Alternative food product primarily made from mushrooms and method for producing the same

Abstract

To provide an alternative food product characterized by being food barrier-free and sustainable, where the alternative food product features ease of molding and superior texture replication, and a method for producing the same.SOLUTION: The present invention provides an alternative food product primarily made from mushrooms. The alternative food product comprises fruiting bodies of mushrooms and transglutaminase. The transglutaminase acts on the mushroom fruiting bodies, achieving the cohesive integration of the alternative food product.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an alternative food using mushrooms as a main raw material and a method for producing the same, and in particular to an alternative food obtained by treating mushrooms with transglutaminase and a method for producing the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Currently, the number of vegetarians and vegans is increasing worldwide. For example, according to a survey conducted by Finder, a website for comparing various products, in April 2020, approximately 6.7 million British adults, mostly vegetarians, live a life without meat in the UK. The number of vegans in the UK was 600,000 in 2019, a fourfold increase from 150,000 in 2014. Meanwhile, in Germany, according to a survey on consumer behavior by the Allensbach Institute for Public Opinion Research, the number of people who identify themselves as vegetarian was 6.5 million in 2020, an increase of 400,000 from 2019. In addition, a survey conducted by the SKOPOS Market Research Institute in 2016 showed that the vegan population in Germany was 1.3 million, a significant increase from less than 80,000 in 2008.

[0003] In addition, among the religions that many people practice in the world, there are religions with dietary restrictions, such as Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism. For example, Muslims and Jews are prohibited from eating aquatic animals without scales, and some Hindu groups are also prohibited from eating meat, seafood, and the five pungent vegetables (garlic, chives, scallions, onions, and chives). In particular, the Muslim population is expected to reach about 2.2 billion people, or 26.4% of the total world population, in 2030, and business related to halal certification is expected to grow. In this context, the market value of products targeting people with dietary restrictions is expected to become even more important in the future, and active development of such products is considered to be an important perspective for the food industry in Japan, which is facing a declining birthrate and population. In addition, in today's increasingly globalized society, efforts to make food barrier-free so that people with dietary restrictions can enjoy meals with peace of mind are extremely important, even without considering the economic perspective.

[0004] Various ingredients are being considered as food barrier-free and sustainable ingredients that can be eaten safely even by people who have food restrictions due to beliefs or religious reasons. For example, Quorn in the UK sells a meat substitute using mycoprotein derived from the filamentous fungus Fusarium venenatum (Non-Patent Document 1). Mycoprotein is a mycelium produced by culturing Fusarium venenatum in a fermenter containing a carbohydrate medium, and is particularly distinct from substitute foods made from mushroom fruit bodies. Patent Document 1 also discloses a method for producing meat analogues using mushroom mycelium. However, in order to use mushroom mycelium as a meat substitute material, it is necessary to culture it in large quantities. Compared to mushroom fruit bodies, the production period of mycelium is generally short, but in liquid culture, the growth rate is slow, so the culture time is long and productivity tends to be low. Maruasaen Co., Ltd. sells Mon Meat, a meat substitute made from shiitake mushrooms (Non-Patent Document 2). Mon Meat is made by adding soy pulp to the shiitake mushrooms to give it a texture similar to meat, and uses breadcrumbs as a binder. However, the company only sells meat substitutes made from shiitake mushrooms. When producing alternative foods using the fruiting bodies of mushrooms as the main ingredient, it is difficult to reproduce the texture of the alternative food, and there is a problem that it is particularly difficult to mold it into a processed food. In particular, the alternative meats disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Non-Patent Document 2 are only molded with a binder, so they have low strength, and although it is possible to produce products with a texture similar to that of a hamburger steak, it is difficult to reproduce a product with a stronger texture such as fish paste. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2009-538128 [Non-patent literature]

[0006] [Non-Patent Document 1] “Quorn (meat substitute)”, [online], Wikipedia, [searched on August 1, 2023], Internet, <URL:https: / / ja.wikipedia.org / wiki / %E3%82%AF%E3%82%A9%E3%83%BC%E3%83%B3_(%E8%82%89%E3%81%AE%E4%BB%A3%E6%9B%BF%E5%93%81)> [Non-Patent Document 2] “Mon Meat, a meat substitute for shiitake mushrooms”, [online], Maruasaen, [searched on August 1, 2023], Internet,<URL:https: / / maruasaen.com / item / montmeat.html> Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] An objective of the present invention is to provide a food substitute food that is food barrier-free and sustainable, is easy to form, and has good reproducibility of texture, and a method for producing the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the present inventor came up with the idea of ​​binding and coagulating the fruiting bodies of mushrooms by applying transglutaminase to them. Transglutaminase is known as an enzyme that catalyzes the cross-linking reaction between the amide of the glutamine side chain in a peptide chain and the amino group of the lysine side chain. For example, it is generally known that when transglutaminase is used in seafood paste products, it cross-links between fibrous proteins, mainly muscle fibers, resulting in strong coagulation and a strong texture. On the other hand, it is known that if the target product contains a large amount of water-soluble non-fibrous proteins such as enzymes, the coagulation is weak and the texture becomes soft. Therefore, in the case of products such as kamaboko, which generally require a firm texture, the fish meat is soaked in water to remove water-soluble proteins (see, for example, Minoru Okada, Bulletin of the Japanese Society of Scientific Fisheries Vol. 30, No. 3, 1964). On the other hand, because mushrooms do not have muscle fibers, the proteins they contain are thought to be mainly enzymatic, and it was unclear whether they would coagulate with transglutaminase. After extensive research, the inventors surprisingly succeeded in binding and coagulating mushrooms by applying transglutaminase, and discovered that they could be formed into a substitute food with excellent texture. The present invention has been completed based on the above findings and includes the following aspects:

[0009] One aspect of the present invention is [1] A substitute food made mainly from mushrooms, The substitute food contains a fruiting body of a mushroom and transglutaminase, The present invention relates to an alternative food product, in which the alternative food product is bound together as a whole by the action of transglutaminase on the fruiting bodies of the mushrooms. In one embodiment, the substitute food of the present invention comprises: [2] The alternative food according to [1] above, The mushrooms are characterized in that they belong to at least one genus selected from the group consisting of the Pleurotus genus, Agaricus genus, Corallinen genus, Maitake genus, Sparassis crispa genus, Hyloba genus, Auricularia genus, Flammulina genus, Lentinula genus, and Shimeji genus. In one embodiment, the alternative food of the present invention comprises: [3] The alternative food according to [1] above, The fruiting bodies of the mushrooms are characterized in that they are paste-like. In one embodiment, the alternative food of the present invention comprises: [4] The alternative food according to [1] above, The fruiting body of the mushroom is characterized in that it is in a chopped form. In one embodiment, the alternative food of the present invention comprises: [5] The alternative food according to any one of [1] to [4] above, The alternative food is characterized in that it contains fruit bodies of the mushrooms in an amount of 50% by weight or more based on the total weight of the alternative food. In one embodiment, the alternative food of the present invention comprises: [6] The alternative food according to any one of [1] to [5] above, It is characterized by having a texture hardness in the range of 5 to 100 kPa. In one embodiment, the alternative food of the present invention comprises: [7] The alternative food according to any one of [1] to [6] above, The breaking load is within the range of 1 to 20N. In one embodiment, the alternative food of the present invention comprises: [8] The alternative food according to any one of [1] to [6] above, The breaking load is within the range of 1 to 10 N. In one embodiment, the alternative food of the present invention comprises: [9] The alternative food according to any one of [3] and [5] to [8] above, The mushrooms are characterized in that they belong to at least one genus selected from the group consisting of Pleurotus erythropoei, Agaricus blazei, Agaricus blazei, Maitake genus, Sparassis crispa, Hylocereus ulmoides, Auricularia genus, and Flammulina velutipes. In one embodiment, the alternative food of the present invention comprises:

[10] The alternative food according to any one of [4] to [8] above, The mushrooms are characterized in that they belong to at least one genus selected from the group consisting of the Pleurotus ostreatus, the Corallinen genus, the Lentinula genus, and the Shimeji genus. In one embodiment, the alternative food of the present invention comprises:

[11] The present invention is characterized in that the substitute food product is a substitute food product for fish paste products, which is the substitute food product according to any one of [1] to

[10] above.

[0010] In another aspect, the present invention comprises:

[12] A method for producing an alternative food using mushrooms as a main raw material, comprising: mixing transglutaminase with a fruiting body of a mushroom; forming a fruiting body of the mushroom; a step of binding fruit bodies of the mushrooms by the action of the transglutaminase; The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing the same. Here, in one embodiment, the manufacturing method of the present invention includes:

[13] The method according to

[12] above, The mushrooms are characterized in that they belong to at least one genus selected from the group consisting of the Pleurotus genus, Agaricus genus, Corallinen genus, Maitake genus, Sparassis crispa genus, Hyloba genus, Auricularia genus, Flammulina genus, Lentinula genus, and Shimeji genus. In one embodiment, the manufacturing method of the present invention further comprises:

[14] The method according to

[12] or

[13] above, The method is characterized in that it further comprises a step of inactivating proteases contained in the fruiting bodies of the mushrooms by heating before the mixing step. In one embodiment, the manufacturing method of the present invention further comprises:

[15] The method according to any one of

[12] to

[14] above, The method is characterized in that it further comprises a step of removing water contained in the fruiting bodies of mushrooms before the mixing step. In one embodiment, the manufacturing method of the present invention further comprises:

[16] The method according to

[15] above, The method according to claim 10, The moisture removing step is characterized in that the moisture is removed by heating. In one embodiment, the manufacturing method of the present invention further comprises:

[17] The method according to any one of

[12] to

[16] above, The method further comprises a step of heat treating the fruiting bodies of the mushrooms obtained after the binding step. In one embodiment, the manufacturing method of the present invention further comprises:

[18] The method according to any one of

[12] to

[17] above, The method is characterized by including a step of making the fruiting bodies of the mushrooms into a paste. In one embodiment, the manufacturing method of the present invention further comprises:

[19] The method according to

[18] above, The mushrooms are characterized in that they belong to at least one genus selected from the group consisting of Pleurotus erythropoei, Agaricus blazei, Agaricus blazei, Maitake genus, Sparassis crispa, Hylocereus ulmoides, Auricularia genus, and Flammulina velutipes. In one embodiment, the manufacturing method of the present invention further comprises:

[20] The method according to any one of

[12] to

[17] above, The method is characterized by including a step of shredding the fruiting bodies of the mushrooms. In one embodiment, the manufacturing method of the present invention further comprises:

[21] The method according to

[20] above, The method is characterized by including a step of enzymatically treating the chopped fruiting body. In one embodiment, the manufacturing method of the present invention further comprises:

[22] The method according to

[20] above, The mushrooms are characterized in that they belong to at least one genus selected from the group consisting of the Pleurotus ostreatus, the Corallinen genus, the Lentinula genus, and the Shimeji genus. In one embodiment, the manufacturing method of the present invention further comprises:

[23] The method according to any one of

[12] to

[22] above, The alternative food is characterized in that it contains fruit bodies of the mushrooms in an amount of 50% by weight or more based on the total weight of the alternative food. In another aspect, the present invention comprises:

[24] The present invention relates to an alternative food produced by a method for producing an alternative food using mushrooms as a main raw material, the method including the steps of mixing transglutaminase with a fruiting body of a mushroom, shaping the fruiting body of the mushroom, and binding the fruiting bodies of the mushroom by the action of the transglutaminase. Here, in one embodiment, the substitute food according to

[24] above is

[25] The alternative food according to

[24] above, The method is characterized in that it further comprises a step of inactivating proteases contained in the fruiting bodies of the mushrooms by heating before the mixing step. In one embodiment, the alternative food according to

[24] above is

[26] The alternative food according to

[24] or

[25] above, The method is characterized in that it further comprises a step of removing water contained in the fruiting bodies of mushrooms before the mixing step. In one embodiment, the alternative food according to

[24] above is

[27] The alternative food according to

[26] above, The moisture removing step is characterized in that the moisture is removed by heating. In one embodiment, the alternative food according to

[24] above is

[28] The alternative food according to

[24] above, The method is characterized in that it includes a step of making the fruit bodies of the mushrooms into a paste before the mixing step. In one embodiment, the alternative food according to

[24] above is

[29] The alternative food according to

[24] above, The method is characterized in that it includes a step of shredding the fruiting bodies of the mushrooms before the mixing step. In one embodiment, the alternative food according to

[24] above is

[30] The alternative food according to any one of

[24] to

[29] above, The method further comprises a step of heat treating the fruiting bodies of the mushrooms obtained after the binding step. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the alternative food of the present invention using the fruiting bodies of mushrooms as a main ingredient, it is possible to provide an alternative food that is food barrier-free and sustainable, is easy to mold, and has excellent texture reproduction. The alternative food of the present invention makes it possible to reproduce products with a strong texture, such as fish paste products. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1A shows an alternative food product derived from Pleurotus eryngii produced under pasting molding conditions 3. FIG. 1B shows an alternative food product derived from Pleurotus eryngii produced under pasting molding conditions 4. [Diagram 2] 2A shows an alternative food product derived from Pleurotus eryngii produced under pasting molding conditions 5. FIG. 2B shows an alternative food product derived from Pleurotus eryngii produced under pasting molding conditions 6. [Diagram 3] 3A shows an alternative food product derived from Abalone mushroom produced under the pasting molding condition 8. FIG. 3B shows an alternative food product derived from Tsukuritake mushroom produced under the pasting molding condition 9. [Figure 4]4A shows an alternative food product derived from Yamabushitake mushroom produced under pasting molding conditions 14. FIG. 4B shows an alternative food product derived from Auricularia japonica produced under molding conditions 7. [Diagram 5] 5A shows an alternative food product derived from Sparassis crispa produced under pasting molding conditions 10. FIG. 5B shows an alternative food product derived from Pleurotus oyster mushroom produced under pasting molding conditions 11. [Figure 6] 6A shows an alternative food product derived from Bunashimeji mushroom produced under pasting molding conditions 12. FIG 6B shows an alternative food product derived from Maitake mushroom produced under pasting molding conditions 13. [Figure 7A] 7A is a graph showing the results of measuring the texture hardness of various seafood products and molded mushrooms produced in Example 2 below. A: kamaboko, B: sardine meatballs (heated), C: hanpen (raw), D: hanpen (heated), E: black awabitake (molding condition 8), F: tsukuritake (molding condition 9), G: yamabushitake (molding condition 14), H: king oyster mushroom (molding condition 3), I: maitake (molding condition 13), J: sparassis planiculata (molding condition 10), K: oyster mushroom (molding condition 11), L: bunashimeji (molding condition 12), M: agaricus wood ear (molding condition 7). [Figure 7B] 7B is a graph showing the measurement results of the cutting load of various seafood processed products and molded mushrooms produced in Example 2 below. A: kamaboko, B: sardine meatballs (heated), C: hanpen (raw), D: hanpen (heated), E: black awabitake (molding condition 8), F: tsukuritake (molding condition 9), G: yamabushitake (molding condition 14), H: king oyster mushroom (molding condition 3), I: maitake (molding condition 13), J: sparassis planiculata (molding condition 10), K: oyster mushroom (molding condition 11), L: bunashimeji (molding condition 12), M: agaricus wood ear (molding condition 7). [Figure 8A]8A is a graph showing the results of measuring the texture hardness of various seafood products and eryngii molded by solidifying them with various binders produced in Example 3 below. A: kamaboko, B: sardine meatballs (heated), C: hanpen (raw), D: hanpen (heated), E: sodium alginate (molding condition 18), F: gellan gum (molding condition 17), G: sodium alginate + Activa TG-B (molding condition 21), H: Activa TG-B (molding condition 3), I: Activa TG-AK (molding condition 15), J: potato starch (molding condition 16), K: carrageenan (molding condition 19), L: gellan gum + carrageenan (molding condition 22). [Figure 8B] Fig. 8B is a graph showing the measurement results of the cutting load (Fig. 8B) of various seafood processed products and shaped king oyster mushrooms solidified with various binders produced in Example 3 below. A: Kamaboko, B: Sardine meatballs (heated), C: Hanpen (raw), D: Hanpen (heated), E: Sodium alginate (molding condition 18), F: Gellan gum (molding condition 17), G: Sodium alginate + Activa TG-B (molding condition 21), H: Activa TG-B (molding condition 3), I: Activa TG-AK (molding condition 15), J: Potato starch (molding condition 16), K: Carrageenan (molding condition 19), L: Gellan gum + carrageenan (molding condition 22). [Figure 9] FIG. 9 shows the alternative food product derived from king oyster mushrooms produced under the chopping type molding condition 3. [Figure 10] Fig. 10A shows an alternative food derived from Sparassis crispa produced under chopped molding conditions 11. Fig. 10B shows an alternative food derived from Salvia miltiorrhiza produced under chopped molding conditions 15. Fig. 10C shows an alternative food derived from Auricularia auricularia produced under chopped molding conditions 3. Fig. 10D shows an alternative food derived from Lentinus edodes produced under chopped molding conditions 6. [Figure 11] Fig. 11A shows an alternative food derived from Enokitake mushroom produced under chopping type molding conditions 4. Fig. 11B shows an alternative food derived from Nameko mushroom produced under chopping type molding conditions 8. Fig. 11C shows an alternative food derived from Hakureitake mushroom produced under chopping type molding conditions 9. Fig. 11D shows an alternative food derived from Bunashimeji mushroom produced under chopping type molding conditions 13. [Figure 12]Fig. 12A shows an alternative food product derived from Maitake mushroom produced under chopping type molding conditions 14. Fig. 12B shows an alternative food product derived from Kuroawabitake mushroom produced under chopping type molding conditions 5. Fig. 12C shows an alternative food product derived from Lentinula edodes produced under chopping type molding conditions 7. Fig. 12D shows an alternative food product derived from Hatakeshimeji mushroom produced under chopping type molding conditions 10. [Figure 13] 13A shows an alternative food product derived from Oyster mushroom produced under chopped molding conditions 12. FIG. 13B shows an alternative food product derived from Yamabushitake mushroom produced under chopped molding conditions 16. [Figure 14] Fig. 14 is a graph showing the measurement results of the texture hardness (α) and cutting load (β) of various seafood processed products and molded mushrooms produced in Example 6 below. A: Scallop (heated), B: King oyster mushroom (chopping and molding condition 2), C: Kuroawabitake (chopping and molding condition 5), D: Yamabushitake (chopping and molding condition 16), E: Oyster mushroom (chopping and molding condition 12), F: Shiitake mushroom (stem) (chopping and molding condition 7), G: Hatakeshimeji (chopping and molding condition 10). [Figure 15] Fig. 15A shows an alternative food product derived from Pleurotus eryngii produced under chopped molding conditions 17 in Example 7 below. Fig. 15B shows an alternative food product derived from Pleurotus eryngii produced under chopped molding conditions 18 in Example 7 below. [Figure 16] Fig. 16 is a graph showing the measurement results of the texture hardness (α) and cutting load (β) of various seafood processed products and molded mushrooms produced in Example 7 below. A: Scallop (heated), B: Sodium alginate (chopping and molding condition 21), C: Activa TG-B (chopping and molding condition 2), D: Gellan gum (chopping and molding condition 20), E: Activa TG-AK (chopping and molding condition 17) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] One aspect of the present invention provides an alternative food that uses mushrooms as a main raw material. The alternative food contains mushroom fruiting bodies and transglutaminase, and is characterized in that the alternative food is bound together by the action of transglutaminase on the mushroom fruiting bodies.

[0014] Mushrooms that can be used in the alternative food of the present invention are not limited as long as they are capable of binding by the action of transglutaminase, and known mushrooms can be used. Although not limited to the following, for example, mushrooms belonging to the genus Pleurotus, Agaricus, Hericium, Grifola, Sparassis, Hypsizygus, Auricularia, Flammulina, Lentinula, or Lyophyllum can be preferably used. Mushrooms belonging to each of the genera listed above are preferred in that they are well bound and solidified by transglutaminase.

[0015] Examples of mushrooms belonging to the Pleurotus genus include King Oyster Mushroom, Black Awabitoke, Pleurotus ostreatus, Usuhiratake, Tokiiro Pleurotus, Himalayan Pleurotus, and Oyster Mushroom. Examples of mushrooms belonging to the Agaricus genus include Tsukuritake. Examples of mushrooms belonging to the Hericium genus include Yamabushitake and Sangoharitake. Examples of mushrooms belonging to the Grifola genus include Maitake. Examples of mushrooms belonging to the Sparassis genus include Sparassis sparassis. Examples of mushrooms belonging to the Hypsizygus genus include Bunashimeji. Examples of mushrooms belonging to the Auricularia genus include Aragakekikurage and Auricularia wood ear. Mushrooms belonging to the Flammulina genus include Enokitake mushrooms. Mushrooms belonging to the Lentinula genus include Shiitake mushrooms. Mushrooms belonging to the Lyophyllum genus include Hatakeshimeji and Honshimeji mushrooms. The mushrooms listed above are examples of mushrooms belonging to each genera, and do not exclude mushrooms other than those listed above. When using mushrooms belonging to the Lentinula genus, it is preferable to use the stem portion of the mushroom. In addition, the mushrooms that can be used in the alternative food of the present invention also include interspecific hybrid mushrooms, so long as they can be bound by the action of transglutaminase. An example of an interspecific hybrid is marbled oyster mushroom. The mushrooms used to create the interspecific hybrid are not limited to the mushrooms listed above. They include interspecific hybrids between the mushrooms listed above, interspecific hybrids between the mushrooms listed above and other mushrooms, and interspecific hybrids between mushrooms not listed above. There is no limitation on the method of creating the interspecific hybrid, and other techniques such as crossbreeding, cell fusion, and gene transfer, which are common methods in the field of breeding technology, may be used.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the mushrooms used in the alternative food of the present invention are king oyster mushroom, black abalone mushroom, matsutake mushroom, yamabushitake mushroom, maitake mushroom, spaghetti mushroom, oyster mushroom, bunashimeji mushroom, agaric ear mushroom, enokitake mushroom, shiitake mushroom (stalk), or hatakeshimeji mushroom. When using mushrooms to mold into a paste, it is desirable to squeeze out the water in the pre-treatment for making the paste, and these mushrooms are preferable in that the water can be easily squeezed out with bleached cloth or the like.

[0017] The alternative food of the present invention uses mushrooms as a main raw material, and in one embodiment, the fruiting bodies of the mushrooms are contained in an amount of 50% by weight or more based on the total amount of the alternative food. In a preferred embodiment, the fruiting bodies of the mushrooms are contained in an amount of 60% by weight or more, 70% by weight or more, 80% by weight or more, 90% by weight or more, or 95% by weight or more based on the total amount of the alternative food.

[0018] A fruiting body means a complex structure that fungi create for spore formation, and the alternative food of the present invention includes a fruiting body of a mushroom. The part of the fruiting body of a mushroom is not limited, and may be any part such as the cap, stalk, brim, or bud. The fruiting body of a mushroom may be a fresh fruiting body, or may be a dried or freeze-dried fresh fruiting body. The fruiting body of a mushroom may be artificially cultivated, commercially available, or naturally grown. The fruiting body of a mushroom may be one type, or may be a combination of two or more types of fruiting bodies.

[0019] The fruiting bodies of mushrooms used in the present invention are preferably subjected to a pretreatment process such as processing to an appropriate size and shape, heat treatment, removal of moisture, etc., in order to reproduce a desired texture before the action of transglutaminase. Although not limited to the following, it is preferable to use the fruiting bodies of mushrooms that have been subjected to a pretreatment process and made into a paste or chopped form. In this specification, "paste" refers to a paste-like substance in which particles are suspended in a liquid. A paste can also be obtained by suspending in a liquid a crushed or ground product obtained by crushing or grinding a part or all of the fruiting body of a mushroom using a mixer or the like. The size of the crushed or ground product is not limited as long as a paste is obtained when suspended in a liquid, but for example, the particle diameter is preferably 2 mm or less, 1 mm or less, 500 μm or less, and more preferably 200 μm or less. A particle diameter of 200 μm or less is preferable because the paste obtained is smooth.

[0020] In this specification, the term "shredded" refers to a shape obtained by chopping mushrooms into fine pieces. The chopping can be obtained, for example, by chopping a part or all of the fruiting body of the mushroom into long and thin pieces using tweezers or the like. The shape of each piece after chopping is not limited, and can be a cube, a cylinder, or a rectangular parallelepiped. When the shape is a rectangular parallelepiped or a cylindrical shape, it is preferable to chop the long side direction of the rectangular parallelepiped or the height direction of the cylinder along the fibers, which gives a fibrous texture.

[0021] The size of the chopped mushrooms is not limited as long as they can be bound by transglutaminase. For example, the lower limit of one side of each chopped piece can be 0.1 mm or more, 1 mm or more, 5 mm or more, 1 cm or more, or 2 cm or more. By making the particle size 5 mm or more, it is preferable because it has a fibrous texture. The upper limit of one side of each chopped fragment is not limited as long as it can be bound by transglutaminase. For example, when the shape of each chopped fragment is a rectangular parallelepiped or a cylindrical shape, the upper limit of the long side of the rectangular parallelepiped or the height of the cylinder can be 15 cm or less, 12 cm or less, 10 cm or less, or 8 cm or less. By making the maximum length of the fragments 15 cm or less, molding becomes easy, which is preferable. Also, for example, when the shape of each chopped fragment is a rectangular parallelepiped or a cylindrical shape, the short side or height of the rectangular parallelepiped or the diameter of the cylinder is preferably within the range of 0.1 to 10 mm, more preferably within the range of 1 to 5 mm. By making it within the range of 0.1 to 10 mm, it becomes easy to bind without gaps, and it is more firmly bound, which is preferable. If each chopped piece is to have a cubic shape, the upper limit of one side may be, but is not limited to, 8 cm or less.

[0022] The transglutaminase used in the present invention is a transferase that catalyzes the reaction of condensing the amino group of glutamine on a protein with a primary amine, transferring the substituent on the amine to glutamine, and generating ammonia. Usually, the amino group of lysine on a protein is used as the primary amine, and it acts as a cross-linking enzyme. Therefore, when transglutaminase is applied to a paste-like or chopped mushroom fruiting body, the proteins contained in the mushroom fruiting body are cross-linked. After binding or solidification of the mushroom fruiting body by protein cross-linking, the enzyme activity of transglutaminase may be inactivated by heat treatment or the like. In the alternative food of the present invention that has been subjected to heat treatment or the like after the binding step, transglutaminase is contained in an inactivated state (i.e., the protein is in a denatured state).

[0023] As described above, transglutaminase is an enzyme having an activity of catalyzing an acyl transfer reaction in which a glutamine residue in a protein or peptide is used as a donor and a lysine residue is used as an acceptor, and transglutaminase of various origins is known, for example, those derived from mammals, fish, microorganisms, etc. The origin of the transglutaminase used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it has the above-mentioned activity, and transglutaminase of any origin can be used, and recombinant enzymes may also be used. In a preferred embodiment, calcium-independent transglutaminase obtained from a microorganism is used.

[0024] Examples of calcium-independent transglutaminase derived from microorganisms include transglutaminase produced by actinomycetes belonging to the genus Streptomyces. Japanese Patent No. 2572716 describes a method for obtaining said transglutaminase. The transglutaminase used in the present invention may be a commercially available product, and examples thereof include transglutaminase preparations derived from microorganisms that are commercially available under the trade names "Activa TG-B" and "Activa TG-AK" provided by Ajinomoto Co., Inc. This transglutaminase preparation contains transglutaminase at about 0.2 to 1.0% by weight, preferably about 0.4 to 0.6% by weight.

[0025] Commercially available transglutaminase preparations include various types of preparations, such as those used in powder or granular form, those dissolved in water, etc. In addition to transglutaminase, preparations containing binding aids such as proteins (protein powders, protein hydrolysates), micronized silicon dioxide, binding agents (polymerized phosphates such as sodium polyphosphate and sodium metaphosphate), seasonings (salt, organic acids, etc.), binding agents (lactose, etc.), thickening stabilizers (sodium caseinate, gelatin, etc.), emulsifiers (sucrose fatty acid esters, etc.), and manufacturing agents (silicon dioxide, sodium carbonate, calcined calcium, phosphates, etc.) are also available.

[0026] The protein as the binding aid may be of any raw material, and may be gelatin, collagen, soy protein, milk protein (prepared from milk, such as milk powder, casein, sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate, etc.), wheat protein, rice protein, etc. Preferably, wheat, milk protein, or soy protein is used as the raw material. The protein may be in powder form, or may be a protein hydrolysate hydrolyzed with an enzyme, acid, alkali, or the like. In the present invention, the above-mentioned commercially available transglutaminase preparations can be used without particular limitation, and one or more types can be used.

[0027] When using a commercially available transglutaminase preparation as described above, the transglutaminase preparation can be added in the range of 0.5 to 30 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the alternative food. If the amount is less than 0.5 parts by weight, the product will not solidify sufficiently, which is not preferable. If the amount is more than 30 parts by weight, the product will become too hard, which is also not preferable. In a preferred embodiment, the lower limit of the amount of transglutaminase preparation added is 1 part by weight or more, more preferably 1.5 parts by weight or more, per 100 parts by weight of the alternative food, and the upper limit is 5 parts by weight or less, more preferably 3 parts by weight or less, per 100 parts by weight of the alternative food. As long as the fruit bodies of mushrooms are bound, it is preferable in terms of cost to add a smaller amount of transglutaminase preparation.

[0028] In the alternative food of the present invention, the content of transglutaminase is not particularly limited as long as the binding effect in the manufacturing method of the alternative food of the present invention is obtained; however, for example, the enzyme activity per 1 g of mushroom fruit is preferably 0.0001 U or more and 1000 U or less, more preferably 0.001 U or more and 100 U or less, and particularly preferably 0.01 U or more and 10 U or less. The enzymatic activity of transglutaminase can be calculated, for example, by reacting benzyloxycarbonyl-L-glutaminylglycine with hydroxylamine as substrates, forming an iron complex of the generated hydroxamic acid in the presence of trichloroacetic acid, measuring the absorbance at 525 nm, and determining the amount of hydroxamic acid generated from a calibration curve. In this specification, the amount of enzyme that generates 1 μmol of hydroxamic acid per minute at 37° C. and pH=6.0 is defined as 1 U (see JP-A-64-27471). The amount of binding aid added is not limited as long as it binds or solidifies the fruiting bodies of mushrooms, and can be, for example, in the range of usually 0.001 to 30.0 parts by weight, 0.005 to 10.0 parts by weight, preferably 0.01 to 3.0 parts by weight, and more preferably 0.06 to 1.2 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of alternative food.

[0029] When the above-mentioned transglutaminase preparation is not used in the alternative food of the present invention, the alternative food may contain the above-listed food additives and / or general food additives in addition to transglutaminase. Examples of common food additives include, but are not limited to, excipients such as magnesium carbonate, sugars (glucose, corn starch, etc.), sugar alcohols (sorbitol, mannitol, etc.), disintegrants such as crospovidone, povidone, crystalline cellulose, etc., lubricants such as talc, magnesium stearate, etc., preservatives such as sodium nitrite, sorbic acid, etc., antioxidants such as sodium L-ascorbate, catechin, etc., pH adjusters such as fumaric acid, colorants such as annatto pigment, cochineal pigment, etc., spices such as pepper, sage, etc., and nutritional enhancers such as vitamins (L-ascorbic acid, ergocalciferol, β-carotene, etc.), minerals (zinc salts, ferric chloride, etc.), and amino acids (sodium L-aspartate, DL-alanine, L-arginine, L-isoleucine, etc.), and one or more of these may be used. In one embodiment, the meal replacement of the present invention may also contain other ingredients commonly used in processed foods, such as meat, vegetables, fruits, nuts, etc.

[0030] The alternative food of the present invention can be produced to have an appearance and texture similar to that of known processed meat foods or processed seafood foods. Examples of processed meat foods include, but are not limited to, ham, pressed ham, bacon, roast pork, cutlets, fried chicken, sausages, hamburger steaks, meatballs, minced meat cutlets, fried chicken, chicken nuggets, rolled cabbage, dumplings, shumai, Chinese buns, meatloaf, steaks, grilled meat, roast beef, and formed meat. Similarly, examples of processed seafood foods include kamaboko, crab sticks, shrimp sticks, chikuwa, satsumaage, hanpen, fish sausage, datemaki, narutomaki, fishballs, frozen surimi, fried shrimp, and grilled fish. In a preferred embodiment, the alternative food of the present invention is an alternative food having the texture of a fish paste product, and in particular, an alternative food having the hardness and cutting load of a texture test of a fish paste product. The produced alternative food may be further subjected to a heating process, a freezing process, etc., depending on the desired distribution form, etc. Therefore, the alternative food of the present invention may be unheated or heated, or may be a frozen product (frozen food) thereof, etc.

[0031] The alternative food of the present invention can be manufactured by adjusting the hardness and cutting load when a desired texture test is performed. In one embodiment of the alternative food of the present invention, the hardness when a texture test is performed can be within the range of 5 to 100 kPa, and in a more preferred embodiment, the hardness in the texture test can be within the range of 15 to 50 kPa. In one embodiment of the alternative food of the present invention, the cutting load can be within the range of 1 to 20 N, and in a more preferred embodiment, the cutting load can be within the range of 1 to 15 N. When using mushrooms in a paste form, in a more preferred embodiment, the cutting load can be within the range of 2.5 to 7.5 N. When using mushrooms in a shredded form, in a more preferred embodiment, the cutting load can be within the range of 10 N to 15 N, and more preferably within the range of 12 N to 14 N. In a preferred embodiment, the alternative food of the present invention has a hardness in a texture test within the above range and a cutting load within the above range. The hardness and cutting load values ​​in the texture test of the alternative food of the present invention can be measured under the conditions described in Example 1 below. Specifically, a compression test (cutting test) is conducted using a texture tester (such as TEX-100N manufactured by Nippon Keisoku Systems Co., Ltd.) to measure the load required to cut a sample, and the peak load is taken as the "cutting load." In addition, a texture test (texture profile method) is conducted to measure hardness, cohesiveness, elasticity, etc., and the measured value of "hardness" is taken as the "texture hardness." The measurement conditions for the compression test (cutting test) and texture test are as shown in the table below. [Table 1] [Table 2]

[0032] The alternative food of the present invention may contain additional additives to adjust the texture hardness or cutting load. For example, the cutting load value can be increased by adding salt. Also, for example, the texture hardness and cutting load value can be increased by adding ethanol or (±)-α-tocopherol. The timing of adding these additives is not limited, but for example, they can be added before the step of acting transglutaminase, when processing the fruiting body of mushrooms. Although not limited to the following, salt can be added at 3 to 5 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the fresh weight of the fruiting body of the mushroom. Ethanol can be added at 3 to 5 ml per 100 g of the fresh weight of the fruiting body of the mushroom, and (±)-α-tocopherol can be added at 0.04 to 0.06 ml per 100 g of the fresh weight of the fruiting body of the mushroom.

[0033] Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for producing an alternative food using mushrooms as a main raw material, comprising the steps of mixing transglutaminase with mushroom fruiting bodies, forming the mushroom fruiting bodies, and binding the mushroom fruiting bodies together by the action of transglutaminase.

[0034] In the production method according to the present invention, the step of forming mushroom fruiting bodies and the step of binding mushroom fruiting bodies by the action of transglutaminase may be performed before or after each other. That is, the step of forming mushroom fruiting bodies may be performed before the step of binding mushroom fruiting bodies by the action of transglutaminase, or the step of binding mushroom fruiting bodies by the action of transglutaminase may be performed after the step of forming mushroom fruiting bodies.

[0035] It is preferable that the fruiting bodies of mushrooms are processed to a desired size and shape in advance. The processing method is not limited and known methods can be adopted. To make the fruiting bodies of mushrooms into a paste, water can be added to the fruiting bodies of mushrooms and crushed or ground using a means such as a mixer. When crushing or grinding the fruiting bodies of mushrooms using a mixer, the amount of water added to the fruiting bodies of mushrooms can be 10 to 80 ml per 100 g of fresh fruiting bodies of mushrooms. If the amount is less than 10 ml, the fruiting bodies become too hard, which is not preferable, and if the amount is more than 80 ml, the fruiting bodies become too soft and difficult to mold, which is not preferable. The fruiting bodies of mushrooms may also be crushed using a freeze-drying process. For example, the fruiting bodies of mushrooms can be torn into pieces of about 0.5 to 1 cm, freeze-dried, and the freeze-dried fruiting bodies of mushrooms can be finely ground. The freeze-drying process is not limited to the following, but for example, mushrooms pre-frozen to -20°C or less may be vacuum freeze-dried at 107 Pa or less and -20°C or less for 5 hours or more using a freeze-dryer (EYELA FD-1000, Tokyo Rika Co., Ltd.). The method for crushing the mushroom fruiting bodies dried by freeze-drying is not particularly limited, but for example, they may be crushed in a mortar or the like. When the freeze-dried mushroom fruiting bodies are crushed, water is added after crushing to make them into a paste. The amount of water to be added at this time can be 600 to 2000 ml per 100 g of mushroom fruiting bodies (dry weight). If it is less than 600 ml, it will be too hard and undesirable, and if it exceeds 2000 ml, it will be too soft and difficult to mold, and undesirable. To shred the mushroom fruiting body, the mushroom fruiting body may be divided into small pieces having the desired shape and size using means such as tweezers, scissors, a kitchen knife, a chopper, a food cutter, or a food slicer. The fruiting bodies of mushrooms may be further processed into a desired size and shape after binding using transglutaminase. For example, after binding using transglutaminase, the fruiting bodies of mushrooms can be frozen in a freezer or the like, and then further cut or processed using a jigsaw or the like.

[0036] In one embodiment, the fruiting bodies of the mushrooms are preferably heat treated before mixing with the transglutaminase, as the heating step inactivates the proteases present in the mushrooms and allows for a stronger binding.

[0037] The heating method is not limited, and one or a combination of known methods such as boiling, hot water bath, heating in a frying pan, etc. can be used. Heating in a frying pan, etc. may be performed at 60 to 100°C for about 1 to 10 minutes. Hot water bathing may be performed for about 5 to 20 minutes, for example.

[0038] In one embodiment, the production method of the present invention includes a step of removing moisture contained in the fruiting bodies of mushrooms before mixing the fruiting bodies with transglutaminase. By removing moisture from the fruiting bodies of mushrooms, the binding and solidification effect of the paste by transglutaminase is enhanced, which is preferable. The method for removing moisture is not limited, and one or a combination of known methods such as heating in a frying pan or squeezing by hand using bleached cloth can be used.

[0039] In one embodiment, the production method of the present invention includes a step of enzymatically treating chopped mushroom fruiting bodies before mixing the mushroom fruiting bodies with transglutaminase. The enzyme treatment can be carried out using any known enzyme and method as long as it can soften the mushrooms. The enzyme treatment preferably gives the mushrooms a soft and smooth texture.

[0040] The step of mixing transglutaminase with the fruiting bodies of mushrooms may be carried out by adding transglutaminase to the fruiting bodies of mushrooms and mixing well so that the enzyme activity per 1 g of paste containing the fruiting bodies of mushrooms is the value defined above. As long as the transglutaminase is sufficiently mixed into the fruiting bodies of mushrooms, the mixing method is not limited and any known method can be used.

[0041] The step of shaping the fruiting bodies of mushrooms may be carried out by shaping them into a desired shape among known processed foods by a known method. Here, the fruiting bodies of mushrooms can be easily processed into various desired shapes without using a casing because a certain degree of viscosity is generated when the fruiting bodies of mushrooms are mixed with transglutaminase.

[0042] The step of binding mushroom fruiting bodies by the action of transglutaminase is a step of binding mushroom fruiting bodies by utilizing the enzymatic action of transglutaminase. The method is not limited as long as the mushroom fruiting bodies are bound by the action of transglutaminase, but typically involves adding transglutaminase and allowing the mixed mushroom fruiting bodies to stand at a constant temperature for a constant period of time.

[0043] The conditions for the enzymatic reaction of transglutaminase are a temperature of 0°C or higher, but because the enzyme is inactivated at too high a temperature, it is generally 0 to 60°C. However, if the material is treated promptly during production, it is recommended to treat it at 20 to 40°C, but in order to maintain the freshness of the material, it is preferable to treat it at a temperature of about 0 to 5°C. The reaction time varies depending on the reaction temperature, and is not limited to the following, but can generally be 5 minutes to 24 hours. In addition, when the transglutaminase is applied, it is preferable to prevent the fruiting bodies of mushrooms from drying excessively by using a wrap or the like. Depending on the shape to be formed, the wrap can also play a role in preventing the formed shape from collapsing until it solidifies. For example, when forming into a rod shape, it is possible to wrap the fruiting bodies in wrap and form them and then solidify them.

[0044] In one embodiment, the production method of the present invention further comprises a step of heat treating the fruiting bodies of the mushrooms obtained after the binding step. By including a heat treatment step, transglutaminase can be inactivated, the degree of binding can be adjusted to an appropriate level, and excessive binding can be prevented. The method for terminating the action of transglutaminase is not particularly limited and can be a known method. For example, the action of transglutaminase can be terminated by raising the temperature by a known heating method, such as boiling the molded product in a vinyl bag, to a temperature at which transglutaminase is inactivated, and then maintaining the temperature for a certain period of time (e.g., 1 minute or more).

[0045] In another aspect, the present invention comprises: mixing transglutaminase with a fruiting body of a mushroom; forming a fruiting body of the mushroom; a step of binding fruit bodies of the mushrooms by the action of the transglutaminase; The present invention provides a substitute food produced by a method for producing a substitute food using mushrooms as a main raw material, comprising:

[0046] The present invention will be described in detail below using specific examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. EXAMPLES

[0047] 1. Test sample In the following examples, the mushrooms used in the production of alternative foods and the seafood processed products (test samples) used for comparison are shown in Tables 3 and 4 below.

[0048] [Table 3] [Table 4]

[0049] 2. Binders and additives used In the following examples, the binders and additives used in the manufacture of alternative foods are shown in Tables 5 and 6. The "Activa TG-B" used in the examples is "Activa TG-B (powdered)" (hereinafter referred to as "Activa TG-B").

[0050] [Table 5] [Table 6]

[0051] (Example 1. Examination of pretreatment conditions for pasting molding) In this example, we tried to recreate the texture of a paste-like product by shaping mushrooms that had been made into a paste using a binder in a mixer. First, we tried to solidify the pasted king oyster mushrooms using Activa TG-B, a transglutaminase preparation. We also conducted tests under several pretreatment conditions, changing the presence or absence of heating after pasting, as well as the method and timing of heating. Furthermore, we tried a pretreatment method in which freeze-dried king oyster mushrooms were crushed and hydrated, rather than making them into a paste using a mixer. By adopting each of the pretreatment conditions described above, alternative foods using mushrooms as the main ingredient were produced, and each alternative food was evaluated.

[0052] 1-1. Pretreatment of mushrooms Three packs of commercially available king oyster mushrooms (approximately 350-400g) or various mushrooms (300-400g) were cut into 3-5cm widths with a knife and placed in a mixer, and 150ml of tap water was added to make a paste. This was heated and stirred in a frying pan for 10 minutes, and the water was squeezed out with a bleached cloth (Pretreatment condition 1 in Table 7). In addition, in accordance with the pre-molding treatment conditions listed in Table 7, various pre-treatment conditions were investigated, such as changing the type and timing of heat treatment and adopting a crushing treatment by freeze-drying (pre-treatment conditions 2 to 6 in Table 5).

[0053] [Table 7]

[0054] 1-2. Addition of transglutaminase and molding The king oyster mushrooms treated under each pretreatment condition described in Example 1 were mixed with Activa TG-B in an amount of 3% of the paste weight after treatment and kneaded thoroughly. The fresh weight of the king oyster mushrooms used under each pretreatment condition and the amount of water added under each pretreatment condition are shown in Table 8 below. The king oyster mushrooms treated under pretreatment condition 6 were freeze-dried, crushed, and then water was added. Similarly, Activa TG-B in an amount of 3% of the weight after treatment was mixed thereto and kneaded thoroughly.

[0055] [Table 8] After mixing with Activa TG-B, the mixture was formed into a circle of about 3 cm in diameter and 1 cm in thickness, wrapped in plastic wrap, and left to stand overnight at 3-4°C. The next day, the mixture was placed in a plastic bag and boiled for 10 minutes to produce a substitute food made primarily from mushrooms. The resulting substitute food was subjected to a compression test (cutting test) and texture test using a texture tester.

[0056] 1-3. Evaluation of alternative foods The substitute food produced in 1-2 above was evaluated as follows. The degree of adhesion was visually confirmed, and a compression test (cutting test) was conducted to measure the load required to cut the sample using a texture tester (TEX-100N, manufactured by Japan Measurement Systems Co., Ltd.), and the peak load was defined as the "cutting load." A texture test (texture profile method) was also conducted to measure hardness, cohesiveness, elasticity, etc., and the measured value of "hardness" was defined as "texture hardness." The measurement conditions for the compression test (cutting test) and texture test were as shown in Tables 9 and 10. The experiment was conducted on approximately five specimens per measurement per sample. The same evaluation was also carried out for processed seafood products for comparison. For the sardine meatballs, heated ones were used. For the hanpen, heated ones and raw ones were used. For the kamaboko, raw ones were used.

[0057] [Table 9] [Table 10]

[0058] 1-4.Results The results of the texture hardness and cutting load of the seafood products compared are shown in Table 11 below. As shown in Table 11, kamaboko (raw) was the hardest for both texture hardness and cutting load, with a texture hardness of 38.81 kPa and a cutting load of 6.77 N. On the other hand, hanpen was the softest, and the cutting load for raw hanpen was 1.75 N. [Table 11]

[0059] Each of the alternative foods produced under molding conditions 1 to 6 could be formed into a ball shape and solidified under all pretreatment conditions, and a solidified product with the appearance and texture of fish balls was obtained (Figures 1 and 2). The final weight, amount of binder, texture hardness, and cutting load of each product are shown in Table 12. In the heating method condition study, it was shown that molding condition 3, which was heated only in a frying pan, solidified the most firmly. The texture hardness was 23.61 kPa, which was close to the 28.57 kPa of sardine fish balls. The texture hardness of the non-heated and hot water heated products (molding conditions 1 and 2) was lower, and although they solidified, they had a fluffy feel. In addition, molding conditions 4 and 5, in which the product was boiled before being made into a paste, retained moisture after the paste was made, and the product was softer than that of only being heated in a frying pan. In addition, the freeze-dried sample (molding condition 6) solidified the hardest, but it dried out and cracked, and only a small amount could be produced in one processing run. In this way, it was possible to form the material into a dumpling shape and solidify it under all pretreatment conditions, and it was possible to adjust the texture hardness and cutting load values ​​by changing the heating method conditions.

[0060] [Table 12]

[0061] (Example 2. Examination of mushroom species suitable for paste formation) In this example, pretreatment condition 3 was adopted based on the results of Example 1, and an attempt was made to solidify various mushrooms other than king oyster mushrooms using Activa TG-B as a binder.

[0062] 2-1. Pretreatment of mushrooms, addition of transglutaminase, and molding The mushrooms treated under pretreatment condition 3 (heated in a frying pan after being made into a paste) were mixed with Activa TG-B in an amount of 3% of the weight after treatment and kneaded well. The fresh weight and water amount of the mushrooms used in the pretreatment are shown in Table 13. [Table 13]

[0063] After mixing with Activa TG-B, the mixture was shaped into a circle approximately 3 cm in diameter and 1 cm thick, covered with plastic wrap, and left to stand overnight at 3 to 4°C. The next day, the pieces were placed in a plastic bag and boiled for 10 minutes. Those that could be measured were subjected to a compression test (cutting test) and texture test using a texture tester under the same conditions as in Example 1.

[0064] 2-2.Results The results are shown in Table 14. As shown in Table 14, about half of the types of mushrooms used for molding were solidified by Activa TG-B (Table 14). For mushrooms that were difficult to mold, molding was attempted by filling them into casings and leaving them overnight (Table 14, with casing). However, the cased mushrooms did not solidify and remained in a paste-like state inside the casing. Of the mushrooms that were able to solidify, four types in particular - Eringi (molding condition 3; Figure 1A), Kuroawabitake (molding condition 8; Figure 3A), Tsukuritake (molding condition 9; Figure 3B), and Yamabushitake (molding condition 14; Figure 4A) - had high texture hardness values, and the mushrooms that were completed had a springy fishball-like appearance and texture. As with the texture hardness, the cutting load also showed high values ​​for the four types - Eringi, Yamabushitake, Kuroawabitake, and Tsukuritake. In particular, the cutting load for Kuroawabitake was high at 8.98N. In addition, the wood ear mushroom (molding condition 7; Figure 4B), sparassis crispa (molding condition 10; Figure 5A), oyster mushroom (molding condition 11; Figure 5B), bunashimeji (molding condition 12; Figure 6A), and maitake mushroom (molding condition 13; Figure 6B), which were able to solidify, showed a texture hardness of 20.00 kPa or less.

[0065] Figure 7 shows a graph comparing these values ​​with the texture hardness and cutting load of various commercially available fish paste products. As shown in Figure 7, sardine meatballs (B) and Yamabushitake mushrooms (G) showed similar values ​​for both texture hardness and cutting load. Additionally, Bunashimeji mushrooms (L) and Aragakekikurage (M) showed similar values ​​to Hanpen (C, D). Next, Tsukuritake mushrooms (F) showed similar values ​​for both texture hardness and cutting load to Kamaboko (A). Most of the other molded mushrooms showed values ​​intermediate between Hanpen and Sardine meatballs. It was found that the mushrooms molded in this way have a texture similar to that of various fish paste products, and that some mushrooms are harder than kamaboko. On the other hand, it is thought that alternative foods made mainly from mushrooms can approach the desired hardness by adjusting the moisture content. It was also found that some types of mushrooms cannot be solidified even by the molding process using Activa TG-B in this embodiment.

[0066] [Table 14]

[0067] (Example 3. Study of a binder suitable for pasting) In this example, based on the results of Example 1, molding pretreatment condition 3 was adopted, and an investigation was conducted into whether it was possible to bind the pretreated king oyster mushrooms with other types of binders.

[0068] 3-1. Pretreatment, addition of binder, and molding Table 15 shows the fresh weight of the king oyster mushrooms, the amount of water added, and the binder used under molding conditions 3, 15 to 22 employed in this example. In the molding conditions 3, 15, and 16, the king oyster mushrooms treated under pretreatment condition 3 were mixed with a binder in an amount of 3% of the treated weight and kneaded thoroughly. After mixing with the binder, the mixture was molded into a circle with a diameter of about 3 cm and a thickness of about 1 cm, wrapped in plastic wrap, and left to stand overnight at 3 to 4°C. The next day, the mixture was placed in a plastic bag and boiled for 10 minutes to produce a molded alternative food. For molding conditions 17 to 22, alternative foods were produced by molding according to the method described in Table 16. For molding conditions 17 to 22, since molding after mixing with the binder was impossible, the mixture was stuffed into a sausage casing (OneVFT: 14M26MM, made from natural soybeans) using a sausage stuffing machine (manufactured by ZNZNANG) and similarly left to stand overnight at 3 to 4°C. The obtained alternative food was subjected to a compression test (cutting test) and a texture test using a texture tester under the same conditions as in Example 1.

[0069] [Table 15] [Table 16]

[0070] 3-2.Results Each binder was molded, and the results of measuring the presence or absence of solidification, texture hardness, and breaking load are shown in Table 17. As described above, with the binders used under conditions other than molding conditions 3, 15, and 16, molding was not possible without a casing. Also, as shown in Table 17, curdlan alone did not solidify even when a casing was used. Gellan gum, sodium alginate, carrageenan, the combination of sodium alginate and Activa TG-B, and the combination of gellan gum and carrageenan all solidified when a casing was used.

[0071] Comparing molding condition 3 using Activa TG-B, a transglutaminase preparation containing milk protein, and molding condition 15 using Activa TG-AK, a transglutaminase preparation containing soy protein, the latter resulted in a softer product. In molding condition 16 using potato starch, the obtained substitute food solidified. However, the obtained substitute food was quite soft, had a soft mochi-like texture, had almost no recovery after deformation, and some of them collapsed when lifted from the tray. In addition, the values ​​of texture hardness and cutting load in molding condition 12 using Activa TG-B and Bunashimeji in Example 2 were close to those in molding condition 16 using potato starch and king oyster mushrooms, but molding condition 12 obtained a texture similar to hanpen, which was soft but had recovery properties. On the other hand, the texture hardness was very high when gellan gum or sodium alginate was used. The texture was also like an extremely hardened agar jelly or nata de coco, so it was thought that it would be difficult to use it as a substitute for fish paste products, for example. Therefore, we tried to reduce the concentration of the coagulants by half and combine two types of coagulants. Under molding condition 21, where sodium alginate and Activa TG-B were mixed, the hardness was less than half that of molding condition 18, where sodium alginate was used alone. In this way, it was possible to adjust the texture hardness by changing the amount and combination of binders used. On the other hand, gellan gum is difficult to mold because of its high coagulation temperature, and sodium alginate requires immersion in a calcium chloride solution to coagulate, which makes the operation complicated. Carrageenan is loosely bound and thermoplastic, so it is not suitable for cooking with heat. Therefore, transglutaminase was considered to be superior as a binder used alone in terms of ease of operation.

[0072] [Table 17]

[0073] Figure 8 shows a graph comparing the texture hardness and cutting load of various commercially available fish paste products and shaped king oyster mushrooms solidified with various binders. As shown in Figure 8, the product that had the closest texture hardness to sardine meatballs (B) was the product that used Activa TG-B (H), and the product that had the closest cutting load was the product that used gellan gum (F). Carrageenan (K) and gellan gum + carrageenan (L) showed similar values ​​to hanpen (C, D). However, neither of them had the fluffy softness of hanpen, but rather a loosely bound, mushy softness, which was not desirable as a substitute food texture. On the other hand, among the substitute foods that were fixed with transglutaminase such as Bunashimeji mushrooms in Table 14, those that had a texture hardness close to hanpen also had a texture with elasticity and resilience close to the softness of hanpen. Next, for kamaboko (A), sodium alginate + Activa TG-B (G) showed similar values ​​for texture hardness. By using the transglutaminase preparation in combination with other binders, it was possible to adjust the texture hardness and cutting load. This also allows the texture related to texture hardness and cutting load to be adjusted.

[0074] (Example 4. Study of additives suitable for pasting) In this example, we investigated whether it is possible to adjust the texture hardness or cutting load by using additives when molding mushrooms.

[0075] 4-1. Pretreatment, addition of transglutaminase, and molding King oyster mushrooms were used as samples, and various additives were added before making them into a paste under pretreatment condition 3, after which they were crushed in a mixer. The fresh weight of the king oyster mushrooms used, the amount of water added, and the additives and amounts added are as shown in Table 18. After treatment, the mushrooms were mixed with 3% of the treated weight of Activa TG-B and kneaded well. They were then formed into circles about 3 cm in diameter and 1 cm thick, covered with plastic wrap, and left to stand overnight at 3 to 4°C. The following day, the mushrooms were placed in plastic bags and boiled for 10 minutes, and a compression test (cutting test) and texture test were performed using a texture tester.

[0076] [Table 18]

[0077] 4-2.Results The results of adding each additive are shown in Table 19. As shown in Table 19, the breaking load increased under molding condition 23, in which salt was added. Also, under molding condition 24, in which ethanol was added, and molding condition 25, in which (±)-α-tocopherol was added, the texture hardness and breaking load increased. Thus, the additives could be used to adjust the texture hardness and cutting load of mushroom-based food substitutes.

[0078] [Table 19]

[0079] (Example 5. Examination of pretreatment conditions for chopped molding) In this example, we tried to reproduce seafood such as cooked scallops by molding shredded eringi mushrooms using a binder. We tried to bind shredded eringi mushrooms using Activa TG-B, and investigated whether they would bind under shredded molding condition 1 using a non-heated sample and under shredded molding condition 2 using a pre-heated sample. By adopting each of the pretreatment conditions described above, alternative foods using king oyster mushrooms as the main ingredient were produced, and each alternative food was evaluated.

[0080] 5-1. Pre-treatment of King Oyster Mushrooms The king oyster mushrooms were chopped with tweezers and then frozen at -10°C for at least one night. The caps and roots of the king oyster mushrooms were removed, and the mushrooms were chopped into cylindrical pieces by pinching and tearing them with tweezers from the end. After chopping, each piece of king oyster mushroom had a cylindrical diameter of about 2-3 mm and a height of about 5-10 cm. The mushrooms were then thawed and the water was squeezed out. When examining the sample pretreatment method suitable for the chopping and molding experiment, the samples were pretreated under the conditions shown in the table below.

[0081] [Table 20]

[0082] 5-2. Consideration of pre-treatment conditions for chopping molding In order to examine the appropriate pretreatment conditions for the samples, the king oyster mushrooms treated under each of the pretreatment conditions for shredding and molding in "5-1. Pretreatment of king oyster mushrooms" above were thoroughly coated with Activa TG-B in an amount of 3% of the fresh weight. The fresh weight of the samples used and the amount of binder used are shown in the table below. The king oyster mushrooms that were shredded and coated with Activa TG-B were arranged in the direction of the fibers, formed into rods, wrapped in plastic wrap, and left to stand overnight at 3 to 4°C. The next day, they were placed in a plastic bag and boiled on both sides for 10 minutes each, and then left to stand overnight at -8.5°C. The next day, they were cut into pieces about 1 cm thick with a jigsaw while still frozen, and after thawing at room temperature, their condition was observed, and a compression test (cutting test) and texture test were performed using a texture tester (TEX-100N, manufactured by Nippon Keisoku Systems Co., Ltd.).

[0083] [Table 21]

[0084] 5-3. Evaluation of alternative foods The alternative foods produced in the above "5-2. Examination of pretreatment conditions for shredding and molding" were evaluated in the same manner as the above "1-3. Evaluation of alternative foods". For comparison, a seafood product containing scallops was also evaluated in the same manner. The scallops used were heated.

[0085] 5-4.Results The results of texture hardness and cutting load of the comparative seafood products containing scallops are shown in Table 22 below. As shown in Table 22, the texture hardness and cutting load were both the hardest for scallops, with the texture hardness being 45.79±9.13kPa and the cutting load being 13.20±6.48N. [Table 22]

[0086] The alternative food molded under non-heated shredding and molding condition 1 did not stick together. On the other hand, the alternative food molded under heated shredding and molding condition 2 remained stuck together even after thawing (Figure 9). The fibers were aligned in the same direction, so the appearance resembled boiled scallops or crab sticks. Thus, it was revealed that the transglutaminase preparation Activa TG-B can bind shredded and heated king oyster mushrooms together.

[0087] (Example 6. Study of mushroom species suitable for chopped molding) In this example, pretreatment condition 2 was adopted based on the results of Example 5, and an attempt was made to solidify various mushrooms other than king oyster mushrooms using Activa TG-B as a binder.

[0088] 6-1. Pretreatment of mushrooms, addition of transglutaminase, and molding Various mushrooms treated under pretreatment condition 2 for shredding were thoroughly coated with Activa TG-B in an amount of 3% of the fresh weight. The table below shows the mushrooms used, their fresh weights, and the amount of binder used. Where possible, the mushrooms were lined up in the direction of the fibers, formed into rods, wrapped in plastic wrap, and left to stand overnight at 3-4°C. The following day, the mushrooms were placed in a plastic bag and boiled on both sides for 10 minutes each, then left to stand overnight at -8.5°C. The following day, while still frozen, the mushrooms were cut with a jigsaw to a thickness of approximately 1cm, and after thawing at room temperature, their condition was observed and a compression test (cutting test) and texture test were performed using a texture tester.

[0089] [Table 23]

[0090] 6-2.Results Of the 15 samples from 14 species tested, only 6 were able to bind, indicating that not all mushrooms are able to bind (Table 24). The common features of the samples that did not bind were that those that did not change hardness much even after heating, such as Sparassis crispa (chopped and molded condition 11, Figure 10A) and Salix arbutifolia (chopped and molded condition 15, Figure 10B), those with smooth surfaces, such as Agaricus aurea (chopped and molded condition 3, Figure 10C) and Shiitake mushroom cap (chopped and molded condition 6, Figure 10D), and those with slimy surfaces, such as Enokitake mushroom (chopped and molded condition 4, Figure 11A) and Nameko (chopped and molded condition 8, Figure 11B), were difficult to bind. Other than these, Hakureitake mushroom (chopped and molded condition 9, Figure 11C), Bunashimeji mushroom (chopped and molded condition 13, Figure 11D), and Maitake mushroom (chopped and molded condition 14, Figure 12A) did not bind. On the other hand, in addition to King Oyster Mushroom (chopped and molded condition 2, Figure 1), five species of mushrooms did bind: Kuroawabitake (chopped and molded condition 5, Figure 12B), Shiitake mushroom stalk (chopped and molded condition 7, Figure 12C), Hatakeshimeji mushroom (chopped and molded condition 10, Figure 12D), Oyster mushroom (chopped and molded condition 12, Figure 13A), and Yamabushitake mushroom (chopped and molded condition 16, Figure 13B).

[0091] [Table 24]

[0092] The successfully bonded specimens were cut with a jigsaw and the texture hardness and cutting load were measured. The texture hardness was 24.61 x 10 3 The highest value was (Pa), but the results showed a large variation compared to the other samples, so the difference was not significant compared to the other samples. In addition, Yamabushitake has an appearance similar to an omelette, and although the numerical values ​​indicate that it is softer than King Oyster Mushroom, it seems to be firmly attached. All of the cutting load values ​​were around 10N, but the results for Hatakeshimeji and Kuroawabitake were relatively low.

[0093] When these values ​​were compared with the texture hardness and cutting load of heated scallops, all of the mushrooms (B to G) made by cutting and molding using Activa TG-B had texture hardness values ​​less than half that of heated scallops (A) (graph α in FIG. 14). On the other hand, the cutting loads showed similar values ​​except for Kuroawabitake (C) and Hatakeshimeji (G) (graph β in FIG. 14). Since scallops have a characteristic texture in which the fibers are torn vertically, it is more preferable that the cutting load values ​​are close when used as a substitute for scallops. The results of this example allowed the reproduction of a similar texture in which the fibers are torn vertically. If it is desired to increase the value of the texture hardness, it is thought that this can be adjusted by increasing the binder concentration, using other binders in combination, or using additives.

[0094] (Example 7. Study of a binder suitable for chopping molding) In this example, based on the results of Example 5, attempts were made to bind the king oyster mushrooms treated under the chopping and molding pretreatment condition 2 using various binders.

[0095] 7-1. Shredding of king oyster mushrooms using various binders The fresh weight of the king oyster mushrooms and the amount and amount of the binder used are shown in Table 25. For shredding and molding conditions 2 and 17 to 19, the binder was thoroughly mixed into the sample, and then the sample was arranged in the fiber direction, molded into a rod shape, wrapped in plastic wrap, and left to stand overnight at 3 to 4°C. The next day, only shredding and molding conditions 2 and 17 were placed in a plastic bag and boiled for 10 minutes on each side, and then all were left to stand overnight at -8.5°C. The next day, the frozen samples were cut into pieces about 1 cm thick with a jigsaw, and after thawing at room temperature, the condition was observed, and a compression test (cutting test) and a texture test were performed with a texture tester. In addition, detailed methods for shredding and molding conditions 20 to 22 are shown in Table 26.

[0096] [Table 25] [Table 26]

[0097] 7-2.Results In addition to the two transglutaminase preparations Activa TG-B and Activa TG-AK, binding was also possible with sodium alginate and gellan gum (Table 27). The successfully bound specimens were cut with a jigsaw and their hardness was measured. For the two transglutaminase preparations, Activa TG-B (chopping and molding condition 2, Figure 9), which contains milk protein, was more strongly bound than Activa TG-AK (chopping and molding condition 17, Figure 15A), which contains soy protein. On the other hand, the specimens bound with sodium alginate had a hardness of 82.57 x 10 3 At (Pa), it was the hardest, but when frozen, the moisture was removed and it felt like a dried loofah (shredded molding condition 18, Figure 15B). Therefore, it was found that binding using sodium alginate is not suitable for frozen storage. Also, agar, soluble starch and iota-carrageenan fell apart after thawing and did not bind. It was thought that the reason carrageenan did not bind was that it was difficult to dissolve when made into a solution and it formed lumps. Therefore, it was shown that transglutaminase is superior as a binding agent used alone.

[0098] These values ​​were compared with the texture hardness and cutting load of heated scallops (Figure 16). When eating heated scallops, the main way to eat them is to bite them off with the front teeth rather than crushing them with the tongue, so the cutting load is considered to be important in reproducing a similar texture. The cutting load of shredded eringi (C) made using Activa TG-B was comparable to that of heated scallops (A) (β in Figure 16), and it was considered that a similar texture was reproduced. The value of shredded eringi (E) made using Activa TG-AK was about half that of heated scallops (A), but it is considered that the value of the cutting load can be adjusted by increasing the binder concentration, using other binders in combination, or using additives. On the other hand, the texture hardness of shredded eringi (C) made using Activa TG-B was less than half that of heated scallops (A), and the value of shredded eringi (E) made using Activa TG-AK was less than one-quarter that of heated scallops (A) (α in Figure 16). Therefore, if one aims to achieve a texture that is closer to the original, it is preferable to also adjust the texture hardness value, which can be achieved by increasing the binder concentration, using other binders in combination, or using additives. On the other hand, the binding using sodium alginate (B) was very hard in both texture hardness and breaking load, and after freezing and thawing, it lost moisture and became spongy, so it was found that it is not appropriate to use it alone.In addition, the binding using gellan gum (D) showed low results in both values ​​among the conditions under which binding was possible.

[0099] [Table 27]

Claims

1. A substitute food that uses mushrooms as a main ingredient, The substitute food contains a fruiting body of a mushroom and transglutaminase, The alternative food is bound together as a whole by the action of transglutaminase on the fruiting bodies of the mushrooms.

2. The food substitute according to claim 1, The alternative food is a mushroom belonging to at least one genus selected from the group consisting of Pleurotus ostreatus, Agaricus blazei, Corallinus blazei, Maitake genus, Sparassis crispa, Hylobatida genus, Auricularia genus, Flammulina genus, Lentinula edodes, and Shimeji genus.

3. The food substitute according to claim 1, The alternative food, wherein the fruiting bodies of the mushrooms are in a paste form.

4. The food substitute according to claim 1, The alternative food, wherein the fruiting body of the mushroom is in chopped form.

5. The food substitute according to claim 1, A substitute food containing fruit bodies of the mushrooms in an amount of 50% by weight or more based on the total weight of the substitute food.

6. The food substitute according to claim 1, A substitute food having a texture hardness within the range of 5 to 100 kPa.

7. The food substitute according to claim 1, A food substitute having a cutting load within the range of 1 to 20N.

8. The food substitute according to claim 1, A food substitute having a cutting load within the range of 1 to 10N.

9. The food substitute according to claim 3, The alternative food is a mushroom belonging to at least one genus selected from the group consisting of Pleurotus ostreatus, Agaricus blazei, Corallinus blazei, Maitake genus, Sparassis crispa, Hylobulus ulmoides, Auricularia blazei, and Enokitake genus.

10. The food substitute according to claim 4, The alternative food product, wherein the mushrooms belong to at least one genus selected from the group consisting of Pleurotus ostreatus, Corallinensis genus, Lentinula edodes, and Shimeji genus.

11. The alternative food according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which is an alternative food for fish paste products.

12. A method for producing an alternative food using mushrooms as a main raw material, comprising: mixing transglutaminase with a fruiting body of a mushroom; forming a fruiting body of the mushroom; a step of binding fruit bodies of the mushrooms by the action of the transglutaminase; A manufacturing method comprising:

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of: The production method is such that the mushrooms belong to at least one genus selected from the group consisting of Pleurotus ostreatus, Agaricus blazei, Corallinus blazei, Maitake genus, Sparassis crispa, Hypsizygus blazei, Auricularia genus, Flammulina genus, Lentinula edodes, and Shimeji genus.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of: The production method further comprises a step of inactivating the protease contained in the fruiting body of the mushroom by heating before the mixing step.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of: The production method further comprises a step of removing moisture contained in the fruiting bodies of the mushrooms before the mixing step.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of: The method for producing the present invention, wherein the step of removing moisture is a step of removing moisture by heating.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of: The production method further comprises a step of heat-treating the fruiting bodies of the mushrooms obtained after the binding step.

18. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 17, The method includes a step of making the fruiting bodies of the mushrooms into a paste.

19. 20. The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of: The production method is such that the mushrooms belong to at least one genus selected from the group consisting of Pleurotus erythroblastus, Agaricus blazei, Corallinus blazei, Maitake genus, Sparassis crispa, Hylocereus ulmoides, Auricularia genus, and Flammulina velutipes.

20. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 17, The production method includes a step of shredding the fruiting body of the mushroom.

21. 21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of: A production method comprising a step of enzymatically treating the chopped fruiting body.

22. 21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of: The production method, wherein the mushrooms belong to at least one genus selected from the group consisting of the Pleurotus ostreatus, the Corallinen genus, the Lentinula edodes, and the Shimeji genus.

23. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of: A manufacturing method in which the alternative food contains fruit bodies of the mushrooms in an amount of 50% by weight or more based on the total weight of the alternative food.

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