Method for producing pasta food package and method for using the same

Abstract

To provide a pasta food package that allows long-term storage at room temperature, can be prepared for eating in a short period of cooking, and offers a superior texture.SOLUTION: A method for producing a pasta food package includes the steps of: cooking raw pasta to produce semi-cooked pasta with a moisture content of 45-55 mass%; applying acid treatment on the semi-cooked pasta; and sealing the acid-treated semi-cooked pasta in a packaging container for heat sterilization, where the acid treatment is preferably performed so that the pH of the semi-cooked pasta is 4.3 or less after the acid treatment.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pasta food package that can be stored at room temperature and eaten after short cooking time. [Background technology]

[0002] Pasta foods such as spaghetti and macaroni have a unique chewy and elastic texture among noodles, and are popular foods that go well with various sauces. Pasta foods are usually boiled and seasoned with sauces, but boiling generally takes about 10 minutes in boiling water, which wastes a lot of energy when cooking for one person. In recent years, there has been a strong trend toward individual meals, and in order to reduce such waste, pasta foods that are pre-boiled and pre-packaged with sauce are now commercially available.

[0003] It is known that noodles deteriorate in quality over time after boiling due to the occurrence of so-called boiled stretching. Regarding boiling pasta, it is considered good to boil it so that a moisture gradient is created, with a high moisture content on the surface and a low moisture content in the center. In particular, the ideal boiled state of pasta is considered to be al dente, in which the pasta is not completely boiled but is left with a core about the size of a hair in the center. However, even if pasta is boiled to an al dente state, the moisture content may become averaged throughout the pasta in a relatively short time due to the subsequent moisture transfer within the pasta, causing the moisture gradient to disappear, resulting in a hard texture that is difficult to feel elastic when eaten. In addition, when boiled pasta is stored in contact with sauce, in addition to the moisture transfer within the pasta, moisture transfer from the sauce to the pasta occurs, which tends to significantly reduce the elasticity of the pasta over time.

[0004] Conventionally, as processed foods, semi-cooked products have been known in which the ingredients are not fully cooked at the distribution stage and are in a so-called semi-cooked state, and the ingredients are made edible by the purchaser further cooking the ingredients when they are consumed. Patent Document 1 describes semi-cooked noodles with a moisture content of 59.5% by mass or less, which are obtained by heating raw noodles for a short period of time. The semi-cooked noodles described in Patent Document 1 have good storage stability, and are said to have a moisture gradient between the surface and center of the noodle strings when heated for a short period of time at home (boiling for 3 to 15 minutes), resulting in an excellent chewy texture similar to that of noodles immediately after being boiled. Patent Document 2 describes frozen packaged noodles in which semi-cooked noodles with a moisture content of 55-63% by mass and surface oil and fat content and water-soluble paste content each falling within a specific range are sealed in a bag for hot water bathing together with a small amount of gas so that the air content falls within a specific range. The frozen packaged noodles described in Patent Document 2 are said to be ready to eat by simply bathing the bag for hot water bathing for 7 minutes. Patent Document 3 describes tubular pasta (semi-cooked noodles) for cooking in a microwave oven that can be stored at room temperature for six months, which is produced by boiling dried pasta with a protein value within a specific range so that the yield is 250 to 300% by weight, sterilizing it with an organic acid, sealing it, and sterilizing it by heat. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2-119753 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 16563 / 1983 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-155509 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a pasta food package which can be stored at room temperature for a long period of time, can be cooked in a short time to a ready-to-eat state, and has a good texture. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] When noodles are boiled, hot water gradually permeates from the surface of the noodles to the inside, and the noodles are cooked by the heat of the hot water that has penetrated. In the course of various investigations to solve the above problem, the present inventors have focused on the relationship between the water content of pasta and the degree of cooking progress (degree of penetration of hot water) when dried pasta is boiled, and as a result of detailed investigations, they have found that hot water permeates into the pasta relatively quickly until the water content of the pasta reaches 45% by mass, but when the water content exceeds 45% by mass, the penetration rate of the hot water becomes relatively slow. Then, as a result of further investigations, they have found that by boiling dried pasta so that the water content of the pasta after boiling is in a semi-cooked state of about 45 to 55% by mass, the movement of water within the pasta after boiling can be suppressed during storage, and deterioration of the texture of the pasta can be effectively prevented. In addition, it has been discovered that by subjecting such semi-cooked pasta to an acid treatment followed by heat sterilization, the deterioration of the quality of the pasta due to the heat sterilization treatment is suppressed while the shelf life of the pasta at room temperature is improved.

[0008] The present invention has been made based on the above findings, and provides a method for producing a pasta food package in which a pasta food product including semi-cooked pasta is enclosed inside a packaging container, the method comprising the steps of: A step of cooking the raw material pasta to obtain semi-cooked pasta having a moisture content of 45 to 55% by mass; subjecting the semi-cooked pasta to an acid treatment; a step of sealing the semi-cooked pasta that has been subjected to the acid treatment in a packaging container and subjecting it to heat sterilization; The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

[0009] The present invention also relates to a method for using the pasta food package produced by the above-mentioned production method of the present invention, which method includes a step of cooking the semi-cooked pasta with heat. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, a pasta food package is provided which can be stored at room temperature for a long period of time, can be cooked in a short time to a ready-to-eat state, and has a good texture. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The method for producing the pasta food package of the present invention includes a step of cooking raw material pasta with heat to obtain semi-cooked pasta (cooking step), a step of subjecting the semi-cooked pasta to an acid treatment (acid treatment step), and a step of sealing the semi-cooked pasta that has been subjected to the acid treatment in a packaging container and subjecting it to a heat sterilization treatment (heat sterilization step).

[0012] In the cooking step, the type of raw pasta to be cooked is not particularly limited, and a wide variety of pasta classified as pasta, a general term for Italian-style noodles, can be used, including long pasta, short pasta, and sheet-form pasta. Specific examples of long pasta include spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine, and bucatini. Specific examples of short pasta include macaroni, penne, rigatoni, fusilli, conchiglie, farfalle, ravioli, and tortelli. Specific examples of sheet-form pasta include lasagna.

[0013] As the raw material pasta, either dried pasta or fresh pasta may be used. Dried pasta is dough that has been subjected to a drying process, while fresh pasta is dough that has not been subjected to a drying process. The dough can be produced according to a conventional method, and is typically obtained by adding water to a powder raw material containing grain flour such as durum semolina or durum wheat flour, kneading the mixture, and forming it into a desired shape. Generally, the moisture content of dried pasta is about 10 to 14% by mass, and the moisture content of fresh pasta is about 38 to 46% by mass.

[0014] In the present invention, "powdered raw materials" refers to raw materials for raw material pasta (dough) that are in a powder form at room temperature and normal pressure. In this specification, "room temperature and normal pressure" refers to the ambient temperature and pressure in the environment in which the manufacturing method of the present invention is normally carried out, typically an environment with an ambient temperature of 25°C and a pressure of 1 atmosphere.

[0015] From the viewpoint of more reliably achieving the desired effect of the present invention (providing a pasta food package that can be stored at room temperature for a long period of time, can be cooked in a short time to a state that is ready to eat, and has a good texture), dried pasta is preferred as the raw material pasta. In the present invention, as described later, the raw material pasta is cooked with heat in the cooking step to obtain semi-cooked pasta with a moisture content of 45 to 55% by mass, while the moisture content of fresh pasta before cooking may be similar to the targeted moisture content after cooking. Therefore, when fresh pasta is used as the raw material pasta, if priority is given to adjusting the moisture content to the specific range in the cooking step, there is a risk that the fresh pasta will not be heated sufficiently. Dried pasta does not have such concerns and is suitable as the raw material pasta. A particularly preferred raw material pasta is dried pasta with a moisture content of 13% by mass or less.

[0016] In the cooking step, the raw material pasta is cooked to obtain semi-cooked pasta with a moisture content of 45 to 55% by mass. Generally, the moisture content of pasta in a state suitable for eating is about 61 to 80% by mass, and the moisture content of the semi-cooked pasta of the present invention, 45 to 55% by mass, is lower than the moisture content of pasta in a state suitable for eating. By making the pasta in the pasta food package semi-cooked pasta with such a low moisture content, moisture movement within the pasta during storage (for example, moisture movement from the surface side to the center side of the pasta) is suppressed, and if a moisture gradient of "high moisture content on the surface side and low moisture content on the center side" is established immediately after cooking, this moisture gradient is likely to be maintained during storage, and it becomes possible to enjoy a good texture with the same chewiness and elasticity as freshly boiled pasta when eating. If the moisture content of the semi-cooked pasta is less than 45% by mass, the texture of the pasta may be too hard, and if the moisture content of the semi-cooked pasta is more than 55% by mass, the texture of the pasta may be too soft. The moisture content of the semi-cooked pasta is preferably 46 to 54% by mass, and more preferably 47 to 53% by mass. The moisture content of the semi-cooked pasta can be adjusted by appropriately adjusting the heating and cooking conditions (heating temperature, heating time, etc.) of the raw material pasta. Furthermore, the moisture content of semi-cooked pasta, the moisture content of which has been adjusted to 45 to 55% by mass in the cooking step, does not change significantly even when it undergoes the subsequent acid treatment step and heat sterilization step. In particular, there is often almost no change in the moisture content when no food ingredients other than semi-cooked pasta are packed into the packaging container during the heat sterilization step.

[0017] In this specification, the "moisture content of pasta" is a value measured by a method (absolute drying method) in which pasta (sample) is heated under specific conditions to dry out the moisture, and the moisture content is calculated by regarding the mass difference before and after drying as the moisture mass. Specifically, first, the mass of the pasta to be measured (mass before drying W1) is measured according to a standard method. Next, the pasta to be measured is dried under conditions in which the product temperature of the pasta is maintained at 80°C for 12 hours, and its mass (mass after drying W2) is measured. The mass difference before and after drying (W1-W2) is then regarded as the moisture mass, and the moisture mass relative to the pre-drying mass W1 is calculated as a percentage, and this value is regarded as the moisture content of the pasta.

[0018] In the cooking step, the method of cooking the raw material pasta is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include boiling, steaming, and microwave cooking. Typically, semi-cooked pasta is obtained by putting the raw material pasta into a large amount of hot water and boiling it.

[0019] In the acid treatment step, the semi-cooked pasta obtained in the cooking step is subjected to an acid treatment. The acid treatment step mainly contributes to improving the shelf life of the semi-cooked pasta. In particular, the presence of the acid treatment step makes it possible to set the heating conditions for the semi-cooked pasta in the subsequent heat sterilization step to relatively mild conditions (e.g., a relatively low heating temperature) that are unlikely to cause deterioration in the quality of the pasta, thereby making it possible to achieve both a high level of shelf life and texture of the pasta.

[0020] From the viewpoint of ensuring the effects of the acid treatment step described above and minimizing the effect of the acid treatment on the quality of the pasta, the acid treatment is preferably carried out so that the pH of the semi-cooked pasta after the acid treatment is preferably 4.3 or less, more preferably 3.0 to 4.3, and even more preferably 3.2 to 4.2. There is a concern that the acid treatment of semi-cooked pasta may add an unnecessary sour taste to the taste of the pasta, but by carrying out the acid treatment so that the pH of the semi-cooked pasta after the acid treatment is 3.0 or more, such a concern can be eliminated. Furthermore, the pH of semi-cooked pasta, the pH of which has been adjusted to 4.3 or less in the acid treatment step, does not change significantly even when it undergoes the subsequent heat sterilization step. In particular, there is often almost no change in the pH of the packaging container during the heat sterilization step if no food ingredients other than the semi-cooked pasta are packed into the packaging container.

[0021] In this specification, the "pH of pasta" refers to a value measured by the following method: the pasta to be measured is cut into cubes with sides of approximately 1 mm, 10 g of such cube-shaped pasta is placed in a blender and mixed and ground for 30 seconds to obtain a mixture, the electrodes of a pH meter are placed in the mixture and allowed to stand, and the pH value displayed on the pH meter when the pH fluctuation of the mixture has stabilized is regarded as the pH of the pasta.

[0022] In the acid treatment step, the method of treating the semi-cooked pasta with an acid is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a method of contacting the semi-cooked pasta with an acidic liquid. Specific examples thereof include a method of immersing the semi-cooked pasta in an acidic liquid and a method of applying the acidic liquid to the semi-cooked pasta. The method of applying the acidic liquid to the semi-cooked pasta can be, for example, a method of spraying the acidic liquid onto the semi-cooked pasta or a method of applying the acidic liquid to the surface of the semi-cooked pasta with a brush or the like.

[0023] The pH of the acidic solution is preferably 2.0 to 3.0, and more preferably 2.2 to 2.8, from the viewpoint of adjusting the pH of the semi-cooked pasta after the acid treatment to within the above-mentioned preferred range. The "pH of the acidic solution" referred to here is the measured value obtained by a commercially available pH meter, specifically, the pH value displayed on the pH meter when the electrode of the pH meter is placed in the acidic solution and left to stand, and the pH fluctuation of the acidic solution becomes stable.

[0024] The acidic liquid may be an aqueous liquid in which one or more acids selected from organic acids, inorganic acids, and salts thereof are dispersed or dissolved. These acids are preferably acids that can be used in foods and beverages. Examples of the organic acid include aliphatic monocarboxylic acids such as acetic acid, etc., aliphatic saturated dicarboxylic acids such as succinic acid and adipic acid, hydroxy acids such as lactic acid, malic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid and gluconic acid, aliphatic unsaturated dicarboxylic acids such as fumaric acid, etc., and phosphate esters such as phytic acid, etc. Examples of the inorganic acid include carbonic acid, phosphoric acid, etc. The acidic liquid may contain, if necessary, other components other than the acid, such as fats and oils, seasonings, etc. In this case, the content of the other components in the acidic liquid is preferably 10% by mass or less based on the total mass of the acidic liquid.

[0025] A preferred example of a method for contacting the semi-cooked pasta with an acidic liquid in the acid treatment step is to immerse the semi-cooked pasta in an acidic liquid under normal pressure, and the product temperature of the acidic liquid is preferably 10 to 50° C., more preferably 30 to 45° C., and the contact time (immersion time) between the semi-cooked pasta and the acidic liquid is preferably 30 to 120 seconds, more preferably 45 to 80 seconds. Such a contact method is relatively simple in operation, makes it easy to adjust the pH of the semi-cooked pasta after the acid treatment to within the preferred range, and suppresses an undesirable increase in the moisture content of the semi-cooked pasta, which is a concern when carrying out the acid treatment step, so that it is possible to achieve a high level of both the shelf life and texture of the pasta.

[0026] After the acid treatment step and before the subsequent heat sterilization step, a treatment for removing excess acidic liquid from the semi-cooked pasta may be carried out, if necessary. Such a treatment for removing the acidic liquid may be carried out in a conventional manner, for example, using a draining tool such as a colander. After the acid treatment step and before the subsequent heat sterilization step, a treatment for preventing adhesion between the semi-cooked pasta may be carried out as necessary. Such a treatment for preventing adhesion between the semi-cooked pasta can be carried out, for example, by spraying or applying an adhesion prevention agent (lubricant) such as oil or emulsified oil to the surface of the semi-cooked pasta.

[0027] By the way, while the acid treatment of semi-cooked pasta is expected to improve the shelf life of the pasta, there is a concern that the flavor (taste and texture) of the pasta may be unintentionally affected. In particular, there is a concern that the acid treatment adds an unnecessary sour taste to the taste of the pasta, reducing the wheat flavor, which is one of the important qualities of pasta. As mentioned above, such a concern can be eliminated by a method such as adjusting the pH of the semi-cooked pasta after the acid treatment, but a method that can more reliably eliminate such a concern is a method using one or more sweeteners selected from the group consisting of sucralose and thaumatin (hereinafter also referred to as "special sweetener"). In addition, examples of the method of using the special sweetener include 1) a method of using the special sweetener as a component contained in the acidic solution used in the acid treatment step (hereinafter also referred to as "method 1"), and 2) a method of using the special sweetener as a raw material for the raw material pasta (dough) (hereinafter also referred to as "method 2").

[0028] An example of the above-mentioned method 1 is a method in which, in the acid treatment in which semi-cooked pasta is brought into contact with an acidic liquid, the acidic liquid has a pH of 2.0 to 3.0, preferably 2.2 to 2.8, and contains one or more specific sweeteners. When the acidic liquid contains sucralose as the specific sweetener, the content of sucralose in the acidic liquid is preferably 0.01 to 0.2% by mass, more preferably 0.03 to 0.15% by mass, based on 100% by mass of the acidic liquid. When the acidic solution contains thaumatin as the specific sweetener, the content of thaumatin in the acidic solution is preferably 0.0005 to 0.04% by mass, and more preferably 0.001 to 0.03% by mass, relative to 100% by mass of the acidic solution.

[0029] An example of the method 2 is a method in which one or more specific sweeteners are added to the powder raw materials for producing dough together with grain flour such as durum semolina or durum wheat flour. As described above, raw material pasta (dried pasta, fresh pasta) consists of dough containing powder raw materials and water, and the dough is produced by adding liquid raw materials such as water to powder raw materials containing grain flour and kneading them. Raw material pasta made of fresh pasta is obtained by forming the dough into a desired shape such as noodle strings as necessary. Furthermore, raw material pasta made of dried pasta is obtained by drying the fresh pasta. When the powder raw material contains sucralose as a specific sweetener, the content of sucralose in the powder raw material is preferably 0.003 to 0.035 mass%, more preferably 0.008 to 0.025 mass%, relative to 100 mass% of the powder raw material. When the powdered raw material contains thaumatin as a specific sweetener, the content of thaumatin in the powdered raw material is preferably 0.0006 to 0.0024 mass%, more preferably 0.001 to 0.002 mass%, relative to 100 mass% of the powdered raw material.

[0030] Another example of the method 2 is a method in which one or more specific sweeteners are added to the liquid ingredient. That is, a dough may be produced by adding a liquid ingredient containing a specific sweetener to a powder ingredient containing grain flour and kneading the mixture.

[0031] Incidentally, for points not explained in the above methods 1 and 2, the explanation of the manufacturing method of the pasta food package of the present invention mentioned above applies as appropriate.

[0032] In the heat sterilization step, the semi-cooked pasta that has been subjected to the acid treatment in the acid treatment step is sealed in a packaging container and heat sterilized. Specifically, the semi-cooked pasta that has been subjected to the acid treatment is placed in a packaging container and sealed, i.e., in a state in which the flow of solids, liquids, and gases inside and outside the packaging container is blocked, and in this state, the semi-cooked pasta is heat-treated together with the packaging container to be sterilized. The heat treatment method is not particularly limited, and examples include a method in which the packaging container in which the semi-cooked pasta is sealed is heated in a hot water bath or heated with saturated steam. The heat sterilization step is literally intended to heat sterilize the pasta, and is not intended to cook the pasta. Therefore, the semi-cooked pasta is still in a semi-cooked state even after the heat sterilization step, and additional cooking is required when eating it.

[0033] As described above, the moisture content of the semi-cooked pasta subjected to the heat sterilization step is relatively low at about 45 to 55% by mass, and since the moisture content of the semi-cooked pasta does not increase during the heat sterilization step, the moisture content of the semi-cooked pasta is maintained at a low level during the heat sterilization step. In addition, as described above, in the present invention, the acid treatment step is performed prior to the heat sterilization step, so that the heating conditions for the semi-cooked pasta during the heat sterilization step can be set to relatively mild conditions that are unlikely to cause deterioration in the quality of the pasta. Therefore, there is little risk of deterioration in the quality of the pasta due to the heat sterilization step, and according to the present invention, it is possible to achieve both high levels of preservability and texture of the pasta.

[0034] The shape and material of the packaging container are not particularly limited, provided that the container is capable of containing food and has heat resistance, and may be appropriately selected depending on the type and amount of semi-cooked pasta to be contained. Examples of the shape of the packaging container include a bag, which is an irregular container, and a box, which is a regular container. Examples of the material of the packaging container include resin, metal, paper, and glass, and may be a composite material that combines two or more types of materials.

[0035] The filling rate of the semi-cooked pasta in the packaging container is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of improving sterilization efficiency and preventing adhesion of the pasta to each other, it is preferably 30 to 90 volume % and more preferably 50 to 85 volume % of the internal volume of the packaging container.

[0036] From the viewpoint of achieving both high levels of shelf life and texture of the pasta, in the heat sterilization step, under a normal pressure environment, the heating temperature of the semi-cooked pasta (product temperature of the semi-cooked pasta during the heat sterilization treatment) is preferably 80 to 100°C, more preferably 85 to 99.5°C, and the heating time of the semi-cooked pasta (time for which the heating temperature is maintained) is preferably 2 to 120 minutes, more preferably 5 to 90 minutes.

[0037] In the heat sterilization step, in addition to the semi-cooked pasta, one or more selected from sauce and ingredients can be filled into the packaging container. In this case, the sauce and / or ingredients are subjected to heat sterilization treatment together with the semi-cooked pasta, and the finally obtained pasta food (contents of the packaging container) contains the semi-cooked pasta and the sauce and / or ingredients. The term "sauce" as used herein refers to a food that is fluid at room temperature and normal pressure, and the term "ingredients" refers to a food other than pasta that is solid at room temperature and normal pressure. More specifically, among the fraction that remains on the sieve after the pasta food (contents of the packaging container in the pasta food package) is passed through a sieve with a mesh size of 5 mm at a product temperature of 20°C under normal pressure and left to stand for 5 minutes, the fraction other than pasta can be defined as "ingredients" and the fraction that passed through the sieve as "sauce". However, if the amount of sauce and ingredients filled in the packaging container is too large, there is a concern that moisture will transfer from the sauce and / or ingredients to the semi-cooked pasta, which may result in a deterioration in the quality and shelf life of the semi-cooked pasta. In order to eliminate such concerns, the amount of one or more selected from sauce and ingredients filled in the packaging container is preferably 30 parts by mass or less, more preferably 20 parts by mass or less, and even more preferably 10 parts by mass or less, relative to 100 parts by mass of semi-cooked pasta enclosed in the packaging container. In order to ensure that the specified effects of the present invention are achieved, it is preferable that no ingredients other than semi-cooked pasta are filled in the packaging container.

[0038] The pasta food package manufactured by the manufacturing method of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as "the pasta food package of the present invention") comprises a pasta food product, including semi-cooked pasta, enclosed inside a packaging container, and includes a pasta food product and a packaging container. In the pasta food package of the present invention, the moisture content of the semi-cooked pasta is preferably 45 to 55 mass%, more preferably 46 to 54 mass%, and even more preferably 47 to 53 mass%, and the pH of the semi-cooked pasta is preferably 4.3 or less, more preferably 3.0 to 4.3, and even more preferably 3.2 to 4.2. The semi-cooked pasta in the pasta food package of the present invention is sterilized while sealed in the packaging container, and therefore can be stored for long periods of time without spoilage, not only in a refrigerated or frozen state, but also in an environment where the ambient temperature is room temperature (specifically, for example, 10 to 35°C).

[0039] The semi-cooked pasta in the pasta food package of the present invention is not suitable for eating as is, but becomes suitable for eating when it is further cooked with heat. In other words, in order to use the pasta food package of the present invention, it is necessary to cook the semi-cooked pasta with heat, and the method of using the pasta food package of the present invention includes a step of cooking the semi-cooked pasta with heat. The method of cooking the semi-cooked pasta in the pasta food package of the present invention is not particularly limited, and may involve heating the packaging container without opening it, or opening the packaging container to remove the semi-cooked pasta (pasta food) that is the content, and then heating it. Specific examples of the former include a method of heating the packaging container in a hot water bath or saturated steam. The latter is typical. Since semi-cooked pasta has already been cooked to a certain extent, the time required for cooking it is shorter than that required for cooking uncooked dried pasta or fresh pasta. For example, when the semi-cooked pasta is boiled after being taken out of a packaging container, the boiling time for the semi-cooked pasta is about 1 to 3 minutes. The cooking method for semi-cooked pasta is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include boiling, steaming, and microwave cooking. As described above, since semi-cooked pasta has been subjected to an acid treatment, the preferred cooking method for semi-cooked pasta is boiling, in which the semi-cooked pasta is placed in a large amount of hot water, in order to reliably eliminate the effects of the acid treatment. In addition, when boiling is used as the cooking method for semi-cooked pasta, it is preferable that the pasta food in the pasta food package (contents of the packaging container) does not contain ingredients other than pasta, such as sauce and ingredients.

[0040] When using the pasta food package of the present invention, if the semi-cooked pasta is cooked by boiling, the boiling is preferably carried out so that the water content of the semi-cooked pasta after boiling is 61 to 75% by mass, which allows the pasta to have a good chewiness and elasticity. EXAMPLES

[0041] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0042] [Examples 1 to 10, Comparative Examples 1 to 3] Using durum semolina (powder raw material) and water (liquid raw material) as raw materials, they were kneaded according to a conventional method to prepare a dough, which was then extruded under high pressure through a ring-shaped aperture to obtain hollow cylindrical macaroni, which was then cut to a predetermined length in the extrusion direction and dried to produce dried macaroni (cross-sectional diameter 5 mm, wall thickness 1.2 mm, length 40 mm, moisture content 12% by mass). Using this dried macaroni as raw material pasta, a pasta food package was produced according to the following steps 1 to 3. Step 1 (cooking step): 100 g of dried macaroni was placed in a large amount of boiling water and boiled until the moisture content reached the value shown in the "Moisture content (mass%) of the macaroni intermediate product after step 1" column in Table 1 below, to obtain a macaroni intermediate product. The macaroni intermediate product was removed from the water and cooled to a product temperature of 25°C before proceeding to the next step. Step 2 (acid treatment step): The macaroni intermediate product was immersed in an acidic solution of pH 2.4 (aqueous tartaric acid solution, product temperature 25°C) for 50 seconds to perform an acid treatment on the macaroni intermediate product. After the acid treatment, the macaroni intermediate product was removed from the acidic solution, and excess acidic solution was removed from the macaroni intermediate product using a wire rack as a draining tool according to the usual method. Step 3 (heat sterilization step): 100 g of the acid-treated macaroni intermediate product was placed in a heat-resistant packaging bag (packaging container), and the packaging bag was sealed. The filling rate of the macaroni intermediate product inside the packaging bag was 65% by volume. Hot water was poured into a water bath and the temperature of the hot water was maintained at 98°C, and the packaging bag was left to stand for 45 minutes while being entirely immersed in the hot water, thereby sterilizing the macaroni intermediate product inside the packaging bag. Thereafter, the packaging bag was cooled to room temperature, and a pasta food package was obtained, which included the macaroni intermediate product (pasta food) and the packaging container in which it was enclosed.

[0043] [Examples 11 to 17] In Example 5, a pasta food package was produced in the same manner as in Example 5, except that the pH of the macaroni intermediate product was changed as shown in Table 2 below by changing the soaking time of the macaroni intermediate product in the acidic liquid in step 2.

[0044] [Examples 18 to 25] A pasta food package was produced in the same manner as in Example 5, except that the acidic liquid used in step 2 was changed to one containing a sweetener (sucralose, thaumatin or stevia) as shown in Table 3 below.

[0045] [Examples 26 to 33] A pasta food package was produced in the same manner as in Example 5, except that the powder raw material of the dough (raw material pasta) was changed to one containing a sweetener (sucralose, thaumatin or stevia) as shown in Table 4 below.

[0046] [Test Example] After the pasta food package of each Example and Comparative Example was produced, it was stored for 2 weeks in an environment with an ambient temperature of 25°C. Thereafter, the packaging bag of the pasta food package was opened to take out the macaroni intermediate product, and the moisture content and pH of the macaroni intermediate product were measured by the above-mentioned method. In addition, the macaroni intermediate product taken out from the packaging bag was put into a large amount of boiling water and boiled until the moisture content was reached as shown in the column "Moisture content (mass%) of cooked macaroni" in Tables 1 to 4 below, to obtain cooked macaroni. The boiling time was 2 to 3 minutes. The obtained cooked macaroni was eaten by 10 expert panelists, and the texture was evaluated according to the following evaluation criteria. For Examples 5 and 18 to 33, the cooked macaroni flavor was also evaluated according to the following evaluation criteria. The results (arithmetic mean value of the evaluation points of 10 expert panelists) are shown in Tables 1 to 4 below.

[0047] <Texture evaluation criteria> 5 points: Excellent, with the same chewiness and elasticity as freshly boiled macaroni. 4 points: Slightly inferior to freshly boiled macaroni, but still firm and chewy, making it good. 3 points: Not as good as freshly boiled macaroni, but still chewy and elastic, with no problem with the texture. 2 points: Compared to freshly boiled macaroni, the chewiness and elasticity are slightly inferior, the texture is not like that of pasta, and it is poor. 1 point: Compared to freshly boiled macaroni, the texture is less chewy and elastic, and it lacks the texture of pasta. Very poor. The "freshly boiled macaroni" was prepared by placing the dried macaroni used in the manufacture of the pasta food packages of the Examples and Comparative Examples in a large amount of boiling water and boiling until the moisture content was 66% by mass. The texture immediately after boiling was evaluated as 5 points.

[0048] <Flavor evaluation criteria> 5 points: Has the same wheat flavor as the reference macaroni and is extremely good. 4 points: Slightly inferior to the standard macaroni, but still good with a good wheat flavor. 3 points: Inferior to the standard macaroni, but has a wheat flavor and is an acceptable flavor. 2 points: The wheat flavor is slightly inferior to the standard macaroni, so it is poor quality. 1 point: Almost no wheat flavor compared to the standard macaroni, extremely poor quality. The "reference macaroni" was a macaroni intermediate product (pasta food) produced in the same manner as in Example 5, except that step 2 (acid treatment step) in Example 5 was not performed, i.e., step 3 was performed after step 1, and was then boiled and cooked under the same conditions as in Example 5 in accordance with the above test example.

[0049] [Table 1]

[0050] As shown in Table 1, in each example, dried macaroni (raw material pasta) was heated and cooked in step 1 (cooking step) to produce intermediate macaroni (semi-cooked pasta) with a moisture content of 45 to 55% by mass, and therefore the texture of the cooked macaroni was superior to that of the comparative examples which did not meet this requirement.

[0051] [Table 2]

[0052] In Table 2, the other examples other than Example 17 had a pH of 4.3 or less after step 2, and therefore the texture of the cooked macaroni was superior to that of Example 17, which did not meet this requirement. This shows that the pH of the semi-cooked pasta after the acid treatment is preferably 4.3 or less.

[0053] [Table 3]

[0054] Among the Examples in Table 3, only Example 5 does not contain a sweetener in the acidic liquid used in step 2. Among the Examples other than Example 5 in Table 3, Example 25, which used stevia as a sweetener, had cooked macaroni with texture and flavor equivalent to those of Example 5, which shows that there is little point in including stevia in the acidic liquid. In contrast, Examples 18 to 24, which used sucralose and / or thaumatin (special sweeteners) as a sweetener, had cooked macaroni with texture and / or flavor superior to those of Example 5. This shows that the flavor (taste and texture) of pasta can be improved by using an acidic liquid containing a special sweetener in the acid treatment (step 2) in which semi-cooked pasta (macaroni intermediate product) is brought into contact with an acidic liquid.

[0055] [Table 4]

[0056] Among the examples in Table 4, only Example 5 does not contain a sweetener in the powdered raw material of the dried macaroni (raw pasta). Among the examples other than Example 5 in Table 4, Example 33, which used stevia as a sweetener, had cooked macaroni with texture and flavor equivalent to that of Example 5, which shows that there is little point in including stevia in the powdered raw material. In contrast, Examples 26 to 32, which used sucralose and / or thaumatin (special sweeteners) as a sweetener, had cooked macaroni with texture and / or flavor superior to that of Example 5. This shows that the flavor (taste, texture) of pasta can be improved by using a powdered raw material containing a special sweetener.

Claims

1. A method for producing a pasta food package in which a pasta food product including semi-cooked pasta is enclosed inside a packaging container, comprising: A step of cooking the raw material pasta to obtain semi-cooked pasta having a moisture content of 45 to 55% by mass; subjecting the semi-cooked pasta to an acid treatment; a step of sealing the semi-cooked pasta that has been subjected to the acid treatment in a packaging container and subjecting it to heat sterilization; A method for producing a pasta food package comprising:

2. The method for producing a pasta food package according to claim 1, wherein the acid treatment is carried out so that the pH of the semi-cooked pasta after the acid treatment is 4.3 or less.

3. The acid treatment is a treatment in which an acidic liquid is brought into contact with the semi-cooked pasta, The acidic liquid has a pH of 2.0 to 3.0 and contains one or more sweeteners selected from the group consisting of sucralose and thaumatin; When the acidic liquid contains the sucralose, the content of the sucralose in the acidic liquid is 0.01 to 0.2% by mass, The method for producing a pasta food package according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the acidic solution contains thaumatin, the content of thaumatin in the acidic solution is 0.0005 to 0.04 mass%.

4. The raw material pasta is made of a dough containing powdered raw materials and water, The powder raw material contains cereal flour and one or more sweeteners selected from the group consisting of sucralose and thaumatin, When the powdered raw material contains sucralose, the content of sucralose in the powdered raw material is 0.003 to 0.035% by mass, 3. The method for producing a pasta food package according to claim 1, wherein when the powdered raw material contains thaumatin, the content of thaumatin in the powdered raw material is 0.0006 to 0.0024% by mass.

5. A method for using a pasta food package manufactured by the manufacturing method according to claim 1 or 2, comprising the steps of: A method of using the pasta food package comprising the step of cooking the par-cooked pasta.

6. The method for using the pasta food package according to claim 5, wherein the heat cooking is boiling, and the boiling is performed so that the water content of the semi-cooked pasta after the boiling is 61 to 75% by mass.

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