Method for producing seasoning liquid-infused processed food

Abstract

To provide a method for producing a processed food having good texture and sufficient infusion of a seasoning liquid, without the use of equipment for treating at a high pressure of approximately 100 MPa or higher.SOLUTION: A method for producing a seasoning liquid-infused processed food comprises (1) a step of preparing a sealed container including a food material and a seasoning liquid and having been deaerated inside and (2) a step of applying a pressure of 1 MPa to 80 MPa to the food material in the container, wherein the food material includes a fruit or vegetable, the method optionally including (3) an additional step of heating the food material in the container.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing a seasoning liquid-impregnated processed food. [Background technology]

[0002] As described in Non-Patent Document 1, high-pressure processing of food ingredients allows them to be processed while suppressing the growth of microorganisms, and so high-pressure processing has attracted attention in the food industry, but the development of the techniques has not progressed sufficiently, and high-pressure processing is mostly studied for the purpose of sterilization. (Note that a pressure cooker is a device that can raise the boiling point of water by increasing the pressure slightly (the ultimate pressure is at most about 0.2 to 0.3 MPa), and its purpose is to utilize high temperatures of 100°C or higher.)

[0003] Patent Documents 1 and 2 describe a degassing, heating, and high-pressure processing method that is applied to the production of food, and state that the production period can be shortened, the sterilization effect can be increased, and the storage period can be extended by placing ingredients and seasoning liquid in a container and degassing them, holding the ingredients and seasoning liquid in the container, and processing them at a pressure of 80 to 300 MPa while heating them for at least 30 minutes. Non-Patent Document 2 also describes that when fruits are placed in a container together with syrup liquid and sealed under reduced pressure, a vacuum is drawn until there are almost no air bubbles, and pressure processing is performed at 0.5 MPa for 15 minutes to produce fruits preserved in syrup, and compared to the method of boiling in a general pot, fruits preserved in syrup with an elastic modulus close to that of raw fruits are produced, but sterilization is insufficient only with medium-high pressure processing, and although sufficient sterilization effect can be obtained by combining with heating, in that case the elastic modulus is lower. On the other hand, none of the prior art documents describes heating after processing raw ingredients at a medium or lower pressure in the production of processed foods impregnated with seasoning liquid. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6818390 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6990857 [Non-patent literature]

[0005] [Non-Patent Document 1] Culinary Science (1991), Vol.24, No.3, pp.260~265 [Non-Patent Document 2] Nagano Prefectural Industrial Technology Center Research Report (2017), No. 12, pp. 163-168 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Conventionally, in order to process raw food ingredients at high pressures of about 100 MPa or more for a specified time, expensive equipment must be occupied for a long time, and particularly when pressure treatment and heat treatment must be performed simultaneously, it is difficult to control the temperature in the high-pressure equipment in a short time, which increases processing costs. Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing processed foods that have a good bite and are sufficiently impregnated with seasoning liquid, without using equipment for treatment at high pressures of about 100 MPa or more. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] As a result of intensive research aimed at solving the above problems, the present inventors have found that by applying a moderate pressure to food materials in a sealed container containing food materials and seasoning liquid and having a degassed interior, a processed food material that is sufficiently impregnated with seasoning liquid and has a good chewiness can be prepared without going through a pressurization step under high pressure conditions that require expensive equipment, and have thus completed the present invention. That is, the present invention provides a method for producing a seasoning liquid-impregnated processed food material as shown below. [1] A method for producing a seasoning liquid-impregnated processed food, comprising: (1) preparing a sealed container containing ingredients and seasoning liquid and having an inside degassed; (2) applying a pressure of 1 MPa to 80 MPa to the food material in the container; The food material comprises fruits and vegetables, and optionally (3) heating the food material in the container; The method further comprising: [2] The method according to [1] above, wherein step (1) includes a step of degassing and sealing the container containing the food material and seasoning liquid. [3] The method according to [2] above, wherein the container is degassed so that the pressure inside the container is 0.2 kPa to 3.5 kPa. [4] The method according to any one of [1] to [3] above, wherein step (3) is carried out after step (2). [5] The method according to any one of [1] to [3] above, wherein step (3) is carried out simultaneously with step (2). [6] The method according to any one of [1] to [5] above, wherein the sealed container has a gas barrier layer. [7] The method according to any one of [1] to [6] above, wherein the fruits and vegetables include fruits and / or vegetables. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, a processed food that is sufficiently impregnated with the seasoning liquid and has a good chewiness can be prepared by applying a moderate pressure to the food in a sealed container containing the food and the seasoning liquid and the inside of which is deaerated. The food can be heated as desired. Therefore, it is possible to produce a good seasoning liquid-impregnated processed food without going through a pressurization process under high pressure conditions that requires expensive equipment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] The following shows a color photograph of the cross section of an apple soaked in dye, its binarized image, and a table showing the soaking rate. [Figure 2A] 2 shows a graph of normalized breaking stress. [Figure 2B] 1 shows a graph of normalized strain at break. [Figure 3A]A graph of normalized breaking stress is shown. Different letters indicate significant differences at 95% confidence intervals by Tukey-Kramer test, and "ab" indicates no significant difference from "a" or "b". [Figure 3B] A graph of normalized strain at break is shown, with different letters representing significant differences at the 95% confidence interval by the Tukey-Kramer test. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] The present invention will now be described in further detail. The present invention relates to a method for producing a seasoning liquid-impregnated processed food of foodstuffs including fruits and vegetables. The term "seasoning liquid-impregnated processed food" as used herein refers to a processed food produced by soaking the foodstuff in seasoning liquid and allowing it to penetrate into the foodstuff. The specific form of the seasoning liquid-impregnated processed food is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include compote, pickles, simmered dishes, and boiled dishes.

[0011] The term "fruits and vegetables" as used herein is a general term for vegetables, fruits, wild plants, mushrooms, and the like. The fruits and vegetables are not particularly limited as long as they can be used to produce a seasoning liquid-impregnated processed food, but in one embodiment, for example, the fruits and vegetables include vegetables and / or fruits. More specifically, the fruits and vegetables may include one or more types selected from the group consisting of apples, persimmons, loquats, peaches, wassa, pears (Japanese pears or European pears), plums, apricots, grapes, carrots, radishes, eggplants, cucumbers, burdocks, mushrooms, and the like.

[0012] The method of the present invention includes a step (1) of preparing a sealed container containing the food material and seasoning liquid and having a degassed interior. The sealed container is a sealable container in which the food material and seasoning liquid are placed, degassed, and sealed in this state. A sealed container that has been degassed in advance may be prepared, or the degassing may be performed when carrying out the method of the present invention. That is, in one embodiment, step (1) includes a step of degassing the inside of a container containing the food material and seasoning liquid and sealing it. In addition, the degassing conditions may be any method commonly used in the art and may be adopted without particular limitation, and for example, the container may be degassed so that the pressure inside the container is about 0.2 kPa to about 3.5 kPa or about 0.4 kPa to about 2.5 kPa.

[0013] The food material (fruit or vegetable) in the sealed container may be appropriately pretreated, taking into consideration the type of food material, the type of seasoning liquid-impregnated processed food to be produced, and the ease of impregnation with the seasoning liquid. The pretreatment is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, peeling a part or the whole of the skin, perforating a part or the whole of the skin (making holes with a pinholder or the like), removing unnecessary parts such as the core and seeds, and cutting to any size. In particular, when the food material has a hard skin, the efficiency of impregnation with the seasoning liquid is increased by subjecting the food material to a peeling treatment or perforation treatment before placing it in the container.

[0014] The seasoning liquid can be appropriately prepared taking into consideration the type of seasoning liquid-impregnated processed food to be produced, the variety, ripeness, harvest region, harvest time, and consumer preferences of the food material. The seasoning liquid is not particularly limited, but may contain, for example, any seasoning, any food ingredient, and / or any food additive. The food additive is not particularly limited, but may contain, for example, a sweetener, a pH adjuster, and / or a colorant, or may contain an antioxidant (browning inhibitor) such as vitamin C and phytic acid in order to suppress discoloration (browning) during storage of the produced seasoning liquid-impregnated processed food or after the seasoning liquid-impregnated processed food is removed from the sealed container.

[0015] The sealed container itself (the sealable container) can be any container that is commonly used in the art, without any particular limitations, as long as it can withstand degassing treatment (reduced pressure treatment), pressurization treatment, and heat treatment. For example, it may be a container having a gas barrier layer with low oxygen permeability, and specifically, it may be a pouch for retort food.

[0016] The method of the present invention includes a step (2) of applying a pressure of about 1 MPa to about 80 MPa to the food material in the container. Conventionally, in order to treat raw food materials at a high pressure of about 100 MPa or more for a predetermined time, expensive equipment must be occupied for a long time, and especially when pressure treatment and heat treatment need to be performed simultaneously, it is difficult to control the temperature in the high-pressure equipment in a short time, which increases the processing cost. On the other hand, the method of the present invention does not require high pressure as in the past, so pressure can be applied with a relatively inexpensive device. For example, pressure treatment at 10 MPa or less, especially pressure treatment at about 5 MPa or less, can be performed using a 2L experimental vessel (manufactured by Nitto Koatsu Co., Ltd.) connected to a manual pressure pump (WP-1B(B) manufactured by Riken Seiki Co., Ltd.). Pressure treatment at 5 MPa or more can be performed by appropriately selecting TFS2-500 (manufactured by Toyo Koatsu Co., Ltd.) or TFS-20 (manufactured by Toyo Koatsu Co., Ltd.) depending on the scale of the object to be treated.

[0017] The conditions for pressurization can be appropriately adjusted taking into consideration the type of seasoning liquid-impregnated processed food to be produced, the type of ingredients used, and the ease of impregnation with the seasoning liquid, etc. For example, the pressure may be about 1.5 MPa to about 70 MPa or about 3 MPa to about 30 MPa. The pressurization time may be about 1 second to about 15 minutes, about 30 seconds to about 10 minutes, or about 1 minute to about 7 minutes, and the treatment temperature during pressurization may be room temperature, or about 20°C to about 90°C, or about 50°C to about 70°C.

[0018] The method of the present invention may optionally include a step (3) of heating the food material in the container, for example for the purpose of thermal sterilization. The heating conditions can be appropriately adjusted taking into consideration the type of seasoning liquid-impregnated processed food to be produced, the type of food material to be used, and the ease of impregnation with the seasoning liquid. For example, the heating temperature may be about 20°C to about 90°C or about 50°C to about 70°C, and the heating time may be about 10 minutes to about 90 minutes or about 20 minutes to about 60 minutes.

[0019] The pressure conditions in step (3) are not particularly limited, and the step may be carried out at normal pressure or under pressurized conditions. That is, in one embodiment, step (3) may be carried out after step (2) or may be carried out simultaneously with step (2).

[0020] Without being bound by any particular theory, it is believed that, for example, when the food material is deaerated in the seasoning liquid, the gas in the food material is replaced by the seasoning liquid, and further, by applying a moderate pressure of 1 MPa to 80 MPa, the impregnation or hydration of the seasoning liquid into the food material is promoted while minimizing the change in the texture of the food material. And, even if the food material is heated simultaneously with or following the pressurization treatment of the present invention for the purpose of thermal sterilization, it is believed that the tissue degeneration of the food material is suppressed and a good texture can be retained compared to when sterilized at a high pressure of about 100 MPa or more as in the past. Therefore, it is an unexpected effect that could not be predicted from the prior art that a processed food impregnated with the seasoning liquid to the same extent or more than the conventional one and having a good texture can be prepared without the need for the conventional high pressure treatment of about 100 MPa or more.

[0021] The method of the present invention may further include any step commonly used in the art, as long as it does not impair the objective of the present invention, and may further include other steps useful for promoting the permeation of the seasoning into the food material.

[0022] The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to examples, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples. EXAMPLES

[0023] [Test Example 1] After washing, the apples were peeled and cut into 6 parts in the core direction, and the cores and seeds were removed. The cut apples were placed in a transparent retort pouch (with high barrier performance) together with an aqueous solution of food coloring (0.05% Red No. 102), degassed and packaged at 1.5 kPa (99% according to the device's vacuum level) using a vacuum packaging machine (TOSEI Co., Ltd.), and left at room temperature for 120 minutes. The packaged pouches were then left at room temperature for 10 minutes or more, or treated at room temperature for 5 minutes at pressures of 3, 5, or 100 MPa. Treatment at 3 MPa was performed using a 2 L experimental vessel (Nitto Koatsu Co., Ltd.) connected to a manual pressure pump (WP-1B(B) manufactured by Riken Seiki Co., Ltd.), and treatment at 5 or 100 MPa was performed using a TFS2-500 (manufactured by Toyo Koatsu Co., Ltd.).

[0024] As a negative control, raw (untreated) apples were prepared and evaluated as having an impregnation rate of 0%. As a positive control, a sample that had been subjected to conventional processing (degassing at 0.6 kPa, followed by pressure treatment at 100 MPa and 65°C for 30 minutes) was evaluated as having an impregnation rate of 100%.

[0025] Color photographs of each of the above samples were taken and imported into analysis software for image analysis. Specifically, the color images were converted to gray images in 8-bit format and binarized so that the areas impregnated with food coloring were equivalent to actual color or gray photographs. The area ratio of the black areas to the entire image area was defined as the impregnation rate, and the impregnation rate of each sample was calculated. The results are shown in Figure 1.

[0026] When apples were simply degassed, the absorption rate of the food coloring was about 80%, but by applying pressure to the apples in addition to the degassing process, the absorption rate improved significantly. In particular, the same absorption rate could be achieved with a pressure treatment of only 3 MPa, instead of the conventional high pressure of 100 MPa.

[0027] [Test Example 2] As in Test Example 1, transparent retort pouches (with high barrier performance) containing apples and an aqueous solution of food coloring were prepared, degassed and packaged at 1.5 kPa (99% as indicated by the device's vacuum level) using a vacuum packaging machine (TOSEI Corporation), and left at room temperature for 120 minutes. The packaged pouches were then left at room temperature for 15 minutes or more, or treated at room temperature for 5 minutes at pressures of 3, 5, or 100 MPa as in Test Example 1. In addition, raw (untreated) apples were prepared as negative controls, and as reference samples, samples that had been subjected to conventional processing (degassing at 0.6 kPa, followed by pressure treatment at 100 MPa and 65°C for 30 minutes) were prepared.

[0028] Each sample was sliced ​​to a thickness of 10 mm and subjected to mechanical property measurement. Mechanical properties were measured using a creep meter (RE-33005; manufactured by Yamaden Co., Ltd.). The sample was placed on a plastic base and compressed to 80% at 0.5 mm / s with a cylindrical plunger of 5 mm diameter. The breaking stress and breaking strain were obtained from the breaking point of the compression curve, the former being regarded as an index of hardness, and the latter as an index of difficulty in biting. The measurement was repeated at least six times. The results when the measured value of the negative control was normalized to 1 are shown in Figures 2A and 2B.

[0029] The breaking stress (hardness) was decreased in all treatment groups compared to the negative control (Figure 2A). On the other hand, the breaking strain (difficulty in biting) did not increase in the low-pressure treatment group, but increased significantly in the 100 MPa treatment group (Figure 2B). In other words, the apples in the low-pressure treatment group were easy to bite into and maintained a crispy texture, while the apples in the 100 MPa treatment group were difficult to bite into and did not have a crispy texture. This suggests that by degassing and sealing the inside of a container containing ingredients and seasoning liquid, and then heating it under a lower pressure than usual, it is possible to produce processed foods with a new texture that differs from seasoning liquid-impregnated processed foods such as compotes produced under high-pressure treatment conditions.

[0030] [Test Example 3] In the same manner as in Test Example 1, apples and a transparent pouch for retort (with high barrier performance) containing an aqueous solution of food coloring were prepared, degassed and packaged at 1.0 kPa using a vacuum packaging machine (TOSEI Co., Ltd.), and left at 4°C for 120 minutes. The packaged pouch was then subjected to a pressurization treatment and a subsequent heat treatment (normal pressure, 65°C, 30 minutes). The pressurization treatment was performed for 5 minutes at 25°C using a 2L experimental vessel (Nitto Koatsu Co., Ltd.) connected to a manual pressure pump (WP-1B(B) manufactured by Riken Seiki Co., Ltd.) in the case of a pressure of 1, 3, or 5 MPa, and a TFS2-500 (Toyo Koatsu Co., Ltd.) in the case of a pressure of 25, 50, 75, or 100 MPa. In addition, raw (untreated) apples were prepared as a negative control, and as a reference sample, apples that were only subjected to a heat treatment at 65°C for 30 minutes after degassing (degassed and unpressurized) were prepared. The breaking stress (hardness) and breaking strain (difficulty in biting) of each sample were determined in the same manner as in Test Example 2. The results, normalized with the measured value of the negative control set to 1, are shown in Figures 3A and 3B.

[0031] The breaking stress (hardness) tended to decrease with increasing pressure compared to untreated apples, but did not change significantly. The breaking strain (difficulty in biting) tended to increase with increasing pressure compared to untreated apples, and increased significantly when pressure was applied at 100 MPa, but did not change significantly up to that point. In other words, the difficulty in biting after heat treatment increased and the crispness was lost, especially after pressure was applied at 100 MPa, while the crispness was maintained in the other test groups.

[0032] [Preparation Example] (1) Apple compote The apples were washed, peeled, divided into six parts in the core direction, and unnecessary parts such as seeds were removed to prepare the fruit for treatment. The fruit for treatment was placed in a transparent pouch for retort (with high barrier performance) together with the same mass of seasoning liquid (1.0 mass% calcium lactate, 0.7 mass% citric acid, 0.1 mass% vitamin C, 0.1 mass% salt, 0.083 mass% sucralose) (the pH of the seasoning liquid was adjusted so that the final pH of the liquid part was 3.7 to 3.9). The pouch was degassed at 0.6 kPa using a vacuum packaging machine (manufactured by TOSEI Co., Ltd.) and sealed and packaged by heat sealing. The packaged pouch was then treated at room temperature for 5 minutes at a pressure of 3 MPa in a 2 L experimental container (manufactured by Nitto Koatsu Co., Ltd.), and then treated at 65°C for 30 minutes in a hot bath at normal pressure, and then cooled on ice and refrigerated to prepare a compote. The seasoning liquid was sufficiently impregnated into the treated fruit, and the fruit had a good texture.

[0033] (2) Oyster compote After washing the persimmons, the calyx was removed and peeled, and unnecessary parts such as seeds were removed from the whole fruit using a cork poler without dividing it, to prepare the fruit for processing. The fruit for processing was placed in a transparent pouch for retort (with high barrier performance) together with the same mass of seasoning liquid (9.26 mass% fructose, 0.5 mass% calcium lactate, 0.3 mass% phytic acid, 0.2 mass% vitamin C, 0.023 mass% sucralose) (the pH of the seasoning liquid was adjusted so that the final pH of the liquid part was 3.7 to 3.9). The pouch was degassed at 2.5 kPa using a vacuum packaging machine (manufactured by TOSEI Co., Ltd.) and sealed and packaged by heat sealing. The packaged pouch was then treated at room temperature for 5 minutes at a pressure of 5 MPa in a 2 L experimental container (manufactured by Nitto Koatsu Co., Ltd.), followed by treatment at 65 ° C for 30 minutes, cooled on ice, and then refrigerated to prepare a compote. The treated fruit was sufficiently impregnated with the seasoning liquid and had a good chewiness.

[0034] (3) Loquat compote After washing the loquat, it was cut in half in the longitudinal direction, and unnecessary parts such as the outer skin and seeds were removed to prepare the fruit for processing. The fruit for processing was placed in a transparent pouch for retort (with high barrier performance) together with the same mass of seasoning liquid (15% by mass sucrose, 2.5% by mass anhydrous, 0.125% by mass phytic acid, 0.2% by mass vitamin C, 0.1% by mass citric acid, 0.1% by mass salt, 0.014% by mass sucralose) (the pH of the seasoning liquid was adjusted so that the final pH of the liquid part was 3.7 to 3.9). The pouch was degassed at 1.5 kPa using a vacuum packaging machine (manufactured by TOSEI Co., Ltd.) and sealed and packaged by heat sealing. The packaged pouch was then treated at room temperature for 5 minutes at a pressure of 5 MPa in a 2 L experimental container (manufactured by Nitto Koatsu Co., Ltd.), followed by treatment at 70°C for 30 minutes, cooled on ice, and then refrigerated to prepare a compote.

[0035] (4) Peach compote Peaches were washed, peeled, divided into 6 parts in the core direction, and unnecessary parts such as seeds were removed to prepare the fruit for treatment. The fruit for treatment was placed in a transparent pouch for retort (with high barrier performance) together with the same mass of seasoning liquid (0.5% by mass phytic acid, 0.6% by mass vitamin C, 0.3% by mass calcium lactate, 0.05% by mass sucralose) (the pH of the seasoning liquid was adjusted so that the final pH of the liquid part was 3.7 to 3.9). The pouch was degassed at 0.6 kPa using a vacuum packaging machine (manufactured by TOSEI Co., Ltd.) and sealed and packaged by heat sealing. The packaged pouch was then treated at room temperature for 5 minutes at a pressure of 5 MPa in a 2 L experimental container (manufactured by Nitto Koatsu Co., Ltd.), and then treated at 65°C for 30 minutes, cooled on ice, and then refrigerated to prepare a compote. The seasoning liquid was sufficiently impregnated into the treated fruit, and the fruit had a good texture.

[0036] (5) Pear compote After washing, pears (Japanese pears or European pears) were peeled, divided into six parts in the core direction, and unnecessary parts such as seeds were removed to prepare the fruit for processing. The fruit for processing was placed in a transparent pouch for retort (with high barrier performance) together with half the mass of seasoning liquid (4% by mass sorbitol, 3.5% by mass sour oligosaccharides, 0.4% by mass vitamin C, 0.2% by mass salt, 0.03% by mass sucralose) (the pH of the seasoning liquid was adjusted so that the final pH of the liquid part was 3.7 to 3.9). The pouch was degassed at 1.5 kPa using a vacuum packaging machine (manufactured by TOSEI Co., Ltd.) and sealed and packaged by heat sealing. The packaged pouch was then treated at room temperature for 5 minutes at a pressure of 5 MPa in a 2 L experimental container (manufactured by Nitto Koatsu Co., Ltd.), and then treated at 65°C for 40 minutes, cooled on ice, and then refrigerated to prepare a compote. In both Japanese and European pears, the treated fruits were sufficiently impregnated with the seasoning liquid and had a good chewiness.

[0037] From the above, it was found that by applying a moderate pressure to the food in a sealed container containing the food and seasoning liquid and the inside of which is deaerated, a processed food that is sufficiently impregnated with the seasoning liquid and has a good chewiness can be prepared. The food can be heated as desired. Therefore, it is now possible to produce a good seasoning-impregnated processed food without going through a pressurization process under high pressure conditions that requires expensive equipment.

Claims

1. A method for producing a seasoning liquid-impregnated processed food, comprising: (1) preparing a sealed container containing ingredients and a seasoning liquid and having an inside degassed; (2) applying a pressure of 1 MPa to 80 MPa to the food material in the container; The food material comprises fruits and vegetables, and optionally (3) Heating the food in the container The method further comprising:

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein step (1) comprises degassing and sealing a container containing the food material and the seasoning liquid.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the container is degassed so that the pressure inside the container is 0.2 kPa to 3.5 kPa.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (3) is carried out after step (2).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (3) is carried out simultaneously with step (2).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sealed container comprises a gas barrier layer.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the fresh produce comprises fruits and / or vegetables.

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