Nestec S.a.

Merck Patent Gmbh

Merck Patent Gesellschaft MIT Beschrankter Haftung

Merck Patent Gesellschaft MIT Beschraenkter Haftung

Tuong Huynh-Ba

Maged A Osman

Walter Matthey-Doret

Karlheinz Bortlik

Robert Aeschbach

Pierre Lambelet

Imre Blank

Philippe Duby

Eric Raetz

Christoph Cerny

Daniel Jaeger

Maurizio Beggio

Carol Borland

Marc Cedric Daury

Yu Chu Zhang

Charles Andrew Knight

The present invention in general relates to the field of taste. In particular it relates to the reduction of astringency. One embodiment of the present invention relates to the use of at least one phospholipid for the preparation of a phenol containing composition to reduce the astringency of the composition.

Reducing astringency in compositions containing phenolic compounds

A flavorant agent is prepared by incubating a medium of baker's yeast, elemental sulfur and a reducing sugar to obtain a reaction medium from which hydrogen sulfide gas evolves and then the reaction medium is treated with heat to obtain the flavorant agent. A further flavorant agent is obtained by separating the supernatant of the reaction medium from reaction medium residue, and the reaction medium or supernatant may be mixed with a flavor precursor material and heated to obtain a flavorant composition.

Food flavorant preparation via bioconversion of elemental sulphur

Process for the preparation of a vegetable juice or puree in which at least one fresh vegetable is homogenized in the presence of water, where appropriate under an inert atmosphere, so as to release the flavor precursors and part of the endogenous enzymes, the homogenate is incubated at a temperature of between 0.degree. C. and 70.degree. C. for 5 min to 24 h, it is processed, where appropriate, into juice or puree, and then it is pasteurized. Cooked juice or puree derived from unblanched vegetables, capable of being obtained by the process, having an enhanced raw flavor, and a natural color which is better preserved than that of the same cooked juice or puree derived from blanched vegetables. Use of a juice or puree, or of a dry extract of juice or puree in the preparation of a food product.

Treatment of vegetables

Flavorant compounds and compositions for food substances are prepared in a food-acceptable manner by bio-conversion of a cysteine S-complex with a food-acceptable micro-organism, particularly a yeast or filamentous fungus, which, upon incubation with the complex, splits the complex at a terminal carboxyl group in a beta position to yield a product including a thiol and at least one metabolite compound, and the product is isolated.

Preparation of thiols with food-acceptable micro-organisms

A powder-form composition of 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline incorporated with a support of maltodextrin and/or cyclodextrin. The composition is prepared by hydrolyzing a 2-(1-alkoxyethenyl)-1-pyrroline with an acid to obtain a reaction medium, adding an equimolar amount of a base to the reaction medium to obtain a neutralized reaction medium containing 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, combining maltodextrin and/or cyclodextrin with the neutralized reaction medium to obtain a support solution and freeze-drying the support solution to obtain the composition.

Compositions containing 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline

2-acetyl-1-pyrroline is prepared by hydrolyzing a 2-(1-alkoxyethenyl)-1-pyrroline compound with an acid to obtain a reaction medium and then adding an equimolar amount of a base to the reaction medium to obtain a neutralized reaction medium containing 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline.

Preparation of 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline

2-acetyl-1-pyrroline is prepared by hydrolyzing a 2-(1-alkoxyethenyl)-1-pyrroline compound with an acid and then the reaction medium is neutralized with an equimolar amount of a base to obtain a neutralized reaction medium containing the 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline. A cyclodextrin and/or maltodextrin support material is added to the neutralized medium which then is freeze-dried to isolate the 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline with the support to obtain the 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline incorporated with the support material.

Preparation of 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline compositions

3- or 4-mono-, 1,3- or 1,4- or even 3,4-disubstituted derivatives of quinic acid are produced by reaction of a hydroxycinnamic acid derivative, of which the phenol group(s) is/are protected with a quinic acid derivative, to form an ester and the different reactivities of the OH functions in the 3 and 4 positions are used to carry out the esterification selectively under low temperature conditions, after which the protective groups are cleaved under controlled acidity and temperature conditions. These conditions avoid any degradation or isomerization. The process enables new quinides to be obtained in high yields.

Preparation of quinic acid derivatives

Liquid crystal mixtures comprise one compound of the formula: ##STR1## wherein --A is selected from the group consisting of ##STR2## wherein R.sub.1 is independently C1-12 straight or branched alkyl or C1-12 straight or branched alkoxy and R.sub.2 is independently C1-12 straight or branched alkyl, X is selected from the group consisting of fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine and nitrile, and n is 1 or 2. The mixtures exhibit improved properties for image displays.

Anisotropic compounds having nematic phase and liquid crystal mixtures

Anisotropic compounds having a nematic phase have the formula ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, A, Z, X and n are described in the specification. Compounds having the defined lateral substituents on the rings have a reduced tendency to form smectic phases as compared with the compounds not having such lateral substituents.

Anisotropic compounds having Nematic phase and liquid crystal mixtures

2-(1-alkoxyethenyl)-1-pyrroline compounds. The compounds may be employed for preparing food flavorant compositions, and 2-(1-ethoxyethenyl)-1-pyrroline, in particular, has characteristics suiting it as a flavoring agent for food products.

Pyrroline-based food flavoring compounds

2-Carbomethoxy-1-pyrroline is used as a flavoring agent for food products.

Process for flavoring foods with 2-carbomethoxy-1-pyrroline

New anisotropic compounds of the formula (1) are useful in liquid crystal mixtures for electrooptical displays; at least one of the end groups of the compounds (1) is an alkyl group which carries cyano or halogen in a terminal or non-terminal position. This offers advantages for longitudinal polarization and/or cross-polarization of the anisotropic compounds with the aid of the comparatively highly polarizing cyano or halogen substituents, in particular high clear points, low ##EQU1## values and/or negative .DELTA..epsilon. values.

Anisotropic compounds and liquid crystal mixtures

Anisotropic compounds having a nematic phase have the formula ##STR1## wherein A is a cyclic radical selected from the group consisting of ##STR2## Z is selected from the group consisting of a single bond, a --CH2CH2-- group,

Anisotropic compounds having a nematic phase have the formula ##STR1## wherein A is a cyclic radical selected from the group consisting of ##STR2## Z is selected from the group consisting of a single bond, a --CH2CH2-- group, a methyleneoxy group and an oxymethylene group,

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Tuong Huynh-Ba