JP2024166696A - Food shelf life enhancer and method for enhancing shelf life of food - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a food shelf-life extender that effectively inhibits food degradation caused by fungi or lactic acid bacteria, while suppressing the odor of a vitamin B1 salt.SOLUTION: A food shelf-life extender contains a vitamin B1 salt, an organic acid and/or organic acid salt, and jaggery and/or processed brown sugar. A method for extending food shelf life includes adding, to food, a vitamin B1 salt, an organic acid and/or organic acid salt, and jaggery and/or processed brown sugar.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

The present invention relates to a food shelf life extender that is highly effective in inhibiting food spoilage caused by fungi and lactic acid bacteria and that suppresses the odor of vitamin B1 salt.

Traditionally, various food preservatives have been used in the food industry to improve the shelf life of foods. Among them, vitamin B1 salts such as vitamin B1 (thiamine) lauryl sulfate are known to have excellent antibacterial properties against various microorganisms. In particular, they are effective against fungi such as mold and yeast, and lactic acid bacteria, and are therefore used to preserve soy sauce, sauces, soup stocks, etc., and to inhibit over-fermentation in lightly pickled foods, kimchi, etc. However, because vitamin B1 salts have a unique odor, the amount added must be limited, and there has been a tendency for sufficient preservative effects to be unavailable. For this reason, compositions combining vitamin B1 salts with other food additives have been proposed.

Patent Document 1 describes a water-soluble food preservation composition that contains chitosan, thiamine lauryl sulfate, lactic acid, sodium lactate, and ethyl alcohol. However, when ethyl alcohol and lactic acid coexist, there are problems with the generation of ethyl lactate, and with chitosan coagulating with proteins in the food and becoming inactivated, resulting in insufficient preservative effect.

Patent Document 2 describes an antibacterial agent that combines thiamine lauryl sulfate with lactic acid and/or sodium lactate. However, the combination with lactic acid or sodium lactate does not suppress the odor characteristic of thiamine lauryl sulfate, and tends to impair the flavor of food. In addition, a high concentration of lactic acid is required to dissolve thiamine lauryl sulfate, which tends to impair the taste of food.

Patent Document 3 describes a shelf life enhancer that contains vitamin B1 and maltitol as active ingredients. However, maltitol does not sufficiently suppress the odor specific to vitamin B1, and there is also the problem that powdered maltitol is prone to caking during storage.

Therefore, there is a need for a food preservative that suppresses the odor peculiar to vitamin B1 salts and has excellent bacteriostatic properties against fungi and lactic acid bacteria.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-206356 JP 2007-063149 A JP 2008-295349 A

The object of the present invention is to provide a food shelf life enhancer that can suppress the odor peculiar to vitamin B1 salts, inhibit the growth of fungi such as mold and yeast, and lactic acid bacteria, and improve the preservation properties of food.

The inventors discovered that by combining vitamin B1 salt with an organic acid and/or an organic acid salt, and brown sugar and/or processed brown sugar, the odor peculiar to vitamin B1 salt is suppressed while synergistically inhibiting the growth of fungi or lactic acid bacteria compared to when each is used alone, thereby significantly improving the shelf life of food without affecting the flavor of the food, and thus completed the present invention.

That is, the present invention relates to a food shelf life extender that contains a vitamin B1 salt, an organic acid and/or an organic acid salt, and brown sugar and/or processed brown sugar. The present invention also provides a method for extending the shelf life of a food, which comprises adding a vitamin B1 salt, an organic acid and/or an organic acid salt, and brown sugar and/or processed brown sugar to the food.

Although the food shelf life extender of the present invention contains vitamin B1 salt, the odor specific to vitamin B1 is suppressed and the original flavor of the food is not easily impaired. The food shelf life extender of the present invention can particularly prevent contamination by mold, yeast, and lactic acid bacteria, and improve the preservation properties of food.

Examples of vitamin B1 salts to be contained in the food shelf life enhancer of the present invention include lauryl sulfate, cetyl sulfate, and the like. Among these, lauryl sulfate is preferred in terms of solubility and microbial growth inhibitory effect. Vitamin B1 salts may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

The proportion of vitamin B1 salt is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.5 to 20% by weight, more preferably 1 to 15% by weight, and even more preferably 2 to 10% by weight, based on the total amount of the food shelf life enhancer. An example is 2 to 3.5% by weight. If the proportion of vitamin B1 salt is less than 0.5% by weight, the effect of inhibiting the proliferation of microorganisms tends to be insufficient, and if it exceeds 20% by weight, the odor specific to vitamin B1 salt tends to be insufficiently suppressed.

Organic acids used in the food shelf life enhancer of the present invention include acetic acid, lactic acid, fumaric acid, citric acid, malic acid, gluconic acid, adipic acid, sorbic acid, etc. Organic acid salts include sodium salts, potassium salts, and calcium salts of the above organic acids. Among these organic acids, acetic acid, sodium lactate, gluconic acid, and citric acid are preferred, acetic acid, sodium lactate, and gluconic acid are more preferred, acetic acid and sodium lactate are even more preferred, and a combination of acetic acid and sodium lactate is particularly preferred.

The proportion of organic acid and/or organic acid salt in the food shelf life enhancer of the present invention is preferably 0.5 to 100 parts by weight, more preferably 1 to 50 parts by weight, and even more preferably 3 to 30 parts by weight, of the total amount of organic acid and organic acid salt per part by weight of vitamin B1 salt. If the proportion of organic acid and/or organic acid salt is less than 0.5 parts by weight, the shelf life enhancing effect tends to be insufficient, and if it exceeds 100 parts by weight, the taste of the food tends to be impaired by a sour taste or acidic odor.

The mixing ratio of the organic acid and the organic acid salt is not limited, but the organic acid salt is preferably 0 to 0.5 parts by weight, more preferably 0.01 to 0.2 parts by weight, and even more preferably 0.05 to 0.15 parts by weight, per 1 part by weight of the organic acid.

Commercially available products can be used as the brown sugar and/or processed brown sugar used in the food shelf life enhancer of the present invention.

Brown sugar is sugar obtained from sugar cane, and is made by mixing raw sugar made from squeezed sugar cane juice with molasses separated during the production of raw sugar, removing impurities, and then powdering the mixture.

Processed brown sugar is also sugar obtained from sugar cane, and refers to a mixture of brown sugar made by boiling and solidifying squeezed sugarcane juice, raw sugar made from squeezed sugarcane juice, and molasses, which is then boiled and solidified after removing impurities.

The brown sugar and processed brown sugar used in the present invention preferably have a crude ash content of 0.2 to 3.5% by weight, more preferably 0.4 to 3.4% by weight, and even more preferably 0.5 to 3.3% by weight. Either brown sugar or processed brown sugar may be used alone, or the two may be used in combination. When mixing the two components, they may be mixed in any ratio depending on the purpose, but as a guideline for further suppressing the odor specific to vitamin B1 salt and minimizing the effect on the taste quality of food, it is preferable to mix the brown sugar and processed brown sugar so that the total crude ash content contained in the mixture is preferably 1 to 3.5% by weight, more preferably 1.1 to 3.4% by weight, and even more preferably 1.2 to 3.3% by weight. The crude ash content refers to the value measured by the direct ashing method according to the ash content test method described in the Food Additives Standards 9th Edition B General Test Method 6. Ash and Acid-Insoluble Ash Test Method.

The ratio of brown sugar and/or processed brown sugar in the food shelf life extender of the present invention is preferably 0.5 to 20 parts by weight, more preferably 1 to 15 parts by weight, and even more preferably 1.5 to 10 parts by weight, of the total amount of brown sugar and processed brown sugar per part by weight of vitamin B1 salt. If the ratio of brown sugar and/or processed brown sugar is less than 0.5 parts by weight, the odor specific to vitamin B1 salt tends to be insufficiently suppressed, and if it exceeds 20 parts by weight, the sweetness tends to impair the taste of the food.

A preferred embodiment of the food shelf life enhancer of the present invention is one that contains 3 to 30 parts by weight of acetic acid, 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of sodium lactate, and 0.5 to 20 parts by weight of brown sugar and/or processed brown sugar per part by weight of vitamin B1 salt.

A more preferred embodiment of the food shelf life enhancer of the present invention is one that contains 3.5 to 25 parts by weight of acetic acid, 0.15 to 8 parts by weight of sodium lactate, and 1 to 15 parts by weight of brown sugar and/or processed brown sugar per part by weight of vitamin B1 salt.

A more preferred embodiment of the food shelf life enhancer of the present invention is one that contains 4 to 20 parts by weight of acetic acid, 0.2 to 5 parts by weight of sodium lactate, and 1.5 to 10 parts by weight of brown sugar and/or processed brown sugar per part by weight of vitamin B1 salt.

The food shelf life extender of the present invention preferably has a pH of 1 to 5.5, more preferably 1.5 to 5, and even more preferably 2 to 4.5, when prepared as a 1% by weight aqueous solution.

The food shelf life extender of the present invention may further contain other ingredients that are commonly used in food preservation, such as inorganic acids, inorganic acid salts, amino acids, fatty acids, fatty acid esters, basic proteins/peptides, and ethanol, to the extent that they do not affect the taste or flavor of the food. However, the inclusion of ethanol may tend to cause turbidity depending on the proportion.

Inorganic acids and inorganic acid salts include phosphoric acid and phosphate salts. Amino acids include glycine, alanine, etc. Fatty acids include fatty acids having 6 to 18 carbon atoms such as caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, and stearic acid. Fatty acid esters include glycerin fatty acid esters, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, and sorbitan fatty acid esters. Basic proteins and peptides include protamine, lysozyme, ε-polylysine, chitosan, pectin hydrolysates, and nisin. These components may be two or more types.

The food shelf life enhancer of the present invention can be added directly to food to improve the shelf life of the food. It may also be applied by immersing the food in the food shelf life enhancer of the present invention or by spraying or applying the food to the food.

It can be applied to food at any stage of food processing, and can be added at any stage during the manufacturing process of heated and unheated foods.

The food preservation method of the present invention includes not only the application of a pre-prepared food shelf life enhancer of the present invention to food, but also the application of vitamin B1 salt, organic acid and/or organic acid salt, brown sugar and/or processed brown sugar individually to food so that the respective ratios fall within the above-mentioned ranges.

The amount of the food shelf life extender of the present invention to be applied to food is preferably such that the ratios of vitamin B1 salt, organic acid and/or organic acid salts, and brown sugar and/or processed brown sugar are within the above-mentioned ranges, and that, relative to the total weight of the food, the ratio of vitamin B1 salt is 0.0005 to 0.05% by weight, the ratio of organic acid and/or organic acid salts is 0.005 to 0.05% by weight, and the ratio of brown sugar and/or processed brown sugar is 0.001 to 0.04% by weight. It is more preferable to add vitamin B1 salt at a ratio of 0.001 to 0.01% by weight, organic acid and/or organic acid salt at a ratio of 0.006 to 0.04% by weight, and brown sugar and/or processed brown sugar at a ratio of 0.002 to 0.04% by weight, and it is even more preferable to add vitamin B1 salt at a ratio of 0.002 to 0.005% by weight, organic acid and/or organic acid salt at a ratio of 0.008 to 0.02% by weight, and brown sugar and/or processed brown sugar at a ratio of 0.004 to 0.01% by weight.

If the ratio of vitamin B1 salt to the total weight of the food is less than 0.0005% by weight, or the ratio of organic acids and/or organic acid salts is less than 0.005% by weight, or the ratio of brown sugar and/or processed brown sugar is less than 0.001% by weight, the microbial growth inhibitory effect tends to be insufficient depending on the storage conditions. Also, if the ratio of vitamin B1 salt to the total weight of the food exceeds 0.05% by weight, the ratio of organic acids and/or organic acid salts exceeds 0.05% by weight, or the ratio of brown sugar and/or processed brown sugar exceeds 0.04% by weight, the original flavor of the food tends to be impaired, with some of the food remaining undissolved.

The food shelf life enhancer of the present invention can be used for any food, including both non-heated and heated foods. For example, it can be used for a wide variety of foods, including pickles such as lightly pickled vegetables and kimchi, fish products such as kamaboko, chikuwa, hanpen, and fish sausages, delicacies such as salted squid and salted sea urchin products, fried products such as croquettes, tonkatsu, fried chicken, fish fry, and karaage, meat dishes such as hamburger steaks, meatballs, gyoza, shumai, and sausages, Japanese and Western confectionery such as castella cakes, sponge cakes, and manju, processed fruit products such as fruit juice and jam, and seasonings such as soy sauce, tsuyu, sauces, and sauces. It is particularly effective for soy sauce, sauces, tsuyu, pickles, and delicacies, which have been reported to be contaminated by fungi such as mold and yeast, and lactic acid bacteria.

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Examples 1 to 2
The shelf life extenders for food (Compositions A to F) shown in Table 1 were prepared. In each table of the examples of the present application, the numerical values of each blended component are all shown as weight percent. The test bacteria (film-forming yeast) and materials used in the examples are shown below.

Test bacteria: Zygosaccharomyces sp. (soy sauce isolated strain)
Soy sauce: Additive-free whole soybean soy sauce (manufactured by Fundokin Soy Sauce Co., Ltd.)
Brown sugar: Brown sugar that goes well with simmered dishes (manufactured by Daito Sugar Co., Ltd., crude ash content: 1.4%)
Processed brown sugar: Brown sugar that goes well with meat dishes (manufactured by Daito Sugar Co., Ltd., crude ash content: 1.1%)

Soy sauce storage test 800 g of soy sauce was boiled for 4 minutes and 30 seconds with an IH heater, cooled, and then diluted with sterilized water to 800 g (hereinafter referred to as adjusted soy sauce). Next, the test bacteria was cultured in 5% NaCl SCD medium at 30°C for 24 hours, and diluted 10 times with physiological saline to prepare a bacterial solution. Each composition shown in Table 1 was added at 0.05% to 75 g of adjusted soy sauce, and the bacterial solution was inoculated to about 10 ² CFU/ml, and then stored in an environment of 25°C, and the number of bacteria was measured after 2 days, 4 days, and 8 days. The results are shown in Table 2.

In soy sauce to which the food shelf life extender of the present invention (compositions A to D) was added, no bacterial growth was observed even after 8 days had passed.

Sensory evaluation
Vitamin B1 odor: 20% by weight aqueous solutions of compositions A to E shown in Table 1 were prepared, and ten panelists evaluated the vitamin B1 odor using a paired comparison method (selecting the aqueous solution of composition E that gave the strongest vitamin B1 odor). The results are shown in Tables 3 to 6.

It was confirmed that the food shelf life extenders of the present invention (Compositions A to D) all suppressed the odor specific to vitamin B1 compared to composition E, which does not contain brown sugar or processed brown sugar.

The taste of soy sauce prepared by adding 0.06% by weight of compositions A to D shown in Table 1 to flavor- quality additive-free whole soybean raw soy sauce (manufactured by Fundokin Shoyu Co., Ltd.) was compared with the taste of additive-free whole soybean raw soy sauce using a three-point discrimination test (choosing the soy sauce containing the composition from two types of soy sauce containing no composition and one type of soy sauce containing the composition). The results of the evaluation by 10 panelists are shown in Tables 7 to 10.

There was no significant difference in the evaluation results, and it was confirmed that the food shelf life extenders of the present invention (Compositions A to D) all had the same taste quality as additive-free whole soybean soy sauce.

Claims (9)

A food shelf life enhancer characterized by containing vitamin B1 salt, organic acid and/or organic acid salt, and brown sugar and/or processed brown sugar. The shelf life enhancer for food according to claim 1, which contains 0.5 to 100 parts by weight of organic acid and/or organic acid salt, and 0.5 to 20 parts by weight of brown sugar and/or processed brown sugar per 1 part by weight of vitamin B1 salt. The food shelf life enhancer according to claim 1, wherein the vitamin B1 salt is vitamin B1 lauryl sulfate. The shelf life enhancer for food according to claim 1, wherein the organic acid and/or organic acid salt is at least one selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, lactic acid, fumaric acid, citric acid, malic acid, gluconic acid, adipic acid, sorbic acid, and their sodium salts, potassium salts, and calcium salts. The shelf life enhancer for food according to claim 1, which contains 3 to 30 parts by weight of acetic acid, 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of sodium lactate, and 0.5 to 20 parts by weight of brown sugar and/or processed brown sugar per 1 part by weight of vitamin B1 salt. The shelf life enhancer for food according to claim 1, wherein the crude ash content contained in brown sugar and/or processed brown sugar is 0.2 to 3.5% by weight. The shelf life enhancer for food according to claim 1, which has a pH of 1 to 5.5 when prepared as a 1% by weight aqueous solution. A method for improving the shelf life of food, comprising adding vitamin B1 salt, an organic acid and/or an organic acid salt, and brown sugar and/or processed brown sugar to the food. The method for improving the shelf life of food according to claim 8, wherein the food is one or more selected from the group consisting of soy sauce, sauce, soup, pickles, and delicacies.