JP7785447B2 - oil-in-water emulsion - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an oil-in-water emulsion, a food product containing this oil-in-water emulsion, and whipped cream made by whipping the oil-in-water emulsion.

Traditionally, whipped cream, made by whipping fresh cream, has been used for toppings, sandwiches, and other applications on cakes, desserts, and coffee. However, as an oil-in-water emulsion, fresh cream has poor emulsion stability and is prone to emulsion breakdown when exposed to vibration and temperature in its oil-in-water state. Even when whipped cream is used as whipped cream, it has an extremely short end width and is very "tight." Furthermore, when this whipped cream is subjected to secondary processing using a topping machine or topping machine, it is subjected to pressure and increased temperature, resulting in poor spreadability when used as a topping. When used as a topping, the artificial flowers do not hold up well and the texture is poor.

For this reason, in recent years, foaming oil-in-water emulsions made by emulsifying vegetable oils have been used instead of fresh cream. However, foaming oil-in-water emulsions made by emulsifying vegetable oils have a weaker milky taste and richness than fresh cream, and furthermore, they do not fully suppress the unpleasant flavors derived from flavorings and sugars that are added to enhance the flavor.

As means for solving these problems, methods have been proposed, such as blending flavoring materials, non-fat milk solids, sweetening materials, and flavoring agents produced from milk and dairy products (Patent Document 1), and blending flavoring materials obtained by heat-treating an aqueous whey mineral liquid (Patent Document 2).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-147628 JP 2013-233089 A

However, these methods were not effective enough in suppressing the milky taste, richness, and unpleasant flavors.

The present invention was made in light of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an oil-in-water emulsion that can impart a milky taste and richness and suppress unpleasant flavors derived from flavorings and carbohydrates.

To solve the above problems, the present invention provides an oil-in-water emulsion containing carbohydrates, yeast extract, and whey powder, characterized in that the carbohydrates, yeast extract, and whey powder are contained in a ratio (by mass) of 1:0.00050 to 1:0.20 to 5.

The food and beverage of the present invention is characterized by containing the above-mentioned oil-in-water emulsion.

The oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention can impart a milky taste and richness, while suppressing off-flavors derived from flavorings and carbohydrates.

The present invention is described in detail below.

The oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention contains carbohydrates, yeast extract, whey powder, oils and fats, and water.

Examples of the carbohydrate contained in the oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention include saccharides such as monosaccharides (glucose, fructose, galactose, mannose, etc.) and disaccharides (lactose (milk sugar), sucrose, maltose, trehalose, etc.);
Oligosaccharides such as fructooligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides (4'-galactosyllactose), xylooligosaccharides, beet oligosaccharides (raffinose), soybean oligosaccharides (raffinose, stachyose), and lactoferrin oligosaccharides (lactosucrose);
Dextrins (dextrin, maltodextrin, isomaltodextrin (branched maltodextrin), starch syrup, powdered syrup, cyclodextrin, branched cyclodextrin, roasted dextrin, polymeric dextrin, indigestible dextrin), inulins (inulin, inulin hydrolysate, agave inulin), thickening polysaccharides (LM pectin, HM pectin, pullulan, guar gum, guar gum hydrolysate, xanthan gum, gum arabic, ghatti gum, native gellan gum, deacylated gellan gum, locust bean gum, tara gum, galactomannan, glucomannan, konjac mannan, caramel Polysaccharides such as dolan, carrageenan, karaya gum, cassia gum, tamarind seed gum, tragacanth gum, fenugreek gum, psyllium seed gum, succinoglycan, rhamsan gum, alginic acid, sodium alginate, PGA (propylene glycol alginate), soybean polysaccharides, methylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, agar, gelatin, fucoidan, porphyran, laminaran), starch, resistant starch, isomaltulose, polydextrose, indigestible glucan, and arabinogalactan;
Sugar alcohols such as erythritol, sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol, lactitol, reduced isomaltulose, and mannitol;
and the like, and dextrins are particularly preferred.

The oil-in-water emulsion composition of the present invention preferably contains, as the carbohydrate, dextrins having a DE value of 5 to 30 and a viscosity of a 50% aqueous solution at 20°C in the range of 50 to 500 mPa·s. The DE value of the dextrins used in the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 7 to 25, more preferably 15 to 25, from the viewpoint of further enhancing the effects of imparting a milky flavor and richness and suppressing off-flavors derived from flavorings and carbohydrates. The viscosity of the dextrins is also not particularly limited, but is preferably 60 to 300 mPa·s, more preferably 100 to 200 mPa·s, from the viewpoint of further enhancing the effects of imparting a milky flavor and richness and suppressing off-flavors derived from flavorings and carbohydrates. Dextrins with a wide molecular weight distribution are more preferred, from the viewpoint of further enhancing the effects of imparting a milky flavor and richness and suppressing off-flavors derived from flavorings and carbohydrates.

The dextrins used in the present invention are partial starch hydrolysates obtained by chemically or enzymatically depolymerizing starch, and commercially available products can be used. Examples of starch sources include corn, cassava, rice, potato, sweet potato, and wheat.

The viscosity of dextrins was measured at 20°C using a 50% aqueous solution (heated and dissolved, then cooled and the moisture content adjusted) using a Brookfield viscometer (BH type) with a No. 1 rotor at 20 rpm for 30 seconds.

The DE value (Dextrose Equivalent) is an index of the chain length of glucose residues, which are the structural units of dextrins, and indicates the reducing sugar content (%) of dextrins. The higher the value, the shorter the chain length of the dextrins.

The carbohydrate content in the oil-in-water emulsion is not particularly limited, but from the perspective of enhancing the milky feel, it is preferably 0.5% by mass to 10% by mass, more preferably 1% by mass to 5% by mass, and even more preferably 2% by mass to 4% by mass.

The yeast extract contained in the oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention is a liquid or powdered substance obtained by extracting useful components from yeast, such as amino acids, nucleic acids, minerals, and vitamins. Yeast extract can be obtained from the raw material yeast by methods such as autolysis, enzymatic hydrolysis extraction, and hot water extraction, but the extraction method is not particularly limited. The raw material yeast is preferably, but not limited to, the genus Saccharomyces, such as baker's yeast and brewer's yeast, or the genus Candida, such as torula yeast. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The yeast extract contained in the oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of further enhancing the effect of suppressing unpleasant flavors derived from flavorings and carbohydrates, yeast extracts containing 45% or more by weight of protein per dry weight, or yeast extracts containing more than 15% by weight and not more than 25% by weight of free glutamic acid per dry weight are preferred.

Commercially available yeast extracts (such as those used in the examples below) may be used in the present invention.

The amount of protein in yeast extract can be determined by measuring the total nitrogen content using, for example, the Kjeldahl method or the combustion method (modified Dumas method) and multiplying the measured value by the nitrogen-to-protein conversion factor of 6.25. The amount of free glutamic acid in yeast extract can be measured using, for example, a JEOL JLC-500/V automated amino acid analyzer, an Acquity UPLC system from Waters (USA), or a BF-5 biosensor from Oji Scientific Instruments, following the accompanying instructions. The BF-5 biosensor quantifies glutamic acid in solution using an enzyme electrode that reacts specifically to glutamic acid; this enzyme electrode does not react with glutamic acid in proteins or peptides. Therefore, using such an instrument, only free glutamic acid can be selectively quantified. When measuring using the BF-5 biosensor, measurements are performed on a 5-fold diluted solution of yeast extract, and a calibration curve can be prepared using 1 mM and 5 mM glutamic acid standard solutions.

The content of yeast extract in the oil-in-water emulsion is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of sufficiently suppressing off-flavors derived from flavorings and carbohydrates, it is preferably 0.0025% by mass or more, more preferably 0.005% by mass or more, even more preferably 0.01% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 0.02% by mass or more. From the viewpoint of suppressing a decrease in the milky flavor, the upper limit of the content of yeast extract in the oil-in-water emulsion is preferably 1% by mass or less, more preferably 0.6% by mass or less, even more preferably 0.08% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 0.05% by mass or less.

The ratio (by mass) of yeast extract to 1 unit of carbohydrate in the oil-in-water emulsion is preferably 0.0012 or more, and more preferably 0.005 or more, from the viewpoint of enhancing the effect of suppressing off-flavors derived from flavorings and carbohydrates. The upper limit of the ratio of yeast extract to 1 unit of carbohydrate in the oil-in-water emulsion is preferably 0.05 or less, and more preferably 0.03 or less, from the viewpoint of suppressing a decrease in the milky flavor.

Whey powder contained in the oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention is not particularly limited, but examples include whey powder, protein-concentrated whey powder, whey cheese (WC), whey protein concentrate (WPC), and whey protein isolate (WPI). These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The amount of whey powder in the oil-in-water emulsion is not particularly limited, but from the perspective of enhancing the milky texture, it is preferably 0.5 to 10% by mass, more preferably 1 to 5% by mass, and even more preferably 1 to 3% by mass.

The ratio (by mass) of whey powder to carbohydrate in the oil-in-water emulsion is preferably 0.25 to 5, and more preferably 0.4 to 1.5, from the perspective of enhancing the milky texture.

Any edible oil or fat can be used as the oil contained in the oil-in-water emulsion. For example, the oil-in-water emulsion can contain one or more of the following types of oils: palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, rice oil, safflower oil, corn oil, olive oil, sesame oil, shea butter, monkey fat, cocoa butter, lard, beef tallow, milk fat, fractionated oils thereof, and processed oils thereof (those that have undergone one or more of the following processes: hydrogenation and transesterification).

The content of fats and oils in the oil-in-water emulsion is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of whipping properties, it is preferably 10 to 50% by mass, more preferably 20 to 45% by mass, and even more preferably 30 to 40% by mass. Whippability here refers to whipping time, texture, change in hardness of whipped cream over time, ease of creasing, resistance to secondary processing, and artificial flower properties.

The oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention contains carbohydrates, yeast extract, and whey powder in a ratio (by mass) of 1:0.00050 to 1:0.20 to 5. From the perspective of further enhancing the effects of imparting a milky flavor and richness and suppressing unpleasant flavors derived from flavorings and carbohydrates, it is more preferable to contain carbohydrates, yeast extract, and whey powder in a ratio of 1:0.0012 to 0.05:0.25 to 5, and even more preferable to contain them in a ratio of 1:0.005 to 0.03:0.4 to 1.5.

The whey powder contained in the oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention is not particularly limited, but from the perspective of imparting a milky texture and richness, whey powder with a lipid to carbohydrate ratio of 0.005 to 1 is preferred, whey powder with a lipid to carbohydrate ratio of 0.01 to 0.1 is more preferred, and whey powder with a lipid to carbohydrate ratio of 0.02 to 0.05 is even more preferred.

Commercially available whey powder (e.g., the one used in the examples below) may be used as the whey powder in the present invention.

The carbohydrate content in whey powder can be determined by subtracting the water, fat, protein, and ash content from the total weight.

The lipid content of whey powder can be determined by, for example, ether extraction, chloroform/methanol mixture extraction, Gerber method, acid hydrolysis, Roese-Gottlieb method, etc. Furthermore, carbohydrates in whey powder can be determined by subtracting the water, protein, lipid, and ash content of the whey powder from the total to determine carbohydrates. The moisture content of whey powder can be determined by, for example, the Karl Fischer method, drying gun method, vacuum heat drying method, atmospheric pressure heat drying method, plastic film method, etc.

The protein content of whey powder can be determined, for example, by measuring the total nitrogen content using the Kjeldahl method or the combustion method (modified Dumas method) and multiplying the measured value by the nitrogen-to-protein conversion factor of 6.25.

The ash content in whey powder can be determined, for example, by the magnesium acetate ashing method, direct ashing method, or sulfuric acid ashing method.

The oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention preferably contains buttermilk. By adding buttermilk to the oil-in-water emulsion, it is possible to impart additional richness to the emulsion.

The buttermilk contained in the oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention is not particularly limited, but it is particularly preferably in powder form (buttermilk powder) from the viewpoint of efficiently enhancing the effect of imparting a milky texture and richness, and suppressing off-flavors derived from flavorings and carbohydrates.

The buttermilk content in the oil-in-water emulsion is not particularly limited, but from the perspective of imparting further richness, it is preferably 0.01 to 10% by mass, more preferably 0.5 to 5.0% by mass, and even more preferably 1.0 to 3.0% by mass. Note that the buttermilk content is based on the solids content of the buttermilk.

The ratio (by mass) of buttermilk to 1 carbohydrate in the oil-in-water emulsion is preferably 0.1 to 5, from the viewpoint of imparting richness without reducing the milky flavor. The lower limit of the ratio of buttermilk to 1 carbohydrate is more preferably 0.5 or more. The upper limit of the ratio of buttermilk to 1 carbohydrate is more preferably 4.5 or less, from the viewpoint of preventing a reduction in the milky flavor. The ratio of buttermilk to 1 carbohydrate is based on the solids content of the buttermilk.

Oil-in-water emulsions may also contain various ingredients, such as milk or dairy products, emulsifiers, pH adjusters, flavors, coloring ingredients, and antioxidants.

Examples of milk include cow's milk. Examples of dairy products include skim milk, fresh cream, cheese (natural cheese, processed cheese, etc.), fermented milk, concentrated milk, concentrated skim milk, unsweetened condensed milk, sweetened condensed milk, unsweetened condensed skim milk, sweetened condensed skim milk, whole milk powder, skim milk powder, cream powder, total milk protein, sodium caseinate, potassium caseinate, etc. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Examples of emulsifiers include glycerin fatty acid esters, glycerin organic acid fatty acid esters, polyglycerin esters (polyglycerin fatty acid esters, polyglycerin condensed ricinoleate esters), sorbitan fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters, lecithin (soybean lecithin, egg yolk lecithin, sunflower lecithin), enzymatically hydrolyzed lecithin (soybean lysolecithin, egg yolk lysolecithin), saponin, calcium stearoyl lactylate, sodium stearoyl lactylate, modified starch (etherified carboxymethyl starch, hydroxypropyl starch, esterified starch phosphate, sodium starch octenylsuccinate, starch acetate, heat-moisture treated starch, acid-treated starch, cross-linked starch, pregelatinized starch, resistant starch, etc.), sphingolipids, plant sterols, bile powder, and tomato glycolipids. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The emulsifier is not particularly limited, but taking into consideration the emulsion stability of the oil-in-water emulsion before whipping, and the need to rapidly aggregate the fat in the cream during whipping to partially destroy the emulsion and maintain the demulsified state for a long period of time, it is possible to use lecithin, whose main component is a phospholipid such as phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidic acid, or phosphatidylserine, in combination with sucrose fatty acid esters, glycerin fatty acid esters, etc.

Examples of pH adjusters include inorganic salts such as phosphate, metaphosphate, polyphosphate, and pyrophosphate, and organic acid salts such as citrate and tartrate. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention can be produced, for example, by the following procedure.

The various ingredients, such as oils and fats, carbohydrates, yeast extract, whey powder, emulsifiers, and water, are mixed and emulsified. A homomixer or similar device can be used for emulsification. Typically, lipophilic emulsifiers are added to the oil phase, and hydrophilic emulsifiers are added to the aqueous phase. Hydrophilic ingredients such as yeast extract and powdered milk are dissolved in water before use. Emulsification can be carried out by heating the oil phase to a temperature at which the blended oils and fats are completely dissolved, and heating the aqueous phase to a temperature at which the oil phase does not drop in temperature after mixing, and then mixing the oil phase with the aqueous phase, at a temperature of, for example, 60-70°C.

After emulsification, homogenization is carried out. Homogenization can be carried out using a high-pressure homogenizer, appropriately setting conditions such as pressure that are conventionally used in the production of oil-in-water emulsions. The median diameter of the oil droplets can be adjusted during this homogenization process. In addition, pasteurization or sterilization can be performed before or after homogenization. The median diameter after homogenization is preferably 0.8 to 1.6 μm, and more preferably 1.0 to 1.3 μm.

The homogenized emulsion is then cooled to obtain the oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention. Cooling is preferably carried out using equipment capable of cooling to the desired temperature in a short period of time. Examples of such equipment include a plate heat exchanger or a tubular heat exchanger. It is preferable to use such equipment to cool to a temperature range of 1 to 7°C in a short period of time. After cooling, the emulsion is stirred under refrigeration, and on an industrial scale, it is left to stabilize (age) in a tank at the cooling temperature for, for example, 1 to 2 days. The emulsion is then filled into a product.

Examples of foods containing the oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention include whipped cream, crème fromage, milk jam, mousse, baked cheese, rare cheese, terrine, soup, milk paste, flower paste, jelly, etc.

Whipped cream in a foamed state can be produced by stirring the oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention using a whipping tool or a dedicated mixer (such as an open-type vertical mixer or a closed-type continuous mixer) to incorporate air. During foaming, carbohydrates such as granulated sugar, sugar, and liquid sugar, as well as alcohol, flavors, thickening agents, and fresh cream may also be added.

The whipped cream obtained in this way can be stored in the refrigerator if necessary, and then subjected to secondary processing. Here, secondary processing includes shaping methods using machines that pass the whipped cream through a nappe machine or depositor after whipping, as well as manual shaping methods such as nappe using a spatula or pouring using a piping bag.

The whipped cream obtained in this way can be used for a variety of food applications, such as toppings for cakes, bread, pies, choux pastries, Danish pastries, cookies, biscuit and cake sandwiches, and as a topping for desserts and coffee.

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

The yeast extracts used are shown in Table 1.

The whey powder used is shown in Table 2.

<Preparation of oil-in-water emulsion>
The blending amounts in the oil-in-water emulsions are as shown in Tables 3 to 7. In the blending amounts shown in Tables 3 to 7, an oil-soluble emulsifier was added to the fat or oil to form an oil phase. Meanwhile, carbohydrates, yeast extract, whey powder, buttermilk powder, a water-soluble emulsifier, phosphates, and flavorings were added to water to form an aqueous phase. The blending amount of water in the aqueous phase (the remainder) was adjusted so that the total oil-in-water emulsion was 100% by mass.
The aqueous phase and oil phase were heated to 65°C, the oil phase was added to the aqueous phase, and the mixture was emulsified by stirring, followed by homogenization using a high-pressure homogenizer. The mixture was then rapidly cooled to 1-5°C and further aged for 10 hours in a refrigerator while stirring to obtain an oil-in-water emulsion.

<Making whipped cream>
1.20 5 kg of oil-in-water emulsion and 600 g of granulated sugar were added to a coated bowl. 2.1 was adjusted to 5°C, and then whipped using a vertical mixer (Kanto Mixing Machinery Co., Ltd.) to obtain whipped cream.

<Making creme fromage>
1. 100 g of softened cream cheese was mixed with 30 g of sour cream, 4 g of condensed milk, and 3 g of lemon juice. 2. 200 g of the oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention and 50 g of granulated sugar were added and whipped to obtain a cream fromage.

<Making rare cheese>
1. Mix 15g of granulated sugar, 20g of egg yolk, and 4g of plain flour. 2. Add 40g of water to 50g of Mirukool 1000LT (manufactured by Miyoshi Oil & Fats Co., Ltd.) and heat, then add to 1 to make a custard. 3. Add 20g of the oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention, 10g of yogurt, and 2g of lemon juice to 100g of softened cream cheese. 4. While the custard from 2 was still warm, combine it with 3 and whip. 5. Pour 4 into dessert cups and allow to cool.

<Making milk jam>
1. 100 g of the oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention and 100 g of milk were placed in a saucepan and mixed while stirring. 100 g of granulated sugar, 30 g of trehalose, 5 g of buttermilk powder, 5 g of powdered agar (product name: Le Quinten Ultra, manufactured by Ina Foods Co., Ltd.), and 1.5 g of thickener (product name: Ceolus DX-2, manufactured by Asahi Kasei Corporation) were sprinkled in to prevent lumps from forming, and the mixture was brought to a boil. 2. 50 g of condensed milk and 30 g of starch syrup (product name: Harrowdex, manufactured by Hayashibara Co., Ltd.) were added, and the mixture was boiled down without burning. 3. The mixture was removed from the heat, and 15 g of an oil composition (product name: Pantheon Select Butter Rich, manufactured by Miyoshi Oil & Fats Co., Ltd.), 5 g of milk liqueur, 3 g of salt, and 0.2 g of vanilla milk flavor (manufactured by Chemi.com Japan Co., Ltd.) were added.

The resulting oil-in-water emulsion and the whipped cream, crème fromage, rare cheese, and milk jam obtained by whipping it were evaluated as follows.

<Tasting evaluation of whipped cream, cream fromage, rare cheese, and milk jam>
After whipping, the whipped cream, creme fromage, rare cheese, and milk jam were left to stand at 10°C for one day, and then a panel of 20 people tasted them and evaluated the milky texture, richness of the milk, masking, and overall evaluation according to the following criteria. An overall evaluation of △ or better was considered to have resolved the issue.
The sensory evaluation below was carried out after the selection of the panel shown below and discussion among the panel.
A five-taste (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami) discrimination test, a taste concentration difference discrimination test, a food taste discrimination test, and a standard olfactory test were conducted, and 20 panelists (8 men and 12 women in their 20s to 40s) who were judged to be suitable for each test were selected.
Next, before conducting the sensory evaluation, the entire panel discussed the matter in advance to ensure that each panel member had a common understanding of the characteristics of each evaluation item. In order to eliminate panel bias in the sensory evaluation and increase the accuracy of the evaluation, the test lot numbers and contents of the samples were not disclosed to the panel members, and the samples were presented randomly.
The scores for the sensory evaluation were calculated by rounding off the average score of 0 to 4 points given by 20 panelists according to the following criteria.

[Breast feeling]
4: Strongly feels fresh milk flavor 3: Very feels fresh milk flavor 2: Feels fresh milk flavor 1: Weakly feels fresh milk flavor 0: Very weakly feels fresh milk flavor [Milk flavor]
4: Strong milk fat richness 3: Very rich milk fat richness 2: Rich milk fat richness 1: Weak milk fat richness 0: Very weak milk fat richness [Masking]
3: Almost no unpleasant taste from flavorings or sugars 2: No unpleasant taste from flavorings or sugars 1: Some unpleasant taste from flavorings or sugars is noticeable 0: Some unpleasant taste from flavorings or sugars is strongly noticeable [Overall rating]
◎: Total score of milky feel, milky richness, and masking is 11 points ○: Total score of milky feel, milky richness, and masking is 10 points △: Total score of milky feel, milky richness, and masking is 6 to 9 points ×: Total score of milky feel, milky richness, and masking is 5 points or less, or any of milky feel, milky richness, and masking is 0 points

Table 4 lists examples in which only the type of yeast extract was varied, Table 5 lists examples in which only the type of whey powder was varied, and Table 6 lists examples in which only the buttermilk powder content was varied.

<Results>
It is understood that the overall evaluations of milky taste, milky richness, and masking were low in Comparative Examples 1 to 3 because no carbohydrates, yeast extract, or whey powder were used. Also, it is understood that the overall evaluations of milky taste, milky richness, and masking were low in Comparative Examples 4 to 7 because, although carbohydrates, yeast extract, and whey powder were used, the carbohydrates, yeast extract, and whey powder were not contained in a ratio (by mass) of 1:0.00050 to 1:0.20 to 5.

In contrast, Examples 1 to 22 show that by including carbohydrates, yeast extract, and whey powder in a ratio of 1:0.00050 to 1:0.20 to 5, the overall score for milky flavor, richness of milk, and masking is high. In other words, Examples 1 to 22 achieve the effect of improving the milky flavor and richness of milk while suppressing off-flavors derived from flavorings and carbohydrates.

The results in Table 4 indicate that the use of a yeast extract containing 45% or more protein by weight per dry weight or a yeast extract containing more than 15% but not more than 25% free glutamic acid by weight per dry weight significantly reduces unpleasant flavors derived from flavorings and carbohydrates. Furthermore, the results in Table 5 indicate that the use of a whey powder containing 0.005 to 1 part lipid per 1 part carbohydrate can improve the milky flavor and richness of the milk while suppressing unpleasant flavors derived from flavorings and carbohydrates, regardless of the lipid content. The results in Table 6 indicate that the use of buttermilk improves the evaluation of richness of the milk, and that the inclusion of buttermilk in a ratio (by weight) of 0.1 to 5 parts carbohydrate per 1 part can improve the evaluation of richness of the milk while suppressing a decrease in the milky flavor.

Claims (6)

An oil-in-water emulsion containing carbohydrates, yeast extract, and whey powder,
The sugar, the yeast extract, and the whey powder are contained in a ratio (by mass) of 1:0.00050 to 0.05:0.4 to 5,
The carbohydrate contains dextrins.
Oil-in-water emulsion. The whey powder contains 0.005 to 1 mass of lipids to carbohydrates.
2. The oil-in-water emulsion according to claim 1. Also contains buttermilk
3. The oil-in-water emulsion according to claim 1 or claim 2. The buttermilk is contained in a ratio (by mass) of 0.1 to 5 parts by weight of carbohydrate to sugar.
The oil-in-water emulsion according to claim 3. A composition comprising the oil-in-water emulsion according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
food. A foam obtained by foaming the oil-in-water emulsion according to any one of claims 1 to 4 .
Whipped cream.