Europäisches Patentamt *EP001210880A1* (19) European Patent Office Office européen des brevets (11) EP 1 210 880 A1 (12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION published in accordance with Art. 158(3) EPC (43) Date of publication: (51) Int Cl.7: A23L 1/236 05.06.2002 Bulletin 2002/23 (86) International application number: (21) Application number: 99951111.6 PCT/JP99/05962 (22) Date of filing: 28.10.1999 (87) International publication number: WO 00/24273 (04.05.2000 Gazette 2000/18) (84) Designated Contracting States: 04.06.1999 JP 15854399 DE FR GB 04.06.1999 JP 15854599 04.06.1999 JP 15855099 (30) Priority: 28.10.1998 JP 30749498 04.06.1999 JP 15855799 28.10.1998 JP 30749598 04.06.1999 JP 15856099 28.10.1998 JP 30749798 04.06.1999 JP 15856799 29.10.1998 JP 30845798 14.07.1999 JP 19977099 29.10.1998 JP 30845898 14.07.1999 JP 19977399 29.10.1998 JP 30846098 14.07.1999 JP 19977999 29.10.1998 JP 30846298 14.07.1999 JP 19977999 29.10.1998 JP 30846398 15.07.1999 JP 20168599 29.10.1998 JP 30846798 03.09.1999 JP 24954099 29.10.1998 JP 30846898 07.09.1999 JP 25323299 29.10.1998 JP 30847098 17.11.1998 JP 32714098 (71) Applicant: San-Ei Gen F.F.I., Inc. 17.11.1998 JP 32714798 Toyonaka-shi, Osaka 561-0828 (JP) 17.11.1998 JP 32715098 17.11.1998 JP 32715398 (72) Inventors: 17.11.1998 JP 32715798 • INOUE, Maki 17.11.1998 JP 32716498 Toyonaka-shi, Osaka 561-0828 (JP) 17.11.1998 JP 32716598 • IWAI, Kazumi 17.11.1998 JP 32717098 Toyonaka-shi, Osaka 561-0828 (JP) 25.11.1998 JP 33394398 • OJIMA, Naoto 25.11.1998 JP 33394498 Toyonaka-shi, Osaka 561-0828 (JP) 25.11.1998 JP 33394598 • KAWAI, Takuya 25.11.1998 JP 33394898 Toyonaka-shi, Osaka 561-0828 (JP) 30.11.1998 JP 34027498 • KAWAMOTO, Mitsumi 11.12.1998 JP 35348998 Toyonaka-shi, Osaka 561-0828 (JP) 11.12.1998 JP 35349098 • KURIBI, Shunsuke 11.12.1998 JP 35349298 Toyonaka-shi, Osaka 561-0828 (JP) 11.12.1998 JP 35349598 • SAKAGUCHI, Miho 11.12.1998 JP 35349698 Toyonaka-shi, Osaka 561-0828 (JP) 11.12.1998 JP 35349898 • SASAKI, Chie 11.12.1998 JP 35349998 Toyonaka-shi, Osaka 561-0828 (JP) 11.12.1998 JP 35350198 • SHIZU, Kazuhito 11.12.1998 JP 35350398 Toyonaka-shi, Osaka 561-0828 (JP) 11.12.1998 JP 35350498 • SHINGURYOU, Mariko 11.12.1998 JP 35350598 Toyonaka-shi, Osaka 561-0828 (JP) 11.12.1998 JP 35350798 • HIRAO, Kazutaka 26.01.1999 JP 1698499 Toyonaka-shi, Osaka 561-0828 (JP) 26.01.1999 JP 1698999 • FUJII, Miki 26.01.1999 JP 1699699 Toyonaka-shi, Osaka 561-0828 (JP) 04.06.1999 JP 15851199 • MORITA, Yoshito 04.06.1999 JP 15852399 Toyonaka-shi, Osaka 561-0828 (JP) 04.06.1999 JP 15852999 • YASUNAMI, Nobuhara 04.06.1999 JP 15853699 Toyonaka-shi, Osaka 561-0828 (JP) EP 1 210 880 A1 Printed by Jouve, 75001 PARIS (FR) (Cont. next page) EP 1 210 880 A1 (57) Novel utilization of sucralose which is a high in- servatives and foods with improved quality of taste; and tense sweetener. Compositions containing sucralose in- flavor compositions with improved flavors. Novel utiliza- cluding: sweetening compositions having excellent tion of sucralose as a sweetness improver, a masking sweetness qualities based on the characteristics of su- agent for unpleasant smell/unpleasant taste, a flavor im- cralose; foods with a masked unpleasant smell and un- prover, a function improver (viscosity, gelling properties, pleasant taste; performance food compositions (viscous emulsification properties), a taste characteristic improv- food compositions, gel food compositions, emulsified er, and a flavor improver/enhancer. food compositions); foods with improved flavors; pre- 2 EP 1 210 880 A1 Description TECHNICAL FIELD 5 [0001] The present invention relates to various novel utilizations of sucralose based on the characteristics of sucra- lose. BACKGROUND ART 10 [0002] Sucrose have been widely used as a sweetener because of its characteristics such as good sweetness, rich (full-bodied) taste, water retentivity, ability to give thickness and the like. In recent years, however, general health- consciousness and orientation to low calorie diet are making consumers avoid sucrose which can cause obesity and decayed teeth, especially in the area of beverages, desserts and other refreshments where low-calorie products are increasing. 15 [0003] Thus, various high intense sweeteners have been studied and developed as substitute sweeteners for su- crose. Among the high intense sweeteners, sucralose, which is 600 times sweeter than sucrose, is attracting attention since it is non-cariogenic and non-metabolizable, i.e., having no calorie. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 20 [0004] The present invention a composition containing sucralose which gives various properties to the composition. [0005] More specifically, the present invention relates to the compositions having various unique properties listed below, and the applications thereof. 25 I. Sweetening compositions II. Foods with a masked unpleasant smell and unpleasant taste III. Performance food compositions IV. Foods with improved flavors V. Preservatives and foods with improved quality of taste 30 VI. Flavor compositions with improved flavors BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION [0006] As represented by the formula (I), the sucralose for use in the present invention has a structure similar to 35 sucrose, specifically, the sucrose molecule in which three hydroxy groups at 1 position and 6 position of a fructose residue and 4 position in a glucose residue are substituted by chlorine molecules (4,1',6'-trichloro-galactosucrose, chemical name: 1,6-dichloro-1,6-dideoxy-β-D-fructofuranosyl-4-chloro-4-deoxy-α-D-garactopyranoside). The sucra- lose is a no-calorie and non-cariogenic intense sweetener which has good and about 600 times greater sweetness than sucrose (U.K. Patent No. 1543167). 40 45 50 [0007] The present invention including various embodiments mentioned below is based on the finding that the above sucralose exhibits specific properties by itself or in combination with other components. [0008] In the below, the present invention will be described referring to the embodiments carried out on the basis of 55 such properties of sucralose. [0009] In this specification, an oral composition means a product which is taken orally (also referred to as an edible product in this specification) and also a product which is used in the mouth. For example, seasonings, salt cured products, stewed foods and like food preparations and food including confections and beverages; oral medicines in- 3 EP 1 210 880 A1 cluding sugar-coated tablets, drops, troches, throat sprays and syrups; and mouth sprays and like oral refreshment, mouthwashes, gargles and dentifrices and like quasi-drugs for oral sterilization or oral cleansing. [0010] In this specification, by the term "other sweeteners" is meant sweet substances which are conventionally know or will possibly be known in the future. Examples of the sweet substances include α-glucosyltransferase-treated 5 stevia, α-cyclodextrin, β-cyclodextrin, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, N-acetylglucosamine, arabinose, alitame, isotrehalose, isomaltitol, isomaltooligosaccharide (isomaltose, isomaltotriose, panose, etc.), erythritol, oligo-N- acetylglucosamine, galactose, galactosylsucrose, galactosyllactose, galactopyranosyl (β1-3) galactopyranosyl (β1-4) glucopyranose, galactopyranosyl (β1-3) glucopyranose, galactopyranosyl (β1-6) galactopyranosyl (β1-4) glucopyran- ose, galactopyranosyl (β1-6) glucopyranose, glycyrrhiza extract (glycyrrhizin), xylitol, xylose, xylooligosaccharide (xy- 10 lotriose, xylobiose, etc.), glycerol, triammonium glycyrrhizinate, tripotassium glycyrrhizinate, trisodium glycyrrhizinate, diammonium glycyrrhizinate, dipotassium glycyrrhizinate, disodium glycyrrhizinate, curcurin, glucose, gentiooligosac- charide (gentiobiose, gentiotriose, gentiotetraose, etc.), saccharin, sodium saccharin, cyclamate, sucrose, stachyose, stevia extract, powdered stevia, dulcin, sorbitol, sorbose, thaumatin, Theander oligo saccharide, tenryocha extract, trehalulose trehalose, monellin, nigerooligosaccharide (nigerose, etc.), neotame, neotrehalose, palatinit, palatinose, 15 palatinosepalatinose oligosaccharide, palatinose syrup, fucose, fructooligosaccharide (kestose, nystose, etc.), fructo- syl transferase-treated stevia, fructofuranosyl nystose, Brazilian licorice extract, fructose, polydextrose, maltitol, mal- tose, maltosyl β-cyclodextrin, maltotetraitol, maltotriitol, maltooligosaccharide (maltotriose, tetraose, pentaose, hexa- ose, heptaose, etc.), mannitol, miracle fruit extract, melibiose, rakanka (Momordica grosvenori) extract, lactitol, lactu- lose, lactose, raffinose, rhamnose, ribose, isomerized corn syrup, reduced isomaltooligosaccharide, reduced xylo- 20 oligosaccharide, reduced gentiooligosaccharide, reduced malt sugar syrup, glucose syrup, hydrogenated glucose syr- up, enzymatically modified licorice, licorice hydrolysates, coupling sugar, soybean oligosaccharide, inverted sugar, glucose syrup, honey and like sweet substances. I. Sweetening composition 25 [0011] The inventions according to this embodiment was developed based on the findings that combining sucralose with specific saccharides or acids mitigates the rough tastes and lingering sweet aftertastes of the sucralose or other sweeteners and produces the sweetening composition having rich and full-bodied sweetness. Specifically, the present inventions are the sweetening compositions listed below. 30 [0012] (1) A sweetening composition comprising sucralose and at least one sweet substance selected from the group consisting of fructose, non-reducing disaccharide, sugar alcohol, beet oligosaccharide,