Kraft Foods

, the food arm of US tobacco conglomerate Philip Morris, has been awarded a patent for an invention relating to edible compositions with egg flavour, and to methods of preparing such edible compositions. The egg flavour is derived from egg yolk and is expected to be used in low-fat mayonnaise spreads and salad dressing.

Protected under US patent number 6,242,039, the abstract reads:

The present invention includes a stabilized food flavouring composition for imparting the flavour of egg to foods that includes egg yolk treated at elevated temperature or that contains an aqueous extract of hard cooked egg yolk. The invention also includes a food flavouring composition for imparting the flavour of egg that has substantially reduced levels of fat and cholesterol. The invention also provides methods of preparing an egg-flavoured food composition. In these methods, a food preparation to be flavoured with egg flavouring is combined with a stabilized flavouring composition

The first claim (of 19) is for:

A stabilised food flavouring composition for imparting the flavour of egg, said flavouring comprises an aqueous extract of hard cooked egg yolk.

To see full details of the patent, please click here.