PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for producing a taste improvement agent that can, by adding an extremely small amount to a food material such as fruit-containing food/beverage product, greatly enhance the taste thickness, body feeling and the like which said food material possesses, and that is free from unpleasant taste, can achieve improvement in balance, and in addition is improved in the state of the product, and can easily and inexpensively be prepared.SOLUTION: Provided are: a method for producing taste improvement agent for fruit juice-flavored food/beverage product comprising a step in which a fruit juice is adjusted to pH 6 to pH 12, followed by heat treatment at 100°C to 180°C for 10 minutes to 5 hours to obtain a heat-treated product； and use of a taste improvement agent obtained by said production method.SELECTED DRAWING: None【課題】果実をはじめとする食品素材含有飲食品に極微量添加することで、当該食品素材が有する味の厚み、ボディー感などを大幅に増強し、雑味がなく、バランスの改善をはかることのでき、しかも製品の状態が改善され、簡便に、安価に調製することのできる呈味改善剤の製造方法の提供。【解決手段】果汁をｐＨ６～ｐＨ１２に調整した後、１００℃～１８０℃にて１０分～５時間加熱処理して加熱処理物を得る工程を含んでなる、果汁風味飲食品用呈味改善剤の製造法。および該製造方法によって得られる呈味改善剤の使用。【選択図】なし
