SALT SUBSTITUTE AND FOODSTUFFS CONTAINING SAME

Abstract: A salt substitute comprising whey minerals which is produced by reducing lactose and protein from whey, an alkali metal salt, and optionally an alkaline earth metal salt is disclosed. A seasoning which is prepared by combining the salt substitute with at least one sweetener, protein hydrolyzate, amino acid and/or nucleic acid-related substance, as well as a foodstuff containing the salt substitute are also disclosed. The salt substitute produced by the method described herein has salty taste comparable to that of the common salt when used in the same way of the common salt, and allows the sodium ion intake to be lowered while keeping the taste of the foodstuff unchanged.

Description: The present invention relates to a salt substitute utilizing whey minerals which are produced by reducing lactose and protein from whey. More particularly, the present invention relates to a salt substitute containing a combination of whey minerals and an alkali metal salt, or a combination of whey minerals, an alkali metal salt and an alkaline earth metal salt, and various foodstuffs in which it is used. Recently it has become common knowledge that excess intake of sodium ions leads to hypertension or induces the action thereof as a promoter of stomach cancer. This has resulted in consumers avoiding excess sodium intake. A number of salt substitutes have consequently been introduced in which the potassium ion, especially in the form of potassium chloride, is used as a major ingredient in order to induce a salty taste. When used just like common salt, a foodstuff can be provided in which the sodium content is lowered while a salty taste is maintained. US-A-3,860,732 discloses sodium-free salt substitutes which avoid the bitter aftertaste of known sodium-free salt substitutes. The compositions comprise potassium chloride alone or potassium chloride plus ammonium chloride mixed with lactose and/or dextrose and cream of tartar. EP-A-123 254 discloses a salt substitute composition comprising: a) from about 70% to about 98% by weight potassium chloride, b) from about 1% to about 20% by weight of a non-reducing sugar, preferably sucrose, c) from about 0.3% to about 15% by weight of an edible organic acid, preferably adipic acid, d) from about 0.5% to about 10% by weight of a glutamate salt, preferably potassium glutamate, and from about 0.15% to about 5% by weight of an anti-caking agent, preferably tricalcium phosphate, said percentages adding up to 100%. Use of a non-reducing sugar should achieve the beneficial effects of masking the undesirable bitter taste of the potassium ion without reacting with the glutamate salt as do reducing sugars. EP-A-124 021 discloses a seasoning composition prepared by admixing 100 weight parts of potassium chloride, 1.5 to 30 weight parts of edible organic acid calcium salt and 1 to 30 weight parts of glutamic acid salt or/and 0.01 to 5 weight parts of nucleotide seasoning material. The irritating and disagreeable taste of potassium chloride is said to be muffled and it has a round, delicious taste, and can be used as a seasoning in applications similar to those of sodium chloride. FR-A-2196151 describes a dietic salt with a composition of: tripotassium citrate potassium chloride potassium bicarbonate magnesium carbonate ammonium chloride calcium formate calcium chloride·2·H₂O glutamic acid However, with all of these substitutes, the irritating, bitter, or discomforting taste that emanates from potassium chloride is felt too strongly, and the taste of any foodstuff containing it is substantially degraded. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to development a salt substitute which provides a salty taste comparable to that of common salt when used in its place and allows the sodium ion intake to be lowered while keeping the taste of the foodstuff unchanged. The present invention achieves the above object. In other words, the present invention is based on the novel findings described below obtained by the present inventors and others. When whey minerals are used with potassium chloride, bittern and other alkali metal salts or with a combination of an alkali metal salt and an alkaline earth metal salt such as magnesium chloride, the resulting substance has an enhanced salty taste and yet the bitter, puckery or discomforting taste tends to be masked. Furthermore, when a mixture of the type described above is used with at least one protein sweetener, protein hydrolyzate, amino acid, and/or nucleic acid-related substance, discomforting, bitter and puckery taste is almost completely eliminated and the salty taste is further enhanced. In the following, the present invention is more specifically described. (1) A salt substitute which is prepared by combining a whey product obtained by concentrating whey followed by removal of whey protein and lactose with an alkali metal salt. (2) A salt substitute which is prepared by combining a whey product obtained by concentrating whey followed by removal of whey protein and lactose with an alkali metal salt and an alkaline earth metal salt. (3) A salt substitute consisting essentially of 10 - 80 parts (by weight) of a whey product obtained by concentrating whey followed by removal of whey protein and lactose, and 20 - 90 parts (by weight) of alkali metal salts. (4) A salt substitute consisting essentially of 10 - 45 parts (by weight) of a whey product obtained by concentrating whey followed by removal of whey protein and lactose, 25 - 85 parts (by weight) of alkali metal salts and 5 - 30 parts (by weight) of alkaline earth metal salts. (5) A seasoning which is prepared by combining a salt substitute as described in any of items (1) - (4) above with at least one protein sweetener, protein hydrolyzate, amino acid and/or nucleic acid-related substance. (6) A seasoning which is prepared by combining 100 parts (by weight) of a salt substitute as described in either (3) or (4) above with 0.001 - 5 parts (by weight) of a protein sweetener, 0.1 - 10 parts (by weight) of a protein hydrolyzate, 1 - 10 parts (by weight) of an amino acid and/or 0.01 - 1 part (by weight) of a nucleic acid-related substance. (7) A composition according to any of items (1) - (6) above wherein at least one sodium or potassium salt of an inorganic acid and/or sodium or potassium salt of an organic acid is used. (8) A composition according to any of items (7) above wherein the alkali metal salt is potassium chloride and/or sodium chloride. (9) A composition according to any of items (2) and (4) - (7) above wherein the alkaline earth metal salt is at least one calcium or magnesium salt of an inorganic acid and/or calcium or magnesium salt of an organic acid. (10) A composition according to any of items (1) - (9) above wherein the whey products are prepared by concentrating the permeate which is a filtrate obtained by ultrafiltration of whey so that the lactose content is increased to about 50%, followed by removal of the lactose which crystallizes after the concentrated liquid is allowed to stand for a sufficient time. (11) A composition according to any of items (1) - (10) above wherein the whey products have an (ash content) of about 10 - 60% by weight. (12) A composition according to any of items (1) - (11) above wherein whey products with the following composition are used: Ingredient Content (% by weight) Total solid content 96 - 98 Lactose 35 - 85 Non-protein nitrogen 1 - 5 Ash content (mineral) 10 - 60 (13) A composition according to any of items (7) - (12) above wherein at least one acid and/or acid salt is further incorporated (14) A composition according to item (13) above wherein 0.1 - 10 parts (relative to the total composition by weight) of at least one acid and/or acid salt is further incorporated. (15) A foodstuff containing a composition according to any of items (1) - (14) above. In the present invention, the term whey minerals is used hereinafter to describe the concentrated product prepared by concentrating whey followed by removal of whey protein and lactose as far as possible, or dried solid matter of the concentrated product. A specific example of a suitable methods of preparation is as follows: the filtrate obtained by ultrafiltration of whey is concentrated till the lactose content reaches about 50%. Lactose which precipitates after the concentrated liquid is left for 10 - 20 hours at 0 - 20°C is removed by, e.g., centrifugation, and the resultant liquid is concentrated or dried. The whey minerals thus obtained normally contain about 20% by weight of minerals. Whey minerals with a higher content of minerals can be prepared by repeating the procedure described above. An example of a composition of whey minerals (dried solid matter) used in the present invention is: total solid content 96 - 98%, lactose 35 - 85%, non-protein nitrogen 1 - 5%, ash content (mineral) 10 - 60%, the main ingredients of the latter being such cations as potassium 2 - 10%, calcium 1 - 5%, sodium 1 - 10%, magnesium 0.1 - 0.5%. Whey minerals prepared as described above change color to brown during storage, but by modification of the preparation process, e.g., by adjusting the pH of the concentrated whey minerals from which the precipitated lactose has been removed to not more than 7, preferably between 7 and 4, by the addition of such acidic substances as citric acid, phytic acid or tartaric acid, followed by drying, concentrated whey minerals or dried solid matter thereof can be obtained which is (are) of good quality and doe(s) not undergo browning. As alkali metal salts, potassium or sodium salts of organic or inorganic acids may be used. More particularly, suitable examples include sodium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium carbonate, sodium hydrogencarbonate, potassium carbonate, potassium hydrogencarbonate, sodium sulfate, sodium phosphate, potassium phosphate, sodium citrate, potassium citrate, potassium acetate, sodium tartrate, potassium tartrate, sodium lactate, potassium lactate, sodium adipate or bittern obtained from seawater and containing potassium chloride as a main ingredient. Most preferably, potassium chloride, bittern and/or sodium chloride are used. The ratio at which the whey minerals are mixed with these alkali metal salts depends on how salty the desired salt substitute should be and which alkali metal salt is being utilized. A prefered example of this ratio is 10 - 80 parts (hereinafter, ratio figures are expressed in weight terms) of whey minerals, and 20 - 90 parts of alkali metal salts. As alkaline earth metal salts, calcium or magnesium salts of organic or inorganic acids may be used. More particularly, suitable examples include calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, calcium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, calcium phosphate, magnesium phosphate, calcium citrate, magnesium citrate, calcium acetate, magnesium acetate, calcium malate, magnesium malate, calcium tartrate, magnesium tartrate, calcium lactate, magnesium lactate, calcium adipate, magnesium adipate, bittern obtained from seawater or animal bones. A prefered example of the mixing range for these alkaline earth metal salts is, for example, 10 - 45 parts of whey minerals, 25 - 85 parts of alkali metal salts, and 5 - 30 parts of alkaline metal salts. Salt substitutes according to the present invention can be made into a seasoning of much better taste by mixing them with at least one protein sweetener, protein hydrolyzate, amino acid and/or nucleic acid-related substance Examples of protein sweeteners are thaumatin, monellin or miraclin obtained from fruits. The protein hydrolizate is a mixture of peptides and amino acids prepared by hydrolyzing a protein obtained from such animals as bovine, equine, swine, fish, and bird, or such plants as soy bean, wheat, nuts or cotton seeds; examples of amino acids include glutamic acid, aspartic acid, cystine, phenylalanine, threonine, tyrosine, glycine or alanine produced either chemically or microbiologically. Examples of nucleic acid-related substances are guanylic acid, inosinic acid or uridylic acid. The mixing ratio for these can be changed to a suitable one according to the purpose of use of the seasoning concerned. For example, one or more of the following may be mixed with 100 parts of a combination of the aforementioned whey minerals and alkali metal salts, or a combination of whey minerals, an alkali metal salt, and an alkaline earth metal salt: 0.001 - 5 parts of a protein sweetener, 0.1 - 10 parts of a protein hydrolyzate, 1 - 10 parts of amino acids, 0.01 - 1 part of nucleic acid-related substances. The salt substitutes and seasonings according to the present invention described above are excellent in that bitter, puckery, and discomforting tastes due to potassium chloride are masked and yet the salty taste is enhanced. However, these mixtures have the disadvantage that they change color to brown when stored for a long time in a solid state such as powder or granule, or a liquid state. This leads to a considerable reduction in their commercial value. The present inventors have found that by adding at least one acid and/or acid salt to the mixture, browning during storage can be prevented and a low sodium content salt substitute with good preservability is obtained. The term acids means inorganic or organic acids; examples of suitable inorganic acids include phosphoric acid or metaphosphoric acid, and examples of suitable organic acids include acetic acid, propionic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, fumaric acid, adipic acid, ascorbic acid, phytic acid, and fruit juice, fruit, vinegar, fermented milk or acidic food containing these. Suitable examples of acid salts include such inorganic acid salts as acid phosphate salts or acid polyphosphate salts, and acid salts of the aforementioned organic acids. The range of suitable mixing ratios for these acids and/or acid salts is, for example, when potassium chloride is used as an alkaline metal salt, 10 - 80 parts of whey minerals, 89.9 - 10 parts of potassium chloride, and 0.1 - 10 parts of acids and/or acid salts. To a mixture having such a mixing ratio, suitable amounts of alkaline earth metals, and 0.001 - 5 parts of a protein sweetener, 0.1 - 10 parts of a protein hydrolyzate, 1 - 10 parts of amino acids, and 0.01 - 1 part of nucleic acid-related substances may optionally be added. The salt substitutes according to the present invention described above can be used in various foodstuffs as a low sodium content salt substitute. The number of foodstuffs in which these can be used is enormous; more particularly, various types of noodles, macaroni, spaghetti, bread, snacks such as Japanese rice crackers, potato chips, processed tomato-based foods such as tomato juice, tomato puree, etc., pickled vegetables, various canned fish, dried fish, salt-preserved food, various types of cheese, bacon, ham, boiled fish paste, sausage, butter or margarine are suitable. The amount of salt substitute of the present invention to be added is selected according to the purpose of use, and there is no particular limitation in this respect. In the following, the present invention is illustrated in more detail, but these examples are in no way to be taken as limiting. Example 1 To 100 ℓ of fresh whey sweet which was obtained as a side product of Cheddar cheese manufacture, potassium hydroxide was added for neutralization, followed by ultrafiltration using a ultrafilter membrane impermeable to those substances with a molecular weight of not less than 20,000, under a pressure of 5 kg/cm², to obtain about 80 ℓ of the filtrate. The resultant filtrate was concentrated in vacuo till its volume was reduced to about 1/10. The lactose concentration in the liquid concentrated as described above was about 50%, and the total solid content about 58%. After the concentrated liquid was cooled to 30°C, a small amount of lactose was added as seeded for crystallization, and the syrup allowed to stand at 15°C for 10 hours. Precipitated lactose was separated by a centrifugal hydroextractor, and washed with cold water to give 3.1 kg of crystallized lactose. The weight of mother liquor separated by the centrifugal hydroextractor was about 5 kg. Whey mineral concentrate liquids with different pH values were prepared by adding various amounts of citric acid to this mother liquor, and they were charged into colorless transparent glass bottles, which were kept in a thermostat whose temperature was controlled at 38°C for 30 days for observation of the change in states. Alternatively, to about 5 kg of the mother liquor, 5 ℓ of distilled water was added for dilution, and the pH was adjusted to various values by the addition of citric acid; when the resulting liquids are respectively spray dried, about 2.9 kg each of whey mineral powders with respective pH values were obtained. These were put in polyethylene bags having a thickness of 50 µ, and stored at 38°C for 30 days in a similar way for observation of the external appearance of the powder. The results are shown in Table 1; all the powder samples whose pH was adjusted to not more than 7 were found to be stable whey minerals which did not shown any browning. Dependence of Stability of Whey Mineral Concentrate Liquid or Whey Mineral Powder on pH (stored at 38°C for 30 days) pH of whey mineral concentrate liquid state pH of Whey mineral powder state 7.8 changed to brown markedly 7.8 changed to brown markedly 7.5 ditto 7.5 ditto 7.25 changed to brown slightly 7.25 changed to brown slightly 7.00 no color change observed 7.00 no color change observed 6.75 ditto 6.75 ditto 6.50 ditto 6.50 ditto 6.25 ditto 6.25 ditto 6.00 ditto 6.00 ditto 5.75 ditto 5.75 ditto 5.5 ditto 5.5 ditto Note: pH of powdered whey mineral was determined in 10% solution Example 2 50 ℓ of fresh sweet whey was neutralized by the addition of sodium hydroxide, and the liquid was ultra-filtered under the same conditions as described in Example 1 to obtain 41 ℓ of filtrate. The filtrate was concentrated in vacuo at a temperature of not higher than 40°C till the volume was reduced to 1/10, and after addition of a small amount of lactose seed crystals, the liquid was allowed to stand for 12 hours at 10°C. The pH of this concentrated liquid was 7.8, the total solid content 57.1%, and the lactate content 48.9%. This concentrated liquid was subjected to centrifugal hydro-extraction to remove the precipitated lactose. To 2.0 kg of the mother liquor thus obtained, phytic acid was added to adjust the pH to 5.8 to obtain a whey mineral concentrate liquid. On the other hand, to 2 kg of the mother liquor, 2 ℓ of distilled water were added and the pH was adjusted to 5.8 with phytic acid, followed by spray-drying to obtain a whey mineral concentrate powder. The whey mineral concentrate liquid thus obtained was charged into a colorless and transparent glass bottle, and the whey mineral concentrate powder into a polyethylene bag with a thickness of 50 µ, and they were placed in a thermostat controlled at 38°C to observe changes. Results are shown in Table 2; it is seen that the concentrates whose pH was controlled at 5.8 were stable. Storage Stability of Whey Mineral Concentrate Liquid and Whey Mineral Concentrate Powder Description Whey mineral concentrate liquid Whey mineral concentrate powder pH not adjusted Present invention (pH adjusted) pH not adjusted Present invention (pH adjusted) pH 7.5 5.8 7.5 5.8 Days of storage at 38°C 10 days minutely changed to brown no color change minutely changed to brown no color change 20 days slightly changed to brown no color change slightly changed to brown no color change 30 days changed to brown no color change changed to brown no color change 60 days markedly changed to brown no color change markedly changed to brown no color change Example 3 The pH of the mother liquor, prepared as described in Example 1, was adjusted to 5.6 with L-tartaric acid and a whey mineral concentrate liquid was prepared. This was charged into a colorless transparent glass bottle, which was stored in a thermostat controlled at 40°C; no color change was observed, which showed the stability of the whey mineral concentrate. On the other hand, the color of the concentrate whose pH was 7.8 and was not optimized changed to brown to a marked degree. Example 4 To 2 kg of the mother liquor prepared as described in Example 2, 2 ℓ of distilled water were added. The pH of the liquid was adjusted to 6.00 with L-malic acid, followed by spray drying to obtain a whey mineral concentrate powder. This was charged into a polyethylene bag with a thickness of 50 µ, which was stored in a thermohygrostat controlled at a temperature of 40°C and a humidity of 80%; no color change was observed, which showed the stability of the whey mineral concentrate powder. On the other hand, the color of the powder whose pH was 7.5 and was not optimized changed to brown to a marked degree. Example 5 To 5 kg of the mother liquor prepared as described in Example 1, 5 ℓ of distilled water were added and stirred well. The pH of the resultant liquid was adjusted to 5.5 with phosphoric acid, followed by spray-drying to obtain a whey mineral concentrate powder. To 85 parts of this powder, 15 parts of a vegetable proteolytic extract powder were added and mixed, and the mixture was charged into a polyethylene bag with a thickness of 50 µ, and stored in a thermohygrostat controlled at a temperature of 40°C and a humidity of 80%; no change in color was observed. On the other hand, the mixture of a whey mineral concentrate powder and a vegetable proteolytic extract powder with a pH of 7.8 which was not adjusted underwent marked browning. Example 6 A solid mixture (hereinafter referred to as A) of 80 parts of potassium chloride and 20 parts of whey minerals and another solid mixture (hereinafter referred to as B) of 79 parts of potassium chloride, 1 part of citric acid, and 20 parts of whey minerals were respectively charged into polyethylene bags with a thickness of 20 µ, which were stored in a thermohygrostat controlled at a temperature of 38°C and a humidity of 80%. The time course of color tone change was observed macroscopically. The results are shown in Table 3; the product according to the present invention (B) did not undergo browning, showing its good stability. Example 7 A 10% solution (hereinafter referred to as C) of a composition consisting of 20 parts of whey minerals 79.99 parts of potassium chloride, and 0.01 part of thaumatin (protein sweetener), and a solution (hereinafter referred to as D) prepared by a 0.1% addition of phosphoric acid to solution C were sterilized at 120°C for 20 minutes followed by storage in a thermostat controlled at 38°C, and the color tone change was observed macroscopically. The results are shown in Table 4; the product according to the present invention (D) did not undergo browning, showing its good stability. Example 8 A solid matter (hereinafter referred to as E) consisting of 30 parts of they minerals, 65 parts of potassium chloride, and 5 parts of beef extract (protein content 20%), and another solid matter (hereinafter referred to as F) consisting of 30 parts of whey minerals, 63 parts of potassium chloride, 2 parts of monosodium fumarate, and 5 parts of beef extract were subjected to a 60-day storage test using the same method as described in Example 6. The solid matter E showed marked browning, but F, a product according to the present invention, did not show any color tone change, thus showing its stability. Example 9 A 10% solution (hereinafter referred to as G) of a composition consisting of 20 parts of whey minerals, 79 parts of sodium chloride, and 1 part of sodium inosinate, and another solution (hereinafter referred to as H) prepared by addition of 0.5% sodium metaphosphate acid to the solution G were sterilized at 120°C for 20 minutes, followed by a 60-day storage test using the same method as described in Example 7; G showed marked browning, while H, a product according to the present invention, did not show any color tone change, showing its stability. Example 10 A solid mixture (hereinafter referred to as I) consisting of 60 parts of whey minerals, 39 parts of potassium chloride, and 1 part of glycine, and another solid mixture (hereinafter referred to as J) consisting of 60 parts of whey minerals, 36 parts of potassium chloride, 1 part of glycine, and 3 parts of powdered orange juice were subjected to a 90-day storage test using the same method as described in Example 6; I showed a marked by browning, while J, a product according to the present invention, did not show any color tone change, thus showing its stability. Example 11 A 10% solution (hereinafter referred to as K) of a composition consisting of 20 parts of whey minerals, 75 parts of potassium chloride, and 5 parts of a protein hydrolyzate, and another solution (hereinafter referred to as L) prepared by addition of 1% fermented milk to the solution K were sterilized at 120°C for 20 minutes, followed by a 60-day storage test using the same method as described in Example 7; K showed marked browning, while L, a product according to the present invention, did not show any color tone change, revealing its stability. Example 12 A solid mixture (hereinafter referred to as M) consisting of 30 parts of whey minerals, 33.999 parts of potassium chloride, 30 parts of common salt, 0.001 part of thaumatin (protein sweetener), 1 part of L-glutamic acid, and 5 parts of pork extract (protein content: 20%), and another solid mixture (hereinafter referred to as N) consisting of 30 parts of whey minerals, 30 parts of potassium chloride, 3 parts of citric acid, 0.999 parts of potassium dihydrogen-phosphate, 30 parts of common salt, 0.001 part of thaumatin (protein sweetener), 1 part of L-glutamic acid, and 5 parts of pork extract (protein content: 20%) were subjected to a 60-day storage test by the same method as described in Example 6; M showed marked browning, while N, a product according to the present invention, did not show any color tone change, proving its stability. Example 13 Twenty women panelists aged 19 - 25 years were asked in a blind test to select a solution containing a potassium chloride aqueous solution which had salty taste equivalent to that of a 2% (all percentages are expressed by weight) aqueous solution of a mixture consisting of 4 parts of potassium chloride, and 1 part of whey mineral. At the same time, they were also asked to select a potassium chloride aqueous solution which had a potassium chloride taste equivalent to that of the mixture. The results are shown in Table 5. Salty Taste and Potassium Chloride Taste of 2% Mixture Solution of Whey Minerals and Potassium Chloride (4:1) Potassium chloride concentration with equivalent salty taste (%) Number of panelists Taste of potassium chloride Potassium chloride concentration with equivalent potassium chloride taste (%) Number of panelists 1.2 0 - - 1.4 0 - - 1.6 0 - - 1.8 3 1.2 2 1.4 1 2.0 8 1.2 5 1.4 3 2.2 4 1.2 3 1.4 1 2.4 4 1.2 3 1.4 1 2.6 1 1.2 1 As is clearly seen from Table 5, a combination of whey mineral and potassium chloride enhances the salty taste of potassium chloride and masks the potassium chloride taste. Example 14 A 1% solution of a composition consisting of 20 parts of whey minerals (sodium content: 3%), 79.99 parts of potassium chloride, and 0.01 part of thaumatin (protein sweetener) was prepared and the taste of the solution was compared with that of a 1% potassium chloride solution or a 1% common salt solution. The composition solution tasted better in that it had an enhanced salty taste and was free from such unpleasant tastes as the puckery, astringent taste of potassium chloride or the irritating taste of common salt. Example 15 A 1% solution of a composition consisting of 30 parts of whey minerals (sodium content: 3%), 65 parts of potassium chloride, and 5 parts of beef extract (protein content: 20%) was prepared and the taste of the solution was compared with that of a 1% potassium chloride solution or a 1% common salt solution. The composition solution tasted better in that the salty taste was enhanced while it was free from such unpleasant tastes as the puckery, astringent taste of potassium chloride or the irritating taste of common salt. Example 16 A 1% solution of a composition consisting of 60 parts of whey minerals (sodium content: 3%), 39 parts of potassium chloride, and 1 part of glycine was prepared and the taste of the solution was compared with that of a 1% potassium chloride solution or a 1% common salt solution. The composition solution tasted better in that it had an enhanced salty taste and was free from such unpleasant tastes as the puckery, astringent taste of potassium chloride or the irritating taste of common salt. Example 17 A 1% solution of a composition consisting of 20 parts of whey minerals (sodium content: 3%), 79 parts of potassium chloride, and 1 part of sodium 5'-inosinate was prepared and the taste of the solution was compared with that of a 1% potassium chloride solution or a 1% common salt solution. The composition solution tasted better in that it had an enhanced salty taste and was free from such unpleasant tastes as the puckery, astringent taste of potassium chloride or the irritating taste of common salt. Example 18 A 1% solution of a composition consisting of 20 parts of whey minerals (sodium content: 3%), 75 parts of potassium chloride, and 5 parts of a protein hydrolyzate was prepared and the taste of the solution was compared with that of a 1% potassium chloride solution or a 1% common salt solution. The composition solution tasted better in that it had an enhanced salty taste and was free from such unpleasant tastes as the puckery, astringent taste of potassium chloride or the irritating taste of common salt. Example 19 A 1% solution of a composition consisting of 30 parts of whey minerals (sodium content: 3%), 33.999 parts of potassium chloride, and 30 parts of common salt, 0.001 part of thaumatin (protein sweetener), 1 part of L-glutamic acid, and 5 parts of pork extract (protein content: 20%) was prepared and the taste of the solution was compared with that of a 1% potassium chloride solution or a 1% common salt solution. The composition solution tasted better in that it had an enhanced salty taste and was free from such unpleasant tastes as the puckery, astringent taste of potassium chloride or the irritating taste of common salt. Example 20 Thirty panelists aged 19 - 25 years were asked in a blind test to select a mayonnaise preparation which had a salty taste equivalent to that of mayonnaise prepared by a routine method and containing a 2% composition consisting of 5 parts of common salt and 1 part of whey minerals from among mayonnaise preparations containing 1.4 - 2.8% common salt. The results are shown in Table 6. The same panelists were also asked in a similar way to select a mayonnaise preparation which had a salty taste equivalent to that of mayonnaise prepared by a routine method and containing a 2% composition consisting of 4 parts of bittern (potassium chloride: 90%, sodium chloride: 5%, and magnesium sulfate: 5%) and 1 part of whey minerals from mayonnaise preparations with different common salt contents. At the same time, the taste was compared with that of mayonnaise containing 2% bittern alone to examine the masking effects with respect to the bittern taste. The results are shown in Table 7. Salty Taste of Mayonnaise Containing A mixture of Sodium Chloride and Whey Minerals (5:1) Common salt content of mayonnaise with equivalent salty taste (%) Number of panelists 1.4 0 1.6 1 1.8 2 2.0 3 2.2 8 2.4 8 2.6 7 2.8 1 Salty Taste of Mayonnaise Containing A Mixture of Bittern and Whey Minerals (5:1) and Masking Effects on Bittern Common salt content of mayonnaise with equivalent salty taste (%) Number of panelists Masking effects on bittern taste when taste of mayonnaise containing bittern alone was compared with that of mayonnaise of present invention Masked Not masked (persons) (persons) 1.4 1 26 4 1.6 1 27 3 1.8 2 28 2 2.0 3 29 1 2.2 9 30 0 2.4 9 30 0 2.6 5 27 3 2.8 0 26 4 As is clearly seen from Table 6 and Table 7, a combination of whey minerals and an alkali metal salt or bittern enhances the salty taste and masks the bittern taste (unpleasant, puckery, or irritating taste of potassium chloride, etc.) Example 21 The same panelists as participated in Example 20 were asked to taste a light-taste soy sauce which was prepared by a routine method to contain a 16% composition (1) - (4) listed in the following and two control preparations of light-taste soy sauce, one containing 16% common salt, and the other containing 16% potassium chloride. The results are shown in Table 8. Compositions: (1) 30 parts of whey minerals, 50 parts of potassium chloride and 20 parts of sodium chloride. (2) 30 parts of whey minerals, 50 parts of potassium chloride, 10 parts of sodium chloride and 10 parts of magnesium chloride. (3) A composition of (1) and 0.01 part of tharmatin (protein sweetener). (4) A composition of (2) and 1 part of sodium L-glutamate and 3 parts of protein hydrolyzate. All light-taste soy sauce preparations with any of the above compositions were judged to have better taste, saltier but milder, than the controls. Composition of present invention Salty taste compared with that of controls Taste Enhanced Not enhanced (persons) (persons) All tasted better and milder, without irritating taste, than controls containing common salt. 1 23 7 2 26 4 3 28 2 4 27 3 Example 22 Thirty panelists aged 19 - 25 years were asked in a blind test to select a fresh noodle preparation which had a salty taste equivalent to that of fresh noodles prepared by a routine method containing a 2% (all percentages are expressed in weight terms) composition consisting of 5 parts of common salt and 1 part of whey minerals from fresh noodle preparations containing 1.4 - 2.8% common salt. The results are shown in Table 9. The same panelists were also asked in a similar way to select a fresh noodle preparation which had a salty taste equivalent to that of a fresh noodle preparation prepared by a routine method containing a 2% composition consisting of 5 parts of bittern (potassium chloride: 90%, sodium chloride: 5%; and magnesium sulfate: 5%) and 1 part of whey minerals from fresh noodle preparations with different common salt contents. At the same time, the taste was compared with that of fresh noodles containing 2% bittern alone to examine the masking effects on the taste of bittern. The results are shown in Table 10. Salty Taste of Fresh Noodles Containing Mixture of Sodium Chloride and Whey Mineral (5:1) Salt content of fresh noodles with equivalent salty taste (%) Number of panelists 1.4 0 1.6 1 1.8 2 2.0 3 2.2 8 2.4 8 2.6 7 2.8 1 Salty Taste of Fresh Noodles Containing A Mixture of Bittern and Whey Minerals (5:1) and Masking Effects on Bittern Taste Salt content of fresh noodles with equivalent salty taste (%) Number of panelists Masking effects on bittern taste when taste of fresh noodles containing bittern alone was compared with that of fresh noodles of present invention Masked Not masked (persons) (persons) 1.4 1 26 4 1.6 1 27 3 1.8 2 28 2 2.0 3 29 1 2.2 9 30 0 2.4 9 30 0 2.6 5 27 3 2.8 0 26 4 As is clearly seen from Table 9 and Table 10, a combination of whey minerals and an alkali metal salt or bittern enhances the salty taste and masks the bittern taste (unpleasant, puckery, and irritating taste of potassium chloride, etc.) Example 23 The panelists who participated in the test of Example 22 were asked to taste instant chinese noodles prepared by a routine method to contain 1.4% of the ingredients listed in Example 21 above instead of common salt, and two types of control instant chinese noodles, one containing 1.4% common salt, and the other containing 1.4% potassium chloride. The results are shown in Table 11. All noodles containing one of the listed compositions tasted better saltier and milder than the controls. Composition of present invention Salty taste compared with that of controls Taste Enhanced Not enhanced (persons) (persons) All tasted better and milder, without irritating taste, than controls containing common salt. 1 23 7 2 26 4 3 28 2 4 27 3

Claims: A salt substitute which is prepared by combining a whey product obtained by concentrating whey followed by removal of whey protein and lactose with an alkali metal salt. A salt substitute which is prepared by combining a whey product obtained by concentrating whey followed by removal of whey protein and lactose with an alkali metal salt and an alkaline earth metal salt. A salt substitute consisting essentially of 10 - 80 parts (by weight) of a whey product obtained by concentrating whey followed by removal of whey protein and lactose and 20 - 90 parts (by weight) of alkali metal salts. A salt substitute consisting essentially of 10 - 45 parts (by weight) of a whey product obtained by concentrating whey followed by removal of whey protein and lactose, 25 - 85 parts (by weight) of alkali metal salts and 5 - 30 parts (by weight) of alkaline earth metal salts. A seasoning which is prepared by combining a salt substitute described in any one of Claims 1 to 4 with at least one protein sweetener, protein hydrolyzate, amino acid and/or nucleic acid-related substance. A seasoning which is prepared by combining 100 parts (by weight) of a salt substitute described in Claim 3 or 4 with 0.001 - 5 parts (by weight) of a protein sweetener, 0.1 - 10 parts (by weight) of a protein hydrolizate, 1 - 10 parts (by weight) of an amino acid and/or 0.01 - 1 part (by weight) of a nucleic acid-related substance. A composition according to any of Claims 1 - 6 wherein at least one sodium or potassium salt of an inorganic acid and/or sodium or potassium salt of an organic acid is used. A composition according to Claim 7 wherein the alkali metal salt is potassium chloride and/or sodium chloride. A composition according to any of Claims 2 and 4 to 7 wherein the alkaline earth metal salt is at least one calcium or magnesium salt of an inorganic acid, and/or calcium or magnesium salt of an organic acid. A composition according to any of Claims 1 - 9 wherein the whey product is prepared by concentrating a filtrate obtained by ultrafiltration of whey so that the lactose content is increased to about 50%, followed by removal of the lactose which is crystallized after the concentrated liquid is allowed to stand for a suitable time. A composition according to any of Claims 1 - 10 wherein the whey products have an ash content of about 10 - 60% by weight. A composition according to any of Claims 1 - 11 wherein whey products with the following compositions are used: Ingredient Content (% by weight) Total solid content 96 - 98 Lactose 35 - 85 Non-protein nitrogen 1 - 5 Ash content (mineral) 10 - 60 A composition according to any one of Claims 7 - 12 wherein at least one acid and/or acid salt is further incorporated. A composition according to Claim 13 wherein 0.1 - 10% (relative to the total composition by weight) of at least one acid and/or acid salt is further incorporated. A salt substitute consisting essentially of 10 - 80 parts (by weight) of a whey product obtained by concentrating whey followed by removal of whey protein and lactose, 89.9 - 10 parts (by weight) of potassium chloride and 0.1 - 10 parts (by weight) of acids and/or acid salts. A foodstuff containing a composition according to any of Claims 1 - 14.

Inventors: NAKAGAWA, TAKAHIRO, TANAKA, SHIRO
Applicants: CHUGAI SEIYAKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SAN-EI CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Application year: 1988
Main classification: A23L1
IPC codes: A23L1, A23C9