阅读说明：本技术 咸味和/或辛香感增强剂 (Salty and/or spicy taste enhancer ) 是由 北田亮 菅野京子 于 2019-03-13 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明的目的在于提供可以有效地增强咸味和/或辛香感的新型咸味和/或辛香感增强剂、咸味和/或辛香感增强方法等。本发明涉及含有分支饱和脂肪族一元羧酸或其盐的咸味和/或辛香感增强剂等。(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.)

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.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a salty and/or spicy taste enhancer. The present invention also relates to a method for producing a food using the salty and/or spicy taste enhancer. Further, the present invention relates to a method for enhancing a salty taste and/or a spicy taste using the salty taste and/or spicy taste enhancer and the like.

Background

Common salt is used in foods for various purposes such as imparting salty taste, and excessive intake of common salt increases the risk of causing hypertension, heart disease, and the like, and reduction in the intake amount of common salt is attracting attention due to health consciousness in recent years. The intake amount of common salt can be reduced by reducing the amount of common salt used (reduced salt) in the production of food, however, such reduced salt food has a problem of reduced satisfaction due to insufficient salty taste. Therefore, development of a technique for enhancing the salty taste of foods without increasing the intake of common salt is being sought.

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

[ Prior art documents ]

[ patent document ]

Patent document 1: JP 2006-121958 publication

Patent document 2: JP 2005-143467 publication

Patent document 3: JP 2006-124490 publication

Disclosure of Invention

[ problems to be solved by the invention ]

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 a spicy taste, a method for enhancing a salty taste and/or a spicy taste, and the like.

[ means for solving problems ]

The present inventors have conducted various studies in order to solve the above problems and have newly found that a branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid has a salty taste-enhancing effect.

Further, the present inventors have further studied and found that the salty taste can be enhanced more effectively by using 3-methylthiopropanal (methyl), butyric acid, and fenugreek lactone (sotolon) in combination in addition to the branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid.

In addition, the present inventors have newly found that a branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid has an effect of enhancing a pungent taste.

In addition, the present inventors have found that the pungent taste can be more effectively enhanced by using 3-methylthiopropanal, butyric acid, and trigonella foenum-graecum lactone in combination with a branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid.

The present inventors have further studied repeatedly based on these findings, and have completed the present invention.

Namely, the present invention is as follows.

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

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

[ solution 1]

[ in the formula, R represents a group represented by at least 1C_1～4Alkyl substituted C_1～12Straight chain alkylene ].

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

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

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

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

[8]According to [5]]～[7]The salty taste and/or spicy feeling enhancer of any one of the above items, wherein the content a of (A) in the salty taste and/or spicy feeling enhancer¹The content D of (A) and (D)¹In a weight ratio of¹：d¹＝1：0.01～50。

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

[10] The salty taste and/or spicy feeling enhancer according to any one of [1] to [9], wherein the salty taste and/or spicy feeling enhancer further enhances at least one selected from a livestock meat flavor and a cheese flavor.

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

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

[11-3] the salty taste and/or spicy feeling enhancer according to any one of [1] to [10], wherein the salty taste and/or spicy feeling enhancer is a salty taste and spicy feeling enhancer.

[12] A food containing salt and/or spice, which comprises the salty taste and/or spicy feeling enhancer according to any one of [1] to [11 ].

[13] The food product containing common salt and/or spice according to [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 [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 [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 [12] to [15], wherein the salty taste and/or spicy taste enhancer contains (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 [17], wherein (A) is a compound represented by the general formula (I):

[ solution 2]

[ in the formula, R represents a group represented by at least 1C_1～4Alkyl substituted C_1～12Straight chain alkylene ].

[19] The production method according to [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 [17] to [19], wherein (A) is 4-methylpentanoic acid or a salt thereof.

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

[22] The production method according to any one of [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]According to [22]]The production process described above, wherein the amount of (A) added is a²The addition amount B of (A) and (B)²In a weight ratio of²：b²＝1：0.01～50。

[24]According to [22]]Or [23 ]]The production process described above, wherein the amount of (A) added is a²The addition amount C of (A) and (C)²In a weight ratio of²：c²＝1：0.1～500。

[25]According to [22]]～[24]The production process according to any one of the above processes, wherein the amount of (A) added is a²The addition amount D of (D) and (D)²In a weight ratio of²：d²＝1：0.01～50。

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

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

[28] The production method according to any one of [22] to [27], wherein the addition amount of (D) is 0.0001 ppm by weight or more and 50 ppm by weight or less.

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

[31] The production method according to [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 [17] to [31], wherein the method is a method for producing a common 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 food containing a spice.

[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 common salt and spices.

[33] A method for enhancing 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 feeling of a spice-containing food, 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 taste and spicy feeling of a food containing common salt and spices, which comprises: adding (A) a branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid having 4 to 18 carbon atoms or a salt thereof.

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

[ solution 3]

[ in the formula, R represents a group represented by at least 1C_1～4Alkyl substituted C_1～12Straight chain alkylene ].

[36] The enhancing method according to any one of [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 [33] to [36], wherein (A) is 4-methylpentanoic 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 ppm by weight or more and 15 ppm by weight or less.

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

[40]According to [39]]The reinforcing method described above, wherein the amount of (A) added is a³The addition amount B of (A) and (B)³In a weight ratio of³：b³＝1：0.01～50。

[41]According to [39]]Or [40 ]]The reinforcing method described above, wherein the amount of (A) added is a³The addition amount C of (A) and (C)³In a weight ratio of³：c³＝1：0.1～500。

[42]According to [39]]～[41]The reinforcing method of any one of the above, wherein the amount of (A) added is a³The 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 [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 [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 [39] to [44], wherein the addition amount of (D) is 0.0001 ppm by weight or more and 50 ppm by weight or less.

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

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

[ Effect of the invention ]

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

Further, according to the present invention, a common salt-containing food product having an effectively enhanced salty taste can be produced. The method of the present invention can produce a salt-containing food having an enhanced salty taste, and also having an enhanced meat flavor and cheese flavor. Further, according to the present invention, a food containing spices which is effectively enhanced in the sense of pungent taste can be produced. Further, according to the present invention, a food containing common salt and spices with enhanced salty taste and spicy feeling can be produced.

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

In addition, the present invention can enhance salty taste and spicy taste in various foods in general regardless of the types of foods containing common salt, foods containing spices, and foods containing common salt and spices.

Detailed Description

(salty and/or spicy taste enhancer of the invention)

The salty and/or spicy taste enhancer of the present invention (in the present specification, sometimes referred to as "the agent of the present invention") is mainly characterized in that: the compound contains (A) a branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid or a salt thereof (in this specification, sometimes referred to simply as "(A)") as an active ingredient.

[ (A) branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid or salt thereof ]

The term "branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid" as used herein means an aliphatic monocarboxylic acid having a carbon chain composed of only single bonds and having at least one branch in 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, further 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, may be referred to as compound (I))

General formula (I):

[ solution 4]

[ in the formula, R represents a group represented by at least 1C_1～4Alkyl substituted C_1～12Straight chain alkylene ]

"C" in R_1～12The "straight chain alkylene group" refers to a straight chain alkylene group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, and specifically includes methylene, ethylene, propylene, butylene, pentylene, hexylene, heptylene, octylene, nonylene, decylene, undecylene, and dodecylene. Among them, C is preferable _1-10Straight chain alkylene, more preferably C_1-8Straight-chain alkylene, particularly preferably C_3-8A linear alkylene group.

C in R_1～12The linear alkylene group is preferably substituted by at least 1C_1～4Alkyl substitution (i.e., C)_1～12At least 1 hydrogen atom in the linear alkylene group being replaced by C_1～4Alkyl substituted), more preferably by 1 to 4C_1～4Alkyl substituted, more preferably by 1 or 2C_1～4Alkyl substituted, particularly preferably by 1C_1～4Alkyl substitution.

"C" in R_1-4The "alkyl group" refers to a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and examples thereof include a methyl group, an ethyl group, a propyl group, and a butyl group. Among them, methyl and ethyl are preferable, and methyl is more preferable.

R is preferably C substituted by at least 1 methyl group_1～12Straight chain alkylene, more preferably C substituted by 1 or 2 methyl groups_1～10Straight chain alkylene, more preferably C substituted by 1 methyl group_1～8Straight-chain alkylene, particularly preferably C substituted by 1 methyl group_3～8A linear alkylene group.

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

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

[ solution 5]

Isovaleric acid (also referred to as 3-methylbutyric acid) is represented by the following formula, having a CAS number of 503-74-2.

[ solution 6]

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

[ solution 7]

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

[ solution 8]

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

[ solution 9]

2-methylhexanoic acid is represented by the following formula, with CAS registry number 4536-23-6.

[ solution 10]

5-methylhexanoic acid is represented by the following formula, having CAS registry number 628-46-6.

[ solution 11]

2-methylheptanoic acid is represented by the following formula, with CAS registry number 1188-02-9.

[ solution 12]

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

[ solution 13]

4-methylnonanoic acid is represented by the following formula, with CAS registry number 45019-28-1.

[ solution 14]

From the viewpoint of saltiness-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, and more preferably 3-methylvaleric acid, 4-methylvaleric acid, 5-methylhexanoic acid, 2-methylheptanoic acid, 4-methyloctanoic acid, 4-methylnonanoic acid.

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

The salt of the branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is an edible salt and does not impair the object of the present invention, and examples thereof include salts with alkali metals such as sodium and potassium; salts with alkaline earth metals such as calcium and magnesium; an ammonium salt; an aluminum salt; a zinc salt; salts with organic amines such as triethylamine, ethanolamine, morpholine, pyrrolidine, piperidine, piperazine, dicyclohexylamine and the like; and a salt with a basic amino acid such as arginine or lysine. These salts may be hydrates (hydrated salts), and examples of such hydrates include 1 to 6 hydrates. These salts may be used alone in any amount, or 2 or more kinds may be used in combination.

(A) The production method (2) is not particularly limited, and those produced by a method known per se or a method based on the above can be used. (A) Commercially available products can be used, and are preferred for simplicity.

In the present invention, (A) may be used alone in 1 kind, or may be used in combination in 2 or more kinds.

The content of (A) in the agent of the present invention relative to the agent of the present invention (in the present specification, sometimes referred to as "a¹"or" (in the case of the content a1 "of the a) 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, the agent of the present invention is represented by the formula (a)¹Preferably 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.

In the present specification, "the content of (a)" means, for example, that when the agent of the present invention contains only 1 kind of (a), it means the content of the 1 kind of (a), and when the agent of the present invention contains 2 or more kinds of (a), it means the total content thereof. When the salt is contained in the component (a), the weight of the salt is converted to the weight of the free form.

Preferably, the agent of the present invention contains, in addition to (a), at least one selected from the group consisting of (B) 3-methylthiopropanal (in the present specification, sometimes referred to simply as "(B)"), (C) butyric acid or a salt thereof (in the present specification, sometimes referred to simply as "(C)"), and (D) fenugreek lactone (in the present specification, sometimes referred to simply as "(D)"). The agent of the present invention can enhance salty taste and spicy taste more effectively by containing at least one selected from (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 number is 3268-49-3.

[ solution 15]

[ (C) butyric acid or a salt thereof ]

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

[ solution 16]

The salt of butyric acid used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is an edible salt and does not impair the object of the present invention, and examples thereof include salts with alkali metals such as sodium and potassium; salts with alkaline earth metals such as calcium and magnesium; an ammonium salt; an aluminum salt; a zinc salt; salts with organic amines such as triethylamine, ethanolamine, morpholine, pyrrolidine, piperidine, piperazine, dicyclohexylamine and the like; and a salt with a basic amino acid such as arginine or lysine. These salts may be hydrates (hydrated salts), and examples of such hydrates include 1 to 6 hydrates. These salts may be used alone in any amount, or 2 or more kinds may be used in combination.

[ (D) Trigonella foenum-graecum lactone ]

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

[ solution 17]

(B) The production methods of the compounds (C), (D) and (C) are not particularly limited, and those obtained by a method known per se or a method based on the above can be used. (B) Commercially available products can be used for each of (C), (D), and are preferred for simplicity.

According to the inventionWhen the agent contains (B), the content of (B) in the agent of the present invention relative to the agent of the present invention (in the present specification, sometimes referred to as "B¹Content B of "or" (B)¹"case) 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, with respect to the agent of the present invention, the b¹Preferably 99.9% by weight or less, more preferably 99% by weight or less, and particularly preferably 90% by weight or less.

When the agent of the present invention contains (C), the content of (C) in the agent of the present invention relative to the agent of the present invention (in the present specification, it may be referred to as "C" in some cases¹Content C of "or" (C)¹"case) 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, with respect to the agent of the present invention, c¹Preferably 99.9% by weight or less, more preferably 99% by weight or less, and particularly preferably 90% by weight or less.

In the present specification, the term "content of (C)" means, for example, the content of 1 kind of (C) when the agent of the present invention contains only 1 kind of (C), and the total content of 2 or more kinds of (C) when the agent of the present invention contains them. When (C) contains a salt, the weight of the salt is converted to the weight in a free form.

When the agent of the present invention contains (D), the content of (D) in the agent of the present invention relative to the agent of the present invention (in the present specification, it may be referred to as "D¹Content D of "or" (D)¹"case) 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, with respect to the agent of the present invention, the d¹Preferably 99.9% by weight or less, more preferably 99% by weight or less, and particularly preferably 90% by weight or less.

When the agent of the present invention contains (B), the content a of (A) in the agent of the present invention is such that the salty taste can be effectively enhanced¹Content B of (A) and (B)¹In the weight ratio of (a)¹：b¹) Preferably 1: 0.01 to 50, more preferably 1: 0.1 to 10, particularly preferably 1: 0.5 to 5.

The agent of the invention comprisesIn the case of (C), the content a of (A) in the agent of the present invention is such that the salty taste can be effectively enhanced¹Content C of (A) and (B)¹In the weight ratio of (a)¹：c¹) Preferably 1: 0.1 to 500, more preferably 1: 1 to 100, particularly preferably 1: 5 to 50.

When the agent of the present invention contains (D), the content a of (A) in the agent of the present invention is such that the salty taste can be effectively enhanced¹The content D of (A) and (D)¹In the weight ratio of (a)¹：d¹) Preferably 1: 0.01 to 50, more preferably 1: 0.1 to 10, particularly preferably 1: 0.5 to 5.

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

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

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), and may contain a base (base) commonly used in the field of perfumery, in addition to these.

Examples of the base in the case where the agent of the present invention is in the form of a liquid include water, ethanol, glycerol, propylene glycol, and various animal and vegetable oils.

Examples of the base in the case where the agent of the present invention is in a solid form include various sugars such as starch, dextrin, cyclodextrin, sucrose and glucose; a protein; a peptide; salt; a solid fat; silica, mixtures thereof, yeast cells, various powder extracts, and the like.

The agent of the present invention may contain, for example, an excipient, a pH adjuster, an antioxidant, a thickening stabilizer, a sweetener (e.g., granulated sugar or the like), an acidulant, a spice, a colorant, and the like in addition to the components (a) to (D) as long as the object of the present invention is not impaired.

The preparation of the agent of the present invention can be carried out by a method conventionally used in the field of perfumery. The agent of the present invention may be subjected to, for example, concentration treatment, drying treatment, decoloring treatment, etc., either singly or in combination.

The agent of the present invention is suitably used for enhancing the salty taste of common salt-containing foods. In the present invention, "food containing common salt" means food which is essentially required to contain common salt, and "food" as used herein, such as food containing common salt, is a concept broadly including food which can be taken orally, and includes beverages, seasonings and the like. The "common salt-containing food" in the present invention includes common salt itself. In the present invention, the term "salty taste and/or spicy taste enhancer" refers to a concept including a composition for enhancing a salty taste and/or spicy taste. The food containing salt may contain spice.

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

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 taken orally, and preferable examples thereof include salt-containing foods with enhanced salty taste, such as corn soup, french soup (consomm soup (e.g., chicken, pork, beef, etc.), french thick soup (potage), egg soup, wakame soup, shark fin soup, chinese style soup, curry flavor soup, noodle soup, japanese soup, miso soup, and steak (including dried soup), processed foods of edible meat such as ham, sausage, roasted wheat, hamburger beef patties, fried foods, and fried pork chops, processed foods of japanese fish patties (Kamaboko), processed foods of bamboo fish patties, processed foods of butter and the like, processed foods of fried rice and the like, natural seasonings, flavor seasonings, recipe seasonings (menu seasonings), mayonnaise, salad dressing (dressing), and sauce (e), seasonings such as domino-sugar sauce (demi-sugar sauce), medium-concentration chili sauce, white sauce, cheese sauce, and carbonara sauce (carbonara sauce); flour, gratin, fried ball (Korokke), pickled food, etc.; frozen foods (frozen products of the above foods (e.g., dumplings, steamed stuffed buns, fried rice, hamburger patties, fried foods, gravy-baked dishes, fried pork chops, fried balls, etc.).

In the present specification, the term "natural seasoning" refers to a seasoning produced by extraction, decomposition, heating, fermentation or the like using a natural substance as a raw material, and specific examples thereof include various animal meat extracts such as chicken meat extract, beef extract, pork meat extract, and mutton extract; various skeleton extracts such as chicken skeleton extract, ox bone extract, pig bone extract, etc.; marine product extracts such as bonito extract, mackerel extract, Carnis Pseudosciaenae extract, scallop extract, crab extract, shrimp extract, dried fish extract, and dried shellfish extract; dried fish extracts such as dried bonito extract, dried mackerel extract, and dried salmon (Zongzi); various vegetable extracts such as onion extract, Chinese cabbage extract, and celery extract; various seaweed extracts such as kelp extract; various spice extracts such as garlic extract, capsicum extract, pepper extract, and cacao extract; yeast extracts; various protein hydrolysates; various fermented seasonings such as soy sauce, fish paste, shrimp paste, miso, etc., or mixtures thereof, processed products (e.g., soy sauce processed products such as Japanese noodle soup base (Mentsuyu) and orange vinegar soy sauce), etc.), and the like. The "flavor seasoning" refers to a seasoning for imparting the aroma, flavor and taste of a flavor material to a food, and can be produced by adding granulated sugar, salt or the like to a natural seasoning, for example. Specific examples of the flavoring include various meat flavors such as chicken flavor, beef flavor, and pig flavor; marine product flavor seasonings such as bonito flavor seasoning, dried fish flavor seasoning, dried scallop flavor seasoning, and crustacean flavor seasoning; various spicy vegetable-flavored seasonings; kelp flavor seasoning, and the like. The "recipe seasoning" refers to a seasoning suitable for cooking in a specific recipe (such as a chinese recipe), and specific examples thereof include a chinese complex seasoning, a general paste seasoning, a hot pot seasoning, a mixed rice seasoning, a fried rice seasoning, a mixed spice, and the like.

The salt-containing food to which the agent of the present invention can be added may be provided in a form suitable for eating (vending, distribution), or may be provided in a form that requires prescribed treatment or cooking to become suitable for eating. For example, the salt-containing food to which the agent of the present invention can be added can be provided (sold or distributed) as a concentrate or the like that needs to be diluted with water or the like in order to be suitable for eating.

The food containing common salt to which the agent of the present invention can be added can be provided as, for example, a health functional food, a specific health food, a nutritional functional food, a dietary supplement, a nutritional supplement food, a health supplement food, a medical food, and the like.

The salt content (salt concentration) of the salt-containing food to which the agent of the present invention can be added is not particularly limited, and is usually 0.01 wt% or more based on the total weight of the salt-containing food at the time of eating, and is preferably 0.3 wt% or more, more preferably 0.5 wt% or more, and particularly preferably 1.5 wt% or more in view of effectively enhancing the salty taste. The upper limit of the content is not particularly limited, and may be 100% by weight, and considering the salt concentration in the actual food, the content is preferably 20% by weight or less, and more preferably 15% by weight or less, based on the total weight of the food containing common salt at the time of eating.

The method and conditions for adding the agent of the present invention to a common salt-containing food are not particularly limited, and may be appropriately set depending on the form of the agent of the present invention, the type of the common salt-containing food, and the like. The timing of adding the agent of the present invention to a food containing common salt is not particularly limited, and the agent can be added at any time, and examples thereof include during the production of the food, after the completion of the food (for example, immediately before the food is eaten, during the food is eaten), and the like. The agent of the present invention may be added to a food material before the production of a food containing common salt.

From the viewpoint of effectively enhancing the salty taste, it is preferable to add the agent of the present invention to a common salt-containing food in such an amount that the amount of (a) added to the common salt-containing food is within a specific range relative to the total weight of the common salt-containing food at the time of eating. Specifically, the amount of (a) added to the common salt-containing food is preferably 0.00005 ppm by weight or more, more preferably 0.0005 ppm by weight or more, and particularly preferably 0.003 ppm by weight or more, based on the total weight of the common salt-containing food at the time of eating. The amount of (a) added to the common salt-containing food is preferably 15 ppm by weight or less, more preferably 5 ppm by weight or less, and particularly preferably 0.5 ppm by weight or less, based on the total weight of the common 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 a common salt-containing food in such an amount that the amount of (B) added to the common salt-containing food is within a specific range relative to the total weight of the common salt-containing food at the time of eating, from the viewpoint that the salty taste can be effectively enhanced. Specifically, the amount of (B) added to the common salt-containing food is preferably 0.0008 ppm by weight or more, more preferably 0.001 ppm by weight or more, further preferably 0.003 ppm by weight or more, further preferably 0.005 ppm by weight or more, and particularly preferably 0.008 ppm by weight or more, based on the total weight of the common salt-containing food at the time of eating. The amount of (B) added to the common salt-containing food is preferably 10 ppm by weight or less, more preferably 1 ppm by weight or less, even more preferably 0.5 ppm by weight or less, even more preferably 0.3 ppm by weight or less, particularly preferably 0.1 ppm by weight or less, and most preferably 0.03 ppm by weight or less, based on the total weight of the common salt-containing food at the time of eating.

When the agent of the present invention contains (C), it is preferable to add the agent of the present invention to a common salt-containing food in such an amount that the amount of (C) added to the common salt-containing food is within a specific range relative to the total weight of the common salt-containing food at the time of eating, from the viewpoint that the salty taste can be effectively enhanced. Specifically, the amount of (C) added to the common salt-containing food is preferably 0.008 ppm by weight or more, more preferably 0.01 ppm by weight or more, further preferably 0.05 ppm by weight or more, and particularly preferably 0.08 ppm by weight or more, based on the total weight of the common salt-containing food at the time of eating. The amount of (C) added to the common salt-containing food is preferably 100 ppm by weight or less, more preferably 10 ppm by weight or less, even more preferably 5 ppm by weight or less, even more preferably 3 ppm by weight or less, particularly preferably 1 ppm by weight or less, and most preferably 0.3 ppm by weight or less, based on the total weight of the common salt-containing food at the time of eating.

When the agent of the present invention contains (D), it is preferable to add the agent of the present invention to a common salt-containing food in such an amount that the amount of (D) added to the common salt-containing food is within a specific range relative to the total weight of the common salt-containing food at the time of eating, from the viewpoint that the salty taste can be effectively enhanced. Specifically, the amount of (D) added to the common salt-containing food is preferably 0.0001 ppm by weight or more, more preferably 0.0005 ppm by weight or more, further preferably 0.0008 ppm by weight or more, further preferably 0.001 ppm by weight or more, and particularly preferably 0.003 ppm by weight or more, based on the total weight of the common salt-containing food at the time of eating. The amount of (D) added to the common salt-containing food is preferably 50 ppm by weight or less, more preferably 5 ppm by weight or less, still more preferably 1 ppm by weight or less, yet more preferably 0.1 ppm by weight or less, and particularly preferably 0.03 ppm by weight or less, based on the total weight of the common salt-containing food at the time of eating.

The agent of the present invention may enhance at least one flavor selected from the group consisting of meat flavor and cheese flavor, and the agent of the present invention may be at least one flavor enhancer selected from the group consisting of meat flavor enhancers and cheese flavor enhancers.

In the present invention, "meat flavor" means a characteristic flavor perceived by food materials derived from meat such as meat (e.g., beef, pork, chicken, etc.) or meat extract (e.g., beef extract, pork extract, chicken extract, etc.), and "enhancing" of meat flavor means that a beef flavor is strongly perceived as if the amount of food materials derived from meat is increased. The presence or absence or degree of meat flavor can be evaluated by sensory evaluation based on professional evaluators.

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

The agents of the invention are also suitable for enhancing the spicy perception of food products containing spices. In the present invention, the "spice-containing food" is a food which is required to contain a spice, and the spice is not particularly limited as long as it is generally used for imparting a flavor to a food, imparting a pungent taste to a food, and examples thereof include nutmeg (nutmeg), mace (mace), garlic, bay, thyme, pepper (e.g., black pepper, white pepper, etc.), basil, ginger, turmeric, fennel, caraway (caraway), chili (chile pepper), cinnamon, oregano, rosemary, cumin, celery, coriander, onion, and the like. These spices can be processed and cooked by a method known per se or a method based on this, depending on the kind of food, cooking method and the like, as long as the object of the present invention is not impaired. The "food containing spices" in the present invention also includes spices themselves. The food containing spice can contain salt.

In the present invention, "enhancing" of a spicy feeling means that a flavor or a spicy taste peculiar to a spice is strongly perceived as if the spice content is increased. The presence or absence or degree of a pungent taste can be evaluated by sensory evaluation by a professional evaluator (for example, sensory evaluation shown in examples described later).

The spice-containing food to which the agent of the present invention can be added is not particularly limited as long as it contains a spice and can be orally ingested, but is preferably a spice-containing food in which a pungent taste is desired to be enhanced, and examples thereof include the same ones as those listed as salt-containing foods to which the agent of the present invention can be added.

The spice-containing food to which the agent of the present invention can be added can be provided in the same manner as the common 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 (spice content) is not particularly limited as long as the spice can be perceived, and is usually 0.001 wt% or more based on the total weight of the spice-containing food at the time of eating, and is 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 spice. The upper limit of the content is not particularly limited, and 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, more preferably 1% by weight or less, relative to the total weight of the food containing the spice when eaten.

The method and conditions for adding the agent of the present invention to a food containing spices 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 common salt.

From the viewpoint that the pungent taste can be effectively enhanced, it is preferable to add the agent of the present invention to the food containing a spice so that the amount of (a) added to the food containing a spice is within a specific range relative to the total weight of the food containing a spice at the time of eating. Specifically, the amount of (a) added to the food containing spices is the same as the amount of (a) added to the food containing common salt described above, and the preferable 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 the food containing spices so that the amounts of (B), (C), and (D) added to the food containing spices are within specific ranges, respectively, with respect to the total weight of the food containing spices at the time of eating, from the viewpoint of effectively enhancing the pungent taste. Specifically, the amounts of (B), (C), and (D) added to the spice-containing food are the same as those of (B), (C), and (D) added to the common salt-containing food, respectively, and the preferable ranges are also the same.

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

The food containing common salt and spices to which the agent of the present invention can be added is not particularly limited as long as it contains common salt and spices and can be taken orally, but is preferably a food containing common salt and spices which is desired to have enhanced salty taste and spicy feeling, and examples thereof include the same ones as those listed as the food containing common salt to which the agent of the present invention can be added.

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

The salt concentration and spice content of the food containing common salt and spice to which the agent of the present invention can be added are not particularly limited, and are the same as those of the above-mentioned food containing common salt to which the agent of the present invention can be added and spice content to which the agent of the present invention can be added, and the preferable ranges are also the same.

The method and conditions for adding the agent of the present invention to a food containing common 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 a food containing common salt.

From the viewpoint that the salty taste and spicy taste can be effectively enhanced, it is preferable to add the agent of the present invention to a food containing common salt and spices so that the amount of (a) added to the food containing common salt and spices is within a specific range relative to the total weight of the food containing common salt and spices at the time of eating. Specifically, the amount of (a) added to the food containing common salt and spices is the same as the amount of (a) added to the food containing common salt described above, and the preferable 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 common salt and spices in such amounts that the amounts of (B), (C), and (D) added to the food containing common salt and spices are respectively in specific ranges relative to the total weight of the food containing common salt and spices at the time of eating, from the viewpoint of effectively enhancing the salty taste and the spicy taste. Specifically, the amounts of (B), (C), and (D) added to the food containing common salt and spices are the same as those of (B), (C), and (D) added to the food containing common salt, respectively, and the preferable ranges are also the same.

According to the present invention, there can be provided a common salt-containing food containing the agent of the present invention, a spice-containing food containing the agent of the present invention, and a common salt-and spice-containing food containing the agent of the present invention (in the present specification, these foods may be collectively referred to as "the food of the present invention"). In the present specification, a food containing common salt, a food containing spices, and a food containing common salt and spices may be collectively referred to as "a food containing common salt and/or spices".

The content of the agent of the present invention in the food of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the amounts of (a), (B), (C), and (D) added to the food containing common salt and/or spices are within the above ranges, respectively, based on the total weight of the food containing common salt and/or spices at the time of eating.

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

(production method of the present invention)

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

The (a) used in the production method of the present invention is the same as the (a) contained in the agent of the present invention, and the preferred embodiment is also the same.

In the production method of the present invention, the amount of (a) added (in the present specification, sometimes referred to as "a" is added to the total weight of the edible salt-and/or spice-containing food at the time of eating, from the viewpoint of effectively enhancing the salty taste and the spicy flavor²The amount of addition of "or" (A) a²"case) is preferably 0.00005 ppm by weight or more, more preferably 0.0005 ppm by weight or more, and particularly preferably 0.003 ppm by weight or more. In addition, from the viewpoint of effectively enhancing salty taste and spicy taste, the food contains common salt and spice/or the total weight of the spicy food at the time of eating, a²Preferably 15 ppm by weight or less, more preferably 5 ppm by weight or less, and particularly preferably 0.5 ppm by weight or less.

In the present specification, the term "amount of (a) added" means, for example, an amount of 1 kind of (a) when only 1 kind of (a) is added in the production method of the present invention, and a total amount of 2 or more kinds of (a) when they are added in the production method of the present invention. When the salt is contained in the component (a), the weight of the salt is converted to the weight of the free form.

Preferably, the production method of the present invention includes adding at least one selected from (B) 3-methylthiopropanal, (C) butyric acid or a salt thereof, and (D) fenugreek lactone, in addition to (a).

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

The production process of the present invention comprises adding (B) in an amount (herein, sometimes referred to as "B" in some cases) to the total weight of the food containing common salt and/or spices when eating, from the viewpoint of effectively enhancing the salty taste and spicy taste²The amount of addition B of "or" (B)²"case) is preferably 0.0008 ppm by weight or more, more preferably 0.001 ppm by weight or more, still more preferably 0.003 ppm by weight or more, still more preferably 0.005 ppm by weight or more, and particularly preferably 0.008 ppm by weight or more. In addition, b represents the total weight of the edible salt and/or spices at the time of eating, from the viewpoint of effectively enhancing the salty taste and the spicy taste²Preferably 10 ppm by weight or less, more preferably 1 ppm by weight or less, further preferably 0.5 ppm by weight or less, further preferably 0.3 ppm by weight or less, particularly preferably 0.1 ppm by weight or less, and most preferably 0.03 ppm by weight or less.

The production method of the present invention comprises adding (C) in an amount (in the present specification, sometimes referred to as "C" in some cases) to the total weight of the food containing common salt and/or spices when eating, from the viewpoint of effectively enhancing the salty taste and spicy taste ²' or"(C) amount C²"case) is preferably 0.008 ppm by weight or more, more preferably 0.01 ppm by weight or more, further preferably 0.05 ppm by weight or more, and particularly preferably 0.08 ppm by weight or more. In addition, from the viewpoint of effectively enhancing the salty taste and the spicy taste, c is the total weight of the food containing common salt and/or spices at the time of eating²Preferably 100 ppm by weight or less, more preferably 10 ppm by weight or less, further preferably 5 ppm by weight or less, further preferably 3 ppm by weight or less, particularly preferably 1 ppm by weight or less, and most preferably 0.3 ppm by weight or less.

In the present specification, the term "amount of (C) added" means, for example, the amount of 1 type of (C) when only 1 type of (C) is added in the production method of the present invention, and the total amount of 2 or more types of (C) when they are added in the production method of the present invention. When (C) contains a salt, the weight of the salt is converted to the weight in a free form.

The production method of the present invention comprises adding (D) in an amount (in the present specification, sometimes referred to as "D" in some cases) that is added to a food containing common salt and/or spices based on the total weight of the food at the time of eating, from the viewpoint of effectively enhancing the salty taste and spicy flavor ²The amount D of addition of "or" (D)²"case) is preferably 0.0001 ppm by weight or more, more preferably 0.0005 ppm by weight or more, further preferably 0.0008 ppm by weight or more, further preferably 0.001 ppm by weight or more, and particularly preferably 0.003 ppm by weight or more. In addition, from the viewpoint of effectively enhancing the salty taste and the spicy taste, d is the total weight of the food containing common salt and/or spices at the time of eating²Preferably 50 ppm by weight or less, more preferably 5 ppm by weight or less, still more preferably 1 ppm by weight or less, yet more preferably 0.1 ppm by weight or less, and particularly preferably 0.03 ppm by weight or less.

When the production method of the present invention comprises adding (B), the amount of (A) added is a so that the salty taste and spicy taste can be effectively enhanced²The addition amount B of (A) and (B)²In the weight ratio of (a)²：b²) Preferably 1: 0.01 to 50, more preferably 1: 0.1 to 10, particularly preferably 1: 0.5 to 5.

The production process of the present invention comprises adding (C) in an amount a effective for enhancing salty taste and spicy taste²The addition amount C of (A) and (C)²In the weight ratio of (a)²：c²) Preferably 1: 0.1 to 500, more preferably 1: 1 to 100, particularly preferably 1: 5 to 50.

The production process of the present invention comprises adding (D) in an amount a which is effective for enhancing salty taste and spicy taste of the product ²The addition amount D of (D) and (D)²In the weight ratio of (a)²：d²) Preferably 1: 0.01 to 50, more preferably 1: 0.1 to 10, particularly preferably 1: 0.5 to 5.

The production method of the present invention preferably includes adding at least two selected from (B), (C) and (D) in addition to the addition of (a), and more preferably includes adding all of (B), (C) and (D) in addition to the addition of (a).

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

The production method of the present invention may include, in addition to the above-described addition of (a) to (D), a treatment step and a cooking step which are conventionally used in the production of food, as appropriate, depending on the type of the food to be produced and the like.

The type of the salt and/or spice-containing food obtained by the production method of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably a salt and/or spice-containing food in which salty taste and spicy feeling are enhanced, and examples thereof include the same ones as those listed as salt-containing foods to which the agent of the present invention can be added.

According to the production method of the present invention, a salt-containing food having an enhanced salty taste, a spice-containing food having an enhanced spicy feeling, and a salt-and spice-containing food having an enhanced salty taste and spicy feeling can be produced. Further, according to the production method of the present invention, a salt-containing food having at least one of the flavor of meat and the flavor of cheese, which is also enhanced, can be produced.

(method of enhancement of the present invention)

The present invention also provides a method for enhancing the salty taste of a common salt-containing food product comprising adding (A) a branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid or a salt thereof; a method for enhancing the spicy taste of a food containing a spice, which comprises adding (A) a branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid or a salt thereof; and a method for enhancing the salty taste and spicy taste of a food containing a salt and a spice, which comprises adding (A) a branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid or a salt thereof (in the present specification, these enhancing methods may be collectively referred to as "the enhancing method 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 embodiment is also the same.

In the reinforcing method of the present invention, the amount of (A) added (in the present specification, sometimes referred to as "a" or "a" may be added³The amount of addition of "or" (A) a³"case of (b)") may be added in the same amount as the amount of (A) added in the production process of the present invention, a²Similarly, the preferable range is also the same.

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

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

When the reinforcing method of the present invention includes the addition of (B), the amount of (B) to be added (in the present specification, sometimes referred to as "B³The amount of addition B of "or" (B)³"case of (B)") may be added in the same amount as the amount of (B) added in the production method of the present invention²The setting is made in the same manner,the preferred ranges are also the same.

When the reinforcing method of the present invention comprises adding (C), the amount of (C) added (in the present specification, sometimes referred to as "C³Addition amount C of "or" (C)³"case of (C)") may be added in the same amount as the amount C of (C) added in the production method of the present invention ²Similarly, the preferable range is also the same.

When the reinforcing method of the present invention includes the addition of (D), the amount of (D) added (in the present specification, it may be referred to as "D³The amount D of addition of "or" (D)³"case of (D)" and the amount D of (D) added in the production method of the present invention²Similarly, the preferable range is also the same.

The reinforcing method of the present invention comprises adding (B) in an amount of (A) added³The addition amount B of (A) and (B)³In the weight ratio of (a)³：b³) The amount of (A) added to the resin composition a²The addition amount B of (A) and (B)²In the weight ratio of (a)²：b²) Similarly, the preferable range is also the same.

The reinforcing method of the present invention comprises adding (C) in an amount of a³The addition amount C of (A) and (C)³In the weight ratio of (a)³：c³) The amount of (A) added to the resin composition a²The addition amount C of (A) and (C)²In the weight ratio of (a)²：c²) Similarly, the preferable range is also the same.

The reinforcing method of the present invention comprises adding (D) in an amount of a³The addition amount D of (D) and (D)³In the weight ratio of (a)³：d³) The amount of (A) added to the resin composition a²The addition amount D of (D) and (D)²In the weight ratio of (a)²：d²) Similarly, the preferable range is also the same.

The reinforcing method of the present invention can be carried out in the same manner as the manufacturing method of the present invention, and the preferred mode is the same, unless otherwise specified.

In the enhancing method of the present invention, the method and conditions for adding (a) or adding (a) and at least one selected from (B), (C) and (D) (hereinafter, these may be collectively referred to as "(a) and the like") are not particularly limited, and may be appropriately set according to the type of salt and/or spice-containing food to which they are added. The time when the component (a) or the like is added to the food containing salt and/or spices is not particularly limited, and may be added at any time, and examples thereof include during the production of the food containing salt and/or spices and after the completion of the food containing salt and/or spices (for example, immediately before the food containing salt and/or spices is eaten, and the like). The food raw material before the production of the food containing common salt and/or spices may be added with (A) and the like.

According to the enhancing method of the present invention, the salty taste of a food containing common salt can be enhanced, the spicy taste of a food containing spice can be enhanced, and the salty taste and spicy taste of a food containing common salt and spice can be enhanced. In addition, according to the enhancing method of the present invention, at least one selected from the group consisting of a meat flavor enhancing method and a cheese flavor enhancing method may be used.

The type of salt-and/or spice-containing food to which the salty taste and spicy taste can be enhanced by the enhancing method of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably one in which the salty taste and spicy taste are desired to be enhanced, and examples thereof are the same as those listed as salt-containing foods 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 the present specification, the terms "%" and "ppm" mean "% by weight" and "ppm by weight", unless otherwise specified.

The reagents used in the following test examples are commercially available (manufactured by Sigma-Aldrich Co., Ltd.) unless otherwise specified.