Development of caramel colour with improved colour stability and reduced 4-methylimidazole

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the effect of chemical substances, such as Mg²⁺ (as magnesium sulphate), Zn²⁺ (as zinc sulphate), Fe²⁺ (as iron sulphate), ascorbic acid, and citric acid, on the formation of 4-methylimidazole (4-MI) and colour stability of caramel colour. The 4-MI concentration in the caramel colour without chemical substances was 963.10 μg/g, and this decreased the most (67.7%) with the addition of 0.1 molar ratio of citric acid. Colour stability was evaluated by measuring the total colour change (ΔE) after storage, and heating in pH 2, 4, and 7 solutions and 50% solution in ethyl alcohol. Among the chemical substances added to reduce 4-MI in the caramel colour, Mg²⁺ (0.1 molar ratio) and ascorbic acid improved the colour stability more than the others.     

Antioxidant effects of soy sauce on color stability and lipid oxidation of raw beef patties during cold storage

This study was conducted to evaluate the antioxidant effects of soy sauce on lipid oxidation and color stability of raw beef patties. Raw beef patties were formulated with four solutions such as NaCl (sodium chloride solution), NaCl/SS (1:1 ratio of sodium chloride and soy sauce solution), SS (soy sauce solution), or SS/A (soy sauce solution combined with 0.05% ascorbic acid) in the same salt concentration. Addition of soy sauce resulted in the decreased pH, lightness, and increased yellowness. Treatment SS/A had the lowest percent of metmyoglobin during storage (P < 0.05). A reduction (P < 0.05) in the 2-thiobarbituric acid, peroxide, and conjugated diene concentration as result of soy sauce addition were observed in treatments SS and SS/A at the end of the storage period. There were no differences (P > 0.05) in free fatty acid concentration at the end of storage. The combined addition of soy sauce and ascorbic acid greatly improved (P < 0.05) color stability and retarded lipid oxidation.     

Detection and Quantification of 4(5)‐Methylimidazole in Cooked Meat

4(5)‐Methylimidazole (4‐MeI) is a nitrogen‐containing heterocyclic compound found in class III and IV ammoniated caramel colors, a group of additives widely used in the food industry. A suspected carcinogen and neurotoxin and efforts are underway to limit its presence in foods. Several methods have been developed to detect and quantitate 4‐MeI in different food matrices, including roasted coffee, beer, soft drinks, and soy sauce; however, no methods are available to measure 4‐MeI in cooked meat and meat products containing lipids and high levels of interfering nitrogen compounds, such as amino acids and peptides. A rapid method using 0.1 M sodium acetate buffer (pH 5) as an extraction solvent followed by derivatization with isobutylchloroformate and gas chromatograph mass‐spectrometry was developed to quantify 4‐MeI in cooked meat products with added caramel colors containing 4‐MeI. Selected ion monitoring mode was used to monitor 4‐MeI ions fragments. In the 8 commercial meat products tested, 4‐MeI levels ranged from 0.041 to 1.015 mg/kg, with recovery of 94.76% to 103.94%. In addition, a matrix‐matched calibration performed by analyzing a spiked cooked meat sample indicated no significant difference (P > 0.05), which means the meat matrix had no effect on the developed method. This method proved useful in analyzing 4‐MeI in meat products with added caramel color containing 4‐MeI.     

酱油、酸水解植物蛋白、焦糖色素中乙酰丙酸的测定

对酱油、酸水解植物蛋白（HVP）、焦糖色素中乙酰丙酸的含量进行了测定。其中，酱油中乙酰丙酸含量较低，酸水解植物蛋白中乙酰丙酸含量较多（最高含量为15．79％），而焦糖色素中也测出含有乙酰丙酸（最高含量达8．02％）。故此认为采用乙酰丙酸指标来判定酿造酱油还是配制酱油是不恰当的。     

Autolysis of Aspergillus oryzae Mycelium and Effect on Volatile Flavor Compounds of Soy Sauce

The autolyzed mycelia of Aspergillus oryzae are rich in proteins, nucleic acids, sugar, and other biomacromolecules, and are one of the main contributors to the flavor profile of commercially important fermented goods, including soy sauce and miso. We induced autolysis of the mycelia of A. oryzae over 1 to 10 d, and found that the maximum dissolved amounts of total protein and nucleic acid ratio accounted for 28.63% and 88.93%, respectively. The organic acid content, such as citric acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, lactic acid, and acetic acid, initially increased and then decreased as autolysis progressed, corresponding to changes in pH levels. The main characteristic flavor compounds in soy sauce, namely, ethanol, 2‐phenylethanol, and 2‐methoxy‐4‐vinylphenol, were all detected in the autolysate. Subsequently, we tested the effect of adding mycelia of A. oryzae during the fermentation process of soy sauce for 60 d, and found that addition of 1.2‰ A. oryzae mycelia provided the richest flavor. Overall, our findings suggest that compounds found in the autolysate of A. oryzae may promote the flavor compounds of soy sauce, such as alcohols, aldehydes, phenols, and esters.     

面粉对发酵酱油品质的影响研究

在工业化生产条件下,以面粉和小麦粉混合发酵酱油(FWSS)和纯小麦粉发酵酱油(WSS)为研究对象,通过测定其理化指标、氨基酸组成以及挥发性化合物组成,结合感官评价结果分析两类酱油风味品质差异的形成原因。结果显示：除总酸外,其他理化指标均无显著性差异;FWSS酱油中大部分氨基酸含量均高于WSS酱油,差异较大的为谷氨酸含量(FWSS=21.11%,WSS=20.35%)。挥发性化合物测定结果显示FWSS酱油挥发性化合物相对含量较高,其中酱油中常见的香气活性物质4-羟基-5-乙基-2-甲基-3(2H)-呋喃酮(HEMF,焦糖香),4-乙基愈创木酚(4-EG,烟熏香)含量差异较为明显,与感官评价结果中FWSS酱油其烟熏香味、焦糖香味更加丰富的结果一致。表明在工业生产中,加入40%的面粉替代小麦粉发酵酱油(FWSS),可明显降低酱油中总酸含量(FWSS的总酸含量为1.15 g/100 g,WSS的总酸含量为1.24 g/100 g),提高酱油的香气饱满度和滋味特征。本研究可为高盐稀态酱油的风味品质提升提供理论指导。     

Quality evaluation of Korean soy sauce fermented in Korean earthenware (Onggi) with different glazes

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of porosity‐controlled earthenware as fermentation vessels for Korean soy sauce. Porosity of fermentation vessels was controlled by glazing the surfaces of Korean earthenware. Three kinds of onggis– the outside glazed, inside and outside glazed, and unglazed onggi – were made and used to investigate the effect of glazing on the fermentation of soy sauce. During fermentation of soy sauce in porosity‐controlled earthenwares at 30 °C for 4 months, physical, chemical, microbiological and sensory quality attributes were monitored. Compared to other vessels, soy sauce fermented in onggi with both inside and outside surfaces glazed showed less water loss (10.7%), salt content (17.6%) and pH (pH4.4) after the fourth month. It also produced higher total acidity (1.43%), protease activity (810 μg mL^?1 min^?1) and microbiological changes that included total aerobic bacteria [4.3 log(cfu mL^?1)], lactic acid bacteria [3.8 log(cfu mL^?1)] and yeast [4.2 log(cfu mL^?1)]. The contents of total nucleotide (200–255 mg per 100 g sample) and free amino acids (4634–4848 mg per 100 g sample) in soy sauce were not consistent with glazing, which may be more affected by other factors, such as water loss, than the porosity of vessels. However, the percentage of glutamic acid among total free amino acids was 23.6% in onggi with both surfaces glazed, which was a little higher than the 21.9% in the outside glazed and 21.5% in the unglazed. These positive physicochemical and microbiological changes during fermentation in onggi with both sides glazed also resulted in higher sensory quality.     

Improvement of Fish Sauce Quality by Strain CMC5‐3‐1: A Novel Species of Staphylococcus sp.

Staphylococcus sp. CMC5‐3‐1 and CMS5‐7‐5 isolated from fermented fish sauce at 3 to 7 mo, respectively, showed different characteristics on protein hydrolysis and volatile formation. These Gram‐positive cocci were able to grow in up to 15% NaCl with the optimum at 0.5% to 5% NaCl in tryptic soy broth. Based on ribosomal 16S rRNA gene sequences, Staphylococcus sp. CMC5‐3‐1 and CMS5‐7‐5 showed 99.0% similarity to that of Staphylococcus piscifermentans JCM 6057^T, but DNA–DNA relatedness was <30%, indicating that they were likely to be new species. DNA relatedness between these 2 strains was only 65%, suggesting that they also belonged to different species. The α‐amino group content of 6‐month‐old fish sauce inoculated with Staphylococcus sp. CMC5‐3‐1 was 740.5 mM, which was higher than that inoculated by the strain CMS5‐7‐5 (662.14 mM, P < 0.05). Histamine was not produced during fermentations with both strains. Fish sauce inoculated with Staphylococcus sp. CMC5‐3‐1 showed the highest content of total glutamic acid (P < 0.05). The major volatile compound detected in fish sauce inoculated with Staphylococcus sp. CMC5‐3‐1 was 2‐methypropanal, contributing to the desirable dark chocolate note. Staphylococcus sp. CMC5‐3‐1 could be applied as a starter culture to improve the umami and aroma of fish sauce.     

Effect of a halophilic aromatic yeast together with Aspergillus oryzae in koji making on the volatile compounds and quality of soy sauce moromi

Koji making is an essential step in the production of high‐quality soy sauce. In this study, we inoculated koji with a halophilic aromatic yeast (Zygosaccharomyces rouxii) and Aspergillus oryzae and investigated the effects on the volatile compounds and quality of soy sauce moromi. Our results suggest that the optimal yeast inoculation was approximately 1.5 × 10⁶ yeast per gram of koji, and excessive yeast greatly decreased A. oryzae enzyme activity. In comparison with the control group, there were no significant changes in the concentrations of amino nitrogen, total titratable acids, total soluble nitrogen and reducing sugar by extending the fermentation time during the first fermentation month, whereas the concentration of glutamate in the yeast‐inoculated sample increased by 46.16% and the arginine concentration decreased by 61.07%. After the second fermentation month, 17, 38 and 38 volatile components were identified by GC–MS in C1, C2 and C5, respectively. Moreover, a large number of volatile components, such as 2‐Methoxy‐4‐vinylphenol, ethyl acetate and 1‐Octen‐3‐ol were found in C2 and C5. And the total contents of volatile compounds in C2 were obviously higher than C5. This work furthers our understanding of the traditional multistrain koji making and provides a new method for enhancing the quality and flavour of soy sauce.     

Genome shuffling of Zygosaccharomyces rouxii to accelerate and enhance the flavour formation of soy sauce

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to achieve rapid improvement of the flavour of soy sauce by increasing the salt stress resistance of Zygosaccharomyces rouxii. Here, we describe genome shuffling to improve the salt tolerance of Z. rouxii while simultaneously enhancing and accelerating flavour formation of soy sauce. RESULTS: A mutant, S3‐2, with a stronger resistance to salt, was selected after three rounds of genome shuffling. S3‐2 not only grew well in peptone/yeast extract/dextrose medium containing a high salt content with wide range of pH, but also exhibited stronger stress resistance to potassium chloride and lithium chloride. In high‐salt liquid fermentation, S3‐2 obviously accelerated flavour formation of soy sauce, thus decreasing the total time required for development of the aroma. In addition, S3‐2 gave high amino acid nitrogen and good flavour. In particular, the ethyl acetate content was 2.38 times that in the control. S3‐2 distinctly improved the formation of 4‐hydroxy‐2 (or 5) ‐ethyl‐5 (or 2) ‐methyl‐3 (2H) ‐furanone by up to 75%. Another important flavour component, 4‐ethylguaiacol, was also detected. CONCLUSIONS: Genome shuffling was successfully used to achieve significant improvements in flavour formation. The selected strain improved the main flavour components and amino acid nitrogen, thereby enhancing the quality of soy sauce. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effect of Ascorbic Acid on the Properties of Ammonia Caramel Colorant Additives and Acrylamide Formation

Ammonia caramels are among the most widely used colorant additives in the food industry. They are commonly prepared through the Maillard reaction and caramelization of mixtures of reducing sugars with ammonia or ammonium salts. Antioxidants are known to inhibit acrylamide formation during the Maillard reaction, and they may affect the properties of the ammonia caramel products. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the effect of the antioxidant ascorbic acid on the properties of ammonia caramel. A mixture of glucose and ammonia was allowed to react at 120 °C for 60 min in the presence of ascorbic acid at final concentrations of 0 to 0.08 M. The ammonia caramels obtained from these reactions were all positively charged. As the concentration of ascorbic acid increased, the color intensity of the ammonia caramel showed a decreasing trend, while the intensity of the fluorescence and total amount of pyrazines in the volatiles showed a tendency to increase. The addition of ascorbic acid did not result in obvious changes in the UV‐visible spectra of the ammonia caramels and the types of pyrazines in the volatiles were also unchanged. It is noteworthy that the addition of 0.02 to 0.08 M ascorbic acid did reduce the formation of the by‐product acrylamide, a harmful substance in food. When the concentration of ascorbic acid added reached 0.04 M, the content of acrylamide in the ammonia caramel was 20.53 μg/L, which was approximately 44% lower than that without ascorbic acid. As a result, ascorbic acid can be considered to improve the quality and safety of ammonia caramels.     

A two‐step inoculation of Candida etchellsii to enhance soy sauce flavour and quality

Effects of novel two‐step inoculation to enhance soy sauce special flavour in Candida etchellsii were investigated at the cell growth phase. The first‐stage consists of a 5% culture inoculum of log phase cells at 30‐day. Subsequently, a 20% culture inoculum of stationary phase cells was added at 60‐day. The resulting amino nitrogen and soluble salt‐free solid yield reached 9.15 ± 0.12 and 269.60 ± 3.15 mg L^?1 in 30 °C incubator experiments, increased by 23.1% and 17.6%, respectively, as compared to the control without culture inoculation. Maximal free amino acid yield of 58.21 ± 1.77 g L^?1 was achieved, and 39 types of volatile flavour compounds content was 17.81 ± 0.45 g L^?1, which were 1.76% and 178.7% higher than the control. A novel two‐step inoculation using the C. etchellsii yeast was developed and optimised. It was proven to be a feasible reproducible process for industrial application for the improvement of the flavour and quality of soy sauce production.     

Biochemical,microbiological and sensory changes in shrimp (Panaeus aztecus) dipped in different solutions using face‐centred central composite design

Biochemical, microbiological and sensory changes during shelf‐life at ?1 °C were determined in shrimp (Panaeus aztecus) previously dipped in ascorbic acid, citric acid, potassium sorbate and 4‐hexyl resorcinol solutions using face‐centred central composite design. Microbiological count, trimethylamine and hypoxantine production were measured. The lowest level of the total psychrotrophic bacteria, hypoxantine and trimethylamine were found in samples dipped in all containing chemicals solutions comparing to control treatment. Sensory studies showed that treatment A (ascorbic acid 4.50, citric acid 0.12, potassium sorbate 18.60 and 4‐hexyl resorcinol 0.25, all g L^?1) and B (ascorbic acid 4.37, citric acid 1.26, potassium sorbate 7.03 and 4‐hexyl resorcinol 0.25, all g L^?1) did not alter the typical sensory features of shrimp and were effective at delaying the bitter off‐flavour formation for 26 days. This study constitutes a promising alternative to extent shelf‐life of shrimp kept at ?1 °C without freezing.     

Effect of mixed kojis on physiochemical and sensory properties of rapid‐fermented fish sauce made with freshwater fish by‐products

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of mixed kojis on essential indices of fish sauce. Fish sauce inoculated with mixed kojis (FSB, Aspergillus oryzae koji:Aspergillus niger koji = 3:1) and A. oryzae koji (FSA, control) was prepared. At the end of fermentation, the content of amino nitrogen, total soluble nitrogen, Free amino acid (FAA) and glutamic acid in FSB increased by 7.50%, 7.84%, 9.80% and 28.43% compared to FSA, due to higher acid protease activity in mixed kojis. Moreover, flavour groups including phenols, ketones and nitrogen‐containing compounds in FSB were also improved. According to the results of sensory evaluation, FSB showed higher intensity of umami and caramel attributes, lower intensity of ammonia and sour attributes. All the results suggested that the usage of mixed kojis to produce fish sauce was an effective method that can accelerate the fermentation process and improve the flavour of fish sauce made with freshwater fish by‐products.     

Inhibitory effect of rice bran extract on polyphenol oxidase of potato and banana

Rice bran was extracted with water and its effects on potato and banana polyphenol oxidase (PPO) were investigated. Rice bran extract (RBE), conc. 0.3 g mL^?1, exhibited PPO inhibition in potato and banana PPO with % inhibition of 69.31% and 47.63%, respectively (P ≤ 0.05). RBE showed a concentration‐dependent inhibition on potato and banana PPO. RBE (conc. 0.3 g mL^?1) inhibited potato PPO higher than ascorbic acid, citric acid, NaCl and EDTA (final conc. 20 mg L^?1); and it also inhibited banana PPO higher than citric acid, NaCl and EDTA (final conc. 20 mg L^?1), respectively. The combination of RBE with citric acid or ascorbic acid appeared to be additive inhibitory effect on banana and potato PPO. Kinetic study of the inhibition on potato and banana PPO by RBE showed that RBE was a mixed‐type inhibitor; however, RBE appeared to be able to act directly on enzyme structure rather than substrate structure.     

Development of the Rhodiola rosea Fuqu and Rhodiola rosea soy sauce,and the determination of their functional properties

A mixed starter, composed of high‐quality Rhodiola rosea Fuqu, was developed. Compared with normal Fuqu, Rhodiola rosea Fuqu demonstrated higher spore numbers, spore germination rates, protease activity, liquefying amylase activity and total acid and amino acid nitrogen. Specifically, the spore number was 1.36 times that of regular Fuqu. Protease activity, liquefying amylase activity, total acid and amino acid nitrogen were 0.475 g/100 mL, 104.16 U/g dry Qu, 35.67 mmol/L and 26.08 g/100 mL, respectively. These values were 21.48, 7.41, 6.07 and 67.82% higher than the regular Fuqu. The Rhodiola rosea soy sauce indices were also better than those for the control. The DPPH scavenging abilities of R. rosea soy sauce, control soy sauce, market soy sauce 1 and market soy sauce 2 were 74.25, 44.01, 34.73 and 11.38%, respectively. The total phenolic content in these four samples was 387.38, 309.23, 212.85 and 202.60 mg GAE/g, respectively. As observed with the DPPH and total phenolic assay, the R. rosea soy sauce showed the highest antioxidant capacity. A simple, rapid, and sensitive determination method of salidroside in R. rosea Fuqu and R. rosea soy sauce using HPLC‐ESI‐MS/MS was developed and validated with multiple reaction monitoring in the negative mode.     

2种铁营养强化剂对强化酱油感官影响的比较

该实验分别用乙二胺四乙酸铁钠(NaFeEDTA)和硫酸亚铁(FeSO4)与柠檬酸的混合物对低盐固态发酵酱油(虎王酱油)和高盐稀态发酵酱油(宽牌酱油)进行强化，强化剂量均为5mg铁／15mL酱油。室温静置ld后，对强化后酱油的色泽、香气、味道、体态、金属味等指标进行评价。结果表明，2种不同生产工艺的强化酱油中，NaFeEDTA强化酱油的感官评价得分较高，与空白酱油得分相似，明显高于FeSO4强化酱油，说明NaFeEDTA对2种工艺酱油的感官影响均低于FeSO4。     

Production of a red–purple food colorant from Opuntia stricta fruits by spray drying and its application in food model systems

Opuntia stricta fruit juice is a potential source of betacyanin pigments which can be used as a natural red-purple food colorant. In this work a powder food colorant was obtained by co-current spray drying of O. stricta fruit juices with a bench-scale two fluid nozzle spray dryer. Glucose syrup (DE 29) was used as drying aid. Optimum conditions for spray drying were as follow: juice content (20% v/v; 1.2 °Brix), glucose syrup content (10% w/v), liquid feed rate (0.72 l/h), spray air flow-rate (0.47 m³/h), drying air flow-rate (36 m³/h), and inlet drying air temperature 160 °C. Color was retained during the drying process (>98%) and drying yield was high (58%). The powder colorant showed high color strength (4.0), being this color strength stable when stored at room temperature for one month. This colorant was successfully applied in two food model systems: a yogurt and a soft-drink. Food presented a vivid red-purple tonality very attractive for consumers that was maintained after one month under refrigeration (4 °C) (ΔE < 5).     

Antioxidant activity of hot water extract from the fruit of the Doum palm, Hyphaene thebaica

A hot water extract from the fruit of Hyphaene thebaica was examined for its (i) hydrogen donating activity, (ii) Fe²⁺-chelating activity, (iii) hydroxyl radical-scavenging activity, (iv) inhibition of substrate site-specific hydroxyl radical formation, (v) superoxide radical-scavenging activity, and (vi) reducing power. The total phenolic content of the fruit extract was also determined in order to quantitate antioxidant activity as gallic acid equivalent (GAE) per ml reaction. The total phenolic content of the Doum fruit is low, but the extract exhibited potent antioxidant activity in terms of GAE. The activities expressed as mmol pure compound equivalent per g GAE content of extract are: (i) 2.85 mmol ascorbic acid equivalent, (ii) 1.78 mmol ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid equivalent, (iii) 192 mmol gallic acid equivalent, (iv) 3.36 mmol gallic acid equivalent, (v) 1.78 mmol gallic acid equivalent and (vi) 3.93 mmol ascorbic acid equivalent. These values were of the same magnitude as antioxidant activity in black tea except for Fe²⁺-chelating activity which was about 14 times more potent. The results show that the fruit of Hyphaene thebaica’s fruit is a source of potent antioxidants.     

Soy sauce odour induces and enhances saltiness perception

Developing products with reduced sodium content is one alternative for consumers interested in reducing their daily sodium intake. In this research, we determined whether soy sauce odour could induce and enhance salty taste perception in salt solution models. The sensory threshold technique (ASTM E679‐04, the ascending forced choice method of limits) was used to determine thresholds at 25 °C. Group best estimate threshold geometric means of soy sauce odour were expressed as parts‐per‐billion (ppb, v/v). At 28.45 ppb (recognition threshold), soy sauce odour could induce salty taste in 0.03 mm NaCl solution (in which salty taste was undetectable without soy sauce odour) and at 122.71 ppb (difference threshold), it enhanced salty taste (i.e. saltier) perception in 20 mm NaCl solution. Through the odour–taste interaction concept, this study demonstrated that the soy sauce odour could induce and enhance salty taste perception, which could be applied in the development of reduced‐sodium foods.