplying the mass of the mushroom extract by the solid content percentage.

(1-2) Sulfur The present inventors have found that a good egg flavor can be reproduced by combining sulfur with a mushroom extract.

(1-2-1) Form of Sulfur, etc. In the present invention, "sulfur" includes any form of sulfur that can be used in foods and beverages.
The sulfur may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sulfur is a sulfur-containing substance (sulfide, sulfur-containing amino acid, allyl sulfide, food ingredients described below, etc.). Of these, sulfides and food ingredients described below are particularly preferred.

In the present invention, the term "sulfide" includes any salt composed of sulfide ions and metal ions that can be used as a food or drink.
Examples of sulfides include sodium sulfide (Na ₂ S), potassium sulfide (K ₂ S), calcium sulfide (CaS), magnesium sulfide (MgS), and iron sulfide (FeS).

The sulfur in the present invention may be a food material containing a sulfur component as a part thereof, such as sulfur-containing edible salt (such as bay salt or rock salt) and fermented foods.
In the present invention, "sun-dried salt" includes edible salt artificially obtained by drying seawater in the sun.
In the present invention, "rock salt" includes salt crystals that are naturally formed by evaporation of water from saltwater lakes and the like.

In the present invention, the sulfur is particularly preferably one or more sulfur-containing substances selected from rock salt and solar salt, as these are more likely to produce a good egg flavor.

Although not particularly limited, the sulfur content (equivalent to the free form) in solar salt or rock salt is preferably 0.1% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, and more preferably 0.3% by mass or more and 0.7% by mass or less.

(1-2-2) Sulfur Content In the present invention, the sulfur content (equivalent to the free form) is 0.0010% by mass or more and 0.0150% by mass or less based on the emulsified food.

In order to achieve a sufficient egg flavor, the lower limit of the sulfur content (equivalent to free sulfur) is 0.0010% by mass or more, preferably 0.0015% by mass or more, more preferably 0.0020% by mass or more, even more preferably 0.0025% by mass or more, and most preferably 0.0030% by mass or more, relative to the emulsified food.

In order to suppress the development of an excessive sulfur odor, the upper limit of the sulfur content (equivalent to the free form) is 0.0150% by mass or less, preferably 0.0100% by mass or less, more preferably 0.0080% by mass or less, even more preferably 0.0060% by mass or less, and most preferably 0.0050% by mass or less, relative to the emulsified food.

In the present invention, the "equivalent amount (of sulfur) of free form" can be determined by ion chromatography or combustion ion chromatography.

In the present invention, when the sulfur is in the form of bay salt and/or rock salt, the lower limit of the total amount thereof is preferably 0.2% by mass or more, more preferably 0.3% by mass or more, and even more preferably 0.4% by mass or more, relative to the emulsified food.
When the sulfur is in the form of bay salt and/or rock salt, the upper limit of the total amount thereof is preferably 2.0% by mass or less, more preferably 1.5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 1.0% by mass or less, based on the emulsified food.

(1-3) Ratio of Mushroom Extract and Sulfur In order to more easily achieve the effects of the present invention, the mass ratio of mushroom extract (in terms of solid content) to sulfur (in terms of free form) in the emulsified food (mushroom extract/sulfur) is preferably 20 or more and 400 or less, more preferably 30 or more and 250 or less, even more preferably 40 or more and 150 or less, and most preferably 50 or more and 100 or less.

(1-4) Form of Emulsified Food, etc. In the present invention, the same formulation as that of conventionally known emulsified foods can be adopted, except that the above-mentioned mushroom extract and sulfur are blended.
For example, in emulsified foods (such as mayonnaise) that are known to contain egg-derived ingredients as raw materials, by blending the above-mentioned mushroom extract and sulfur in place of or together with the egg-derived ingredients, an emulsified food with an excellent egg flavor can be obtained.

Emulsified foods can be in any form (liquid, semi-solid, solid, gel, etc.).

Emulsified foods are not particularly limited, but typically contain an aqueous phase (moisture), an oil phase (oils and fats), an emulsifier, a thickener, and the like.
Examples of the emulsion form include oil-in-water type and water-in-oil type, but the oil-in-water type is preferred from the viewpoint that the effects of the present invention can be more easily achieved.

The water content of the emulsified food is preferably 15% by mass or more and 75% by mass or less, more preferably 20% by mass or more and 65% by mass or less, even more preferably 20% by mass or more and 55% by mass or less, and most preferably 25% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less, based on the weight of the emulsified food.
The water content can be determined by measuring the mass of the emulsified food before and after heating (105°C, 4 hours) and then expressing the mass difference as a percentage of the emulsified food.

The oils and fats constituting the emulsified food are not particularly limited, and any edible oils and fats can be used. However, from the viewpoint of meeting the needs for foods made only from plant-based ingredients, it is preferable to use vegetable oils and fats or processed vegetable oils and fats.
Specific examples of edible oils and fats include rapeseed oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter, shea butter, sal fat, illipe fat, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, rice bran oil, corn oil, sesame oil, olive oil, milk fat, etc., and processed oils and fats thereof (hydrogenated oil, fractionated oil, interesterified oil), etc. Two or more of these edible oils and fats may be used in combination.

The content of fats and oils constituting the emulsified food is preferably 20% by mass or more and 80% by mass or less, more preferably 30% by mass or more and 75% by mass or less, even more preferably 40% by mass or more and 75% by mass or less, and most preferably 50% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less, based on the weight of the emulsified food.

The emulsifier that constitutes the emulsified food is not particularly limited, and any edible emulsifier can be used.
Specific emulsifiers include emulsified starch (starch octenyl succinate, etc.), lecithin, lysolecithin, sorbitan fatty acid esters (sorbitan tristearate, etc.), polyglycerin fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters, polyglycerin condensed ricinoleate esters, glycerin fatty acid esters (monoglycerides), glycerin organic acid fatty acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, etc. Two or more of these emulsifiers may be used in combination.

The content of emulsifiers in emulsified foods is preferably 0.1% by mass or more and 5.0% by mass or less, more preferably 0.5% by mass or more and 4.5% by mass or less, even more preferably 1.0% by mass or more and 4.0% by mass or less, and most preferably 1.5% by mass or more and 3.5% by mass or less, based on the weight of the emulsified food.

The thickener used to make the emulsified food is not particularly limited, and any edible thickener can be used.
Specific thickeners include xanthan gum, tamarind gum, guar gum, locust bean gum, carrageenan, gum arabic, alginic acids, pectin, pullulan, psyllium seed gum, carboxymethyl cellulose, glucomannan, agar, etc. Two or more of these thickeners may be used in combination.

The content of thickener in emulsified foods is preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less, more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.4% by mass or less, even more preferably 0.1% by mass or more and 0.4% by mass or less, and most preferably 0.1% by mass or more and 0.3% by mass or less, based on the weight of the emulsified food.

The emulsified food may or may not contain any edible ingredient as long as it does not impair the effects of the present invention.
The types and amounts of such ingredients can be appropriately determined depending on the effects to be achieved.
Specific ingredients include refined salt, vinegar, fruit juice, acidulants, umami seasonings, protein hydrolysates, sugars, sweeteners, extracts, dairy products, spices, antioxidants, and ingredients (chopped vegetables, grated vegetables, etc.).

As mentioned above, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the emulsified food does not contain any animal ingredients (particularly, egg-derived ingredients).
However, the present invention does not exclude embodiments in which the emulsified food contains animal ingredients (especially egg-derived components). For example, an enhanced egg flavor can be achieved by blending egg-derived components with the components specified in the present invention in an emulsified food. In this embodiment, the amount of eggs used can be reduced without impairing the egg flavor.
When animal ingredients (such as egg-derived ingredients) are blended into the oil-based food of the present invention, the total amount of the ingredients is preferably 10% by mass or less, more preferably 5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 3% by mass or less, relative to the emulsified food. The lower limit of the total amount is not particularly limited, but can usually be 0.5% by mass or more.

The viscosity of the emulsified food is not particularly limited, but the viscosity at 20°C is preferably 1 Pa·s or more and 300 Pa·s or less, more preferably 5 Pa·s or more and 280 Pa·s or less, even more preferably 50 Pa·s or more and 250 Pa·s or less, and most preferably 100 Pa·s or more and 200 Pa·s or less.
The viscosity is determined by measuring the value after two revolutions using a BH type viscometer with a rotor No. 6 at a rotation speed of 2 rpm.

There are no particular limitations on the type of emulsified food, but examples include seasonings and sauces (such as mayonnaise), sweets (custard cream, ice cream, etc.), soups, etc.

Foods that contain plant-based ingredients and do not contain animal ingredients are sometimes called "plant-based foods."
Therefore, among the emulsified foods of the present invention, those that do not contain animal ingredients correspond to plant-based foods.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the emulsified food is mayonnaise.
In the present invention, "mayonnaise" includes semi-solid seasonings emulsified as an oil-in-water type, and liquid seasonings emulsified as an oil-in-water type. Specific examples of mayonnaise include mayonnaise itself, as well as mayonnaise-type seasonings (creamy salad dressings, semi-solid dressings, etc.), tartar sauce, salad seasonings, emulsified liquid dressings, etc.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, the emulsified food is egg-free vegetable mayonnaise (plant-based mayonnaise).

(2) Method for Producing Emulsified Foods There are no particular limitations on the method for producing emulsified foods, and conventionally known methods can be used depending on the type of emulsified food.

Emulsified foods can be obtained, for example, by preparing an oil phase and an aqueous phase separately, and then adding the oil phase to the aqueous phase and emulsifying them.
For example, when the emulsified food is mayonnaise, it can be produced by the method shown in the Examples.

Conventional mayonnaise is made by stirring egg yolk with vinegar and salt, then adding oil and emulsifying it.
On the other hand, in the present invention, mayonnaise can be obtained, for example, by the following two steps.
(Mode 1) Instead of egg yolk, the above-mentioned mushroom extract and sulfur are blended, and emulsification is carried out in the same manner as above.
(Mode 2) The above-mentioned mushroom extract and sulfur are mixed with egg yolk, and emulsified in the same manner as above.

The mayonnaise obtained in the above (Aspect 1) can be considered a plant-based mayonnaise. According to the present invention, even such mayonnaise has a good egg flavor.

The mayonnaise obtained in the above (Aspect 2) can be a mayonnaise having an enhanced egg flavor compared to conventional mayonnaise when an equivalent amount of egg yolk is used.
The mayonnaise obtained in the above (Aspect 2) can be a mayonnaise having a good egg flavor equivalent to that of conventional mayonnaise, even when using a smaller amount of egg yolk than conventional mayonnaise.

(3) Egg Flavor Imparting Agent The present invention also includes an egg flavor imparting agent containing the above-mentioned mushroom extract and sulfur as active ingredients.

There are no particular restrictions on the types, amounts, or blending ratios of the components (mushroom extract, sulfur) that make up the egg flavor imparting agent of the present invention, but the composition of the emulsified food described above can preferably be adopted.

The egg flavor imparting agent is not particularly limited as long as it contains the above-mentioned mushroom extract and sulfur, and may or may not contain other components as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the egg flavoring agent consists of the above-mentioned mushroom extract and sulfur.

By blending the egg flavor imparting agent of the present invention with any food, it is possible to impart an egg flavor to the food or to enhance the egg flavor.
There are no particular limitations on the foods to which the egg flavor imparting agent of the present invention can be blended, but foods containing egg-derived components as raw materials (emulsified foods, baked products, stir-fried foods, roasted foods, confectionery, etc.) are preferred.
In such foods, the egg flavor can be imparted or enhanced by blending the egg flavor imparting agent of the present invention in place of or together with an egg-derived component during normal cooking.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the food to which the egg flavor imparting agent of the present invention is blended is an emulsified food.

(4) Method for imparting egg flavor The present invention also includes a method for imparting egg flavor to an emulsified food.
The method includes the step of adjusting the mushroom extract content and sulfur content in the emulsified food.

There are no particular restrictions on the type, amount, or blending ratio of the ingredients (mushroom extract, sulfur) used in the egg flavoring method of the present invention, but the composition of the emulsified food described above can preferably be adopted.

The present invention will be explained in more detail below using examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

<Production and evaluation of emulsion foods-1>
Various emulsified foods were produced by the following method, and the egg flavors of the produced foods were evaluated.
In this example, shiitake mushroom extract was used as the mushroom extract.

(1) Production of Emulsified Food (Mayonnaise (Mayonnaise-Type Seasoning)) A mayonnaise-type seasoning was produced as an emulsified food based on the formulation shown in the table.
Specifically, all the raw materials except for the rapeseed oil were placed in a container equipped with a stirrer, and stirred at room temperature for 10 minutes using a paddle mixer (100 rpm).
Next, all of the rapeseed oil was added to the resulting mixture (aqueous phase), and the mixture was roughly emulsified under reduced pressure using a paddle mixer (100 rpm), and then final emulsification was carried out for 20 minutes using a homomixer (5500 rpm) to obtain a mayonnaise-type seasoning.

Details of each ingredient in mayonnaise-type seasonings are as follows:
Rapeseed oil: Product name "Nissin Canola Oil", manufactured by Nisshin Oillio Group Co., Ltd. Vinegar: Product name "MHV-310", manufactured by Mizkan Co., Ltd., moisture content 90% by mass
Refined table salt: trade name "Tokuno Salt", manufactured by Nippon Seien Co., Ltd. Solar salt-1: trade name "Kipower Salt", manufactured by Kipower Co., Ltd., sulfur content: 0.43% by mass
Sun-dried salt-2: Product name "Shima Mars", manufactured by Aoiumi Co., Ltd., sulfur content: 0.06% by mass
Rock salt: Product name "Himalayan rock salt", manufactured by Takahashi Co., Ltd., sulfur content: 0.61% by mass
Shiitake extract-1: Product name "Shiitake Extract 55", manufactured by Dan Foods Co., Ltd., solid content 54.7% by mass
Shiitake mushroom extract-2: Product name "Shiitake mushroom extract SK-60", manufactured by Nikken Food Co., Ltd., solid content 57.2% by mass
Xanthan gum: Trade name "Echo Gum F", manufactured by DSP Gokyo Food & Chemical Co., Ltd. Tamarind seed gum: Trade name "Glyloid 3S", manufactured by DSP Gokyo Food & Chemical Co., Ltd. Modified starch: Trade name "N Creamer 46", starch sodium octenyl succinate, manufactured by Ingredion Japan Co., Ltd.

The shiitake mushroom extracts used in this example are liquid components obtained by extracting dried shiitake mushroom raw materials (including caps, stems, and bases) with hot water, extracting all components (soluble and insoluble) in a juicer, and then filtering and concentrating the resulting juice.

In addition, the sulfur content (free form equivalent) of the above raw materials, solar salt and rock salt, was measured using combustion ion chromatography.

In the table, "sulfur equivalent amount" refers to the sulfur content (equivalent to free form) contained in the entire emulsified food obtained, measured by combustion ion chromatography.
"Shiitake mushroom extract solid content" refers to the amount of shiitake mushroom extract contained in the resulting emulsified food, expressed as a solid content equivalent.
"Shiitake mushroom extract/sulfur" is the mass ratio of shiitake mushroom extract (solid content equivalent) to sulfur (free form equivalent) contained in the resulting emulsified food, i.e., the value obtained by dividing the "shiitake mushroom extract solid content" in the table by the "sulfur equivalent amount."

(2) Evaluation of Emulsified Foods Each of the obtained mayonnaise-type seasonings was evaluated for its properties by the following methods.

(2-1) Viscosity For each mayonnaise-type seasoning, a BH-type viscometer was used to measure the viscosity after two rotations at a rotation speed of 2 rpm using a rotor No. 6, and the viscosity was measured.
As a result, the viscosity (20°C) of all mayonnaise-type seasonings was approximately 200 Pa·s.

(2-2) Water Content The mass of each mayonnaise-type seasoning was measured after heating at 105°C for 4 hours, and the water content was calculated based on the difference in mass before and after the measurement.
As a result, the water content of each mayonnaise-type seasoning was approximately 29% by mass.

(2-3) Evaluation of Egg Flavor A panel of experts (five people) ate 5 g of each mayonnaise-type seasoning, and evaluated the flavor in comparison with a commercially available mayonnaise made with raw eggs by consensus according to the following evaluation criteria.
The results are shown in the table under "Egg Flavor."

[Evaluation criteria for egg flavor]
A: The flavor is equivalent to commercially available mayonnaise, with a very strong egg flavor (stronger egg flavor than B grade).
B: The flavor is weaker than commercially available mayonnaise, but the egg flavor is clearly noticeable (the egg flavor is stronger than that of C rating).
C: The flavor is weaker than commercially available mayonnaise, but there is a slight egg flavor.
D: No egg flavor at all.

As shown in each example in the table, mayonnaise-type seasonings with a "shiitake mushroom extract solids content" in the range of 0.11 to 1.64% by mass and a "sulfur equivalent amount" in the range of 0.0022 to 0.0104% by mass had a pleasant egg flavor.

On the other hand, as shown in "Comparative Example 1," when the mayonnaise-type seasoning did not contain shiitake mushroom extract, the egg flavor was not perceived.
Furthermore, as shown in "Comparative Example 2" and "Comparative Example 3," when the mayonnaise-type seasoning did not contain sulfur, or when the sulfur content was below the lower limit of the requirements defined in the present invention, the egg flavor was not perceived.

Incidentally, "Example 2-4" had a good egg flavor, but also had a slight sulfur smell.
Furthermore, "Example 2-5" had a good egg flavor, but also had a slight shiitake mushroom flavor.
Based on the above, it was considered that, if it is desired to express only a good egg flavor, the upper limit of the sulfur content (equivalent to the free form) in an emulsified food should be 0.0150% by mass or less (preferably 0.0100% by mass or less), and the upper limit of the shiitake mushroom extract content (equivalent to the solid content) should be 2.00% by mass or less (preferably 1.60% by mass or less).

Furthermore, as described below in <Production and Evaluation of Emulsified Foods - 2>, the inventors have confirmed that the same effects as above can be obtained when mushroom (scientific name: Agaricus bisporus Imbach) extract is used instead of shiitake mushroom extract.

<Production and evaluation of emulsion foods - 2>
Various emulsified foods were produced by the following method, and the egg flavors of the produced foods were evaluated.

In this example, an emulsified food (mayonnaise (mayonnaise-type seasoning)) was produced and evaluated in the same manner as in <Production and Evaluation of Emulsified Foods - 1> above, except that mushroom extract was used instead of shiitake mushroom extract.

The mushroom extract used in this example is as follows: The mushroom extract is a liquid component obtained by extracting dried whole mushrooms with hot water, extracting all components (soluble and insoluble components) in a juicer, filtering the resulting juice, and concentrating it.
Mushroom extract (hereinafter also referred to as "Ab extract"): Product name "mz Mushroom Extract T 20K", manufactured by Kiso Kogyo Co., Ltd., solid content 55% by mass

The composition of the emulsified food and the evaluation results are shown in Tables 3 and 4.
In the table, "Ab extract solid content" refers to the mushroom extract content contained in the resulting emulsified food, expressed as a solid content equivalent.
"Ab extract/sulfur" is the mass ratio of mushroom extract (solid content equivalent) to sulfur (free form equivalent) contained in the obtained emulsified food, i.e., the value obtained by dividing the "Ab extract solid content" in the table by the "sulfur equivalent amount."

As shown in each example in the table, mayonnaise-type seasonings with an "Ab extract (mushroom extract) solids content" in the range of 0.11 to 1.65% by mass and an "equivalent sulfur content" in the range of 0.0022 to 0.0104% by mass had a pleasant egg flavor.

On the other hand, as shown in "Comparative Example 4" and "Comparative Example 5," when the mayonnaise-type seasoning did not contain sulfur, or when the sulfur content was below the lower limit required by the present invention, the egg flavor was not detected.

Incidentally, "Example 4-3" had a good egg flavor, but also had a slight sulfur smell.
Furthermore, "Example 4-4" had a good egg flavor, but also had a slight mushroom flavor.
Based on the above, it was considered that, if it is desired to express only a good egg flavor, the upper limit of the sulfur content (equivalent to the free form) in an emulsified food should preferably be 0.0150% by mass or less (preferably 0.0100% by mass or less), and the upper limit of the mushroom extract content (equivalent to the solid content) should preferably be 2.00% by mass or less (preferably 1.60% by mass or less).

In this example, only shiitake mushroom extract or mushroom extract was used as the mushroom extract. However, even when these extracts were used in combination, the same results as when only shiitake mushroom extract or mushroom extract was used were obtained, as long as the total amount was 0.05% by mass or more and 2.00% by mass or less (solid content equivalent) of the emulsified food.

Claims (7)

An emulsified food product,
The emulsified food contains a mushroom extract in an amount of 0.05% by mass or more and 2.00% by mass or less (solid content equivalent),
The emulsified food contains sulfur in an amount of 0.0010% by mass or more and 0.0150% by mass or less (equivalent to a free form),
The mushroom extract contains shiitake mushroom extract and/or mushroom extract.
Emulsified food. The emulsified food according to claim 1, wherein the mass ratio (mushroom extract/sulfur) of the mushroom extract (solid content equivalent) to the sulfur (free form equivalent) is 20 or more and 400 or less. The emulsified food according to claim 1, wherein the sulfur is in the form of one or more sulfur-containing substances selected from rock salt and solar salt. An emulsified food product according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which does not contain any egg-derived components. An emulsified food product according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which does not contain any animal ingredients. An egg flavoring agent, comprising:
The egg flavor imparting agent contains mushroom extract and sulfur as active ingredients,
The mushroom extract contains shiitake mushroom extract and/or mushroom extract.
Egg flavoring agent. A method for imparting egg flavor to an emulsified food, comprising:
The method includes adjusting the mushroom extract content and sulfur content in the emulsified food.
Method for imparting egg flavor.