Patent ID: 7060315

Claim:
A method for preparing an aroma-containing component which releases an aroma having increased amounts of desirable flavor or sensory characteristics during preparation of a food or beverage product, which method comprises treating an aroma-containing component that is isolated, concentrated or separated from a food, beverage, food-forming or beverage-forming material, with an aroma-improving agent of a nucleophile that contains at least one atom of sulfur or nitrogen providing at least one lone pair of electrons that chemically interacts with compounds associated with the aroma-containing component to generate an improved aroma that contains (a) increased amounts of compounds that provide or improve the desirable flavor or sensory characteristics of the aroma or (b) reduced amounts of compounds that suppress desirable flavor characteristics or contribute to or generate undesirable characteristics, and separately storing the treated aroma-containing component prior to contact with a further component of a food, beverage, food-forming or beverage-forming material and optionally with a liquid to form the food or beverage product for consumption so that, when combining the aroma-containing component with the material to form the product for consumption, the aroma-containing component imparts to the product an improved or enhanced aroma compared to the aroma provided by an untreated aroma-containing component.