WOF INHIBITOR

Abstract: The invention relates to the use of flavonoids as flavouring substances and/or as salt substitutes. A mixture of several flavonoids such as from onion, apple and tea are mixed to form a composition. The flavonoid preparation may be used as a general flavouring substance and as a salt substitute in home cooking as well as in food industry. Increased flavonoid intake reduces the risk of coronary diseases.

Description: WOF inhibitor The present invention relates to inhibitors against the formation of Warmed-Over Flavor or WOF in ready made foods. WOF is a general term used to describe the off-flavor which is generated in precooked and refrigerated foods when these are reheated. WOF is especially marked in reheated meat contained in the ready made foods served during flights or in, for instance, institutional cafeterias. For the industry catering for airlines WOF poses a real and vast problem. Although WOF is a well known phenomenon in the food industry, its causes have not been identified. WOF seems to be due to chemical and physical conditions but so far the researchers have not found any active inhibitors for WOF. According to the present invention it has surprisingly been found that WOF can be inhibited by flavonoids. Flavonoids are one of the widest found groups of vegetable chemical compounds. They are polyphenolic antioxidants naturally present in vegetables, fruits, and beverages such as tea and wine. More than 2000 flavonoids have been found and identified. All flavonoids have a common biosynthetic origin and they therefore possess the same basic structural element, namely a 2-phenyl chromane skeleton. Flavonoids occur mainly as glycosides but they may also be in the form of free phenols and sulphates. In a big Dutch study Hertog MGL, et al. , Lancet 1993; 342: 1007-11, showed that regular intake of foodstuffs which naturally contain flavonoids decreased mortality from myocardial infarction by half. The flavonoid content of the diet was calculated on the basis of an intake of tea, onions and apples. A Finnish study by Knekt P. , et al. , BMJ, 24 February 1996, Vol. 312, p. 478-481, supports the above findings. People eating a lot of apples and onions seem to be better protected from the risk of coronary diseases than those lacking said foodstuffs in their diet. Especially women seem to benefit from a diet rich of flavonoids. The risk of mortality from coronary diseases for the group of women receiving the biggest amount of flavonoids was only half of the risk for the group receiving the smallest amount. For men the difference was 20 per cent. According to the above study, flavonoids posses similar oxidation inhibiting effect on cells as vitamins E and C . According to a recent study made by Paul Knekt a regular and abundant intake of flavonoids not only reduces the risk of coronary diseases but also significantly reduces the risk of lung cancer. In the prior art the intake of flavonoids was provided by people eating flavonoid-containing fruits and vegetables or drinking flavonoid-rich beverages such as tea and wine. In the same applicant's co-pending application PCT/FI97/00027, filed on 20.01.1997, the use of flavonoids as seasoning is described. Said seasoning may be used to replace salt totally or partially in the food industry. The present invention is based on the realization extracted and/or powdered flavonoids may be used to inhibit or prevent the formation of warmed-over flavor in the food industry, especially for precooked and refrigerated food, as well as in household cooking. An object of the invention is thus to provide a WOF inhibitor based on flavonoids. An object of the invention is also to provide a WOF inhibitor having an inherent taste of salt. A further object of the invention is to provide an easy way of adding health bringing flavonoids to the diet of people. The use of the flavonoid WOF inhibitor according to the present invention will have the dual benefit of retaining a good taste in the food and of supplementing the digester's diet with healthy flavonoids. The inherent salty taste of the preferred flavonoid WOF inhibitor allows a reduction of the amount of salt in the food by 50% or more. Thus, the present invention provides a realistic way of reducing the amount of salt in the food to an acceptable level while retaining the taste of salt in the food at an accustomed level. In addition to a reduction of the salt intake, a regular and continuous intake of flavonoids as such also has the effect of reducing the risk for coronary diseases. Thus a dual benefit is obtained by the present invention in both a reduction of salt intake and an increase in flavonoid intake. The present invention is defined in the appended claims. Thus, the present invention is directed to the use of flavonoids as warmed-over flavor (WOF) inhibitor substances and to WOF inhibitor compositions comprising one or more flavonoids. According to the invention the flavonoid WOF inhibitor may be used in the food industry as well as in household cooking. The preferred use comprises use as a WOF inhibitor in reheatable precooked and refrigerated food. The flavonoids are only marginally affected by normal cooking temperatures, wherefore the flavonoids may be included into the food before cooking. The preferred flavonoids are selected from flavonoids of onion, tea and apple, and an especially preferred mixture comprises a powdered spice containing onion powder (about 30 %), green or black tea extract (about 34 %), and apple powder (about 18 %) with the rest being made up of an edible carrier such as vegetable fibers, calcium phosphate, silicon dioxide, etc. The preferred inhibitor of the present invention contains a combination of several, preferably at least three flavonoids. The flavonoids are preferably selected so as to provide a salty taste. Thus, the present WOF inhibitor may suitably be used to replace part or most of the salt generally used in the food. The flavonoid preparation developed according to the invention is classified as a Functional Food. The preferred embodiment according to the invention comprises a mixture of flavonoids contained in onion powder, green tea extract and apple powder. Although this mixture does not contain any table salt at all, it has a taste which resembles that of a mild aroma salt. A specific benefit of the invention is obtained when the inhibitor according to the invention is used to replace salt in the cooking of food. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of salt in the food without a reduction of the salty taste, thus providing a significant health benefit. The persons skilled in the art will realize that there exist a huge number of ways in which the present WOF inhibitor may be used in the preparation and preservation of food and the present invention should not be considered limited to the examples listed in the present specification. The beneficial effect of the preparation according to the invention on health is based on the flavonoids, especially a combination of flavonoids from apple, onion and tea, which the product contains. In the preferred composition the natural protective agents are in the right proportion to each other and the product so maximizes the flavonoid-protection. It will be obvious to persons skilled in the art that the proportions of the flavonoids may be varied according to the taste and need of the users. However, it has been found to be especially beneficial to mix onion powder and green tea extract in fairly equal amounts with about half that amount of apple powder. The WOF inhibitor according to the invention may also contain other components, such as other vegetable components containing flavonoids and components having other properties, such as special flavouring properties not natural to the flavonoids in question. The flavonoids used according to the invention may be mixed with edible carrier or filler compounds which are easily powdered and which add body to the preparation. Such carriers are preferably inert compounds such as calcium phosphate and/ or silica. The WOF inhibitor may also be produced in liquid or paste form. The invention will now be illustrated with the aid of some non-limiting examples. Example 1 Production of a flavonoid composition About 18 kg of omon powder, about 20 kg of tea extract and about 11 kg of apple powder were mixed with 11 kg of potato fiber and sieved to remove oversized particles. The components were then thoroughly mixed to provide about 60 kg of a homogeneous powder. The composition of the WOF inhibitor was the following: onion powder 30 % grren tea extract 34 % apple powder 18 % potato fiber 18 % The powdered mixture was portioned into bags and used as WOF inhibitor and partial salt substitute in precooked food for airlines. The taste was salty and aromatic with a flavor of onions. Example 2 WOF inhibitor with salt A WOF inhibitor was produced substantially as in Example 1 with the addition that about 25 by weight salt (NaCl) was added to the composition to provide an inhibitor with a low salt content. Example 3 WOF inhibitor with plant sterol A flavonoid composition was produced by mixing the following ingredients into a homogeneous mixture: plant sterol 26 % green tea extract 22.1 % onion granulate 19.5 % apple powder 11.7 % potato fiber 11.7 % milled salt 10 % The WOF inhibitor was mixed into meat balls which were then cooked and refrigerated. Upon reheating the taste of the meat balls was found to be good. Example 4 WOF inhibitor tasting of barbecue sauce A barbecue sauce was produced by mixing the following ingredients into a homogeneous mixture: Flavonoid barbecue sauce plant sterol 25 % green tea 17 % onion granulate 15 % milled salt 10 % dextrose anhydride 4 % apple powder 9 % potato fiber Potex 6.5 % potato granulate Engell 3.95 % paprika powder 2.59 % coriander ground 1.72 % chili powder 1.72 % nutmeg ground 1.15 % garlic powder 1.15 % paprika color ole 0.57 % white pepper ground 0.29 % celery ole 0.11 % black pepper ole 0.09 % lovage root 0.09 % herbalox type ole 0.05 % clove ole 0.03 % The above grilling sauce was used on ready-made grilled chicken which was then refrigerated. Upon reheating the meat was found to have no warmed-over taste. Example 5 WOF inhibition tests The WOF inhibitors of the above examples 1-4 were tested on meat balls and compared to the WOF inhibiting effect of salt. The meat balls contained either 1 % salt (control) or 1 % of the WOF inhibitor according to the present invention. The meat balls were cooked and stored for two days. The development of WOF in the reheated balls was tested by a sensory panel, who compared the products containing the WOF inhibitors with the control product. The meat product comprised pork meat with about 30% fat 10 % water 1 % salt (control) or WOF inhibitor The WOF inhibitors were FI non-salt composition according to Example 1 F2 plant sterol composition according to Example 3 F3 Barbecue sauce according to Example 4 F4 low salt composition according Example 2 All ingredients were ground for 1 min in a blender. Meat balls of about 50 g were produced and heated to a core temperature of 85 °C. The meat balls were then stored for 42 h at 4- 4°C. Thereafter the meat balls were reheated at 90 °C for 20 min for the sensory analysis. Result: In the sensory analysis the panel compared the warmed-over flavor (WOF) which had developed in the control product with the flavor of the test products. In all the products containing the WOF inhibitor according to the present invention the WOF was considerably less compared with the control. In the above Examples the use of flavonoids in various foods has been disclosed. It should be understood that the above Examples are only illustrative indications of the usefulness of the flavonoids as WOF inhibitors.

Claims: Claims 1. Use of flavonoids as warmed-over flavor (WOF) inhibiting substances. 2. Use according to claim 1, characterized in that said flavonoids are selected so as to provide a salty taste. 3. Use according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said flavonoids are used to inhibit the formation of WOF in precooked food. 4. Use according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said flavonoids are selected from flavonoids of onion, tea, and apple. 5. Use according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said flavonoids are formulated into a powdered spice containing onion powder 30 % tea extract 34 % apple powder 18 % the rest being made up of an edible carrier such as potato fiber, di- or tricalcium phosphate and/or silicon dioxide. 6. Warmed-over flavor (WOF) inhibiting composition characterized in that it contains a flavouring mixture of several, preferably at least three flavonoids. 7. WOF inhibiting composition according to claim 6, characterized in that said flavonoids are flavonoids of onion, apple and tea. 8. WOF inhibiting composition according to claim 7, characterized in that said composition comprises a powdered mixture of onion powder 30 % tea extract 34 % apple powder 18 % potato fiber 18 % 9. WOF inhibiting composition according to claim 6, 7 or 8, characterized in that said composition comprises a powdered mixture of flavonoids and up to 25 % by weight table salt. 10. WOF inhibiting composition according to claim 9, characterized in that said composition contains up to 30 % plant sterol. 11. WOF inhibiting composition according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that said composition additionally contains flavoring and seasoning substances.

Inventors: KURPPA LASSE JUHANI, KURPPA, LASSE, JUHANI
Applicants: ITARA H K AB OY, KURPPA LASSE JUHANI, KURPPA, LASSE, JUHANI, OY ITARA H.K. AB
Application year: 1998
Main classification: A23L1
IPC codes: A23B4, A23L1