Imitation meat composition, imitation pork belly and preparation method thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of imitation meat and discloses an imitation meat composition, imitation pork belly, and a preparation method thereof. The composition comprises gelatin, a protein cross-linking enzyme, water, optional pregelatinized starch, optional vegetable oil, and optional flavoring, wherein the gelatin component having a weight-average molecular weight of 50 kDa to 80 kDa accounts for ≥5% by weight. The composition and preparation method provided by the present invention can achieve high-temperature-resistant adhesion between imitation lean meat and imitation fat and imitation skin, providing a new appearance of imitation pork belly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of imitation meat, and in particular to an imitation meat composition, imitation pork belly and a preparation method thereof. Background Art

[0002] There is a serious imbalance in the supply and demand of meat products. In order to alleviate the pressure on the effective supply of meat products, vegetarian meat products (artificial imitation meat) made from plant protein and artificial meat product production technologies based on new cell factories have gradually developed.

[0003] Compared to natural meat products, artificial imitation meat has better control over its muscle tissue, fat content, and skin composition. In particular, the fat part can be manually removed to remove unhealthy components that may cause health risks.

[0004] Currently, artificial meat products with a similar structure to pork belly often use vegetable oil-based formulas, such as vegetable oil and plant hydrocolloids like konjac gum, as the fat portion to create a vegan product. However, plant-based proteins and oils do not provide a comprehensive range of amino acids suitable for the human body, and their taste is also lacking. Furthermore, the fat portion made with vegetable oil and plant hydrocolloids like konjac gum lacks structural fidelity with the lean meat portion of artificial meat.

[0005] CN111518781A discloses a transglutaminase complex and its application in artificial meat processing, belonging to the fields of bioengineering and food engineering. The invention provides a transglutaminase complex obtained by mixing or co-expressing transglutaminases derived from Bacillus forrestii, Streptomyces moyuanensis, Acetanaerobacterium elongatum, Marasmitruneus massiliensis, and Sporobacter termitidis in cells. Adding this enzyme to artificial meat processing can address the problem of loose texture. However, the application does not disclose any method for preparing imitation pork belly.

[0006] While numerous patents and new products have been released in recent years regarding artificial meat, research into the composition and taste of imitation pork belly remains limited. Consequently, there is a need to develop an imitation pork belly that is highly nutritious, has a texture and appearance similar to pork belly, and can withstand high-temperature cooking. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the problems of poor taste and incomplete nutrition of imitation meat in the prior art, and to provide an imitation meat composition, imitation pork belly and a preparation method thereof. The imitation pork belly has a taste close to that of pork belly and is highly nutritious, and the components are tightly connected and can withstand high-temperature cooking methods such as frying, stir-frying and deep-frying, thus filling a market gap.

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the first aspect of the present invention provides a meat-like composition, which contains gelatin, a protein cross-linking enzyme, water, optional pregelatinized starch, optional vegetable oil and optional flavoring, wherein the gelatin component with a weight-average molecular weight of 50kDa-80kDa accounts for ≥5% by weight.

[0009] A second aspect of the present invention provides a method for preparing imitation fat for imitation meat, the method comprising:

[0010] (1) gelatin and pregelatinized starch are mixed with water to prepare gelatin solution and pregelatinized starch solution respectively;

[0011] (2) bringing the gelatin solution, vegetable oil, and pregelatinized starch solution into first contact to form a fat suspension emulsion;

[0012] (3) contacting the fat suspension emulsion with an optional flavoring agent for a second time to form a fat emulsion;

[0013] (4) Mixing the fat emulsion with a protein cross-linking enzyme and allowing the mixture to stand to obtain imitation fat.

[0014] The third aspect of the present invention provides an imitation fat for imitation meat prepared by the composition or preparation method as described above.

[0015] A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a method for preparing imitation meat leather, the method comprising:

[0016] (I) preparing an upper skin base: mixing gelatin and water to obtain a gelatin solution, and first mixing the gelatin solution with an optional flavoring to obtain an upper skin base;

[0017] (II) preparing a lower skin base: mixing gelatin with water to obtain a gelatin solution, and secondarily mixing the gelatin solution with vegetable oil and an optional flavoring to obtain a lower skin base;

[0018] (III) preparing the imitation lower layer leather: mixing the lower layer leather base with the protein cross-linking enzyme for a third time to obtain the lower layer leather;

[0019] (IV) Preparation of imitation leather: After the upper leather base and the protein cross-linking enzyme are mixed for the fourth time, the mixture is placed on the imitation lower leather prepared in step III) and allowed to stand to obtain the imitation leather.

[0020] The fifth aspect of the present invention provides an imitation meat leather prepared from the composition or preparation method as described above.

[0021] A sixth aspect of the present invention provides an imitation pork belly, comprising imitation lean meat, imitation fat and imitation skin, wherein the imitation fat and imitation skin are prepared from the imitation meat composition as described above.

[0022] A seventh aspect of the present invention provides a method for preparing the aforementioned imitation pork belly, the method comprising:

[0023] (a) preparing imitation lean meat;

[0024] (b) preparing fat emulsion;

[0025] (c) preparing an upper skin base and a lower skin base;

[0026] (d) preparing imitation pork belly: pouring the imitation lean meat, fat emulsion, lower layer skin base, and upper layer skin base into a mold in sequence, and letting it stand to obtain imitation pork belly;

[0027] Wherein, step (d) comprises: before pouring the fat emulsion, the lower layer of the cortex base and the upper layer of the cortex base into the mold, they are respectively mixed with the protein cross-linking enzyme.

[0028] Through the above technical solutions, the present invention provides a new imitation meat composition and a method for producing imitation fat and imitation skin, and develops a new imitation meat appearance, namely, imitation pork belly, filling a market gap. Specifically:

[0029] (1) The composition and preparation method provided by the present invention can achieve high-temperature resistant adhesion between imitation lean meat, imitation fat, and imitation skin, providing a new appearance of imitation pork belly;

[0030] (2) Through the composition and preparation method of the present invention, vegetable oil can be used instead of animal fat in the prepared imitation meat, which participates in the digestion and metabolism in the human body to generate HDL-C. While avoiding the adverse effects of animal fat on health, the imitation meat has a similar appearance to pork belly, can withstand high-temperature cooking, and has natural and healthy ingredients;

[0031] (3) The present invention provides a preparation method using a specific gelatin to provide a smooth mouthfeel close to that of fat, and the gelatin is rich in amino acids, which can provide more comprehensive nutrition;

[0032] (4) The gelatin used in the present invention has a weight-average molecular weight of 50 kDa to 80 kDa, which accounts for ≥5% by weight. As the sole colloid, it reacts with the protein cross-linking enzyme to form a thermally irreversible gel, providing a support structure for plant liquid oils. The formula does not contain any other thermally irreversible colloids, a performance that cannot be achieved by the prior art.

[0033] (5) The present invention is the first to rapidly combine a mixed system of gelatin, pregelatinized starch, and vegetable oil into a heat-resistant blending system, thereby expanding the application areas of gelatin;

[0034] (6) Preferably, the gelatin used in the present invention is gelatin prepared by biological methods. The imitation pork belly prepared by using the gelatin and components such as vegetable oil can withstand high-temperature cooking methods such as frying and deep-frying, and is close to the cooking habits of real meat. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Figure 1 It is an imitation pork belly product that has been sterilized at high temperature;

[0036] Figure 2 It is the form of the imitation pork belly product after high-temperature sterilization and high-temperature baking. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The endpoints of the ranges and any values disclosed herein are not limited to the precise ranges or values, and these ranges or values should be understood to include values close to these ranges or values. For numerical ranges, the endpoints of each range, the endpoints of each range and individual point values, and the individual point values can be combined with each other to obtain one or more new numerical ranges, which should be considered to be specifically disclosed herein.

[0038] A first aspect of the present invention provides an imitation meat composition, which contains gelatin, a protein cross-linking enzyme, water, optional pregelatinized starch, optional vegetable oil and optional flavoring, wherein the gelatin component with a weight-average molecular weight of 50kDa-80kDa accounts for ≥5% by weight.

[0039] In some embodiments of the present invention, to further improve the heat resistance of the gelatin, the gelatin components with a weight-average molecular weight of 110 kDa account for 4-6% by weight, the gelatin components with a weight-average molecular weight of 120 kDa account for 18-21% by weight, the gelatin components with a weight-average molecular weight of 50 kDa-80 kDa account for 5.5-8% by weight, and the remaining weight-average molecular weight components account for 65-70% by weight. Using the gelatin with the above-mentioned specific weight-average molecular weight distribution of the present invention can further strengthen the connection between imitation fat, imitation lean meat, and imitation leather.

[0040] In some embodiments of the present invention, the composition is an imitation fat composition, and based on the total weight of the imitation fat composition, the content of gelatin is 5-10 weight%, the content of pregelatinized starch is 1-5 weight%, the content of vegetable oil is 20-50 weight%, the content of water is 40-60 weight%, the content of protein cross-linking enzyme is 0.1-1 weight%, and the content of flavoring is 0-5 weight%.

[0041] In some embodiments of the present invention, the composition is an imitation upper leather composition, and based on the total weight of the imitation upper leather composition, the content of gelatin is 15-20 weight%, the content of water is 70-80 weight%, the content of protein cross-linking enzyme is 0.01-1 weight%, and the content of flavoring is 0-15 weight%.

[0042] In some embodiments of the present invention, the composition is an imitation lower skin composition, and based on the total weight of the imitation lower skin composition, the content of gelatin is 10-20 weight%, the content of water is 50-70 weight%, the content of protein cross-linking enzyme is 0.04-1 weight%, the content of vegetable oil is 5-15 weight%, and the content of flavoring is 0-15 weight%.

[0043] In some embodiments of the present invention, the pregelatinized starch is at least one of cassava pregelatinized starch, corn pregelatinized starch, and potato pregelatinized starch. In the present invention, the pregelatinized starch refers to starch that has been gelatinized and then dried. In the present invention, the pregelatinized starch can be prepared in-house or purchased commercially.

[0044] In some embodiments of the present invention, the pregelatinized starch is acetate starch (pH=5-8).

[0045] In some embodiments of the present invention, the vegetable oil is at least one of sunflower oil, coconut oil, peanut oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, linseed oil and castor oil.

[0046] In the present invention, the protein cross-linking enzyme is an enzyme having a peptide chain polymerization function. In some embodiments of the present invention, the protein cross-linking enzyme is at least one of transglutaminase, peptidyl transferase and amino acid ligase.

[0047] In the present invention, the flavoring agent is a commonly used flavoring agent in the art, for example, it can be at least one of sugar, salt, essential oil, essential cream and soy sauce.

[0048] Preferably, the sugar content is 0-12 wt % based on the total weight of the composition.

[0049] Preferably, the content of essential oil is 0-2 wt % based on the total weight of the composition.

[0050] Preferably, the content of the cream is 0-2 wt % based on the total weight of the composition.

[0051] Preferably, the content of soy sauce is 0-1 wt % based on the total weight of the composition.

[0052] Preferably, the content of the salt is 0-2 wt % based on the total weight of the composition.

[0053] In the present invention, the sugar, soy sauce and salt can be conventionally selected in the art. For example, the sugar can be white sugar and the salt can be table salt.

[0054] In the present invention, the terms "essential oil" and "essential paste" refer to meat flavorings, which are food additives and flavorings that can mimic the flavors of various meats, such as beef, pork, and lamb. The essential oil is in liquid form, while the essential paste is in paste form. Both the essential oil and the essential paste are commercially available. The essential oil can be pig essential oil, and the essential paste can be pig essential paste.

[0055] In the present invention, there is no particular limitation on the form of the protein cross-linking enzyme. For example, it can be a dry powder or a liquid, as long as the enzyme activity of the protein cross-linking enzyme is 50-100 U / g.

[0056] In some embodiments of the present invention, the gelatin is enzymatically treated gelatin. For example, the gelatin can be obtained by contacting bone gelatin with a protease mixture. Preferably, based on the total weight of the protease mixture, the protease mixture comprises 35-50% by weight of papain, 8-15% by weight of neutral protease, 3-8% by weight of bromelain, 20-35% by weight of pepsin, and 6-15% by weight of trypsin.

[0057] In some embodiments of the present invention, bone gelatin is contacted with the protease mixture in the form of a solution. The bone gelatin solution is obtained by swelling the bone gelatin in cold water at a weight ratio of bone gelatin to water of 1:4-10 for 1-2 hours, and then heating to 40-60°C to dissolve the solution into a uniform solution. More preferably, the bone gelatin solution and the protease mixture are contacted at a weight ratio of (98-99.9): (0.1-2).

[0058] In some particularly preferred embodiments of the present invention, the gelatin is prepared by the following method: bone gelatin with a freezing strength of 150-180 g and a viscosity of 3-3.5 is taken, swelled in cold water at a weight ratio of bone gelatin to water of 1:4-10 for 1-2 h, heated to 40-60° C. to dissolve into a uniform solution, and then mixed with a protease mixture system (the bone gelatin solution and the protease mixture system are mixed at a weight ratio of 40-100:1, preferably 90-100:1), and reacted at 40-50° C. for 10-3 0 min, inactivate at ≥90°C (e.g., 90-100°C) for 0.5-1 h, concentrate the gelatin to 30-45% by weight, then gel at 0-4°C, squeeze and dry, and grind into a fine powder of 80-100 mesh; wherein, based on the total weight of the protease mixture system, the protease mixture system comprises 35-50% by weight of papain, 8-15% by weight of neutral protease, 3-8% by weight of bromelain, 20-35% by weight of pepsin, and 6-15% by weight of trypsin. When the gelatin prepared by the above method of the present invention is used to prepare imitation pork belly, the obtained imitation pork belly not only makes the connection between the imitation fat, imitation lean meat, and imitation skin more compact, but also has better color and taste.

[0059] More preferably, the enzymatic activity of papain is 40-60 U / g.

[0060] More preferably, the enzymatic activity of the neutral protease is 5-15 U / g.

[0061] More preferably, the enzymatic activity of bromelain is 20-60 U / g.

[0062] More preferably, the enzymatic activity of pepsin is 50-150 U / g.

[0063] More preferably, the trypsin activity is 30-70 U / g.

[0064] A second aspect of the present invention provides a method for preparing imitation fat for imitation meat, the method comprising:

[0065] (1) gelatin and pregelatinized starch are mixed with water to prepare gelatin solution and pregelatinized starch solution respectively;

[0066] (2) bringing the gelatin solution, vegetable oil, and pregelatinized starch solution into first contact to form a fat suspension emulsion;

[0067] (3) contacting the fat suspension emulsion with an optional flavoring agent for a second time to form a fat emulsion;

[0068] (4) Mixing the fat emulsion with a protein cross-linking enzyme and allowing the mixture to stand to obtain imitation fat.

[0069] In some embodiments of the present invention, in order to ensure the dissolution efficiency of gelatin, the concentration of the gelatin solution is 15-20% by weight.

[0070] In the present invention, in step (2), the first contact is carried out under the condition that the vegetable oil is in liquid state.

[0071] In some embodiments of the present invention, the active ingredient content of the vegetable oil is ≥95%.

[0072] In some embodiments of the present invention, the concentration of the pregelatinized starch solution is 7-10% by weight.

[0073] In some embodiments of the present invention, in step (1), the mixing of gelatin and water may be performed by stirring, and the stirring conditions may be conventionally selected in the art, for example, 30-60 r / min.

[0074] In some embodiments of the present invention, in step (1), the mixing of pregelatinized starch and water may be performed by stirring, and the stirring conditions may be conventionally selected in the art, for example, 30-60 r / min.

[0075] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first contacting is high-speed homogeneous mixing at a speed of 100-500 r / min.

[0076] In the present invention, there is no particular limitation on the manner and conditions of the second contact, as long as the optional flavoring can be uniformly dispersed in the fat emulsion.

[0077] In the present invention, the manner and conditions for mixing the fat emulsion and the protein cross-linking enzyme in step (4) are not particularly limited, as long as the protein cross-linking enzyme can be uniformly dispersed in the fat emulsion.

[0078] In the present invention, there is no particular limitation on the standing time in step (4), as long as demoulding is possible.

[0079] In some embodiments of the present invention, step (1), step (2), and step (3) are all carried out at 40-65°C; and step (4) is carried out at 20-25°C.

[0080] In some embodiments of the present invention, when the imitation fat is used to prepare imitation meat, in order to tightly connect with other components of the imitation meat, step (4) is performed 1-3 minutes before the imitation fat is prepared.

[0081] In addition, the content and type of each component can be reasonably selected according to the above, and will not be described in detail here.

[0082] The third aspect of the present invention provides an imitation fat for imitation meat prepared by the composition or preparation method as described above.

[0083] A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a method for preparing imitation meat leather, the method comprising:

[0084] (I) preparing an upper skin base: mixing gelatin and water to obtain a gelatin solution, and first mixing the gelatin solution with an optional flavoring to obtain an upper skin base;

[0085] (II) preparing a lower skin base: mixing gelatin with water to obtain a gelatin solution, and mixing the gelatin solution with vegetable oil and an optional flavoring to obtain a lower skin base;

[0086] (III) Preparing the simulated lower leather: mixing the lower leather base with the protein cross-linking enzyme for a third time, and allowing the mixture to stand to obtain the simulated lower leather;

[0087] (IV) Preparing imitation leather: After the upper leather base and the protein cross-linking enzyme are mixed for the fourth time, the mixture is placed on the imitation lower leather of step (III) and allowed to stand to obtain the imitation leather.

[0088] In some embodiments of the present invention, in order to ensure the dissolution efficiency of gelatin, the concentration of the gelatin solution is 15-20% by weight.

[0089] In the present invention, in step (II), the second mixing is performed under the condition that the vegetable oil is in liquid state. In some embodiments of the present invention, the active ingredient content of the vegetable oil is ≥ 95%.

[0090] In some embodiments of the present invention, the mixing of gelatin and water may be performed by stirring, and the stirring conditions may be conventionally selected in the art, for example, 30-60 r / min.

[0091] In the present invention, there is no particular limitation on the manner and conditions of the first mixing, as long as the optional flavoring agent and the gelatin solution can be uniformly mixed.

[0092] In some embodiments of the present invention, the second mixing is high-speed homogeneous mixing at a speed of 100-300 r / min.

[0093] In the present invention, there is no particular limitation on the manner and conditions of the third mixing and the fourth mixing, as long as the protein cross-linking enzyme can be evenly dispersed in the lower and upper cortical bases.

[0094] In some embodiments of the present invention, step (I) and step (II) are both carried out at 40-65°C; and step (III) and step (IV) are carried out at 20-25°C.

[0095] In the present invention, the standing time of step (III) is 15-20 min.

[0096] In some embodiments of the present invention, in order to tightly connect the imitation lower layer leather and the imitation upper layer leather, step (IV) is: after the upper layer leather base is mixed with the protein cross-linking enzyme for the fourth time, it is placed on the imitation lower layer leather of step (III) for 1-3 minutes and allowed to stand to obtain the imitation leather.

[0097] In the present invention, there is no specific requirement for the standing time in step (IV), as long as the molding can be demoulded.

[0098] In some embodiments of the present invention, when the imitation leather is used to prepare imitation meat, in order to tightly connect with other components of the imitation meat, step (III) and step (IV) are performed 1-3 minutes before the imitation leather is prepared.

[0099] In addition, the content and type of each component can be reasonably selected according to the above, and will not be described in detail here.

[0100] The fifth aspect of the present invention provides an imitation meat leather prepared from the composition or preparation method as described above.

[0101] A sixth aspect of the present invention provides an imitation pork belly, comprising imitation lean meat, imitation fat and imitation skin, wherein the imitation fat and imitation skin are prepared from the imitation meat composition as described above.

[0102] In some embodiments of the present invention, based on the total weight of the imitation pork belly, the content of the imitation lean meat is 40-45% by weight, the content of the imitation fat is 30-40% by weight, and the weight of the imitation leather is 15-25% by weight.

[0103] In the present invention, the imitation lean meat and imitation fat can be multiple layers. In some embodiments of the present invention, the pork belly comprises, from bottom to top, a lower layer of imitation lean meat, a lower layer of imitation fat, a middle layer of imitation lean meat, a middle layer of imitation fat, an upper layer of imitation lean meat, an upper layer of imitation fat, an imitation lower layer of skin, and an imitation upper layer of skin. Preferably, based on the total weight of the imitation pork belly, the content of the imitation lean meat in the lower layer is 20-30% by weight, the content of the imitation fat in the lower layer is 10-20% by weight, the content of the imitation lean meat in the middle layer is 9-15% by weight, the content of the imitation fat in the middle layer is 11-15% by weight, the content of the imitation lean meat in the upper layer is 6-12% by weight, the content of the imitation fat in the upper layer is 9-10% by weight, and the content of the imitation skin is 15-25% by weight.

[0104] In the present invention, the imitation lean meat can be prepared using a recipe for imitation lean meat available in the art. In some embodiments of the present invention, the imitation lean meat contains the following components: 20-40% by weight of wheat protein, 10-15% by weight of collagen peptides, 0.5-1% by weight of pea protein, 0.5-2% by weight of salt, 0.01-0.02% by weight of an antibacterial agent, 4-6% by weight of vegetable oil, 1-2% by weight of pig fat, 0.05-0.1% by weight of pig essential oil, 0.01-0.05% by weight of a protein cross-linking enzyme, 0.02-0.08% by weight of food coloring, and 34-60% by weight of water. Preferably, the protein cross-linking enzyme is at least one of transglutaminase, polyphenol oxidase, and peroxidase.

[0105] A seventh aspect of the present invention provides a method for preparing the aforementioned imitation pork belly, the method comprising: (a) preparing imitation lean meat;

[0106] (b) preparing fat emulsion;

[0107] (c) preparing an upper skin base and a lower skin base;

[0108] (d) preparing imitation pork belly: pouring the imitation lean meat, fat emulsion, lower layer skin base, and upper layer skin base into a mold in sequence, and letting it stand to obtain imitation pork belly;

[0109] Wherein, step (d) comprises: before pouring the fat emulsion, the lower layer of the cortex base and the upper layer of the cortex base into the mold, they are respectively mixed with the protein cross-linking enzyme.

[0110] In the present invention, there is no requirement for the standing conditions in step (d), as long as the molded product can be demoulded. Preferably, the standing conditions are: a standing temperature of 20-25°C and a standing time of 0.5-5 hours.

[0111] In some embodiments of the present invention, step (d) includes: pouring imitation lean meat into a mold, mixing the fat emulsion with a protein cross-linking enzyme and then pouring it into the mold, and when the fat solidifies into shape, mixing the lower layer of the skin base with the protein cross-linking enzyme and then pouring it into the mold, and when the lower layer of the skin solidifies into shape, mixing the upper layer of the skin base with the protein cross-linking enzyme and then pouring it into the mold.

[0112] In some embodiments of the present invention, step (d) comprises: pouring the lower layer of imitation lean meat, the lower layer of fat emulsion, the middle layer of imitation lean meat, the middle layer of fat emulsion, the upper layer of imitation lean meat, the upper layer of fat emulsion, the lower layer of skin base, and the upper layer of skin base into a mold in sequence, letting it stand, and obtaining imitation pork belly; wherein, before pouring the lower layer of fat emulsion, the middle layer of fat emulsion, the upper layer of fat emulsion, the lower layer of skin base, and the upper layer of skin base into the mold, they are first mixed with a protein cross-linking enzyme.

[0113] In some embodiments of the present invention, in order to prepare an imitation pork belly product, the method may further include: after completing step (d), demolding and packaging, vacuum sealing, and high-temperature sterilization (121° C., 20 min) to prepare a cooked imitation pork belly product.

[0114] In the present invention, the vacuum sealing and high temperature sterilization are conventional options in the art and will not be described in detail here.

[0115] In some embodiments of the present invention, in order to ensure the fluidity of the mixture and to ensure that the components are tightly connected, step (d) includes: the fat emulsion, the lower cortex base, and the upper cortex base are mixed with the protein cross-linking enzyme respectively and poured into the mold within 1-3 minutes.

[0116] In the present invention, the method for preparing the imitation lean meat can be selected from conventional techniques in the art. Preferably, the method for preparing the imitation lean meat comprises: mixing and kneading 20-40% by weight of wheat protein, 10-15% by weight of collagen peptide, 0.5-1% by weight of pea protein, 0.5-2% by weight of salt, 0.01-0.02% by weight of an antibacterial agent, 4-6% by weight of vegetable oil, 1-2% by weight of pig fat, 0.05-0.1% by weight of pig essential oil, 0.01-0.05% by weight of a protein cross-linking enzyme, 0.02-0.08% by weight of a food coloring, and 34-60% by weight of water in a certain proportion, placing the mixture into a corresponding mold, and steam-aging for 20-40 minutes. Preferably, the protein cross-linking enzyme is transglutaminase.

[0117] In step (b), the fat emulsion is preferably prepared using the method described above (steps (1)-(3)).

[0118] In step (c), the upper and lower skin bases are preferably prepared by the method described above (steps (I)-(II)).

[0119] The present invention will be described in detail below through examples. In the following examples, unless otherwise specified, the reagents and raw materials used can be obtained commercially, and the detection methods described are commonly used methods in the art.

[0120] In the following embodiments, the method for detecting the film-forming time of gelatin is: (coating method) using a coating machine to quickly form a film; the method for detecting the breaking force of gelatin is: measuring data using an electronic tensile testing machine; the method for detecting the elongation is: measuring data using an electronic tensile testing machine; and the method for detecting the hot-melt resistance is: the cooking method.

[0121] In the following examples, the bone gelatin (i.e., gelatin MJ-4) was purchased from Baotou Dongbao Biotechnology Co., Ltd., wherein the bone gelatin has a freezing strength of 150-180 g and a viscosity of 3.0-3.5. The freezing strength was tested using a texture analyzer, and the viscosity was tested using a viscometer.

[0122] Papain was purchased from Nanning Dongheng Huadao Biotechnology Co., Ltd. with a brand name of P1140 and an enzyme activity of 50 U / g.

[0123] Neutral protease was obtained from Nanning Dongheng Huadao Biotechnology Co., Ltd., with a brand name of Z-10 and an enzyme activity of 10 U / g.

[0124] Bromelain was obtained from Nanning Dongheng Huadao Biotechnology Co., Ltd. with the brand name BPt-40 and an enzyme activity of 40 U / g.

[0125] Pepsin was obtained from Nanning Dongheng Huadao Biotechnology Co., Ltd. with the brand name 2706 and an enzyme activity of 100 U / g.

[0126] Trypsin was purchased from Nanning Dongheng Huadao Biotechnology Co., Ltd. with a brand name of 1104 and an enzyme activity of 40 U / g.

[0127] Glutamine transaminase was purchased from Shanghai Qingrui Food Technology Co., Ltd. with a brand name of ZQ-1 and an enzyme activity of 100 U / g.

[0128] Cassava pregelatinized starch was purchased from Dongguan Dongmei Food Co., Ltd. with the brand name QW66847.

[0129] Pig essential oil was purchased from Qingdao Weixianglin Food Ingredients Co., Ltd. with the brand name JUJ88977.

[0130] Pig essence paste was purchased from Shandong Fudeyuan Food Technology Co., Ltd., and the brand name was concentrated large bone pig paste.

[0131] The calculation method of gelatin concentration in Preparation Example 1-3 is: the mass of bone gelatin ÷ (the mass of bone gelatin solution - the mass of water volatilized during the concentration process) × 100%.

[0132] Preparation Example 1

[0133] This preparation example is used to illustrate the preparation of gelatin used in the present invention.

[0134] Bone gelatin is swelled in cold water at a weight ratio of 1:9 to bone gelatin for 1 hour, and then heated to 55°C to dissolve into a uniform solution to obtain a bone gelatin solution. A protease mixture system (45 weight% papain, 8 weight% neutral protease, 5 weight% bromelain, 32 weight% pepsin, and 10 weight% trypsin) is added. The bone gelatin solution and the protease mixture system are mixed at a weight ratio of 99:1, and then reacted at 42°C for 20 minutes, inactivated at 90°C for 1 hour, and the gelatin solution is concentrated to a gelatin concentration of 35 weight%, gelled at 0°C, squeezed and dried, and ground into 80-mesh fine powder, which is the special gelatin MJ-1 with a specific formula.

[0135] Preparation Example 2

[0136] This preparation example is used to illustrate the preparation of gelatin used in the present invention.

[0137] Bone gelatin is taken and swelled in cold water at a weight ratio of 1:9 to bone gelatin for 1 hour, heated to 45°C to dissolve into a uniform solution to obtain a bone gelatin solution, and a protease mixture system (40 weight% of papain, 15 weight% of neutral protease, 6 weight% of bromelain, 24 weight% of pepsin, and 15 weight% of trypsin) is added, wherein the bone gelatin solution and the protease mixture system are mixed at a weight ratio of 99:1, and then reacted at 42°C for 20 minutes, inactivated at 90°C for 1 hour, concentrated to a gelatin concentration of 35 weight%, gelled at 0°C, squeezed and dried, and ground into 80-mesh fine powder, which is the special gelatin MJ-2 with the formula.

[0138] Preparation Example 3

[0139] This preparation example is used to illustrate the preparation of gelatin used in the present invention.

[0140] Bone gelatin is swelled in cold water at a weight ratio of 1:9 for 1 hour, and then heated to 40-60°C to dissolve into a uniform solution to obtain a bone gelatin solution. A protease mixture system (42 weight percent papain, 15 weight percent neutral protease, 8 weight percent bromelain, 20 weight percent pepsin, and 15 weight percent trypsin) is added. The bone gelatin solution and the protease mixture system are mixed at a weight ratio of 98:2, and then reacted at 42°C for 20 minutes, inactivated at 90°C for 1 hour, and the gelatin solution is concentrated to a gelatin concentration of 35 weight percent. The gelatin is then gelled at 4°C, squeezed and dried, and ground into 80-mesh fine powder to obtain the special gelatin MJ-3.

[0141] Preparation Test Example 1

[0142] The prepared gelatin MJ-1, MJ-2, MJ-3 and gelatin MJ-4 (Baotou Dongbao Biotechnology Co., Ltd.) and MJ-5 (Baotou Dongbao Biotechnology Co., Ltd.) were tested for gelatin film formation, and the results are shown in Table 1.

[0143] Table 1

[0144]

[0145] The shorter the film-forming time, the greater the tensile strength and elongation, demonstrating a stronger reaction between the gelatin and the protein cross-linking enzyme, a stronger reaction product (gel), and less soluble at high temperatures (better heat-melt resistance). The data in the table above demonstrates that the pretreated special gelatin samples MJ1-MJ3 exhibited superior gelling properties compared to gelatin MJ4-MJ5.

[0146] Preparation Test Example 2

[0147] The prepared gelatins MJ-1, MJ-2, MJ-3, gelatin MJ-4 and MJ-5 were subjected to protein SDS-page detection, and the molecular weight distribution of different sizes of protein samples was analyzed using Gel-Pro Analyzer software. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0148] Table 2

[0149]

[0150] Example 1

[0151] (1) Preparation of imitation lean meat: Mix the lean meat-based ingredients according to the imitation lean meat formula ratio in Table 3, knead 1.4 kg of meat embryos by extrusion method (knead in a dough mixer for 10 minutes), let it stand at 4°C for 1 hour, steam it in a mold for 30 minutes, and demold it to obtain the imitation lean meat.

[0152] (2) Preparation of fat emulsion: Weigh 500g of gelatin MJ-1 and dissolve it in 2000mL of water to prepare a 20wt% gelatin solution, which is then placed in a sol tank at 65°C for standby use; weigh 120g of corn pregelatinized starch and dissolve it in 1200mL of water to prepare a 10wt% pregelatinized starch suspension, which is then placed at 65°C for standby use; melt 800g of coconut oil to form a transparent liquid; mix 330g of gelatin solution, 520g of coconut oil, and 320g of pregelatinized starch solution at 500rpm to form a milky white suspension, and add 35g of sugar, 1g of pig essence oil, and 8g of pig essence paste under stirring to prepare 1.214kg of fat emulsion. Place the fat emulsion in a transfer sol tank at 65°C for standby use.

[0153] (3) Preparation of the upper leather base: Weigh 120 g of gelatin MJ-3 and dissolve it in 480 g of water to prepare a 20 wt% gelatin solution, which is then placed in a sol tank at 65°C for later use. Add 20 g of sugar, 3 g of pig oil, and 0.8 g of pig paste to 300 g of the gelatin solution while stirring to prepare the upper leather base. Place 323.8 g of the upper leather base in a transfer sol tank at 65°C for later use.

[0154] (4) Preparation of the lower layer leather base: Weigh 120 g of gelatin MJ-3 and dissolve it in 480 g of water to prepare a gelatin solution with a concentration of 20 wt %, and place the solution in a sol tank at 65°C for later use; melt 30 g of coconut oil to form a transparent liquid; stir 300 g of the gelatin solution and 30 g of coconut oil at 500 rpm to form a milky suspension, and add 30 g of sugar, 0.4 g of pig essence oil, and 2 g of pig essence paste under stirring to prepare 362.4 g of the lower layer leather base. Place the lower layer leather base in a transfer sol tank at 65°C for later use.

[0155] (5) Use a cutting mold to divide the imitation lean meat into 700g of lower lean meat, 420g of middle lean meat, and 280g of upper lean meat; divide the fat emulsion into three parts, namely 500g of lower fat emulsion, 400g of middle fat emulsion, and 300g of upper fat emulsion. Place the lower lean meat on the bottom layer of the pork belly mold, add transglutaminase to the lower fat emulsion (the amount of transglutaminase added is calculated according to the amount shown in the imitation fat formula in Table 4), mix thoroughly, and pour it into the above-mentioned pork belly mold within 3 minutes. Leave it to solidify (about 5-10 minutes) to obtain the lower layer imitation fat.

[0156] (6) Repeat step (5) and add the middle layer of imitation lean meat, the middle layer of fat emulsion, the upper layer of imitation lean meat, the upper layer of fat emulsion, the lower skin base, and the upper skin base to the pork belly mold in sequence; (wherein, the amount of glutamine transaminase added to the fat emulsion and the skin base is calculated according to the amount shown in Table 4 for the imitation fat formula and Table 5 for the imitation skin formula, respectively, and after thorough mixing, pour into the pork belly mold within 3 minutes).

[0157] (7) After standing at room temperature for 1 hour, imitation pork belly was obtained. Based on the total weight of the imitation pork belly, the contents of the lower lean meat, lower fat, middle imitation lean meat, middle imitation fat, upper imitation lean meat, upper imitation fat, lower imitation skin, and upper imitation skin in the imitation pork belly are shown in Table 6.

[0158] Table 3

[0159]

[0160]

[0161] Table 4

[0162] Components Content (weight %) gelatin 5.4 Corn pregelatinized starch 2.6 coconut oil 42.8 transglutaminase 0.5 sugar 2.9 Pig essential oil 0.08 Pig Semen Cream 0.65 water 45.07

[0163] Table 5

[0164]

[0165]

[0166] Table 6

[0167] Components Content (weight %) Lower imitation lean meat 22.47 Lower imitation fat 11.33 Middle-layer imitation lean meat 12.33 Middle layer imitation fat 12.27 Upper imitation lean meat 10.13 Upper imitation fat 9.20 Imitation lower leather 10.74 Imitation upper leather 11.53

[0168] Example 2

[0169] (1) Preparation of imitation lean meat: Mix the lean meat-based ingredients according to the imitation lean meat formula ratio in Table 7, knead 1 kg of meat embryo by extrusion method (knead in a dough mixer for 15 minutes), let it stand at 4°C for 1 hour, steam it in a mold for 30 minutes, and demold it to obtain the imitation lean meat.

[0170] (2) Preparation of fat emulsion: Weigh 500g of gelatin MJ-2 and dissolve it in 2000mL of water to prepare a 20wt% gelatin solution, and place it in a sol tank at 65°C for standby use; weigh 120g of cassava pregelatinized starch and dissolve it in 1200mL of water to prepare a 10wt% pregelatinized starch suspension, and place it at 65°C for standby use; melt 500g of coconut oil to form a transparent liquid; mix 530g of gelatin solution, 420g of coconut oil, and 220g of cassava pregelatinized starch solution at 500rpm to form a milky white suspension, and add 40g of sugar, 2g of pig essence oil, and 2g of pig essence paste under stirring to prepare 1.214kg of fat emulsion. Place the fat emulsion in a transfer sol tank at 65°C for standby use.

[0171] (3) Preparation of the upper leather base: Weigh 120 g of gelatin MJ-2 and dissolve it in 480 g of water to prepare a 20 wt% gelatin solution, which is then placed in a sol tank at 65°C for later use. Add 50 g of sugar, 5 g of pig oil, and 1 g of pig paste to 200 g of the gelatin solution while stirring to prepare the upper leather base. Place 256 g of the upper leather base in a transfer sol tank at 65°C for later use.

[0172] (4) Preparation of the lower layer leather base: Weigh 120 g of gelatin MJ-3 and dissolve it in 480 g of water to prepare a 20 wt% gelatin solution, which is then placed in a sol tank at 65°C for later use. Melt 50 g of coconut oil to form a transparent liquid. Mix 280 g of the gelatin solution and 40 g of coconut oil at 500 rpm to form a milky white suspension. Add 40 g of sugar, 2 g of pig essential oil, and 5 g of pig essential paste while stirring to prepare 367 g of the lower layer leather base. Place the lower layer leather base in a transfer sol tank at 65°C for later use.

[0173] (5) Use a cutting mold to divide the imitation lean meat into 750g of lower lean meat, 400g of middle lean meat, and 250g of upper lean meat; divide the fat emulsion into three portions, namely 500g of lower fat emulsion, 405g of middle fat emulsion, and 305g of upper fat emulsion. (5) Place the lower lean meat on the bottom layer of the pork belly mold, add transglutaminase to the lower fat emulsion (the amount of transglutaminase added is calculated according to the amount shown in the imitation fat formula in Table 8), mix thoroughly, and pour it into the above-mentioned pork belly mold within 3 minutes. Leave it to solidify (about 5-10 minutes) to obtain the lower imitation fat.

[0174] (6) Repeat step (5) and add the middle layer of imitation lean meat, the middle layer of fat emulsion, the upper layer of imitation lean meat, the upper layer of fat emulsion, the lower skin base, and the upper skin base to the pork belly mold in sequence; (wherein, the amount of glutamine transaminase added to the fat emulsion and the skin base is calculated according to the amount shown in Table 8 for the imitation fat formula and Table 9 for the imitation skin formula, respectively, and after thorough mixing, pour into the pork belly mold within 3 minutes).

[0175] (7) After standing at room temperature for 1 hour, imitation pork belly was obtained. Based on the total weight of the imitation pork belly, the contents of the lower lean meat, lower fat, middle imitation lean meat, middle imitation fat, upper imitation lean meat, upper imitation fat, lower imitation skin, and upper imitation skin in the imitation pork belly are shown in Table 10.

[0176] Table 7

[0177]

[0178]

[0179] Table 8

[0180] Components Content (weight %) gelatin 8.7 Cassava pregelatinized starch 1.8 coconut oil 34.6 transglutaminase 0.2 sugar 3.3 Pig essential oil 0.16 Pig Semen Paste 0.16 water 51.08

[0181] Table 9

[0182]

[0183]

[0184] Table 10

[0185] Components Content (weight %) Lower imitation lean meat 23.29 Lower imitation fat 15.53 Middle-layer imitation lean meat 12.42 Middle layer imitation fat 12.58 Upper imitation lean meat 7.76 Upper imitation fat 9.5 Imitation lower leather 11.18 Imitation upper leather 7.74

[0186] Test Example 1

[0187] The pork belly prepared in Example 1 was demoulded, subpackaged, vacuum sealed, and sterilized at high temperature (121° C., 20 min) to obtain an imitation pork belly product. The product shape is as follows: Figure 1The imitation pork belly product is divided and baked. The process is as follows: the pork belly is placed in an oven (upper fire 220℃, lower fire 220℃) and baked for 20 minutes, then turned over and baked for another 20 minutes. The shape of the imitation pork belly after baking is as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown in the figure, after high-temperature sterilization and high-temperature baking, the imitation pork belly has a similar appearance to pork belly, with the imitation fat, imitation lean meat, and imitation skin tightly connected and not separated. The color of the imitation pork belly (imitation pork belly products are presented in cooked form, with the lean meat dark red to brown, the fat part light yellow, and the skin dark brown) is shown.

[0188] The same experiment was conducted on the pork belly prepared in Example 2, and the morphological results of the imitation pork belly obtained after high-temperature sterilization and high-temperature baking were similar to those in Example 1.

[0189] However, in the imitation pork belly products prepared by using MJ-4 and MJ-5 instead of MJ-1 and MJ-3 in Example 1, there was obvious separation between the imitation fat, imitation lean meat and imitation skin.

[0190] Test Example 2

[0191] The imitation pork belly prepared in Examples 1-2 was sent to SGS for testing of protein, fat, carbohydrate, and dietary fiber content. The results were compared with the nutritional composition table of competing products and the nutritional composition data of pork (from the Food Safety Pass website). The results are shown in Table 11. Competitor 1 is the imitation meat product of Hongchang Company, and Competitor 2 is the imitation meat product of Sulian Company.

[0192] Table 11

[0193]

[0194] From the table above we can find that:

[0195] (1) Nutritional value comparison with pork and competing products

[0196] Compared with pork pork belly and competitors' products, the protein content of imitation pork belly is greatly improved, which is almost twice that of pork and 3-4 times that of competitors' products; the fat content is reduced to nearly 1 / 3 of that of pork, and the carbohydrate content is lower than or maintains the same level as pork and competitors' products, and dietary fiber is added.

[0197] (2) Energy efficiency comparison

[0198] Every 100g of pork provides 395KJ of energy, while imitation pork belly provides nearly three times the energy of pork at the same weight. That is to say, under certain circumstances, especially extreme circumstances, only 150-200g of imitation pork belly is needed to meet an adult's basic daily calorie needs (1400-1600KJ).

[0199] Test Example 3

[0200] Twenty test subjects evaluated the imitation pork belly prepared in Example 1-2 and Competitor 1-2 on color, aroma, and taste, using the scoring criteria shown in Table 12. The average scores for the imitation pork belly in Example 1-2 and Competitor 1-2 were then calculated. A higher average score indicates better imitation pork belly color, aroma, and taste. The average scores for Example 1-2 and Competitor 1-2 are shown in Table 12.

[0201] Table 12

[0202]

[0203] It can be seen from the above table that the appearance, color and shape of the imitation pork belly of the present invention are close to those of the real braised pork belly, the gelatinous feeling is weak when put into the mouth, the taste is close to that of fat meat, the fat and lean meat are closely connected, and the sweetness and saltiness are acceptable.

[0204] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Within the technical concept of the present invention, various simple variations of the technical solution of the present invention may be made, including combining the various technical features in any other appropriate manner. These simple variations and combinations should also be regarded as disclosed in the present invention and fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for preparing imitation meat leather, characterized in that: The method comprises: (I) preparing an upper skin base: mixing gelatin and water to obtain a gelatin solution, and first mixing the gelatin solution with an optional flavoring to obtain an upper skin base; (II) preparing a lower skin base: mixing gelatin with water to obtain a gelatin solution, and mixing the gelatin solution with vegetable oil and an optional flavoring to obtain a lower skin base; (III) Preparing the simulated lower leather: mixing the lower leather base with the protein cross-linking enzyme for a third time, and allowing the mixture to stand to obtain the simulated lower leather; (IV) preparing imitation leather: mixing the upper leather base with the protein cross-linking enzyme for the fourth time, placing the mixture on the imitation lower leather prepared in step (III), and allowing the mixture to stand to obtain imitation leather; The upper leather base is prepared from an imitation upper leather composition; wherein the imitation upper leather composition comprises gelatin, water, and an optional flavoring agent, wherein, based on the total weight of the imitation upper leather composition, the content of gelatin is 15-20% by weight, the content of water is 70-80% by weight, and the content of flavoring agent is 0-15% by weight; The lower leather base is prepared from an imitation lower leather composition; wherein the imitation lower leather composition comprises gelatin, water, vegetable oil and an optional flavoring agent, and based on the total weight of the imitation lower leather composition, the content of gelatin is 10-20% by weight, the content of water is 50-70% by weight, the content of vegetable oil is 5-15% by weight, and the content of flavoring agent is 0-15% by weight; Among them, the component with a weight average molecular weight of 110kDa of the gelatin accounts for 4-6% by weight, the component with a weight average molecular weight of 120kDa of the gelatin accounts for 18-21% by weight, the component with a weight average molecular weight of 50kDa-80kDa of the gelatin accounts for 5.5-8% by weight, and the components with remaining weight average molecular weights account for 65-70% by weight.

2. The preparation method according to claim 1, wherein The vegetable oil is at least one of sunflower oil, coconut oil, peanut oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil and linseed oil.

3. The preparation method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The protein cross-linking enzyme is transglutaminase.

4. The preparation method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The flavoring agent is at least one of sugar, salt, essential oil, essential cream and soy sauce.

5. The preparation method according to claim 4, wherein Based on the total weight of the composition, the content of sugar is 0.5-12 weight %.

6. The preparation method according to claim 4, wherein Based on the total weight of the composition, the content of the essential oil is 0-2 weight %.

7. The preparation method according to claim 4, wherein Based on the total weight of the composition, the content of the cream is 0-2 weight %.

8. The preparation method according to claim 4, wherein Based on the total weight of the composition, the content of soy sauce is 0-1 weight %.

9. The preparation method according to claim 4, wherein Based on the total weight of the composition, the content of the salt is 0-2 weight %.

10. An imitation meat leather prepared by the preparation method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. An imitation pork belly, characterized in that: The imitation pork belly comprises imitation lean meat, imitation fat and imitation leather, wherein the imitation fat is prepared from an imitation fat composition, wherein the composition contains gelatin, protein cross-linking enzyme, water, pregelatinized starch, vegetable oil and optional flavoring. Based on the total weight of the imitation fat composition, the content of gelatin is 5-10% by weight, the content of pregelatinized starch is 1-5% by weight, the content of vegetable oil is 20-50% by weight, the content of water is 40-60% by weight, the content of protein cross-linking enzyme is 0.1-1% by weight, and the content of flavoring is 0-5% by weight; the imitation leather is the imitation leather described in claim 10.

12. The imitation pork belly according to claim 11, wherein: Based on the total weight of the imitation pork belly, the content of the imitation lean meat is 40-45% by weight, the content of the imitation fat is 30-40% by weight, and the weight of the imitation leather is 15-25% by weight.

13. A method for preparing the imitation pork belly according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that: The method comprises: (a) preparing imitation lean meat; (b) preparing fat emulsion; (c) preparing an upper skin base and a lower skin base; (d) preparing imitation pork belly: pouring the imitation lean meat, fat emulsion, lower layer skin base, and upper layer skin base into a mold in sequence, and letting it stand to obtain imitation pork belly; Wherein, step (d) comprises: before pouring the fat emulsion, the lower layer of the cortex base and the upper layer of the cortex base into the mold, they are respectively mixed with the protein cross-linking enzyme.

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