Gel-like food product containing high dietary fibers, and method for imparting fruit juice feeling

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of providing: a gelatinous food product which contains a large amount of dietary fibers, has an excellent fruit juice feeling, and is delicious to eat; and a method for imparting a fruit juice feeling to a gelatinous food product containing a high amount of dietary fibers. The present invention pertains to: a gelatinous food product which contains a fruit flavor, an indigestible glucan, and a degraded guar gum, and in which the mass of a dietary fiber derived from the degraded guar gum is 0.40 or less when the mass of the dietary fiber derived from the indigestible glucan is 1; the total dietary fiber content is 10-50% by mass; and a method for imparting a fruit juice feeling to a gelatinous food product, said method comprising: a step for imparting a fruit juice feeling to a gelatinous food product containing a fruit essence, an indigestible glucan, and a degraded guar gum and having a total dietary fiber content of 10-50 mass%; the dietary fiber derived from the degraded guar gum is contained in a mass of 0.40 or less when the mass of the dietary fiber derived from the indigestible glucan is 1, thereby imparting a fruit juice feeling to the gelatinous food.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a gel-like food containing a large amount of dietary fiber and having an excellent juicy taste, and a method for imparting a juicy taste to a gel-like food containing a high amount of dietary fiber. Background Art

[0002] Elderly people or people with dysphagia sometimes have difficulty taking in a normal diet, and there is a risk of nutritional imbalance or deficiency of specific nutrients. In particular, the diet of the elderly tends to be insufficient in protein, calcium, vitamins, and dietary fiber. In order to cope with this problem, various foods that increase the density of various nutrients have been developed. In order to facilitate ingestion, such foods are gelled and adjusted to an easy-to-eat texture. In addition, in order to be able to continue to eat every day without forcing, they focus on deliciousness and have many flavor variations. In addition, in order to increase the variation of taste and meet the preferences of consumers, foods with various fruit flavors have also been developed.

[0003] Dietary fiber is an important nutrient for improving the intestinal environment and facilitating bowel movements. However, if the content of dietary fiber in foods is increased, the texture or taste may deteriorate. There is a demand for foods containing high dietary fiber that can be eaten deliciously and continuously every day. As a jelly containing dietary fiber, a food that prevents overeating has been reported, which contains a specific amount of indigestible dextrin, glucomannan, and a gelling agent to give a feeling of fullness, thereby preventing excessive calorie intake (Patent Document 1). In addition, a jelly-like beverage in a flexible container has been reported, which contains a thickening polysaccharide decomposition product as a water-soluble dietary fiber, can be swallowed safely, and has an intestinal regulating effect (Patent Document 2). However, there is no report on the problem that the taste or flavor deteriorates when the content of dietary fiber increases. Prior art literature Patent Literature

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-224150 Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-274915 Summary of the invention Technical problem to be solved by the invention

[0005] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a gel-like food that contains a large amount of dietary fiber, has an excellent juicy texture, and can be eaten deliciously. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for imparting a juicy texture to a gel-like food containing a high amount of dietary fiber. Technical means to solve technical problems

[0006] The present inventors have found that, in a gel-like food containing a large amount of dietary fiber, by combining fruit flavor with two dietary fibers and mixing them in specific amounts, the gel-like food has an excellent juice texture and can be eaten deliciously, thereby completing the present invention. Specifically, the present invention provides the following contents.

[0007] (1) A gel-like food comprising fruit essence, indigestible glucan and guar gum degradation product, wherein the mass of dietary fiber derived from the guar gum degradation product is 0.40 or less when the mass of dietary fiber derived from the indigestible glucan is set to 1, and the total dietary fiber content is 10% to 50% by mass. (2) The gelled food according to (1), wherein the total dietary fiber contains 70% by mass or more of water-soluble dietary fiber. (3) The gelled food according to (1) or (2), comprising 0.2% by mass to 2% by mass of a gelling agent. (4) The gelled food according to (3), wherein the gelling agent contains iota carrageenan, kappa carrageenan, and locust bean gum. (5) A method for imparting a fruity taste to a gel-like food, the method comprising: imparting a fruity taste to a gel-like food comprising a fruit flavor, an indigestible glucan and a guar gum degradation product and having a total dietary fiber content of 10% by mass to 50% by mass by adding dietary fiber derived from the guar gum degradation product in an amount of 0.40 or less, when the mass of the dietary fiber derived from the indigestible glucan is set to 1. Beneficial Effects

[0008] According to the present invention, a gel-like food containing high dietary fiber and having excellent juice texture, and a method for imparting juice texture to a gel-like food containing high dietary fiber can be provided. Here, in the present invention, "juicy texture" refers to the mouthfeel that is felt when eating the gel-like food of the present invention and is reminiscent of natural juice. In addition, "containing high dietary fiber" or "containing a large amount of dietary fiber" means that the total dietary fiber content in the gel-like food is 10% by mass or more (preferably 20% by mass or more). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0009] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail, but the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and can be implemented by applying appropriate changes within the scope of the purpose of the present invention. In addition, in the preferred embodiments or more preferred embodiments illustrated below, whether it is "preferably" or "more preferably", they can be appropriately combined with each other for use. In addition, the description of the numerical range is an example, and whether it is "preferably" or "more preferably", it is preferred to use a range formed by appropriately combining the upper limit, lower limit and numerical values ​​of each range in the embodiment. Furthermore, terms such as "containing" or "including" can also be appropriately replaced with "substantially" or "consisting only of..." In addition, in the embodiments of the present invention, A (numerical value) to B (numerical value) refer to A or more and B or less.

[0010] [Gel-like food] The gel food of the present invention is characterized in that it contains fruit essence, indigestible glucan and guar gum degradation product, and the mass of dietary fiber derived from the guar gum degradation product is 0.40 or less when the mass of dietary fiber derived from the indigestible glucan is set to 1, and the total dietary fiber content is 10% to 50% by mass. The gelled food of the present invention is a food produced by solidifying the raw materials into a gel state by the gelling ability, and examples thereof include: jelly, pudding, mousse, Bavarian dessert, egg custard, almond tofu, etc., and foods in similar forms. In addition, the packaging form of the gelled food of the present invention is not particularly limited, and any form of food produced by solidifying into a gel state can be selected according to the purpose as long as it is a form commonly used for foods produced by solidifying into a gel state. For example, plastic containers, cans, paper containers, aluminum bags, bottles, etc. can be listed. In addition, the packaging form of the gelled food of the present invention is preferably a plastic container, and the plastic preferably contains polyethylene.

[0011] The hardness of the gel food of the present invention is preferably 8000 N / m 2 ~20000N / m 2 , more preferably 9000N / m 2 ~18000N / m 2 , most preferably 10000N / m 2 ~15000N / m 2 When the hardness of the gel-like food of the present invention is within the above range, the effects of the present invention can be more easily exhibited. The hardness can be determined by using a rheometer, filling a container of 20 mm×40 mm×30 mm (depth×lateral width×vertical width) with the gel-like food of the present invention to a height of 20 mm, using a cylindrical plunger of 20 mm in diameter, and measuring under the conditions of a compression speed of 10 mm / sec, a gap of 5 mm, and 20°C, and the texture curve obtained.

[0012] [Fruit flavor] The fruit flavor in the present invention is a flavor added to the gel-like food of the present invention to remind people of fruits, and includes, for example, flavors derived from nature such as extracts obtained by immersing fruit juice concentrates or peel oils, fruits, etc. in organic solvents, or flavors of fruit-like aroma components obtained by chemical synthesis. Examples of the fruit flavor in the present invention include citrus flavors (lemon, lime, tangerine, orange, grapefruit, pomelo, yuzu, Tokushima tachibana, yoyo, flat lemon, pomelo, orange, etc.), grape flavor, apple flavor, strawberry flavor, pineapple flavor, banana flavor, melon flavor, plum flavor, peach flavor, mango flavor, etc.

[0013] The content of the fruit flavor in the gel-like food of the present invention is not limited as long as it is an amount that can be felt as a fruit-like flavor when the gel-like food is eaten. Specifically, it is determined by the potency of the flavor itself. For example, when peach flavor or orange flavor is used, an amount of about 1 ppm to 1000 ppm (preferably 30 ppm to 300 ppm) can be used depending on its potency.

[0014] [Indigestible Glucan] The indigestible glucan in the present invention is obtained by heating and polymerizing a starch decomposition product (preferably a starch decomposition product having a dextrose equivalent (DE) of 70 to 100), and contains indigestible water-soluble dietary fiber. The indigestible glucan of the present invention may contain monosaccharides other than glucose or oligosaccharides containing these monosaccharides. The indigestible glucan of the present invention may be, for example, フィッファイバー#80 (manufactured by Nippon Food Chemical Co., Ltd.). フィッファイバー#80 is a liquid preparation containing indigestible glucan containing about 30% of water. In addition, from the viewpoint of more easily obtaining the effect of the present invention, the dietary fiber content in the indigestible glucan is preferably 70% to 90% by mass, more preferably 75% to 85% by mass, relative to the solid content (converted to anhydrous matter) after removing water. The content of the dietary fiber can be measured by enzyme-HPLC method (AOAC2001.03).

[0015] Regarding the content of the indigestible glucan in the gel-like food of the present invention, the amount of indigestible glucan can be adjusted in such a manner that the total dietary fiber content in the gel-like food of the present invention and the mass ratio of the dietary fiber in the guar gum decomposition product become the desired content, and the dietary fiber derived from the indigestible glucan is 8% to 40% by mass, more preferably 10% to 32% by mass, further more preferably 12% to 28% by mass, and most preferably 16% to 24% by mass. If the content of the dietary fiber derived from the indigestible glucan is within the above range, the effect of excellent juice texture and delicious eating is further excellent.

[0016] [Guar gum degradation products] The guar gum decomposition product of the present invention is obtained by hydrolyzing guar gum obtained from plant seeds guar beans by enzyme decomposition, acid decomposition, etc. and reducing the molecular weight, and contains water-soluble dietary fiber. The guar gum decomposition product can be adjusted in molecular weight by further combining a membrane treatment or a molecular weight fractionation column. For example, the guar gum decomposition product of the present invention can use Sunfiber IG (manufactured by Sun Chemical (Strain)) and the like. In addition, from the viewpoint of more easily obtaining the effect of the present invention, the dietary fiber content in the guar gum decomposition product is preferably 75% to 95% by mass, more preferably 80% to 90% by mass, relative to the solid content (converted to anhydrous matter) after removing water. The dietary fiber content can be measured by enzyme-HPLC method (AOAC2001.03).

[0017] Regarding the content of the guar gum decomposition product in the gel-like food of the present invention, the amount of the guar gum decomposition product can be adjusted in such a manner that the total dietary fiber content in the gel-like food of the present invention and the mass ratio of the dietary fiber in the indigestible glucan are the desired content, and the dietary fiber derived from the guar gum decomposition product is 2% to 10% by mass, more preferably 2.5% to 8% by mass, further more preferably 3% to 7% by mass, and most preferably 4% to 6% by mass. If the content of the dietary fiber derived from the guar gum decomposition product is within the above range, the effect of excellent juice texture and delicious consumption is further excellent.

[0018] The gel-like food of the present invention contains dietary fiber derived from indigestible glucan and dietary fiber derived from guar gum degradation product, and the mass of the dietary fiber derived from guar gum degradation product is preferably 0.1 to 0.4, more preferably 0.15 to 0.35, and most preferably 0.15 to 0.3, when the mass of the dietary fiber derived from indigestible glucan is set to 1. If the mass of the dietary fiber derived from guar gum degradation product is within the above range, the effect of excellent juice texture and delicious eating is further excellent.

[0019] [Total dietary fiber] The total dietary fiber in the present invention refers to the general term for all dietary fibers contained in the gel-like food of the present invention. The total dietary fiber in the present invention contains the indigestible glucan and guar gum decomposition product, but other dietary fibers may also be contained as long as the effect of the present invention is not impaired. For example, indigestible dextrin, polydextrose, glucomannan, cellulose, lignin, chitin, etc. may be contained. In addition, the total dietary fiber in the present invention may contain insoluble dietary fiber, but from the perspective of the texture of the gel-like food, it is preferably contained in the dietary fiber as a whole (in the total dietary fiber) less than 30% by mass. The total dietary fiber in the present invention preferably contains 70% by mass or more, more preferably 75% to 100% by mass, and most preferably 80% to 99% by mass of water-soluble dietary fiber. If the content of the water-soluble dietary fiber is within the above range, the effect of the present invention is more easily exerted.

[0020] The content of the total dietary fiber (total dietary fiber) in the gel-like food of the present invention is preferably 12% to 40% by mass, more preferably 15% to 35% by mass, and most preferably 20% to 30% by mass. If the content of the total dietary fiber is within the above range, the effect of excellent juice texture and delicious consumption is further excellent. The total dietary fiber content in the gel-like food of the present invention can be measured by enzyme-HPLC method (AOAC2001.03). The total dietary fiber content in the gel-like food of the present invention can also be obtained by summing up the dietary fiber content obtained for each blended raw material.

[0021] [Gelling agent] The gelled food of the present invention may contain a gelling agent. The type and amount of the gelling agent are not particularly limited as long as the gelled food of the present invention can be adjusted to a desired hardness. Examples thereof include iota carrageenan, kappa carrageenan, locust bean gum, agar, deacylated gellan gum, natural gellan gum, glucomannan, xanthan gum, alginate, etc., and multiple thereof may be used in combination. The gelling agent preferably contains iota carrageenan, kappa carrageenan, and locust bean gum. When the gelled food of the present invention contains the gelling agent, the content is preferably 0.3% to 2% by mass, more preferably 0.4% to 1.5% by mass, and most preferably 0.5% to 1% by mass. When the content of the gelling agent is within the above range, the effects of the present invention are more easily exhibited.

[0022] When the gelled food of the present invention contains iota carrageenan, kappa carrageenan, and locust bean gum, the content of iota carrageenan is preferably 0.1% to 1% by mass (more preferably 0.15 to 0.5), the content of kappa carrageenan is preferably 0.03% to 0.6% by mass (more preferably 0.05 to 0.3), and the content of locust bean gum is preferably 0.1% to 0.8% by mass (more preferably 0.15 to 0.4). If the contents of the three gelling agents are within the above ranges, the effects of the present invention are more easily exerted.

[0023] [water] The gel-like food of the present invention may contain water. The water is not particularly limited, and tap water, well water, purified water, ion exchange water, etc. can be used. The water content of the present invention is preferably 40% to 75% by mass, more preferably 45% to 70% by mass, and most preferably 50% to 65% by mass. If the water content is within the above range, it is easier to exert the effect of the present invention. In addition, the water content in the gel-like food of the present invention can be measured by a conventional drying loss method (105° C., 4 hours).

[0024] [Other raw materials] The gelled food of the present invention may contain other raw materials in addition to the above raw materials within the range not hindering the effects of the present invention, for example, sugars, fats, acidulants, vitamins, amino acids, minerals, pigments, etc.

[0025] [Method for producing gel-like food] The method for producing the gel-like food of the present invention can be a common method for producing a gel-like food, for example, the following production method: after uniformly dissolving the raw materials other than the indigestible glucan and the fruit essence in hot water, the indigestible glucan and the fruit essence are dissolved to obtain a raw material solution, the solution is filled into a packaging container, and the solution is cooled to obtain a gel-like food.

[0026] [How to give a juicy texture] The method for imparting a juicy taste to a gel-like food of the present invention comprises, for a gel-like food containing fruit essence, indigestible glucan and a guar gum degradation product and having a total dietary fiber content of 10% by mass to 50% by mass, setting the mass of dietary fiber derived from the guar gum degradation product to 0.4 or less when the mass of dietary fiber derived from the indigestible glucan is set to 1. In the present invention, "imparting a juicy texture to a gel-like food" means that, when comparing the juicy texture (a texture reminiscent of natural fruit juice) of the gel-like food of the present invention (containing a specific amount of guar gum decomposition product) and an equivalent gel-like food obtained by removing the guar gum decomposition product from the formulation of the gel-like food of the present invention when eaten, the gel-like food of the present invention clearly exhibits a juicy texture.

[0027] In the method for imparting a juicy texture to a gel-like food of the present invention, preferred aspects of the gel-like food, preferred aspects of each raw material, content of each raw material, etc. are the same as those of the above-mentioned "gel-like food of the present invention". Example

[0028] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to Examples, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the description of these Examples.

[0029] [Manufacturing of gelled food] The gelled food was prepared according to the recipes described in Tables 1 and 2. That is, various gelling agents, sugar, and guar gum decomposition products were stirred and mixed in hot water at 90°C and uniformly dissolved, and then indigestible glucan, flavoring, and all the remaining raw materials were added and dissolved to obtain a raw material solution. 26 g of the raw material solution was filled in a plastic cup (depth × lateral width × longitudinal width = 20 mm × 40 mm × 30 mm, made of polyethylene), sealed with a plastic film (made of polyethylene), heat sterilized (85°C, 25 minutes), and cooled with cold water for 30 minutes to gel, thereby obtaining a gelled food (Examples 1 to 3, Comparative Examples 1 to 3). In addition, the raw materials described in Table 1 and Table 2 used the following raw materials. Indigestible glucan (trade name: "Fitfood #80", manufactured by Nippon Food Chemical Co., Ltd., dietary fiber content: 58% (enzyme-HPLC method) (Dietary fiber content based on the solid content excluding water: 80%)) Guar gum degradation product (trade name "Sanfiber IG", manufactured by Taiyo Chemical Co., Ltd., dietary fiber content 87% (enzyme-HPLC method)) Granulated sugar (trade name: "Simple Sugar", manufactured by Mitsui Sugar Co., Ltd.) Citric acid (trade name: "Quenic acid crystals L", manufactured by Fuso Chemical Industries, Ltd.) ι carrageenan (trade name "GENUVISCO Type JJ", manufactured by Sanjing Co., Ltd.) Kappa carrageenan (trade name "GENUGEL Type WR-78-J", manufactured by Sanjing Co., Ltd.) Locust bean gum (trade name "GRINDSTED LBG 860", manufactured by Sanjing Co., Ltd.) Potassium dihydrogen phosphate (trade name "potassium dihydrogen phosphate", manufactured by Kanto Chemical Co., Ltd.) Calcium lactate (trade name: "Calcium lactate", manufactured by Fuso Chemical Industries, Ltd.) Peach flavor (trade name "Peach Flavor AC88046", manufactured by Ogawa Flavor Co., Ltd., fragrance base content 1.7 mass %) Orange flavor (trade name "Orange Flavor NOM-3542", manufactured by Hasegawa Flavor Co., Ltd., aroma base content 1.7% by mass)

[0030] [Determination of hardness] For each gel-like food produced as described above, the hardness was measured under the above conditions using a rheometer (RE-33005RHEONER, manufactured by Yamaden Co., Ltd.). That is, for a gel-like food filled to a height of 20 mm in a container of 20 mm×40 mm×30 mm (depth×lateral width×vertical width), the rheometer was used to measure the gel-like food with a cylindrical plunger of 20 mm in diameter at a compression speed of 10 mm / sec, a gap of 5 mm, and 20°C. Next, based on the texture curve obtained, the hardness (N / m 2 The measurement results are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

[0031] [Evaluation of the juice feeling] The three-person panel evaluated the juice sensation associated with the flavor (peach or orange) when consuming 5 g of each gel-like food according to the following evaluation criteria. In addition, the evaluation was determined by consultation among the three-person panel. The evaluation results are shown in Tables 1 and 2. (Evaluation Criteria) ◎: More reminiscent of natural juice than "○", and more delicious to eat ○: It reminds people of natural juice and is delicious to eat ×: It does not remind people of natural juice, or has a strange or off-flavored taste, and is not delicious to eat.

[0032] The "dietary fiber derived from (a)" in the table refers to the content (mass %) of dietary fiber derived from indigestible glucan in the gel-like food, the "dietary fiber derived from (b)" in the table refers to the content (mass %) of dietary fiber derived from guar gum degradation products in the gel-like food, and the "total dietary fiber content" in the table refers to the total content (mass %) of dietary fiber derived from indigestible glucan and guar gum degradation products in the gel-like food. In addition, "(b) / (a)" in the table refers to the mass of dietary fiber derived from guar gum degradation products when the mass of dietary fiber derived from indigestible glucan is set to 1.

[0033] [Table 1] (quality%) Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Indigestible Glucan (a) 33.00 37.00 37.00 Guar gum decomposition product (b) 7.50 5.00 5.00 granulated sugar 6.00 6.00 6.00 Citric Acid 0.20 0.20 0.20 ι Carrageenan 0.35 0.35 0.35 Kappa Carrageenan 0.10 0.10 0.10 Locust Bean Gum 0.25 0.25 0.25 Potassium dihydrogen phosphate 0.03 0.03 0.03 Calcium lactate 0.02 0.02 0.02 Peach flavor 0.40 0.40 Orange flavor 0.40 water 52.15 50.65 50.65 total 100.00 100.00 100.00 (a) Dietary fiber from 19.1 21.5 21.5 (b) Dietary fiber from sources 6.5 4.4 4.4 Total dietary fiber content 25.6 25.9 25.9 <![CDATA[Hardness (N / m 2 )]]> 13563 10877 10150 (b) / (a) 0.34 0.20 0.20 Juicy reviews ○ ◎ ◎

[0034] [Table 2] (quality%) Comparative Example 1 Comparative Example 2 Comparative Example 3 Indigestible Glucan (a) 45.00 2g.00 21.00 Guar gum decomposition product (b) 10.00 15.00 granulated sugar 6.00 6.00 6.00 Citric Acid 0.20 0.20 0.20 ι Carrageenan 0.35 0.35 0.35 Kappa Carrageenan 0.10 0.10 0.10 Locust Bean Gum 0.25 0.25 0.25 Potassium dihydrogen phosphate 0.03 0.03 0.03 Calcium lactate 0.02 0.02 0.02 Peach flavor 0.40 0.40 0.40 water 47.65 53.65 56.65 total 100.00 100.00 100.00 (a) Dietary fiber from 26.1 16.8 12.2 (b) Dietary fiber from sources 8.7 13.1 Total dietary fiber content 26.1 25.5 25.3 <![CDATA[Hardness (N / m 2 )]]> 8292 16827 19437 (b) / (a) 0.00 0.52 1.07 Juicy reviews × × ×

[0035] As shown in Tables 1 and 2, the gel-like foods (Examples 1 to 3) containing about 26% by mass of total dietary fiber, the mass of dietary fiber derived from guar gum decomposition products when the mass of dietary fiber derived from indigestible glucan was 1 was 0.20 or 0.34, and containing fruit flavors had excellent juice texture and were delicious to eat. On the other hand, the gel-like foods (Comparative Examples 1 to 3) containing no guar gum decomposition products or the mass of dietary fiber derived from guar gum decomposition products when the mass of dietary fiber derived from indigestible glucan was 1 was 0.52 or 1.07, did not feel juice texture.

Claims

1. A gel-like food comprising fruit essence, indigestible glucan and guar gum degradation product, wherein the mass of dietary fiber derived from the indigestible glucan is 0.40 or less when the mass of dietary fiber derived from the indigestible glucan is set to 1, and the total dietary fiber content is 10% to 50% by mass.

2. The gel food according to claim 1, wherein The total dietary fiber contains 70% by mass or more of water-soluble dietary fiber.

3. The gel food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The gelling agent is contained in an amount of 0.2% to 2% by mass.

4. The gel food according to claim 3, wherein The gelling agent contains iota carrageenan, kappa carrageenan, and locust bean gum.

5. A method for imparting a juicy texture to a gel-like food, the method comprising: A gel-like food containing fruit essence, indigestible glucan and guar gum degradation product and having a total dietary fiber content of 10% to 50% by mass is provided with a juice texture by containing dietary fiber derived from the guar gum degradation product having a mass of 0.40 or less when the mass of the dietary fiber derived from the indigestible glucan is set to 1.