Liquid egg replacer composition and heat coagulum

Abstract

The liquid egg replacer composition of the present invention contains: extracted protein and gellan gum of apricot, the content of the aforementioned apricot protein being 1 mass% or more and 15 mass% or less.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to liquid egg substitute compositions and their thermal coagulations. Background Technology

[0002] Egg dishes such as scrambled eggs, made by heating liquid eggs to solidify them, are popular due to the unique rich and mellow flavor and vibrant color of eggs. However, in recent years, due to health concerns and a growing preference for plant-based foods, various liquid egg substitutes that use plant-based proteins instead of eggs have been developed.

[0003] Patent document 1 describes an egg substitute comprising refined mung bean protein isolate, characterized by having one or more functional properties similar to an egg.

[0004] Patent document 2 describes an egg substitute comprising refined red bean protein isolate, characterized by having one or more functional properties similar to an egg.

[0005] Patent document 3 describes a powder composition for replacing eggs, characterized in that it contains soybean protein raw materials and oxidized starch.

[0006] Existing technical documents

[0007] Patent documents

[0008] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-509036

[0009] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-505226

[0010] Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-038318 Summary of the Invention

[0011] The problem the invention aims to solve

[0012] However, when using liquid egg substitute compositions containing plant proteins to prepare scrambled eggs or other meat floss-like hot coagulated products, there are problems such as the hot coagulated products not forming appropriately sized meat floss-like pieces, making it difficult to achieve the appearance of scrambled eggs or other meat floss-like products. In addition, there are issues with the texture of the plant proteins, such as a rough feel, making it difficult to obtain liquid egg substitute compositions that can produce hot coagulated products with both excellent appearance and texture.

[0013] In view of the above, the object of the present invention is to provide a liquid egg substitute composition that can produce a heat-coagulated product with excellent appearance and taste.

[0014] Solution for solving the problem

[0015] To achieve the above objectives, the inventors conducted repeated and in-depth research and discovered that by combining and using almond-extracted proteins and gel polysaccharides, a liquid egg substitute composition that can prepare heat-coagulated foods such as scrambled eggs with excellent appearance and taste was obtained, thus completing the present invention.

[0016] That is, the present invention is as follows:

[0017] (1) A liquid egg substitute composition comprising: almond-derived protein and gel polysaccharide,

[0018] The protein content extracted from the aforementioned almonds is above 1% by mass and below 15% by mass;

[0019] (2) The liquid egg substitute composition according to (1), wherein the content of gel polysaccharide is more than 1% by mass and less than 8% by mass;

[0020] (3) The liquid egg substitute composition according to (1) or (2) further contains more than 3% by mass and less than 15% by mass of lipids;

[0021] (4) A thermal coagulant prepared using any one of (1) to (3) of the liquid egg substitute composition.

[0022] The effects of the invention

[0023] According to the present invention, a liquid egg substitute composition that can produce a heat-coagulated product with excellent appearance and taste can be provided. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The present invention will now be described in detail. It should be noted that in the present invention, "%" refers to "mass %".

[0025] <Liquid Egg Substitute Composition>

[0026] The liquid egg substitute composition of the present invention is a liquid egg substitute composition that contains no egg or a small amount of egg, characterized in that it contains: 1% to 15% by mass of almond extracted protein and gel polysaccharide. The liquid egg substitute composition of the present invention is heated in the same way as liquid eggs, thereby preparing a heat-coagulated product with an appearance and texture close to that of a real scrambled egg or other heat-coagulated egg.

[0027] "Egg-free" means that the raw materials do not contain eggs from birds that are usually consumed, such as chickens, quails, and ducks. "Contains a small amount of eggs" means that the liquid egg substitute composition contains 5% or less by mass, preferably 3% or less by mass, and more preferably 1% or less by mass of the aforementioned bird egg-derived raw materials.

[0028] <Liquid Egg>

[0029] In this invention, liquid egg refers to an unheated liquid egg obtained by uniformly mixing the liquid egg white and liquid egg yolk after opening a bird egg that is normally for consumption.

[0030] Liquid eggs have the property of coagulating upon heating, and therefore are mostly consumed as coagulated eggs. Therefore, a substitute for liquid eggs is required to have the same coagulation properties as liquid eggs, and the texture of the coagulated product should be similar to that of a coagulated egg. Furthermore, for ease of preparation, it is desirable to have the same fluidity as liquid eggs.

[0031] <Heat-coagulated eggs>

[0032] In this invention, heat-coagulated egg refers to the heat-coagulated form of liquid egg. Examples of heat-coagulated eggs include scrambled eggs, fried eggs, omelets, egg shreds, and condiments containing them.

[0033] <Thermal solidified products>

[0034] The thermal coagulant of the present invention refers to the thermal coagulant of the liquid egg substitute composition of the present invention. This thermal coagulant is solidified (gelled) by heating the above-mentioned liquid egg substitute composition with a frying pan, boiling water, or other suitable methods. The thermal coagulant of the present invention can be used as a substitute for thermally coagulated eggs.

[0035] <Almond Protein Extract>

[0036] The liquid egg substitute composition of the present invention is characterized by containing almond-derived protein. Almond-derived protein refers to protein extracted from almonds. Almond-derived protein has optimal solubility in water. That is, due to its low solubility in water, a meat floss-like hot coagulated product can be prepared without hindering the formation of a gel network based on gel polysaccharides. On the other hand, due to its slight solubility in water, the coarseness of the protein powder is not easily felt, resulting in a hot coagulated product with excellent texture. Furthermore, in terms of color, it also has a light color based on white. Therefore, compared to other plant proteins with dark colors such as brown, black, or gray, it becomes easier to reproduce a yellow hue close to that of hot-coagulated eggs. Furthermore, the characteristic odor of the raw material almond-derived protein is minimal. Therefore, it is easy to obtain a hot coagulated product with a flavor closer to that of hot-coagulated eggs.

[0037] Thus, the liquid egg substitute composition of the present invention possesses all the properties required of a liquid egg substitute, including heat-coagulation and fluidity, as well as the properties required of a heat-coagulated egg substitute, such as a smooth texture, light color, and good flavor. Therefore, according to the present invention, a liquid egg substitute composition with superior properties can be obtained as a substitute for liquid eggs used in the production of heat-coagulated eggs.

[0038] <Almond protein content>

[0039] The liquid egg substitute composition of the present invention contains 1% to 15% by mass of the above-mentioned almond extract protein. When the almond extract protein content is below the aforementioned range, even when preparing a heat-coagulated product, it does not form a properly sized meat floss-like consistency upon heating. Furthermore, when the almond extract protein content is above the aforementioned range, the almond extract protein feels coarse. Additionally, its fluidity decreases, making it difficult to prepare.

[0040] Furthermore, the liquid egg substitute composition of the present invention, from the perspective of easily obtaining a heat-coagulated product with superior appearance and texture after heating, may contain 2% to 10% by mass or more, or 3% to 7% by mass or more, of the above-mentioned almond-extracted protein. It should be noted that the aforementioned proportion of almond-extracted protein refers to the proportion of protein extracted solely from almonds, excluding components other than the protein extracted from almonds.

[0041] <Gel Polysaccharide>

[0042] In this invention, gelling polysaccharides refer to a general term for heat-coagulating polysaccharides with β-1,3-glucosidic bonds as the main component. Examples include polysaccharides produced by the fungus *Alcaligenes faecalis* var. *myxogenes*. Gelling polysaccharides are commercially available; therefore, commercially available products can be used. The proportion of gelling polysaccharides contained in the liquid egg substitute composition of this invention is not particularly limited. From the perspective of easily obtaining heat-coagulated products with excellent appearance and texture, it can be set to 1% by mass or more and 8% by mass or less, and more preferably 2% by mass or more and 7% by mass or less.

[0043] <Lipids>

[0044] The liquid egg substitute composition of the present invention preferably contains 3% by mass and 15% by mass of lipids. This makes the composition of the liquid egg substitute composition closer to that of a liquid egg, and upon heating, it more easily produces a richness similar to that of a heat-coagulated egg. Furthermore, the liquid egg substitute composition of the present invention preferably contains 4% by mass and 12% by mass and less, and more preferably 10% by mass and less.

[0045] From the perspective of adjusting the lipid content to the aforementioned range, the liquid egg substitute composition of the present invention preferably contains edible oils. Examples of edible oils include, for example, animal and vegetable oils and their refined oils, and oils obtained through chemical or enzymatic treatment. Examples of animal and vegetable oils include, for example, rapeseed oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, olive oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, palm oil, milk fat, beef tallow, lard, and egg yolk oil. Examples of oils obtained through chemical or enzymatic treatment include, for example, MCT (medium-chain triglycerides), diglycerides, hydrogenated oils, and enzymatically treated egg yolk oil. One or more of these edible oils may be used.

[0046] <Other Raw Materials>

[0047] Within the scope of not impairing the effects of the present invention, the liquid egg substitute composition of the present invention may contain ingredients other than those described above. Examples of such ingredients include: seasonings such as soy sauce, salt, pepper, and amino acids; sugars such as white sugar, fine sugar, sweet brown sugar, fructose, glucose liquid sugar, starches, dextrin, fructose, trehalose, glucose, lactose, oligosaccharides, and sugar ethanol; antibacterial agents such as glycine and sodium acetate; pH adjusters such as organic acids and organic acid salts; preservatives; antioxidants; and flavorings.

[0048] <Method for manufacturing liquid egg substitute composition>

[0049] The method for manufacturing the liquid egg substitute composition of the present invention includes, for example, the following steps: a step of preparing almond extract protein and gel polysaccharide; and a step of preparing the liquid egg substitute composition in such a way that the almond extract protein is 1% or more and 15% or less by mass.

[0050] <Preparation process for extracting protein from almonds>

[0051] In this process, protein is extracted from almonds using methods such as purchasing commercially available almonds or extracting protein from almonds using conventional methods.

[0052] As a method for protein extraction, the following approach can be cited as an example. First, the almonds are pretreated as needed. For example, the almonds can be pulverized. Alternatively, without pulverization, the pulverized almonds can be soaked in water or the like. Then, the protein is eluted from the almonds. Elution can be performed using an alkaline eluent, such as sodium hydroxide. Then, insoluble matter is removed as needed, causing the protein dissolved in the eluent to precipitate. Protein precipitation can be achieved using an acid such as hydrochloric acid. After recovering the precipitate by centrifugation or filtration, the precipitate is neutralized as needed to obtain the almond protein.

[0053] It should be noted that, as needed, the extracted proteins can also be treated with enzymes such as glutamine transferase to improve gelation properties.

[0054] <Preparation Process>

[0055] In this process, almond-extracted protein, gel polysaccharide, water, and other raw materials are stirred and mixed to prepare a liquid egg substitute composition. The almond-extracted protein is prepared in a manner where it comprises 1% to 15% by mass.

[0056] It should be noted that after the preparation process, a heat sterilization process can also be performed as needed.

[0057] The liquid egg substitute composition of the present invention is manufactured according to the above.

[0058] The present invention will now be described in detail based on embodiments and comparative examples. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0059] Example

[0060] <Experimental Example 1: Research on Plant Proteins>

[0061] Using the formulations described in Table 1, liquid egg substitute compositions containing proteins extracted from various plant materials were prepared. Specifically, a gelling agent was pre-mixed in water and dispersed by homogenizing for 5 minutes. Then, the plant proteins were dissolved, and finally, soybean oil and lecithin were added, followed by emulsification using a homogenizer for 1 minute to prepare the liquid egg substitute composition. The prepared liquid egg substitute composition was heated in a pan to approximately 170°C to prepare a scrambled egg-like hot coagulated product. The appearance and texture of the hot coagulated product were evaluated according to the following criteria. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0062] [Appearance Evaluation Criteria]

[0063] A: It becomes a loose, gel-like meat floss, with the same appearance as scrambled eggs.

[0064] B: The meat floss-like gels become uniform overall, but with an appearance similar to scrambled eggs.

[0065] C: The gel becomes a unified paste, giving it an appearance different from scrambled eggs.

[0066] [Evaluation Criteria for Taste]

[0067] A: It has no roughness and has a good taste.

[0068] B: It feels slightly rough, but it's not something you need to worry about.

[0069] C: Feels rough, indicating an unpleasant texture.

[0070] [Table 1]

[0071] Plant protein (%) Almond protein 5 Pea protein 8 Rice protein 8 Soy protein 9 Green bean protein 8 Black bean protein 7 Gel polysaccharide (%) 3 3 3 3 3 3 Soybean oil (%) 5 5 5 5 5 5 Emulsifier (lecithin) (%) 1 1 1 1 1 1 Clear water margin margin margin margin margin margin Evaluation (Appearance: Meat floss texture) A A A C C C Evaluation (Meat texture: rough) A C C A A A

[0072] As shown in Table 1, it can be seen that by using protein extracted from almonds as a plant protein, a heat-coagulated product with excellent appearance and taste can be obtained.

[0073] <Experimental Example 2: A Study on Protein Content>

[0074] The content of the extracted protein from almonds was changed to the proportions recorded in Table 2. Otherwise, the liquid egg substitute compositions of Examples 2-9 and Comparative Example 6 were prepared using the same method as in Example 1. Using each prepared liquid egg substitute composition, scrambled egg-like hot coagulated products were prepared using the same method as in Experimental Example 1, and their appearance and texture were evaluated. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0075] [Table 2]

[0076] Almond protein content (%) 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 12 Evaluation (Appearance: Meat floss texture) C A A A A A A A A Evaluation (Meat texture: rough) A A A A A A A B B

[0077] As shown in Table 2, it can be seen that by containing 1% to 15% by mass of protein extracted from almonds, a heat-coagulated product with excellent appearance and texture is obtained. Furthermore, the liquid egg substitute compositions of Examples 2 to 7, with a protein concentration of 2% to 7% by mass or more, exhibit high fluidity and are easy to prepare for scrambled eggs.

[0078] Furthermore, the gel state of scrambled eggs prepared from liquid egg substitute compositions with a protein concentration of 3% to 7% by mass is closer to that of real scrambled eggs, but is not preferred.

[0079] <Experimental Example 3: Study on Gelation Agents>

[0080] The gelling polysaccharide was replaced with gelatan gum or agar, and otherwise, the liquid egg substitute compositions of Comparative Examples 7 or 8 were prepared using the same method as in Example 1. Using the prepared liquid egg substitute compositions, scrambled egg-like hot coagulated products were prepared using the same method as in Test Example 1, and their appearance and texture were evaluated. As a result, the hot coagulated products prepared from the liquid egg substitute compositions of Comparative Examples 7 or 8 did not feel coarse, but formed a cohesive paste and did not have the appearance of scrambled eggs.

[0081] <Experimental Example 4: Study on the Concentration of Gel Polysaccharides>

[0082] The content of the gel polysaccharide was changed to the proportions recorded in Table 3. Otherwise, the liquid egg substitute compositions of Examples 10-14 and Comparative Example 9 were prepared using the same method as in Example 1. Using each prepared liquid egg substitute composition, scrambled egg-like hot coagulated products were prepared using the same method as in Experimental Example 1, and their appearance and texture were evaluated. The results are shown in Table 3.

[0083] [Table 3]

[0084] Gel polysaccharide content (%) 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 Evaluation (Appearance: Meat floss texture) C B A A A A A Evaluation (Meat texture: rough) A A A A A A B

[0085] As shown in Table 3, it can be seen that by containing more than 1% by mass and less than 8% by mass of gel polysaccharide, a heat-cured product with excellent appearance and taste can be obtained.

[0086] [Example 15]

[0087] The soybean oil was changed to 3%, and the liquid egg substitute composition of Example 15 was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1.

[0088] [Example 16]

[0089] The soybean oil was changed to 7%, and the liquid egg substitute composition of Example 16 was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1.

[0090] Using the liquid egg substitute compositions of Examples 15 and 16, scrambled egg-like hot coagulated products were prepared in the same manner as in Example 1. The appearance and taste were evaluated, and the results were all rated A, which is a good result.

Claims

1. A liquid egg substitute composition comprising: almond-derived protein and gel polysaccharide, The almond extract contains 1% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less, and the gel polysaccharide content is 1% by mass or more and 8% by mass or less, wherein the composition contains 5% by mass or less of bird egg-derived raw materials.

2. The liquid egg substitute composition according to claim 1, further comprising 3% by mass and less than 15% by mass of lipids.

3. The liquid egg substitute composition according to claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises seasonings; sugars; antibacterial agents; pH adjusters; preservatives; antioxidants or flavorings.

4. The liquid egg substitute composition according to claim 2, wherein the composition contains edible oils.

5. The liquid egg substitute composition according to claim 4, wherein the edible oil comprises animal and vegetable oils and their refined oils, or oils obtained through chemical or enzymatic treatment.

6. The liquid egg substitute composition according to claim 5, wherein the vegetable and animal oils include one or more of rapeseed oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, olive oil, soybean oil, palm oil, milk fat, beef tallow, lard, and egg yolk oil.

7. A thermal coagulant prepared using the liquid egg substitute composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6.