US 2004O142090A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2004/0142090 A1 Goral (43) Pub. Date: Jul. 22, 2004 (54) FLAVOR-ENHANCING FOOD ADDITIVE Publication Classification (76) Inventor: Daniel M. Goral, Antioch, IL (US) (51) Int. Cl." ..................................................... A23L 1/221 (52) U.S. Cl. .............................................................. 426/650 Correspondence Address: Melanie I. Rauch Pauley Petersen Kinne & Erickson (57) ABSTRACT Suite 365 2800 West Higgins Road Hoffman Estates, IL 60195 (US) A flavor-enhancing product that consists essentially of fish sauce blended with anchovy paste. The blended product (21) Appl. No.: 10/348,790 exhibits elevated umami taste intensity and improved flavor characteristics over those exhibited by fish Sauce or anchovy (22) Filed: Jan. 22, 2003 paste individually. US 2004/O142090 A1 Jul. 22, 2004 FLAVOR-ENHANCING FOOD ADDITIVE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 0009. In response to the discussed difficulties and prob BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION lems encountered in the prior art, an all-natural flavor 0001. This invention is directed to a flavor-enhancing enhancing product that exhibits a heightened umami Sensa product that exhibits a heightened umami Sensation com tion has been discovered. pared to the umami Sensation of individual components 0010. The flavor-enhancing product includes fish sauce within the product. blended with anchovy paste. Fish Sauce is the liquid product 0002 Umami is a relatively new term to North American formed when fish are salted and fermented (salt cured) for food producers although Asian cultures, especially the Japa typically one year in temperatures that average around 30 nese, have recognized for many years that “deliciousness” is degrees Centigrade. Anchovy paste is ground anchovy fish, a unique and Specific human taste. Domestic food producers hereafter “paste fish” that have been salted and fermented use the general term “Savory' to describe Several umami (salt cured) for typically 5 months or a suitable duration until characteristics in food products. the meat separates easily from the skeleton of the fish. The Salt curing proceSS for paste fish occurs at a temperature that 0.003 Recently the first real proof of this fifth taste sense averages around 18 degrees Centigrade. possessed by humans, umami, has appeared in the Scientific literature. Closely associated with tastes derived from vari 0011. The ratio of fish sauce to anchovy paste may vary ous marine and meat products, umami is the taste of protein. considerably depending upon the desired flow characteris It also tends to reduce the perception of SourneSS and tics and the intended application of the flavor enhancer. In bitterneSS and increase the perception of SaltineSS and Sweet any case, the flavor-enhancing product Suitably includes neSS. The resulting taste perception has been generally between about 5% and about 95%, or between about 5% and described as “delicious.” Molecular biology studies have about 50%, or between about 50% and about 95% by weight confirmed the physical presence of human taste receptors fish sauce, and between about 5% and about 95%, or that respond to umami Substances which are responsible for between about 5% and about 50%, or between about 50% the delicious protein taste. and about 95% by weight anchovy paste. 0004 Monosodium glutamate (MSG) and the nucleotides 0012. In at least one embodiment, the fish sauce is of inosine monophosphate (IMP) and guanosine monophos Southeast Asian origin. Suitably, the fish Sauce includes at phate (GMP) are commonly recognized flavor enhancers. least 0.8% glutamate, with between about 15 and about 48, Current FDA regulations require that these chemical com or between about 30 and about 48 degrees nitrogen. pounds be specifically identified on product ingredient State 0013 In at least one embodiment, the anchovy paste fish ments. Many food producers will not use these compounds originates from Spain, Morocco, Argentina, Chile, or Peru. in their products because they believe consumerS have a The anchovy paste fish should be fermented for at least 5 negative opinion of them. The industry continues to Seek months or a Suitable duration until the meat Separates easily highly functional flavor enhancers with “clean” labels. from the skeleton of the fish. Suitably, the anchovy paste 0005 Most recently, IMP has been shown to greatly includes at least 0.30% IMP and at least 0.005% GMP. amplify the umami response of the taste receptor in the 0014 With the foregoing in mind, particular embodi presence of various free amino acids and glutamate. When ments of the invention provide an all-natural, cost-efficient, Viewed in the light of these recent molecular biology Studies, flavor-enhancing product that exhibits an unexpectedly high it is apparent that the careful Selection and blending of umami intensity. Additionally, the invention expresses an common food products can create a wide range of excep improved umami taste quality over either of the individual tionally Savory ingredients. components. 0006. A large body of literature shows that many com mon natural foods contain free amino acids (especially DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED glutamate) and nucleotides. These publications infer that the EMBODIMENTS chemicals were responsible for the umami character of the 0015 The present invention is directed to a flavor-en food. Trained Sensory panelists have been able to correlate hancing product that consists essentially of fish Sauce the intensity of the umami taste with the actual content of blended with anchovy paste. The blended product exhibits a individual umami compounds in a Statistically significant higher umami intensity than exhibited by either fish Sauce or C. anchovy paste individually. 0007 Flavor enhancer manufacturers have promoted the 0016 Salt cured anchovy is used as a natural flavor concept that blending MSG and nucleotides increases the enhancer in many common foods Such as Caesar dressings, functionality of the blend. In other words, you can use leSS Worcestershire Sauce, Asian fish Sauce, and Marinara pasta MSG when combined with a small amount of IMP or GMP, Sauces. Flavor enhancement is the primary function of and even less MSG when combined with an IMP/GMP anchovy in these food Systems. Few, if any, product devel blend. The literature documents this Synergy through Sen operS realize how much flavor enhancement is attributable to Sory Studies. There are no known references in the literature anchovy. Anchovy producers know that specific varieties of to blending natural products that contain these Substances to fish taste more delicious than others. Also, the quality of the achieve umami Synergy. fermentation/cure greatly affects the taste of the finished 0008. There is a need or desire for a flavor-enhancing product. food additive made up of a blend of natural products that 0017. It has been discovered that blending selected types achieves umami Synergy. of fermented anchovy greatly improves the flavor enhance US 2004/O142090 A1 Jul. 22, 2004 ment function of anchovies in general, resulting in a more dardized product with consistent functionality, unlike barrel functional, cost-effective anchovy product which can be brine which varies considerably from drum to drum. Brine added to various foods, Such as Sauces or dressings, to varies from a thick, brown protein Soup to a thin, watery greatly enhance the flavors of Such foods. brine. While not considered a waste product like barrel brine, fish Sauce is still a low cost raw material that adds 0.018. Two types of fermented fish are blended together to little cost to the flavor enhancer of the invention. create the flavor enhancer of the invention. One type of fermented fish, in the form of fish Sauce, has a high free 0022 Specific varieties of regional Vietnamese fish sauce amino acid and high glutamate content and the other type of having a wide variety of free amino acids in relatively high fermented fish, in the form of anchovy paste, has a relatively concentrations are particularly Suitable for the flavor high content of nucleotides. These qualities are a result of enhancer of the invention. Such varieties of fish Sauce using different Species of anchovy and fermenting them in contain glutamate concentrations that are equal to or greater different ways. than the best barrel brine. 0.019 Fish sauce is a basic condiment, most popular in 0023. Unlike fish sauce which is essentially free of nucle the Far East. Rich in glutamate and other free amino acids, otides, anchovy paste is rich in nucleotides, namely inosine fish sauce not only adds flavor to foods but also adds monophosphate (IMP) and guanosine monophosphate nutrients without adding any fat. Fish Sauce is typically (GMP). The anchovy paste used to make the flavor enhancer classified by amino acid content. More specifically, fish of the invention is Suitably made from fish originating in Sauce generally ranges from about 10 degrees to about 48 Spain, Morocco, or South America, namely Argentina, degrees, with “degree' referring to the amount of nitrogen in Chile, or Peru. Anchovies that Swim in the cold waters off of grams/liter. The higher the degree, the more protein is these countries typically have a higher fat content and firmer present in the fish Sauce. The amount of protein, or amino flesh than their counterparts in Southeast Asia. acid content, generally controls the quality of the fish Sauce. 0024. Anchovy paste is made with a variety of anchovies Higher quality fish Sauce typically has a higher degree. The whose meat produces substantial IMP and GMP concentra fish Sauce used in the present invention is Suitably between tions when salt cured for a suitable duration. The IMP and about 15 and 48 degrees, or between about 30 and 48 GMP contributions increase with the duration of the fer degrees. If the fish Sauce has too little nitrogen in it, Such as mentation. Anchovy paste is made from Salt cured ancho 10 degree fish Sauce, it can reduce the quality of the Vies.