Preface

Savory flavors, which have developed rapidly in recent years as a kind of edible flavors, have become the largest amount of edible flavors used in the food processing industry. Because savory flavor can give excellent flavor to meat food, it is more widely used in all kinds of newly industrialized flavored food, such as leisure food and cooked meat products. The following is an introduction to what is the meaning of savory flavor? Several common production processes of savory flavor in China.

In order to transform non-meat proteins into food products with meat flavor and delicious taste, the majority of scientists in China have invested a lot of energy in the research of savory flavors. Savory flavors are characterized by the majority of meat flavor, such as pork, chicken, beef and so on.

In recent years, the rapid development of savory flavor as a kind of edible flavor, has become the largest amount of food processing industry of a kind of edible flavor. Because savory flavor can give meat food excellent flavor, it is more widely used in all kinds of newly industrialized flavored food, such as leisure food and cooked meat products. The following is an introduction to what is the meaning of savory flavor? Several common production processes of savory flavor in China.

In order to transform non-meat proteins into food products with meat flavor and delicious taste, the majority of scientists in China have invested a lot of energy in the research of savory flavors. Savory flavors are characterized by the majority of meat flavor, such as pork, chicken, beef and so on.

Classification of savory flavor

As one of the important components of food flavors, savory flavors can be divided into thermal reaction type and blending type flavors according to the formulation method: according to the dosage form structure can be divided into powder flavors, cream flavors and liquid flavors, of which the liquid flavors according to its solubility, can be divided into water-soluble flavors, emulsified flavors and oil-soluble flavors (of which the daily use of the more widely used is the oil-soluble flavors); according to the aroma can be divided into the poultry flavor (such as ducks, geese) and the livestock flavor ) and livestock flavor (such as cows, horses, dogs) class flavors.

China’s savory flavors common production processes

1. Enzymatic technology
Proteins in the enzymatic process will be gradually degraded into peptide segments, its relative molecular mass also becomes smaller, and ultimately the formation of several amino acids. If the proteins are hydrolyzed by acid or alkali, the amino acids will be damaged to different degrees in the process. In order to protect the amino acids, the protein can be hydrolyzed by enzyme hydrolysis, so that the hydrolyzed amino acids are stable in physicochemical properties and high in nutritional value.

Because the process is simple, short reaction time, low temperature, and very environmental protection, so the use of enzyme biotechnology for protein hydrolysis method is highly valued.

Natural proteins have complex structure and composition, and the enzyme has specificity, so we can not simply use an enzyme for hydrolysis, we must rely on a variety of enzymes to hydrolyze proteins synergistically. The relationship between enzymatic hydrolysis effect and factors such as pH, reaction time, temperature and substrate concentration in the enzymatic hydrolysis process should be emphasized. Nowadays, enzyme digestion technology has been widely used in the preparation of flavor precursors.

2. Melad reaction
The Melad reaction is widely used in the synthesis of cigarette flavors as well as pork flavors, chicken flavors, beef flavors, etc. It is a browning reaction produced by carbonyl groups together with amino compounds, which is not catalyzed by enzymes.

The process of forming flavor by the Melad reaction is divided into 3 stages.
In the first stage, the amino and aldose compounds are condensed to produce SchiffBase, and then its instability is used to cyclize it to produce the corresponding N-substituted aldose-based amines, followed by the rearrangement of the Amadori molecule so that 1-amino-1-deoxy-2-ketose (fructosylamine) is formed, and the precursor components of the non-volatile flavor substances are the primary reaction products, and the flavor and The flavor and color of the food will not change due to the primary reaction product.

In the second stage, fructosylamine is divided into 3 main routes:
① 1,2-enolization reaction, which is carried out in an acidic environment, followed by deamination and dehydration, and finally hydroxymethyl aldehyde is generated;

(ii) 2,3-enolysis reaction, which is carried out in an alkaline environment, followed by its deamination, with the final products being reduced ketones and dicarboxylates;

(iii) The reaction of amino acids and dicarboxylic groups is carried out followed by a cleavage reaction of the product to give carbonyl-containing compounds or bicarbonyl compounds, or a Strecker degradation reaction with amino acids to produce Strecker aldehydes, or participation in the ultimate stage.

In the third stage, the carboxyl and furan intermediates can usually be changed into aromatic compounds by reacting with other intermediates such as amino acid degradation products or amino compounds, and there are two main types of reactions in this stage: polymerization reactions with the generation of heme-like sperms, and hydroxyaldehydes condensation reactions.

The Melad reaction process produces melanoidins, as well as heterocyclic compounds containing nitrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and so on. The important components of meat flavor substances include pyrazines containing ammonia heterocycles, thiophenes containing sulfur heterocycles, furans containing oxygen heterocycles and other substances.

Many scientific experiments have proved that meat flavor compounds are mainly produced through the Merad reaction. Changing the temperature, time and other process conditions will produce flavor substances with different flavors. For example, roast beef and roast pork flavor can be obtained by the reaction of ribose with glutathione and cysteine respectively.

3.Fat control oxidation technology
Lipolysis mainly involves the reaction of oxidation, saturated and unsaturated fatty acid degradation, the process will produce many volatile compounds.

Oxidative decomposition of unsaturated hydrocarbon chains in lipids will generate hydroperoxides, an intermediate, and free radicals of the reaction process. During the formation of these hydroperoxides, the free radical reaction goes further, forming non-free radical products of acids, ketones, aldehydes, alcohols, furans, lactones, and aliphatic hydrocarbons with a volatile flavor, of which the volatile components are mainly aldehydes, alcohols, and ketones, which determine the characteristic flavor of the meat.

In addition, a large number of scientific experiments have demonstrated that lipids and their derivatives are essential for the production of characteristic meat flavors, and Pearson et al. found that heating animal fats produces characteristic meat flavors.

Conclusion

Savory flavors have become an essential part of food production. With the development of the food industry, the types and quality of the original savory flavors can not meet people’s needs, the research and development of new flavor into the development of the additives industry is of great significance.