Method for producing alpha-cereal flour

Abstract

The method for producing alpha-starched cereal flour of the present invention comprises the following steps: an alpha-starch step of heating a slurry containing 100 parts by mass of cereal flour and 500 parts by mass of water or more under the condition that the product temperature of the slurry reaches 90°C or more, so as to alpha-starch the starch contained in the cereal flour; and a step of drying the slurry after the alpha-starch step to obtain a solid. In the alpha-starch step, the slurry is stirred while being heated. In the alpha-starch step, the slurry is preferably heated under the condition that the product temperature reaches 100°C or more. According to the present invention, alpha-starch can be provided that can improve the taste and mouthfeel of the food and impart anti-aging properties to the food.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to gelatinized cereal flours suitable for food use. Background Art

[0002] Alpha starch is obtained by heating raw starch in the presence of water to alpha (gelatinize). Due to alpha, the molecular arrangement inside the starch granules collapses, which manifests as irreversible changes in properties such as swelling of starch granules, loss of birefringence, melting of natural crystallites, and solubility of starch. Therefore, alpha starch exhibits unique properties different from those of raw starch and is widely used for food and industrial purposes. As a method for producing alpha starch, it is known in the past that there is a method of drying a starch slurry using a spray dryer, a drum dryer, etc. In addition, it is also known that there is a method of adding water to the starch and heating it while kneading it with an extruder, a method of heating and humidifying in a container containing starch by superheated steam, etc.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a method for producing a modified starch having desired swelling and water retention properties, wherein water is added to raw starch to adjust the moisture content to 26 to 59% by mass, and then water vapor and / or hot water are brought into contact with the particles of the raw starch to increase the moisture content. Patent Document 2 describes a method for producing a grain flour alpha-based product having a porous structure and useful as an aroma component adsorbent, wherein 200 to 5000 parts by mass of water are added to 100 parts by mass of grain flour, the product is heated and gelatinized, and then alcohol is added for freeze-drying. In the method described in Patent Document 2, the heating temperature during heating and gelatinization is maintained above the gelatinization temperature, and in the examples, the grain flour is alpha-based in a boiling water bath.

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-205776

[0007] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-43052 Summary of the invention

[0008] Starch aging is a problem in foods that use starch as a main ingredient. For example, in baked goods, the starch aging progresses during storage, and as a result, there is a problem that the soft texture of the product just after production becomes hard and dry, or the solubility in the mouth deteriorates. Starch aging is a phenomenon in which α-starch releases its enclosed water and transforms into β crystals. There is an urgent need for a technology that can improve the taste and texture of food at a high level while suppressing deterioration over time such as aging.

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide a pregelatinized starch that can improve the taste and texture of food and impart staling resistance to food.

[0010] The present invention is a method for producing alpha-starched cereal flour, which comprises the following steps: a step of alpha-starching a slurry containing 100 parts by mass of cereal flour and 500 parts by mass or more of water, heating the slurry under the condition that the product temperature of the slurry reaches 90° C. or more, so as to alpha-starch the starch contained in the cereal flour; and a step of drying the slurry that has undergone the alpha-starching step to obtain a solid; in the alpha-starching step, stirring the slurry while heating the slurry.

[0011] The present invention also provides a method for producing a processed food using pre-gelatinized cereal flour produced by the method for producing pre-gelatinized starches of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] The method for producing gelatinized cereal flour of the present invention comprises the following steps: a gelatinization step of heating an aqueous slurry containing cereal flour to gelatinize starch contained in the cereal flour; and a drying step of drying the slurry to obtain a solid. Each step is described below.

[0013] [Alpha-forming process]

[0014] As the cereal flour used in the present invention, cereal flour, starch and whole grain flour can be listed, and one of them can be used alone or in combination of two or more depending on the purpose of the food with the alpha-cereal flour, etc. The cereals used as the source of cereal flour, starch and whole grain flour can be either glutinous rice or glutinous rice.

[0015] As the cereal flour that can be used as cereal flour, any cereal flour containing starch can be used, and examples thereof include wheat flour, rice flour, buckwheat flour, rye flour, soybean flour, etc. As wheat flour, for example, light flour, medium flour, strong flour, durum wheat flour, and durum semolina can be used. As the cereal flour, wheat flour can be typically used.

[0016] As starch that can be used as cereal flour, for example, unprocessed starches such as potato starch, wheat starch, corn starch, waxy corn starch, rice starch, and tapioca starch, and processed starches such as these unprocessed starches subjected to one or more of the processes such as oil processing, etherification, esterification, acetylation, cross-linking treatment, and oxidation treatment, etc., can be cited. In addition, the "starch" (starch used as a raw material for the alpha-treatment process) mentioned here refers to "pure starch" separated from plants such as wheat, and is distinguished from starch contained in cereal flour.

[0017] Whole grain flour that can be used as cereal flour contains all three main components that constitute the caryopsis (grains) of cereals, namely, all of the endosperm, pericarp, and embryo. There are no particular restrictions on the cereals that are the source of whole grain flour as long as they are edible, and examples include wheat, barley, oats, rye, rice, and the like. In the present invention, one type of whole grain flour can be used, or a combination of multiple types of whole grain flour can be used. In addition, in this specification, the word "cereal" in the term "whole grain flour" is sometimes replaced by the name of the cereal that is the source of the flour. For example, whole grain flour from the caryopsis of wheat is "whole wheat flour", and whole grain flour from the caryopsis of barley is "whole barley flour". As whole grain flour, whole wheat flour can typically be used.

[0018] The method for producing α-starch of the present invention is characterized in that, as a method for α-treating starch contained in cereal flour, a method is adopted in which a slurry containing 100 parts by mass of cereal flour and 500 parts by mass of water or more is heated under the condition that the product temperature of the slurry reaches 90°C or more. In the typical α-treating treatment performed in the past, the amount of water added relative to 100 parts by mass of cereal flour is much less than 500 parts by mass, and is often set to 100 parts by mass or less, and the heating temperature is often set in such a way that the product temperature of the heated object is lower than 90°C. By α-treating cereal flour under the unprecedented high water addition and high temperature conditions adopted in the present invention, the structural change of starch produced by the α-treating treatment becomes different from the structural change produced by the conventional α-treating treatment, and high-quality α-starch that cannot be obtained by conventional methods can be obtained. In addition, cereal flour usually has a certain amount of water inside, so the total mass of water present in the slurry is the sum of 500 parts by mass or more of water added relative to 100 parts by mass of cereal flour and the part (usually about 15 parts by mass or less) present in 100 parts by mass of the cereal flour.

[0019] In addition, whole grain flour has the advantages of rich nutrients and high dietary fiber content, but on the other hand, it has a unique smell (bran smell) and astringency, so it is difficult to be actively used as a food. However, by alpha-treating whole grain flour under the above-mentioned high water addition and high temperature conditions adopted by the present invention, its unique smell and astringency can be reduced, and the advantages of the original nutritional value of whole grain flour can be maintained, and the palatability can be improved.

[0020] The product temperature of the slurry in the alpha-curing process, i.e., the heating temperature, is at least 90°C or more, preferably 100°C or more, more preferably 105°C or more, further preferably 110-140°C, further preferably 115-135°C, and further preferably 120-130°C. Generally speaking, the higher the heating temperature of the slurry, the more advanced the modification of the starch, and the easier it is to exert the prescribed effect of the present invention. However, if the heating temperature is too high, the pressure management in the container for storing the slurry and the heat of the required steam, etc. increase, which may lead to an increase in production costs and a decrease in productivity. In addition, if the wheat flour is treated at a temperature exceeding 140°C, the protein and amino acids in the wheat flour may undergo a Maillard reaction and change color, so the upper limit of the product temperature of the slurry in the alpha-curing process is preferably set to about 140°C. Heating under the condition that the product temperature of the slurry exceeds 100°C can be implemented, for example, by heating the slurry in a pressurized atmosphere.

[0021] In addition, in the alpha-curing step, the time for maintaining the product temperature of the slurry at 90° C. or higher (preferably 100° C. or higher), i.e., the heating time, is preferably 1 minute or longer, and more preferably 3 minutes or longer. On the other hand, the upper limit of the heating time in the alpha-curing step is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of production efficiency, it is preferably 180 minutes or shorter, and more preferably 120 minutes or shorter.

[0022] When whole grain flour is used as the cereal flour, the heating temperature of the slurry in the gelatinization process may be at least 90°C as described above, preferably 95°C or more, and more preferably 100°C or more. The heating time may also be within the above range. In the gelatinization process, by heating the whole grain flour under such conditions, in addition to obtaining the starch modification effect, the bran taste and astringency caused by the outer skin (bran) contained in the whole grain flour can also be reduced.

[0023] As the slurry of the heated object in the alpha-curing process, it can be prepared by adding 500 parts by mass of water or more relative to 100 parts by mass of cereal flour. The amount of water added is preferably 600 to 2500 parts by mass, more preferably 700 to 2000 parts by mass, and further preferably 800 to 1500 parts by mass relative to 100 parts by mass of cereal flour. When the amount of water added is less than 500 parts by mass relative to 100 parts by mass of cereal flour, the prescribed effect of the present invention cannot be fully exerted. On the contrary, if the amount of water added is too much, more time and energy are required in the drying process of the slurry in the next process to obtain a solid, which may lead to an increase in production costs and a decrease in production efficiency.

[0024] The slurry typically contains only cereal flours (cereal flour, starch, whole grain flour) and water as a solvent, but may contain ingredients other than the above ingredients, such as a cereal flour modifier that can modify the cereal flours to desired properties, as required. Examples of cereal flour modifiers include scientifically processed preparations and amylases, as well as enzymes such as proteases that decompose proteins contained in cereal flours. In the slurry containing the cereal flour modifier, when an enzyme reaction or other reaction related to the cereal flour modifier occurs, the reaction may be terminated before the slurry is provided to the alpha-forming process, or may occur during the implementation of the alpha-forming process.

[0025] In addition, pre-treated cereal flours may be used as cereal flours. In other words, water may be added to pre-treated cereal flours to prepare slurry. The pre-treatment of cereal flours may be carried out, for example, by adding various reagents (enzymes, acid or alkali agents, emulsifiers, catalysts, etc.) to the cereal flours.

[0026] In the alpha-treatment process, the method for heating the slurry (the method for alpha-treatment of cereal flour) is not particularly limited as long as it can cope with the aforementioned high water addition and high temperature conditions. A typical method for heating the slurry is a method in which a slurry containing cereal flour is stored in a container and the container is heated. The heating of the slurry can be carried out in batches or continuously. As a container for storing the slurry when heating the slurry, a pressure autoclave can be exemplified in the case of a batch method, and a pipeline mixer such as a static mixer can be cited in the case of a continuous method. The heating method is also not particularly limited, and for example, electrical, gas, and steam types can be cited, and one of them can be used alone or in combination of two or more. As a steam-type heating method, for example, a method of directly introducing saturated steam or superheated steam into a container containing the processed object (cereal flour) can be cited.

[0027] In the alpha-forming process, it is necessary to stir the slurry during the heating of the slurry. If the slurry is not stirred and heated in a static state, the cereal flour contained in the slurry is likely to clump, and the alpha-forming (gelatinization) becomes insufficient and uneven. By stirring the slurry during heating, the above-mentioned undesirable phenomenon can be prevented and the alpha-forming of starch can be promoted. The stirring method of the slurry is not particularly limited as long as it is a method that can disperse the cereal flour contained in the entire slurry. Typically, a known container with a stirrer having a container and a stirrer for stirring the contents of the container can be used, and it is implemented according to a conventional method. For example, in the case of intermittent heating of the slurry, a device with a stirring blade can be exemplified, and in the case of continuous heating, a static mixer can be exemplified. In addition, as a slurry stirring mechanism, a known ultrasonic vibration generating mechanism can also be used. In this case, the vibration of the ultrasonic wave generated by the ultrasonic vibration generating mechanism generates fine bubbles in the slurry, thereby stirring the slurry.

[0028] In the gelatinization step, during the heating of the slurry, i.e., during the gelatinization of the cereal flour, it is preferred that the amount of the solvent (water) contained in the slurry does not change. This is because if the amount of the solvent is greatly reduced (evaporated) during the heating of the slurry, the progress of gelatinization may be inhibited. The gelatinization is preferably completed in a state where the amount of water is 500 parts by mass or more relative to 100 parts by mass of the cereal flour.

[0029] As an example of a method for keeping the amount of solvent contained in the slurry unchanged during the heating of the slurry, a method for heating the slurry under a pressurized atmosphere can be cited. That is, the slurry is heated under an atmosphere pressure exceeding 1 atmosphere. In this case, the container for holding the slurry preferably has pressure resistance. The pressure of the pressurized atmosphere is appropriately adjusted according to the amount of solvent contained in the slurry and the heating temperature (product temperature of the slurry), and there is no particular restriction. Since the upper limit temperature of the slurry accompanied by heating depends on the pressure, it is preferably set to a pressure corresponding to the desired heating temperature.

[0030] [Drying process]

[0031] In the drying process, the slurry that has undergone the aforementioned alpha-treatment process is dried to obtain a solid. The solid is the alpha-treated grain flour that is the target of the present manufacturing method. There is no particular limitation on the method for drying the slurry, and known drying methods can be used, such as freeze drying, spray drying using a spray dryer, and heat drying using a drum dryer. There is no particular limitation on the degree of drying of the slurry. Typically, the slurry is dried until the water content of the solid obtained is the same as that of general grain flour (grain flour used as raw material in the alpha-treatment process). General grain flour is usually around 15% by mass.

[0032] The solid matter obtained through the drying process, i.e., the alpha-cereal flour, can also be pulverized into powder as required. For pulverization of the solid matter, a household pulverizer can be used, such as a Kobe mill or a juicer, and an industrial pulverizer can be used, such as a hammer mill, a pin mill or a jet mill, and the like, according to conventional methods, as long as the solid matter is pulverized to a desired particle size.

[0033] The degree of gelatinization (gelatinization degree) of the gelatinized cereal flour produced by the manufacturing method of the present invention can be preferably 90% or more, more preferably 95% or more. By adding the above-mentioned high-gelatinized gelatinized cereal flour to food, the taste and mouthfeel of the food can be greatly improved, thereby giving the food anti-aging properties. In this specification, the degree of gelatinization refers to the degree of gelatinization measured by the BAP method (β-amylase / pullulanase method). The determination of the degree of gelatinization by the BAP method can be carried out as described below according to the report (Journal of Home Economics 32 (9), 653-659, 1981).

[0034] [Determination of the degree of alpha-amylase by the β-amylase / pullulanase method]

[0035] (A) Reagents

[0036] The reagents used are as follows.

[0037] 1) 0.8 M acetic acid-sodium acetate buffer

[0038] 2) 10N sodium hydroxide solution

[0039] 3) 2N acetic acid solution

[0040] 4) Enzyme solution: 0.017 g of β-amylase (Nagase Chemtex Co., Ltd., #1500S) and 0.17 g of pullulanase (Hayashihara Biochemical Research Institute, No. 31001) were dissolved in the aforementioned 0.8 M acetic acid-sodium acetate buffer to prepare a 100 mL solution.

[0041] 5) Inactivated enzyme solution: a solution prepared by boiling the above enzyme solution for 10 minutes.

[0042] 6) Somogyi's reagent and Nelson's reagent (reagents for measuring reducing sugar content)

[0043] (B) Measurement method

[0044] B-1) Grind the sample flour (α-starched flour) with a homogenizer to a size of 100 mesh or less. Place 0.08 to 0.10 g of the pulverized sample flour in a glass homogenizer.

[0045] B-2) 8.0 mL of desalted water was added to the contents of the glass homogenizer, and the glass homogenizer was moved up and down 10 to 20 times to disperse the contents to obtain a dispersion.

[0046] B-3) 2 mL of the dispersion prepared in B-2) is taken into each of two 25 mL graduated test tubes, and one of the two tubes is fixed to volume with 0.8 M acetic acid-sodium acetate buffer to prepare a test area.

[0047] B-4) 0.2 mL of 10 N sodium hydroxide solution was added to the other of the two strands, and the mixture was reacted at 50° C. for 3 to 5 minutes to completely gelatinize the dispersion of B-2). Then, 1.0 mL of 2 N acetic acid solution was added to the other strand, and the pH was adjusted to about 6.0, and the volume was fixed with 0.8 M acetic acid-sodium acetate buffer to form a gelatinized region.

[0048] B-5) Take 0.4 mL of the test solution of the test area and gelatinization area prepared in B-3) and B-4) above, add 0.1 mL of the enzyme solution, and perform enzyme reaction at 40°C for 30 minutes to obtain a reaction-completed solution. At the same time, as a blank, add 0.1 mL of the inactivated enzyme solution instead of the enzyme solution. The enzyme reaction is performed while stirring the reaction solution from time to time.

[0049] B-6) 0.5 mL of Somogyi reagent was added to 0.5 mL of the above reaction solution and blank, and the mixture was boiled in a boiling bath for 15 minutes. After boiling, the mixture was cooled in running water for 5 minutes, and then 1.0 mL of Nelson's reagent was added and stirred, and the mixture was left for 15 minutes.

[0050] B-7) Then, 8.00 mL of deionized water was added to the reaction solution and the blank, respectively, and the mixture was stirred, and the absorbance at 500 nm was measured.

[0051] (C) Calculation of alpha degree

[0052] The degree of alpha was calculated using the following formula.

[0053] Degree of gelatinization (%) = {(decomposition rate of test solution) / (decomposition rate of completely gelatinized test solution)}×100

[0054] ={(Aa) / (A'-a')}×100

[0055] In the aforementioned formula, A, A', a and a' are as follows.

[0056] A = absorbance of the test area

[0057] A' = absorbance of gelatinization zone

[0058] a = absorbance of blank in test area

[0059] a'=absorbance of blank in gelatinization area

[0060] The α-cereal flours (hereinafter also referred to as "α-cereal flours") produced by the production method of the present invention can be used in place of known α-cereal flours or α-starches, and are typically used in the food industry, but can also be used in fields other than the food industry. Examples of the use of α-cereal flours in the food industry include 1) thickening and shape retention for applications that do not require hot cooking (e.g., instant soups), 2) modification of cake mixture dough and stabilization of the texture of frozen foods, 3) replacement of soups and pastries when α-cereal flours made from corn starch are used as cereal flours, and 4) bean cake crust when α-cereal flours made from glutinous corn starch are used as cereal flours. In addition, examples of the use of α-cereal flours in fields other than the food industry include bonding of feeds, bonding of casting sand molds, incense sticks, grinding stones, etc., household detergent pastes, and paper strength enhancers when α-cereal flours made from glutinous corn starch are used as cereal flours.

[0061] Alpha-modified cereal flours can be used in the manufacture of processed foods. The processed foods mentioned here are foods made using cereal flours as raw materials, and examples thereof include baked foods; noodles such as udon noodles, dried noodles, cold noodles, Chinese noodles, pasta, instant noodles (including non-fried noodles); fried foods such as tempura, karaage, tatsuta-kara, deep-fried pies, and other fried foods (foods manufactured through a frying process); powdered foods such as instant soups. The aforementioned noodles include dumpling wrappers, siu mai wrappers, spring roll wrappers, and other dough wrappers. Processed foods can be frozen foods. By using alpha-modified cereal flours in the manufacture of the above-mentioned processed foods, the taste and mouthfeel of these foods can be improved, while imparting aging resistance, and in instant noodles, it can further improve the rehydration property, etc. The manufacture of processed foods can be carried out according to conventional methods according to the type of the processed food.

[0062] Alpha-starched cereal flours are suitable for the manufacture of baked goods. By adding alpha-starched starches to baked goods, it is possible to give baked goods a soft, moist, and chewy feel, while also giving them aging resistance and inhibiting the deterioration of taste and texture over time. Baked goods are foods obtained by baking fermented or non-fermented dough obtained by adding any ingredients such as yeast, leavening agents (baking powder, etc.), water, salt, and sugar as required, with cereal flours (cereal flour, starch, whole grain flour, etc.) as essential ingredients. Specific examples of baked goods include breads, pizzas, cakes, Japanese and Western-style pastries such as waffles, puffs, biscuits, and steamed buns, fried pastries such as donuts, and the like. As breads, staple breads (such as rolls, white bread, brown bread, French bread, dry bread, spindle bread, croissants, etc.), cooking breads, and pastry breads can be listed. Examples of cakes include sponge cakes, cream cakes, cake rolls, hot cakes, pies, Baumkuchen, pound cakes, cheesecakes, snack cakes, muffins, cake bars, cookies, and pancakes.

[0063] Example

[0064] The present invention is further described below by way of examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0065] [Examples 1 to 10, Comparative Examples 1 to 5]

[0066] Wheat flour is used as cereal flour, and a specified amount of water is added to the wheat flour to prepare an aqueous slurry. The slurry is placed in a pressure vessel with a stirrer (rotatably arranged blades), and while being stirred by the stirrer, it is heated by the heating method and heating temperature shown in the following Table 1 to alpha-ify (gelatinize) the starch contained in the cereal flour (wheat flour) (alpha-ification process). The heating time in the alpha-ification process (the time for maintaining the heating temperature shown in the following Table 1) is set to 1 minute, 3 minutes or 30 minutes. Next, the slurry (gelatinized liquid) that has undergone the alpha-ification process is freeze-dried using a commercially available freeze dryer (trade name "Genesis SQ", manufactured by SP Industries) to obtain a solid. Next, the obtained solid is crushed using a commercially available coffee grinder to obtain the target alpha-ified wheat flour (alpha-ified cereal flour) (Examples 1 to 10, Comparative Examples 1 and 3).

[0067] Separately, gelatinized wheat flour (Comparative Example 2) was obtained in the same manner as above except that 30 parts by mass of water was added to 100 parts by mass of wheat flour and the mixture was heated at a predetermined heating temperature for a predetermined time using an extruder.

[0068] In addition, in the gelatinization process, gelatinized wheat flour is produced without stirring the slurry during the heating of the slurry. Specifically, a specified amount of water is added to wheat flour to prepare an aqueous slurry, and the slurry is filled in a cooking bag and sealed, and heated at 120°C for 3 minutes using an autoclave. Thereafter, the same operation as the above steps is performed to obtain gelatinized wheat flour (Comparative Examples 4 and 5). When this method is used, after heating in an autoclave, the slurry that has undergone the gelatinization process will be dehydrated and become uneven in viscosity (partly become lumpy), and will not be uniformly gelatinized. In addition, since the slurry becomes lumpy, the efficiency from freeze-drying to powdering is also poor.

[0069]

[0070] [Examples 11 to 16, Comparative Examples 6 to 8]

[0071] The α-prepared whole wheat flour, α-prepared corn starch or α-prepared wheat starch was obtained in the same manner as in the above Examples or Comparative Examples, except that whole wheat flour, corn starch or wheat starch was used as the cereal flour and the α-preparation step was carried out under the conditions shown in Table 2 below.

[0072]

[0073] [Production Examples A1 to A22: Production of Pancakes]

[0074] A baked food, namely pancakes, was prepared using a mixture for baked snacks having a recipe shown in Table 3 below. Specifically, 100 parts by mass of the mixture, 25 parts by mass of sugar, 5 parts by mass of baking powder, 10 parts by mass of salad oil, 30 parts by mass of whole eggs, 50 parts by mass of milk and an appropriate amount of water were placed in a container, and the mixture was manually mixed and stirred at a speed of 120 times / min to prepare a pancake dough having a viscosity in the range of 5 to 10 Pa·s measured by a B-type viscometer when the product temperature was 25°C. The amount of water was adjusted to a range in which the viscosity of the pancake dough was within the above range. After the prepared pancake dough was fermented for 10 minutes, 55 g of the dough was poured onto a baking tray, and one side of the dough was baked for 3 minutes at a temperature of 180°C on the tray, and then the dough was turned upside down and the opposite side was baked for 2 minutes, and the pancakes were prepared after eliminating the residual heat.

[0075] A portion of the pancakes produced in this manner was left to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, and then eaten by 10 panelists, who evaluated the texture at that time (texture immediately after production) based on the following evaluation criteria (maximum score 5 points).

[0076] Separately, another portion of the pancakes were stored in a refrigerator at 4°C for 3 days to obtain refrigerated pancakes. The refrigerated pancakes were left at room temperature for 20 minutes and then cut into appropriate sizes. Ten panelists were asked to eat the pancakes and evaluate their texture (texture after refrigerated storage) based on the following evaluation criteria (maximum 5 points).

[0077] In addition, another part of the produced pancakes was stored in a freezer at an internal temperature of -18°C for 2 months to obtain frozen pancakes. The frozen pancakes were left at room temperature for 20 minutes and then cut into appropriate sizes. Ten expert panelists were asked to eat the pancakes and evaluate the texture (texture after frozen storage) according to the following evaluation criteria (full score 5 points).

[0078] The above results (average scores of 10 professional judges) are shown in Table 3 below.

[0079] <Evaluation Criteria for Pancake Texture>

[0080] 5 points: The interior is soft and moist, with good tooth feel and good solubility in the mouth.

[0081] 4 points: The inside has a soft and smooth texture, and the tooth feel and dissolution in the mouth are slightly good.

[0082] 3 points: The inside is slightly soft, and because it is slightly elastic, you can feel the aging of the starch. Although the tooth feel and mouth solubility are slightly insufficient, it is not a problem.

[0083] 2 points: The interior is not soft and has a strong sense of elasticity and dryness, and the starch has a strong sense of aging, so the tooth feel and mouth solubility are poor.

[0084] 1 point: The interior is hard, elastic, and dry, and the starch has a very strong sense of aging, so the tooth feel and mouth solubility are very poor.

[0085]

[0086] [Production Examples B1 to B8: Production of Bread]

[0087] Bread, a type of baked food, was produced using a bread mixture having a recipe shown in Table 4 below and a commercially available household oven (trade name "SD-BM103", manufactured by Panasonic Corporation). Specifically, 100 parts by mass of the mixture, 4 parts by mass of butter, 6.8 parts by mass of sugar, 2.4 parts by mass of skim milk, 2 parts by mass of salt, and 1.1 parts by mass of dry yeast were placed in a household oven, and the "standard program" of the household oven was selected to produce bread.

[0088] After cooling a portion of the bread produced in this manner at room temperature for 30 minutes, 10 panelists were asked to eat the bread and evaluate the texture, mouthfeel, and flavor (texture, mouthfeel, and flavor immediately after production) according to the following evaluation criteria (full score of 5 or full score of 3). The results (average score of 10 panelists) are shown in Table 4 below.

[0089] <Evaluation Criteria for the Texture of Bread>

[0090] 5 points: The inside is soft, moist and fluffy.

[0091] 4 points: The inside is soft and slightly moist.

[0092] 3 points: The inside is slightly soft and moist.

[0093] 2 points: The interior is not soft and feels dry.

[0094] 1 point: The inside feels hard and dry.

[0095] <Evaluation Criteria for Bread Texture>

[0096] 3 points: moist and chewy.

[0097] 2 points: Slightly chewy.

[0098] 1 point: Good tooth feel, refreshing.

[0099] <Evaluation Criteria for Bread Flavor>

[0100] 5 points: A strong aroma of fragrant grains and a sweet taste.

[0101] 4 points: Aromatic grain aroma, sweetness, no astringency.

[0102] 3 points: The smell of bran is felt, and astringency is also felt, but it is not a problem.

[0103] 2 points: The bran smell is slightly strong and the taste is astringent.

[0104] 1 point: Strong bran smell and astringency.

[0105]

[0106] [Manufacturing Examples C1 to C5: Manufacture of Instant Noodles]

[0107] Non-fried Chinese instant noodles, a type of noodle, were produced using the raw material flour of the formulation shown in Table 5 below. Among the raw material flour, medium-strength flour ("Specialized Taro" manufactured by Nissin Flour Mills Co., Ltd.) was used as wheat flour, and oxidized tapioca starch ("MKK100" manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) was used as starch. As a specific procedure, first, 1 part by mass of salt and 0.4 part by mass of alkali water ("Red Alkaline Water" manufactured by Oriental Yeast Co., Ltd.) were dissolved in an appropriate amount of water to 100 parts by mass of the raw material flour, and the mixture was kneaded for 10 minutes using a noodle mixer in accordance with a conventional method to prepare a noodle dough. Next, the noodle dough was rolled using a noodle roller to form a noodle strip having a thickness of 1.2 mm, and then the noodle strips were cut out using a cutter (#18 square knife). Next, the noodle strips were heat-treated with steam at a temperature of 100°C for 2 minutes and 30 seconds, and then dried with hot air at 90°C for 20 minutes to obtain non-fried Chinese instant noodles.

[0108] 70 g of the instant noodles thus produced were placed in a container, 450 ml of boiling water was added to the container, the container was covered and left to stand for 4 minutes, the hot water in the container was removed, and 10 professional judges were asked to eat the noodles, and the recovery and mouthfeel (viscoelasticity) when the noodles were returned to the hot water were evaluated according to the following evaluation criteria. The results (average scores of the 10 professional judges) are shown in Table 5 below.

[0109] <Evaluation Criteria for Reconstitution of Instant Noodles>

[0110] 5 points: Fully edible, good.

[0111] 4 points: Basically edible, slightly better.

[0112] 3 points: Most of the food is edible, but some of the food has a core.

[0113] 2 points: The surface of the noodles is edible, but the core of the noodles remains in the center, which is slightly poor.

[0114] 1 point: The surface and center of the upper thread are hard, which is a poor quality.

[0115] <Evaluation Criteria for the Taste of Instant Noodles>

[0116] 5 points: The balance between viscosity and elasticity is very good, extremely good.

[0117] 4 points: The balance between viscosity and elasticity is good, which is good.

[0118] 3 points: The balance between viscosity and elasticity is slightly good, somewhat satisfactory.

[0119] 2 points: The balance between viscosity and elasticity is slightly poor, which is slightly unacceptable.

[0120] 1 point: The balance between viscosity and elasticity is poor, which is poor.

[0121] Table 5

[0122]

[0123] [Production Examples D1 to D7: Production of Refrigerated Boiled Udon Noodles]

[0124] Using the raw material flour of the formula shown in Table 6 below, refrigerated boiled udon noodles, which are a type of noodles (cooked refrigerated noodles), were manufactured. Among the raw material flours, medium-strength flour ("Kaoru" manufactured by Nissin Flour Mills Co., Ltd.) was used as wheat flour, acetylated tapioca starch ("Ajisai" manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) was used as starch, and "A-gluG" manufactured by Glico Nutrition Co., Ltd. was used as wheat protein. As a specific procedure, first, an appropriate amount of water in which 3 parts by mass of salt was dissolved was added to 100 parts by mass of the raw material flour, and the mixture was kneaded under a reduced pressure of -90 kPa to prepare a dough for noodles. Next, the dough for noodles was rolled, and 3 mm thick noodles were cut out with a cutter (#10 square knife). Next, the noodles were boiled in boiling water, washed and cooled, and 3 parts by weight of a loosening agent ("SOYA-UPM3000" manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd.) was uniformly applied to 100 parts by weight of the cooled noodles by spraying to obtain boiled udon noodles. The boiled udon noodles were stored in a refrigerator at an internal temperature of 5° C. for 24 hours to produce refrigerated boiled udon noodles.

[0125] The thus produced refrigerated boiled udon noodles were eaten by 10 panelists while being kept refrigerated, and the texture (viscoelasticity) was evaluated according to the following evaluation criteria (full score of 5 points). The results (average score of 10 panelists) are shown in Table 6 below.

[0126] <Evaluation criteria for the texture of refrigerated boiled udon noodles>

[0127] 5 points: The balance between viscosity and elasticity is very good, extremely good.

[0128] 4 points: The balance between viscosity and elasticity is good, which is good.

[0129] 3 points: The balance between viscosity and elasticity is slightly good, and slightly good.

[0130] 2 points: The balance between viscosity and elasticity is slightly poor, which is slightly unacceptable.

[0131] 1 point: The balance between viscosity and elasticity is poor, which is unacceptable.

[0132] Table 6

[0133]

[0134] [Production Examples E1 to E5: Production of Refrigerated Fried Dumplings]

[0135] Using the raw material powder of the formula shown in the following Table 7, dumpling wrappers as a type of noodles (noodle skins) are manufactured, and then, the manufactured dumpling wrappers are used to manufacture refrigerated fried dumplings as a type of refrigerated dumplings that have been cooked. As a specific step, first, 1 part by mass of salt and water are added appropriately to 100 parts by mass of the raw material powder, and after kneading for 10 minutes, the dough is ripened for 30 minutes to prepare the dough. Next, the dough is rolled using a conventional method to make the final dough strip thickness of 1 mm, and then cut with a mold with a diameter of 85 mm to manufacture raw dumpling wrappers. Next, 12 g of dumpling filling is wrapped in the raw dumpling wrappers to manufacture raw dumplings. After the raw dumplings are fried and cooked, they are stored in a refrigerator at an internal temperature of 4°C for 3 days to manufacture refrigerated fried dumplings.

[0136] Five refrigerated fried dumplings prepared in this way were placed in a heat-resistant container and heated in a microwave oven (500 W / 1 minute 30 seconds). Ten expert panelists were asked to eat the dumplings and evaluate the texture according to the following evaluation criteria (full score of 5 points). The results (average score of the 10 expert panelists) are shown in Table 7 below.

[0137] <Evaluation criteria for the texture of fried dumplings>

[0138] 5 points: Very good dissolvability in the mouth, no hardness at all, good.

[0139] 4 points: Good dissolution in the mouth, no hard feeling, slightly good.

[0140] 3 points: The dissolution in the mouth and the hardness are both average.

[0141] 2 points: Poor dissolution in the mouth, a hard feeling, slightly unacceptable.

[0142] 1 point: Very poor solubility in the mouth, hard texture, poor.

[0143] Table 7

[0144]

[0145] [Production Examples F1 to F5: Production of Shrimp Tempura]

[0146] Shrimp tempura, a kind of fried food, was produced using a tempura batter mixture having a recipe shown in Table 8 below. In the tempura batter mixture, flaxseed flour ("Frawar" manufactured by Nissin Flour Mills Co., Ltd.) was used as wheat flour, and wheat starch ("Silver Scale, processed starch for food" manufactured by Glico Nutrition Co., Ltd.) was used as starch. As a specific procedure, first, an appropriate amount of water was added to 100 parts by mass of the tempura batter mixture to prepare a batter liquid. Then, shrimp with tails (20 g / head) as an ingredient was placed in the batter liquid and fully rolled, and then the shrimp with the batter liquid attached was fried in an oil tank filled with salad oil heated to 170°C for 2 minutes and 30 seconds to produce shrimp tempura.

[0147] The shrimp tempura thus prepared was removed from the oil tank and drained, and then placed at room temperature (about 25°C) for 60 minutes, and then 10 expert judges were asked to eat it and evaluate the taste according to the following evaluation criteria (full score of 5 points). The results (average score of 10 expert judges) are shown in Table 8 below.

[0148] <Evaluation criteria for the texture of shrimp tempura>

[0149] 5 points: The crust is crispy and has a good texture, which is very good.

[0150] 4 points: The crust is crispy, good.

[0151] 3 points: The crust lacks crispness but is moderately good.

[0152] 2 points: The crust is slightly hard or sticky and lacks crispness.

[0153] 1 point: The crust is slightly too hard or sticky, not crispy, and unacceptable.

[0154] Table 8

[0155]

[0156] Industrial Applicability

[0157] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a pre-gelatinized starch that can improve the taste and texture of food and impart anti-staling properties to food.

[0158] In addition, when whole-grain flour is used as cereal flour, alpha-starch (alpha-starched whole-grain flour) is provided that can reduce the peculiar smell and astringency of whole-grain flour, improve the taste and texture of food, and impart anti-staling properties to food.

[0159] When the α-starch produced by the present invention is added to baked food, it can give the baked food a soft and tender feeling, a moist feeling, and a chewy feeling, and at the same time, it can give anti-aging properties and suppress the deterioration of taste and texture over time. The same effect can be achieved when the α-starch produced by the present invention is added to noodles or fried foods. When added to instant noodles, the recovery property when returning to hot water can be improved.

Claims

1. A method for producing alpha-starched cereal flour, comprising the following steps: a alpha-forming step of heating a slurry containing 100 parts by mass of cereal flour and 500 parts by mass or more of water under the condition that the product temperature of the slurry reaches 90° C. or more to alpha-form the starch contained in the cereal flour; and A step of drying the slurry that has undergone the alpha-treatment step to obtain a solid; Using one or more selected from wheat flour and whole wheat flour as the cereal flour, In the gelatinization step, the slurry is stirred while being heated, and no fat or oil is added to the slurry.

2. The method for producing gelatinized cereal flour according to claim 1, wherein: In the gelling step, the slurry is heated under the condition that the product temperature thereof reaches 100° C. or higher.

3. The method for producing gelatinized cereal flour according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: In the gelling step, the slurry is heated under the condition that the product temperature thereof reaches 110 to 140°C.

4. The method for producing gelatinized cereal flour according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: As the cereal flour, wheat flour was used.

5. The method for producing gelatinized cereal flour according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: As the cereal flour, whole wheat flour was used.

6. The method for producing gelatinized cereal flour according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: In the gelling step, the slurry is heated in such a manner that the amount of the solvent contained in the slurry does not change.

7. The method for producing gelatinized cereal flour according to claim 6, wherein: In the gelling step, the slurry is heated in a pressurized atmosphere.

8. The method for producing gelatinized cereal flour according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The degree of gelatinization of the produced gelatinized cereal flour is 90% or more. 9 . A method for producing a processed food, comprising using gelatinized cereal flour produced by the method according to claim 1 .

10. The method for producing a processed food according to claim 9, wherein: The processed food is baked food, pasta or fried food.

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