Umami-active tomato fraction

A method comprising the steps of:

• a. providing a tomato serum having a total solids content of 0.05-30 wt %;
• b. separating the tomato serum into two or more portions, including a lycopene-depleted portion and a lycopene-enriched portion, the lycopene content of the lycopene-depleted portion being less than 30 wt % of that of the lycopene-enriched portion, both the lycopene contents being calculated on dry matter;
• wherein the separating step further comprises at least one of:
• (i) micro-filtering the tomato serum through a micro-filter having a pore-size of less than 10 micrometers or
• (ii) ultra-filtrating the tomato serum through a membrane with a molecular weight cut off of 250 kDa or less;
• to produce the lycopene-depleted portion as a permeate and the lycopene-enriched portion as a retentate;
• c. concentrating the lycopene-depleted portion to at least 10° Brix;
• d. chromatographically fractionating the concentrated lycopene-depleted portion into two or more fractions, including a crude umami fraction with a weight ratio glutamate:monosaccharide of X and a monosaccharide fraction with a weight ratio glutamate:monosaccharide of Y, wherein the ratio X:Y exceeds 20;
• wherein the concentrated lycopene-depleted portion is chromatographically fractionated using ion exclusion chromatography;
• and wherein the crude umami fraction has a weight ratio citrate:monosaccharide of at least 1;
• e. optionally, concentrating the crude umami fraction;
• f. chromatographically fractionating the crude umami fraction into two or more fractions, including a clean umami fraction with a weight ratio glutamate:citrate of K and a citrate fraction with a weight ratio glutamate:citrate of L, wherein the ratio K:L exceeds 10;
• wherein the crude glutamate fraction is chromatographically fractionated using ion exclusion chromatography or ion exchange chromatography.