Process for producing yeast extract

Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Fermentation processes – Of or with yeast or mold

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Details

426 61, 426 62, 435255, 435256, 435259, A23L 128

Patent

active

051888521

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a process for producing yeast extract and more particularly, to a process for producing yeast extract which can be utilized as food seasonings, nutrient enrichment of food, medium for culturing microorganism, etc.


PRIOR ART

Yeast extract, like meat extract, vegetable extract, fish extract, etc., has a complicated taste and flavor which cannot be attained by chemical seasoning, and has thus been used much as food seasoning. In addition, yeast extract is rich of nutrient components and has also been widely used for nutrient enrichment or as a component for growth media of various microorganisms.
Yeast extract of this kind has been hitherto prepared by autolysis, decomposition with enzyme, chemical decomposition with acids, alkalis, salts, etc. and is characterized by the respective processes.
According to autolysis, enzyme power possessed by yeast bacteria per se is utilized so that the fresher the yeast bacteria, the more difficultly autolysis occurs. Furthermore, the action is slow and its yield is poor but this process is characterized by an excellent taste.
For accelerating the autolysis, organic solvents such as ethyl acetate, toluene, etc. are mainly used. In addition, other methods such as decomposition with enzyme in which enzyme obtained from mold, bacteria or the like is added, addition of saline in a high concentration, etc. have also been adopted.


PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

In these prior art processes, however, some substances used to accelerate autolysis are not derived from naturally occurring substances and the resulting products are not sufficiently satisfactory in taste and flavor which are inherently possessed by yeast extract, although the yield is good since the process involves the forced digestion of yeast cells. In addition, yeast extract to which an accelerator for digestion has been added requries steps of evaporation or separation of solvent, desalting of salts, etc. and resultingly requires complicated steps. Moreover, it is also disadvantageous in that depending on additives, utility as food seasoning is restricted. In other words, various processes for preparing yeast extract are hitherto known but when natural matters are wished to be prepared, processes therefor are unsatisfactory since the yield is poor and cost is high. The addition of an accelerator for digestion of yeast encounters a problem that the defects as described above are involved.


MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

As a result of extensive experiments and investigations to solve the problems described above involved in the prior art processes for preparing yeast extract and to prepare yeast extract having good taste and flavor in good yield, the present inventors have come to accomplish the present invention.
The gist of the present invention lies in adding chitosan to yeast as a raw material in preparing yeast extract. The present invention relates to a process for producing yeast extract characterized by adding 0.01 to 3% by weight of chitosan to live yeast as a raw material.
The present invention also relates to a process for producing yeast extract characterized by adding 0.01 to about 3% by weight of chitosan to live yeast to cause autolysis in the pH range of 2.5 to 7.5 at about 30.degree. to about 54.degree. C. for about 10 to 20 hours.
Chitosan is obtained from shells of crustaceans such as crabs, prawns, krill, etc., insects, fungi, cell walls or the like in which chitosan is present as complexes with calcium or protein. Chitosan has a structure similar to cellulose which is mass-produced by plant. Chitosan is a naturally occurring substance which has been recently used for waste treatment as a high molecular flocculant, as a hair set agent for cosmetics, for medical drug for hemostasis or treating wounds, etc. and as other food materials such as an edible film, a thickener, an emulsion stabilizer, etc.
According to the present invention, the problems in the prior art have been solved by adding chitosan to yeast in preparing yeast

REFERENCES:
patent: 3809780 (1974-05-01), Ishida et al.
patent: 3881022 (1972-04-01), Gasser
patent: 4285976 (1981-08-01), Akin et al.
patent: 5057542 (1991-10-01), Leuba et al.
World Patents Index/Section Ch, Week 7911,/Derwent Publications Ltd., London, GB; Class D, AN 79-21007B/& JP-A-54 017167 (AJINOMOTO) 8 Feb. 1979/*abstract* & JP-B-57 003 345 (. . .).
World Patents Index Latest/Section Ch, Week 8730,/Derwent Publications Ltd., London, GB; Class D, AN 87-210602/& JP-A-62 138 189 (CHOKAN) 20 Jun. 1987/*abstract*.
M. Windholz et al., `The Merck Index`/1983, Merck & Co., Rahway, N.J. p. 286-287/*2017. chitin*.
World Patents Index/Section Ch, Week 7708,/Derwent Publications Ltd., London, GB; Class B, AN 77-13734Y/& JP-A-52 003 892 (SNOW BRAND MILK) 12 Jan. 1977/*abstract*.
Patent Abstracts of Japan/vol. 14, No. 202 (C-713) 25 Apr. 1990/& JP-A-2 042 953 (ORIENTAL YEAST) 13 Feb. 1990/*abstract*.

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