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Patent Summary: Meat Flavor Compositions - US Patent 3,519,437

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• 5 min read

Here is a summary of US Patent 3,519,437.

Patent Basics

  • Title: Meat Flavor Compositions
  • Patent Number: US 3,519,437
  • Publication Date: July 7, 1970
  • Inventor: Christopher Giacino
  • Assignee: International Flavors & Fragrances Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York

Core Idea of the Patent

The patent discloses a process for creating artificial meat flavors (such as beef, pork, and poultry) by heating a mixture containing taurine (2-aminoethane sulfonic acid) and thiamine (Vitamin B1) . The fundamental discovery is that taurine, when reacted with thiamine at elevated temperatures, produces a pronounced meaty flavor. This basic reaction product can be used alone or with additional ingredients like amino acids, proteins, or fats to create a variety of specific meat flavors.

Examples (Flavor Compositions)

The patent provides several examples of specific flavor bases. Each example details the ingredients and process used.

Example I: Poultry Flavor Base (Chicken)

  • Ingredients (Parts by Weight):
    • Fat (vegetable shortening): 622.67
    • Salt: 321.65
    • Glutamic acid: 5.14
    • L-cysteine hydrochloride: 10.28
    • Glycine: 5.14
    • Beta-alanine: 1.28
    • Thiamine hydrochloride: 10.28
    • Taurine: 20.00
    • Mixture of disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate: 3.34
    • Post-reaction additions: Diacetyl (0.12 part) and hexanal (0.10 part).
  • Process Explanation:
    1. All ingredients except the diacetyl and hexanal were mixed.
    2. The mixture was continuously fed into a high heat-transfer rate, scraped-wall heat exchanger and heated for about 30 seconds at approximately 300°F.
    3. The resulting yellow mixture was then cooled to about 100°F in a second heat exchanger.
    4. The diacetyl and hexanal were added, and the final mixture was blended into a paste.
    5. The result was an "excellent chicken flavor." The patent notes that this flavor was "definitely enhanced over that obtained when the taurine is omitted." It also states that substituting the fat with lard and slightly decreasing the reaction time can produce pork flavors.

Example II: Varying Taurine Concentration

  • Ingredients: Same as Example I, but with taurine at different levels.
  • Process Explanation: The procedure of Example I was repeated using taurine at levels of 0.1, 4, 8, and 20 weight percent (with fat levels adjusted accordingly). Similar improvements in flavor enhancement were noted in all cases.

Example III: Chicken Flavor (Reduced Cysteine)

  • Ingredients (Parts by Weight):
    • Fat: 622.67
    • Salt: 321.65
    • Beta-alanine: 1.28
    • Glutamic acid: 5.14
    • Glycine: 5.14
    • Thiamine hydrochloride: 10.28
    • Disodium inosinate/guanylate mixture: 3.24
    • L-cysteine hydrochloride: 5.14 (reduced from 10.28 in Example I)
    • Taurine: 5.14
  • Process Explanation: The procedure of Example I was followed. The resulting composition had "chicken flavor characteristics virtually indistinguishable from that obtained when taurine is omitted and the cysteine is used at twice the level." This demonstrates taurine's ability to partially replace cysteine. The example also notes similar results were obtained by heating batchwise in an open vessel at 350-390°F for 10-15 minutes.

Example IV: Chicken Flavor (Cysteine Replaced by Taurine)

  • Ingredients (Parts by Weight):
    • Fat: 622.67
    • Salt: 321.65
    • Glutamic acid: 5.14
    • Taurine: 10.28 (replacing all cysteine)
    • Beta-alanine: 1.28
    • Glycine: 5.14
    • Thiamine hydrochloride: 10.28
    • Disodium inosinate/guanylate mixture: 3.34
    • Post-reaction additions: Diacetyl (0.12 part) and hexanal (0.10 part).
  • Process Explanation:
    1. All ingredients except diacetyl and hexanal were mixed.
    2. The mixture was heated continuously in a scraped-wall heat exchanger for one-half minute at 325°F.
    3. It was immediately cooled to 100°F, and then diacetyl and hexanal were added.
    4. The resulting mixture had "very good chicken flavor characteristics." The patent also notes that adding 10 parts of glucose to the mixture before reaction yields similar good results.

Example V: Chicken Flavor with Glutathione

  • Ingredients (Parts by Weight):
    • Fat: 622.67
    • Salt: 321.61
    • Glutathione: 10.00
    • Beta-alanine: 1.28
    • Thiamine hydrochloride: 10.28
    • Taurine: 10.00
    • Disodium inosinate/guanylate mixture: 3.34
    • Post-reaction additions: Diacetyl (0.12 part) and hexanal (0.10 part, 50% pure).
  • Process Explanation: The procedure of Example I was followed. The resulting mixture had a "very good chicken flavor."

Example VI: Beef Flavor Base

  • Ingredients (Parts by Weight):
    • L-cysteine hydrochloride: 3.52
    • Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP): 154.70
    • Thiamine hydrochloride: 3.52
    • Water: 336.50
    • Taurine: 10.00
  • Process Explanation:
    1. All ingredients were refluxed for four hours.
    2. The resulting mixture was aged for three days.
    3. Gum arabic was added as a carrier (1:1 ratio with flavor solids).
    4. The composition was spray-dried.
    5. The flavor was "decidedly improved over that obtained when the procedure is repeated without using taurine." Similar results were obtained with taurine concentrations of 0.1, 4, 8, and 20 percent.

Example VII: Beef Flavor (Reduced Cysteine)

  • Ingredients: The procedure of Example VI was repeated using 1.72 parts each of taurine and L-cysteine hydrochloride (reducing the total cysteine from 3.52 parts).
  • Process Explanation: The resulting reaction product had a "beef flavor virtually indistinguishable from the product obtained in Example VI when taurine is absent."

Example VIII: Beef Flavor (Cysteine-Free)

  • Ingredients (Parts by Weight):
    • Taurine: 3.52
    • Thiamine hydrochloride: 3.52
    • Water: 336.50
    • Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP): 154.70
  • Process Explanation: The procedure of Example VI was followed. The resulting composition had "very good beef flavor characteristics." The patent notes that omitting the HVP still yields a "good meat flavor composition."

Claims of the Patent

The patent concludes with 14 claims defining the scope of the invention.

  1. Claim 1: A process for altering the flavor of a food which comprises incorporating a small but effective amount of a reaction product formed by heating at elevated temperatures a mixture comprising 2-aminoethane sulfonic acid (taurine) and thiamine.
  2. Claim 2: The process of claim 1, wherein said mixture also contains a source of one or more amino acids.
  3. Claim 3: The process of claim 2, wherein said source of amino acid is hydrolyzed vegetable protein.
  4. Claim 4: The process of claim 2, wherein said source of amino acid is glycine, cysteine, or glutamic acid.
  5. Claim 5: The process of claim 1, wherein the heating is carried out within the range of from about 200–420°F.
  6. Claim 6: The process of claim 5, wherein the heating is carried out for a period of from about 15 seconds to about 6 hours.
  7. Claim 7: An edible composition comprising a food and an additional amount of a reaction product obtained by heating at an elevated temperature a mixture comprising 2-aminoethane sulfonic acid and thiamine, said product being present in an amount sufficient to alter the flavor of said food.
  8. Claim 8: The edible composition of claim 7, wherein said mixture also contains a source of one or more amino acids.
  9. Claim 9: The edible composition of claim 8, wherein said source of amino acid is hydrolyzed vegetable protein.
  10. Claim 10: The edible composition of claim 8, wherein said source of amino acid is glycine, cysteine, or glutamic acid.
  11. Claim 11: A composition for improving the meat flavor of a food which comprises: (i) a reaction product obtained by heating a mixture comprising 2-aminoethane sulfonic acid and thiamine at elevated temperature, and (ii) a thickener, condiment, flavoring intensifier, or flavoring adjuvant.
  12. Claim 12: The composition of claim 11, wherein the heating is carried out at a temperature of from about 200–420°F in an aqueous or fat vehicle.
  13. Claim 13: The composition of claim 12, wherein said mixture heated also contains a source of one or more amino acids.
  14. Claim 14: The composition of claim 13, wherein said source of amino acid is protein hydrolysate, glycine, cysteine, or glutamic acid. D

Those who wants to read the whole patent document, visit here. https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/8d/af/5e/e3c7363915c3b6/US3519437.pdf

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