Adding umami and kokumi

Increasing the taste of umami and kokumi in deli-style meats helps “round out” or “complete” other flavors in the system, thereby enhancing overall flavor. The taste of umami is very subtle, with most people unable to recognize umami when they encounter it; however, when it’s missing from foods described as savory, so is that food’s deliciousness.

The same is true of the sensory experience known as kokumi, which is best described as the characteristics that develop in well-cooked, aged and fermented foods. These are the sensations of enhanced continuity, mouthfulness and thickness or body without obvious textural changes. It, too, contributes to a food’s deliciousness.

That deliciousness is paramount in today’s food culture, where consumers are intrigued by bold flavors that invigorate their taste buds. The challenge for food formulators and culinary professionals is to deliver umami while maintaining the clean, simple ingredient statements that today’s consumers are increasingly demanding.

There are numerous ingredients that provide umami, which comes from tasting the amino acid glutamic acid. The most common ingredient, monosodium glutamate (MSG), is an isolated and highly concentrated form of glutamate, one of a number of forms of glutamic acid. It has a bad reputation, however, because many believe it can cause severe reactions in people who are hypersensitive to it. A more label-friendly alternative is yeast extract.

Numerous suppliers at IFT showcased yeast extract ingredients for flavor enhancement of deli-style meats and other savory foods. Yeast extracts are typically bakers’ yeast that has been conditioned to self-digest its protein structure into simpler amino acids, including glutamic acid, so that those amino acids can add depth of flavor to food. Applications include marinades, sauces and rubs.

Other sources of umami and kokumi include soy sauce, mushrooms, and even tomatoes. For example, Orange, New Jersey-based Lycored offers a natural taste enhancer derived from specialty tomatoes. This extract – available in liquid and powder form--is declared simply as tomato concentrate.

“It is designed to foster a balanced roundness, intensity and lingering taste in foods,” says Christiane Lippert, head of marketing at Lycored. “Our tomatoes provide a high concentration of naturally occurring compounds that provide a combination of umami and kokumi. Thanks to these natural taste effects, there is less need to use artificial or unhealthy ingredients such as salt and monosodium glutamate.”

Using this tomato extract allows for a reduction of up to 30 percent sodium in many applications, including deli-style meats. It is extremely versatile and can be used in spice blends, seasonings and marinades.

Salt of the Earth Ltd., Israel, won an IFT17 Food Expo Innovation Award for its umami ingredient. The ingredient assists with reducing sodium in processed foods, such as deli-style meats, while being 100 percent natural and clean label. Its unique blend of simple, consumer-friendly ingredients includes natural vegetable extracts and sea salt.

Enhancing the flavor of deli-style meats while reducing sodium and eliminating artificial ingredients is the future of the category. There are numerous approaches to developing consumer-appealing product. Work closely with ingredient suppliers to identify the perfect clean-label solution.