Loosening agent for starch-including food product

Abstract

To provide a loosening agent for starch-including food product having preferable loosening properties, and a production method of starch-including food product including the same loosening agent.SOLUTION: There is provided a loosening agent for starch-including food product which is applied for a surface of a starch-including food product, the loosening agent including an emulsifier, a thickening polysaccharide, and soybean protein material. The loosening agent further includes water and has viscosity of 100 to 25000 mPa s (20°C). In another embodiment, water is added to the loosening agent for adjusting the viscosity to 100 to 25000 mPa s (20°C) for using the loosening agent for starch-including food product.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a loosening agent for starch-containing foods and a method for producing a starch-containing food containing the loosening agent. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been set as international goals aiming for a sustainable and better world by 2030. As a result, as part of efforts to achieve these goals, the food industry is also being asked to reduce food waste during distribution and other processes, as well as reduce workload, making maintaining food quality an important issue. Noodles such as soba, udon, Chinese noodles, and pasta are usually boiled before eating, but many are also distributed so that they can be eaten as is without any special heating. However, these noodles are prone to problems such as the noodles sticking together during distribution or storage, and in order to solve these problems, efforts have been made to coat the noodles with oils and fats to prevent them from sticking together and to improve their loosening properties.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a noodle disintegration improver that contains lecithin and a diglycerol fatty acid ester as essential components and an emulsifier such as a polyglycerol fatty acid ester, while Patent Document 2 proposes an oil and fat composition for improving noodle disintegration that contains lecithin and a polyglycerol fatty acid ester.

[0004] Although these compositions have a certain level of noodle loosening properties, there are cases in which, for example, when the noodle surface contains a large amount of moisture, the compositions are poor in adhesion to the noodles and fail to exhibit sufficient noodle loosening properties. [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-035024 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-221033 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a loosening agent for starch-containing foods having good loosening properties. A further object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing starch-containing foods having good loosening properties. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] Means for Solving the Problems The present inventors have conducted extensive research and have found that a composition containing a specific component has good loosening properties, thereby solving the above-mentioned problems and completing the present invention.

[0007] That is, the present invention provides the following [1] to [7]. [1] A starch-containing food loosening agent for application to the surface of a starch-containing food, comprising: The loosening agent contains an emulsifier, a thickening polysaccharide, and a soy protein material, The loosening agent further contains water and has a viscosity of 100 to 25,000 mPa s (20°C), or the loosening agent is used after adding water to adjust the viscosity to 100 to 25,000 mPa s (20°C). A loosening agent for starch-containing foods. [2] The content of the emulsifier in the loosening agent is 0.1 to 80% by mass, The emulsifier is one or more selected from glycerin monofatty acid esters, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid esters, organic acid monoglycerides, sorbitan fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, polysorbates, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, and lecithin. The starch-containing food loosening agent according to [1]. [3] The starch-containing food loosening agent according to [1] or [2], which is one or more selected from the group consisting of xanthan gum, galactomannan, carrageenan, and dextrin. [4] The loosening agent for starch-containing foods according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the soy protein material is isolated soy protein. [5] The loosening agent for starch-containing foods according to any one of [1] to [4], which does not contain fats or oils, or contains fats or oils in an amount three times or less than the total mass of the emulsifier, the thickening polysaccharide, and the soy protein material. [5] The mass ratio of the emulsifier to the thickening polysaccharide in the loosening agent is emulsifier: thickening polysaccharide=300:1 to 1:1, and / or the content of the thickening polysaccharide in the loosening agent is 0.01 to 5% by mass; The mass ratio of the thickening polysaccharide to the soy protein material in the loosening agent is 1:99 to 99:1; The water content in the loosening agent or the amount of water in the starch-containing food loosening agent after adding water to adjust the viscosity is more than 0% by mass and 99.8% by mass or less; A loosening agent for starch-containing foods according to any one of [1] to [4]. [6] A surface-modified starch-containing food comprising a starch-containing food and the loosening agent for starch-containing foods according to any one of [1] to [5] attached to the surface of the starch-containing food. [7] A method for producing a starch-containing food, comprising a step of applying the loosening agent for starch-containing foods according to any one of [1] to [5] to the surface of the starch-containing food. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, the loosening properties of starch-containing foods can be improved. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The present invention will be illustrated in detail below. In the embodiment of the present invention, A (numerical value) to B (numerical value) means A or more and B or less. In addition, the preferred and more preferred aspects exemplified below can be used in appropriate combination with each other regardless of expressions such as "for example," "preferred," and "more preferred." In addition, the descriptions of numerical ranges are merely examples, and ranges obtained by appropriately combining the upper and lower limits of each range and the numerical values ​​of the examples can also be preferably used. Furthermore, terms such as "contain" or "include" may be read as "essentially consisting of" or "consisting only of."

[0010] [Starch-containing food loosening agent] The starch-containing food loosening agent of the present invention is for application to the surface of starch-containing foods, and contains an emulsifier, a thickening polysaccharide, and a soy protein material. The starch-containing food loosening agent of the present invention further contains water and has a viscosity of 100 to 25,000 mPa·s (20°C), or is used after adding water to the loosening agent to adjust the viscosity to 100 to 25,000 mPa·s (20°C).

[0011] The starch-containing food loosening agent of the present invention contains an emulsifier, a thickening polysaccharide, and a soy protein material. The starch-containing food loosening agent of the present invention contains a thickening polysaccharide, which increases the viscosity of the loosening agent compared to one that does not contain a thickening polysaccharide. Increasing the viscosity of the loosening agent has the effect of improving the loosening properties of the starch-containing food to which the loosening agent is applied. However, if the viscosity is too high, the workability and coating properties for the starch-containing food are poor. On the other hand, by containing a soy protein material together with a thickening polysaccharide, etc., it is possible to improve the loosening properties while suppressing an excessive increase in viscosity. When the starch-containing food loosening agent of the present invention contains water, it suitably has a viscosity of, for example, 100 to 25,000 mPa·s (20°C), preferably 200 to 25,000 mPa·s (20°C), more preferably 400 to 20,000 mPa·s (20°C), even more preferably 600 to 15,000 mPa·s (20°C), and most preferably 800 to 13,000 mPa·s (20°C).

[0012] The starch-containing food loosening agent of the present invention may be used by adding water when used. In other words, the starch-containing food loosening agent of the present invention may be a precursor element starch-containing food loosening agent for use by adding water to the loosening agent to give a viscosity of 100 to 25,000 mPa·s (20°C). The starch-containing food loosening agent of the present invention may be in an intermediate form in the sense that water is added appropriately when used. The precursor element starch-containing food loosening agent preferably does not contain water or does not substantially contain water, and for example, it is appropriate that the amount of water is 10% by mass or less, preferably 5% by mass or less, more preferably 1% by mass or less, and 0% by mass or more or about 0.1% by mass or more, based on the entire precursor element starch-containing food loosening agent. The starch-containing food loosening agent of the present invention as such an intermediate is suitably used with a viscosity of 100 to 25,000 mPa·s (20°C) when added with water when actually used. By adding water to the starch-containing food loosening agent later, the volume required for transportation can be reduced, and transportation costs and CO2 emissions can be reduced. In addition, the starch-containing food loosening agent suitably has a viscosity of, for example, 100 to 25,000 mPa·s (20°C) when added with water, preferably a viscosity of 200 to 25,000 mPa·s (20°C), more preferably a viscosity of 400 to 20,000 mPa·s (20°C), even more preferably a viscosity of 600 to 15,000 mPa·s (20°C), and most preferably a viscosity of 800 to 13,000 mPa·s (20°C). The preferred amount of water contained in the starch-containing food loosening agent after adjusting the viscosity is as explained in the section on <Water> below.

[0013] In the present invention, the viscosity can be measured in accordance with the Standard Method for Analysis of Fats, Oils and Related Materials (2.2.10.5-2013 Viscosity (Brookfield Method)) established by the Japan Oil Chemists' Society. For example, the viscosity can be measured 1 minute after the start of rotation using a BM type viscometer.

[0014] <Emulsifier> The starch-containing food loosening agent of the present invention contains an emulsifier. As the emulsifier, one or more selected from glycerin mono fatty acid ester, polyglycerin fatty acid ester, polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid ester, organic acid monoglyceride, sorbitan fatty acid ester, sucrose fatty acid ester, polysorbate, propylene glycol fatty acid ester, and lecithin can be used. Here, the "fatty acid" can be a straight-chain or branched, saturated or unsaturated fatty acid having 16 to 22 carbon atoms, preferably 18 to 22 carbon atoms, more preferably 18 to 20 carbon atoms. As the unsaturated fatty acid, for example, one or more unsaturated fatty acids selected from oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, and erucic acid are preferable. As the saturated fatty acid, for example, one or more saturated fatty acids selected from palmitic acid, stearic acid, and behenic acid are preferable. Hereinafter, the same applies to "fatty acid" unless otherwise specified.

[0015] In order to improve the loosening property, the HLB of the emulsifier is preferably 2 to 18. In the present invention, it is permitted to contain a plurality of emulsifiers, but the HLB is the HLB of the entire emulsifiers contained. An emulsifier having the same HLB can disperse or solubilize in water, and also has good loosening property of starch-containing foods. The HLB of the emulsifier is preferably 3 to 16, more preferably 4 to 14, and even more preferably 6 to 10. In addition, an emulsifier with an HLB of 2 to 18 also has an emulsifying function, and when a small amount of oil or fat is contained, the emulsifier can be used in the present invention to make an emulsion or the like. In order to emulsify particularly efficiently, the HLB of the emulsifier is preferably 3 to 10, more preferably 4 to 10, and even more preferably 6 to 10.

[0016] HLB is an abbreviation for Hydrophile Lipophile Balance, and is an index for determining whether an emulsifier is hydrophilic or lipophilic, and takes a value of 0 to 20. The smaller the HLB value, the stronger the lipophilicity. In the present invention, the HLB value is calculated using the Atlas method. The Atlas method is as follows: HLB = 20 × (1-S / A) S: Saponification value A: Neutralization value of fatty acid in ester This is a method of calculating the HLB value from the above. In this calculation method, the HLB value is calculated as an arithmetic average. For example, if an emulsifier with HLB 2 and an emulsifier with HLB 4 are contained in a 1:1 (mass ratio), the HLB of the entire emulsifier will be 3.

[0017] In the present invention, the loosening agent for starch-containing foods preferably contains 0.1 to 80% by mass of an emulsifier in the loosening agent (100% by mass). Within this range, good loosening properties of starch-containing foods can be obtained, and the oily components contained in the loosening agent of the present invention can be sufficiently emulsified. The content of the emulsifier in the loosening agent (100% by mass) is preferably 0.2 to 70% by mass, more preferably 0.3 to 60% by mass, even more preferably 0.5 to 50% by mass, even more preferably 1 to 45% by mass, and most preferably 5 to 40% by mass in the loosening agent.

[0018] In order to prevent solidification at low temperatures, it is preferable that 60% by mass or more of the constituent fatty acids of the emulsifier are unsaturated fatty acids. It is more preferable that 70 to 100% by mass of the constituent fatty acids of the emulsifier are unsaturated fatty acids, and it is even more preferable that 80 to 98% by mass of the constituent fatty acids of the emulsifier are unsaturated fatty acids. In addition, the unsaturated fatty acids may be, for example, linear unsaturated fatty acids having 16 to 22 carbon atoms, preferably 18 to 22 carbon atoms, and more preferably 18 to 20 carbon atoms. As the unsaturated fatty acids, one or more kinds of unsaturated fatty acids selected from oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, and erucic acid are preferable. It is particularly preferable that 65 to 90% by mass of the constituent fatty acids is oleic acid. Fatty acids other than the unsaturated fatty acids of the emulsifier are saturated fatty acids. The saturated fatty acid is preferably a linear saturated fatty acid having 6 to 22 carbon atoms, more preferably a linear saturated fatty acid having 16 to 22 carbon atoms, even more preferably a linear saturated fatty acid having 18 to 20 carbon atoms, and even more preferably one or more selected from palmitic acid, stearic acid, and behenic acid.

[0019] As the emulsifier to be used, diglycerol mono-fatty acid ester and / or triglycerol mono-fatty acid ester are not only excellent in loosening properties, but also have a high function of emulsifying the oily components contained in the loosening agent of the present invention. Therefore, these emulsifiers can be used alone or simultaneously with other emulsifiers. For example, diglycerol mono-fatty acid esters can be diglycerol fatty acid esters produced by esterifying diglycerol with fatty acids. It is preferable to use diglycerol mono-fatty acid esters and / or triglycerol mono-fatty acid esters obtained by distilling the reaction product to increase the purity of the monoester (distilled monoglyceride, etc.), but those containing diesters and triesters as impurities may also be used.

[0020] In the present invention, the starch-containing food loosening agent preferably contains diglycerol mono-fatty acid ester and / or triglycerol mono-fatty acid ester in an amount of 10 to 60% by mass in the loosening agent (100% by mass). If the amount of diglycerol mono-fatty acid ester and / or triglycerol mono-fatty acid ester is 10% by mass or more, the loosening agent can be sufficiently emulsified, and by suppressing the amount to 60% by mass or less, there is room for blending other emulsifiers, and a synergistic effect with other emulsifiers can be expected. The content of diglycerol mono-fatty acid ester and / or triglycerol mono-fatty acid ester in the loosening agent (100% by mass) is more preferably 20 to 55% by mass, even more preferably 30 to 50% by mass, and even more preferably 35 to 45% by mass in the loosening agent. A particularly preferred diglycerol mono-fatty acid ester is diglycerol monooleate.

[0021] In the present invention, the starch-containing food loosening agent preferably uses one or more emulsifiers selected from polyglycerol fatty acid esters having an average degree of polymerization of polyglycerol of 4 or more, polyglycerol condensed ricinoleic acid esters, organic acid monoglycerides, sorbitan fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, polysorbates, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, and lecithin. These emulsifiers can be used alone, but using them simultaneously with the above-mentioned diglycerol mono fatty acid esters and / or triglycerol mono fatty acid esters has the effect of further improving the loosening properties. The content of one or more emulsifiers selected from polyglycerol fatty acid esters having an average degree of polymerization of polyglycerol of 4 or more, organic acid monoglycerides, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, and lecithin in the loosening agent (100 mass%) is preferably 0 to 40 mass%, or more than 0 mass% and 40 mass% or less, more preferably 5 to 30 mass%, even more preferably 5 to 20 mass%, and particularly preferably 5 to 15 mass%.

[0022] Polyglycerol fatty acid esters with an average degree of polymerization of polyglycerol of 4 or more are synthesized by esterifying polyglycerol with fatty acid. Polyglycerol used as a raw material for polyglycerol fatty acid esters is generally obtained by dehydration condensation at high temperature in the presence of an alkaline catalyst such as caustic soda using glycerol as a raw material, and distillation, deodorization, and decolorization as necessary. Polyglycerol, which is the raw material for these polyglycerol fatty acid esters, is also called reactive polyglycerol, and is a mixture of polyglycerols with different degrees of polymerization, and has a wide distribution of degrees of polymerization. Polyglycerol fatty acid esters with a degree of polymerization of 4 or more are generally difficult to isolate, so it is acceptable for the mixture to be a mixture of polyglycerol fatty acid esters with various degrees of polymerization.

[0023] In the present invention, the average degree of polymerization (percentage) indicates the degree of polymerization of polyglycerin constituting the polyglycerin fatty acid ester. The average degree of polymerization here is a value calculated from the hydroxyl value of polyglycerin, which is the raw material of the polyglycerin fatty acid ester, and the average degree of polymerization (n) can be derived, for example, from the following formulas (Formula 1) and (Formula 2). (Formula 1) Molecular weight = 74×n+18 (Equation 2) Hydroxyl value = 56110 x (n + 2) / molecular weight

[0024] Ordinary polyglycerols are sold under names such as tetraglycerol (average degree of polymerization 4), hexaglycerol (average degree of polymerization 6), decaglycerol (average degree of polymerization 10), etc., depending on the average degree of polymerization determined by terminal group analysis, which is obtained by measuring the hydroxyl value. Therefore, the average degree of polymerization is a calculated value, and may differ from the actual degree of polymerization.

[0025] The average degree of polymerization of the polyglycerol portion of the polyglycerol fatty acid ester is more preferably 4 to 12, further preferably 4 to 10, and particularly preferably 4 to 7. Particularly preferred are pentaglycerol trioleate, decaglycerol pentaoleate, decaglycerol monooleate, pentaglycerol monooleate, and polyglycerol condensed ricinoleate.

[0026] Polyglycerol condensed ricinoleic acid ester is an ester of a polymer of polyglycerol and ricinoleic acid, and is obtained, for example, by an esterification reaction between ricinoleic acid obtained mainly from castor oil and polyglycerol. The polyglycerol portion of the polyglycerol condensed ricinoleic acid ester has a polymerization degree distribution, similar to the above-mentioned polyglycerol fatty acid ester, and is indicated by an average polymerization degree. The average polymerization degree of the polyglycerol portion of the polyglycerol condensed ricinoleic acid ester is preferably about 2 to 12, more preferably about 2 to 10, and even more preferably about 3 to 8.

[0027] The organic acid constituting the organic acid monoglyceride is not particularly limited, but citric acid, succinic acid, acetic acid, tartaric acid, butyric acid, etc. can be suitably used. Citric acid is particularly preferred because it has a high loosening effect. Glyceryl monooleate citrate and glycerin monooleate succinate are particularly preferred.

[0028] Sucrose fatty acid esters and sorbitan fatty acid esters are esters of sucrose or sorbitan and fatty acids, and commercially available products can be used. Commercially available sucrose fatty acid esters include Ryoto Sugar Ester S-1670, Ryoto Sugar Ester POS-135, Ryoto Sugar Ester S-070, Ryoto Sugar Ester O-170, and Ryoto Sugar Ester ER-290 manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation. Commercially available sorbitan fatty acid esters include Rikemal OR-85, Rikemal B-150, and Poem S-65V manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd. Two or more types of sucrose fatty acid esters and sorbitan fatty acid esters may be used in combination.

[0029] Polysorbates are obtained by condensation reaction of sorbitan fatty acid ester with ethylene oxide. Ethylene oxide is preferably condensed with 10 to 40 molecules, and commercially available products having lauric acid, stearic acid, palmitic acid, etc. as main constituent fatty acids can be used. Particularly preferred are polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate (polysorbate 20), polyoxyethylene sorbitan monostearate (polysorbate 60), polyoxyethylene sorbitan tristearate (polysorbate 65), and polyoxyethylene sorbitan oleate (polysorbate 80).

[0030] Propylene glycol fatty acid ester is an ester of propylene glycol and fatty acid, and it is preferable to use one having an HLB of 2 to 10 or 3 to 10. Propylene glycol oleate is particularly preferable.

[0031] Lecithin may be egg yolk lecithin or plant-derived lecithin, and plant-derived lecithin is preferred. As raw materials for plant-derived lecithin, crude oil obtained by squeezing and / or extracting oil seeds such as soybean, rapeseed, corn, sunflower, safflower, sesame, and linseed, oil cake obtained as a precipitate by blowing water or steam into the crude oil, crude lecithin obtained by drying the separated oil cake, lecithin obtained by removing neutral fats and oils from the crude lecithin by a known method such as solvent fractionation, and concentrated or high-purity lecithin obtained by concentrating and fractionating specific phospholipids from the mixed lecithin, etc. can be used. In the present invention, lecithin obtained by desugaring such raw materials is preferred because it can suppress coloring.

[0032] In the present invention, the lecithin in the emulsifier can be determined by the acetone insoluble matter measured by the "Standard Method for Analysis of Fats, Oils and Fat, 4.3.1-2013 Acetone Insoluble Matter" established by the Japan Oil Chemists' Society, but since this measurement method is not suitable for measuring acetone insoluble matter of 5% by mass or less, the phosphorus content can be measured and converted to determine the lecithin content. For example, the phosphorus content of a phosphorus-containing food loosening agent containing starch can be quantified by optical emission spectroscopy (ICP optical emission analyzer) using high-frequency inductively coupled plasma (ICP) as a light source, and since the ratio of the atomic weight of phosphorus to the molecular weight of lecithin is approximately 1:25, the phosphorus content can be calculated by multiplying it by 25. Among the various emulsifiers exemplified above, particularly preferred are sucrose fatty acid esters such as sucrose stearate and soybean lecithin. It is appropriate to use these emulsifiers in an amount of about 10% by mass ±5% by mass relative to the mass of the loosening agent.

[0033] <Thickening polysaccharides> The starch-containing food loosening agent of the present invention contains a thickening polysaccharide. A thickening polysaccharide is a water-soluble polymeric substance that has the property of improving viscosity or gelling when dissolved in water, and examples of such thickening polysaccharides include xanthan gum, galactomannan, tamarind seed gum, carrageenan, agar, pectin, gum arabic, pullulan, dextrin, and soybean polysaccharides, and one or more of these thickening polysaccharides can be used. Preferably, one or more selected from xanthan gum and galactomannan. Furthermore, as the galactomannan, guar gum and locust bean gum are preferred.

[0034] In the present invention, the starch-containing food loosening agent is used as an emulsion or as an emulsion after adding water, and the increased viscosity of the emulsion improves the loosening property of the starch-containing food. Therefore, in the present invention, it is appropriate to add a thickening polysaccharide. The mass ratio of the emulsifier to the thickening polysaccharide in the starch-containing food loosening agent is preferably emulsifier: thickening polysaccharide=300:1 to 1:1. The content of the thickening polysaccharide in the starch-containing food loosening agent (100% by mass) is preferably 0.01 to 5% by mass. If the mass ratio of the emulsifier to the thickening polysaccharide and / or the content of the thickening polysaccharide is within these ranges, a certain increase in the viscosity of the emulsion can be expected, improving the loosening property of the starch-containing food. The mass ratio of the emulsifier to the thickening polysaccharide in the starch-containing food loosening agent is more preferably emulsifier: thickening polysaccharide=300:1 to 5:3, 300:1 to 3:1, or 200:1 to 3:1, and even more preferably emulsifier: thickening polysaccharide=160:1 to 3:1, 100:1 to 5:1, or 50:1 to 10:1. The content of the thickening polysaccharide in the starch-containing food loosening agent (100% by mass) is more preferably 0.05 to 3% by mass, even more preferably 0.1 to 2% by mass, and particularly preferably 0.2 to 1% by mass.

[0035] <Soybean protein material> The loosening agent for starch-containing foods of the present invention contains a soy protein material. Specifically, the soy protein material is defatted soybeans, isolated soy protein, concentrated soy protein, extracted soy protein, soy flour, etc. These soy protein materials can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The defatted soybeans, isolated soy protein, concentrated soy protein, extracted soy protein, and soy flour can be commercially available products. An example of a commercially available defatted soybean product is "Soya Flower A" sold by Nisshin Oillio Group Co., Ltd., an example of a commercially available isolated soy protein product is "Solpy 4000H" and "Solpy 6000H" sold by Nisshin Oillio Group Co., Ltd., an example of a commercially available concentrated soy protein product is "Arcon F" sold by ADM, and an example of a commercially available soy flour product is "Alpha Plus HS-600" and "Soya Flower NSA" sold by Nisshin Oillio Group Co., Ltd. The soy protein material in the present invention is preferably isolated soy protein.

[0036] The protein content in the soybean protein material of the present invention is preferably 70% by mass or more, more preferably 70-100% by mass, even more preferably 80-98% by mass, and most preferably 85-95% by mass. The protein content can be determined by the Kjeldahl method. When using a commercially available soybean protein material, the protein content can be determined based on the product information of the raw material manufacturer.

[0037] In the present invention, by containing a soy protein material together with a thickening polysaccharide, etc., it is possible to improve the loosening property while suppressing an excessive increase in viscosity. In the present invention, the mass ratio of the thickening polysaccharide to the soy protein material in the loosening agent is preferably 1:99 to 99:1. The mass ratio of the thickening polysaccharide to the soy protein material in the loosening agent is more preferably 1:90 to 90:1, even more preferably 1:9 to 9:1, and particularly preferably 1:5 to 5:1.

[0038] <Water> The starch-containing food loosening agent of the present invention contains water. The water content in the starch-containing food loosening agent (100% by mass) is, for example, more than 0% by mass and not more than 99.8% by mass, preferably 40 to 99.5% by mass, more preferably 50 to 99% by mass, and even more preferably 60 to 95% by mass.

[0039] <Oils and fats> The starch-containing food loosening agent of the present invention preferably does not contain fats and oils, or if it does contain fats and oils, it preferably contains fats and oils in an amount of 3 times or less the total mass of the emulsifier, thickening polysaccharides, and soy protein material (when the total mass of the emulsifier, thickening polysaccharides, and soy protein material is 100 parts by mass, the amount of fats and oils is more than 0% by mass and 300 parts by mass or less). The content of fats and oils in the starch-containing food loosening agent is more preferably 1 time or less the total mass of the emulsifier, thickening polysaccharides, and soy protein material, more preferably 1 / 2 or less or 1 / 3 or less, even more preferably 1 / 4 or less, and particularly preferably 1 / 5 or less, or no fats and oils. When fats and oils are contained, the upper limit of the content of fats and oils is preferably 1 / 50 or more, 1 / 30 or more, or 1 / 20 or more of the total mass of the emulsifier, thickening polysaccharides, and soy protein material. When fats and oils are contained in the starch-containing food loosening agent, the starch-containing food loosening agent (100% by mass) may contain fats and oils, for example, more than 0% by mass and less than 20% by mass, preferably 0.1 to 18% by mass, and more preferably 1 to 10% by mass. The present invention has been made based on the finding that the starch-containing food loosening agent functions sufficiently even in the absence of fats and oils, but the starch-containing food loosening agent can be sufficiently emulsified if a certain amount of fats and oils are present. In addition, by containing fats and oils in the same range, the loosening property of the starch-containing food can be improved together with the emulsifier and thickening polysaccharide.

[0040] As the oils and fats, animal and vegetable oils and fats, oils and fats synthesized from glycerin and fatty acids, fractionated oils and fats thereof, interesterified oils, hydrogenated oils, etc. can be used alone or in combination. Examples of animal and vegetable oils and fats include soybean oil, rapeseed oil, high oleic rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, high oleic sunflower oil, olive oil, safflower oil, high oleic safflower oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, rice oil, sesame oil, perilla oil, linseed oil, peanut oil, grapeseed oil, beef tallow, milk fat, fish oil, coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil. Examples of fats and oils synthesized from glycerin and fatty acids include fats and oils containing linear saturated fatty acids having 6 to 12 carbon atoms, preferably 8 to 10 carbon atoms, such as medium chain triglycerides (MCT) having 8 to 10 carbon atoms. Examples of fractionated oils include fractionated palm oils such as palm olein, palm superolein, palm stearin, and palm midfraction. As the interesterified oil, an interesterified oil of palm oil or a fractionated palm oil with other liquid oils or fats, or an interesterified oil of MCT with vegetable oil or the like can be used. Examples of the hydrogenated oil include hydrogenated oils of animal and vegetable oils, fractionated oils of animal and vegetable oils, and hydrogenated oils of interesterified oils.

[0041] As for the fats and oils used in the present invention, fats and oils that lose fluidity at room temperature (20°C ± 5°C) need to be melted by heating when applied (coated) to starch-containing foods, so fats and oils that have fluidity at 30°C are preferred. Even if a part of the raw fats and oils is solid at 30°C, it can be used suitably as long as the fats and oils as a whole have fluidity when used in combination with other raw fats and oils. Fat and oils that have fluidity at 20°C are more preferred, and fats and oils that are liquid at 20°C are even more preferred. In particular, fats and oils that contain linear saturated fatty acids with 6 to 12 carbon atoms, preferably 8 to 10 carbon atoms, as constituent fatty acids of the fats and oils, rapeseed oil, palm olein, olive oil, and mixtures thereof, etc., can be suitably used, since they have the advantage of being liquid fats and oils with low melting points and good oxidation stability. In particular, fats and oils in which 30% by mass or more of the constituent fatty acids of the fats and oils are linear saturated fatty acids with 8 to 10 carbon atoms have good loosening properties for starch-containing foods, and are preferred. More preferably, 50 to 100% by mass of the constituent fatty acids of the oil or fat are linear saturated fatty acids having 8 to 10 carbon atoms, and even more preferably, 80 to 100% by mass of the constituent fatty acids of the oil or fat are linear saturated fatty acids having 8 to 10 carbon atoms. Examples of linear saturated fatty acids having 8 to 10 carbon atoms include caprylic acid and capric acid.

[0042] <Other ingredients> In addition to the above-mentioned components, the starch-containing food loosening agent of the present invention can use raw materials that are generally blended in starch-containing food loosening agents. Specifically, for example, raw materials other than those mentioned above, such as ethanol, pH adjusters, seasonings, colorants, fragrances, antioxidants, sugars, sugar alcohols, stabilizers, emulsifiers, etc., can be used. The amount of these components can be any amount as long as it does not impair the effects of the present invention, and for example, they can be contained in the starch-containing food loosening agent (100% by mass) at 10% by mass or less, preferably 0 to 3% by mass or more than 0% by mass and 3% by mass or less, more preferably 0 to 1% by mass or more than 0% by mass and 1% by mass or less.

[0043] [Addition of water to starch-containing food loosening agents] The starch-containing food loosening agent may be used as it is, or may be added with water at the time of use to form a liquid with a viscosity of 100 to 25,000 mPa·s (20° C.) for use as an actual loosening agent. The aqueous solution or suspension in this case is not particularly limited, but examples include a solubilized aqueous solution, an aqueous dispersion, an oil-in-water (O / W) emulsion, and a W / O / W emulsion (these may be collectively referred to as "emulsions, etc." in this specification). The starch-containing food loosening agent has the effect of improving the loosening property of starch-containing foods by forming an emulsion or the like having a specific high viscosity due to the synergistic action of the emulsifier and the thickening polysaccharide. Here, if the viscosity is too high, the workability and coating property for starch-containing foods are poor. Therefore, the viscosity of the starch-containing food loosening agent of the present invention may be adjusted during use by adjusting the moisture content during use. The starch-containing food loosening agent in the form of an emulsion or the like with adjusted moisture may have a viscosity of, for example, 100 to 25000 mPa·s (20°C), more preferably 200 to 25000 mPa·s (20°C), even more preferably 400 to 5000 mPa·s (20°C), even more preferably 600 to 3000 mPa·s (20°C), and particularly preferably 800 to 2500 mPa·s (20°C). Other definitions and preferred embodiments of the emulsion etc. are as described above.

[0044] [Starch-containing foods] The loosening agent for starch-containing foods of the present invention is used in starch-containing foods. Specifically, the loosening agent for starch-containing foods of the present invention provides a surface-modified starch-containing food containing a starch-containing food and the loosening agent for starch-containing foods attached to the surface of the starch-containing food by applying the loosening agent for starch-containing foods to the surface of the starch-containing food. Examples of starch-containing foods include processed foods made by kneading raw materials mainly made of grain flour such as wheat flour, buckwheat flour, rice flour, potato starch, kuzu flour, foxtail millet flour, konjac flour, and tapioca flour with water. Examples of starch-containing foods include noodles such as soba, udon, somen, hiyamugi, Chinese noodles, rice flour noodles, hiyamen, and pasta (long pasta), paste products other than noodles such as sukiyaki, macaroni, short pasta, gyoza wrappers, and spring roll wrappers, and rice dishes such as rice, fried rice, curry rice, and rice bowls. The loosening agent for starch-containing foods is applied to the surface of these starch-containing foods, and can be used to coat the surface of the starch-containing foods to provide starch-containing foods with improved loosening properties. The application (coating) amount of the loosening agent for starch-containing foods is preferably 0.1 to 7 parts by mass, more preferably 0.2 to 5.0 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the starch-containing food. When the loosening agent for starch-containing foods of the present invention is applied to starch-containing foods, the starch-containing food may be boiled in water at about 90 to 100°C, or the boiled starch-containing food may be cooled to room temperature (20°C ± 5°C), and the loosening agent for starch-containing foods, preferably in an emulsified form, may be applied to the starch-containing food.

[0045] [Method for improving the crumbliness of starch-containing foods] The method for improving the loosening property of starch-containing foods of the present invention involves applying (coating) the above-mentioned loosening agent for starch-containing foods to starch-containing foods. That is, the method for improving the loosening property of starch-containing foods includes the steps of mixing an emulsifier and any oil or fat together with a thickening polysaccharide, a soy protein material and water to prepare a loosening agent for starch-containing foods having a viscosity of 100 to 25,000 mPa·s (20°C), and applying (coating) the above-mentioned loosening agent for starch-containing foods to the starch-containing food. The loosening property of the starch-containing food can be improved by adhering the loosening agent for starch-containing foods of the present invention to the starch-containing food, preferably on the surface thereof. Here, it is particularly preferable that the loosening agent for starch-containing foods of the present invention coats 100% of the surface area of ​​the starch-containing food, but sufficient loosening properties can be imparted if it coats at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80% and at most 99%, at most 95%, at most 90% of the surface area of ​​the starch-containing food. Note that in the method for improving the loosening properties of starch-containing foods of the present invention, the water content may be adjusted to further prepare an emulsion or the like, and then the emulsion or the like may be applied (coated) to the starch-containing food.

[0046] The details of the starch-containing food loosening agent used in the method for improving the loosening property of starch-containing foods of the present invention and the starch-containing foods obtained are as described above. The method for applying (applying) the starch-containing food loosening agent to the starch-containing food is not particularly limited, and includes methods such as immersion, spraying, and mixing, but it is preferable to adopt a method in which the starch-containing food is applied to the surface of the starch-containing food loosening agent, or a method in which the starch-containing food is immersed in the starch-containing food loosening agent. By improving the loosening property in this way, the problem of adhesion during distribution or storage of the starch-containing food is improved, and it is possible to provide a starch-containing food with improved loosening property that does not adhere to each other and can be easily separated without requiring a step of immersing the starch-containing food in water to loosen it when eaten.

[0047] [Method for producing starch-containing food with improved loosening properties] The method for producing a starch-containing food with improved loosening properties of the present invention includes the steps of obtaining the starch-containing food by the method for improving the loosening properties of a starch-containing food described above. Specifically, the method for producing a starch-containing food with improved loosening properties includes the steps of mixing water, an optional oil and an emulsifier together with a thickening polysaccharide and a soy protein material to obtain a loosening agent for starch-containing foods having a viscosity of 100 to 25,000 mPa·s (20°C), and applying the loosening agent for starch-containing foods to the starch-containing food, preferably to the surface thereof, to obtain a starch-containing food with improved loosening properties. Detailed definitions and preferred embodiments of each term are as described above. EXAMPLES

[0048] The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to examples, comparative examples, and reference examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In the following, "%" refers to mass % unless otherwise specified.

[0049] [Loosening agents (for starch-containing foods) 1-7] The loosening agent was prepared according to the formulations in Tables 1 and 2. The emulsifiers used were as follows: Emulsifier 1 (Diglycerol monooleate (Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd., product name "Poem DO-100V": HLB 7.3)

[0050] The thickening polysaccharides used are as follows: Xanthan gum (manufactured by Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd., product name "Neosoft XR")

[0051] The soy protein ingredients used are as follows: Soy protein (Nisshin Oillio Group Co., Ltd. Product name "Solpy 6000H": isolated soy protein)

[0052] Loosening agents 1 to 7 were prepared according to the composition shown in Tables 1 to 2. Here, for loosening agents 2 to 5, each component was mixed to prepare a water mixture. For loosening agents 6 to 8, thickening polysaccharides and soy protein materials were mixed with an emulsifier, water was added, and the mixture was heated to 70°C to thoroughly disperse the mixture. For loosening agents 9 to 10, thickening polysaccharides or soy protein materials were mixed with an emulsifier, water was added, and the mixture was heated to 70°C to thoroughly disperse the mixture. The obtained water mixture was then rapidly cooled to 25°C with ice water, and the mass was measured again. The cooled water mixture was added with the same amount of water as evaporated during heating to make the masses of the samples uniform, and used in the subsequent experiment.

[0053] [viscosity] The viscosity of each loosening agent at 20° C. was measured 1 minute after the start of rotation using a Brookfield viscometer (BM type viscometer, manufactured by Toki Sangyo Co., Ltd., product name "VISCOMETER TVB-15").

[0054] [Noodle loosening] Commercially available udon noodles (manufactured by TableMark Co., Ltd., product name "Top Valu Best Price Sanuki Udon") were boiled in water at 100°C for 1 minute. The boiled noodles were cut into lengths of 3 to 4 cm. A loosening agent was added to the cut noodles and mixed, and 3 g of the loosening agent was attached to 100 g of cut noodles (3 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of noodles). The noodles to which the loosening agent was added were packed into a container with an opening of 10 cm x 10 cm and a depth of 2.6 cm, and stored at 10°C for 24 hours. After storage, the container was placed at a height of 1 m from the flat stainless steel surface, the noodles were dropped from the container onto the stainless steel surface, and the maximum distance (maximum diameter) of the noodles dispersed on the stainless steel surface was measured. The maximum distance of the noodles in each sample was subtracted from the maximum distance of the noodles in Reference Example 1 to determine the noodle disentanglement ability. Noodle loosening (cm) = (maximum distance of sample noodle) - (maximum distance of Reference Example 1 noodle) The higher the value, the more widely the noodles are dispersed and the better the loosening properties.

[0055] [Table 1]

[0056] [Table 2]

[0057] All of Examples 1 and 2 have better untanglement properties than Reference Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 to 5. Reference Example 3 contains an emulsifier and a thickening polysaccharide, but does not contain a soy protein material, and contains more thickening polysaccharide than Reference Example 2, and has good loosening properties, but also has an increased viscosity. On the other hand, Example 1 contains the same amount of thickening polysaccharide as Reference Example 2 and has the same viscosity, but its loosening properties are much better than Reference Example 3. Example 2 also contains a smaller amount of thickening polysaccharide than Reference Example 2, and has a lower viscosity, but its loosening properties are equivalent to Reference Example 3. Moreover, Comparative Example 5 is a formulation that contains an emulsifier and a soy protein material but does not contain a thickening polysaccharide, and although the viscosity is equivalent to that of Reference Example 1, no improvement in the loosening properties is observed.

[0058] From the above results, it was confirmed that by adding soy protein ingredients to the mixture of emulsifier and soy protein ingredients, the loosening property can be improved without causing a further increase in viscosity. If the loosening property can be further improved without an increase in viscosity, good workability can be expected.

Claims

1. A starch-containing food loosening agent for application to the surface of a starch-containing food, comprising: The loosening agent contains an emulsifier, a thickening polysaccharide, and a soy protein material, The loosening agent further contains water and has a viscosity of 100 to 25,000 mPa·s (20°C), or the loosening agent is used after adding water to adjust the viscosity to 100 to 25,000 mPa·s (20°C). A loosening agent for starch-containing foods.

2. The content of the emulsifier in the loosening agent is 0.1 to 80% by mass, The emulsifier is one or more selected from the group consisting of glycerin monofatty acid esters, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid esters, organic acid monoglycerides, sorbitan fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, polysorbates, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, and lecithin. The starch-containing food loosening agent according to claim 1 .

3. The starch-containing food loosening agent according to claim 1, wherein the thickening polysaccharide is one or more selected from the group consisting of xanthan gum, galactomannan, carrageenan, and dextrin.

4. The loosening agent for starch-containing foods according to claim 1 , wherein the soy protein material is isolated soy protein.

5. The loosening agent does not contain fats or oils, or contains fats or oils in an amount three times or less than the total mass of the emulsifier, the thickening polysaccharide, and the soy protein material. The starch-containing food loosening agent according to claim 1 .

6. The mass ratio of the emulsifier to the thickening polysaccharide in the loosening agent is emulsifier: thickening polysaccharide=300:1 to 1:1, and / or the content of the thickening polysaccharide in the loosening agent is 0.01 to 5% by mass, The mass ratio of the thickening polysaccharide to the soy protein material in the loosening agent is 1:99 to 99:1; The water content in the loosening agent or the amount of water in the starch-containing food loosening agent after adding water to adjust the viscosity is more than 0% by mass and 99.8% by mass or less. The starch-containing food loosening agent according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A surface-modified starch-containing food comprising a starch-containing food and the loosening agent for starch-containing foods according to any one of claims 1 to 5 attached to the surface of the starch-containing food.

8. A method for producing a starch-containing food, comprising a step of applying the loosening agent for starch-containing foods according to any one of claims 1 to 5 to the surface of the starch-containing food.

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