Method for producing processed meat-like food product, method for improving juicy feeling of processed meat-like food product, method for suppressing breakage of emulsified gel, and frozen emulsified gel

Abstract

Provided are: an emulsified gel which facilitates the progress of gelation during production; a method for producing the emulsified gel; a processed meat-like food product comprising the emulsified gel; and a method for producing the processed meat-like food product comprising the emulsified gel. The present invention provides: a method for producing a processed meat-like food product, a method for improving the juicy feeling of the processed meat-like food product, or a method for suppressing breakage of an emulsified gel during mixing, said method comprising a step for obtaining a mixture by mixing a tissue-like vegetable protein and a frozen product of an emulsified gel comprising a vegetable protein, water, and an oil or fat; a frozen emulsion gel containing a vegetable protein, water, and an oil or fat, the content of the vegetable protein being 0.1-6 mass% with respect to the content of the oil or fat; a processed meat-like food product comprising a tissue-like vegetable protein and the frozen emulsified gel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for producing a processed meat-like food, a method for improving the juiciness of a processed meat-like food, a method for suppressing the breakage of an emulsified gel, and a frozen emulsified gel. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, from the perspective of improving health awareness and reducing environmental load, the demand for processed meat-like foods (hereinafter also referred to as "processed meat-like foods") that use vegetable proteins instead of at least a portion of livestock meat in processed meat foods has been increasing. Compared with processed meat foods that use livestock meat as a main raw material, processed meat-like foods tend to have an excessively uniform texture and lack juiciness.

[0003] In order to improve the juiciness of processed meat-like foods, it is known that a technique is used to localize water and oil by adding an emulsified gel (emulsion gel) to processed meat-like foods. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for producing frozen meat-like processed foods, which includes a step of adding emulsion curd containing soybean protein, water and fat and homogenized at a maximum temperature of 30 to 55° C. to a meat-like processed food dough. Prior art literature Patent Literature

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-029565 Summary of the invention Technical problem to be solved by the invention

[0005] When an emulsified gel is mixed with other raw materials to prepare a processed meat-like food, the emulsified gel may be broken due to shear stress or the like and mixed into the mixture. In this case, the amount of the emulsified gel retained until consumption is reduced, and the effect of the emulsified gel on imparting juiciness to the processed meat-like food becomes limited. The present disclosure provides a technology capable of suppressing the breaking of the emulsified gel during mixing and improving the juiciness of the processed meat-like food. Technical solutions for solving technical problems

[0006] The gist of the present disclosure is as follows. [1] A method for producing a processed meat-like food, comprising the step (D) of mixing a textured vegetable protein and a frozen product of an emulsified gel containing the vegetable protein, water and fat to obtain a mixture. [2] The method for producing a processed meat-like food according to [1], wherein the content of the vegetable protein in the emulsified gel is 0.1 to 20% by mass relative to the content of the oil. [3] The method for producing a processed meat-like food according to [1] or [2], wherein the content of the water in the emulsified gel is 10 to 80% by mass. [4] The method for producing a processed meat-like food according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the content of the oil in the emulsified gel is 20 to 85% by mass. [5] The method for producing a processed meat-like food according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the vegetable protein comprises soybean protein. [6] The method for producing a processed meat-like food according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the fat comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of coconut oil, palm oil, canola oil, soybean oil, rice bran oil, corn oil, sesame oil and olive oil. [7] The method for producing a processed meat-like food according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the emulsified gel further contains a polysaccharide. [8] The method for producing a processed meat-like food according to [7], wherein the content of the polysaccharide in the emulsified gel is 0.01 to 1 part by mass relative to 100 parts by mass of the total content of the vegetable protein, the water and the oil. [9] The method for producing a processed meat-like food according to any one of [1] to [8], wherein in step (D), the content of the emulsified gel in the mixture is 1 to 50% by mass.

[10] The method for producing a processed meat-like food according to any one of [1] to [9], further comprising a step (E) of freezing the mixture.

[11] A method for producing a processed meat-like food according to any one of [1] to

[10] , comprising the following steps: step (A), obtaining an ungelled emulsion comprising a low-modified vegetable protein, water and fat; and step (C), freezing the ungelled emulsion to obtain a frozen product of an emulsified gel.

[12] A method for producing a processed meat-like food according to any one of [1] to

[11] , comprising the following steps: step (A), obtaining an ungelled emulsion comprising a low-modified vegetable protein, water and fat; step (B), heating the ungelled emulsion at a heating temperature of 60 to 100° C. to obtain an emulsified gel and / or an emulsified gel precursor; and step (C), freezing the emulsified gel and / or the emulsified gel precursor to obtain a frozen product of the emulsified gel.

[13] A processed meat-like food produced by the method for producing a processed meat-like food according to any one of [1] to

[12] .

[14] The processed meat-like food according to

[13] , wherein the breaking and dehydration rate is 3 to 10% by mass.

[15] A method for improving the juiciness of a processed meat-like food, comprising the step (D) of mixing a textured vegetable protein and a frozen product of an emulsified gel containing the vegetable protein, water and fat to obtain a mixture.

[16] The method according to

[15] , wherein the content of the vegetable protein in the emulsified gel is 0.1 to 20% by mass relative to the content of the oil.

[17] The method according to

[15] or

[16] , wherein the content of the water in the emulsified gel is 10 to 80% by mass.

[18] The method according to any one of

[15] to

[17] , wherein the content of the oil in the emulsified gel is 20 to 85% by mass.

[19] The method according to any one of

[15] to

[18] , wherein the vegetable protein comprises soybean protein.

[20] The method according to any one of

[15] to

[19] , wherein the oil comprises at least one selected from coconut oil, palm oil, canola oil, soybean oil, rice bran oil, corn oil, sesame oil and olive oil.

[21] The method according to any one of

[15] to

[20] , wherein the emulsified gel further contains a polysaccharide.

[22] The method according to

[21] , wherein the content of the polysaccharide in the emulsified gel is 0.01 to 1 part by mass relative to 100 parts by mass of the total content of the vegetable protein, the water and the oil.

[23] The method according to any one of

[15] to

[22] , wherein in step (D), the content of the emulsified gel in the mixture is 1 to 50% by mass.

[24] A method according to any one of

[15] to

[23] , comprising the following steps: step (A), obtaining an ungelled emulsion comprising a low-modified vegetable protein, water and oil; and step (C), freezing the ungelled emulsion to obtain a frozen product of an emulsified gel.

[25] The method according to any one of

[15] to

[24] comprises the following steps: step (A), obtaining an ungelled emulsion comprising a low-modified vegetable protein, water and oil; step (B), heating the ungelled emulsion at a heating temperature of 60 to 100°C to obtain an emulsified gel and / or an emulsified gel precursor; and step (C), freezing the emulsified gel and / or the emulsified gel precursor to obtain a frozen product of the emulsified gel.

[26] A method for inhibiting breakage of an emulsion gel during mixing, comprising the step (D) of mixing a texturized vegetable protein and a frozen product of an emulsion gel containing the vegetable protein, water and fat to obtain a mixture.

[27] The method according to

[26] , wherein the content of the vegetable protein in the emulsified gel is 0.1 to 20% by mass relative to the content of the oil.

[28] The method according to

[26] or

[27] , wherein the content of the water in the emulsified gel is 10 to 80% by mass.

[29] The method according to any one of

[26] to

[28] , wherein the content of the oil in the emulsified gel is 20 to 85% by mass.

[30] The method according to any one of

[26] to

[29] , wherein the vegetable protein comprises soybean protein.

[31] The method according to any one of

[26] to

[30] , wherein the oil comprises at least one selected from coconut oil, palm oil, canola oil, soybean oil, rice bran oil, corn oil, sesame oil and olive oil.

[32] The method according to any one of

[26] to

[31] , wherein the emulsified gel further contains a polysaccharide.

[33] The method according to

[32] , wherein the content of the polysaccharide in the emulsified gel is 0.01 to 1 part by mass relative to 100 parts by mass of the total content of the vegetable protein, the water and the oil.

[34] The method according to any one of

[26] to

[33] , wherein in step (D), the content of the emulsified gel in the mixture is 1 to 50% by mass.

[35] A method according to any one of

[26] to

[34] , comprising the following steps: step (A), obtaining an ungelled emulsion comprising low-modified vegetable protein, water and oil; and step (C), freezing the ungelled emulsion to obtain a frozen product of an emulsified gel.

[36] The method according to any one of

[26] to

[35] comprises the following steps: step (A), obtaining an ungelled emulsion comprising a low-modified vegetable protein, water and oil; step (B), heating the ungelled emulsion at a heating temperature of 60 to 100°C to obtain an emulsified gel and / or an emulsified gel precursor; and step (C), freezing the emulsified gel and / or the emulsified gel precursor to obtain a frozen product of the emulsified gel.

[37] A frozen emulsified gel comprising vegetable protein, water and fat, wherein the content of the vegetable protein is 0.1 to 6% by mass relative to the content of the fat.

[38] The frozen emulsified gel according to

[37] , wherein the water content is 10 to 80% by mass.

[39] The frozen emulsified gel according to

[37] or

[38] , wherein the content of the oil is 20 to 85% by mass.

[40] The frozen emulsified gel according to any one of

[37] to

[39] , wherein the vegetable protein comprises soybean protein.

[41] The frozen emulsified gel according to any one of

[37] to

[40] , wherein the oil comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of coconut oil, palm oil, canola oil, soybean oil, rice bran oil, corn oil, sesame oil and olive oil.

[42] The frozen emulsified gel according to any one of

[37] to

[41] , further comprising a polysaccharide.

[43] The frozen emulsified gel according to

[42] , wherein the content of the polysaccharide is 0.01 to 1 part by mass relative to 100 parts by mass of the total content of the vegetable protein, the water and the oil.

[44] The frozen emulsified gel according to any one of

[37] to

[43] , wherein the vegetable protein is a low-modified vegetable protein or a frozen-modified vegetable protein.

[45] A processed meat-like food comprising textured vegetable protein and a frozen emulsified gel, wherein the frozen emulsified gel comprises vegetable protein, water and fat, wherein the content of the vegetable protein is 0.1 to 6% by mass relative to the content of the fat.

[46] The processed meat-like food according to

[45] , wherein the textured vegetable protein comprises a textured vegetable protein derived from at least one selected from soybean, pea and wheat gluten.

[47] The processed meat-like food according to

[45] or

[46] , wherein the content of the water in the frozen emulsified gel is 10 to 80% by mass.

[48] ​​The processed meat-like food according to any one of

[45] to

[47] , wherein the content of the fat in the frozen emulsified gel is 20 to 85% by mass.

[49] The processed meat-like food according to any one of

[45] to

[48] , wherein the vegetable protein comprises soybean protein.

[50] The processed meat-like food according to any one of

[45] to

[49] , wherein the oil comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of coconut oil, palm oil, canola oil, soybean oil, rice bran oil, corn oil, sesame oil and olive oil.

[51] The processed meat-like food according to any one of

[45] to

[50] , wherein the frozen emulsified gel further contains a polysaccharide.

[52] The processed meat-like food according to

[51] , wherein the content of the polysaccharide in the frozen emulsified gel is 0.01 to 1 part by mass relative to 100 parts by mass of the total content of the vegetable protein, the water and the oil.

[53] The processed meat-like food according to any one of

[45] to

[52] , wherein the content of the frozen emulsified gel is 1 to 50% by mass.

[54] The processed meat-like food according to any one of

[45] to

[53] , wherein the breaking and dehydration rate is 3 to 10% by mass. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0007] [Method for producing processed meat-like food] The method for producing a processed meat-like food of the present disclosure includes a step (D) of mixing a frozen product of a textured vegetable protein and an emulsified gel containing the vegetable protein, water, and fat to obtain a mixture. Here, the "emulsified gel" is also referred to as an "emulsion gel".

[0008] (Process (D)) In step (D), for example, a mixture (patty mixture) is obtained by mixing the frozen product of the texturized vegetable protein and the emulsified gel and other raw materials as required.

[0009] As the organized vegetable protein, granular vegetable protein or fibrous vegetable protein can be used. It should be noted that in the present disclosure, the terms "granular vegetable protein" and "fibrous vegetable protein" use definitions based on the Japanese Agricultural and Forestry Standards of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. That is, in the present disclosure, "granular vegetable protein" refers to vegetable protein that is formed into granules or sheets and has a meat-like texture among vegetable proteins. In addition, in the present disclosure, "fibrous vegetable protein" refers to vegetable protein that is formed into fibers and has a meat-like texture among vegetable proteins. Typically, the "hardness" of granular vegetable protein measured under the following conditions is 500,000 Pa or more. In addition, typically, the "elasticity" of fibrous vegetable protein measured under the following conditions is 0.65 or less.

[0010] (hardness) Five times the amount of water was added to the granular vegetable protein, and the mixture was allowed to stand for 30 minutes to swell. Then, the mixture was analyzed using a Tensipresser (TTP-50BX II manufactured by Taketomo Electric Co., Ltd.) using a TPA analysis program. The maximum stress (average value of n=10) when a load was applied was taken as the hardness.

[0011] (Elasticity) The fibrous vegetable protein was added with 5 times the amount of water and allowed to stand for 30 minutes to swell, and then analyzed using a Tensipresser (TTP-50BX II manufactured by Taketomo Electric Co., Ltd.) using a TPA analysis program. The ratio of the load areas when two loads were applied continuously was taken as the elastic force.

[0012] As a structured vegetable protein, for example, a protein processed from a grain or a bean into a structured protein can be used. As a grain, for example, the fruit (seed) of a plant of the Gramineae can be used. As a bean, for example, the fruit (seed) of a plant of the Leguminosae can be used. As a plant of the Gramineae, for example, wheat, barley, oats, rye, coix, rice and corn can be cited. As a plant of the Leguminosae, for example, soybeans, broad beans, peas, kidney beans, chickpeas, winged beans, lentils, peanuts (Nanjing beans), adzuki beans, mung beans (Vigna radiata) (mung beans) and the like can be cited. In particular, as a structured vegetable protein, for example, a structured vegetable protein derived from at least one selected from soybeans, peas and wheat gluten can be used. These structured vegetable proteins show safety and are easy to use. Typically, a structured vegetable protein derived from soybeans has the advantage of being easy to form a structure. As a structured vegetable protein, a vegetable protein treated by an extruder and a vegetable protein treated by a nozzle spray can be used.

[0013] As the vegetable protein contained in the emulsified gel, for example, protein derived from grains or beans can be used. As grains, for example, fruits (seeds) of plants of the Gramineae family can be used. As beans, for example, fruits (seeds) of plants of the Leguminosae family can be used. As plants of the Gramineae family, for example, wheat, barley, oats, rye, coix, rice and corn can be mentioned. As plants of the Leguminosae family, for example, soybeans, broad beans, peas, kidney beans, chickpeas, winged beans, lentils, peanuts (Nanjing beans), adzuki beans, mung beans (Vigna radiata) (mung beans) and the like can be mentioned. In particular, as the vegetable protein contained in the emulsified gel, for example, at least one protein selected from soybean protein, pea protein and wheat protein can be used. These vegetable proteins show safety and are easy to use. Typically, gelation becomes easy to carry out by the vegetable protein being soybean protein or containing soybean protein. In addition, the above-mentioned protein as a raw material can use isolated protein or powdered protein. As isolated protein, for example, isolated protein treated with acid or alcohol can be used. Separated protein has less impurities, is more uniform, and is easy to gel. In addition, as powdered protein, for example, dry powdered protein can be used. Dry powdered protein is easy to quickly absorb surrounding water and fat, is more uniform, and is easy to gel.

[0014] In particular, as soybean protein, for example, commercially available isolated soybean protein can be used. In the present disclosure, "isolated soybean protein" refers to a substance obtained by extracting water-soluble protein from a raw material derived from soybeans, precipitating it with an acid, recovering the precipitate, neutralizing it, and powdering it.

[0015] The vegetable protein contained in the emulsified gel may be a low-modified vegetable protein or a heat-modified vegetable protein. In the present disclosure, "low-modified vegetable protein" refers to vegetable protein that has not been intentionally modified by heating, etc., except for the inevitable modification caused by the manufacturing processes such as extraction, purification, and storage, and also includes unmodified vegetable protein. The degree of modification can be evaluated by thermal measurement, etc. In addition, the degree of modification can also be suppressed by controlling the processes such as extraction and purification. In addition, in the present disclosure, "heat-modified vegetable protein" refers to vegetable protein that has been partially or completely modified by intentional heating. By making the emulsified gel contain heat-modified vegetable protein, gelation during manufacturing becomes easy even when the content of vegetable protein is small relative to the content of fat.

[0016] The content of the vegetable protein in the emulsified gel may be, for example, 0.1% by mass or more, 0.2% by mass or more, 0.3% by mass or more, 0.5% by mass or more, 0.7% by mass or more, or 0.8% by mass or more. Typically, the greater the content of the vegetable protein in the emulsified gel, the easier it is to emulsify and gel.

[0017] The content of the vegetable protein in the emulsified gel may be, for example, 10% by mass or less, 5% by mass or less, 4% by mass or less, 3% by mass or less, 2% by mass or less, or 1.5% by mass or less. Typically, the less the content of the vegetable protein in the emulsified gel, the more juicy the processed meat-like food is when eaten.

[0018] The upper limit and lower limit of the content of the vegetable protein in the emulsified gel can be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the present disclosure. That is, the content of the vegetable protein in the emulsified gel can be, for example, 0.1 to 10% by mass, 0.2 to 5% by mass, 0.3 to 4% by mass, 0.5 to 3% by mass, 0.7 to 2% by mass, or 0.8 to 1.5% by mass. By making the content of the vegetable protein in the emulsified gel within an appropriate range, it is easy to improve the balance between the ease of emulsification and gelation and the juiciness when eating.

[0019] The water content in the emulsified gel may be, for example, 10% by mass or more, 15% by mass or more, 20% by mass or more, 25% by mass or more, or 30% by mass or more. The more water the emulsified gel contains, the easier it is to impart a smooth and soft mouthfeel to processed meat-like foods. The water content in the emulsified gel may be, for example, 80% by mass or less, 60% by mass or less, 50% by mass or less, 45% by mass or less, or 40% by mass or less. The less water the emulsified gel contains, the easier it is to impart a soft and mellow mouthfeel to processed meat-like foods. It should be noted that in the present disclosure, it should be noted that the "water content" also includes the ice content.

[0020] The upper limit and lower limit of the water content in the emulsified gel can be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the present disclosure. That is, the water content in the emulsified gel can be, for example, 10 to 80% by mass, 15 to 60% by mass, 20 to 50% by mass, 25 to 45% by mass, or 30 to 40% by mass.

[0021] As fats and oils, all fats and oils commonly used for food additives can be used. As fats and oils, for example, fats and oils with a saturation of 50 or more, fats and oils with a melting point of 20°C or more, fats and oils with a fatty acid having a carbon number of 18 or more and a glyceride of 80% or more in the fat and oil can be used. The fat and oil can contain at least one selected from coconut oil, palm oil, canola oil, soybean oil, rice bran oil, corn oil, sesame oil and olive oil. The fat and oil can be animal fat. Typically, by using fats and oils that are solid at room temperature, such as coconut oil and palm oil, it is easy to improve the operability.

[0022] The content of fat in the emulsified gel may be, for example, 20% by mass or more, 30% by mass or more, 45% by mass or more, 50% by mass or more, or 55% by mass or more. The more fat in the emulsified gel, the easier it is to give a rich and juicy feeling when chewing the processed meat-like food. The content of fat in the emulsified gel may be, for example, 85% by mass or less, 80% by mass or less, 75% by mass or less, 70% by mass or less, or 65% by mass or less. The less fat in the emulsified gel, the easier it is to give a refreshing and light taste to the processed meat-like food.

[0023] The upper limit and lower limit of the content of fat in the emulsified gel can be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the present disclosure. That is, the content of fat in the emulsified gel can be, for example, 20 to 85% by mass, 30 to 80% by mass, 45 to 75% by mass, 50 to 70% by mass, or 55 to 65% by mass.

[0024] The content of vegetable protein relative to the content of fat in the emulsified gel may be 0.1% by mass or more, 0.2% by mass or more, 0.5% by mass or more, 0.7% by mass or more, 1% by mass or more, 1.3% by mass or more, or 1.5% by mass or more. Typically, the greater the content of vegetable protein relative to the content of fat in the emulsified gel, the easier it is for emulsification and gelation to proceed.

[0025] The content of vegetable protein relative to the content of fat in the emulsified gel may be 20% by mass or less, 10% by mass or less, 6% by mass or less, 5% by mass or less, 4% by mass or less, 3% by mass or less, or 2% by mass or less. Typically, the lower the content of vegetable protein relative to the content of fat in the emulsified gel, the more juicy the processed meat-like food is when eaten.

[0026] The upper limit and lower limit of the content of vegetable protein in the emulsified gel relative to the content of fat can be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the present disclosure. That is, the content of vegetable protein relative to the content of fat in the emulsified gel can be, for example, 0.1 to 20% by mass, 0.2 to 10% by mass, 0.5 to 6% by mass, 0.7 to 5% by mass, 1 to 4% by mass, 1.3 to 3% by mass, or 1.5 to 2% by mass. By making the content of vegetable protein in the emulsified gel within an appropriate range relative to the content of fat, it is easy to improve the balance between the ease of emulsification and gelation and the juiciness of the processed meat-like food when eaten.

[0027] In addition to the above, the emulsified gel may also contain polysaccharides such as thickening polysaccharides or binders. The polysaccharide may be a polysaccharide derived from bacteria or a polysaccharide derived from plants. The polysaccharide derived from plants may be a polysaccharide derived from algae or a polysaccharide derived from terrestrial plants. As the polysaccharide, for example, a polysaccharide having gelling ability as a monomer may be used. In addition, as the polysaccharide, for example, a polysaccharide capable of forming a heat-resistant gel may be used. The polysaccharide may contain, for example, at least one selected from the group consisting of curdlan, deacylated gellan gum, natural gellan gum, glucomannan, methylcellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, pectin, carrageenan, xanthan gum, agar, guar gum, gum arabic and sodium alginate.

[0028] Typically, the emulsified gel contains at least one selected from the group consisting of curdlan, deacylated gellan gum, natural gellan gum, and glucomannan as a polysaccharide, thereby facilitating gelation. In addition, typically, the emulsified gel contains curdlan and / or natural gellan gum as a polysaccharide, thereby further preventing the emulsified gel from breaking and being mixed in during the preparation of the processed meat-like food. In addition, it is easy to improve the balance between the effect of suppressing the loss of fat during baking and the effect of imparting juiciness to the processed meat-like food when it is eaten.

[0029] Relative to 100 parts by mass of the total content of vegetable protein, water and oil, the content of polysaccharides in the emulsified gel can be, for example, 0.01 parts by mass or more, 0.03 parts by mass or more, 0.08 parts by mass or more, 0.1 parts by mass or more, or 0.3 parts by mass or more. The more polysaccharides in the emulsified gel, the easier it is for the viscosity of the emulsified gel to become stronger. Relative to 100 parts by mass of the total content of vegetable protein, water and oil, the content of polysaccharides in the emulsified gel can be, for example, 1 part by mass or less, 0.9 parts by mass or less, 0.8 parts by mass or less, 0.7 parts by mass or less, or 0.6 parts by mass or less. The less the content of polysaccharides in the emulsified gel, the easier it is to give deliciousness to processed meat foods.

[0030] The upper limit and lower limit of the content of polysaccharides in the emulsified gel can be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the present disclosure. That is, relative to 100 parts by mass of the total content of vegetable protein, water and oil, the content of polysaccharides in the emulsified gel can be, for example, 0.01 to 1 part by mass, 0.03 to 0.9 parts by mass, 0.08 to 0.8 parts by mass, 0.1 to 0.7 parts by mass, or 0.3 to 0.6 parts by mass. By making the content of polysaccharides in the emulsified gel within an appropriate range, it is possible to prevent the emulsified gel from breaking and being mixed in during the preparation of processed meat-like foods. In addition, it is easy to improve the balance between the effect of suppressing the loss of oil during baking and the effect of imparting juiciness to processed meat-like foods when eaten.

[0031] The emulsified gel may further contain other components within a range that does not hinder the effects of the present disclosure. The emulsified gel may contain, for example, at least one selected from animal protein, sweeteners, spices, salt, flavoring materials, enzymes, pigments, and seasonings as the other components.

[0032] The emulsified gel is used in the form of a frozen product (frozen emulsified gel). In the present disclosure, "frozen product" includes a substance that is at least partially frozen by low-temperature treatment. The temperature of the frozen product of the emulsified gel can be below 0°C, below -5°C, below -10°C, or below -20°C. The temperature of the frozen product of the emulsified gel can be above -35°C, above -30°C, or above -25°C. The upper limit and lower limit of the temperature of the frozen product of the emulsified gel can be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0033] The frozen product of the emulsified gel can be a granular product. When the frozen product of the emulsified gel is a granular product, the particle size of the frozen product of the emulsified gel can be, for example, 0.1 mm or more, 1 mm or more, 5 mm or more, 8 mm or more, or 9 mm or more. The larger the particle size of the emulsified gel, the easier it is to give a juicy feeling to the processed meat-like food. The particle size of the frozen product of the emulsified gel can be, for example, 30 mm or less, 25 mm or less, 20 mm or less, 15 mm or less, or 10 mm or less. The smaller the particle size of the emulsified gel, the easier it is to evenly disperse in the processed meat-like food.

[0034] When the frozen product of the emulsion gel is a granular product, the upper limit and lower limit of the particle size of the frozen product of the emulsion gel can be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the present disclosure. That is, the particle size of the frozen product of the emulsion gel can be, for example, 0.1 to 30 mm, 1 to 25 mm, 5 to 20 mm, 8 to 15 mm, or 9 to 10 mm. By making the particle size of the frozen product of the emulsion gel within an appropriate range, it is possible to prevent the emulsion gel from breaking and being mixed in during the preparation of processed meat-like foods. In addition, it is easy to improve the balance between the effect of suppressing the loss of fat during baking and the effect of imparting juiciness to the processed meat-like foods when eaten.

[0035] It should be noted that in the present disclosure, the "particle size" of the frozen emulsion gel refers to the short diameter of the frozen emulsion gel, and the "short diameter" means the shortest diameter in three dimensions. Typically, when the frozen emulsion gel is roughly cylindrical, the diameter of the cross section perpendicular to its axial direction is often the short diameter, but it is not limited to this case. For example, when a shredder is used to make the frozen emulsion gel into particles, the particle size of the frozen emulsion gel can be adjusted by selecting the aperture of the sieve plate.

[0036] The frozen product of the emulsified gel of the present disclosure can be produced, for example, through the steps (A) to (C) described below.

[0037] In step (D), in addition to the frozen product of the organized vegetable protein and the emulsified gel, other raw materials may be further mixed within the scope that does not hinder the effect of the present disclosure. As the above-mentioned other raw materials, at least one selected from water, fruit juice, vegetables, starch, oil, seasoning, spice, thickener, pigment, fragrance, enzyme, adhesive material and mouthfeel imparting agent may be cited. For example, defatted soy flour, wheat gluten, etc. may be mixed as a binder. In addition, non-organized vegetable protein may be further mixed.

[0038] In step (D), after mixing, the frozen emulsified gel may be thawed. In step (D), the components may be mixed so that the content of the emulsified gel in the mixture is, for example, 1 to 50% by mass.

[0039] In step (D), the components may be mixed so that the content of the emulsified gel in the mixture is, for example, 1% by mass or more, 5% by mass or more, 8% by mass or more, 10% by mass or more, or 12% by mass or more. In step (D), the components may be mixed so that the content of the emulsified gel in the mixture is, for example, 50% by mass or less, 40% by mass or less, 30% by mass or less, 20% by mass or less, or 18% by mass or less.

[0040] The upper limit and lower limit of the content of the emulsified gel in the mixture can be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the present disclosure. That is, the content of the emulsified gel in the mixture can be, for example, 1 to 50% by mass, 5 to 40% by mass, 8 to 30% by mass, 10 to 20% by mass, or 12 to 18% by mass. By making the content of the emulsified gel in the mixture within an appropriate range, it is easy to improve the balance between the effect of suppressing the loss of fat during baking and the effect of imparting juiciness to the processed meat-like food when eaten.

[0041] In step (D), the components may be mixed simultaneously, or the remaining components may be added after a part of the components are mixed. The mixing may be performed manually or mechanically using a kneader or a silent cutter.

[0042] (Process (E)) The method for producing a processed meat-like food disclosed in the present invention may further include a step (E) of freezing the mixture. The temperature during freezing may be below 0°C, below -10°C, or below -20°C. The temperature during freezing may be above -45°C, above -40°C, or above -35°C. The upper limit and lower limit of the temperature during freezing may be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the present invention. In addition, the method for producing a processed meat-like food disclosed in the present invention may further include a step of heating or baking the mixture.

[0043] The method for producing a processed meat-like food disclosed in the present invention may include, before step (D), the following steps: step (A) of obtaining an ungelled emulsion containing a low-modified vegetable protein, water and fat; step (B) of heating the ungelled emulsion at a heating temperature of 60 to 100° C. to obtain an emulsified gel and / or an emulsified gel precursor; and step (C) of freezing the emulsified gel and / or the emulsified gel precursor to obtain a frozen product of the emulsified gel. It should be noted that step (B) may be omitted, and the ungelled emulsion may be directly frozen to obtain a frozen product of the emulsified gel. In addition, a step of homogenizing the ungelled emulsion at a lower temperature, for example, 30 to 60° C., may be used instead of step (B).

[0044] (Process (A)) In step (A), low-modified vegetable protein, water (including aqueous solution) and fat are mixed and homogenized to obtain an ungelled emulsion. It should be noted that in the present disclosure, "ungelled emulsion" refers to an emulsion that has not undergone or has hardly undergone gelation. In step (A), the low-modified vegetable protein acts as an emulsifier.

[0045] A typical method for preparing an ungelled emulsion is as follows. First, a low-modified vegetable protein and water are stirred and mixed in a mixer, a food processor, a chopper, etc. to obtain a mixture. It should be noted that the water used here can be pure water or an aqueous solution in which a solute is dissolved to a degree that will not significantly affect the subsequent gelation. As an aqueous solution, for example, an aqueous solution in which the ion concentration of each ion is less than 1% by mass can be used. Here, as ions, sodium ions, potassium ions, calcium ions, chloride ions, etc. can be cited, but are not limited to these. Next, fats and oils are added and further stirred and mixed to obtain an ungelled emulsion. It should be noted that when using fats and oils that are solid at room temperature, melted fats and oils can be added. However, the method for preparing an ungelled emulsion is not limited to this.

[0046] (Process (B)) In step (B), the ungelled emulsion obtained in step (A) is heated at a heating temperature of 60 to 100° C. to obtain an emulsified gel and / or an emulsified gel precursor. By heating the ungelled emulsion, at least a portion of the vegetable protein becomes a heat-modified vegetable protein. In addition, by heating the ungelled emulsion, the ungelled emulsion is gelled to become an emulsified gel, or the gelation is partially performed to become an emulsified gel precursor. In step (B), any device or equipment such as a kneader, a heater, an oven, a thermostatic bath, a water bath, an oil bath, etc. can be used for heating.

[0047] The temperature during heating may be 70°C or more, 80°C or more, or 85°C or more. The temperature during heating may be 99°C or less, 97°C or less, or 95°C or less. The upper limit and lower limit of the temperature during heating may be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the present disclosure. That is, the temperature during heating may be, for example, 70 to 99°C, 80 to 97°C, or 85 to 95°C. By making the temperature during heating within an appropriate range, thermal modification of vegetable protein proceeds, and gelation becomes easy to proceed.

[0048] The heating time in step (B) can be, for example, 1 minute or more, 2 minutes or more, 5 minutes or more, 10 minutes or more, or 30 minutes or more after reaching the target temperature (the above-mentioned heating temperature). The heating time in step (B) can be, for example, 120 minutes or less, 100 minutes or less, 80 minutes or less, or 70 minutes or less. By making the heating time within an appropriate range, thermal modification of vegetable protein proceeds, and gelation becomes easy to proceed.

[0049] (Process (C)) In step (C), the emulsified gel and / or the emulsified gel precursor is frozen to obtain a frozen product of the emulsified gel. The emulsified gel precursor is further gelled by freezing. In addition, a frozen product of the emulsified gel is obtained by freezing.

[0050] The temperature during freezing can be below 0°C, below -5°C, below -10°C, or below -15°C. The temperature during freezing can be above -35°C, above -30°C, or above -25°C. The upper limit and lower limit of the temperature during freezing can be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0051] The processed meat-like food manufactured by the manufacturing method of the processed meat-like food disclosed in the present invention has an improved juiciness. It is speculated that one of the main reasons for achieving such an improved juiciness is that the emulsified gel is added and mixed in the form of a frozen product with high mechanical strength, so the breakage of the emulsified gel during mixing is suppressed. However, suppressing the breakage of the emulsified gel is only a part of the effect obtained by the manufacturing method of the processed meat-like food disclosed in the present invention. In addition, the taste such as juiciness is an indicator based on the excellent touch, taste and smell of people, and is sensitively affected by the state of a large amount of raw materials, the state of interaction between the raw materials, trace components below the detection limit, etc. Therefore, it is considered to be very difficult and impractical to directly determine the processed meat-like food manufactured by the manufacturing method of the processed meat-like food disclosed in the present invention by structure or characteristics.

[0052] The processed meat-like food produced by the method for producing a processed meat-like food of the present invention may further contain livestock meat according to the purpose. That is, the processed meat-like food produced by the method for producing a processed meat-like food of the present invention may not be all the livestock meat in the processed meat food, but may be a processed meat-like food in which a part of the livestock meat is replaced with vegetable protein. The processed meat-like food produced by the method for producing a processed meat-like food of the present invention may contain at least one selected from, for example, beef, pork, horse meat, mutton, goat meat, and chicken as livestock meat.

[0053] The processed meat-like food produced by the method for producing a processed meat-like food of the present disclosure can be used as a substitute for all processed meat foods containing livestock meat (for example, hamburger patties, meatballs, steamed buns, meat strips, meatballs, etc.).

[0054] In the processed meat-like food manufactured by the manufacturing method of the processed meat-like food disclosed in the present invention, the breaking dehydration rate can be 3% by mass or more, 3.3% by mass or more, 3.5% by mass or more, or 4% by mass or more. In the processed meat-like food manufactured by the manufacturing method of the processed meat-like food disclosed in the present invention, the breaking dehydration rate can be 10% by mass or less, 9% by mass or less, 8% by mass or less, or 7% by mass or less. The upper limit and lower limit of the breaking dehydration rate can be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the present invention. The breaking dehydration rate can be evaluated, for example, by the method described in the embodiments.

[0055] [Method for improving the juiciness of processed meat-like foods] The method for improving the juiciness of a processed meat-like food disclosed herein comprises a step (D) of mixing a textured vegetable protein and a frozen product of an emulsified gel containing the vegetable protein, water and fat to obtain a mixture. The method for improving the juiciness of a processed meat-like food disclosed herein may further comprise a step (E) of freezing the mixture.

[0056] The method for improving the juiciness of the processed meat-like food disclosed in the present invention may include, before step (D), the following steps: step (A) of obtaining an ungelled emulsion containing a low-modified vegetable protein, water (including an aqueous solution) and oil; step (B) of heating the ungelled emulsion at a heating temperature of 60 to 100° C. to obtain an emulsified gel and / or an emulsified gel precursor; and step (C) of freezing the emulsified gel and / or the emulsified gel precursor to obtain a frozen product of the emulsified gel. It should be noted that step (B) may be omitted, and the ungelled emulsion may be directly frozen to obtain a frozen product of the emulsified gel. In addition, a step of homogenizing the ungelled emulsion at a lower temperature, for example, 30 to 60° C., may be used instead of step (B).

[0057] The details of steps (A) to (E) can be directly applied to the contents described above as the method for manufacturing processed meat-like foods. According to the method for improving the juiciness of processed meat-like foods disclosed in the present invention, when manufacturing processed meat-like foods, the emulsified gel is added and mixed in the form of a frozen product with high mechanical strength, so that the emulsified gel is suppressed from breaking during mixing. As a result, a large amount of emulsified gel is maintained before consumption, and the juiciness of the final processed meat-like food is improved.

[0058] [Method for inhibiting breakage of emulsified gel] The method for inhibiting the breakage of the emulsified gel of the present disclosure comprises a step (D) of mixing the texturized vegetable protein and the frozen product of the emulsified gel containing the vegetable protein, water and fat to obtain a mixture. The method for inhibiting the breakage of the emulsified gel of the present disclosure may further comprise a step (E) of freezing the mixture.

[0059] The method for inhibiting the breakage of the emulsified gel disclosed in the present invention may include, before step (D), the following steps: step (A) of obtaining an ungelled emulsion containing a low-modified vegetable protein, water (including an aqueous solution) and oil; step (B) of heating the ungelled emulsion at a heating temperature of 60 to 100° C. to obtain an emulsified gel and / or an emulsified gel precursor; and step (C) of freezing the emulsified gel and / or the emulsified gel precursor to obtain a frozen product of the emulsified gel. It should be noted that step (B) may be omitted, and the ungelled emulsion may be directly frozen to obtain a frozen product of the emulsified gel. In addition, a step of homogenizing the ungelled emulsion at a lower temperature, for example, 30 to 60° C., may be used instead of step (B).

[0060] The details of steps (A) to (E) can be directly applied to the contents described above as the method for producing processed meat-like food. In the method for suppressing the breakage of the emulsified gel disclosed herein, when producing the processed meat-like food, the emulsified gel is added and mixed in the form of a frozen product with high mechanical strength. Therefore, the breakage of the emulsified gel during mixing is suppressed.

[0061] [Frozen emulsified gel] The frozen emulsified gel of the present invention contains vegetable protein, water and fat, and the content of vegetable protein is 0.1-6% by mass relative to the content of fat. The frozen emulsified gel of the present invention is an emulsified gel before being added to the processed meat-like food. That is, the frozen emulsified gel of the present invention does not refer to an emulsified gel obtained by freezing the entire processed meat-like food containing the emulsified gel, resulting in the inside of the processed meat-like food being in a frozen state.

[0062] The vegetable protein may be a low-modified vegetable protein or a frozen-modified vegetable protein. In the present disclosure, "frozen-modified vegetable protein" refers to a vegetable protein that is partially or completely modified by freezing.

[0063] The types and contents of vegetable protein, water, fat, polysaccharide and other components contained or capable of being contained in the frozen emulsified gel, as well as the freezing method of the frozen emulsified gel and the conditions for using it as a granular product can be directly applied to the description of the method for producing a processed meat-like food. The above contents about the emulsified gel are selected in the range of 0.1 to 6% by mass relative to the fat content.

[0064] [Processed meat-like foods] The processed meat-like food of the present disclosure comprises a textured vegetable protein and a frozen emulsified gel. The frozen emulsified gel comprises the vegetable protein, water and fat, wherein the content of the vegetable protein is 0.1 to 6% by mass relative to the content of the fat.

[0065] As for the type and properties of the textured vegetable protein, the contents described in the description of the method for producing a processed meat-like food can be directly applied. As for the frozen emulsified gel, the contents described in the description of the frozen emulsified gel can be directly applied. That is, as for the vegetable protein, water, fat, polysaccharide and other components contained or capable of being contained in the frozen emulsified gel, the contents described in the description of the frozen emulsified gel can be directly applied with respect to their types and contents.

[0066] The content of the frozen emulsified gel in the processed meat-like food may be, for example, 1% by mass or more, 5% by mass or more, 8% by mass or more, 10% by mass or more, or 12% by mass or more. The content of the frozen emulsified gel in the processed meat-like food may be, for example, 50% by mass or less, 40% by mass or less, 30% by mass or less, 20% by mass or less, or 18% by mass or less.

[0067] The upper limit and lower limit of the content of the frozen emulsified gel in the processed meat-like food can be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the present disclosure. That is, the content of the frozen emulsified gel in the processed meat-like food can be, for example, 1 to 50% by mass, 5 to 40% by mass, 8 to 30% by mass, 10 to 20% by mass, or 12 to 18% by mass. By making the content of the frozen emulsified gel in the processed meat-like food within an appropriate range, it is easy to improve the balance between the effect of suppressing the loss of fat during baking and the effect of imparting juiciness to the processed meat-like food when eaten.

[0068] In the processed meat-like food disclosed in the present invention, the dehydration rate at break can be 3% by mass or more, 3.3% by mass or more, 3.5% by mass or more, or 4% by mass or more. In the processed meat-like food disclosed in the present invention, the dehydration rate at break can be 10% by mass or less, 9% by mass or less, 8% by mass or less, or 7% by mass or less. The upper limit and lower limit of the dehydration rate at break can be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the present invention. The dehydration rate at break can be evaluated by, for example, the method described in the embodiments.

[0069] The processed meat-like food of the present invention may further contain other raw materials in addition to the organized vegetable protein and the frozen emulsified gel within the scope that does not hinder the effect of the present invention. The processed meat-like food of the present invention may contain, for example, at least one selected from water, fruit juice, vegetables, starch, oil, seasoning, spices, thickeners, pigments, spices, enzymes, adhesives and mouthfeel imparting agents as the above-mentioned other raw materials. For example, defatted soy flour, wheat gluten, etc. can be used as the adhesive. In addition, the processed meat-like food of the present invention may further contain non-organized vegetable protein.

[0070] The processed meat-like food of the present invention may further contain livestock meat according to the purpose. That is, the processed meat-like food of the present invention may be a processed meat-like food in which part of the livestock meat is replaced with vegetable protein instead of all the livestock meat in the processed meat food. The processed meat-like food of the present invention may contain, for example, at least one selected from beef, pork, horse meat, mutton, goat meat and chicken as livestock meat.

[0071] The processed meat-like food of the present disclosure can be used as a substitute for all processed meat foods containing livestock meat (for example, hamburger patties, meatballs, steamed buns, meat strips or meatballs, etc.). The processed meat-like food of the present disclosure can be manufactured, for example, by the above-mentioned method for manufacturing processed meat-like food.

[0072] The processed meat-like food obtained by the present disclosure can have a weight of 10 g or more, 20 g or more, or 30 g or more per block. The heavier the weight per block, that is, the larger the size of the block, the easier it is to feel juicy when chewing. The processed meat-like food obtained by the present disclosure can have a weight of 1000 g or less, 500 g or less, 300 g or less, 100 g or less, or 50 g or less as a block. The lighter the weight as a block, that is, the smaller the size of the block, the less likely it is to cause uneven heating, and the more suitable it is for consumption.

[0073] The processed meat-like food obtained by the present disclosure can be made into a processed meat-like food with less cooking loss during baking. The processed meat-like food with less cooking loss during baking has a high moisture content and is easy to show a fresh and tender taste like livestock meat.

[0074] The processed meat-like food obtained by the present disclosure can be made into a processed meat-like food with a small breaking and liquid-loss rate. The processed meat-like food with a small breaking and liquid-loss rate has a juicy feel when it is chewed like livestock meat and tends to have an excellent texture.

[0075] In this specification, each specific matter described in one embodiment of each aspect of the present disclosure can be arbitrarily combined to form a new embodiment, and such a new embodiment should also be understood to be included in each aspect of the present disclosure. Example

[0076] Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described in more detail by way of examples and the like, but the present disclosure is not limited to these examples and the like in any way.

[0077] [Measurement conditions] (cooking loss) After measuring the mass of the frozen processed meat-like food, the food was heated at 230° C. for 7 minutes using an oven (MRO-FV200 manufactured by Hitachi, Ltd.), and the mass after heating was measured. The cooking loss was calculated by the following calculation formula (n=3).

[0078] Cooking loss (mass %) = {(mass in original state - mass after heating) / mass in original state} × 100

[0079] (Breakage and dehydration rate) The frozen processed meat-like food is heated at 230°C for 7 minutes in an oven (MRO-FV200 manufactured by Hitachi, Ltd.), and the mass after heating is measured. The processed meat-like food is divided into two equal parts, and the cross section of one of the processed meat-like food halves is placed on a folded kitchen paper. Use a creep meter (RE2-33005C manufactured by Yamden Co., Ltd.) to press and break the end on the opposite side of the above cross section. At this time, a cylindrical plunger with a diameter of 16 mm is used, the speed is 1 mm / s, and the strain rate is 100%. Then, the mass of the kitchen paper that has absorbed the liquid is measured. The cross section of the other half of the processed meat-like food is also broken, and the mass of the kitchen paper that has absorbed the liquid is measured. The masses of the two kitchen papers are added together, and the deliquidation rate at break (n=3) is calculated using the following calculation formula.

[0080] Fracture liquid removal rate (mass %) = {(mass of kitchen paper after liquid absorption - mass of kitchen paper before liquid absorption) / mass of processed meat-like food after heating} × 100 Typically, the higher the breaking liquid-release rate, the higher the liquid-release feeling (juiciness) of the processed meat-like food when eaten.

[0081] [Based on a study of the effect of adding and mixing emulsified gel in the form of frozen products] (Preparation of emulsified gel) Emulsified gel was prepared using the raw materials shown in Table 1. It should be noted that New Fujipro SEH used as the low-modified vegetable protein is isolated soybean protein. It should be noted that in the following examples, the low-modified vegetable protein is also simply referred to as "vegetable protein."

[0082] [Table 1]

[0083] After stirring and mixing the vegetable protein and water using a mixer (TM856 manufactured by TESCOM Co., Ltd.), the operation of adding 1 / 3 of the melted coconut oil each time and stirring and mixing was repeated 3 times to obtain an ungelled emulsion. The obtained ungelled emulsion was put into a bag, and a water bath was used to confirm that it reached 90°C. Then, after keeping it at 90°C for 1 hour, it was taken out of the water bath and cooled to room temperature (about 25°C) by air cooling. Furthermore, it was stored in a freezer (set temperature -20°C) overnight (about 12 hours). The frozen emulsified gel was crushed using a chopper (BK-220 manufactured by Bonny Co., Ltd.) to a particle size of 9.6 mm. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the preparation method of all emulsified gels is the same as described above.

[0084] (Preparation of processed meat-like foods) Using the emulsified gel obtained above, a processed meat-like food (hamburger patty) (Example 1) was prepared in the formulation shown in Table 2. In detail, first, methylcellulose, rice flour, wheat gluten, starch, bamboo fiber, salt, sodium glutamate, sugar, black pepper and nutmeg, cold water 2 and canola oil were added to a bowl and stirred manually. Next, the tissue-like vegetable protein that had been previously absorbed with cold water 1 was added to the bowl and stirred. Furthermore, the emulsified gel and granular vegetable protein in a frozen state were added to the bowl and stirred to form a minced meat. 35 g of the resulting product was weighed and formed into a round hamburger patty with a diameter of 4 cm. Use an oven (MRO-FV200 manufactured by Hitachi, Ltd.) to bake at 230°C for 7 minutes and freeze with a blast chiller (-30°C). It should be noted that in any of the embodiments and comparative examples, it was confirmed that the core temperature was above 75°C when baked at 230°C for 7 minutes.

[0085] [Table 2]

[0086] In Comparative Example 1, the emulsified gel after the freezing treatment was cut and refrigerated and thawed at 4°C. The processed meat-like food was prepared by the same procedure as in Example 1. That is, in Comparative Example 1, the emulsified gel was not added in the form of a frozen product. In Example 1, the emulsified gel after cutting was used as a frozen product. For each of the processed meat-like foods obtained, the cooking loss and the breaking and liquid loss rate were measured. The results are shown in Table 3.

[0087] [Table 3]

[0088] The above results show that the breaking and liquid-release rate is significantly improved by adding the emulsified gel in the form of a frozen product. This is believed to be because by adding the emulsified gel in the form of a frozen product, the emulsified gel is prevented from breaking and mixing during mixing, and a considerable amount of the emulsified gel can be appropriately and uniformly retained until consumption.

[0089] [Study on the influence of plant protein content] Using the raw materials shown in Table 4, emulsified gels (Examples 2 to 4) were prepared in the same manner as in Example 1. Using each of the obtained emulsified gels, processed meat-like foods were prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, and the breaking and liquid release rates were measured. The results are shown in Table 4.

[0090] [Table 4]

[0091] As can be seen from the results of Table 4, the content of vegetable protein affects the breaking and dehydration rate. However, as revealed by the results of Example 1 and Comparative Example 2, when the comparison is made with the same vegetable protein content, it is believed that the breaking and dehydration rate becomes higher when the emulsion gel is mixed in the form of a frozen product at each content than when it is not. The content of vegetable protein in the emulsion gel varies depending on the purpose, and in various cases, the juiciness of the processed meat-like food can be improved by using a frozen product of the emulsion gel. That is, the effect of the manufacturing method of the processed meat-like food disclosed in the present invention should not be simply evaluated by the size of the numerical value such as the breaking and dehydration rate itself, but should be evaluated as the influence of the presence or absence of the process of mixing the emulsion gel in the form of a frozen product when other conditions are set to be the same.

[0092] [Study on the effects of adding polysaccharides] Using the raw materials shown in Table 5, emulsified gels (Examples 5 to 9) were prepared by the same method as used in Example 1. In the preparation of the emulsified gel, deacylated gellan gum, calcium lactate, native gellan gum, curdlan and glucomannan were added after the addition and stirring of the oil and fat and before heating, and stirred and mixed.

[0093] Using each of the obtained emulsified gels, processed meat-like foods were prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, and the mixing adaptability (the degree of inhibition of the breakage of the emulsified gel when mixed with other raw materials of the processed meat-like food) of each emulsified gel was evaluated. In addition, for each of the obtained processed meat-like foods, the cooking loss and the breakage and deliquoring rate were measured. The results are shown in Table 5. It should be noted that, regarding the mixing adaptability, the symbols a to c are as shown below. It should be noted here that "very good", "good", and "ordinary" are relative evaluations when the emulsified gel is used in the form of a frozen product, and even if it is "ordinary", it is exceptionally excellent compared to the case where it is not used in the form of a frozen product. a: Very good (the maximum diameter of the emulsified gel remaining after mixing is more than 8 mm) b: Good (the maximum diameter of the emulsified gel remaining after mixing is 5 mm or more and less than 8 mm) c: Normal (the maximum diameter of the emulsified gel remaining after mixing is greater than 2 mm and less than 5 mm)

[0094] [Table 5]

[0095] From the results in Table 5, it can be seen that by including polysaccharides in the emulsified gel, the mixing adaptability is improved while maintaining a low cooking loss and a good breaking and liquid release rate.

[0096] [Study on the influence of the amount of emulsified gel added] Processed meat-like foods (Examples 10 to 12) were prepared by the same procedure as in Example 1 using the formulations shown in Table 6. It should be noted that the details of each raw material are the same as in Table 2, so a portion of the description is omitted. In addition, the raw materials and amounts of the emulsified gel are the same as in Table 1. For each of the processed meat-like foods obtained, the cooking loss and the breaking and dehydration rate were measured. The results are shown in Table 7.

[0097] [Table 6]

[0098] [Table 7]

[0099] From the above results, it can be seen that by increasing the amount of emulsified gel added, the breaking and liquid removal rate can be increased while suppressing the cooking loss.

[0100] [Study on the influence of particle size of emulsified gel] Processed meat-like foods (Examples 13 to 15) were prepared by the same steps as in Example 1 with the same formulation as in Table 2. The raw materials and amounts of the emulsified gel used were the same as in Table 1. The emulsified gel was added in the form of a frozen granular product. At this time, a chopper (BK-220 manufactured by Bonny Co., Ltd.) was used to add the frozen emulsified gel in the form of granules. In Examples 13, 14, and 15, 8 mm, 9.6 mm, and 12.5 mm were selected as the apertures of the sieve plate of the chopper, respectively. For each processed meat-like food obtained, the cooking loss and the breakage and dehydration rate were measured. The results are shown in Table 8.

[0101] [Table 8]

[0102] From the above results, it is understood that the breaking and liquid removal rate can be increased while suppressing the cooking loss by appropriately selecting the particle size of the emulsified gel.

[0103] [Study on the effect of thermal modification of plant-based proteins] Emulsified gels (reference examples 1 to 4) were prepared using the raw materials shown in Table 1. Specifically, vegetable protein and water were stirred and mixed using a mixer (TM856 manufactured by TESCOM Co., Ltd.), and then the operation of adding 1 / 3 of the melted coconut oil each time and stirring and mixing was repeated 3 times to obtain an ungelled emulsion. The obtained ungelled emulsion was divided into 4 equal parts, put into bags, and confirmed using a water bath to reach different certain temperatures. Then, after keeping at this temperature for 1 hour, it was taken out of the water bath, cooled to room temperature (about 25°C) by air cooling, and observed for gelation. Furthermore, after being stored in a freezer (set temperature -20°C) overnight (about 12 hours), it was returned to room temperature (about 25°C) and the gelation was observed. The results are shown in Table 9.

[0104] [Table 9] Reference Example 1 Reference Example 2 Reference Example 3 Reference Example 4 Water bath temperature (℃) 30 50 70 90 The appearance of gelation before freezing d d c b The appearance of gel after freezing a a a a

[0105] In addition, in the evaluation of the state of gelation in Table 9, symbols a to d are as follows. a: It is solid and gelled. b: It can be seen that it is in a semi-solid state and gelation is relatively advanced. c: It is a viscous liquid and gelation is partially progressing. d: It is seen to be in a liquid state, and gelation has not progressed or has hardly progressed.

[0106] From the results in Table 9, it can be seen that even when the content of vegetable protein is very small relative to the content of fat and oil, which is about 1.7 mass %, when the vegetable protein is thermally modified, gelation has already progressed at the stage before freezing treatment. In addition, under the above conditions, gelation was confirmed in all reference examples, including reference examples 1 and 2 in which gelation was not performed before freezing treatment, by freezing treatment.

[0107] In any of the Examples, the processed meat-like foods obtained as Examples showed excellent juiciness like livestock meat, as compared with the processed meat-like foods obtained as Comparative Examples, and this was confirmed by unanimous responses from all five evaluation panelists. Industrial Applicability

[0108] The method for producing a processed meat-like food, the method for improving the juiciness of a processed meat-like food, the method for inhibiting the breakage of an emulsion gel, and the frozen emulsion gel disclosed in the present invention can be suitably used in the food industry in which vegetable protein is substituted for at least a portion of livestock meat in processed meat foods.

Claims

1. A method for producing a processed meat-like food, characterized in that: It has the following processes: Step (D) is to mix the textured vegetable protein and a frozen product of an emulsified gel containing the vegetable protein, water and fat to obtain a mixture.

2. The method for producing a processed meat-like food according to claim 1, wherein: The content of the vegetable protein in the emulsified gel is 0.1 to 20% by mass relative to the content of the oil.

3. The method for producing a processed meat-like food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The content of the water in the emulsified gel is 10 to 80% by mass.

4. The method for producing a processed meat-like food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The content of the oil in the emulsified gel is 20 to 85% by mass.

5. The method for producing a processed meat-like food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The vegetable protein includes soy protein.

6. The method for producing a processed meat-like food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The oil comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of coconut oil, palm oil, canola oil, soybean oil, rice bran oil, corn oil, sesame oil and olive oil.

7. The method for producing a processed meat-like food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The emulsified gel further comprises polysaccharides.

8. The method for producing a processed meat-like food according to claim 7, wherein: In the emulsified gel, the content of the polysaccharide is 0.01 to 1 part by mass based on 100 parts by mass of the total content of the vegetable protein, the water, and the oil.

9. The method for producing a processed meat-like food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: In the step (D), the content of the emulsified gel in the mixture is set to 1 to 50% by mass.

10. The method for producing a processed meat-like food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The production method further comprises a step (E) of freezing the mixture.

11. The method for producing a processed meat-like food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The manufacturing method comprises the following steps: Step (A), wherein an ungelled emulsion comprising a low-modified vegetable protein, water and fat is obtained, and Step (C) is to freeze the ungelled emulsion to obtain a frozen product of the emulsified gel.

12. The method for producing a processed meat-like food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The manufacturing method comprises the following steps: Step (A), wherein an ungelled emulsion comprising a low-modified vegetable protein, water and fat is obtained, Step (B), wherein the ungelled emulsion is heated at a temperature of 60 to 100° C. to obtain an emulsified gel and / or an emulsified gel precursor, and Step (C) comprising freezing the emulsified gel and / or the emulsified gel precursor to obtain a frozen product of the emulsified gel.

13. A processed meat-like food, characterized in that: The processed meat-like food is produced by the method for producing the processed meat-like food according to claim 1 or 2.

14. The processed meat-like food according to claim 13, wherein The fracture and dehydration rate of the processed meat-like food is 3 to 10% by mass.

15. A method for improving the juiciness of processed meat-like food, characterized in that: It has the following processes: Step (D) is to mix the textured vegetable protein and a frozen product of an emulsified gel containing the vegetable protein, water and fat to obtain a mixture.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein: The content of the vegetable protein in the emulsified gel is 0.1 to 20% by mass relative to the content of the oil.

17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein: The content of the water in the emulsified gel is 10 to 80% by mass.

18. The method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein: The content of the oil in the emulsified gel is 20 to 85% by mass.

19. The method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein: The vegetable protein includes soy protein.

20. The method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein: The oil comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of coconut oil, palm oil, canola oil, soybean oil, rice bran oil, corn oil, sesame oil and olive oil.

21. The method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein: The emulsified gel further comprises polysaccharides.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein: In the emulsified gel, the content of the polysaccharide is 0.01 to 1 part by mass based on 100 parts by mass of the total content of the vegetable protein, the water, and the oil.

23. The method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein: In the step (D), the content of the emulsified gel in the mixture is set to 1 to 50% by mass.

24. The method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein: The method comprises the following steps: Step (A), wherein an ungelled emulsion comprising a low-modified vegetable protein, water and fat is obtained, and Step (C) is to freeze the ungelled emulsion to obtain a frozen product of the emulsified gel.

25. The method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein: The method comprises the following steps: Step (A), wherein an ungelled emulsion comprising a low-modified vegetable protein, water and fat is obtained, Step (B), wherein the ungelled emulsion is heated at a temperature of 60 to 100° C. to obtain an emulsified gel and / or an emulsified gel precursor, and Step (C) comprising freezing the emulsified gel and / or the emulsified gel precursor to obtain a frozen product of the emulsified gel.

26. A method for inhibiting breakage of an emulsion gel during mixing, characterized in that: It has the following processes: Step (D) is to mix the textured vegetable protein and a frozen product of an emulsified gel containing the vegetable protein, water and fat to obtain a mixture.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein: The content of the vegetable protein in the emulsified gel is 0.1 to 20% by mass relative to the content of the oil.

28. The method according to claim 26 or 27, wherein: The content of the water in the emulsified gel is 10 to 80% by mass.

29. The method according to claim 26 or 27, wherein: The content of the oil in the emulsified gel is 20 to 85% by mass.

30. The method according to claim 26 or 27, wherein: The vegetable protein includes soy protein.

31. The method according to claim 26 or 27, wherein: The oil comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of coconut oil, palm oil, canola oil, soybean oil, rice bran oil, corn oil, sesame oil and olive oil.

32. The method according to claim 26 or 27, wherein: The emulsified gel further comprises polysaccharides.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein: In the emulsified gel, the content of the polysaccharide is 0.01 to 1 part by mass based on 100 parts by mass of the total content of the vegetable protein, the water, and the oil.

34. The method according to claim 26 or 27, wherein: In the step (D), the content of the emulsified gel in the mixture is set to 1 to 50% by mass.

35. The method according to claim 26 or 27, wherein: The method comprises the following steps: Step (A), wherein an ungelled emulsion comprising a low-modified vegetable protein, water and fat is obtained, and Step (C) is to freeze the ungelled emulsion to obtain a frozen product of the emulsified gel.

36. The method according to claim 26 or 27, wherein: The method comprises the following steps: Step (A), wherein an ungelled emulsion comprising a low-modified vegetable protein, water and fat is obtained, Step (B), wherein the ungelled emulsion is heated at a temperature of 60 to 100° C. to obtain an emulsified gel and / or an emulsified gel precursor, and Step (C) comprising freezing the emulsified gel and / or the emulsified gel precursor to obtain a frozen product of the emulsified gel.

37. A frozen emulsified gel, characterized in that The invention comprises vegetable protein, water and fat, wherein the content of the vegetable protein is 0.1 to 6% by mass relative to the content of the fat.

38. The frozen emulsified gel according to claim 37, wherein The water content is 10 to 80% by mass.

39. The frozen emulsified gel according to claim 37 or 38, wherein The content of the oil is 20 to 85% by mass.

40. The frozen emulsified gel according to claim 37 or 38, wherein The vegetable protein includes soy protein.

41. The frozen emulsified gel according to claim 37 or 38, wherein The oil comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of coconut oil, palm oil, canola oil, soybean oil, rice bran oil, corn oil, sesame oil and olive oil.

42. The frozen emulsified gel according to claim 37 or 38, wherein The frozen emulsified gel further comprises polysaccharides.

43. The frozen emulsified gel according to claim 42, wherein The content of the polysaccharide is 0.01 to 1 part by mass based on 100 parts by mass of the total content of the vegetable protein, the water, and the oil.

44. The frozen emulsified gel according to claim 37 or 38, wherein The vegetable protein is low-modified vegetable protein or frozen-modified vegetable protein.

45. A processed meat-like food, characterized in that: Contains textured vegetable protein and frozen emulsified gel. The frozen emulsified gel contains vegetable protein, water, and fat, and the content of the vegetable protein is 0.1 to 6% by mass relative to the content of the fat.

46. ​​The processed meat-like food according to claim 45, wherein The textured vegetable protein includes a textured vegetable protein derived from at least one selected from soybean, pea and wheat gluten.

47. The processed meat-like food according to claim 45 or 46, wherein The content of the water in the frozen emulsified gel is 10 to 80% by mass.

48. The processed meat-like food according to claim 45 or 46, wherein The content of the oil in the frozen emulsified gel is 20 to 85% by mass.

49. The processed meat-like food according to claim 45 or 46, wherein The vegetable protein includes soy protein.

50. The processed meat-like food according to claim 45 or 46, wherein The oil comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of coconut oil, palm oil, canola oil, soybean oil, rice bran oil, corn oil, sesame oil and olive oil.

51. The processed meat-like food according to claim 45 or 46, wherein The frozen emulsified gel further comprises polysaccharides.

52. The processed meat-like food according to claim 51, wherein In the frozen emulsified gel, the content of the polysaccharide is 0.01 to 1 part by mass based on 100 parts by mass of the total content of the vegetable protein, the water, and the oil.

53. The processed meat-like food according to claim 45 or 46, wherein The content of the frozen emulsified gel is 1 to 50% by mass.

54. The processed meat-like food according to claim 45 or 46, wherein The fracture and dehydration rate of the processed meat-like food is 3 to 10% by mass.

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