Quality improvement composition for grain flour-containing food

Abstract

To provide a quality improvement composition capable of improving the quality of grain flour-containing food, particularly mitigating oxidized odors of fats and oils and unpleasant odors derived from grain flour, and a method for improving the quality of grain flour-containing food using the composition.SOLUTION: A yeast extract containing predetermined amounts of sulfide compounds and thiophene compounds is added to grain flour-containing food, thereby mitigating oxidized odors of fats and oils, as well as unpleasant odors such as powderiness or raw smells derived from grain flour.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a quality improving composition that can be used for foods containing flour, and a method for improving the quality of foods containing flour. [Background technology]

[0002] Flour is produced by grinding grains and is used in various forms of food and drink around the world, such as bread, cakes, and noodles. Noodles, in particular, come in various forms, such as dried noodles, frozen foods, and instant noodles, and are widely consumed. Of these, instant noodles are often distributed as fried (fried) noodles or non-fried noodles, but fried noodles have the problem of generating odors including the oxidized odor of oils and fats. To solve this problem, a masking agent for the odor of fried noodles containing trimethylamine (Patent Document 1) and a Chinese noodle-like flavor consisting of a W / O emulsion containing an aqueous solution containing a product of the heating reaction of wheat protein and / or egg white enzymatic decomposition and kansui, edible oils and fats, and a W / O type emulsifier (Patent Document 2) have been reported. However, trimethylamine is known to have a strong odor, and it has been reported that it is converted into TMAO (trimethylamine-N-oxide) by oxidation in the body, which may affect cardiovascular diseases (Non-Patent Document 1). Furthermore, when a protein enzymatic hydrolysate and kansui are reacted by heating in advance, and then the reaction product is mixed with edible oils and fats and an emulsifier to prepare an emulsion, there is a problem that the process becomes complicated.

[0003] In addition, with regard to non-fried noodles, which do not require a frying process, unpleasant odors such as a powdery smell or a fishy smell derived from grain flour have been cited as problems, but no methods for improving this have been reported.

[0004] On a different note, yeast extract is a highly safe food that is widely used in foods. For foods containing cereal flour, a noodle quality improver containing a thickener and yeast that has been treated to remove bitterness has been reported (Patent Document 3). However, the noodle quality improver improves the viscoelasticity and hardness of noodles, but does not improve the unpleasant smell or odor of foods containing cereal flour. For these reasons, there has been a demand for a quality improving agent for flour-containing foods that can be used in a simpler process. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-176788 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2019-134688 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2014-121315 A [Non-patent literature]

[0006] [Non-Patent Document 1] Zeneng W. et al, Nature, 472, 57-63. (2011) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a composition capable of improving the quality of flour-containing foods, in particular the oxidized odor of fats and oils and the unpleasant odor derived from flour, and to provide a method for improving the quality of flour-containing foods using said composition. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] As a result of intensive research into solving the above problems, the inventors discovered that by adding a yeast extract containing a predetermined amount of sulfide compounds and thiophene compounds to flour-containing foods, the oxidized odor of fats and oils and the unpleasant odor originating from flour can be improved, and thus completed the present invention.

[0009] That is, the present invention relates to the following first to sixth aspects. The first is a quality improving composition for flour-containing foods, which contains as an active ingredient a yeast extract containing sulfide compounds and thiophene compounds. Secondly, the quality improved composition according to the first aspect is a quality improved composition in which, when 20 μL of 0.1 wt % cyclohexanol is added to 1 mL of a 10 wt % aqueous solution of the composition and the peak area value of cyclohexanol is set to 1 when the peak area value of cyclohexanol is set to 1, the total peak area value of the sulfide compounds and thiophene compounds contained in the composition is 0.45 to 2. Thirdly, there is provided the quality improving composition according to the first or second aspect, wherein the flour-containing food is a fried food. Fourthly, there is provided the quality improving composition according to the first or second aspect, wherein the flour-containing food is non-fried noodles. Fifthly, there is provided a method for improving the quality of flour-containing foods using the quality improving composition according to the first or second aspect. Sixthly, there is provided a method for producing a flour-containing food, which comprises the step of adding the quality improving composition according to the first or second aspect. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, by adding a quality improving composition containing yeast extract containing sulfide compounds and thiophene compounds as an active ingredient to a flour-containing food, the oxidized odor of fats and oils in a fried food containing flour can be suppressed and a fragrant taste can be imparted. In addition, in the case of a non-fried food such as non-fried noodles, a flour-containing food can be obtained in which the unpleasant odors derived from flour, such as powdery odor and raw odor, are improved. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The flour in the present invention refers to flours such as wheat flour and rice flour obtained by grinding cereals of the Gramineae family, as well as flours such as mung bean flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, etc. obtained from beans, buckwheat, potatoes, and root vegetables, and processed starches obtained by processing these. Furthermore, the flour-containing food in the present invention refers to foods that contain the above-mentioned flour as a raw material, and examples thereof include bread, noodles including fried noodles and non-fried noodles, cakes, confectionery, and fried foods with batter.

[0012] The quality improving composition of the present invention contains yeast extract containing sulfide compounds and thiophene compounds as active ingredients. Here, the sulfide compounds in the present invention refer to methional, methylpropenyl disulfide, 2-methyl-3-(methyldithio)furan and bis(2-methyl-3-furyl)disulfide. In addition, the thiophene compounds in the present invention refer to 2-methylthiophene, 3-methylthiophene, 2,4-dimethylthiophene, dihydro-2-methylthiophene and 2-acetylthiophene.

[0013] The yeast extract of the present invention is not particularly limited in origin, as long as it contains the sulfide compounds and thiophene compounds in the desired amount described below, and can be derived from edible yeast such as budding yeast or torula yeast, and can be heat-treated yeast extract.In addition, when the sulfide compounds and thiophene compounds contained in the yeast extract do not reach the desired amount described below, the sulfide compounds or thiophene compounds can be added to a commonly available yeast extract to reach the desired amount, and the sulfide compounds or thiophene compounds can be added to a liquid or paste yeast extract, mixed, and then made into a powder or granule as necessary.

[0014] The sulfide compounds and thiophene compounds contained in the quality-improved composition of the present invention can be analyzed by a solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatograph mass spectrometer. At this time, a predetermined amount of internal standard is added and the analysis is performed, and the total area value of the sulfide compounds or the total area value of the thiophene compounds is divided by the peak area value of the internal standard to know the content of the sulfide compounds and the thiophene compounds in the composition. More specifically, the composition of the present invention is prepared into a 10% by weight aqueous solution, and 20 μL of 0.1% by weight cyclohexanol is added to 1 mL of the aqueous solution as an internal standard, and the content can be calculated as a ratio to the peak area value of cyclohexanol by subjecting the composition to analysis by a micro solid-phase extraction-gas chromatograph mass spectrometer.

[0015] The sulfide compounds and thiophene compounds contained in the quality improving composition of the present invention preferably have a total peak area value of 0.45 to 2, more preferably 0.5 to 1.8, when the peak area of ​​cyclohexanol (internal standard) obtained by the analysis method is taken as 1. The sulfide compounds contained in the present invention preferably have a total peak area value of 0.4 to 1, more preferably 0.45 to 0.8, when the peak area of ​​cyclohexanol (internal standard) obtained by the analysis method is taken as 1. The thiophene compounds contained in the present invention preferably have a total peak area value of 0.05 to 1, more preferably 0.08 to 0.8, when the peak area of ​​cyclohexanol (internal standard) obtained by the analysis method is taken as 1. The composition of the present invention may further contain a thiazole compound as a sulfur-containing compound. Preferably, the total peak area value of 0.1 or more, more preferably 0.3 or more, when the peak area of ​​cyclohexanol (internal standard) obtained by the analysis method is taken as 1.

[0016] Furthermore, any commonly available yeast extract containing the desired amounts of sulfide compounds and thiophene compounds can be used as the quality improving composition of the present invention, for example, "Cook-up ST-MT (Mitsubishi Corporation Life Sciences)."

[0017] The method for improving the quality of flour-containing foods using the composition of the present invention can be obtained by adding the composition of the present invention during the production of flour-containing foods. For example, when the composition of the present invention is used for noodles, it can be added during the production process of noodles and kneaded into the noodles for use. The quality of noodles can be improved by adding 0.01 to 0.5 parts by weight, preferably 0.05 to 0.3 parts by weight, of the composition of the present invention to 100 parts by weight of flour, preparing dough according to a conventional method, and then producing fried noodles or non-fried noodles. In addition, in the case of fried foods with a coating, when preparing a fluid dough (batter liquid) made by mixing flour, eggs, milk, etc. with water, 0.1 to 1 part by weight, preferably 0.3 to 0.8 parts by weight of the composition of the present invention to 100 parts by weight of flour can be added, and the batter liquid can be used to produce fried foods according to a conventional method, thereby suppressing the oxidized odor of the oil and fat of the fried foods and imparting a fragrant taste, thereby improving the quality. EXAMPLES

[0018] The present invention will be specifically described below using examples, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[0019] In the following analyses and tests, the applicant's "Cookup ST-MT", a yeast extract containing desired amounts of sulfide compounds and thiophene compounds, was used as the quality improvement composition in Example 1. The sulfide compounds and thiophene compounds contained in the quality improvement composition were quantified by the following analytical methods.

[0020] <Analysis method for compounds contained> The sample to be analyzed by solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography mass spectrometry was prepared by preparing a 10 wt% aqueous solution, and 20 μL of 0.1 wt% cyclohexanol was added to 1 mL of this solution as an internal standard. Micro solid-phase extraction was performed using an SPME fiber (50 / 30 μm, DVB / CAR / PDMS) and subjected to analysis by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The gas chromatograph used was 7890B, and the mass spectrometer used was 5977B EI Inert Plus Turbo Pump (both from Agilent). The analysis conditions for the gas chromatography mass spectrometry are as follows. The detected compounds were identified by comparing the retention time considering the mass spectrum and retention index with a database of compounds related to aroma components. · Injection port mode, temperature: splitless, 250 °C · Separation column: DB-WAX column 122-7062 (0.25 mm × 60 m × 0.25 μm; Agilent Technologies) · Carrier gas and flow rate: helium, 1.9 mL / min · Ionization method: EI · Detection: scan mode

[0021] <Analysis results of ST-MT> When the sample of Example 1 was analyzed, the peak area value of the sulfide compounds with the peak area value of the internal standard set to 1 was 0.505. Also, the peak area value of the thiophene compounds was 0.144.

[0022] <Confirmation test of the addition effect to fried noodles> For the fried noodles of Example 2 and Comparative Example 1, the raw materials were mixed according to the formulation in Table 1, kneaded with a mixer, then rolled and cut into noodle strands. The obtained noodle strands were steamed at 99 °C for 5 minutes, loosened, then placed in a mold and fried at 140 °C for 2 minutes to prepare fried noodles. The fried noodles and a commercially available powdered soy sauce ramen soup were placed in a container, hot water was poured in, and it was tasted after 3 minutes. As a result, in the fried noodles of Example 2, compared with the fried noodles of Comparative Example 1, the oxidized odor of the oil and fat was reduced and a fragrant flavor was imparted. Furthermore, when the fried noodles of Example 2 and Comparative Example 1 were tasted as they were without adding ramen soup or boiling water, the fried noodles of Example 2 had a reduced oxidized oil smell and enhanced the fragrant flavor and pleasant wheat flavor compared to Comparative Example 1. This demonstrated that the composition of the present invention can be used for snack noodles.

[0023] [Table 1]

[0024] <Confirmation test of the effect of adding to non-fried noodles> Of the processes for producing the fried noodles of Example 2 and Comparative Example 1, the process of frying in oil was replaced by drying for 2 hours at 70°C to obtain the non-fried noodles of Example 3 to which the composition of the present invention was added and Comparative Example 2 to which the composition of the present invention was not added. The non-fried noodles of Example 3 or Comparative Example 2 and commercially available soy sauce ramen soup were placed in a container, boiling water was poured over, and the noodles were tasted after 3 minutes. As a result, the non-fried noodles of Example 3 had a reduced powdery smell of wheat flour and were imparted with a rich initial flavor and umami taste, compared to the non-fried noodles of Comparative Example 2.

[0025] <Confirmation test of the effect of adding to batter liquid> According to the recipe in Table 2, the batter liquid of Example 4, in which the composition of the present invention was added, and the batter liquid of Comparative Example 3, in which the composition of the present invention was not added, were prepared. Ground beef, potato flakes, sauteed onion, salt, black pepper, etc. were mixed and prepared into about 25 g, which was then molded and left to stand in a refrigerator for about 1 hour. The product was then dipped in the batter liquid of Example 4 or Comparative Example 3, coated with breadcrumbs, and fried at 180°C for 3 and a half minutes to prepare beef croquettes. The product was allowed to cool, reheated, and tasting after being frozen. As a result, compared to the beef croquette of Comparative Example 3, the beef croquette of Example 4 had a stronger fried feel and a stronger oily odor, while also reducing the oxidized odor of oil and highlighting its savory flavor.

[0026] [Table 2]

[0027] From the above, it was shown that the present invention can suppress the oxidized odor of fats and oils in flour-containing foods and can impart a fragrant taste. It was also shown that the present invention can reduce unpleasant odors such as a powdery odor or a fishy odor derived from flour in non-fried foods such as non-fried noodles.

Claims

1. A quality improving composition for flour-containing foods, comprising as an active ingredient a yeast extract containing sulfide compounds and thiophene compounds.

2. 2. The quality improved composition according to claim 1, wherein 20 μL of 0.1 wt % cyclohexanol is added to 1 mL of a 10 wt % aqueous solution of the quality improved composition, and the result is analyzed using a solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography mass spectrometer, and when the peak area value of cyclohexanol is taken as 1, the total peak area value of the sulfide compounds and thiophene compounds contained in the composition is 0.45 to 2.

3. The quality improving composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the flour-containing food is a fried food.

4. The quality improving composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the flour-containing food is non-fried noodles.

5. A method for improving the quality of flour-containing foods using the quality improving composition according to claim 1 or 2.

6. A method for producing a flour-containing food, comprising the step of adding a quality improving composition according to claim 1 or 2.

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