Meat flavoring agents and process for preparing same

A process for preparing a flavorant for imparting cooked meat or fish flavor to foodstuffs which comprises:

• (a) oxidizing a lipid material selected from the group consisting of triglycerides, unsaturated fatty acids and combinations thereof by contacting the lipid material with an oxidizing agent to form oxidation products, the extent of such oxidation corresponding to oxidation of the lipid material to a peroxide value between about 5 and about 150 milliequivalents per kilogram of lipid material;
• (b) forming a reaction mixture before or after said oxidizing step by combining the lipid material with a source of amino acids capable of reacting with said oxidation products and with a sulfur-containing compound capable of reacting with said oxidation products, the amounts of said sulfur-containing compound and said amino acids together being sufficient to react with essentially all of the oxidation products produced in said oxidizing step, said amino acid source including an animal protein hydrolysate;
• and
• (c) reacting said mixture until substantially all of said oxidation products have been consumed and the peroxide value of the reaction mixture is substantially zero thereby forming the flavorant, said oxidizing step being performed before or during said reacting step.