Production method for egg-like food

Abstract

To provide a method for producing an egg-like food that can replicate the texture of a real egg with significantly reduced or no egg usage.SOLUTION: Provided is a method for producing an egg-like food, the method comprising a step (A) for mixing a liquid preparation containing an alginic acid salt and an aqueous calcium salt solution and thus gelling the same to obtain a gelled product, wherein the concentration of the alginic acid salt is 0.1-10.0 mass% relative to the liquid preparation and the concentration of the aqueous calcium salt solution is 0.1-5.0 mass%.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0002]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing an egg-like food and an egg-like food.

Background Art

[0002] Egg foods such as omelets and scrambled eggs are widely loved and eaten as cooked processed foods provided in households, the food service industry, food retailers, etc. On the other hand, since eggs, which are animal foods, have a strong ability to cause allergies, people with egg allergies must avoid egg foods as much as possible. In addition, since eggs contain a lot of cholesterol, consumers who are highly concerned about health desire foods with reduced cholesterol. Due to these circumstances, the demand for egg-like foods that do not use eggs or reduce the amount of eggs used as much as possible and reproduce the taste and texture of eggs has been increasing year by year.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses that a liquid dough containing a heat-coagulable plant protein material and soy cream is prepared and baked in accordance with the cooking process of ordinary baked and coagulated egg foods, so that it can be replaced with a large proportion of whole eggs, or without using whole eggs at all, and can be manufactured by the same manufacturing method as ordinary baked and coagulated egg foods such as omelets and scrambled eggs. Patent Document 2 discloses that edible oil is added to a swollen gel obtained by stirring and gelling curdlan in the presence of an emulsifier and stirred, and further, an alginate and a calcium salt having slow-release properties are added, and after stirring, a defoaming treatment and a heat treatment are performed to obtain an egg white-like food material having a texture and taste extremely similar to those of natural egg white. [[ID=,19]] Patent Document 3 discloses a method for manufacturing a scrambled egg-like food characterized by mixing and heating a starchy vegetable or starch cells and a protein paste.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-169488 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2009-136247 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-119260 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] However, egg-like foods obtained by the methods disclosed in References 1-3 are still not of satisfactory quality compared to egg foods made with real chicken eggs in terms of color, flavor, and texture. Scrambled eggs, in particular, are a food characterized by their texture, mouthfeel, flavor, color, and especially their softness, semi-raw texture, and creaminess, but it is not easy to obtain such a texture in egg-like foods that do not use eggs.

[0006] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a method for producing egg-like food that can reproduce the same texture as real eggs while significantly reducing the amount of eggs used or not using eggs at all. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] As a result of diligent research, the inventors of the present invention have found that the above problem can be solved by adjusting the concentrations of alginic acid and calcium salt to an appropriate range in the process of obtaining a gel-like substance by mixing a formulation containing alginic acid with an aqueous calcium salt solution and allowing it to gel. This led to the completion of the present invention.

[0008] In other words, the present invention is as follows. [1] The process includes step (A) of obtaining a gel-like substance by mixing a preparation solution containing alginic acid with an aqueous calcium salt solution and causing it to gel. A method for producing an egg-like food product, wherein the concentration of the alginic acid is 0.1 to 10.0% by mass relative to the preparation solution, and the concentration of the calcium salt aqueous solution is 0.1 to 5.0% by mass. [2] A method for producing an egg-like food according to [1] above, comprising gradually adding the calcium salt aqueous solution to the preparation solution containing the alginic acids. [3] A method for producing an egg-like food according to [1] or [2] above, wherein the alginic acid is one or more selected from the group consisting of sodium alginate, potassium alginate, and ammonium alginate. [4] A method for producing an egg-like food according to any one of the above [1] to [3], wherein the calcium salt is one or more selected from the group consisting of calcium lactate, calcium gluconate, calcium fumarate, calcium citrate, calcium succinate, calcium acetate, calcium chloride, and calcium hydroxide. [5] A method for producing an egg-like food according to any one of the above [1] to [4], further comprising the step (B) of adding vegetable oil and vegetable-derived raw materials to the aforementioned preparation liquid and emulsifying them. [6] The method for producing an egg-like food according to [5] above, wherein the vegetable oil is one or more selected from the group consisting of linseed oil, perilla oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil, corn oil, sesame oil, rice oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, palm oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, and cottonseed oil. [7] The method for producing the egg-like food described in [5] or [6] above, wherein the vegetable-derived raw material is a processed product of a carotenoid-containing plant. [8] The method for producing an egg-like food according to [7] above, wherein the carotenoid-containing plant is one or more selected from the group consisting of carrots, pumpkins, bell peppers, citrus fruits, and mangoes. [9] The method for producing an egg-like food according to [7] above, wherein the processed product of the carotenoid-containing plant is one or more selected from the group consisting of carrot juice, carrot concentrate, carrot pulp, and carrot puree.

[10] A method for producing an egg-like food according to any one of the above [1] to [9], further comprising step (C) of mixing the gel-like substance obtained in step (A) with an egg yolk-like liquid.

[11] The method for producing the egg-like food according to

[10] above, wherein the egg yolk-like liquid comprises vegetable oil and vegetable-derived raw materials.

[12] A method for producing an egg-like food according to

[10] or

[11] , wherein the mixing ratio of the gel-like substance and the egg yolk-like liquid is 0.1:1 to 10:1 (by mass).

[13] A method for producing an egg-like food according to any one of the above [1] to

[12] , wherein the egg-like food is a scrambled egg-like food.

[14] An egg-like food comprising alginic acid and calcium, and including a portion gelled by the alginic acid and calcium.

[15] The egg-like food described above

[14] , further comprising vegetable oil and vegetable-derived ingredients.

[16] The egg-like food according to

[15] above, wherein the vegetable-derived raw material is emulsified with the vegetable oil.

[17] The egg-like food according to

[15] or

[16] above, wherein the vegetable oil is one or more selected from the group consisting of linseed oil, perilla oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil, corn oil, sesame oil, rice oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, palm oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, and cottonseed oil.

[18] The aforementioned vegetable-derived raw material is a processed product of a carotenoid-containing plant, as described in any of the egg-like foods described in

[15] to

[17] above.

[19] The egg-like food according to

[18] above, wherein the processed product of the carotenoid-containing plant is one or more selected from the group consisting of carrot juice, carrot concentrate, carrot pulp, and carrot puree. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a method for producing an egg-like food that can reproduce the texture similar to that of real eggs with a significantly reduced amount of eggs used or without using eggs at all, and an egg-like food. [Embodiment for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as "the present embodiment") will be described in detail. The present invention is not limited to the present embodiment and can be variously modified and implemented within the scope of the gist thereof.

[0011] [Method for Producing Egg-Like Food] The method for producing an egg-like food of the present embodiment includes a step (A) of obtaining a gel-like substance by mixing a preparation liquid containing alginic acids and an aqueous calcium salt solution and causing gelation, where the concentration of the alginic acids is 0.1 to 10.0% by mass with respect to the preparation liquid, and the concentration of the aqueous calcium salt solution is 0.1 to 5.0% by mass. In the present embodiment, the "egg-like food" refers to a food in which part or all of the egg raw material in an egg food is replaced with a plant-derived raw material, and includes various shaped egg-like foods such as onsen egg-like, tamagoyaki-like, omelette-like, scrambled egg-like, and fried egg-like. Among them, since the manufacturing method in the present embodiment tends to obtain the same color, flavor, and texture as when using real eggs, it is preferable that the egg-like food is a scrambled egg-like food.

[0012] [Step (A)] The inventors of the present invention have found that in a method for producing an egg-like food, a step of obtaining a gel-like substance by mixing a preparation liquid containing alginic acids and an aqueous calcium salt solution and causing gelation is included, and further, by adjusting the concentration of the alginic acids in the gel-like substance and the concentration of the aqueous calcium salt solution in this step to an appropriate range, an egg-like food having a texture extremely similar or the same as an egg food using real chicken eggs can be obtained.

[0013] In step (A), the concentration of alginic acid is 0.1 to 10.0% by mass relative to the preparation solution. When the concentration of alginic acid is within the range of 0.1 to 10.0% by mass relative to the preparation solution, the gel is neither too loose nor too hard, and the final egg-like food can be given a texture close to that of real eggs. Here, the concentration of alginic acid is a value calculated from the amount of raw materials used when manufacturing the preparation solution. The concentration of alginic acid may be 0.2 to 5.0% by mass, 0.3 to 3.0% by mass, 0.4 to 3.0% by mass, 0.6 to 3.0% by mass, or 0.5 to 1.5% by mass relative to the preparation solution, preferably 0.5 to 1.2% by mass, more preferably 0.5 to 1.0% by mass, and particularly preferably 0.6 to 0.7% by mass. When the concentration of alginic acid compounds is within the above-mentioned preferred range relative to the preparation solution, a superior texture, comparable to that obtained when using real eggs, tends to be obtained, especially in scrambled egg-like foods.

[0014] In step (A), the concentration of the calcium salt aqueous solution is 0.1 to 5.0% by mass. Preferably, it is 0.5 to 5.0% by mass. Also preferably, it is 0.7 to 5.0% by mass. If the concentration of the calcium salt aqueous solution is less than 0.1% by mass, the gelation reaction speed is slow and gelation tends not to be sufficient. If it exceeds 5.0% by mass, the reaction speed is fast and gelation tends to occur and solidify before stirring. The concentration of the calcium salt aqueous solution may also be 0.3 to 3.0% by mass, or 0.3 to 2.0% by mass, preferably 0.4 to 1.0% by mass, more preferably 0.4 to 0.8% by mass, and particularly preferably 0.5 to 0.6% by mass. When the concentration of the calcium salt aqueous solution is within the above preferred range, a superior texture equivalent to that obtained when using real eggs is obtained, especially in scrambled egg-like foods.

[0015] The method of mixing the alginic acid-containing solution with the calcium salt aqueous solution is not particularly limited; the calcium salt aqueous solution may be added to the alginic acid-containing solution, or the alginic acid-containing solution may be added to the calcium salt aqueous solution. In particular, gradually adding the calcium salt aqueous solution to the alginic acid-containing solution is preferable because it makes it easier to adjust the degree of gelation to match the desired texture of the egg-like food.

[0016] The alginic acids are not particularly limited and include one or more selected from the group consisting of sodium alginate, potassium alginate, and ammonium alginate. The above alginic acids are water-soluble and widely used in food products, with sodium alginate being the most preferred among them.

[0017] The calcium salt is not particularly limited and may be one or more selected from the group consisting of calcium lactate, calcium gluconate, calcium fumarate, calcium citrate, calcium succinate, calcium acetate, calcium chloride, and calcium hydroxide, with calcium lactate being more preferred.

[0018] <Process (B)> The method for producing the egg-like food of this embodiment is: The process (B) may further include adding vegetable oil and vegetable-derived raw materials to a mixture containing alginic acid and emulsifying them. By adding vegetable oil and vegetable-derived ingredients to the mixture in process (A) and emulsifying it, an egg-like food product that is very similar to or has the same flavor and color as real egg products tends to be obtained. Here, color includes hue, saturation, and other aspects of color.

[0019] There are no particular restrictions on the timing of adding vegetable oils and vegetable-derived ingredients to the mixture; they can be added before or after adding alginic acid, or at the same time as adding alginic acid.

[0020] The emulsified state after emulsification in step (B) is preferably an oil-in-water type (hereinafter also referred to as "O / W type"). The means of emulsification are not particularly limited and include high-pressure treatment, grinding treatment, mixing treatment, milling treatment, etc.

[0021] <Vegetable oil> The vegetable oil is not particularly limited and may be one or more selected from the group consisting of linseed oil, perilla oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil, corn oil, sesame oil, rice oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, palm oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, and cottonseed oil. Oils with little distinctive flavor are preferred, with rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, and cottonseed oil being more preferred, and rapeseed oil being particularly preferred.

[0022] The amount of vegetable oil in the preparation is not particularly limited, but is preferably 4 to 15% by mass, more preferably 6 to 10% by mass, and even more preferably 6 to 8% by mass. When the amount of vegetable oil in the preparation is 15% by mass or less, separation without emulsification tends to be avoided, and when it is 4% by mass or more, the color tends to shift from orange to eggshell.

[0023] <Vegetable-derived ingredients> The vegetable-derived raw materials are not particularly limited, but are preferably one or more selected from the group consisting of processed products of carotenoid-containing plants and processed grain products.

[0024] (Processed products from carotenoid-containing plants) A carotenoid-containing plant is a plant that contains carotenoids. Carotenoids are yellow, orange, or red pigments that are widely found in plants and animals. Preferably, the carotenoid-containing plant is a β-carotene-containing plant. Furthermore, in this embodiment, from the viewpoint of the flavor and color of the final egg-like food product, the carotenoid-containing plant is preferably one or more selected from the group consisting of carrots, pumpkins, bell peppers, citrus fruits, and mangoes. Among citrus fruits, oranges or mandarins are particularly preferred.

[0025] Carotenoid-containing plant products are processed products made from carotenoid-containing plants. The form of such processed products is not particularly limited, but examples include juice, juice pulp, concentrated juice, dried powder, and puree.

[0026] As for processed products of carotenoid-containing plants, from the viewpoint of the flavor and color of the final egg-like food product, processed carrot products are preferred, and among these, carrot juice, concentrated carrot juice, carrot pulp, and carrot puree are more preferred. Carrot juice refers to the juice obtained by crushing and pressing carrots or straining them to remove some or all of the pulp. Concentrated carrot juice refers to concentrated carrot juice. Carrot juice obtained by diluting concentrated carrot juice back to the state of pressed juice is also called carrot juice. Carrot puree refers to a semi-liquid substance obtained by grinding carrots and straining them to make them smooth.

[0027] In this embodiment, the carrot product used as a raw material is preferably a processed yellow carrot or a processed orange carrot.

[0028] (processed grain products) In this embodiment, the processed grain product refers to processed grains. Grains include plants of the grass family and plants of the legume family, such as rice, wheat, barley, oats, soybeans, peas, kidney beans, broad beans, chickpeas, lentils, millet, barnyard millet, and foxtail millet.

[0029] The processed grain product is preferably a juice or puree of grains. Examples of processed grain products include kidney bean puree, pea protein, tofu, and soy milk.

[0030] The purpose of using processed grain products in the manufacturing method of this embodiment is to adjust the color tone, particularly the brightness, of the final egg-like food product. Processed grain products that are close to white in hue can be mixed with other food ingredients to change the brightness and saturation of the mixture, thereby achieving a brighter color tone. From this viewpoint, the grains used in the processed grain products are preferably those whose processed products are white in color, such as rice, wheat, oats, soybeans, and white kidney beans.

[0031] In this embodiment, the lower limit of the content of processed grains in the egg-like food is preferably 2% by mass, more preferably 3% by mass, and the upper limit is preferably 20% by mass, more preferably 10% by mass. In addition, plant-based raw materials such as processed grains may contain protein, but the protein content in the egg-like food in this embodiment is preferably 3.0% by weight or less, more preferably 2.0% by weight or less.

[0032] In addition to the carotenoid-containing plants and grains mentioned above, vegetable-derived ingredients may also include tomatoes, turnips, radishes, spinach, bell peppers, asparagus, barley grass, garland chrysanthemum, mustard greens, lettuce, komatsuna, angelica tree leaves, sweet potatoes, potatoes, molokhia, paprika, parsley, celery, mitsuba, lettuce, radishes, shiso, eggplant, green beans, pumpkin, burdock, leeks, ginger, garlic, chives, corn, snow peas, okra, turnips, cucumbers, melons, zucchini, loofah, bean sprouts, and more. Furthermore, it may also contain fruit-derived ingredients such as citrus fruits like lemons, oranges, navel oranges, grapefruits, mandarins, limes, sudachi, yuzu, shikwasa, and tankan, as well as apples, plums, peaches, cherries, apricots, plums, prunes, camu camu, pears, loquats, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blackcurrants, cranberries, blueberries, melons, watermelons, kiwifruit, pomegranates, grapes, bananas, guavas, acerola, pineapples, mangoes, passion fruit, and lychees.

[0033] <Process (C)> The method for producing egg-like food in this embodiment may further include a step (C) in which the gel-like substance obtained in step (A) is mixed with an egg yolk-like liquid.

[0034] <Egg yolk-like liquid> The egg yolk-like liquid in this embodiment is a compound liquid that has been given an egg yolk-like color and richness, and is not particularly limited. The egg yolk-like liquid may be the same as the compound liquid before mixing the calcium salt aqueous solution in step (A) described above, or a compound liquid with different content ratios of each component may be used from the compound liquid in step (A). Preferably, it contains vegetable oil and vegetable-derived raw materials, and more preferably it is a compound liquid emulsified with vegetable oil.

[0035] In step (C), the mixing ratio of the gel-like substance and the egg yolk-like liquid is not particularly limited, but is preferably 1:1 to 10:1 in mass ratio of gel-like substance to egg yolk-like liquid, more preferably 1:1 to 7:1, even more preferably 1:2 to 5:1, and particularly preferably 1:3 to 4:1. If the ratio of egg yolk-like liquid is less than the above, it tends not to coat the gel-like substance obtained in step (A) properly, and if it is more than the above, the amount of liquid is large and the texture of the egg-like food tends to be impaired.

[0036] In the method for producing egg-like food according to this embodiment, in addition to the steps (A) to (C) described above, a heating step and a filling step may also be included. The heating process is carried out, for example, to sterilize the prepared liquid or to promote gelation. The heating method is not particularly limited and includes, for example, plate sterilization and tubular sterilization methods. The filling method in the filling process may be a known method. The container in which the egg-like food is filled may also be a known type, such as a vinyl container, can, bottle, paper container, or PET container.

[0037] [Egg-like foods] The egg-like food in this embodiment contains alginic acid compounds and calcium, and includes a portion gelled by the alginic acid compounds and calcium. Here, the alginic acid compounds are the same as those described above.

[0038] Furthermore, the egg-like food in this embodiment may further contain vegetable oil and vegetable-derived ingredients. Here, the vegetable oil and vegetable-derived ingredients are the same as those described above. Preferably, the vegetable-derived ingredients are emulsified with vegetable oil, which tends to reproduce a color and flavor equivalent to that of real eggs.

[0039] The egg-like food in this embodiment may contain chicken eggs in part. However, from the viewpoint of minimizing the use of animal-derived raw materials, the mass percentage of eggs contained in this egg-like food is preferably 50% by mass or less, more preferably 20% by mass or less, even more preferably 10% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 0% by mass.

[0040] Egg-like foods may contain seasonings, such as sugar, vinegar, mirin, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, umami seasonings, yeast extract, and meat extract. From the perspective of not using animal-derived ingredients, it is preferable not to use animal-derived ingredients such as meat extract and fish extract. Furthermore, to avoid artificial flavoring, it is preferable not to use umami seasonings.

[0041] Egg-like foods may have various additives added as appropriate. These additives are typically added to food and beverages and include, for example, sweeteners, acidulants, colorants, pH adjusters, antioxidants, flavorings, thickeners, coagulants, and emulsifiers.

[0042] A thickening agent is an agent used to increase the viscosity of a substance. A coagulant is an agent used to solidify a substance. Other thickening agents or coagulants that can be used in this egg-like food product are not particularly limited, but examples include pectin, agar, starch, modified starch, carrageenan, guar gum, locust bean gum, xanthan gum, galactomannan, gum arabic, cellulose, gelatin, and curdlan.

[0043] The seasonings and additives mentioned above may be used in any of steps (A) to (C), or in any other step.

[0044] The viscosity of egg-like food products is not particularly limited. When egg-like food products are in liquid form, the B-type viscosity is preferably 1,000 to 5,000 mPa·s. The B-type viscosity can be measured using a known method, and an example of the measurement method is to use a TVB-10 viscometer (manufactured by Toki Sangyo Co., Ltd.) at 20°C, with a rotation speed of 12 rpm, and 60 seconds after the start.

[0045] The cholesterol content of egg-like foods is not particularly limited, but is preferably 3% by mass or less, more preferably 1% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0% by mass. The method for measuring the cholesterol content may be a known method.

[0046] The soluble solids content (hereinafter also referred to as "Brix") of egg-like food products is not particularly limited, but is preferably 4 or more and 20 or less. The method for measuring Brix may be a known method, and an example of a measuring instrument is an optical refractometer (NAR-3T, manufactured by ATAGO).

[0047] The pH of the egg-like food product is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of taste, it is preferably 5.0 to 7.0, and more preferably 5.5 to 6.5. [Examples]

[0048] The present invention will be described in more detail using examples and comparative examples, but the present invention is not limited in any way by these examples.

[0049] [Example 1] (Manufacturing of gel-like substances) All of the following ingredients (1-8) were placed in a blender (BRAUN MultiQuick Hand Blender MQ500) and mixed for 30 seconds to obtain a mixture containing emulsified sodium alginate.

[0050] [Table 1]

[0051] The sodium alginate concentration of the resulting solution was 0.6% by mass. Next, the resulting mixture was heated until it reached 85°C, at which point the heat was removed and it was cooled in ice water. After cooling to below 10°C, it was spread thinly in a pot, and a pre-prepared 0.5% by mass calcium lactate aqueous solution was slowly poured over the thinly spread mixture to induce a gelation reaction.

[0052] Next, the gel was slowly stirred with a rubber spatula to break it into appropriate sizes. Then, the calcium lactate solution was rinsed off with water, taking care not to crush the gel, and the water was drained thoroughly to obtain a gel-like substance.

[0053] (Preparation of egg yolk-like liquid) Similarly to the above, all ingredients 1-8 were placed into a blender (BRAUN MultiQuick Hand Blender MQ500) and mixed for 30 seconds to obtain a mixture containing emulsified sodium alginate. The resulting mixture was heated until it reached 85°C, then the heat was removed and it was cooled in ice water to obtain an egg yolk-like liquid.

[0054] (Manufacturing of scrambled egg-like food products) A scrambled egg-like food product was obtained by mixing 80g of the gel-like substance obtained above with 20g of egg yolk-like liquid (mass ratio 4:1). The resulting scrambled egg-like food product was extremely similar (or equivalent) to scrambled eggs made with real eggs in terms of texture, color, and flavor, and was of excellent quality.

[0055] [Examples 2-5] Scrambled egg-like food was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the concentrations of sodium alginate and calcium lactate were changed to the concentrations shown in the table below.

[0056] [Table 2]

[0057] The resulting scrambled egg-like foods were all of excellent quality, with texture, color, and flavor being extremely similar (or equivalent) to scrambled eggs made with real eggs.

[0058] [Examples 6-8] Scrambled egg-like food was obtained using the same method as in Example 1, except that the amount of rapeseed oil used in the preparation of the compounding solution was changed to the concentration shown in the table below.

[0059] [Table 3]

[0060] The scrambled egg-like food in Example 6 lacked richness and had a somewhat inferior flavor. On the other hand, the scrambled egg-like food in Example 7 showed slow emulsification with sodium alginate alone, but emulsification was confirmed after adding xanthan gum. The scrambled egg-like food in Example 8 had too strong an oily taste and was somewhat inferior in flavor.

[0061] [Example 9] By changing the mixing ratio of the gel-like substance obtained in Example 1 with the egg yolk-like liquid, egg-like foods of various shapes, such as soft-boiled egg-like, omelet-like, and scrambled egg-like, were produced.

[0062] [Comparative Examples, Examples 10-20] Scrambled egg-like food was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the raw material composition was as shown in Table 4 below, and the concentrations of sodium alginate and calcium lactate were changed to those shown in Table 5 below.

[0063] We evaluated the following based on the results: "○" for items with the same shape and texture as scrambled eggs, "△" for items that were slightly firmer or softer than scrambled eggs but within an acceptable range, and "×" for items that were different in shape and texture from scrambled eggs.

[0064] [Table 4]

[0065] [Table 5]

[0066] (Evaluation comments for each sample) Comparative Example 1 had a low alginic acid concentration and did not form a sufficient gel. Examples 10 to 13 formed a scrambled egg-like gel as the alginic acid concentration increased. Comparative Example 2 had a high alginic acid concentration and strong gel-forming ability, but it was too hard for the texture of scrambled eggs. Example 14 had a slightly loose consistency, but it was acceptable as scrambled eggs. Examples 15 to 18 had appropriate alginic acid and calcium concentrations and formed a scrambled egg-like gel. Examples 19 and 20 had a slightly hard texture due to high alginic acid or calcium concentrations, but it was acceptable as scrambled eggs.

Claims

1. The method includes a step (A) of obtaining a gel-like material by mixing a preparation containing alginic acids with an aqueous calcium salt solution and gelling the mixture, A method for producing an egg-like food, wherein the concentration of the alginic acid or the like is 0.4 to 3.0% by mass relative to the preparation liquid, and the concentration of the aqueous calcium salt solution is 0.5 to 5.0% by mass.

2. 2. The method for producing an egg-like food according to claim 1, further comprising a step (B) of adding vegetable oil and a vegetable-derived raw material to the liquid preparation and emulsifying the mixture.

3. 3. The method for producing an egg-like food according to claim 2, wherein the vegetable-derived raw material is a processed product of a carotenoid-containing plant.

4. 4. The method for producing an egg-like food according to claim 3, wherein the carotenoid-containing plant is at least one selected from the group consisting of carrots, pumpkins, paprika, citrus fruits, and mangoes.

5. 4. The method for producing an egg-like food according to claim 3, wherein the processed product of the carotenoid-containing plant is at least one selected from the group consisting of carrot juice, concentrated carrot juice, carrot pulp, and carrot puree.

6. 3. The method for producing an egg-like food according to claim 2, wherein the vegetable oil is at least one selected from the group consisting of linseed oil, perilla oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil, corn oil, sesame oil, rice oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, palm oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, and cottonseed oil.

7. The method for producing an egg-like food according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the egg-like food is a scrambled egg-like food.

8. The method for producing an egg-like food according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the alginic acid compound is at least one selected from the group consisting of sodium alginate, potassium alginate, and ammonium alginate.

9. The method for producing an egg-like food according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the calcium salt is at least one selected from the group consisting of calcium lactate, calcium gluconate, calcium fumarate, calcium citrate, calcium succinate, calcium acetate, calcium chloride, and calcium hydroxide.

10. An egg-like food product comprising alginic acids and calcium, and including a portion gelled by the alginic acids and the calcium.

11. 11. The egg-like food product according to claim 10, further comprising vegetable oil and vegetable-derived ingredients.

12. 12. The egg-like food product according to claim 11, wherein the vegetable-derived material is emulsified with the vegetable oil.

13. 13. The egg-like food according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the vegetable oil is at least one selected from the group consisting of linseed oil, perilla oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil, corn oil, sesame oil, rice oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, palm oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, and cottonseed oil.

14. 13. The egg-like food according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the vegetable-derived material is a processed product of a carotenoid-containing plant.

15. 15. The egg-like food according to claim 14, wherein the processed product of a carotenoid-containing plant is at least one selected from the group consisting of carrot juice, concentrated carrot juice, carrot pulp, and carrot puree.