Protein food material, and alternative molded meat

Abstract

To provide a protein food material and an alternative molded meat which have fiber feeling imitating meat and chewable texture.SOLUTION: There are provided a protein food material which contains vegetable protein, at least partially has a fibrous region, and has a porous structure, wherein a ratio of the number of gaps having a cross sectional area of 0.1 mm2 or less in a cross section parallel to a direction perpendicular to a fiber direction is 50% or more with respect to the number of total gaps existing in the cross section, and average thickness of a wall partitioning the gaps is 200 μm or less; and an alternative molded meat.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to methods for producing protein food ingredients, protein food ingredients, and shaped meat alternatives. [Background technology]

[0002] Meat is a food ingredient that is widely consumed around the world. However, from the viewpoint of maintaining health, attempts are being made to refrain from meat intake and to consume meat substitutes made from plant-derived protein such as soybeans. Accordingly, various processing techniques have been proposed to obtain meat substitutes by using them as protein raw materials to replace meat.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a method for producing a protein food material from a protein-containing mixture containing oilseed protein, wheat gluten, and water, using an extruder having two screws and cooling a discharge die provided at the tip of the extruder. Patent Document 2 proposes the use of a system for producing an extruded protein product, which includes a die including a flow path having a cross section that is a continuous loop along at least a portion of the length of the die. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1-23856 [Patent Document 2] JP 2020-235 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] There is a trend for meat substitutes to be required to have a fibrous texture and chewy texture that mimics meat.

[0006] Here, when a meat substitute has a "fibrous texture that mimics meat", it means that it has a fibrous structure similar to the muscle fibers of meat. The meat substitute having a "chewy texture" means that it has tiny voids inside, and when chewed, the meat substitute has a springy texture reminiscent of meat.

[0007] The problem that the embodiments of the present disclosure aim to solve is to provide a method for producing a protein food material having a fibrous texture and chewy texture that mimics that of animal meat, a protein food material, and an alternative shaped meat. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present disclosure includes the following embodiments. [1] A method for producing a protein food material, comprising the steps of pressurizing, heating and kneading a protein-containing mixture containing vegetable protein and water in the extrusion section of a twin-screw extruder, and then extruding the kneaded protein-containing mixture, the temperature of which at the outlet of the extrusion section is 150°C or higher and lower than 180°C, while expanding it inside an extrusion die attached to the downstream end of the extrusion section in the extrusion direction. [2] A method for producing a protein food material described in [1], wherein the temperature drop rate from the outlet of the extrusion section to the outlet of the extrusion die is 0.2°C / mm or less, and the temperature of the protein-containing mixture at the outlet of the extrusion die is 95°C to 130°C. [3] A method for producing a protein food material described in [1] or [2], in which the maximum pressure drop rate from the outlet of the extrusion section to the outlet of the discharge die is 0.02 MPa / mm or more. [4] A method for producing a protein food material described in any one of [1] to [3], wherein the pressure at a position 10 mm upstream from the outlet of the extrusion die in the extrusion direction is 1.0 MPa or less. [5] A method for producing a protein food material described in any one of [1] to [4], wherein the length of the extrusion die in the extrusion direction is 200 mm or more. [6] A method for producing a protein food material described in any one of [1] to [5], wherein the length in the extrusion direction of the extrusion die / the lip clearance of the extrusion die is 40 or more.

[0009] [7] A method for producing a protein food material described in any one of [1] to [6], wherein the temperature of the protein-containing mixture at the starting point of expansion inside the extrusion die is 120°C to 140°C. [8] A method for producing a protein food material described in [7], wherein the temperature of the protein-containing mixture at the start of swelling is 125°C to 135°C.

[0010] [9] A method for producing a protein food material described in any one of [1] to [8], wherein the apparent viscosity of the protein-containing mixture at the starting point of expansion inside the extrusion die is 1 Pa·s to 5000 Pa·s.

[10] A method for producing a protein food material described in [9], wherein the apparent viscosity of the protein-containing mixture at the starting point of expansion inside the extrusion die is 1 Pa·s to 1000 Pa·s.

[11] A method for producing a protein food material described in any one of [1] to

[10] , wherein the position at which the protein-containing mixture starts to expand inside the extrusion die is at least 10 mm upstream of the outlet of the extrusion die in the extrusion direction.

[12] A method for producing a protein food material described in any one of [1] to

[11] , wherein the extrusion die has a temperature control mechanism.

[13] A method for producing a protein food material described in any one of [1] to

[12] , which has a pressure reduction mechanism inside the extrusion die.

[14] A method for producing a protein food material described in

[13] , wherein the pressure reduction mechanism is an uneven shape provided inside the extrusion die.

[0011]

[15] A method for producing a protein food material according to any one of [1] to

[14] , wherein the vegetable protein is at least one selected from the group consisting of defatted soy protein and wheat gluten.

[16] A method for producing a protein food material described in any one of [1] to

[15] , wherein the protein-containing mixture further contains a colorant.

[0012]

[17] A protein food material containing vegetable protein, having at least a fibrous region in a part thereof and having a porous structure, the cross section of which is 0.1 mm thick or less in a cross section parallel to the direction perpendicular to the fiber direction. 2 A protein food material in which the ratio of the number of voids having the following cross-sectional area to the total number of voids present in the cross section is 50% or more, and the average thickness of the walls separating the voids is 200 μm or less.

[0013]

[18] In a cross section parallel to the direction perpendicular to the fiber direction, the number of voids per cross-sectional area is 0.5 voids / mm 2 The protein food material described in

[17] above.

[19] A protein food material according to

[17] or

[18] , in which the average ratio of the long axis length to the short axis length of voids present in a cross section parallel to the fiber direction of the protein food material is 2 or more.

[20] A protein food material described in any one of

[17] to

[19] , wherein, in a cross section parallel to the fiber direction, the average angle between the long axes of voids is 30° or less.

[0014]

[21] A protein food material according to any one of

[17] to

[20] , wherein, in an infrared absorption spectrum obtained by measuring the fibrous region by polarized infrared total reflection absorption spectroscopy, when the intensity ratio of the peak intensity of the amide I band to the peak intensity of the amide II band measured by irradiating the fibrous region with polarized light parallel to the fiber direction is defined as XA, and the intensity ratio of the peak intensity of the amide I band to the peak intensity of the amide II band measured by irradiating the fibrous region with polarized light perpendicular to the fiber direction is defined as XB, the degree of orientation XA / XB satisfies 1.005≦XA / XB.

[0015]

[22] 0.1 mm in cross section parallel to the direction perpendicular to the grain direction 2A protein food material according to any one of

[17] to

[21] , wherein the standard deviation of the percentage of the number of voids having the following cross-sectional area is 20% or less when measured at 10 locations every 30 cm along the longitudinal direction of the fiber direction, and the standard deviation of the values ​​when measured at 3 locations every 1.5 cm along the width direction is 20% or less.

[23] A shaped meat substitute comprising a protein food material described in any one of

[17] to

[22] . Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for producing a protein food material having a fibrous texture and chewy texture simulating that of animal meat, a protein food material, and an alternative shaped meat can be provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a twin-screw extruder. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a flat discharge die. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along line aa of FIG. 2A. [Figure 2C] FIG. 2C is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a cylindrical discharge die. [Figure 2D] FIG. 2D is a cross-sectional view taken along line bb of FIG. 2C. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the correspondence between a graph showing an example of a temperature / pressure profile inside the discharge die and a schematic diagram of the state in which expansion occurs. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a discharge die having a pressure reduction mechanism. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along line cc of FIG. 4A. [Figure 4C] FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view taken along line dd of FIG. 4A. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The description and examples are merely illustrative of the embodiment and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. In the present specification, the upper or lower limit of one numerical range may be replaced with the upper or lower limit of another numerical range. In addition, in the present specification, the upper or lower limit of the numerical range may be replaced with a value shown in the examples. Each component may contain multiple types of the corresponding substance. When referring to the amount of each component in a composition, if the composition contains multiple substances corresponding to each component, the amount refers to the total amount of those multiple substances present in the composition, unless otherwise specified. The term "process" includes not only independent processes, but also processes that cannot be clearly distinguished from other processes as long as the intended effect of the process is achieved. As used herein, a combination of two or more preferred embodiments is a more preferred embodiment.

[0019] <Method of manufacturing protein food ingredients> The method for producing a protein food material according to the present disclosure (hereinafter simply referred to as the "production method according to the present disclosure") The twin-screw extruder kneads a protein-containing mixture containing vegetable protein and water by pressurizing and heating it in the extrusion section of a twin-screw extruder, and then extrudes the kneaded protein-containing mixture, the temperature of which at the outlet of the extrusion section is 150°C or higher and lower than 180°C, while expanding it in a discharge die attached to the downstream end of the extrusion section in the extrusion direction (hereinafter, also referred to as the "extrusion step").

[0020] The protein food material according to the present disclosure, described below, is one embodiment of a protein food material produced by the production method according to the present disclosure.

[0021] The protein food material produced by the production method according to the present disclosure and the protein food material according to the present disclosure have a fibrous texture and chewy texture that mimics meat. The reason for this is presumed to be as follows.

[0022] The inventors have discovered that the fibrous texture that mimics that of meat and the chewy texture are due to the fact that the protein food material has a fibrous structure like the muscle fibers of meat and has numerous microvoids oriented in the fiber direction.

[0023] Based on the above findings, the inventors have found that it is possible to obtain a protein food material having a fibrous structure like the muscle fibers of meat and a large number of microvoids oriented in the fiber direction by expanding the protein-containing mixture adjusted to a predetermined temperature range in the extrusion process inside the discharge die. More specifically, the temperature of the protein-containing mixture at the outlet of the extrusion section is set to 150°C or higher and lower than 180°C, the temperature drop profile of the protein-containing mixture inside the discharge die is controlled (i.e., slowly cooled) to make the pressure inside the discharge die equal to or lower than the saturated water vapor pressure, and the water inside the protein-containing mixture is converted into water vapor, thereby expanding the protein-containing mixture inside the discharge die.

[0024] In the production method according to the present disclosure, the protein-containing mixture is not expanded when it is discharged from the outlet of the discharge die, but the protein-containing mixture (preferably a relatively highly viscous protein-containing mixture) is continuously expanded in the closed space inside the discharge die, which allows the voids formed by the expansion of the protein-containing mixture to be miniaturized.

[0025] The reason why continuous expansion in the discharge die enables the voids to be miniaturized is not clear, but it is believed that the protein-containing mixture is sufficiently softened at a high temperature (preferably 150°C or higher) to be a homogeneous mixture, and then gradually cooled while being extruded in the discharge die, so that the protein-containing mixture gradually solidifies and thermally shrinks, and local pressure reduction and expansion are repeated. The slow cooling is preferably performed under conditions where the temperature of the protein-containing mixture at the outlet of the discharge die is 95°C to 130°C, and the temperature drop rate is 0.2°C / mm or less. It is presumed that this causes fine and anisotropic voids to be formed in the protein-containing mixture in cross-sectional view. This point will be specifically explained later with reference to FIG. 3.

[0026] The fine, anisotropic voids formed by the production method according to the present disclosure provide the protein food material with a fibrous texture and chewy texture that mimics that of meat.

[0027] When the protein-containing mixture is expanded inside the extrusion die, it is preferable to control the temperature at the expansion initiation point, the apparent viscosity of the protein-containing mixture, and / or the position at which the protein-containing mixture expands within a certain range. In one embodiment, by controlling the temperature of the protein-containing mixture at the expansion initiation point to 120° C. to 135° C. and / or controlling the position at which the protein-containing mixture expands to be 10 mm or more upstream of the outlet of the extrusion die in the extrusion direction, denser and anisotropic voids can be formed.

[0028] In addition, by controlling the temperature so that the position where the protein-containing mixture expands inside the extrusion die is at least 10 mm upstream in the extrusion direction, friction between the protein-containing mixture and the wall of the extrusion die (i.e., the application of shear force) can be achieved, which can more effectively impart void orientation to the protein food material.

[0029] Meanwhile, as a method for producing a meat substitute, a method has been known in which a pressurized and heated protein-containing material is discharged using an extruder or the like to fiberize (i.e., orient) the mixture, as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2. However, neither of the techniques described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 can produce a protein food material having a fibrous texture and chewy texture that imitates meat.

[0030] In the technology described in Patent Document 1, the nozzle attached to the twin-screw extruder is cooled to suppress the expansion (porosity) of the protein-containing mixture, producing a protein food material with a dense structure and obtaining a meat-like texture. However, Patent Document 1 does not describe expanding the protein-containing mixture inside the discharge die. In addition, it is presumed that the conditions described in the examples of Patent Document 1 do not allow slow cooling for expanding the protein-containing mixture inside the discharge die.

[0031] In addition, the technology described in Patent Document 2 discloses that a protein product having oriented fibers can be produced at high speed from a proteinaceous composition using a cylindrical discharge die with a long flow path. However, Patent Document 2 does not describe the expansion of the proteinaceous composition, nor does it describe the expansion of the proteinaceous composition inside the discharge die. It is presumed that the technology described in the examples of Patent Document 2 does not cause the expansion of the proteinaceous composition.

[0032] Each step included in the manufacturing method according to the present disclosure will be described below.

[0033] [Extrusion process] The extrusion process is a process in which a protein-containing mixture containing vegetable protein and water is pressurized, heated and kneaded in the extrusion section of a twin-screw extruder, and then the kneaded protein-containing mixture, whose temperature at the outlet of the extrusion section is 150°C or higher and lower than 180°C, is extruded while expanding inside an ejection die connected to the downstream end of the extrusion section in the extrusion direction.

[0034] The extruder used in the extrusion step is a twin-screw extruder, and for example, a non-intermeshing counter-rotating twin-screw extruder, an intermeshing counter-rotating twin-screw extruder, or an intermeshing co-rotating twin-screw extruder can be used.

[0035] The extrusion process will be described below with reference to the drawings as appropriate. Note that the elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and the main focus is on clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure, with some emphasis being placed on certain points. Components indicated by the same reference numerals in each drawing are the same components. Descriptions of components and reference numerals that are the same in each drawing may be omitted.

[0036] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a twin-screw extruder. As shown in FIG. 1, in the extrusion process, vegetable protein and water, which are raw materials for the protein food material, are fed into a twin-screw extruder 10 from a hopper 12 (raw material supply section).

[0037] The raw material for the protein food material preferably contains 1 to 5 parts by mass of water per 10 parts by mass of the raw material containing vegetable protein. The "raw material containing vegetable protein" may be vegetable protein itself, or a complex containing vegetable protein and other components. It is also preferable that the raw material further contains a colorant. An example of a complex containing vegetable protein and other components is defatted soybean flour, which is a complex containing protein, carbohydrate, and fiber.

[0038] The input raw materials are kneaded in the twin-screw extruder 10 by heating the extrusion section 14 and rotating the two screws 16 equipped in the extrusion section 14 to form a protein-containing mixture 18, which is extruded in the extrusion direction X.

[0039] The temperature of the protein-containing mixture in the extrusion section 14 is preferably set to 40°C or higher and 180°C or lower.

[0040] Specifically, the temperature of the protein-containing mixture is preferably 40° C. or higher and 150° C. or lower on the upstream side of the center in the extrusion direction of the extrusion section 14 (ie, the portion from the raw material supply section to the center of the extrusion section). At the central part in the extrusion direction of the extrusion section 14 (ie, the center of the axial length of the extrusion section 14), the temperature of the protein-containing mixture is preferably 130°C or higher and 180°C or lower. On the downstream side of the center in the extrusion direction of the extrusion section 14 (i.e., the portion from the center of the axial length of the extrusion section 14 to the outlet of the extrusion section 14), the temperature of the protein-containing mixture is preferably 150° C. or more and less than 180° C., and 150° C. or more and 170° C. or less. That is, the temperature of the protein-containing mixture at the outlet of the extrusion section 14 is preferably 150° C. or more and less than 180° C., and 150° C. or more and 170° C. or less. By keeping the temperature of the protein-containing mixture within the above range, the protein-containing mixture can be sufficiently softened in the extrusion section 14 to form a homogeneous mixture.

[0041] The temperature of the protein-containing mixture in the extruder 14 can be measured using a thermo-pressure meter (for example, "CZ-200P-HB-SNN-050P*NNN-K0100" manufactured by Rika Kogyo Co., Ltd.) installed in the extrusion section 14.

[0042] The twin-screw extruder 10 is equipped with a discharge die 20 at the downstream end of the extrusion section 14 in the extrusion direction. 1, the extrusion die 20 is provided with a slit-shaped extrusion flow path 24 provided in communication with the inside of the extrusion section 14, and the protein-containing mixture 18 flows through the flow path 24 via the outlet section 15 of the extrusion section 14 and is extruded from the outlet 26 which is the outlet section of the extrusion die 20. The shape of the extrusion die is not particularly limited, but is preferably flat or cylindrical.

[0043] Fig. 2A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a flat discharge die, and Fig. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along line aa in Fig. 2A. The discharge die 20 shown in Fig. 2A is attached to an extrusion section (not shown) at the upstream end in the extrusion direction X, and the protein-containing mixture 18 expands when it is extruded in the extrusion direction X through a flat discharge flow path 24. Fig. 2C is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a cylindrical extrusion die. The extrusion die 20 shown in Fig. 2C is attached to an extrusion section (not shown) at the upstream end in the extrusion direction X, and the protein-containing mixture 18 expands when it is extruded in the extrusion direction X through a cylindrical extrusion flow path 24. The extrusion die can be attached to the extrusion section using any adapter.

[0044] The gap (lip clearance) of the discharge port 26 of the discharge die 20 is preferably 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less, and more preferably 1 mm or more and 5 mm or less. The gap (lip clearance) of the discharge port refers to the shortest length at the discharge port.

[0045] The length of the extrusion die 20 along the extrusion direction X is preferably 150 mm or more and 1000 mm or less, and more preferably 200 mm or more and 650 mm or less, from the viewpoint of controlling the temperature profile inside the extrusion die and obtaining a protein food material having an excellent fibrous texture and chewy texture that imitates meat. It is more preferable that it is below.

[0046] The ratio (length / lip clearance) of the length of the discharge die 20 in the extrusion direction X to the gap (lip clearance) of the discharge port is preferably 15 or more, and more preferably 40 or more. The upper limit of the ratio is preferably 1000.

[0047] The extrusion die 20 preferably has a temperature control mechanism. By using an extrusion die having a temperature control mechanism, it becomes easier to control the temperature profile inside the extrusion die. That is, it becomes easier to control the position of the expansion point inside the extrusion die, the temperature of the protein-containing material during expansion, etc.

[0048] Here, examples of the temperature control mechanism include a mechanism having a jacket that circulates a temperature-controlled medium (such as water, glycol, or air) around the periphery of the extrusion die, and a mechanism that can adjust the lip clearance of the extrusion die.

[0049] In order to control the temperature in stages from the inlet of the extrusion die (i.e., the connection with the extrusion section 14) to the outlet of the extrusion die (i.e., the discharge port 26), it is further preferable that the extrusion die has multiple temperature control mechanisms.

[0050] The protein-containing mixture 18 kneaded under heating and pressure in the extrusion section 14 is temperature-controlled as it passes through the discharge die 20 and is discharged from the discharge port 26 of the discharge die 20 .

[0051] The expansion of the protein-containing mixture inside the extrusion die is described. 1, the protein-containing mixture 18 extruded from the extrusion section 14 into the discharge die 20 is sufficiently softened and fluidized by shear stress caused by heat and kneading. Furthermore, the protein-containing mixture 18 is rubbed against the inner wall of the discharge flow path 24 downstream in the extrusion direction X inside the discharge die 20 and receives shear stress, so that the proteins are oriented and fibrous while passing through the inside of the discharge die 20.

[0052] The temperature drop rate of the protein-containing mixture from the outlet of the extrusion section 14 to the discharge port of the discharge die 20 is preferably 0.2°C / mm or less, and the temperature of the protein-containing material 18 at the discharge port 26 of the discharge die 20 is preferably 95°C to 130°C. The temperature of the protein-containing mixture 18 is more preferably 95°C to 120°C, and even more preferably 95°C to 110°C. By controlling the temperature drop rate of the protein-containing material 18 to 0.2°C / mm or less and the temperature of the protein-containing material 18 at the discharge port 26 to be within the above range, small voids (for example, voids having a cross-sectional area of ​​0.1 mm in the direction perpendicular to the fiber direction) are formed when the protein-containing mixture 18 expands. 2 Voids (see below) are likely to occur.

[0053] The reason for this is not clear, but it is speculated that in the process in which the protein-containing mixture, which has been softened to a uniform state at a high temperature (i.e., at least 150°C but less than 180°C at the outlet of the extrusion section) is slowly cooled to 130°C to 95°C, the protein-containing mixture gradually solidifies and thermally shrinks around 130°C, resulting in localized areas inside the extrusion die where the pressure is below the saturated water vapor pressure, causing the water contained in the protein-containing mixture to vaporize (expand).

[0054] The protein-containing mixture is cooled at a rate of 0.2°C / mm or less, and the local pressure reduction and swelling are repeated in a continuous manner, so that the minute voids are transformed into a dense porous structure (for example, 0.1 mm in a cross section parallel to the direction perpendicular to the fiber direction). 2 It is estimated that the ratio of voids with a cross-sectional area below this is 50% or more of the total number of voids present in the cross section. The small and dense voids in the porous structure correlate with the fibrous texture and chewy texture that mimics meat.

[0055] The size of the voids formed by swelling of the protein-containing mixture depends on the amount of protein present during swelling. It depends greatly on the temperature and apparent viscosity of the mixture. From this viewpoint, in the production method according to the present disclosure, the temperature of the protein-containing mixture at the expansion initiation point inside the discharge die is preferably 120°C to 140°C, and more preferably 125°C to 135°C.

[0056] Furthermore, the apparent viscosity of the protein-containing mixture at the swelling start point inside the extrusion die is preferably 1 Pa·s to 5000 Pa·s, and more preferably 1 Pa·s to 1000 Pa·s. When the apparent viscosity of the protein mixture during swelling is 1 Pa·s or more (i.e., the fluidity is not too high), the void size tends not to become too large. When the apparent viscosity of the protein mixture during swelling is 5000 Pa·s or less (i.e., the fluidity of the protein mixture during swelling is not too low), the voids are well formed and the void size tends not to become too small.

[0057] In this disclosure, the apparent viscosity is a value calculated by assuming that the protein-containing mixture is an incompressible Newtonian fluid, measuring the pressure (ΔP) between two points inside the discharge die, and calculating it from the following formula. Apparent viscosity (η) = ΔP WH -3 / 12QL W: width of discharge die, H: lip clearance of discharge die, L: length of discharge die

[0058] The position where the protein-containing mixture 18 starts to expand inside the extrusion die 20 is preferably 10 mm or more upstream in the extrusion direction X from the outlet (extrusion opening 26) of the extrusion die 20. The orientation of the expanded voids greatly depends on where in the longitudinal direction of the extrusion die the expansion occurs. For this reason, by setting the position where the protein-containing mixture 18 starts to expand 10 mm or more upstream in the extrusion direction X from the outlet (extrusion opening 26) of the extrusion die 20, the voids are stretched in the longitudinal direction of the extrusion die due to friction (i.e., application of shear force) between the wall surface of the extrusion die and the protein-containing mixture 18, and the orientation of the voids is obtained.

[0059] The expansion point refers to the position where the protein-containing mixture inside the discharge die partially solidifies and shrinks, causing the pressure inside the die to drop locally below the saturated water vapor pressure, resulting in expansion (evaporation of water inside the protein-containing material). Once expansion begins, local "pressure reduction ⇔ expansion" occurs continuously. In the present disclosure, the position where expansion first occurs is referred to as the expansion starting point.

[0060] Since local pressure drops cannot be measured directly, in this disclosure, the point at which the bulk pressure inside the extrusion die, measured using a temperature and pressure gauge (manufactured by Rika Kogyo Co., Ltd., "CZ-200P-HB-SNN-050P*NNN-K0100") installed at intervals of about 50 mm along the longitudinal direction of the extrusion die, begins to drop sharply is defined as the expansion starting point.

[0061] The maximum pressure drop rate from the outlet 15 of the extrusion section 14 to the discharge port 26 of the discharge die 20 is preferably 0.02 MPa / mm or more, more preferably 0.04 MPa / mm or more. The upper limit of the maximum pressure drop rate is preferably, for example, 0.1 MPa / mm or less.

[0062] Fig. 3 shows an example of a graph showing a temperature-pressure profile inside the discharge die and a schematic diagram of the state of expansion. The graph shown in the upper part of Fig. 3 uses Example 1 described later as an example.

[0063] In the example shown in Figure 3, a sudden drop in bulk pressure inside the discharge die was observed at a position about 250 mm between the outlet of the extruder 14 and the outlet of the discharge die 20 (discharge port 26), and this position is defined as the expansion start point. In Figure 3, reference numeral 22 shows a schematic water core contained in the protein-containing mixture 18, and reference numeral 28 shows the water core formed by expansion. The figure shows a schematic diagram of the voids formed when the protein-containing mixture 18 moves in the extrusion direction X inside the extrusion die 20 and expands at the expansion starting point. It is presumed that the expansion continues until the bulk pressure is completely reduced to or below the saturated water vapor pressure or the temperature of the protein-containing mixture is reduced to or below 100° C.

[0064] The pressure at a position 10 mm upstream in the extrusion direction X from the discharge port 26 of the discharge die 20 is preferably 1.0 MPa or less, and more preferably 0.1 MPa or less. When the mixture is discharged from the discharge port 26 of the discharge die 20, the pressure inside the discharge die 20 is reduced to the saturated water vapor pressure or less, so that when the protein-containing mixture that has passed through the discharge die 20 is discharged into an open space, undesired swelling does not occur, and the formation of large voids is suppressed, making it easier to obtain a chewy texture.

[0065] It is preferable that the discharge die has a pressure reduction mechanism inside. The installation mode of the pressure reduction mechanism is not particularly limited, and it may be installed continuously from the inlet part to the outlet part (discharge port) of the discharge die, or may be installed at regular intervals. Examples of the pressure reduction mechanism include increasing the clearance at regular intervals inside the discharge die, and providing an uneven shape on the inner wall of the discharge die. From the viewpoint of stabilizing the position of the expansion point, it is more preferable that the pressure reduction mechanism is provided as an uneven shape on the inner wall of the region inside the discharge die from the position where the expansion of the protein-containing mixture is to be started to the discharge port.

[0066] Fig. 4A is a cross-sectional schematic diagram showing an example of an extrusion die 20 provided with a pressure reduction mechanism, Fig. 4B is a cross-sectional diagram taken along line cc of Fig. 4A, and Fig. 4C is a cross-sectional diagram taken along line dd of Fig. 4A. In Figs. 4A to 4C, a pressure reduction mechanism 30 having an uneven shape is provided in an area of ​​distance Y from the extrusion outlet 26 of the extrusion die 20 to the expansion start point of the protein-containing mixture 18. The pressure reduction mechanism 30 is composed of eight recesses provided at predetermined intervals on the inner wall of the extrusion die 20 along the extrusion direction X.

[0067] From the viewpoint of obtaining a protein food material with an excellent fibrous texture that imitates meat, the discharge rate of the protein-containing mixture 18 is preferably 10 kg / hr or more and 100 kg / hr or less, and more preferably 20 kg / hr or more and 80 kg / hr or less.

[0068] Next, the ingredients used as raw materials for the protein food material, such as vegetable proteins and colorants, will be described.

[0069] -Plant protein- The production method according to the present disclosure uses vegetable protein as a raw material. That is, the protein food material according to the present disclosure includes vegetable protein, Vegetable protein is protein obtained from plants. The vegetable protein is not particularly limited as long as it is a protein extracted from a plant. Examples of sources of vegetable proteins include grains such as wheat, barley, oats, rice, and corn; beans such as soybeans, peas, red beans, chickpeas, lentils, fava beans, mung beans, and lupins; nuts and seeds such as almonds, peanuts, cashew nuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, flaxseed, sesame, rapeseed, cottonseed, safflower, and sunflowers; tubers such as potato, sweet potato, mountain yam, Jerusalem artichoke, and cassava; vegetables such as asparagus, artichoke, cauliflower, broccoli, and edamame; fruits such as bananas, jackfruit, kiwi fruit, coconut, avocado, and olives; mushrooms such as mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, shimeji mushrooms, and maitake mushrooms; and algae such as chlorella, spirulina, euglena, nori, kelp, wakame seaweed, hijiki, tengusa, and mozuku seaweed.

[0070] Among these, we have developed a meat substitute that resembles a chunk of meat and has an appearance and texture similar to that of real livestock meat. From the viewpoint of obtaining the desired taste, the vegetable protein is preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of wheat, soybean, pea, and rice, more preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of soybean and wheat, and particularly preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of defatted soybean protein and wheat gluten. In this disclosure, "chunk meat" refers to uncooked raw meat or cooked meat that has been cut into any size pieces from livestock for meat production, and that has not been ground or chopped after being cut from the livestock.

[0071] The vegetable protein may contain one kind of vegetable protein or may contain two or more kinds of vegetable proteins. When two or more kinds of vegetable proteins are used, the types and blending ratios thereof can be appropriately determined. For example, when defatted soybeans containing defatted soybean protein and wheat gluten are used as raw materials containing vegetable protein, the mass ratio of defatted soybeans:wheat gluten is preferably 80:20 to 60:40 from the viewpoint of obtaining a good meaty appearance.

[0072] The protein content of the entire protein food material is preferably 5% by mass or more and 80% by mass or less, more preferably 7% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less, and even more preferably 10% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less.

[0073] -water- The manufacturing method according to the present disclosure preferably uses water. The water content in the protein-containing mixture is preferably 20% by mass to 40% by mass based on the entire protein-containing mixture including water.

[0074] -Coloring agent- The protein food material according to the present disclosure preferably contains a colorant, which makes it easier to impart a color similar to that of brown meat after heating.

[0075] The coloring agent is preferably an edible brown coloring agent. Examples of coloring agents include cacao color, Monascus color, and vegetable charcoal color, and among these, cacao color is preferred.

[0076] The protein food material may contain only one type of colorant, or two or more types of colorants.

[0077] The content of the colorant in the protein food material is preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 3% by mass or less, and more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, based on the total amount of the protein food material. % or less, and more preferably from 0.1 to 1% by mass.

[0078] The protein food material may contain other additives in addition to the protein and, if necessary, a colorant. Examples of other additives include seasonings, inorganic salts, organic salts, sugars, oils and fats, thickeners, plasticizers, surfactants, flavorings, etc. The content of other additives can be set according to the purpose.

[0079] The mixture extruded in the extrusion process (i.e., the protein food material) can be used as a meat substitute as it is without any special processing. That is, the extruded mixture (protein food material) can be used as a cooked meat substitute as it is. While still in the mixed state, the mixture may be cooked with any seasonings, etc. The extruded mixture can then be subjected to any desired processing, such as molding.

[0080] [Molding process] The manufacturing method according to the present disclosure may include a molding step after the extrusion step. The shaping step may include cutting the extruded mixture (i.e., the protein food material) into the desired shape. For example, the cut protein food material may be used as a sliced ​​meat substitute. The cut protein food material may be cooked with any seasonings, etc. The forming step may involve processing the protein food material into a molded article having a desired shape.

[0081] For example, a lean meat-like portion of a shaped meat substitute similar to a chunk can be produced by collecting protein food materials in a chunk shape and forming them into a shape similar to that of a chunk. From the viewpoint of obtaining a shaped meat substitute having a texture closer to that of a chunk, it is preferable to align the extrusion directions of the raw materials for the extruded lean meat-like portion in a direction close to the same direction when collecting the raw materials for the extruded lean meat-like portion in a chunk shape. Alternatively, the protein food material may be collected into a mass and then flattened by applying pressure, or passed through a tubular space, so that the extrusion direction of the protein food material inside is uniform.

[0082] [Other processes] The method for producing a protein food material may include other steps in addition to the above-mentioned extrusion step and molding step. The other steps may be any steps such as a drying step, a crushing step, a packaging step, etc.

[0083] (Protein food ingredients) The protein food material according to the present disclosure has at least a fibrous region in a portion thereof, has a porous structure, and has a cross section of 0.1 mm 2 The ratio of the number of voids having the following cross-sectional area to the total number of voids present in the cross section is 50% or more, and the average thickness of the walls separating the voids is 200 μm or less.

[0084] Here, "having at least a partially fibrous region" means that at least a portion of the protein food material has a region with streaky irregularities. Furthermore, "having a porous structure" refers to having an isotropic or anisotropic porous structure. An anisotropic porous structure refers to a structure in which the pore shapes appearing on a cut surface of a protein food material cut at an arbitrary position differ depending on the cutting direction. An isotropic porous structure refers to a structure in which the pore shapes appearing on a cut surface of a protein food material cut at an arbitrary position are approximately the same regardless of the cutting direction. The protein material according to the present disclosure preferably has an anisotropic porous structure. Methods for observing the cut surface include a method of cutting out a slice and observing it under a microscope, or a method of observing it with X-ray CT (Computed Tomography).

[0085] (Number of voids) The protein food material according to the present disclosure has a cross section that is parallel to the direction perpendicular to the fiber direction and has a diameter of 0.1 mm or less. 2The ratio of the number of voids having the following cross-sectional area (pore number ratio) to the total number of voids present in the cross section is 50% or more, more preferably 60% or more, and even more preferably 70% or more. The upper limit of the pore number ratio is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of the juiciness of the formed meat, it is preferably 90%. When the pore number ratio is 50% or more, the cross section of the formed meat has an excellent fibrous texture.

[0086] The percentage of voids is calculated by the following method.

[0087] The protein food material that has been frozen and stored at -20°C is left to thaw in an environment of room temperature (23°C) and a relative humidity of 20%. After the fiber direction is determined, the protein food material is cut parallel to the direction perpendicular to the fiber direction using a cutting means to form a cut surface (cross section for measurement). The cutting means may be a known cutting means such as a knife or a single-edged razor.

[0088] Using an optical microscope (product name: VHX-5000, manufactured by KEYENCE) equipped with a zoom lens (product name: VH-ZST, manufactured by KEYENCE), observe the cut surface (cross section for measurement) formed on the measurement sample with an objective lens (product name: ZS-20, manufactured by KEYENCE) at a lens magnification of 30x. The voids present on the observed cut surfaces were detected using a commercially available software (MatLab, version 2018) can be used. After correcting for in-plane unevenness in brightness, the image is binarized based on the brightness and dark areas are extracted. Labeling and morphology processing are performed on the extracted dark areas, and morphological analysis of each dark area is performed. 2 The dark areas of the image (below) are defined as noise and removed, and furthermore, the image boundaries and adjacent voids are removed. The size of the voids is detected and the cross-sectional area (mm 2 ) is calculated. Based on the obtained cross-sectional area, the 0.1 mm 2Calculate the percentage of voids having the following cross-sectional areas:

[0089] The percentage of voids (%) in a protein food material is determined by determining the fiber direction using the above-mentioned method for each of five measurement samples prepared from the protein food material to be measured, carrying out the above-mentioned measurements for each measurement sample, calculating the percentage of voids (%), and then taking the arithmetic mean of the five resulting percentages (%).

[0090] The shape of the voids contained in the protein food material according to the present disclosure is not particularly limited and may be any of a sphere, an ellipsoid, a cylinder, a disk, etc. From the viewpoint of improving the fibrous texture of the cross section, a cylinder shape is preferable.

[0091] (Average thickness of walls separating voids) The protein food material according to the present disclosure has an average thickness of 200 μm or less, more preferably 150 μm or less, and even more preferably 100 μm or less. The lower limit of the average thickness of the walls separating the gaps is not particularly limited, but is preferably 30 μm or more from the viewpoint of the elasticity of the fibers. When the average thickness of the walls separating the gaps is 200 μm or less, both meat-like elasticity and ease of biting can be achieved.

[0092] The average thickness of the walls separating the voids is calculated by the following method. Voids in the cross section are detected using the same method as for calculating the percentage of voids. The minimum distance is calculated from a point on the contour of one detected hole (void) to a point on the contour of another hole. 1 Ten holes are selected from the holes detected in the observed image, the minimum distance is calculated for each of them, and the average of the ten values ​​is calculated to obtain the average minimum distance. The minimum distance average value is calculated for a total of five observation images. The minimum distance average values ​​obtained for each of the five observation images are averaged to obtain the average thickness of the walls separating the voids.

[0093] (Average aspect ratio of voids) It is preferable that the protein food material according to the present disclosure has an average ratio of the long axis length to the short axis length of voids present in a cross section parallel to the fiber direction (hereinafter also referred to as the "aspect ratio") of 2 or more.

[0094] In this disclosure, "fiber direction" means the longitudinal direction of the fibers present in the fibrous region of the protein food material, and is determined by the method described below. When the protein food material being measured has a size that allows it to be torn by a tearing means (eg, by hand), the "fiber direction" refers to the direction in which the protein food material tears. Specifically, the protein food material to be measured is held at its end and torn in the tearing direction to obtain a measurement sample. The obtained measurement sample is viewed from above, and two points 5 mm apart are randomly selected on any one tear line parallel to the tearing direction, and the direction of the line connecting the two points is taken as the fiber direction. When the protein food material to be measured is impossible or difficult to tear by a tearing means, the "fiber direction" is determined based on the longitudinal direction of the fibers present in the fibrous region on the surface of the protein food material. Specifically, a streak-like protrusion present in the fibrous region on the surface of the protein food material to be measured is randomly selected, and the direction of a straight line along the longitudinal direction of the protrusion is taken as the fiber direction.

[0095] The average aspect ratio of the voids is calculated as follows.

[0096] The protein food material that has been frozen and stored at -20°C is left to thaw in an environment of room temperature (23°C) and a relative humidity of 20%. After confirming the fiber direction, an X-ray transmission image is obtained using a 3D X-ray microscope (product name "nano3DX", manufactured by Rigaku) ​​under the following conditions: radiation source: Cu (40 kV / 30 mA), lens: L4320, binning: 2, and then a 3D image is reconstructed. A cross-sectional image of a 1.5 cm square area included in a plane parallel to the fiber direction is enlarged and visually detected as voids, with dark areas surrounded by light areas. Ten voids are arbitrarily selected. If ten voids are not present in this cross-sectional image, a different cross-sectional image is taken. Among the points that make up the contour of the void, select the two points with the longest distance between them, and define the line segment connecting those two points as the major axis, and the length of the line segment as the length of the major axis. Define the straight line extended to infinity in the lengthwise direction of both ends of the major axis as the major axis. Among the straight lines that intersect perpendicularly with the major axis, define the straight line group that has two or more intersections with the contour of the void as the minor axis. Among the short axis groups, select the straight line with the longest distance between the most distant intersections and define it as the minor axis. Define the line segment connecting the two most distant intersections of the minor axis and the contour of the void as the minor axis, and its length as the length of the minor axis of the void. Calculate the aspect ratio of the void using the following formula. Aspect ratio of void = length of major axis of void / length of minor axis of void The aspect ratios for the 10 voids are then averaged to obtain a mean value.

[0097] From the viewpoint of improving the fibrous texture of the cross section of the protein food material, the average aspect ratio of the voids is preferably 2 or more, more preferably 3 or more, even more preferably 4 or more, particularly preferably 6 or more, and most preferably 8 or more. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of the chewiness of the protein food material, the average aspect ratio of the voids is preferably 80 or less, and more preferably 50 or less.

[0098] When the average aspect ratio of the voids is 2 or more, the material is easily torn in a certain direction and has good absorption of seasonings, etc., and is therefore excellent in processability into a meat substitute.

[0099] (Average and standard deviation of the angle between the major axes of voids) In the protein food material according to the present disclosure, in a cross section parallel to the fiber direction, the average angle at which the long axes of the voids intersect is preferably 30° or less, more preferably 26° or less, even more preferably 22° or less, and particularly preferably 17° or less. There are no particular limitations on the lower limit of the average angle at which the long axes of the voids intersect, but from the viewpoint of the texture of the fibers, it is preferably 0.5°. When the angle is 0° or less, the cross section of the substitute formed meat has excellent fibrous texture, and is also excellent in crispness and juiciness.

[0100] The average angle at which the major axes of the voids intersect is calculated by the following method.

[0101] In the same manner as in the method for calculating the average aspect ratio of voids, 10 voids are arbitrarily selected. The long axis is determined for each selected void. Straight lines are drawn extending to infinity in the length direction of both ends of the long axis. One of the 10 straight lines is arbitrarily selected and designated as the "base line." The angles at which the base line intersects with each of the nine straight lines other than the base line are measured. At that time, the angle from the base line to the straight line other than the base line in the counterclockwise direction is recorded. If the base line and the straight line other than the base line are parallel, the angle is recorded as 0°. The straight line corresponding to the fifth smallest angle among the nine angles recorded is designated as the "center line." Next, measure the angle at which the center line intersects with the nine other lines. Record any angle greater than 0° and less than or equal to 90°. If the center line and the other lines are parallel, record the angle as 0°. The average of the nine recorded angles is used as the "average angle at which the long axes of the voids intersect." In addition, the standard deviation of the nine angles is used as the "standard deviation of the angle at which the long axes of the voids intersect."

[0102] (Number of voids per cross-sectional area) The protein food material according to the present disclosure has a pore count of 0.5 pores / mm2 or less in a cross section parallel to a direction perpendicular to the fiber direction. 2 It is preferable that the number of particles is 0.9 or more per mm. 2More preferably, 1.3 pieces / mm 2 The upper limit of the number of holes per cross-sectional area is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of the elasticity of the fiber, it is preferably 7.0 holes / mm 2 The number of holes per cross-sectional area is preferably 0.5 / mm or less. 2 If the amount is more than this, water retention can be imparted to the protein fibers, and a juicy texture can be easily imparted to the alternative shaped meat.

[0103] The void area ratio is calculated by the following method.

[0104] The protein food material that has been frozen and stored at -20°C is left to thaw in an environment of room temperature (23°C) and a relative humidity of 20%. After the fiber direction is determined, the protein food material is cut parallel to the direction perpendicular to the fiber direction using a cutting means to form a cut surface (cross section for measurement). The cutting means may be a known cutting means such as a knife or a single-edged razor.

[0105] Using an optical microscope (product name: VHX-5000, manufactured by KEYENCE) equipped with a zoom lens (product name: VH-ZST, manufactured by KEYENCE), observe the cut surface (cross section for measurement) formed on the measurement sample with an objective lens (product name: ZS-20, manufactured by KEYENCE) at a lens magnification of 30x. The voids present on the observed cut surfaces were detected using a commercially available software (MatLab, version 2018) can be used. After correcting for in-plane unevenness in brightness, the image is binarized based on the brightness and dark areas are extracted. Labeling and morphology processing are performed on the extracted dark areas, and morphological analysis of each dark area is performed. 2 The dark regions of the image (below) are defined as noise and removed, and furthermore, the image boundaries and adjacent voids are removed. The number of voids is detected and the total number of voids is calculated. Also, the total cross-sectional area (mm 2The total cross-sectional area of ​​a protein food material includes the area of ​​the solid portion containing the protein and the area of ​​the voids. The number of holes per cross-sectional area is calculated using the following formula: Number of voids per cross-sectional area (voids / mm 2 ) = (total number of voids) / (total cross-sectional area of ​​the protein food material)

[0106] Number of voids per cross-sectional area in protein food materials (voids / mm 2 The fiber direction of each of five measurement samples prepared from the protein food material to be measured was determined by the above method, and the above measurement was then carried out for each measurement sample to determine the number of voids (voids / mm 2 ) was calculated, and the number of the five voids obtained (pieces / mm 2 ) is taken as the arithmetic mean.

[0107] (Degree of orientation of fibrous regions XA / XB) In the protein material according to the present disclosure, in an infrared absorption spectrum (hereinafter also referred to as "IR spectrum") obtained by measuring the fibrous region using polarized infrared total reflection absorption spectrometry (hereinafter also referred to as "polarized ATR-IR method"), it is preferable that the degree of orientation XA / XB satisfies 1.005≦XA / XB, where XA is the intensity ratio of the peak intensity of the amide I band to the peak intensity of the amide II band measured by irradiating the fibrous region with polarized light parallel to the fiber direction, and XB is the intensity ratio of the peak intensity of the amide I band to the peak intensity of the amide II band measured by irradiating the fibrous region with polarized light perpendicular to the fiber direction.

[0108] In the present disclosure, the degree of orientation XA / XB of the fibrous region satisfying 1.005≦XA / XB means that the protein contained in the fibrous region (i.e., protein fibers) is highly oriented.

[0109] A method for measuring the degree of orientation XA / XB in the fibrous region of a protein food material will be described below.

[0110] <Preparing the measurement sample> The fibrous region on the surface of the protein food material to be measured is thinly scraped off using a cutting means (razor, etc.) to obtain a cutting piece. If contamination is found on the outermost surface, the surface exposed by scraping off the surface may be used for measurement. The thickness of the cutting piece should be 100 μm to 5000 μm. The size of the cutting piece should be within a square with one side measuring 0.5 cm to 3 cm. The obtained cutting piece is used as the measurement sample.

[0111] <Measurement equipment and conditions> Measuring equipment IR device (Bruker Bertex70) or equivalent. Measurement conditions Wave number range 650cm -1 ~4000cm -1 ATR unit: Specac Goldengate (Ge crystal, incident angle 45°, single reflection) Measurement area: Approximately 5 mmΦ, Measurement depth: Approximately 1 μm from the measurement surface

[0112] <Measurement> The measurement sample is fixed to the measurement table of the measurement device so that the cut surface is the irradiated surface of the irradiated light (s-polarized light), and the measurement is performed as follows using the above measurement device and measurement conditions. The evaluation sample is irradiated with s-polarized light, and an IR spectrum is obtained when the incident s-polarized light is parallel to the fiber direction of the evaluation sample. The evaluation sample is then rotated 90° to measure an IR spectrum when the incident s-polarized light is perpendicular to the fiber direction of the evaluation sample. From the obtained IR spectrum, the peak intensity of the amide I band and the peak intensity of the amide II band are determined for the case where the incident s-polarized light is parallel to the fiber direction of the sample. Similarly, the peak intensities of the amide I band and the amide II band are determined for the case where the incident s-polarized light is perpendicular to the fiber direction of the sample.

[0113] The amide I band mainly indicates the C=O stretching vibration of secondary amide, and the amide II band mainly indicates the NH bending vibration and CN stretching vibration of trans-CO-NH-. In the measurement in the present disclosure, the peak of the amide II band is at 1590 cm -1 ~1700cm -1 The amide II band peak is observed at 1490 cm -1 ~1590cm- 1 is observed.

[0114] <Intensity ratio XA, intensity ratio XB, degree of orientation XA / XB> The intensity ratio XA, the intensity ratio XB and the degree of orientation XA / XB are calculated from the peak intensity determined from the area of ​​the amide I band specified above and the peak intensity determined from the area of ​​the amide II band.

[0115] The protein food material B according to the present disclosure satisfies 1.005≦XA / XB, and more preferably 1.0745≦XA / XB≦1.102. The upper limit of the degree of orientation XA / XB is, for example, 1.5.

[0116] Measurements are performed at three randomly selected locations, and the measured values ​​are calculated by arithmetically averaging the values ​​obtained and rounding off to the first decimal place.

[0117] The protein food material according to the present disclosure preferably has a surface appearance with many streaky irregularities.

[0118] (Standard deviation of void count ratio) The protein food material according to the present disclosure has a cross section of 0.1 mm 2 It is preferable that the standard deviation of the percentage of the number of voids having the following cross-sectional areas when measured at 10 locations every 30 cm along the longitudinal fiber direction (hereinafter referred to as "standard deviation A") is 20% or less, and the standard deviation of the values ​​when measured at 3 locations every 1.5 cm along the width direction (hereinafter referred to as "standard deviation B") is 20% or less. Here, the "fiber direction" corresponds to the "extrusion direction" when the protein food material is produced.

[0119] The fiber standard deviation A is preferably 20% or less, more preferably 15% or less, and even more preferably 10% or less. The lower limit of the standard deviation A is not particularly limited, but is preferably 2% or more from the viewpoint of obtaining a meat-like texture. When the standard deviation A is 20% or less, the structural variation of the protein food material is reduced, thereby improving the yield and reducing the variation in texture.

[0120] The standard deviation B is preferably 20% or less, more preferably 15% or less, and even more preferably 10% or less. The lower limit of the standard deviation B is not particularly limited, but is preferably 2% or more from the viewpoint of obtaining a meat-like texture. When the standard deviation B is 20% or less, the structural variation of the protein food material is reduced, thereby improving the yield and reducing the variation in texture.

[0121] The standard deviation of the percentage of voids in number is calculated by the following method. The protein food material is cut into a sample having a length of 330 cm with the fiber direction (i.e., extrusion direction) as the longitudinal direction. If the extrusion die used in producing the protein food material is cylindrical, the cylindrical protein food material is cut open at one location on the circumference along the fiber direction (i.e., the extrusion direction) to form a sheet, and then the sample is obtained. When the discharge die used in the production of the protein food material is flat, the protein food material is in sheet form and is used as is to obtain the measurement sample.

[0122] Mark one surface of the sheet sample obtained as above at the same position in the width direction and designate it as position A. A position 1.5 cm away from position A in the width direction is designated as position B, a position 1.5 cm away from position B is designated as position C, and a position 1.5 cm away from position C is designated as position D, and marks are similarly placed at each of these positions.

[0123] The sheet sample is cut at 10 locations perpendicular to the fiber direction every 30 cm in the fiber direction (extrusion direction) to obtain 10 cross sections. For one cross section, an optical microscope (product name: VHX-5000, manufactured by KEYENCE) equipped with a zoom lens (product name: VH-ZST, manufactured by KEYENCE) is used to observe the cut surface (cross section for measurement) formed on the measurement sample with an objective lens (product name: ZS-20, manufactured by KEYENCE) and a lens magnification of 30. Observations are made at three locations: from position A to position B, from position B to position C, and from position C to position D. From each observation, 0.1 mm 2 The percentage of voids having the following cross-sectional areas is evaluated.

[0124] (Standard deviation A: Standard deviation of the ratio of the number of voids in the longitudinal direction) 0.1 mm in the observation image from position A to position B 2 For the percentage of the number of voids having the following cross-sectional area, the standard deviation is calculated from 10 values ​​in the fiber direction (extrusion direction). Similarly, the standard deviations of the observation images from position B to position C and from position C to position D are calculated. The maximum of the obtained standard deviations is regarded as the evaluation value of standard deviation A.

[0125] (Standard deviation B: standard deviation of the ratio of the number of voids in the width direction) Within one cross section, 0.1 mm from position A to position B, from position B to position C, and from position C to position D. 2 Calculate the standard deviation from the ratio of the number of voids having the following cross-sectional areas. Calculate the standard deviation for each of the remaining nine cross sections in the same manner. The maximum of the obtained standard deviations is regarded as the evaluation value of standard deviation B.

[0126] (Uses of protein food ingredients) The protein food material according to the present disclosure may be used as is, or as a mixture with desired additional ingredients, or may be used as one of the ingredients for producing processed products such as shaped meat substitutes. In one aspect, the protein food material according to the present disclosure is preferably a shaped meat alternative comprising the protein food material.

[0127] In producing the shaped meat substitute, additional ingredients that are mixed with the protein food material may include, for example, fats and oils, binders, enzymes, and other additives.

[0128] -Oils- The lean meat-like portion of meat contains less oil and fat than the fatty portion, but may contain a certain amount of oil and fat. Therefore, by combining a protein food material with oil and fat, it is easier to achieve a composition similar to that of lean meat, and it is easier to obtain a texture closer to that of meat.

[0129] The oil is preferably a vegetable oil. Because vegetable oils are derived from plants, they are easy to use when it is necessary to avoid or limit the intake of animal products for reasons such as health, animal protection, religion, allergies, and food shortages due to population growth.

[0130] The fat or oil content is preferably from 0% to 50% by mass, more preferably from 1% to 40% by mass, and even more preferably from 3% to 30% by mass, of the entire mixture containing the protein food material and the fat or oil.

[0131] The fat or oil is different from the fat-like portion of meat and does not have an appearance similar to the fat in a chunk of meat, and may be contained in a highly uniform state throughout the mixture containing the protein food material and the fat or oil.

[0132] -Binding agents and enzymes- It is also preferable that the protein food material is mixed, as necessary, with at least one selected from the group consisting of a binder and an enzyme that hardens proteins. By containing a protein food material and at least one selected from the group consisting of a binder and an enzyme that hardens protein, the protein food material can be more easily maintained in a cohesive shape.

[0133] The binder is not particularly limited as long as it is edible and can maintain the shape of the protein food material. Examples of the binder include proteins, thickening polysaccharides, starches, etc. The binder may be contained alone or in combination of two or more kinds. The protein used as the binder may be the same as or different from the protein contained in the protein food material.

[0134] Examples of proteins used as binders include vegetable proteins and animal proteins. Examples of vegetable proteins used as binders include proteins derived from wheat, soybeans, rice, and the like. Examples of animal proteins used as binders include milk proteins and egg whites. Here, it is preferable to use transglutaminase as the enzyme that hardens the protein. As the transglutaminase, a commercially available product can be used, for example, the Activa (registered trademark) series manufactured by Ajinomoto Co., Inc.

[0135] Examples of thickening polysaccharides include agar, carrageenan (κ-carrageenan, ι-carrageenan), alginic acid, alginates, agarose, furcellaran, gellan gum, glucono delta lactone, Azotobacter vinelandii gum, xanthan gum, pectin, guar gum, locust bean gum, tara gum, cassia gum, glucomannan, tragacanth gum, karaya gum, pullulan, gum arabic, arabinogalactan, dextran, carboxymethylcellulose sodium salt, methylcellulose, psyllium sheet gum, starch, chitin, chitosan, curdlan, tamarind seed gum, soybean polysaccharides, gelatin, psyllium, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, and dextrin.

[0136] The thickening polysaccharide may be used as a gelling agent or may be gelled. The gelling agent is preferably used together with a gelling promoter. The gelation accelerator is a compound that accelerates gelation upon contact with a gelling agent, and exerts its function through a specific combination with the gelling agent.

[0137] Preferred combinations of gelling agents and gelling promoters are as follows. 1) A combination of polyvalent metal ions (specifically, alkali metal ions such as potassium, or alkaline earth metal ions such as calcium and magnesium) as a gelation promoter and carrageenan, alginate, gellan gum, Azotobacter vinelandii gum, pectin, carboxymethylcellulose sodium salt, or the like as a gelling agent. 2) A combination of boric acid or other boron compounds as a gelling promoter and guar gum, locust bean gum, tara gum, cassia gum, etc. as a gelling agent. 3) A combination of an acid or alkali as a gelation promoter and an alginate, glucomannan, pectin, chitin, chitosan, curdlan, or the like as a gelling agent. 4) A water-soluble polysaccharide that reacts with a gelling agent to form a gel is used as a gelling promoter.Specific examples include a combination of xanthan gum as a gelling agent and cassia gum as a gelling promoter, and a combination of carrageenan as a gelling agent and locust bean gum as a gelling promoter.

[0138] From the viewpoint of obtaining an appearance and texture similar to that of meat, the preferred combination of gelling agent and gelling promoter is the above-mentioned "1) a combination of polyvalent metal ions (specifically, alkali metal ions such as potassium, or alkaline earth metal ions such as calcium and magnesium) as a gelling promoter and carrageenan, alginate, gellan gum, Azotobacter vinelandii gum, pectin, carboxymethylcellulose sodium salt, or the like as a gelling agent."

[0139] The thickening polysaccharide used as the binder may be a thermo-irreversible gel-forming polysaccharide or a thermo-reversible gel-forming polysaccharide. A thermoreversible gel is a gel that, once formed, maintains its gel state even when heated. A thermoreversible gel-forming polysaccharide is a polysaccharide that forms a thermoreversible gel. The thermally irreversible gel-forming polysaccharide is preferably a polysaccharide that crosslinks by reacting with a cation. Examples of the cation include the cations exemplified in the fat mass composition described below. Examples of the thermally irreversible gel-forming polysaccharide include alginic acid, curdlan, pectin (low methoxyl (LM) pectin, high methoxyl (HM) pectin, etc.), deacylated (LA) gellan gum, etc. Thermoreversible gel-forming polysaccharides are polysaccharides that form thermoreversible gels. Examples of thermoreversible gel-forming polysaccharides include gelatin, agar, carrageenan, furcellan, native gellan gum, locust bean gum, xanthan gum, guar gum, psyllium seed gum, glucomannan, tara gum, and tamarind seed gum.

[0140] When the binder contains a thermo-irreversible gel-forming polysaccharide or a thermo-reversible gel-forming polysaccharide, the binder may further contain a gelation retarder. The gelation retarder is a compound that has the function of suppressing the gelation of the thermo-irreversible gel-forming polysaccharide or the thermo-reversible gel-forming polysaccharide. The gelation retarder is preferably a chelating agent. As the chelating agent, a known chelating agent can be suitably used, for example, oxycarboxylic acid such as tartaric acid, citric acid, gluconic acid, etc., aminocarboxylic acid such as iminodiacetic acid (IDA), nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), etc., condensed phosphoric acid such as pyrophosphoric acid, tripolyphosphoric acid, etc., salts thereof, etc.

[0141] Examples of starches include wheat starch, cassava starch, rice starch, glutinous rice starch, corn starch, waxy corn starch, sago starch, potato starch, kudzu starch, lotus root starch, mung bean starch, sweet potato starch, waxy potato starch, waxy cassava starch, waxy wheat starch, and the like.

[0142] The total amount of binding agents and enzymes that harden proteins contained in protein food materials The content is preferably from 0.1% to 30% by mass, more preferably from 0.5% to 25% by mass, and even more preferably from 1% to 20% by mass, based on the total weight of the protein food material.

[0143] -Other additives- The protein food material may be mixed with other additives, if necessary. Examples of other additives include water, seasonings, acidulants, bittering agents, spices, sweeteners, antioxidants, colorants, fragrances, stabilizers, preservatives, etc. The content of other additives is preferably from 0% by mass to 20% by mass based on the total mixture containing the protein food material and the additives.

[0144] <Alternative formed meat> One suitable application form of the protein food material is a shaped meat substitute containing the protein food material. By containing the protein food material of the present disclosure, the shaped meat substitute has excellent meaty appearance. The shaped meat substitute is preferably a shaped meat substitute for chunk meat (hereinafter also referred to as "chunk meat substitute"). Since the protein food material obtained by the production method of the present disclosure has an excellent fibrous texture that imitates livestock meat, the shaped meat substitute for chunk meat of the present disclosure can have an appearance similar to that of "chunk meat".

[0145] It is preferable that the surface of the chunk of meat has a red meat-like portion with a color close to red and a fat-like portion with a color close to white. The fat on the surface of the chunk of meat has a certain area (for example, in chunks of meat from a portion with less fat, such as beef fillet, the fat area on the surface of the chunk of meat is about 3%). Furthermore, the fat on the surface of the chunk of meat often has an elongated shape. From the viewpoint of improving the taste and texture of the alternative shaped meat, the alternative shaped meat preferably contains a protein food material and fats and oils, and more preferably contains a protein food material, fats and oils, and polysaccharides. In one embodiment, the fats and oils contained in the protein food material may be granular material containing fats and oils. The granular material containing fats and oils may be in the form of, for example, capsule-shaped fats and oils encapsulated in a gel. The average particle size of the granules may be 10 μm or more and 500 μm or less. The average particle size of the granules is a value measured by observation with a transmission optical microscope.

[0146] The polysaccharides can function as a binder between the protein food material and the granules containing fats and oils. Examples of the polysaccharides include the thickening polysaccharides mentioned above as the binder that the protein food material may contain.

[0147] Below, we will explain meat substitutes, which are one application form of the protein food material obtained by the production method of the present disclosure, using meat substitutes for chunks as an example.

[0148] (Lean meat part) The lean meat-like portion refers to the portion of the meat substitute that appears as lean meat. The lean portion has an appearance similar to lean meat. The lean meat-like portion contains a protein food material obtained by the production method according to the present disclosure, and preferably contains fats and oils, binders, and other additives as necessary. The details of the oils and fats, binders, and other additives are as described above, and will not be described here.

[0149] The lean meat portion may be colored red using a coloring agent. The coloring agent used to color the red meat-like portion is preferably an edible red coloring agent, from the viewpoint that the red meat-like portion is red before cooking and is close to brown after cooking. Therefore, it is preferable that the edible red colorant has a property of fading when heated. Examples of the red colorant include natural beet red color, cochineal color, gardenia red color, etc., and among them, natural beet red color is preferable.

[0150] The lean meat-like portion may contain a protein food material and fats and oils from the viewpoint of improving the taste and texture of the meat substitute. In one embodiment, the fats and oils contained in the protein food material may be encapsulated fats and oils. The polysaccharides may function as a binder between the protein food material and the encapsulated fats and oils.

[0151] Capsule-shaped oils and fats include microcapsules containing edible oils and fats. Examples of microcapsules containing edible oils and fats include edible oil-containing microcapsules having a core portion containing edible oils and fats and a shell portion containing the core portion and containing an edible ion-crosslinkable polymer crosslinked with a polyvalent cation.

[0152] The edible oil and fat contained in the core part is preferably an edible oil and fat having a melting point of 30° C. or less, and may be either a natural oil or a synthetic oil, or may be a mixture of these. The edible oil and fat is preferably a saturated fatty acid or an unsaturated fatty acid, more preferably a saturated fatty acid having 12 to 30 carbon atoms or an unsaturated fatty acid having 12 to 30 carbon atoms, and even more preferably an unsaturated fatty acid having 16 to 24 carbon atoms. Examples of unsaturated fatty acids having a melting point of 30° C. or less include triglycerides of medium-chain fatty acids having 6 to 12 carbon atoms (medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides), such as caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, and lauric acid; vegetable oils and fats, such as coconut oil, sesame oil, olive oil, corn oil, rapeseed oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, nut oil, grapeseed oil, and linseed oil; and vitamin E. The core may contain other components other than water and the above-mentioned edible fats and oils, as necessary, such as amino acids, stabilizers, excipients, flavors, etc.

[0153] The shell portion preferably encapsulates the core portion and contains an edible ionically crosslinkable polymer crosslinked with polyvalent cations. As the edible ionically crosslinkable polymer crosslinked with polyvalent cations, known ionically crosslinkable polymers that can be crosslinked with polyvalent cations can be used. The ionically crosslinkable polymer is not particularly limited as long as it can be used in foods, and examples thereof include pectin or a derivative thereof, alginic acid or a salt thereof, gellan gum, carrageenan, polygalacturonic acid, and mixtures thereof. The shell portion may contain components other than the ionically crosslinkable polymer, such as thickeners such as gellan gum, polysaccharides other than carrageenan and pectin, and plasticizers to impart flexibility in a dry state.

[0154] The microcapsules encapsulating edible fats and oils may have a number average particle size of 10 μm or more and 300 μm or less. It is also preferable that the coefficient of variation (CV value) of the number average particle size is 30% or less.

[0155] The edible oil-encapsulating microcapsules can be produced, for example, by a production method including the steps of: obtaining an oil-in-water dispersion using an aqueous phase containing an edible ion-crosslinkable polymer and a chelating compound of a polyvalent cation, and an oil phase containing an edible oil or fat having a melting point of 30°C or less; step B of mixing the oil-in-water dispersion prepared in step A above with edible oil or fat to obtain an oil-in-water dispersion in which the oil-in-water droplets are dispersed in the edible oil or fat; and step C of obtaining a mixture of the oil-in-water-in-oil dispersion prepared in step B above with edible oil or fat containing a pH-lowering agent.

[0156] (fat-like part) The fat-like part is an outer layer that resembles the fat of a piece of meat (commonly known as the fatty part). It refers to the part that has a certain perspective. The fatty portion preferably contains a fat or oil and optionally a gel.

[0157] -Oils- The oils and fats include vegetable oils and fats, animal oils and fats, and the like. Examples of vegetable oils include rapeseed oil, soybean oil, palm oil, olive oil, rice oil, corn oil, coconut oil, etc. Note that vegetable oils refer to oils obtained from plants. Examples of animal fats and oils include beef tallow, lard, whale fat, fish oil, etc. The animal fats and oils refer to fats and oils obtained from animals.

[0158] The melting point range of the oil or fat is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 300° C. or lower.

[0159] The melting point of the oil or fat is a value measured by a thermal analysis measuring device. As the thermal analysis measuring device, for example, SSC5000DSC200 manufactured by Seiko Electronic Industries Co., Ltd. can be used. The melting point of fats and oils is measured by adding 3 mg of sample to the apparatus and raising the temperature at a rate of 3°C / min.

[0160] -Emulsion- It is also preferred that the oil or fat is contained in the fat-like portion in the form of an emulsion. In this specification, the term "emulsion" refers to an emulsion that contains oil and water and is in an emulsified state, such as an oil-in-water emulsion or a water-in-oil emulsion.

[0161] The oils and fats contained in the emulsion include the same as those mentioned above. The content of fats and oils in the emulsion is preferably 5% by mass or more and less than 90% by mass, more preferably 10% by mass or more and 80% by mass or less, and even more preferably 15% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less, based on the total mass of the emulsion.

[0162] The water contained in the emulsion is not particularly limited as long as it is water that can be used in food. The water content in the emulsion is preferably from 10% by mass to 95% by mass, more preferably from 20% by mass to 90% by mass, and even more preferably from 30% by mass to 85% by mass, based on the total weight of the emulsion.

[0163] The emulsion preferably contains a thickening polysaccharide, which can improve the water retention of the emulsion. The thickening polysaccharide is not particularly limited, but the above-mentioned polysaccharides can be used.

[0164] The content of the thickening polysaccharide in the emulsion is preferably from 0.1% by mass to 5% by mass, and more preferably from 0.5% by mass to 3% by mass, based on the total mass of the emulsion.

[0165] The emulsion preferably contains a protein, which increases the adhesion between the lean meat-like portion and the fat-like portion. The protein is not particularly limited, but the proteins already described are applicable.

[0166] The protein content in the emulsion is preferably from 0.1% by mass to 10% by mass, and more preferably from 0.5% by mass to 5% by mass, based on the total mass of the emulsion.

[0167] The emulsion may contain a surfactant. The surfactant contained in the emulsion may be an edible surfactant. Examples of edible surfactants include glycerin fatty acid esters, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, organic acid monoglycerides, sorbitan fatty acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid esters, and lecithin.

[0168] The glycerin fatty acid ester preferably contains monoglyceride as a main component. The monoglyceride is preferably a monoester of glycerin and a saturated or unsaturated fatty acid having from 2 to 24 carbon atoms. Examples of fatty acids include behenic acid, stearic acid, palmitic acid, and the like. The glycerol fatty acid ester may contain a diglyceride. The diglyceride is preferably a diester of glycerin and a saturated or unsaturated fatty acid having from 2 to 24 carbon atoms.

[0169] The polyglycerol fatty acid ester is preferably an ester of a saturated or unsaturated fatty acid having from 2 to 24 carbon atoms and polyglycerol. Specific examples of polyglycerol fatty acid esters include polyglyceryl monomyristate, polyglyceryl dimyristate, polyglyceryl trimyristate, polyglyceryl monopalmitate, polyglyceryl dipalmitate, polyglyceryl tripalmitate, polyglyceryl monostearate, polyglyceryl distearate, polyglyceryl tristearate, polyglyceryl monoisostearate, polyglyceryl diisostearate, polyglyceryl triisostearate, polyglyceryl monooleate, polyglyceryl dimonooleate, and polyglyceryl trimonooleate.

[0170] The organic acid monoglyceride is a monoglyceride in which the hydroxyl group derived from glycerin is further esterified with an organic acid. The organic acid includes citric acid, succinic acid, acetic acid, lactic acid, and the like, with citric acid and succinic acid being preferred, and citric acid being more preferred.

[0171] The sorbitan fatty acid ester refers to an esterification product of sorbitan and a fatty acid. The sorbitan fatty acid ester is preferably an esterification product of sorbitan and a saturated or unsaturated fatty acid having from 2 to 18 carbon atoms. Specific examples of sorbitan fatty acid esters include sorbitan monocaprate, sorbitan monolaurate, sorbitan monopalmitate, sorbitan monostearate, sorbitan distearate, sorbitan sesquistearate, sorbitan tristearate, sorbitan trioleate, sorbitan monoisostearate, sorbitan sesquiisostearate, sorbitan monooleate, sorbitan sesquioleate, and sorbitan coconut oil fatty acid.

[0172] The propylene glycol fatty acid ester is an ester of a fatty acid and propylene glycol. The fatty acid used in the synthesis of the propylene glycol fatty acid ester is preferably a saturated or unsaturated fatty acid having 2 to 24 carbon atoms. Specific examples of propylene glycol fatty acid esters include propylene glycol palmitate, propylene glycol stearate, and propylene glycol behenate.

[0173] Sucrose fatty acid esters are esters of sucrose and fatty acids. The fatty acids used in the synthesis of sucrose fatty acid esters are those having 2 to 24 carbon atoms. Saturated or unsaturated fatty acids are preferred. The sucrose fatty acid ester is preferably an ester of sucrose with one or more fatty acids selected from the group consisting of caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, arachidic acid, and behenic acid.

[0174] The polyglycerol condensed ricinoleic acid ester is an esterification product of a polyglycerol fatty acid ester and a condensation product of ricinoleic acid. Specific examples of polyglycerol condensed ricinoleic acid esters include esters of the compounds described above as specific examples of polyglycerol fatty acid esters with ricinoleic acid condensates.

[0175] Lecithin refers to phosphatidylcholine itself or a mixture that contains at least phosphatidylcholine. A mixture containing at least phosphatidylcholine is generally a mixture that may contain, in addition to phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidic acid, lysophosphatidylcholine, lysophosphatidic acid, sphingomyelin, sphingoethanolamine, and the like.

[0176] As the lecithin, enzymatically decomposed lecithin (so-called lysolecithin) can be used. The enzymatically decomposed lecithin is a composition containing lysophosphatidylcholine in which one fatty acid in the phosphatidylcholine molecule has been lost by an enzyme such as phospholipase. Note that, in the present disclosure, the enzymatically decomposed lecithin includes so-called hydrogenated enzymatically decomposed lecithin, which has been subjected to hydrogenation treatment to convert the bound fatty acid into a saturated fatty acid, thereby improving the oxidation stability.

[0177] The HLB value of the surfactant is, for example, preferably 8 or more, more preferably 10 or more, and even more preferably 12 or more, from the viewpoint of emulsification and dispersibility. The upper limit of the HLB value of the emulsifier is not particularly limited, but is generally 20 or less, and preferably 18 or less. HLB means the hydrophilic-hydrophobic balance, which is usually used in the field of surfactants. The HLB value is calculated using the Kawakami formula shown below. When using a commercially available surfactant, the catalog data of the product is used first.

[0178] HLB = 7 + 11.7 log (Mw / Mo) Here, Mw represents the formula weight of the hydrophilic group of the surfactant, and Mo represents the formula weight of the hydrophobic group of the surfactant. The hydrophobic group of a surfactant is an atomic group with low affinity to water. Examples of hydrophobic groups include alkyl groups, alkenyl groups, alkylsilyl groups, and perfluoroalkyl groups. Specifically, when the surfactant is the above-mentioned "glycerin fatty acid ester, polyglycerin fatty acid ester, organic acid monoglyceride, sorbitan fatty acid ester, propylene glycol fatty acid ester, sucrose fatty acid ester, polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid ester, or lecithin," the hydrophobic group refers to an alkyl group and an alkenyl group derived from a fatty acid. The hydrophilic group of a surfactant is an atomic group that has a high affinity for water, specifically, it refers to an atomic group other than the hydrophobic group in the structure of the surfactant.

[0179] -gel- It is preferable that the fat-like portion contains a gel, from the viewpoint of preventing the oil and fat contained in the fat-like portion from flowing out even when temperature changes occur, thereby maintaining an appearance similar to that of a chunk of meat, and from the viewpoint of easily obtaining a texture similar to that of a chunk of meat. In the present disclosure, a gel refers to a substance that contains at least water and behaves as an elastic solid. Elasticity is the property of an object that, when deformed by an external force, tends to return to its original shape after the external force is removed.

[0180] The gel preferably contains an edible gelling agent. Edible gelling agents include thickening polysaccharides. Specific examples of thickening polysaccharides include agar, carrageenan (κ-carrageenan, ι-carrageenan), alginic acid, alginates, agarose, furcellaran, gellan gum, glucono delta lactone, Azotobacter vinelandii gum, xanthan gum, pectin, guar gum, locust bean gum, tara gum, cassia gum, glucomannan, tragacanth gum, karaya gum, pullulan, gum arabic, arabinogalactan, dextran, carboxymethylcellulose sodium salt, methylcellulose, psyllium sheet gum, starch, chitin, chitosan, curdlan, tamarind seed gum, soybean polysaccharides, gelatin, psyllium, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, and dextrin.

[0181] The gelling agent is preferably used together with a gelling promoter. The gelation accelerator is a compound that accelerates gelation by contacting with a gelling agent, and exerts its function by a specific combination with the gelling agent. Preferred combinations of gelling agents and gelling promoters are as follows.

[0182] 1) A combination of polyvalent metal ions (specifically, alkali metal ions such as potassium, or alkaline earth metal ions such as calcium and magnesium) as a gelation promoter and carrageenan, alginate, gellan gum, Azotobacter vinelandii gum, pectin, carboxymethylcellulose sodium salt, or the like as a gelling agent.

[0183] 2) A combination of boric acid or other boron compounds as a gelling promoter and guar gum, locust bean gum, tara gum, cassia gum, etc. as a gelling agent.

[0184] 3) A combination of an acid or alkali as a gelation promoter and an alginate, glucomannan, pectin, chitin, chitosan, curdlan, or the like as a gelling agent.

[0185] 4) A water-soluble polysaccharide that reacts with a gelling agent to form a gel is used as a gelling promoter.Specific examples include a combination of xanthan gum as a gelling agent and cassia gum as a gelling promoter, and a combination of carrageenan as a gelling agent and locust bean gum as a gelling promoter.

[0186] From the viewpoint of obtaining a solid meat-like substitute having an appearance and texture similar to that of livestock meat, the preferred combination of gelling agent and gelling promoter is the above-mentioned "1) a combination of polyvalent metal ions (specifically, alkali metal ions such as potassium, or alkaline earth metal ions such as calcium and magnesium) as a gelling promoter and carrageenan, alginate, gellan gum, Azotobacter vinelandii gum, pectin, carboxymethylcellulose sodium salt, or the like as a gelling agent."

[0187] -Components contained in the fat-like portion- The fat-like portion is preferably in any one of the following component forms: (1) The fatty part contains fats and oils as its main component. (2) The fat-like part contains an emulsion as its main component. (3) The fat-like portion includes oils and gels. Here, the term "main component" means that the relevant component is contained in an amount of 90% by mass or more based on the entire fat-like portion.

[0188] (1) When the fatty part contains fats and oils as the main component (hereinafter, fatty part example (1)) When the fat-like portion is "fatty portion example (1)", the content of fats and oils contained in the fat-like portion is preferably 90% by mass or more, more preferably 92% by mass or more, and even more preferably 95% by mass or more, based on the entire fat-like portion. In addition, when the fat-like portion is "fatty portion example (1)", the upper limit of the content of fats and oils contained in the fat-like portion may be 99% by mass or less, or 98% by mass or less, based on the entire fat-like portion, taking into consideration additives contained in the fats and oils.

[0189] When the fat-like portion is "fat-like portion example (1)", it is preferable to use fats and oils that become cloudy when solidified, from the viewpoint of obtaining a chunk-like meat substitute having an appearance similar to that of livestock meat. When the fat-like moiety is "fatty moiety example (1)", the fats and oils used are preferably, specifically, coconut oil, palm oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, etc.

[0190] (2) When the fat-like part contains an emulsion as the main component (hereinafter, fat-like part example (2)) Since emulsions are often white in color, when the fat-like portion contains an emulsion as a main component, the fat-like portion also tends to be white. Therefore, by making the fat-like portion into the form of the fat-like portion example (2), a chunk-like meat substitute having an appearance closer to that of livestock meat can be obtained. The emulsion may be an oil-in-water emulsion or a water-in-oil emulsion.

[0191] When the fat-like portion is "fat-like portion example (2)", the content of the emulsion is preferably 90% by mass or more, more preferably 92% by mass or more, and even more preferably 95% by mass or more, based on the total weight of the fat-like portion. In addition, when the fat-like portion is "fat-like portion example (2)", the upper limit of the content of the emulsion contained in the fat-like portion may be 99% by mass or less, or 98% by mass or less, based on the entire fat-like portion, taking into account the addition of additives, etc.

[0192] The content of fats and oils in the emulsion is preferably 5% by mass or more and less than 90% by mass, more preferably 10% by mass or more and 80% by mass or less, and even more preferably 15% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less, based on the total mass of the emulsion.

[0193] The water content in the emulsion is preferably 10% by mass or more and 95% by mass or less, more preferably 20% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less, and even more preferably 30% by mass or more and 85% by mass or less, based on the total mass of the emulsion.

[0194] The content of the surfactant in the emulsion is preferably from 0.01% by mass to 5% by mass, more preferably from 0.05% by mass to 4% by mass, and even more preferably from 0.1% by mass to 3% by mass, based on the total mass of the emulsion.

[0195] (3) When the fatty part contains fats and oils and gels (hereinafter, fatty part example (3)) When the fat-like portion contains fats and oils and a gel, the fats and oils contained in the fat-like portion are easily retained by the gel even when a temperature change occurs. Therefore, even when a temperature change occurs, the fats and oils are less likely to flow out of the fat-like portion, and the appearance similar to that of a chunk of meat is more likely to be maintained. In addition, even when the raw meat-like chunk of meat substitute is cooked, the fats and oils are easily retained by the gel, and when the cooked raw meat-like chunk of meat substitute is eaten, the fats and oils contained in the fat-like portion overflow, making it easier to obtain a texture similar to that of cooked chunk of meat.

[0196] From the viewpoint of making it more difficult for the fat to flow out of the fat-like portion, when the fat-like portion is in the form of the fat-like portion example (3), the fat is preferably encapsulated in a gel. When the oil or fat is encapsulated in the gel, it is preferable that the oil or fat be present in the form of a granular material containing the oil or fat, specifically, in a large number of nearly spherical particles (hereinafter referred to as "oil droplets") dispersed throughout the gel. The particle size of the oil droplets is preferably from 20 μm to 500 μm, more preferably from 30 μm to 400 μm, and even more preferably from 50 μm to 300 μm.

[0197] Since the fats and oils are encapsulated in the gel, even if the raw meat-like lump meat substitute is heat-sterilized after the raw meat-like lump meat substitute is formed, the fats and oils contained in the fat-like portion are prevented from dissolving and flowing down from the fat-like portion. Therefore, even if the raw meat-like lump meat substitute is heat-sterilized, the fat-like portion can be maintained, and the hygienic preservation of the lump meat substitute can be improved.

[0198] The particle size of the oil droplets is measured by observing the fat-like portion under a transmitted light microscope. As a transmission microscope, for example, an inverted microscope Axio Observer.Z1 manufactured by Zeiss can be used. The procedure for measuring the particle size of oil droplets will be described below. The oil is solidified at a temperature below the melting point of the oil, and the gel is dissolved with 3% sodium carbonate or the like to recover oil droplets from the fat-like portion, and placed on a 60 mmφ polystyrene petri dish. At this time, the recovered oil droplets are made not to overlap in the depth direction of the petri dish. The oil droplets recovered in the petri dish are then observed with a transmission optical microscope and photographed at an objective magnification of 5x. More than 200 images of oil droplets included in the captured image are selected, and the circle equivalent diameter of each oil droplet (the diameter of a perfect circle equivalent to the area of ​​the image of the oil droplet) is calculated using image processing software (e.g., ImageJ). The arithmetic mean value of the calculated circle equivalent diameters of each oil droplet is calculated, and the arithmetic mean value is taken as the particle diameter of the oil droplet.

[0199] When the fat-like portion contains fats and oils encapsulated in a gel, it is preferred that the transparency of the fat-like portion is improved by heating. The fat contained in the meat chunk is almost white in an unheated state, but becomes more transparent when cooked. Therefore, by configuring the meat chunk substitute according to the present embodiment in this manner, when the raw meat-like meat chunk substitute is cooked, it is likely to have an appearance similar to that of livestock meat.

[0200] Whether or not the transparency of the fat-like portion is improved by heating is judged by the following procedure. The transparency of the fat-like part of the raw meat-like lump meat substitute is measured at three randomly selected points using a Konica Minolta color reader CR-10Plus, and the arithmetic mean of the obtained values ​​is defined as measurement value A. The raw meat-like lump meat substitute is placed with the side with the measurement site facing down on a hot plate with a surface temperature of 160°C, and heated by leaving it to stand for two minutes. The heated raw meat-like lump meat substitute is removed from the hot plate, and the transparency of the measurement part after heating is measured using the same procedure as measurement value A, and the arithmetic mean of the obtained values ​​is defined as measurement value B. If measurement value B shows a higher transparency than measurement value A, it is determined that the transparency of the fat-like part has improved due to heating.

[0201] When the fatty portion is "fatty portion example (3)", the content of fats and oils is preferably from 10% by mass to 70% by mass, more preferably from 15% by mass to 60% by mass, and even more preferably from 20% by mass to 50% by mass, based on the total amount of the fatty portion.

[0202] When the fat-like portion is "fat-like portion example (3)", the gel content is preferably 30% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less, more preferably 40% by mass or more and 85% by mass or less, and even more preferably 50% by mass or more and 80% by mass or less, based on the entire fat-like portion.

[0203] When the fat-like portion is "Fat-like portion example (3)", the fat-like portion may be in an embodiment including a fat mass composition including a granular material containing fats and oils, and an edible ionically crosslinkable polymer crosslinked with a cation.

[0204] The fats and oils contained in the fat block composition can be the same as those described above. The average particle size of the granules may be 50 μm or more and 500 μm or less. The average particle size of the granules is a value measured by observing the fat mass composition with a transmission optical microscope.

[0205] The fat mass composition preferably contains an edible ionically crosslinkable polymer crosslinked with a cation. Here, "edible" means a property that does not adversely affect health conditions when orally ingested by humans. By "ionically crosslinkable polymer" is meant a polymer that crosslinks upon reaction with ions. Examples of edible ionically cross-linked polymers include alginic acid, carrageenan, LM pectin, HM pectin, and LA gellan gum. From the viewpoint of improving the heat resistance of the fat chunk composition, the edible ionically cross-linked polymer is preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of alginic acid, LM pectin, and LA gellan gum.

[0206] The cation is preferably a metal ion having an ionic valence of divalent or more. Examples of metal ions include divalent metal ions such as calcium ion, magnesium ion, iron ion (II), copper ion (II), zinc ion, and manganese ion; and trivalent metal ions such as aluminum ion and iron ion (III). From the viewpoint of obtaining a stable crosslinked structure, the metal ion is preferably at least one selected from calcium ion, magnesium ion, and zinc ion, and more preferably calcium ion.

[0207] Crosslinking of an edible ionically crosslinkable polymer can be carried out, for example, by mixing a solution containing the ionically crosslinkable polymer, a surfactant and water (ionically crosslinkable polymer solution) with an aqueous solution containing cations.

[0208] The fat mass composition can be produced, for example, in the manner described in the Examples below.

[0209] The raw meat-like chunk-like meat substitute may contain granules containing fats and oils (fat encapsulated in a gel or fats in capsule form) inside. Here, "inside" means that it is not present on the surface of the chunk of meat-like substitute meat. By containing fats and oils encapsulated in a gel or encapsulated fats and oils inside the lump meat substitute, the fats and oils tend to remain in the lump meat substitute, which makes it easier to obtain a lump meat substitute that is similar to raw meat and maintains a texture closer to that of livestock meat.

[0210] Here, the granular material containing fats and oils contained inside the raw meat-like chunk meat substitute may be similar to the fats and oils encapsulated in a gel or encapsulated fats described above, and a detailed description of this will be omitted here.

[0211] <Method of manufacturing alternative processed meat> The method for producing the alternative shaped meat according to the present disclosure is not particularly limited. One embodiment of the method for producing the alternative shaped meat according to the present disclosure includes, for example, a method comprising shaping a red-stained lean meat-like portion and forming grooves on the surface of the shaped lean meat-like portion, or forming grooves on the surface of the lean meat-like portion while shaping the red-stained lean meat-like portion (lean meat-like portion forming step), and then applying oil or fat to the grooves to form a fatty portion (fatty portion forming step).

[0212] In another embodiment of the method for producing the alternative shaped meat according to the present disclosure, a first step of mixing the protein food material according to the present disclosure with a binder (e.g., a polysaccharide) to obtain a mixture; a second step of stretching the mixture to obtain a stretched mixture in which the fiber direction of the protein food material is oriented in one direction; The method includes the steps of:

[0213] In the above first step, the method for mixing the protein food material according to the present disclosure with the binder is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a method of mixing by hand, a method using a known mixer, etc. Examples of the mixer include a mixer. It is preferable to break the protein food material by hand or the like to adjust the size of the protein food material before mixing it with the binder. Furthermore, when the substitute shaped meat to be produced contains fats and oils, the above-mentioned fat block composition, other additives, etc., it is preferable to mix them together with the protein food material and a binder in the first step. In the above-mentioned second step, the method for stretching the mixture obtained in the first step (hereinafter also referred to as the "first step mixture") is not particularly limited as long as it results in a mixture after stretching in which the fiber direction of the protein food material is oriented in one direction. It is preferable to include a third step after the second step in which the stretched mixture is shaped to obtain a shaped body, and then the shaped body is heated and cured. For example, when the molded body contains a thermo-irreversible gel-forming polysaccharide as a binder, heating the molded body promotes the formation of a gel containing the thermo-irreversible gel-forming polysaccharide, which hardens the molded body and makes it easier for the substitute molded meat to maintain its shape.

[0214] The third step may include a step of forming a pattern resembling fat (marbled pattern) on the surface of the shaped body after shaping the stretched mixture to obtain the shaped body, in order to make the appearance of the substitute shaped meat (specifically, the chunk-like substitute meat) closer to the appearance of livestock meat (hereinafter also referred to as a fat-like portion forming step). The fat-like portion forming step is preferably a step of forming grooves, for example, 100 μm or more deep, on the surface of the molded body and attaching oil or fat to the formed grooves to form fat-like portions.

[0215] Methods for forming grooves on the surface of a molded body include, for example, a method of digging the surface with a blade, and a method of forming grooves using a mold, with the method of forming grooves using a mold being preferred.

[0216] Next, oil is applied to the grooves formed on the surface of the molded body, filling the grooves and forming a pattern resembling fat. When applying the oil to the grooves formed on the surface of the molded body, the oil may be in a liquid state, a semi-solid state in which liquid and solid are mixed, or a solid state, but it is preferable that the oil be in a liquid state or a semi-solid state. When applying oil to the grooves formed in the surface of the molded body, the oil may be applied in the form of an emulsion.

[0217] When the oil or fat is attached in an emulsion state, it is preferable to attach an emulsion containing a gelling agent, oil or fat, and water (referred to as a "gelling emulsion") to grooves formed on the surface of the molded body, and then gel the gelling emulsion attached to the grooves. The gelling emulsion is preferably an oil-in-water emulsion. The oil droplet size of the oil or fat in the gelling emulsion is preferably from 20 μm to 500 μm, more preferably from 30 μm to 400 μm, and even more preferably from 50 μm to 300 μm.

[0218] As a method for gelling the gelling emulsion attached to the grooves, for example, a method in which the molded body with the gelling emulsion attached to the grooves is placed in an aqueous solution containing a gelling promoter to gel it can be mentioned. EXAMPLES

[0219] Examples are described below, but the production method and protein food material according to the present disclosure are in no way limited to these examples.

[0220] [Example 1] Defatted soy flour (Showa Fresh RF, manufactured by Showa Sangyo Co., Ltd.; indicated as defatted soy protein in Table 1) as a vegetable protein and wheat gluten (PRO-Glu 65, manufactured by Torigoe Flour Milling Co., Ltd.) as a protein were mixed in the amounts (mass ratio) shown in Table 1 to obtain mixed powder 1. The defatted soy flour used contains 54.7% protein by weight.

[0221] Next, a twin-screw extruder (twin-screw extruder, manufactured by Kowa Kogyo Co., Ltd., product name: KEI-45-25) was prepared. The twin-screw extruder has a cross section as shown in FIG. 1. The shape of the discharge die is flat.

[0222] A flat-type extrusion die (lip clearance: 3 mm) with a length of 440 mm in the extrusion direction was attached to the extrusion section of the twin-screw extruder, which had a screw length of 1100 mm and a maximum temperature at the tip of the screw set to 160° C. Mixed powder 1 was introduced into the twin-screw extruder at 530 g / min, and while adding water to the extruder in a mass having a mass ratio shown in Table 1, the mixture was kneaded by pressurization and heating so that the temperature of the protein-containing mixture at the outlet of the extruder reached the temperature shown in Table 1, and was extruded from the outlet of the extrusion die at a screw rotation speed of 250 rpm (revolutions per minute) and an extrusion rate of 45 kg / hr.

[0223] The composition of the protein-containing mixture and the conditions set in the extrusion section and discharge die of the twin-screw extruder are summarized in Table 1.

[0224] Protein food material 1 was obtained by controlling the temperature of the extrusion die so that the temperature of the protein-containing mixture at the outlet of the extrusion die was 110°C.

[0225] [Examples 2 and 3] Protein food materials 2 and 3 of the examples were obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the temperature of the protein-containing mixture at the outlet of the discharge die was changed to the temperature shown in Table 1.

[0226] [Examples 4 and 5] Protein food materials 4 and 5 of the examples were obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the temperature of the protein-containing mixture at the outlet of the extrusion section and the temperature of the protein-containing mixture at the outlet of the extrusion die were changed to the temperatures shown in Table 1.

[0227] [Examples 6 and 7] Protein food materials 6 and 7 of the examples were obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the length of the extrusion die and the temperature of the protein-containing mixture at the outlet of the extrusion die were changed to the temperatures shown in Table 1.

[0228] [Example 8] Protein food material 8 of the example was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the extrusion die in Example 1 was changed to a flat extrusion die having an internal uneven shape (i.e., a plurality of recesses formed on the inner wall of the extrusion die) as shown typically in Figures 4A to 4C. The uneven shape was provided in a region 250 mm to 440 mm from the downstream end of the extrusion section in the extrusion direction (the region indicated by symbol Y in Figure 4A).

[0229] [Example 9] In Example 1, the mass of the raw materials containing vegetable protein (defatted soy flour and wheat gluten) was changed to the mass ratio shown in Table 1, a coloring agent (KC-Brown SP-3, brown, manufactured by Kobe Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) was added in the mass ratio shown in Table 1, and the outlet temperature of the discharge die was changed to the temperature shown in Table 1. Except for this, the same procedure as in Example 1 was followed to obtain protein food material 9 of the example.

[0230] [Comparative Examples 1 and 2] Comparative protein food materials C1 and C2 were obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the length and lip clearance of the extrusion die, and the temperature of the protein-containing mixture at the outlet of the extrusion die were changed to the temperatures shown in Table 2.

[0231] [Comparative Example 3] Comparative example protein food material C3 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the temperature of the protein-containing mixture at the outlet of the discharge die was changed to the temperature shown in Table 2.

[0232] [Comparative Example 4] Comparative example protein food material C4 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the temperature of the protein mixture at the outlet of the discharge die was changed to the temperatures shown in Table 2.

[0233] [Comparative Example 5] Comparative example protein food material C5 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the temperature of the protein-containing mixture at the outlet of the extrusion section was changed to the temperatures shown in Table 2.

[0234] [Comparative Example 6] Comparative protein food material C6 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the temperature of the protein-containing mixture at the outlet of the extrusion die and the temperature of the protein-containing mixture at the outlet of the extrusion section were changed to the temperatures shown in Table 2.

[0235] [Measurement and Evaluation] The protein food materials obtained in the Examples and Comparative Examples were subjected to the following measurements and evaluations.

[0236] The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

[0237] For the protein food materials 1 to 9 in Examples 1 to 9, all of the measurements and evaluations shown below were carried out. went. For the protein food materials C1-C2 and C4-C5 of Comparative Examples 1-2, 4-5, only the measurement of the percentage of voids, the measurement of the average thickness of the walls separating the voids, the evaluation of the fibrous texture, the texture (chewiness), and the meaty color were performed. The protein food material C5 of Comparative Example 5 was a soft solid with some swollen parts. The protein food material C3 of Comparative Example 3 did not swell, so evaluation was not performed except for meat quality and color. The protein food material C6 of Comparative Example 6 was burnt, making it difficult to measure the voids, and therefore was not evaluated for fiber texture, texture (chewiness), or meaty color. In Tables 1 and 2, the marks "-" indicate that the corresponding measurements and evaluations were not performed.

[0238] <Measurement and evaluation of voids> -Cross-section formation- For each of the protein food materials 1 to 9, C1 to C2, and C4 to C5 obtained in the Examples and Comparative Examples, the ends were held with both hands and the protein food material was torn in the tearing direction to obtain torn pieces. The fiber direction of the obtained torn pieces was determined by the method described above.

[0239] -Drying process- The protein food materials 1 to 9, C1 to C2, and C4 to C5, whose fiber directions had been determined, were placed in a vacuum oven (product name: VOS-201SD, manufactured by EYELA) connected to a vacuum pump (product name: GCD-051XF, manufactured by ULVAC), and the material was dried at 60°C for 17 hours under vacuum conditions using the vacuum pump.

[0240] -Measurement of the number and percentage of voids- The fiber direction was determined, and the dried protein food materials 1-9, C1-C2, and C4-C5 were cut with a single-edged razor in a direction perpendicular to the fiber direction using a cutting means to form cut surfaces to obtain measurement samples. Using an optical microscope (product name: VHX-5000, manufactured by KEYENCE) equipped with a zoom lens (product name: VH-ZST, manufactured by KEYENCE), the cut surface (measurement cross section) formed on the measurement sample was observed with an objective lens (product name: ZS-20, manufactured by KEYENCE) at a lens magnification of 30x. The voids present on the observed cut surfaces were detected using a commercially available software (MatLab, version 2018) can be used. After correcting for in-plane unevenness in brightness, the image was binarized based on the brightness and dark areas were extracted. The extracted dark areas were subjected to labeling and morphology processing, and morphological analysis of each dark area was carried out. 2 The dark areas of the image (below) were defined as noise and removed, and furthermore, the image boundaries and adjacent voids were removed. The size of the voids was detected and the cross-sectional area (mm 2 ) was calculated. Based on the obtained cross-sectional area, the 0.1 mm 2 The percentage of voids having the following cross-sectional areas was calculated:

[0241] The percentage of voids (%) in the protein food material was determined by determining the fiber direction using the above-mentioned method for each of five measurement samples prepared from the protein food material to be measured, carrying out the above-mentioned measurements for each measurement sample, calculating the percentage of voids (%), and then taking the arithmetic average of the five resulting percentages (%).

[0242] -Measurement of the average thickness of the walls separating the voids- The minimum distance was determined from the points on the contour of one hole (void) detected by the above method to the points on the contour of the other holes (voids). Ten holes were selected from those detected in one observation image, and the minimum distance between adjacent holes for each hole was determined. The average of the ten values ​​was used to determine the average minimum distance.

[0243] The minimum distance average value was calculated for a total of five observation images. The minimum distance average values ​​obtained for each of the five observation images were averaged to obtain the average thickness of the walls separating the voids.

[0244] -Calculation of the number of voids per cross-sectional area- The number of voids per cross-sectional area was calculated using the following formula. Number of voids per cross-sectional area (pcs / mm 2 ) = (total number of voids) / (total cross-sectional area of ​​the protein food material)

[0245] -Calculation of the average aspect ratio of voids- The protein food material that had been frozen and stored at -20°C was left to stand in an environment of room temperature (23°C) and a relative humidity of 20% RH to thaw. After confirming the fiber direction, an X-ray transmission image was obtained using a 3D X-ray microscope (product name "nano3DX", manufactured by Rigaku) ​​under the following conditions: radiation source: Cu (40 kV / 30 mA), lens: L4320, binning: 2, and then a 3D image was reconstructed. A cross-sectional image of a 1.5 cm square area in a plane parallel to the fiber direction was taken, and dark areas surrounded by light areas were visually detected as voids. Ten voids were selected arbitrarily. If ten voids were not present in this cross-sectional image, another cross-sectional image was taken. Among the points constituting the contour of the void, the two points with the longest distance between them were selected, and the line segment connecting those two points was defined as the long axis, and the length of the line segment was defined as the length of the long axis. A straight line extended to infinity in the length direction of both ends of the long axis was defined as the long axis line. Among the straight lines perpendicular to the long axis line, a straight line group having two or more intersections with the contour of the void was defined as the short axis line. Among the short axis lines, a straight line with the longest distance between the most distant intersections was selected and defined as the short axis line. The line segment connecting the two most distant intersections of the short axis line and the contour of the void was defined as the short axis, and its length was defined as the length of the short axis of the void. The aspect ratio of the void was calculated using the following formula. Aspect ratio of void = length of major axis of void / length of minor axis of void The aspect ratios for the 10 voids were then averaged to obtain an average value.

[0246] -Calculating the average angle at which the major axes of voids intersect- Ten voids were arbitrarily selected in the same manner as in the method for calculating the average aspect ratio of the voids. The long axis was determined for each selected void in the same manner as in the method for calculating the average aspect ratio of the voids. Straight lines were drawn extending to infinity in the length direction of both ends of the long axis. One of the ten straight lines was selected arbitrarily and designated as the "base line." The angles at which the base line intersected with the nine straight lines other than the base line were measured. At that time, the angle from the base line to the straight line other than the base line in the counterclockwise direction was recorded. Note that when the base line and the straight line other than the base line were parallel, the angle was set to 0°. The straight line corresponding to the fifth smallest angle among the nine angles recorded was designated as the "center line." Next, the angles at which the center line intersected with the nine straight lines other than the center line were measured. An angle greater than 0° and less than or equal to 90° was recorded. When the center line and the straight lines other than the center line were parallel, the angle was recorded as 0°. The average of the nine recorded angles was used as the "average angle between the major axes of the voids."

[0247] - Calculation of standard deviation of void count ratio - The protein food materials 1 to 9 extruded from the extruder were cut into a length of 330 cm with the fiber direction (ie, the extrusion direction) as the longitudinal direction to obtain a sheet-like sample. Since the extrusion die was flat, the protein food materials 1 to 9 were in sheet form and were used as they were.

[0248] On the surface of one of the sheet samples obtained as described above, marks were made at the same position in the width direction, designated as position A. Position B was 1.5 cm away in the width direction from position A, position C was 1.5 cm away from position B, and position D was 1.5 cm away from position C, and each position was similarly marked. The sheet sample was cut at 10 locations perpendicular to the fiber direction (extrusion direction) every 30 cm in the longitudinal direction to obtain 10 cross sections. For one cross section, an optical microscope (product name: VHX-5000, manufactured by KEYENCE) equipped with a zoom lens (product name: VH-ZST, manufactured by KEYENCE) was used to observe the cut surface (cross section for measurement) formed on the measurement sample with an objective lens (product name: ZS-20, manufactured by KEYENCE) and a lens magnification of 30. Observations were made at three locations: from position A to position B, from position B to position C, and from position C to position D. From each observation, 0.1 mm 2 The percentage of voids having the following cross-sectional areas was evaluated:

[0249] =Standard deviation A: Standard deviation of the ratio of the number of voids in the longitudinal direction = 0.1 mm in the observation image from position A to position B 2 For the percentage of the number of voids having the following cross-sectional areas, the standard deviation was calculated from 10 values ​​in the fiber direction (extrusion direction). Similarly, the standard deviations were calculated for the observation images from position B to position C and from position C to position D. Among the obtained standard deviations, the maximum value was taken as the evaluation value of standard deviation A.

[0250] =Standard deviation B: Standard deviation of the ratio of the number of voids in the width direction= Within one cross section, 0.1 mm from position A to position B, from position B to position C, and from position C to position D. 2 The standard deviation was calculated from the percentage of the number of voids having the following cross-sectional areas: The standard deviation was calculated in the same manner for each of the remaining nine cross sections. Among the obtained standard deviations, the maximum value was taken as the evaluation value of standard deviation B.

[0251] <Degree of orientation of fibrous region X A / X B Measurement and evaluation> For each of the protein food materials 1 to 9 obtained in the examples and comparative examples, polarized ATR-IR measurement was performed at three points using the measurement method described above, and the intensity ratio X was calculated from the average value of the peak intensity measurement results obtained. A and X B The intensity ratio X A and X B From the value of A / X B was calculated.

[0252] <Evaluation of fiber texture> Protein food materials 1 to 9 and C1 to C6 were immersed in water at 85°C for 30 minutes to absorb water. After removing from the water bath and draining the water, the materials were returned to room temperature, and then torn by hand in the fiber direction to expose the cross section, and the fiber texture was subjected to a sensory evaluation. The evaluation scores are shown below. The evaluation results were calculated by averaging the scores of the five evaluators and rounding off to the nearest whole number. A score of 3 or above is considered to have a "fibrous texture that mimics meat," with a score of 5 being the best. -Evaluation score- 5 points: The fibrous appearance is clearly visible over 85% or more of the entire cross section, and a good fibrous feel is felt. 4 points: Fibrous appearance is visible over 55% to less than 85% of the entire cross section, and a fibrous texture is felt. 3 points: Fibrous appearance is visible over 35% to less than 55% of the entire cross section, and fibrous texture is felt in parts. 2 points: Fibrous appearance is visible in less than 35% of the entire cross section, and the fibrous texture is difficult to sense. Score 1: No fibrous appearance or feel.

[0253] <Evaluation of texture (chewiness)> Protein food materials 1 to 9 and C1 to C6 were immersed in water at 85°C for 30 minutes to absorb water. After removing from the water bath and draining the water, the protein food materials were cut into 1 cm x 1 cm pieces and placed in the mouth at room temperature, and the chewiness when bitten with the teeth was evaluated sensorily. The evaluation scores are shown below. The evaluation results were calculated by averaging the scores of the five evaluators and rounding off to the nearest whole number. A rating of "3" or above is considered to have a "chewy texture," with a rating of "5" being the best. -Evaluation score- 5 points: Feels like meat when chewing. 4 points: Slightly soft when chewed, but has a meaty texture. 3 points: Soft but meaty texture when chewed. 2 points: It is difficult to feel the meat-like texture when chewing. Score 1: No meat-like texture when chewed.

[0254] <Evaluation of flesh quality and color> The protein food materials 1 to 9 and C1 to C6 were each cut into 5 cm x 5 cm pieces to prepare samples for evaluation. The meat quality and color were evaluated by visual observation by 10 evaluators. The evaluation scores are shown below. The evaluation results were calculated by averaging the scores of the 10 evaluators and rounding off to the nearest whole number. A score of "2" or above is considered to indicate good flesh quality and color, with a score of "3" being the best. -Evaluation score- 3 points: The color was the same as cooked meat (brown). 2 points: The color was close to the color (brown) of cooked meat. 1 point: The color was different from that of cooked meat.

[0255] <Evaluation of Burnt or Not> The protein food materials 1 to 9 and C1 to C6 were visually inspected immediately after being discharged from a discharge die attached to a twin-screw extruder to evaluate the presence or absence of burning. No scorching occurred in the protein food materials 1 to 9 and C1 to C5. Protein food material C6 was burnt.

[0256] [Table 1]

[0257] [Table 2]

[0258] As shown in Tables 1 and 2, the protein food material of the example obtained by the manufacturing method of the present disclosure (the protein food material of the present disclosure) had a fibrous texture and a chewy texture that imitated meat.

[0259] [Production of alternative processed meat] Using the protein food materials 1 to 9 and C1 to C5 obtained in the examples and comparative examples, the first to third steps described below were carried out to produce alternative formed meats 1 to 9 of Examples 1 to 9 and alternative formed meats C1 to C5 of Comparative Examples 1 to 5. The protein food material C6 of Comparative Example 6, which was burnt, was not used in producing the alternative molded meat.

[0260] (1st step) The protein food material was boiled in 3 L (liters) of boiling water for 10 minutes and then drained. After draining, the protein food material was cut into pieces of approximately 100 mm in length and torn along the fiber direction to a width of approximately 5 mm. The torn protein food material was boiled for 10 minutes in an aqueous solution containing Sangrill Beef Taste 3457E (a seasoning made by San-Ei Gen FSI that does not contain animal ingredients) as a seasoning (concentration: 5% by mass of seasoning relative to the total aqueous solution) to obtain strip-shaped protein food material. The rectangular fiber bundle structured protein 1 was immersed in an aqueous solution containing Sanbeet Concentrate No. 4948 (a colorant manufactured by San-Ei Gen FSI Co., Ltd.) as a colorant (concentration: 3% by mass of colorant relative to the total aqueous solution) to obtain a rectangular protein food material. Then, 7.5 g of GENUTINE 310-C (carrageenan manufactured by Sansho Co., Ltd.) containing thermoreversible gel-forming polysaccharides, 7.5 g of kombu acid 429S (sodium alginate containing hardener manufactured by Kimika Co., Ltd.) containing thermoirreversible gel-forming polysaccharides, and 30 g of water were added as binders to 150 g of strip-shaped protein food material, and mixed evenly to obtain a first process mixture.

[0261] (Preparation of fat chunk composition) (1) Droplet formation process The aqueous and oil phases were prepared as follows. Aqueous phase: 99.5 parts by mass of tap water and 0.5 parts by mass of Ryoto Sugar Ester M-1695 (manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) as a surfactant were weighed out to a total of 5 kg, and stirred with a Three-One Motor (manufactured by Shinto Scientific Co., Ltd.) for 30 minutes to completely dissolve. Oil phase: 1 kg of coconut oil (manufactured by COCOWELL, product name: Organic Premium Coconut Oil (M041)) was weighed out as the oil.

[0262] The aqueous phase was used as the continuous phase, and the oil phase was used as the dispersed phase, and membrane emulsification was performed using a pipe-shaped SPG membrane (SPG Techno Co., Ltd., pore size 50 μm). Specifically, the pipe-shaped SPG membrane was inserted into a tubular container, and the aqueous phase was allowed to flow inside the pipe-shaped SPG membrane (inner pipe) from one end of the container to the other end at a flow rate of 50 mL / min, and the oil phase was allowed to flow outside the pipe-shaped SPG membrane (outer pipe (flow path between the container and the SPG membrane)) at a flow rate of 10 mL / min. As a result, an aqueous solution containing droplets containing the oil (hereinafter also referred to as a droplet dispersion) was obtained. The droplets containing the oil and fat (particulates containing the oil and fat) had a particle size of 190 μm and a CV value of 19%.

[0263] Here, the particle size and CV value of the droplets containing the oil or fat were measured using a transmission optical microscope. The droplet dispersion collected in the petri dish was observed under a transmission optical microscope and photographed at an objective magnification of 5x. More than 200 images of droplets containing oil were selected from the photographed screen, and the circle equivalent diameter of each droplet (the diameter of a perfect circle equivalent to the area of ​​the droplet image) was calculated using image processing software (e.g., ImageJ). The arithmetic mean value of the calculated circle equivalent diameters of each droplet was calculated, and this arithmetic mean value was defined as the "average particle size of droplets containing oil." The CV value of a droplet containing oil or fat is a value calculated by the following formula. CV value (%) of droplets containing oil or fat = (standard deviation of circle equivalent diameter of droplets containing oil or fat / average particle diameter of droplets containing oil or fat) x 100 The standard deviation of the equivalent circle diameter of droplets containing oil or fat is the standard deviation of the equivalent circle diameters of 200 droplets containing oil or fat calculated in measuring the average particle size of droplets containing oil or fat.

[0264] (2) Oil solidification process After the droplet dispersion was added to the separatory funnel, it was left to stand for 30 minutes. Since the droplet dispersion separated into a phase containing droplets containing oil and fats and an aqueous phase, the aqueous phase was discharged from the separatory funnel and the phase containing droplets containing oil and fats was collected. The phase containing the droplets containing the collected oil was left to stand in a refrigerator at a temperature of 5°C for 1 hour. The oil was allowed to stand and cool to solidify, thereby obtaining an aqueous solution containing particles (hereinafter also referred to as particle-containing liquid).

[0265] (3) Crosslinking process An aqueous solution containing an edible ionically cross-linkable polymer (hereinafter also referred to as an ionically cross-linkable polymer solution) was obtained by mixing 1 part by mass of sodium alginate (Kimika Algin I-1, manufactured by Kimika Co., Ltd.) as an edible ionically cross-linkable polymer, 0.5 parts by mass of Ryoto Sugar Ester M-1695 (manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Co., Ltd.) as a surfactant, and 98.5 parts by mass of tap water. 100 parts by mass of the particle-containing liquid was added to 100 parts by mass of the ion-crosslinkable polymer solution, and the mixture was slowly stirred with a stirrer (Three-One Motor, manufactured by Yamato Scientific Co., Ltd.) to obtain solution 1. The obtained solution 1 was poured into a stainless steel tray so that the thickness of the solution was 3 mm.

[0266] One part by mass of calcium chloride (Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd., food additive grade) as a salt containing a cation was dissolved in 99 parts by mass of tap water to prepare a cation-containing aqueous solution 1. The same mass of the cation-containing aqueous solution 1 as the solution 1 contained in the stainless steel pad was poured into the stainless steel pad and left to stand for 2 hours in a refrigerator with an internal temperature of 5°C to crosslink (gel) the edible ion-crosslinkable polymer, thereby obtaining a crude fat block composition. The crude fat chunk composition was washed with tap water, the surface moisture was wiped off with Kimtowel (registered trademark, manufactured by Nippon Paper Crecia Co., Ltd.), and the composition was cut into rods of approximately 1 mm x 1 mm x 30 mm. The oil and fat adhering to the surface of the cut crude fat chunk composition was washed with edible ethanol to obtain fat chunk composition B.

[0267] (2nd process) Fat lump composition B was mixed into the mixture obtained in the first step in an amount of 20% of the mixture's mass, formed into a spherical shape with a diameter of approximately 60 mm, and then stretched by hand to obtain a stretched mixture with a stretching ratio of approximately 6 times.

[0268] (3rd step) The stretched mixture was cut to the steak thickness (20 mm) in a direction perpendicular to the fiber direction of the protein food material contained in the stretched mixture to obtain a steak fillet shape, and a number of cut pieces were bundled together so that the fiber direction was oriented in the steak thickness direction to obtain a molded body. The molded body was vacuum-pouched and then heated for 1 minute so that the internal temperature of the molded body reached 75°C. The molded body was then quenched in ice water to obtain a lump-like meat substitute molded meat.

[0269] The obtained substitute shaped meats 1 to 9 and C1 to C5 were used to carry out the following evaluations. The evaluation results are shown in Table 3.

[0270] [Evaluation of alternative processed meats] <Texture of cross section> The surrogate formed meat was cut with a knife parallel to the grain direction and placed with the grain direction vertical. The cross section was visually inspected by five people to observe the texture of the fibers (meat texture). The evaluation scores are as follows: The evaluation results were calculated as the average of the five evaluators, rounded off to the nearest whole number. A score of 3 or above is considered to have a "fibrous texture that mimics meat," with a score of 5 being the best. -Evaluation score- 5 points: The vertical fibrous appearance is clearly visible over 85% or more of the entire cross section, and the meat has a good texture. 4 points: The longitudinal fibrous appearance can be seen over 55% to less than 85% of the entire cross section, and the texture can be felt. 3 points: A longitudinal fibrous appearance is visible over 35% to less than 55% of the cross section. You can feel the texture of meat in parts. 2 points: No vertical fibrous appearance, making it difficult to feel the texture of the meat. Score 1: No fibrous appearance and no meaty texture.

[0271] <Evaluation of texture (chewiness)> The texture of the alternative formed meat cut into 1cm x 1cm pieces was evaluated by placing it in the mouth at room temperature and chewing it. The texture of the alternative formed meat was evaluated by five people. The evaluation scores are shown below. The evaluation results are the average of the five evaluators' scores, rounded to the nearest tenth. A rating of "3" or above is considered to have a "chewy texture," with a rating of "5" being the best. -Evaluation score- 5 points: Delicious with a meaty texture. 4 points: Slightly soft but with a meaty texture and delicious. 3 points: Soft but with a meaty texture and delicious. 2 points: It is difficult to feel the meat-like texture. 1 point: No meat-like texture.

[0272] [Table 3]

[0273] As shown in Table 3, the shaped meat substitutes of Examples 1 to 9, which used the protein food material obtained by the production method of the present disclosure, were found to have excellent fibrous texture and texture (chewy) in the cross section. It has been found that the protein food material obtained by the production method according to the present disclosure (the protein food material according to the present disclosure) is useful as a protein food material for alternative shaped meat. [Explanation of symbols]

[0274] 10 Twin screw extruder 12 Hopper 14 Extrusion section 15 Exit of extrusion section 16 Screw 18 Protein-containing mixtures 20 Discharge Die 22 Water Nucleus 24 Discharge flow path 26 Discharge port (exit of discharge die) X Extrusion direction

Claims

1. A protein food material containing vegetable protein, having at least a fibrous region in a part thereof and having a porous structure, the protein food material having a cross section of 0.1 mm in a direction perpendicular to the fiber direction. ２ A protein food material in which the ratio of the number of voids having the following cross-sectional area to the total number of voids present in the cross section is 50% or more, and the average thickness of the walls separating the voids is 200 μm or less.

2. In a cross section parallel to a direction perpendicular to the fiber direction, the number of voids per cross-sectional area is 0.5 / mm ２ The protein food material according to claim 1 .

3. 3. A protein food material according to claim 1, wherein the average ratio of the length of the long axis to the length of the short axis of voids present in a cross section parallel to the fiber direction of the protein food material is 2 or more.

4. 3. A protein food material according to claim 1, wherein in a cross section parallel to the fiber direction, the average angle between the major axes of the voids is 30° or less.

5. 3. The protein food material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, in an infrared absorption spectrum obtained by measuring the fibrous region by polarized infrared total reflection absorption measurement, when the intensity ratio of the peak intensity of the amide I band to the peak intensity of the amide II band measured by irradiating the fibrous region with polarized light parallel to the fiber direction is defined as XA, and the intensity ratio of the peak intensity of the amide I band to the peak intensity of the amide II band measured by irradiating the fibrous region with polarized light perpendicular to the fiber direction is defined as XB, the degree of orientation XA / XB satisfies 1.005≦XA / XB.

6. 0.1 mm in a cross section parallel to a direction perpendicular to the fiber direction ２ A protein food material as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the standard deviation of the proportion of voids having a cross-sectional area below is 20% or less when measured at 10 locations every 30 cm along the longitudinal direction of the fiber direction, and the standard deviation of the values ​​when measured at 3 locations every 1.5 cm along the width direction is 20% or less.

7. A shaped meat substitute comprising the protein food material according to claim 1 or 2.

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