JP7556204B2 - Method for imparting fresh cream flavor - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a technology for imparting a cream flavor to food and beverages.

Patent Document 1 discloses an oil and fat composition that has a natural milk fat flavor and a good aftertaste. Ketones such as 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, and 2-undecanone are exemplified as aroma components that are thought to contribute greatly to the natural flavor of milk fat.

Patent Document 2 discloses a plastic W/O type (water-in-oil type) emulsified oil composition for spreads that contains ketones such as 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, and 2-undecanone and has a fermented butter flavor.

Patent Document 3 discloses a cheddar cheese flavor composition containing a methyl ketone having an alkyl chain with 2 to 15 carbon atoms.

Patent Document 4 discloses a milk flavor composition containing ketones such as 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, and 2-undecanone.

Patent Document 5 discloses a low-fat emulsion. Patent Document 5 also discloses that a low-fat emulsion dressing was prepared and 2-heptanone was added.

Patent Document 6 discloses a flavor composition containing ketones such as 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, and 2-undecanone.

Non-Patent Document 1 discloses that parameters such as fat globule size in dairy products are related to sensory characteristics.

Non-Patent Document 2 discloses ketones such as 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, and 2-undecanone as aroma components of milk.

Non-Patent Document 3 discloses ketones such as 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, and 2-nonanone as aroma components of powdered milk.

Non-patent literature 4 discloses the use of 2-undecanone to reproduce milk flavor.

Non-Patent Document 5 discloses that 2-heptanone was added to prepare O/W type (oil-in-water type) emulsions with average particle sizes (D32) of 0.60, 0.73, 0.85, and 1.10 μm.

JP2017-42157 JP6378512 US3520699 JP6520397 EP1102548 EP0410499

Ochi H. et al., Sensometric calibration of sensory characteristics of commercially available milk products with instrumental data. J Dairy Sci. 2010 May;93(5):1794-806. Keiji Iwatsuki et al., Evaluation of aroma of pasteurized milk by Aroma Extract Dilution Analysis. Journal of the Japanese Society for Food Science and Technology. 1999, Vol. 46, No. 9, p. 587-597 Hall, G., Andersson, J. 1985. Flavor changes in whole milk powder during storage. III. Relationships between Xavor properties and volatile compounds. J. Food Qual. 7, 237-253. Guangyong Zhu, Zuobing Xiao, Creation and imitation of a milk flavor. Food & Function. 8(3), 2017, 1080-1084. van Ruth SM et al., Influence of lipid fraction, emulsifier fraction, and mean particle diameter of oil-in-water emulsions on the release of 20 aroma compounds. J Agric Food Chem. 2002 Apr 10;50(8):2365- 71.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a technology for imparting a cream flavor to food and beverages.

The inventors discovered that a fresh cream flavor can be imparted to food and beverages by blending an emulsion containing 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, and/or 2-undecanone in the emulsion particles and having a median particle size within a specified range, and thus completed the present invention.

That is, the present invention can be exemplified as follows.
[1]
An emulsion,
Contains methyl ketone and emulsifying particles,
At least a portion of the methyl ketone is contained in the emulsion particles,
the methyl ketone is selected from the group consisting of 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, 2-undecanone, and combinations thereof;
An emulsion, the median particle size of which is 0.2 to 3 μm.
[2]
The emulsion, wherein the methyl ketone is a combination of 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, and 2-undecanone.
[3]
The emulsion, wherein the emulsion particles contain 50% or more of the total amount of the methyl ketone by weight.
[4]
The emulsion, wherein 90% or more of the total amount of the methyl ketone is contained in the emulsion particles by weight.
[5]
The emulsion, wherein the median diameter of the emulsion particles is 0.5 to 2.2 μm.
[6]
The emulsion, wherein the median diameter of the emulsion particles is 0.7 to 1.7 μm.
[7]
The emulsion is a liquid or a powder.
[8]
The emulsion is an O/W type emulsion or a dry powder thereof.
[9]
The emulsion is a composition for imparting a fresh cream flavor.
[10]
The emulsion contains the methyl ketone so that the methyl ketone has an ingestion concentration of 5 to 5000 ppb (v/w).
[11]
The emulsion having at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of the following (1A) to (1D):
(1A) The emulsion contains 2-pentanone so that the ingested concentration of 2-pentanone is 100 to 1500 ppb (v/w);
(1B) The emulsion contains 2-heptanone such that the ingested concentration of 2-heptanone is 250 to 2000 ppb (v/w);
(1C) The emulsion contains 2-nonanone so that the ingested concentration of 2-nonanone is 20 to 450 ppb (v/w);
(1D) The emulsion contains 2-undecanone so that the ingestible concentration of 2-undecanone is 5 to 3,000 ppb (v/w).
[12]
The emulsion contains the methyl ketone such that the ingested concentration of the methyl ketone derived from the emulsified particles is 5 to 5000 ppb (v/w).
[13]
The emulsion having at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of the following (2A) to (2D):
(2A) The emulsion contains 2-pentanone such that the ingested concentration of 2-pentanone derived from the emulsion particles is 100 to 1500 ppb (v/w);
(2B) The emulsion contains 2-heptanone such that the ingested concentration of 2-heptanone derived from the emulsion particles is 250 to 2000 ppb (v/w);
(2C) The emulsion contains 2-nonanone such that the ingested concentration of 2-nonanone derived from the emulsion particles is 20 to 450 ppb (v/w);
(2D) The emulsion contains 2-undecanone such that the ingested concentration of 2-undecanone derived from the emulsion particles is 5 to 3,000 ppb (v/w).
[14]
the methyl ketone is a combination of 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, and 2-undecanone;
The emulsion contains the methyl ketone so that the methyl ketone has an ingestion concentration of 0.2 to 5000 ppb (v/w).
[15]
the methyl ketone is a combination of 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, and 2-undecanone;
The emulsion contains the methyl ketone such that the ingested concentration of the methyl ketone derived from the emulsified particles is 0.2 to 5000 ppb (v/w).
[16]
A method for producing a food or drink, comprising adding the emulsion to a food or drink or an ingredient thereof.
[17]
The method as described above, wherein the food or drink produced is a food or drink imparted with a fresh cream flavor.
[18]
A method for imparting a cream flavor to a food or drink, comprising adding the emulsion to the food or drink or an ingredient thereof.
[19]
The method, wherein the food or drink is a beverage.
[20]
The method, wherein the beverage is a soup or a coffee beverage.
[21]
The method, wherein the emulsion is added so that the methyl ketone has an ingestion concentration of 5 to 5000 ppb (v/w).
[22]
The method having at least one feature selected from the group consisting of the following (1A) to (1D):
(1A) The emulsion contains 2-pentanone, and the 2-pentanone is added so that the ingested concentration of the 2-pentanone is 100 to 1,500 ppb (v/w);
(1B) The emulsion contains 2-heptanone, and the 2-heptanone is added so that the ingested concentration of the 2-heptanone is 250 to 2000 ppb (v/w);
(1C) The emulsion contains 2-nonanone, and the 2-nonanone is added so that the ingested concentration of the 2-nonanone is 20 to 450 ppb (v/w);
(1D) The emulsion contains 2-undecanone, and the 2-undecanone is added so that the ingestible concentration of the 2-undecanone is 5 to 3,000 ppb (v/w).
[23]
The method as described above, wherein the emulsion is added so that the ingestible concentration of the methyl ketone derived from the emulsified particles is 5 to 5000 ppb (v/w).
[24]
The method having at least one feature selected from the group consisting of the following (2A) to (2D):
(2A) The emulsion contains 2-pentanone, and is added so that the ingested concentration of 2-pentanone derived from the emulsion particles is 100 to 1,500 ppb (v/w);
(2B) The emulsion contains 2-heptanone, and is added so that the ingested concentration of 2-heptanone derived from the emulsion particles is 250 to 2000 ppb (v/w);
(2C) The emulsion contains 2-nonanone, and is added so that the ingested concentration of 2-nonanone derived from the emulsion particles is 20 to 450 ppb (v/w);
(2D) The emulsion contains 2-undecanone, and is added so that the ingested concentration of 2-undecanone derived from the emulsion particles is 5 to 3,000 ppb (v/w).
[25]
the methyl ketone is a combination of 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, and 2-undecanone;
The method as described above, wherein the emulsion is added so that the methyl ketone has an ingestion concentration of 0.2 to 5000 ppb (v/w).
[26]
the methyl ketone is a combination of 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, and 2-undecanone;
The method as described above, wherein the emulsion is added so that the ingested concentration of the methyl ketone derived from the emulsified particles is 0.2 to 5000 ppb (v/w).

The present invention can impart a creamy flavor to food and beverages.

<1> Emulsion of the present invention The emulsion of the present invention is an emulsion containing methyl ketone and emulsion particles, the median diameter of the emulsion particles being within a predetermined range. The methyl ketone is also referred to as an "active ingredient."

The emulsion of the present invention has a function of imparting a fresh cream flavor. The "function of imparting a fresh cream flavor" means a function of imparting a fresh cream flavor to a target object. Target objects include food and beverages.

That is, by using the emulsion of the present invention, it is possible to impart a fresh cream flavor to food and beverages, that is, the effect of imparting a fresh cream flavor to food and beverages can be obtained. This effect is also called the "effect of imparting fresh cream flavor." That is, by using the emulsion of the present invention, it is possible to enhance the fresh cream flavor of food and beverages compared to when the emulsion of the present invention is not used. Thus, the emulsion of the present invention may be used to impart a fresh cream flavor. That is, the emulsion of the present invention may be, for example, an emulsion for imparting a fresh cream flavor. Furthermore, the emulsion of the present invention may be, for example, a composition for imparting a fresh cream flavor.

Furthermore, by using the emulsion of the present invention, it is possible to produce food and drink products imparted with a fresh cream flavor. Thus, the emulsion of the present invention may be used in the production of food and drink products (specifically, the production of food and drink products imparted with a fresh cream flavor). That is, the emulsion of the present invention may be, for example, an emulsion for the production of food and drink products (specifically, the production of food and drink products imparted with a fresh cream flavor). Furthermore, the emulsion of the present invention may be, for example, a composition for the production of food and drink products (specifically, the production of food and drink products imparted with a fresh cream flavor).

"Imparting fresh cream flavor" is not limited to imparting fresh cream flavor to a food or drink that does not have a fresh cream flavor, but also includes enhancing the fresh cream flavor of a food or drink that has a fresh cream flavor. "Imparting fresh cream flavor" and "enhancing fresh cream flavor" may be used interchangeably. "Fresh cream flavor" may mean a fresh cream-like flavor. "Fresh cream flavor" may specifically mean a sweet flavor that is felt in the middle to aftertaste and is felt through the nose. "Middle to aftertaste" means the taste felt 1 to 5 seconds after eating (i.e. after putting the food or drink in the mouth) in the case of a liquid (i.e. liquid food or drink). Also, "middle to aftertaste" means the taste felt 4 to 15 seconds after eating (i.e. after putting the food or drink in the mouth) in the case of a solid (i.e. solid food or drink). "Solid" may mean a form other than a liquid, and may include, for example, a paste. Measurement and comparison of fresh cream flavor can be carried out, for example, by sensory evaluation by a specialist panel.

The emulsion of the present invention may be used to impart a cream flavor or to produce food or beverage products in the manner described in the method of the present invention described below.

The emulsion type of the emulsion of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the effect of imparting fresh cream flavor can be obtained. The emulsion of the present invention may be, for example, an emulsion in which the dispersion medium is an aqueous phase. Examples of emulsions in which the dispersion medium is an aqueous phase include O/W type (oil-in-water type) emulsions and W/O/W type (water-in-oil-in-water type) emulsions. Examples of emulsions in which the dispersion medium is an aqueous phase include, in particular, O/W type emulsions.

The shape of the emulsion of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the effect of imparting fresh cream flavor is obtained. The emulsion of the present invention may be an emulsion of any shape, such as a liquid, a paste, or a powder. The emulsion of the present invention may be particularly a liquid (i.e., an emulsion liquid) or a powder (i.e., an emulsion powder). Examples of emulsion liquids include emulsion liquids in which the dispersion medium is an aqueous phase, such as an O/W type emulsion liquid.

The emulsion of the present invention may be, for example, a wet product or a dry product. For example, an emulsion in the form of a liquid or paste, in which the dispersion medium is an aqueous phase, may be an example of a wet product. Also, for example, an emulsified powder may be an example of a dry product. A dry product can be prepared, for example, by drying a wet product. Specifically, for example, an emulsified powder can be prepared by drying an O/W emulsion (for example, an O/W emulsion). When the emulsion is a dry product, the description of the emulsified state (for example, emulsion type) may be read as the emulsified state of the emulsion (for example, emulsion liquid) before drying. That is, for example, "O/W emulsion powder" may mean an emulsified powder prepared by drying an O/W emulsion (for example, an O/W emulsion).

The emulsion of the present invention has a median particle size within a specified range.

"Emulsion particles" may mean particles that constitute an emulsion. "Emulsion particles" may typically mean dispersoid particles dispersed in a dispersion medium. When the dispersion medium is an aqueous phase, examples of dispersoid particles include oil phase particles. When the emulsion is a dry product, "emulsion particles" may mean the dried product of dispersoid particles. For example, when the emulsion is an emulsion powder, the powder may be considered as an emulsion particle.

"Median size" refers to the particle size at 50% cumulative volume in the particle size distribution obtained by the laser diffraction/scattering method. The median size of emulsion particles can be measured, for example, using a laser diffraction/scattering particle size analyzer (HORIBA LA-920).

The emulsion particle size is, for example, 0.2 μm or more, 0.25 μm or more, 0.3 μm or more, 0.35 μm or more, 0.4 μm or more, 0.45 μm or more, 0.5 μm or more, 0.55 μm or more, 0.6 μm or more, 0.65 μm or more, 0.7 μm or more, 0.75 μm or more, 0.8 μm or more, 0.85 μm or more, 0.9 μm or more, 0.95 μm or more , 1 μm or more, 1.05 μm or more, 1.1 μm or more, 1.15 μm or more, 1.2 μm or more, 1.25 μm or more, 1.3 μm or more, 1.35 μm or more, 1.4 μm or more, 1.45 μm or more, or 1.5 μm or more; and may be 3 μm or less, 2.9 μm or less, 2.8 μm or less, 2.7 μm or less, 2.6 μm or less, or 2.5 μm or less. , 2.4 μm or less, 2.3 μm or less, 2.2 μm or less, 2.1 μm or less, 2 μm or less, 1.95 μm or less, 1.9 μm or less, 1.85 μm or less, 1.8 μm or less, 1.75 μm or less, 1.7 μm or less, 1.65 μm or less, 1.6 μm or less, 1.55 μm or less, 1.5 μm or less, 1.45 μm or less, 1.4 μm or less, 1.35 μm or less, 1.3 μm or less, 1.25 μm or less, 1.2 μm or less, 1.15 μm or less, 1.1 μm or less, 1.05 μm or less, 1 μm or less, 0.95 μm or less, 0.9 μm or less, 0.85 μm or less, 0.8 μm or less, 0.75 μm or less, or 0.7 μm or less, or any non-contradictory combination thereof. Specifically, the emulsion particle size may be, for example, 0.2 to 3 μm, 0.5 to 2.2 μm, 0.7 to 1.7 μm, or 0.8 to 1.3 μm.

The active ingredient is selected from the group consisting of 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, 2-undecanone, and combinations thereof.

That is, the active ingredient may be one or more components selected from the group consisting of 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, and 2-undecanone. The active ingredient may be, for example, one, two, three, or all four components selected from the group consisting of 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, and 2-undecanone.

As the active ingredient, for example, at least 2-pentanone may be selected, at least 2-heptanone may be selected, at least 2-nonanone may be selected, or at least 2-undecanone may be selected. As the active ingredient, for example, at least 2-pentanone, 2-nonanone, and/or 2-undecanone may be selected.

The active ingredient may specifically be 2-pentanone; 2-heptanone; 2-nonanone; 2-undecanone; a combination of 2-pentanone and 2-heptanone; a combination of 2-pentanone and 2-nonanone; a combination of 2-pentanone and 2-undecanone; a combination of 2-heptanone and 2-nonanone; a combination of 2-heptanone and 2-undecanone; a combination of 2-nonanone and 2-undecanone; a combination of 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone and 2-nonanone; a combination of 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone and 2-undecanone; a combination of 2-pentanone, 2-nonanone and 2-undecanone; a combination of 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone and 2-undecanone; or a combination of 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone and 2-undecanone.

As the active ingredient, a commercially available product may be used, or one obtained by appropriate production may be used. There are no particular limitations on the method for producing the active ingredient, and for example, a known method may be used. The active ingredient may be produced, for example, by chemical synthesis, enzyme reaction, extraction, fermentation, or a combination thereof. The active ingredient may be purified to a desired degree, or it may not be. In other words, as the active ingredient, a refined product may be used, or a material containing the active ingredient may be used. Examples of materials containing the active ingredient include agricultural, fishery, and livestock products containing the active ingredient, and processed products thereof. The content of the active ingredient in the material containing the active ingredient may be, for example, 50 ppb (v/w) or more, 100 ppb (v/w) or more, 500 ppb (v/w) or more, 1 ppm (v/w) or more, 5 ppm (v/w) or more, 10 ppm (v/w) or more, 50 ppm (v/w) or more, 100 ppm (v/w) or more, 500 ppm (v/w) or more, 1% (v/w) or more, 5% (v/w) or more, 10% (v/w) or more, 30% (v/w) or more, 50% (v/w) or more, 70% (v/w) or more, or 90% (v/w) or more. When the active ingredient is a combination of two or more ingredients, the material containing the active ingredient may or may not contain all of those ingredients. For example, two or more ingredients each containing those ingredients may be used in combination.

When using a material that contains an active ingredient, the amount of the active ingredient (e.g., content (concentration) or blend amount) is calculated based on the amount of the active ingredient itself in the material.

The ingredients other than the active ingredient contained in the emulsion of the present invention are not particularly limited as long as the effect of imparting fresh cream flavor is obtained. The ingredients other than the active ingredient can be appropriately selected depending on various conditions such as the shape of the emulsion of the present invention and the type of food and drink of the present invention. The emulsion of the present invention may contain, for example, at least water, fats and oils, and an emulsifier, and may further contain other ingredients. Note that, for example, water may be removed from the emulsion by drying. In other words, when the emulsion of the present invention is a dried product, the emulsion of the present invention may contain, for example, at least fats and oils and an emulsifier, and may further contain other ingredients.

Examples of fats and oils include animal fats and oils derived from animals (animal fats and oils), vegetable fats and oils derived from vegetables (vegetable fats and oils), and their hardened oils. Examples of animal fats and oils include chicken fat, lard, beef tallow, sheep oil, whale oil, fish oil, egg oil, and butter. Examples of fish oils include tuna oil, bonito oil, sardine oil, mackerel oil, salmon oil, and cod oil. Examples of vegetable fats and oils include rapeseed oil, rice oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, peanut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, sesame oil, grape seed oil, and perilla oil. Examples of hardened oils include partially hardened oils and extremely hardened oils. Examples of fats and oils include vegetable fats and oils in particular. As fats and oils, one type of fat and oil may be used, or two or more types of fats and oils may be used in combination.

Examples of emulsifiers include ester ether emulsifiers, ester emulsifiers, lecithin, saponin, and sodium caseinate. Examples of ester ether emulsifiers include polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters. Examples of ester emulsifiers include glycerin fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, and sucrose fatty acid esters. Examples of lecithin include vegetable lecithin, egg yolk lecithin, and derivatives thereof. Examples of vegetable lecithin include soybean lecithin, rapeseed lecithin, and sunflower lecithin. Examples of derivatives include fractionated lecithin, enzyme-treated lecithin, and enzyme-decomposed lecithin. Examples of saponin include saponins from various plants. Examples of saponin include soybean saponin, tea seed saponin, and solanum japonin. As the emulsifier, one type of component may be used, or two or more types of components may be used in combination.

Examples of other ingredients include ingredients that are used by blending with food, beverages, and pharmaceuticals. Specific examples of other ingredients include sugars, milk ingredients, and pH adjusters. Examples of sugars include sucrose, glucose, fructose, lactose, isomerized sugar, oligosaccharides, honey, maple syrup, and starch hydrolysates. Examples of milk ingredients include milk such as cow's milk and processed products thereof. Examples of processed milk products include milk proteins and milk powder. Examples of milk proteins include casein and whey protein. Examples of milk powder include skim milk powder. Examples of pH adjusters include acids such as phosphoric acid and citric acid, and salts thereof. As the other ingredients, one type of ingredient may be used, or two or more types of ingredients may be used in combination.

The content of each component (i.e., active ingredient and other components) in the emulsion of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the effect of imparting fresh cream flavor is obtained. The content of each component in the emulsion of the present invention can be appropriately set depending on various conditions such as the type of each component, the shape of the emulsion of the present invention, the blending amount of the emulsion of the present invention, and the type of food and beverage of the present invention.

The content of the active ingredient in the emulsion of the present invention may be set, for example, so that the content of the active ingredient in a food or beverage when consumed (i.e., the consumption concentration) is within a predetermined range. The content of the active ingredient in the emulsion of the present invention may be, for example, 2 times or more, 5 times or more, 10 times or more, 20 times or more, 50 times or more, 100 times or more, 200 times or more, 500 times or more, 1000 times or more, 2000 times or more, 5000 times or more, 10000 times or more, or 20000 times or more, or 1000000 times or less, 500000 times or less, 200000 times or less, 100000 times or less, 50000 times or less, 20000 times or less, 10000 times or less, 5000 times or less, 2000 times or less, 1000 times or less, 500 times or less, 200 times or less, or 100 times or less, or any compatible combination thereof. Specifically, the content of the active ingredient in the emulsion of the present invention may be 2 to 1,000,000 times or 10 to 100,000 times the ingestible concentration of the active ingredient. The ingestible concentration of the active ingredient will be described later.

When at least 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, or 2-undecanone is selected as the active ingredient, the content of 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, or 2-undecanone in the emulsion of the present invention may be set, for example, so that the content of 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, or 2-undecanone in a food or drink when eaten (i.e., the concentration when eaten) falls within a predetermined range. The content of 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, or 2-undecanone in the emulsion of the present invention is, for example, 2 times or more, 5 times or more, 10 times or more, 20 times or more, 50 times or more, 100 times or more, 200 times or more, 500 times or more, 1000 times or more, 2000 times or more, 5000 times or more, 1 times or more, or 1 times or more of the ingested concentration of 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, or 2-undecanone. The content of 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, or 2-undecanone in the emulsion of the present invention may be, specifically, 2 to 1,000,000 times or 10 to 100,000 times or more than the concentration of 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, or 2-undecanone consumed, respectively. The ingestion concentrations of 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, and 2-undecanone will be described later.

The emulsion of the present invention contains an active ingredient in the emulsion particles. "The emulsion of the present invention contains an active ingredient in the emulsion particles" means that the emulsion of the present invention contains at least a part of the active ingredient in the emulsion particles, unless otherwise specified. In other words, the emulsion of the present invention may or may not further contain the active ingredient outside the emulsion particles. The emulsion of the present invention may contain, for example, 50% or more, 60% or more, 70% or more, 80% or more, 90% or more, 95% or more, 98% or more, or 99% or more of the total amount of the active ingredient in the emulsion particles by weight. When two or more ingredients are selected as the active ingredient, the emulsion of the present invention may contain, for example, 50% or more, 60% or more, 70% or more, 80% or more, 90% or more, 95% or more, 98% or more, or 99% or more of the total amount of each selected ingredient in the emulsion particles by weight. When the emulsion of the present invention is a dry product, the emulsion of the present invention may be, for example, one prepared by drying an emulsion containing an active ingredient in emulsion particles.

When two or more components are selected as active ingredients, the content ratio of the selected components in the emulsion of the present invention is not particularly limited. When two or more components are selected as active ingredients, the content of each selected component in the emulsion of the present invention may be, for example, 1% or more, 2% or more, 5% or more, 10% or more, 15% or more, 20% or more, 30% or more, 40% or more, 50% or more, 60% or more, 70% or more, 80% or more, 90% or more, 95% or more, or 98% or more by weight relative to the content of the active ingredients in the emulsion of the present invention, or 99% or less, 98% or less, 95% or less, 90% or less, 85% or less, 80% or less, 70% or less, 60% or less, 50% or less, 40% or less, 30% or less, 20% or less, 15% or less, 10% or less, 5% or less, or 2% or less, or any range of non-contradictory combinations thereof. When two or more components containing 2-pentanone are selected as the active ingredient, the content of 2-pentanone in the emulsion of the present invention may be, for example, 1 to 99%, 10 to 90%, 30 to 80%, or 50 to 70% by weight relative to the content of the active ingredient in the emulsion of the present invention. When two or more components containing 2-heptanone are selected as the active ingredient, the content of 2-heptanone in the emulsion of the present invention may be, for example, 1 to 99%, 5 to 80%, 10 to 60%, or 20 to 40% by weight relative to the content of the active ingredient in the emulsion of the present invention. When two or more components containing 2-nonanone are selected as the active ingredient, the content of 2-nonanone in the emulsion of the present invention may be, for example, 1 to 99%, 1 to 50%, 1 to 30%, or 1 to 10% by weight relative to the content of the active ingredient in the emulsion of the present invention. When two or more components including 2-undecanone are selected as the active ingredient, the content of 2-undecanone in the emulsion of the present invention may be, for example, 1 to 99%, 1 to 50%, 1 to 30%, or 1 to 10% by weight relative to the content of the active ingredient in the emulsion of the present invention. Furthermore, when two or more components are selected as the active ingredient, the content of each selected component in the emulsion of the present invention may be in a range calculated from the ratio of the content of the active ingredient in the emulsion of the present invention to the content of the selected component in the emulsion of the present invention.

When two or more kinds of ingredients are selected as active ingredients, the content ratio of the selected ingredients in the emulsion particles in the emulsion of the present invention (i.e., the content ratio of the part of the active ingredient contained in the emulsion particles in the emulsion of the present invention) is not particularly limited. The content ratio of the selected ingredients in the emulsion particles in the emulsion of the present invention may be, for example, the content ratio of the selected ingredients in the emulsions of the present invention exemplified above.

The emulsion of the present invention may be one type of emulsion, or may be a combination of two or more types of emulsions. The combination of two or more types of emulsions may include a combination of two or more types of emulsions with different parameters for identifying the emulsion (e.g., the type of each component (i.e., the active ingredient and other components), the content of each component, the median diameter of the emulsion particles, etc.). When the emulsion of the present invention is a combination of two or more types of emulsions, the emulsions may be mixed in advance and used as the emulsion of the present invention, or may be used in combination as appropriate when used. When the emulsion of the present invention is a combination of two or more types of emulsions, the emulsions may satisfy the requirements of the emulsion of the present invention as a whole combination. When the emulsion of the present invention is a combination of two or more types of emulsions, each of the emulsions may or may not satisfy the requirements of the emulsion of the present invention individually.

The method for producing the emulsion of the present invention is not particularly limited. The emulsion of the present invention can be produced by blending an active ingredient and producing an emulsion. The terms "blending" and "adding" may be used interchangeably. The emulsion of the present invention can be produced, for example, by the same method using the same raw materials as for ordinary emulsions, except for blending an active ingredient.

The emulsion can be produced, for example, by combining and emulsifying emulsion ingredients. The emulsion ingredients are not particularly limited as long as an emulsion having the function of imparting fresh cream flavor can be obtained. The emulsion ingredients can be appropriately selected depending on various conditions, such as the shape of the emulsion of the present invention and the type of food and drink of the present invention. The emulsion ingredients include ingredients other than the active ingredient contained in the emulsion of the present invention. That is, the emulsion ingredients may, for example, be at least water, oils and fats, and an emulsifier, and may further include other ingredients.

Specifically, an emulsion (e.g., an O/W emulsion) can be produced, for example, by emulsifying an aqueous phase and an oil phase in the presence of an emulsifier. The aqueous phase may be, for example, water alone, or a combination of water and one or more other components. The oil phase may be, for example, fats and oils alone, or a combination of water and one or more other components. The emulsifier may be, for example, blended in the aqueous phase and/or oil phase before emulsification, or may be added during emulsification. The emulsifier may be, in particular, blended in the aqueous phase and/or oil phase before emulsification. In addition, other components may be, for example, blended in the aqueous phase and/or oil phase before emulsification, or may be added during emulsification, or may be added after emulsification.

Emulsification can be carried out, for example, by stirring or membrane emulsification. Emulsification conditions can be set appropriately depending on various conditions, for example, the desired median diameter of the emulsified particles. Stirring can be carried out using a stirring device such as a homomixer, colloid mill, high-pressure homogenizer, or high-speed stirrer. Membrane emulsification can be carried out, for example, using a porous membrane such as an SPG membrane (Shirasu porous glass membrane).

By carrying out emulsification in this manner, an emulsion (e.g., an O/W type emulsion) is obtained. The emulsion may be obtained, for example, as a liquid (i.e., an emulsion liquid).

The emulsion thus obtained (e.g., emulsion liquid) may be used as the emulsion of the present invention, for example, as it is, or after being appropriately subjected to a treatment such as dilution, concentration, drying, etc. Drying can be performed by any drying method, for example, spray drying, spray freezing, freeze drying, freeze pulverization, extrusion granulation, etc. The emulsion may be powdered, for example, by drying. For example, an emulsion powder can be prepared by drying an O/W emulsion (e.g., O/W emulsion liquid). The dried product (e.g., emulsion powder) may be used as the emulsion of the present invention, for example, as it is, or after being appropriately subjected to a treatment such as pulverization, granulation, classification, etc. Furthermore, the emulsion (e.g., emulsion liquid or emulsion powder) may be used as the emulsion of the present invention after being combined with other components.

The active ingredient may be added at any stage of the emulsion production process as long as the cream flavor imparting function is obtained. The active ingredient may be, for example, blended in the water phase and/or oil phase before emulsification, or may be added during emulsification. The active ingredient may be blended in the oil phase, particularly before emulsification. That is, an example of a method for producing the emulsion of the present invention may be a method for producing an emulsion (e.g., an O/W type emulsion) that includes emulsifying the water phase and the oil phase in the presence of an emulsifier, and in which the active ingredient is blended in the oil phase before emulsification. By blending the active ingredient in the oil phase before emulsification, an emulsion containing the active ingredient in the emulsion particles can be efficiently produced. The amount of the active ingredient blended in the oil phase before emulsification may be, for example, 50% or more, 60% or more, 70% or more, 80% or more, 90% or more, 95% or more, 98% or more, or 99% or more by weight of the total amount of the active ingredient. The active ingredient may be added only once, or may be added in two or more separate portions. When two or more kinds of ingredients are used as the active ingredient, the ingredients may be added all together, or may be added separately, or may be added separately in any combination. When two or more kinds of ingredients are used as the active ingredient, an emulsion containing all of the ingredients may be prepared and used as the emulsion of the present invention, or two or more kinds of emulsions containing the ingredients separately, or separately in any combination, may be prepared, and these emulsions may be combined and used as the emulsion of the present invention. The amount of the active ingredient (addition amount) can be set according to the content of the active ingredient in the emulsion of the present invention. That is, the content of the active ingredient in the emulsion of the present invention may be read as the amount of the active ingredient (addition amount) in the production method of the emulsion of the present invention. Furthermore, when the emulsion is used as the emulsion of the present invention after being subjected to a process that changes the amount of the components, such as dilution, concentration, or drying, the content of the active ingredient in the emulsion of the present invention may be interpreted as the blended amount (addition amount) of the active ingredient in the production method of the emulsion of the present invention after correcting for the change in the amount of the components.

<2> Method of the Present Invention The method of the present invention is a method including a step of utilizing the emulsion of the present invention.

According to the method of the present invention, specifically by using the emulsion of the present invention, it is possible to impart a fresh cream flavor to food and beverages, that is, the effect of imparting a fresh cream flavor to food and beverages can be obtained. Thus, the method of the present invention may be carried out to impart a fresh cream flavor. That is, the method of the present invention may be, for example, a method for imparting a fresh cream flavor. This method is also referred to as the "method of imparting a fresh cream flavor of the present invention."

Furthermore, by the method of the present invention, specifically by using the emulsion of the present invention, it is possible to produce food and drink products imparted with a fresh cream flavor. Thus, the method of the present invention may be carried out for the production of food and drink products (specifically, the production of food and drink products imparted with a fresh cream flavor). That is, the method of the present invention may be, for example, a method for producing food and drink products (specifically, the production of food and drink products imparted with a fresh cream flavor). This method is also referred to as the "food and drink production method of the present invention."

The emulsion of the present invention can be used to impart a fresh cream flavor or to manufacture a food or beverage by adding it to a food or beverage or its raw materials. That is, the method of the present invention may specifically be, for example, a method of imparting a fresh cream flavor, which includes adding the emulsion of the present invention to a food or beverage or its raw materials. Furthermore, the method of the present invention may specifically be, for example, a method of manufacturing a food or beverage (specifically, manufacturing a food or beverage imparted with a fresh cream flavor), which includes adding the emulsion of the present invention to a food or beverage or its raw materials.

The food and drink obtained by the method of the present invention is also referred to as the "food and drink of the present invention". Specifically, the food and drink of the present invention is a food and drink imparted with a fresh cream flavor. In other words, the food and drink of the present invention is a food and drink to which the emulsion of the present invention has been added. In other words, the food and drink of the present invention is a food and drink containing the emulsion of the present invention. The terms "blended" and "added" may be used interchangeably.

The food and drink is not particularly limited, and includes all kinds of food and drink. The food and drink also includes seasonings. The food and drink may be liquid or solid. Examples of the food and drink include food and drink to which a fresh cream flavor is to be imparted. Examples of the food and drink include food and drink that can be manufactured or eaten by blending milk such as milk, and food and drink that can be manufactured or eaten by blending cream such as fresh cream. The food and drink may, for example, be one in which the amount of milk and/or cream blended is reduced. Specific examples of the food and drink include beverages such as soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, and soups; roux such as curry and stew, or foods and drinks using the same; sauces such as white sauce and gratin, or foods and drinks using the same; fillings such as custard cream and flower paste; and confectioneries such as cakes, mousses, puddings, bavarois, jellies, gums, candies, ice creams, and sherbets. The term "soft drinks" refers to non-alcoholic beverages (beverages with an alcohol concentration of less than 1%) excluding milk and dairy products. Examples of soft drinks include fruit juices, vegetable juices, tea, coffee drinks (coffee, milk drinks with coffee, etc.), cocoa, carbonated drinks, and sports drinks. Examples of soups include potage soup, cream soup, and consommé soup. A specific example of soup is corn soup. Food and drink products may be provided in a form that can be eaten as is, or not. Food and drink products may be prepared in a form suitable for eating before or at the time of eating and then eaten. For example, in the case of drinks such as soup, they may be provided as a container-packed drink that can be eaten as is, or may be provided as a concentrate such as a powder that is diluted and eaten. In addition, food and drink products are not limited to general foods, and also include so-called health foods and medical foods such as nutritional supplements, nutritional functional foods, and foods for specified health uses. For example, the foods and drink products exemplified above may be provided as general foods, or may be provided as health foods or medical foods.

The food or beverage of the present invention can be produced by the same method and using the same raw materials as ordinary food or beverage, except for the addition of the emulsion of the present invention. The emulsion of the present invention may be added at any stage of the production process of the food or beverage. That is, the emulsion of the present invention may be added to the raw materials of the food or beverage, to the food or beverage during its production, or to the finished food or beverage. The emulsion of the present invention may be added only once, or may be added in two or more portions. When the emulsion of the present invention is a combination of two or more types of emulsions, those emulsions may be added to the food or beverage or its raw materials at the same time, or may be added separately, or separately in any combination, to the food or beverage or its raw materials.

The amount of the emulsion of the present invention added in the method of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the effect of imparting fresh cream flavor is obtained. The amount of the emulsion of the present invention added can be appropriately set depending on various conditions such as the type of active ingredient and the type of food or beverage of the present invention.

The blending amount of the emulsion of the present invention may be set so that the content of the active ingredient in the food or drink at the time of ingestion (i.e., ingestion concentration) is within a predetermined range. The ingestion concentration of the active ingredient is, for example, 0.2 ppb (v/w) or more, 0.25 ppb (v/w) or more, 0.3 ppb (v/w) or more, 0.35 ppb (v/w) or more, 0.5 ppb (v/w) or more, 1 ppb (v/w) or more, 2 ppb (v/w) or more, 5 ppb (v/w) or more, 10 ppb (v/w) or more, 15 ppb (v/w) or more, 20 ppb (v/w) or more, 30 ppb (v/w) or more, and the like. b (v/w) or more, 40 ppb (v/w) or more, 50 ppb (v/w) or more, 60 ppb (v/w) or more, 70 ppb (v/w) or more, 80 ppb (v/w) or more, 90 ppb (v/w) or more, 100 ppb (v/w) or more, 120 ppb (v/w) or more, 150 ppb (v/w) or more, 20 0 ppb (v/w) or more, 250 ppb (v/w) or more, 300 ppb (v/w)
) or more, 350 ppb (v/w) or more, 400 ppb (v/w) or more, 450 ppb (v/w) or more, 500 ppb (v/w) or more, 600 ppb (v/w) or more, 700 ppb (v/w) or more, 800 ppb (v/w) or more, 900 ppb (v/w) or more, 1000 ppb (v/w) or more, 1100ppb (v/w) or more, 1200ppb (v/w) or more, 1300ppb (v/w) or more, 1400ppb (v/w) or more, Alternatively, it may be 1500 ppb (v/w) or more, and may be 5000 ppb (v/w) or less, 4000 ppb (v/w) or less, 3000 ppb (v/w) or less, 2500 ppb (v/w) or less, 2000 ppb (v/w) or less, 1500 ppb (v/w) or less, 1400 ppb (v/w) or less, 1300 ppb (v/w) or less, 1200 ppb (v/w) or less, 1100 ppb (v/w) or less, 1000 ppb (v/w) or less, 9 00ppb (v/w) or less, 800ppb (v/w) or less, 700ppb (v/w) or less, 600ppb (v/w) or less, 500ppb (v/w) or less, 450ppb (v/w) or less, 400ppb (v/w) or less, 350ppb (v/w) or less, 300ppb (v/w) or less, 250p pb (v/w) or less, 200 ppb (v/w) or less, 150 ppb (v/w) or less, 100 ppb (v/w) or less, 90 ppb (v/w) The range may be 80 ppb (v/w) or less, 70 ppb (v/w) or less, 60 ppb (v/w) or less, 50 ppb (v/w) or less, 40 ppb (v/w) or less, 30 ppb (v/w) or less, 20 ppb (v/w) or less, 15 ppb (v/w) or less, 10 ppb (v/w) or less, 5 ppb (v/w) or less, 2 ppb (v/w) or less, or 1 ppb (v/w) or less, or any non-consistent combination thereof. Specifically, the ingested concentration of the active ingredient is 5 to 5000 ppb (v/w), 10 to 4000 ppb (v/w), 15 to 3000 ppb (v/w), 0.2 to 5000 ppb (v/w), 0.2 to 1000 ppb (v/w), 0.2 to 100 ppb (v/w), 0.2 to 10 ppb (v/w), 0.2 to 5 ppb (v/w), 0.25 to 5000 ppb (v/w). The ingestion concentration of the active ingredient may be, more specifically, 5 to 5000 ppb (v/w), 10 to 4000 ppb (v/w), or 15 to 3000 ppb (v/w), and may be in this range particularly when one ingredient is selected as the active ingredient. More specifically, the ingested concentration of the active ingredient is 0.2 to 5000 ppb (v/w), 0.2 to 1000 ppb (v/w), 0.2 to 100 ppb (v/w), 0.2 to 10 ppb (v/w), 0.2 to 5 ppb (v/w), 0.25 to 5000 ppb (v/w), 0.25 to 1000 ppb (v/w), 0.25 to 100 ppb (v/w), 0.25 to 10 ppb (v/w), 0.25 to 5 ppb (v/w), .25-5 ppb (v/w), 0.3-5000 ppb (v/w), 0.3-1000 ppb (v/w), 0.3-100 ppb (v/w), 0.3-10 ppb (v/w), or 0.3-5 ppb (v/w), particularly when all of 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, and 2-undecanone are selected as active ingredients.

When at least 2-pentanone is selected as the active ingredient, the blending amount of the emulsion of the present invention may be set, for example, so that the content of 2-pentanone in the food or drink at the time of ingestion (i.e., ingestion concentration) is within a predetermined range. The ingestion concentration of 2-pentanone may be, for example, within the range of the ingestion concentration of the active ingredient exemplified above. The ingested concentration of 2-pentanone may be, for example, particularly, 100 ppb (v/w) or more, 120 ppb (v/w) or more, 150 ppb (v/w) or more, 200 ppb (v/w) or more, 250 ppb (v/w) or more, 300 ppb (v/w) or more, 350 ppb (v/w) or more, 400 ppb (v/w) or more, 450 ppb (v/w) or more, 500 ppb (v/w) or more, or 600 ppb (v/w) or more, and may be 1500 ppb (v/w) or less, 1400 ppb (v/w) or less, 130 The ingested concentration of 2-pentanone may be in the above range in any case where at least 2-pentanone is selected as the active ingredient, but may be in the above range in particular in the case where 2-pentanone is selected alone as the active ingredient. The ingested concentration of 2-pentanone may be specifically 5 to 1500 ppb (v/w), 50 to 1500 ppb (v/w), 100 to 1500 ppb (v/w), 200 to 800 ppb (v/w), or 300 to 600 ppb (v/w). The ingested concentration of 2-pentanone may be 100 to 1500 ppb (v/w), 200 to 800 ppb (v/w), or 300 to 600 ppb (v/w), particularly when 2-pentanone is selected alone as the active ingredient.

When at least 2-heptanone is selected as the active ingredient, the blending amount of the emulsion of the present invention may be set, for example, so that the content of 2-heptanone in the food or drink at the time of ingestion (i.e., ingestion concentration) is within a predetermined range. The ingestion concentration of 2-heptanone may be, for example, within the range of the ingestion concentrations of the active ingredients exemplified above. The ingested concentration of 2-heptanone may be, for example, particularly, 250 ppb (v/w) or more, 300 ppb (v/w) or more, 350 ppb (v/w) or more, 400 ppb (v/w) or more, 450 ppb (v/w) or more, 500 ppb (v/w) or more, 600 ppb (v/w) or more, 700 ppb (v/w) or more, 800 ppb (v/w) or more, 900 ppb (v/w) or more, or 1000 ppb (v/w) or more. The ingested concentration of 2-heptanone may be in the above range in any case where at least 2-heptanone is selected as the active ingredient, but may be in the above range particularly in the case where 2-heptanone is selected alone as the active ingredient. The ingested concentration of 2-heptanone may be specifically 5 to 2000 ppb (v/w), 50 to 2000 ppb (v/w), 100 to 2000 ppb (v/w), 250 to 2000 ppb (v/w), 400 to 1200 ppb (v/w), or 500 to 800 ppb (v/w). The ingested concentration of 2-heptanone may be 250 to 2000 ppb (v/w), 400 to 1200 ppb (v/w), or 500 to 800 ppb (v/w), particularly when 2-heptanone is selected alone as the active ingredient.

When at least 2-nonanone is selected as the active ingredient, the blending amount of the emulsion of the present invention may be set, for example, so that the content of 2-nonanone in the food or drink when ingested (i.e., ingested concentration) is within a predetermined range. The ingested concentration of 2-nonanone may be, for example, within the range of the ingested concentrations of the active ingredients exemplified above. The ingested concentration of 2-nonanone is, for example, particularly, 20 ppb (v/w) or more, 30 ppb (v/w) or more, 40 ppb (v/w) or more, 50 ppb (v/w) or more, 60 ppb (v/w) or more, 70 ppb (v/w) or more, 80 ppb (v/w) or more, 90 ppb (v/w) or more, 100 ppb (v/w) or more, 120 ppb (v/w) or more, 150 ppb (v/w) or more, or 200 ppb (v/w) or more. or may be 450 ppb (v/w) or less, 400 ppb (v/w) or less, 350 ppb (v/w) or less, 300 ppb (v/w) or less, 250 ppb (v/w) or less, 200 ppb (v/w) or less, 150 ppb (v/w) or less, 120 ppb (v/w) or less, 100 ppb (v/w) or less, or 90 ppb (v/w) or less, or any compatible combination thereof. The ingested concentration of 2-nonanone may be within the above range in any case in which at least 2-nonanone is selected as the active ingredient, but may be within the above range particularly in the case in which 2-nonanone is selected alone as the active ingredient. The ingested concentration of 2-nonanone may be specifically 5 to 450 ppb (v/w), 10 to 450 ppb (v/w), 20 to 450 ppb (v/w), 80 to 300 ppb (v/w), or 100 to 200 ppb (v/w). The ingested concentration of 2-nonanone may be 20 to 450 ppb (v/w), 80 to 300 ppb (v/w), or 100 to 200 ppb (v/w), particularly when 2-nonanone is selected alone as the active ingredient.

When at least 2-undecanone is selected as the active ingredient, the blending amount of the emulsion of the present invention may be set, for example, so that the content of 2-undecanone in the food or drink at the time of ingestion (i.e., ingestion concentration) is within a predetermined range. The ingestion concentration of 2-undecanone may be, for example, within the range of the ingestion concentrations of the active ingredients exemplified above. The ingested concentration of 2-undecanone is, for example, particularly, 5 ppb (v/w) or more, 10 ppb (v/w) or more, 15 ppb (v/w) or more, 20 ppb (v/w) or more, 30 ppb (v/w) or more, 40 ppb (v/w) or more, 50 ppb (v/w) or more, 60 ppb (v/w) or more, 70 ppb (v/w) or more, 80 ppb (v/w) or more, 90 ppb (v/w) or more, 100 ppb (v/w) or more, 120 ppb (v/w) or more, 150 ppb (v/w) or more, 200 ppb (v/w) or more. , 250 ppb (v/w) or more, 300 ppb (v/w) or more, 350 ppb (v/w) or more, 400 ppb (v/w) or more, 450 ppb (v/w) or more, 500 ppb (v/w) or more, 600 ppb (v/w) or more, 700 ppb (v/w) or more, 800 ppb (v/w) or more, 900 ppb (v/w) or more, 1000 ppb (v/w) or more, 1100 ppb (v/w) or more, 1200 ppb (v/w) or more, 1300 ppb (v/w) or more, 1400 ppb (v/w) or more, or It may be 1500 ppb (v/w) or more, 3000 ppb (v/w) or less, 2500 ppb (v/w) or less, 2000 ppb (v/w) or less, 1500 ppb (v/w) or less, 1400 ppb (v/w) or less, 1300 ppb (v/w) or less, 1200 ppb (v/w) or less, 1100 ppb (v/w) or less, 1000ppb (v/w) or less, 900ppb (v/w) or less, 800ppb (v/w) or less, 700ppb (v/w) or less, 600ppb (v/w) or less, 500ppb (v/w) or less, 450 ppb (v/w) or less, 400 ppb (v/w) or less, 350 ppb (v/w) or less, 300 ppb (v/w) or less, 250 ppb (v/w) or less, 200 ppb (v/w) or less, 150 ppb (v/w) or less, 100 ppb (v/w) or less, 90 ppb (v/w) or less, 80 ppb (v/w) or less, 70 ppb (v/w) or less, 60 ppb (v/w) or less, or 50 ppb (v/w) or less, or any compatible combination thereof. The ingested concentration of 2-undecanone may be within the above range in any case where at least 2-undecanone is selected as the active ingredient, but may be within the above range particularly when 2-undecanone is selected alone as the active ingredient. The ingested concentration of 2-undecanone may be specifically 5 to 3000 ppb (v/w), 20 to 2000 ppb (v/w), or 40 to 1000 ppb (v/w). The ingested concentration of 2-undecanone may be specifically 5 to 3000 ppb (v/w), 20 to 2000 ppb (v/w), or 40 to 1000 ppb (v/w), especially when 2-undecanone is selected alone as the active ingredient.

In addition, when two or more ingredients are selected as active ingredients, the ingestible concentration of each selected ingredient may be within a range calculated from the ratio of the ingestible concentration of the active ingredient to the content of the selected ingredient in the emulsion of the present invention.

The blending amount of the emulsion of the present invention may be set so that the content of the active ingredient derived from the emulsion particles in the food or drink when consumed (i.e., the consumption concentration) is within a predetermined range. The "consumption concentration of the active ingredient derived from the emulsion particles" may mean the consumption concentration of the part of the active ingredient that is blended in a state of being contained in the emulsion particles. In other words, the "consumption concentration of the active ingredient derived from the emulsion particles" may mean the consumption concentration of the part of the active ingredient that was contained in the emulsion particles in the blended emulsion of the present invention. The consumption concentration of the active ingredient derived from the emulsion particles may be, for example, within the range of the consumption concentration of the active ingredient exemplified above.

When at least 2-pentanone is selected as the active ingredient, the blending amount of the emulsion of the present invention may be set, for example, so that the content of 2-pentanone derived from the emulsion particles when consumed in a food or drink (i.e., the ingestible concentration) is within a predetermined range. The ingestible concentration of 2-pentanone derived from the emulsion particles may be, for example, within the range of the ingestible concentrations of 2-pentanone exemplified above.

When at least 2-heptanone is selected as the active ingredient, the blending amount of the emulsion of the present invention may be set, for example, so that the content of 2-heptanone derived from the emulsion particles when consumed in a food or drink (i.e., the ingestible concentration) is within a predetermined range. The ingestible concentration of 2-heptanone derived from the emulsion particles may be, for example, within the range of the ingestible concentrations of 2-heptanone exemplified above.

When at least 2-nonanone is selected as the active ingredient, the blending amount of the emulsion of the present invention may be set, for example, so that the content of 2-nonanone derived from the emulsion particles when consumed in a food or drink (i.e., the ingested concentration) is within a predetermined range. The ingested concentration of 2-nonanone derived from the emulsion particles may be, for example, within the range of the ingested concentrations of 2-nonanone exemplified above.

When at least 2-undecanone is selected as the active ingredient, the blending amount of the emulsion of the present invention may be set, for example, so that the content of 2-undecanone derived from the emulsion particles when consumed in a food or drink (i.e., the ingestible concentration) is within a predetermined range. The ingestible concentration of 2-undecanone derived from the emulsion particles may be, for example, within the range of the ingestible concentrations of 2-undecanone exemplified above.

In addition, when two or more kinds of ingredients are selected as active ingredients, the ingestible concentration of each selected ingredient derived from the emulsion particles may be within a range calculated from the ratio of the ingestible concentration of the active ingredient derived from the emulsion particles to the content of the selected ingredient in the emulsion particles in the emulsion of the present invention.

The consumption concentration of the active ingredient exemplified above can be used as is or appropriately modified to be the amount of active ingredient added depending on the manner of consumption of the food or beverage. In other words, when producing a food or beverage that is consumed without being concentrated or diluted (e.g., consumed as is), the consumption concentration of the active ingredient exemplified above can be read as the amount of active ingredient added as is. Also, when producing a food or beverage that is consumed after being concentrated or diluted, the amount of active ingredient added can be set based on the consumption concentration of the active ingredient exemplified above and the concentration or dilution rate. For example, when producing a food or beverage that is consumed after being diluted 10 times, the amount of active ingredient added can be set to 10 times the consumption concentration of the active ingredient exemplified above.

The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the following non-limiting examples.

Example 1: Preparation of emulsion containing 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, and/or 2-undecanone (1) Preparation of solutions of 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, and 2-undecanone Solutions of the following components (A) to (D) were prepared as follows.
100 μL of each of (A) to (D) was diluted with 99.5% by volume ethanol to a total volume of 10 mL to prepare 10,000 ppm (v/v) solutions.
(A) 2-pentanone: manufactured by Sigma-Aldrich (B) 2-heptanone: manufactured by Sigma-Aldrich (C) 2-nonanone: manufactured by Sigma-Aldrich (D) 2-undecanone: manufactured by Sigma-Aldrich

(2) Preparation of Emulsion According to the composition of O/W type emulsion for general creaming powder production, the aqueous phase and the oil phase were prepared. To the oil phase, 10,000 ppm (v/v) of 2-pentanone (component (A)), 2-heptanone (component (B)), 2-nonanone (component (C)), and/or 2-undecanone (component (D)) solution prepared in (1) above was added so as to obtain the desired ingestible concentration of each component (see each experiment described below), and the mixture was thoroughly stirred and mixed. After mixing the oil phase and the aqueous phase, emulsification was performed under the conditions shown in Table 1 to prepare an O/W type emulsion containing components (A), (B), (C), and/or (D) in the emulsion particles. The median diameter of the emulsion (i.e., the median diameter of the emulsion oil droplets) was measured using a laser diffraction particle size distribution analyzer (SALD2300, manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation). The measurement results are shown in Table 1.

(3) Preparation of creaming powder Separately, an emulsion was prepared in the same manner as in (2) above, and spray-dried to prepare a creaming powder. The median diameters of the emulsion and creaming powder were measured using a laser diffraction particle size distribution measuring device (SALD2300, manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation). The measurement results are shown in Table 2. Since the median diameter of the emulsion did not change before and after drying, the following evaluations were performed using the emulsion.

Example 2 Evaluation of the Additive Effect and Emulsifying Effect of 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, and/or 2-undecanone on the Flavor of Corn Soup In this example, corn soup containing fresh cream and milk was used as an evaluation system to evaluate the additive effect and emulsifying effect of 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, and/or 2-undecanone on the flavor of corn soup.

(1) Preparation of Corn Soup Base Powdered soup base was prepared by mixing ingredients according to the composition shown in Table 3. 17.4 g of this powdered soup base was dispersed in 150 mL of boiling water to prepare corn soup base.

(2) Preparation of Corn Soup As a sample having a fresh cream flavor (positive control: corn soup (P)), corn soup was prepared by adding 4.6 g of “Specially Selected Hokkaido Pure Fresh Cream 35,” a fresh cream with a milk fat content of 35.0% produced by Takanashi Dairy Products Co., Ltd., and 22.9 g of “Meiji Oishii Gyunyu,” an unadjusted milk produced by Meiji Corporation, to 167.4 g of the corn soup base prepared above.

As a sample without fresh cream flavor (negative control: corn soup (N)), corn soup was prepared by adding 2.3 g of "Specially Selected Hokkaido Pure Fresh Cream 35" fresh cream with 35.0% milk fat content manufactured by Takanashi Dairy Co., Ltd., 11.5 g of "Meiji Oishii Gyunyu" milk without added ingredients manufactured by Meiji Co., Ltd., and 13.7 g of boiling water to 167.4 g of the corn soup base prepared above.

A fresh cream flavored reference sample (Corn Soup (R)) was prepared by adding 2.5 g of "Specially Selected Hokkaido Pure Fresh Cream 47," a fresh cream with a milk fat content of 47.0% produced by Takanashi Dairy Co., Ltd., to 50 mL of the above Corn Soup (N). The fresh cream flavor was defined as a sweet flavor that is felt in the middle to aftertaste and that lingers in the nose when consuming Corn Soup (R).

(3) Evaluation of the Additive Effect and Emulsifying Effect of Components (A) to (D) on the Flavor of Corn Soup (3-1)
To 50 mL of corn soup (N), 585 μL of the emulsion prepared in Example 1 (2) was added and thoroughly stirred to prepare an evaluation sample. The contents (ingestion concentrations) of components (A) to (D) in the evaluation sample are shown in Table 4. In the table, "ppb" stands for "ppb (v/w)."

For each evaluation sample, the fresh cream flavor was evaluated by a sensory evaluation by three expert panelists.

The evaluation criteria for the fresh cream flavor were set as follows, using corn soup (N), corn soup (P), corn soup (R), and Takanashi Dairy Co., Ltd.'s 47.0% milk fat fresh cream "Specially Selected Hokkaido Pure Fresh Cream 47" as the reference samples.
---: Unpleasant off-flavor present -: No cream flavor (same cream flavor as corn soup (N))
±: Has a weak cream flavor, but the timing of the flavor is different from that of fresh cream. +: Has a cream flavor, and the timing of the flavor is the same as that of fresh cream (has the same cream flavor as corn soup (P)).
++: Strong cream flavor, with the timing of the flavor being the same as that of cream (same cream flavor as Corn Soup (R))
+++: Very strong fresh cream flavor, with the timing of the flavor being the same as fresh cream (same fresh cream flavor as fresh cream with a milk fat content of 47.0%)

The evaluation results are shown in Table 4. The effect of imparting fresh cream flavor was observed in all cases where the median diameter was 0.5 to 2.2 μm. In particular, a significant effect of imparting fresh cream flavor was observed when the median diameter was 1.1 μm. From the above, it became clear that the median diameter of the emulsion is important for the effect of imparting fresh cream flavor. In addition, the effect of imparting fresh cream flavor was observed when the 2-pentanone concentration when consumed was 200 to 800 ppb, the 2-heptanone concentration when consumed was 400 to 1200 ppb, the 2-nonanone concentration when consumed was 80 to 300 ppb, or the 2-undecanone concentration when consumed was 20 to 2000 ppb.

(3-2)
585 μL of the emulsion containing all of the components (A) to (D) prepared in Example 1 (2) was added to 50 mL of corn soup (N) and thoroughly stirred to prepare evaluation sample 1. The contents (ingestion concentrations) of the components (A) to (D) in evaluation sample 1 are shown in Table 5. In the table, "ppb" stands for "ppb (v/w)."

Evaluation sample 2 was prepared by adding 585 μL of the emulsion not containing components (A) to (D) and the 10,000 ppm (v/v) solution of components (A) to (D) prepared in Example 1 (1) to 50 mL of corn soup (N) and thoroughly stirring. The emulsion not containing components (A) to (D) was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 (2) except that components (A) to (D) were not blended. The contents of components (A) to (D) in evaluation sample 2 are shown in Table 5. In the table, "ppb" stands for "ppb (v/w)".

Evaluation samples 1 and 2 were evaluated for cream flavor using the same procedure as above (6-2).

The evaluation results are shown in Table 5. When components (A) to (D) were mixed with the oil phase and added as an emulsion, a significant effect of imparting fresh cream flavor was observed, whereas when components (A) to (D) were added separately from the emulsion, no effect of imparting fresh cream flavor was observed. From the above, it became clear that it is effective to add components (A) to (D) in an emulsion state.

Example 3: Evaluation of the effect of adding 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, and 2-undecanone on the flavor of corn soup In this example, corn soup containing no fresh cream or milk was used as an evaluation system to evaluate the effect of adding 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, and 2-undecanone on the flavor of corn soup.

(1) Preparation of Corn Soup Base Powdered soup base was prepared by mixing ingredients according to the composition shown in Table 6. 17.5 g of this powdered soup base was dispersed in 150 mL of boiling water to prepare corn soup base.

(2) Preparation of Corn Soup As a sample having a fresh cream flavor (positive control: corn soup (P)), corn soup was prepared by adding 0.4 g of “Specially Selected Hokkaido Pure Fresh Cream 47,” a fresh cream with a milk fat content of 47.0% produced by Takanashi Dairy Co., Ltd., to the corn soup base prepared above.

The corn soup base prepared above was used as a sample without cream flavor function (negative control: corn soup (N)).

(3) Evaluation of the effect of adding components (A) to (D) on the flavor of corn soup 585 μL of the emulsion prepared in Example 1 (2) was added to 50 mL of corn soup (N) and thoroughly stirred to prepare evaluation samples 1 to 10. The contents (ingestion concentrations) of components (A) to (D) in the evaluation samples are shown in Table 7. In the table, "ppb" stands for "ppb (v/w)."

The cream flavor of the evaluation samples was evaluated through a sensory evaluation by three expert panelists.

The evaluation criteria for cream flavor were set as follows, using corn soup (N) and corn soup (P) as reference samples.

The cream flavor of the evaluation samples was evaluated through a sensory evaluation by three expert panelists.

The evaluation criteria for the fresh cream flavor were set as follows, using corn soup (N) and corn soup (P) as reference samples.
---: Unpleasant off-flavor -: No cream flavor (same as corn soup (N))
±: Has a weak cream flavor, but the timing of the flavor is different from that of fresh cream. +: Has a cream flavor, and the timing of the flavor is the same as that of fresh cream (has the same cream flavor as corn soup (P)).
++: Strong cream flavor, with flavor timing equivalent to that of cream (stronger cream flavor than corn soup (P))
+++: Extremely strong cream flavor, with flavor timing equivalent to that of fresh cream (much stronger cream flavor than corn soup (P))

The evaluation results are shown in Table 7. The addition of an emulsion containing components (A) to (D) was found to have a significant effect of imparting a fresh cream flavor. In particular, the addition of an emulsion containing components (A) to (D) was found to have an effect of imparting a fresh cream flavor even when the total ingested concentration of components (A) to (D) was a low concentration of 0.34 ppb. From the above, it was confirmed that the emulsion of the present invention can impart a fresh cream flavor even to foods and beverages that do not contain fresh cream or milk. It was also confirmed that the combination of all of components (A) to (D) can efficiently impart a fresh cream flavor.

Claims (15)

An emulsion,
Contains methyl ketone and emulsifying particles,
At least a portion of the methyl ketone is contained in the emulsion particles,
The median diameter of the emulsion particles is 0.2 to 3 μm.
An emulsion having at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of the following (1A) to (1C) and (1E):
(1A) The methyl ketone is 2-pentanone, and the 2-pentanone is consumed at an ingestion concentration of 300 to 900 ppb (v/w);
(1B) The methyl ketone is 2-heptanone, and the 2-heptanone is consumed at a concentration of 300 to 700 ppb (v/w);
(1C) The methyl ketone is 2-nonanone, and the 2-nonanone is consumed at an ingestion concentration of 100 to 350 ppb (v/w) ;
( 1E) The methyl ketone is a combination of 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, and 2-undecanone, and the methyl ketone is consumed at a concentration of 0.3 to 800 ppb (v/w). The emulsion according to claim 1, wherein 50% or more of the total amount of the methyl ketone is contained in the emulsion particles by weight. The emulsion according to claim 1 or 2, wherein 90% or more of the total amount of the methyl ketone is contained in the emulsion particles by weight. The emulsion according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the median diameter of the emulsion particles is 0.7 to 1.7 μm. The emulsion according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is a liquid or a powder. The emulsion according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which is an O/W type emulsion or a dry powder thereof. The emulsion according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which is a composition for imparting a fresh cream flavor. The emulsion according to any one of claims 1 to 7, having at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of the following (2A) to (2C), and (2E):
(2A) The methyl ketone is 2-pentanone, and the emulsion particles are ingested so that the ingested concentration of 2-pentanone derived from the emulsion particles is 300 to 900 ppb (v/w);
(2B) The methyl ketone is 2-heptanone, and the emulsion particles are ingested so that the ingested concentration of 2-heptanone derived from the emulsion particles is 300 to 700 ppb (v/w);
(2C) The methyl ketone is 2-nonanone, and the emulsion particles are ingested so that the ingested concentration of 2-nonanone derived from the emulsion particles is 100 to 350 ppb (v/w) ;
( 2E) The methyl ketone is a combination of 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, and 2-undecanone, and the methyl ketone is ingested so that the ingested concentration of the methyl ketone derived from the emulsified particles is 0.3 to 800 ppb (v/w). A method for producing a food or beverage comprising adding the emulsion according to any one of claims 1 to 8 to a food or beverage or its raw materials. The method according to claim 9, wherein the food or drink produced is a food or drink flavored with fresh cream. A method for imparting a cream flavor to a food or drink, comprising adding the emulsion according to any one of claims 1 to 8 to the food or drink or its ingredients. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the food or drink is a beverage. The method of claim 12, wherein the beverage is a soup or a coffee beverage. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 13, having at least one feature selected from the group consisting of the following (1A) to (1C), and (1E):
(1A) The methyl ketone is 2-pentanone, and the 2-pentanone is added so that the ingested concentration is 300 to 900 ppb (v/w);
(1B) The methyl ketone is 2-heptanone, and the 2-heptanone is added so that the ingested concentration is 300 to 700 ppb (v/w);
(1C) The methyl ketone is 2-nonanone, and the 2-nonanone is added so that the ingested concentration is 100 to 350 ppb (v/w) ;
( 1E) The methyl ketone is a combination of 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, and 2-undecanone, and is added so that the methyl ketone intake concentration is 0.3 to 800 ppb (v/w). The method according to any one of claims 9 to 14, having at least one feature selected from the group consisting of the following (2A) to (2C), and (2E):
(2A) The methyl ketone is 2-pentanone, and is added so that the ingested concentration of 2-pentanone derived from the emulsified particles is 300 to 900 ppb (v/w);
(2B) The methyl ketone is 2-heptanone, and is added so that the ingested concentration of 2-heptanone derived from the emulsified particles is 300 to 700 ppb (v/w);
(2C) The methyl ketone is 2-nonanone, and is added so that the ingestible concentration of 2-nonanone derived from the emulsified particles is 100 to 350 ppb (v/w) ;
( 2E) The methyl ketone is a combination of 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, and 2-undecanone, and is added so that the ingested concentration of the methyl ketone derived from the emulsified particles is 0.3 to 800 ppb (v/w).