Patent Application
20220248732
Seasoning compositions including a salt component and a sodium-free saltiness-perception enhancing compound, seasoned food products including such compositions, and methods of producing and using such compositions are described. The sodium-free saltiness-perception enhancing compound may be gentisic acid 5-O-β-D xylopyranoside and/or kukoamine A.
Food technology that reduces the current utilization of dietary sodium in food production has the potential to reduce the incidence of health issues associated with high sodium intake and has important applications in the food and beverage industry. Globally, dietary risks were responsible for 11 million deaths in 2017, with the greatest proportion of diet-related deaths being attributable to high intake of sodium. Thus, there is a demand for the food and beverage industry to develop food products having lower sodium levels without compromising on the salt taste that meets consumer expectations. In addition, natural flavoring agents (e.g., those existing in nature) are preferred over artificial flavoring agents by some consumers and can simplify food labeling. However, known salt substitutes may not be considered natural flavoring agents and are associated with low saltiness intensity and off-flavors. Accordingly, there is a need for natural compounds that enhance the perceived saltiness of a food product without adding sodium or off-flavors to the food product.
According to one aspect of this disclosure, a seasoning composition having enhanced salt intensity includes a salt component and a sodium-free saltiness-perception enhancing compound (also referred to as the saltiness-perception enhancing compound). The sodium-free saltiness-perception enhancing compound includes at least one of gentisic acid 5-O-β-D xylopyranoside or kukoamine A. The seasoning composition exhibits a mean saltiness intensity that is about the same as a second seasoning compound that has an amount of the salt component that is greater than the salt component in the seasoning composition and that does not contain the saltiness-perception enhancing compound.
The second seasoning compound may have an amount of the salt component that is from about 5 wt % to about 67 wt % greater than the salt component in the seasoning composition of this embodiment. For example, the second seasoning compound may have an amount of the salt component that is from about 10 wt % to about 50 wt % greater than the salt component in the seasoning composition, or from about 15 wt % to about 30 wt % greater than the salt component in the seasoning composition, or from about 20 wt % to about 30 wt % greater than the salt component in the seasoning composition. In some examples, the second seasoning compound may have an amount of the salt component that is about 20 wt % greater than the salt component in the seasoning composition. The seasoning composition may include, by weight, from about 96.9941% to about 99.9965% of the salt component and from about 0.0035% to 3.70% of the saltiness-perception enhancing compound. For example, the seasoning composition may include, by weight, from about 99.11% to about 99.9625% of the salt component and from about 0.0375% to 0.89% of the saltiness-perception enhancing compound, or from about 99.87% to about 99.9555% of the salt component and from about 0.0445% to 0.13% of the saltiness-perception enhancing compound. In another example, the seasoning composition may include, by weight, from about 96.4% to about 97.34% of the salt component and from about 2.66% to 3.70% of the saltiness-perception enhancing compound.
The salt component may comprise any salt fit for human consumption, and may include sodium chloride, or “salt”, natural sea salts or sea salt blends, alone or in various combinations with potassium chloride.
The sodium-free saltiness-perception enhancing compound may be derived from any suitable natural or plant-based source and may be produced in any suitable manner. In one embodiment. For example, the saltiness-perception enhancing compound may be derived from a plant that includes a modified level of the saltiness-perception enhancing compound relative to a wild-type individual of the same taxon. Suitable plants include, but are not limited to members of the Solanaceae family. In one embodiment the saltiness-perception enhancing compound is derived from Solanum tuberosum, such as from an individual of the species Solanum tuberosum that includes a modified level of the saltiness-perception enhancing compound relative to a wild-type individual of the same taxon.
According to another aspect, a seasoned food product includes a food product and a seasoning composition that includes the sodium-free saltiness-perception enhancing compound such that the seasoning composition enhances a salt intensity of the seasoned food product. The food product may be any edible food product. In some embodiments, the food product may be a solid food or a liquid food, such as a soup or other liquid food product. In some embodiments, the food product may be a ready to eat snack food product. The snack food product can be any snack food product known in the art, such as tortilla chips, potato chips, corn chips, extruded snacks, pretzels, crispy breads, popcorn, nuts, or nut clusters. In one embodiment, the food substrate is a shelf-stable ready-to-eat snack food with a moisture content of less than about 3% by weight. In one aspect, the snack food product is derived from potatoes.
The seasoned food product may exhibit a mean saltiness intensity that is about the same as a second seasoned food product that has an amount of the salt component that is greater than the salt component in the seasoning composition and that does not contain the saltiness-perception enhancing compound.
According to another aspect, a method of producing a seasoning composition is disclosed. The method includes mixing a salt component with the sodium-free saltiness-perception enhancing compound.
According to another aspect, a method of reducing sodium intake is disclosed. The method includes providing a composition that includes a food product, a salt component, and a sodium-free saltiness-perception enhancing compound that includes the at least one of gentisic acid 5-O-β-D xylopyranoside or kukoamine A. The saltiness-perception enhancing compound enhances the salt taste of the food product.
In such embodiments, a quantity of the food product may include about 5 wt % to about 40 wt % less sodium chloride (NaCl) than an equal quantity of a conventional food product of the same type. For example, the food product may include about 20 wt % to about 30 wt % less sodium chloride than the equal quantity of a conventional food product of the same type. In some examples, the food product may include about 20 wt % less sodium chloride than the equal quantity of a conventional food product of the same type. The quantity of the food product may exhibit a mean saltiness intensity that is about the same as the equal quantity of the conventional food product of the same type.
According to another aspect, a seasoning composition providing enhanced salt intensity to a food product is disclosed. The seasoning composition includes at least one of gentisic acid 5-O-β-D xylopyranoside or kukoamine A and exhibits a mean saltiness intensity that is greater than a second seasoning compound that has an amount of the salt component that is the same as the salt component in the seasoning composition and that does not contain the saltiness-perception enhancing compound.
The following description accompanies the drawings, all given by way of non-limiting examples that may be useful to understand how the described process and system may be embodied. In addition, the drawings and elements shown in the drawings are not necessarily or intended to be to scale.
Seasoning compositions including a salt component and a sodium-free saltiness-perception enhancing compound that includes gentisic acid 5-O-β-D xylopyranoside and/or kukoamine A, seasoned food products including such compositions, and methods of producing and using such compositions are described. In some embodiments, the sodium-free saltiness-perception enhancing compounds may be derived from Solanum tuberosum and may be applied, with a salt component, to food products to eliminate or attenuate the reduction in saltiness that would otherwise accompany a reduction in the amount of the salt component applied to the food product. In this manner, the seasoning compositions, seasoned food products, and methods of the present disclosure enable the development of food products having lower sodium levels without compromising on the salt taste that meets consumer expectations.
The inventors found that gentisic acid 5-O-β-D xylopyranoside and kukoamine A, compounds endogenous to potatoes and some other species on which food products may be based (e.g., tomato or cucumber), have been shown to enhance the perception of saltiness when topically applied, alone or in combination with one another, to food products without adding sodium or off-flavors to the food product. Moreover, due to its natural occurrence some species on which food products may be based, gentisic acid 5-O-β-D xylopyranoside and kukoamine A may not necessarily need to be labeled when applied to food products based on such species, thereby facilitating simple food labels desired by consumers. However, endogenous levels of gentisic acid 5-O-β-D xylopyranoside and/or kukoamine A may be insufficient to significantly enhance the perception of saltiness of the substances from which the gentisic acid 5-O-β-D xylopyranoside and/or kukoamine A are derived.
The term “potato” refers to a member of the species Solanum tuberosum.
The term “natural” refers to a substance existing in nature.
The terms “saltiness,” “saltiness intensity,” and “mean saltiness intensity” may refer to the saltiness intensity of a compound, a composition, and/or a food product determined by an individual tasting a sample of the compound, the composition, and/or the food product and rating its saltiness intensity using a designated scale, such as the 15-point saltiness scale described herein.
The described seasoning compositions can include a salt component and a sodium-free saltiness-perception enhancing compound. The salt component may comprise any salt fit for human consumption, and may include sodium chloride, or “salt”, natural sea salts or sea salt blends, alone or in various combinations with potassium chloride.
The sodium-free saltiness-perception enhancing compound includes at least one of gentisic acid 5-O-β-D xylopyranoside or kukoamine A. In instances in which the saltiness-perception enhancing compound includes both gentisic acid 5-O-β-D xylopyranoside and kukoamine A, the gentisic acid 5-O-β-D xylopyranoside and kukoamine A may be combined in any suitable proportion. In general, a quantity (e.g., by weight) of gentisic acid 5-O-β-D xylopyranoside may provide a greater saltiness-enhancing effect than an equal quantity of kukoamine A.
The saltiness-perception enhancing compound may be derived from Solanum tuberosum. In such instances, the saltiness-perception enhancing compound may be derived from an individual of the species Solanum tuberosum that includes a modified level of the saltiness-perception enhancing compound relative to a wild-type individual of the same taxon. The modified (e.g., increased) level of the saltiness-perception enhancing compound in such an individual may be achieved via a breeding or genetic engineering strategy.
The seasoning composition may include, by weight, from about 99.941% to about 99.9965% of the salt component and from about 0.0035% to about 0.059% of the saltiness-perception enhancing compound. For example, a seasoning composition for topical application to a solid food may include, by weight, about 99.835% of the salt component and about 0.0165% of the saltiness-perception enhancing compound, or about 99.978% of the salt component and about 0.0218% of the saltiness-perception enhancing compound. In another example, a seasoning composition used in liquid foods may include, by weight, about 99.941% of the salt component and about 0.059% of the saltiness-perception enhancing compound.
The seasoning composition exhibits a mean saltiness intensity that is about the same as a second seasoning compound that has an amount of the salt component that is greater than the salt component in the seasoning composition and that does not contain the saltiness-perception enhancing compound. For example, the second seasoning compound may have an amount of the salt component that is from about 5 wt % to about 40 wt % greater than the salt component in the seasoning composition, such as about 20 wt % to about 30 wt % greater or about 20 wt % greater, while having a substantially similar mean saltiness intensity as the seasoning composition. The measurement of mean saltiness based on the 15-point saltiness scale will be described below.
The application of one or more of the saltiness-perception enhancing compounds to a food product, as part of a seasoning composition also including a salt component, may enable a reduction of up to about 40 wt % of the salt component applied to a food product while eliminating or attenuating the concomitant reduction in saltiness that would otherwise occur.
A seasoning composition providing enhanced salt intensity to a food product is also disclosed, in which the seasoning composition includes a salt component and the saltiness-perception enhancing compound. In such embodiments, the seasoning composition exhibits a mean saltiness intensity that is greater than a second seasoning compound that has an amount of the salt component that is the same as the salt component in the seasoning composition and that does not contain the saltiness-perception enhancing compound.
The seasoning composition may be applied to any edible food product, including, but not limited to, solid food products such as meat, poultry, fish, products derived from roots, tubers, fruits, vegetables, grains, and/or legumes. In this regard, meat, poultry, and fish products include those from any suitable animal or plant-based meat substitute. Other solid food products may include ready-to-eat snack food products. The snack food product can be any snack food product known in the art, such as tortilla chips, potato chips, corn chips, extruded snacks, pretzels, crispy breads, popcorn, nuts, nut clusters, seeds, crackers, cookies, and the like. Other solid food products may include cheese and cheese products, or other dairy products (e.g., butter), in a solid, semi-solid, or even liquid state. Still other solid food products may include, cereals, breads, pastas, muffins, bagels, and the like.
In one embodiment, the food substrate is a shelf-stable ready-to-eat snack food with a moisture content of less than about 3% by weight. In one aspect, the snack food product is derived from potatoes. Where the food product is based on species in which the saltiness-perception enhancing compound (i.e., gentisic acid 5-O-β-D xylopyranoside and/or kukoamine A) naturally occurs, such as potato, tomato, or cucumber, the saltiness-perception enhancing compound may not necessarily need be labeled, thereby facilitating simple food labels desired by consumers.
The seasoning composition may be applied to or included with a liquid food product. Liquid food products may include, but are not limited to, water, performance and flavored waters, sports drinks, carbonated flavor water such as soda pop, dairy and non-dairy beverages, juices, syrups, cocoa, tea, beer, other consumable beverages, and/soups or other liquid food products.
Seasoned food products are also disclosed. The seasoned food products include a food product and the seasoning composition described above. The food product may include any of the food products described above. The seasoned food product may exhibit a mean saltiness intensity that is about the same as a second seasoned food product that has an amount of the salt component that is greater than the salt component in the seasoning composition and that does not contain the saltiness-perception enhancing compound. In this manner, a quantity of the seasoned food product may include less of the salt component (e.g., by percent weight) than an equal quantity of a comparable seasoned food product that does not include the sodium-free saltiness-perception enhancing compound while providing a substantially similar salty taste.
In some embodiments, the seasoning composition may be produced by mixing a salt component with the sodium-free saltiness-perception enhancing compound.
In other embodiments, the sodium-free saltiness-perception enhancing compound may be used to reduce sodium intake by a human or non-human animal. In such methods, the sodium-free saltiness-perception enhancing compound may be applied alone or in combination with a salt component to a food product.
A given quantity (e.g., by weight) of the food product provided in such methods may have a substantially similar salt taste as an equal quantity of a conventional food product of the same type that does not include the composition, while including about 5 wt % to 40 wt % less sodium chloride than the equal quantity of the conventional food product. More specifically, the quantity of the food product may have a substantially similar salt taste as the equal quantity of a conventional food product of the same type that does not include the composition, while including about 20 wt % to 30 wt % less sodium chloride than the equal quantity of the conventional food product, or, even more specifically, about 20 wt % less sodium chloride than the equal quantity of the conventional food product. Thus, the food product may be provided instead of the conventional food product to reduce an individual's sodium intake.
In still other embodiments, gentisic acid 5-O-β-D xylopyranoside and/or kukoamine A may be used to enhance the salt taste of a food product. In such methods, food product is provided and a composition that includes gentisic acid 5-O-β-D xylopyranoside and/or kukoamine A is added to the food product.
A given quantity (e.g., by weight) of the food product provided in such methods may have a substantially similar salt taste as an equal quantity of a conventional food product of the same type that does not include the composition, while including about 5 wt % to 40 wt % less sodium chloride than the equal quantity of the conventional food product. More specifically, the quantity of the food product may have a substantially similar salt taste as the equal quantity of a conventional food product of the same type that does not include the composition, while including about 20 wt % to 30 wt % less sodium chloride than the equal quantity of the conventional food product, or, even more specifically, about 20 wt % less sodium chloride than the equal quantity of the conventional food product. Thus, the food product may have an enhanced salt taste relative to a food product that has about 5 wt % to 40 wt % less sodium chloride than the conventional food product but does not include the saltiness-perception enhancing compound.
The following description illustrates exemplary methods of (a) conducting sensory-guided liquid chromatography (LC) fractionation to identify compounds in potato and unsalted potato chips that enhance saltiness perception and (b) utilizing sensory recombination studies to validate the saltiness-perception enhancement provided by the identified compounds. The results of the exemplary methods described below indicate that the identified saltiness-enhancing compounds (i.e., gentisic acid 5-O-β-D xylopyranoside and kukoamine A), when applied to a food product alone or in combination, enable at least a 20% reduction in the amount of salt applied to a food product without a significant loss of saltiness intensity.
During the first dimension of the multi-dimensional sensory-guided fractionation, the methanolic isolate from Block 24 of
Sensory analysis for fraction screening by human panelists was then conducted. Five panelists evaluated the fractions for saltiness intensity relative to a control of 0.35% NaCl in purified water while wearing nose clips. For each fraction, the panelists were presented with a sample of the fraction and a sample of the control. The panelists rated the saltiness enhancement of each fraction sample relative to the saltiness of the control sample on a five-point scale, with rating of zero corresponding to no difference in saltiness, a rating of one corresponding to a threshold difference (i.e., the fraction sample having greater saltiness than the control by a barely perceptible degree), a rating of two corresponding to a weak difference, a rating of three corresponding to a moderate difference, and a rating of four corresponding to a strong difference.
The concentrations of these saltiness-enhancing compounds present in the analyzed unsalted potato chips were determined as shown below in Table 1:
Gentisic acid 5-O-β-D xylopyranoside and kukoamine A were then isolated from potatoes and potato chips for use in further sensory analysis. Five kg of potatoes and three kg of potato chips were subjected to ultrafiltration and solid phase extraction substantially as discussed above with respect to
Next, the panelists conducted descriptive analysis to evaluate the saltiness intensity of the following four sample sets.
(1) 2 mL samples of aqueous salt solutions with a 20% reduction in NaCl (3.52 g NaCl/L H2O) and 40% reduction in NaCl (2.64 NaCl/L H2O), relative to 2 mL of a control sample having a simulated saltiness intensity of traditional potato chips (4.40 g NaCl/L H2O);
(2) 2 mL samples of pH 6.2-6.5 aqueous salt solutions at the 20% NaCl reduction level (3.52 g NaCl/L H2O) with the addition of individual ones of the identified saltiness-enhancing compounds, where the compound dosage was at the endogenous level of the analyzed unsalted potato chips (1×) and at three times the endogenous level of the potato chips (3×);
(3) 1 g potato chip samples with 20% reduction in NaCl (12.3 g NaCl/kg) and 40% reductions in NaCl (9.2 g NaCl/kg), relative to traditional potato chips (15.4 g NaCl/kg); and
(4) 1 g potato chip samples at 20% and 40% salt reductions (relative to standard potato chips) with the addition of a mixture of the identified saltiness-enhancing compounds topically applied to potato chips at the endogenous level of the analyzed unsalted potato chips (1×).
Panelist evaluation of sample set (1): Twelve panelists rated saltiness intensity using a 15-point scale, in duplicate. The saltiness references provided were 0 points (water), 2.5 points (0.2% NaCl), 5 points (0.35% NaCl), and 8.5 points (0.5% NaCl). As shown below in Table 2, the panelists rated all aqueous samples as being significantly different from each other and rated both the 20% and 40% NaCl reduction-level samples as significantly less salty than the control.
1samples with the same letter are not significantly different (Tukey HSD,α = 0.05)
Panelist evaluation of sample set (2): Eight panelists rated saltiness intensity using a 15-point scale, in duplicate. The saltiness references provided were 0 points (water), 2.5 points (0.2% NaCl), 5 points (0.35% NaCl), and 8.5 points (0.5% NaCl). The sensory dosage concentrations of the saltiness-enhancing compounds of the samples of sample set (2) is shown below in Table 3.
As shown below in Table 4, gentisic acid 5-O-β-D xylopyranoside and kukoamine A provided significant saltiness enhancement at the 1× dosage level.
1= samples within each sample set with the same letter are not significantly different (Tukey HSD, α = 0.05)
Panelist evaluation of sample set (3): Twelve panelists rated saltiness intensity using a 15-point scale, in duplicate. The saltiness references provided were 0 points (water), 2.5 points (0.2% NaCl), 5 points (0.35% NaCl), and 8.5 points (0.5% NaCl). As shown below in Table 5, the panelists rated all aqueous samples as being significantly different from each other and rated both the 20% and 40% NaCl reduction-level samples as significantly less salty than the control.
1samples with the same letter are not significantly different (Tukey HSD, α = 0.05)
Panelist evaluation of sample set (4): Nine panelists rated saltiness intensity using a 15-point scale, in duplicate. The saltiness references provided were 0 points (water), 2.5 points (0.2% NaCl), 5 points (0.35% NaCl), and 8.5 points (0.5% NaCl). As shown below in Table 6, gentisic acid 5-O-β-D xylopyranoside, kukoamine A and L-tryptophan were demonstrated to have salt-enhancing activity when applied topically to 20% and 40% salt reduced potato chips at the 1× dosage. Thus, application of one or more of the identified saltiness-perception enhancing compounds to a food product may enable a reduction of up to about 40 wt % of the amount of salt applied to a food product while eliminating or attenuating the concomitant reduction in saltiness that would otherwise occur.
1= Gentisic acid 5-O-β-D xylopyranoside (GAX), Kukoamine A (KA), L-tryptophan (L-Trp)
2= samples within each sample set with the same letter are not significantly different (Tukey HSD, α = 0.05)
Four genetically different varieties of potato were analyzed and their respective concentrations of gentisic acid 5-O-β-D xylopyranoside determined.
While the concepts of the present disclosure are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, it should be understood, however, that there is no intent to limit the concepts of the present disclosure to the particular disclosed forms; the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims.
