Loosening agent for noodle, noodle, and manufacturing method therefor

Abstract

To provide a novel technology for improving loosening properties.SOLUTION: An amount of 35-100 mass% of constituent fatty acid of triglyceride combines fats and oils that is a middle chain fatty acid with a carbon number of 6 to 10, an emulsifier, and soy protein ingredients.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a composition used for improving the loosening properties of noodles. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been set as international goals aiming for a sustainable and better world by 2030. Therefore, as part of efforts toward these goals, the food industry is also working to reduce food waste by suppressing quality deterioration and improving shelf life. For example, many types of noodles, such as soba, udon, Chinese noodles, and pasta, are distributed so that they can be eaten as is without any special heating. However, these noodles are prone to problems such as noodles sticking together during distribution or storage, and in order to solve these problems, efforts have been made to coat the noodles with oils and fats to prevent them from sticking together and improve their loosening properties.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a noodle loosening agent containing a monoglycerin fatty acid ester, a protein, and palm oil. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] WO2015 / 041234 publication Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Conventional noodle loosening agents such as those described in Patent Document 1 may not provide sufficient loosening effects, and further improvements have been desired. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a new technology for improving loosening properties. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] As a result of intensive research, the inventors discovered that the loosening properties of a noodle loosening agent can be improved by adding a medium-chain fatty acid in addition to an emulsifier and a soy protein ingredient, and thus completed the present invention.

[0007] That is, the present invention provides the following [1] to [7]. [1] A noodle loosening agent containing an oil, an emulsifier, and a soy protein material, The noodle loosening agent, wherein the fat or oil has triglycerides in which 35 to 100 mass % of constituent fatty acids are medium-chain fatty acids having 6 to 10 carbon atoms. [2] The noodle loosening agent described in [1], wherein the soy protein ingredient is isolated soy protein. [3] The noodle loosening agent according to [1] or [2], wherein the emulsifier has an HLB value of 3 to 10. [4] The noodle loosening agent according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein a mass ratio of the emulsifier to the fat or oil (emulsifier content [mass] ÷ fat or oil content [mass]) is 0.2 to 5, and a mass ratio of the soy protein ingredient to the fat or oil (soy protein ingredient content [mass] ÷ fat or oil content [mass]) is 0.1 to 20. [5] The noodle loosening agent according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the emulsifier is a monoglycerol fatty acid ester and / or a polyglycerol fatty acid ester, in which 50% or more by mass of constituent fatty acids are unsaturated fatty acids having 16 to 22 carbon atoms. [6] Noodles containing the noodle loosening agent according to any one of [1] to [5]. [7] A method for producing noodles, comprising a step of adhering to and / or soaking noodles in the noodle loosening agent according to any one of [1] to [5]. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, the noodles are prevented from sticking to each other, and an appropriate amount of noodles can be picked up with chopsticks. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The present invention will be illustrated in detail below. In the embodiment of the present invention, A (numerical value) to B (numerical value) means A or more and B or less. The numerical ranges described are merely examples, and ranges obtained by appropriately combining the upper and lower limits of each range and the numerical values ​​of the examples can also be preferably used. Furthermore, the terms "contain" or "include" may be read as "essentially composed" or "consisting only of".

[0010] [Noodle loosening agent] <Oils> The noodle loosening agent of the present invention contains fats and oils in which 35 to 100% by mass of the constituent fatty acids of the triglycerides are medium-chain fatty acids having 6 to 10 carbon atoms (hereinafter referred to as medium-chain fatty acid-containing fats and oils). Examples of medium-chain fatty acids having 6 to 10 carbon atoms include caproic acid, caprylic acid, and capric acid, but medium-chain fatty acids with a small number of carbon atoms are preferred because they have a low melting point and are liquid or easily become liquid. On the other hand, triglycerides of medium-chain fatty acids with a small number of carbon atoms cause irritation to the throat and stomach after eating in some people, so it is preferable that the triglycerides contain a large amount of medium-chain fatty acids with 8 or more carbon atoms (caprylic acid, capric acid), and more preferably medium-chain fatty acids with 10 carbon atoms (capric acid). It is particularly preferable that the medium-chain fatty acids constituting the triglycerides are composed only of caprylic acid and / or capric acid.

[0011] The medium-chain fatty acid-containing oils and fats can be medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) produced by dehydration condensation of medium-chain fatty acids and glycerin, or by transesterification of medium-chain fatty acid alkyl esters and glycerin. In addition, medium-chain fatty acid / long-chain fatty acid mixed triglycerides (MLCT) produced by dehydration condensation of medium-chain fatty acids, fatty acids having 12 to 22 carbon atoms, and glycerin, transesterification of MCT and animal and vegetable oils, or transesterification of medium-chain fatty acid alkyl esters and animal and vegetable oils can be used. It is considered that the specific gravity of the oils and fats containing medium-chain fatty acids is reduced by having a certain amount of medium-chain fatty acids or more, and the dispersibility in an aqueous solution is improved by a synergistic effect with the polyglycerol fatty acid ester described below. Similar effects can be expected from both MCT and MLCT.

[0012] The medium-chain fatty acid-containing oils and fats preferably have a higher content of medium-chain fatty acids having 6 to 10 carbon atoms in the constituent fatty acids of the triglycerides. The medium-chain fatty acid-containing oils and fats are preferably oils and fats in which 50 to 100% by mass of the constituent fatty acids of the triglycerides are medium-chain fatty acids having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, and more preferably oils and fats in which 80 to 100% by mass of the constituent fatty acids of the triglycerides are medium-chain fatty acids having 6 to 10 carbon atoms. It is also preferable to use medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides (MCTs). For example, the oils and fats preferably contain 30 to 100% by mass, more preferably 50 to 100% by mass, and even more preferably 70 to 100% by mass, of MCTs in which the constituent fatty acids of the triglycerides are composed only of medium-chain fatty acids having 6 to 10 carbon atoms.

[0013] The noodle loosening agent of the present invention may further contain any other oil and fat raw material in the oil and fat as long as the oil and fat satisfies the above-mentioned specific range, and animal and vegetable oils, microbial oils and fats, oils and fats synthesized from glycerin and fatty acids, and fractionated oils and fats thereof, interesterified oils, hydrogenated oils, etc. may be used alone or in combination. Examples of animal and vegetable oils include soybean oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, safflower oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, rice oil, sesame oil, perilla oil, linseed oil, peanut oil, grapeseed oil, beef tallow, milk fat, fish oil, coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, etc. Also, fractionated oils and fats of these (for example, fractionated oils of palm oil such as palm olein, palm super olein, palm stearin, palm mid fraction, etc.) may also be used. The vegetable oil may be vegetable oil obtained from a plant variety having a high content of a specific fatty acid or a low content of a specific fatty acid (e.g., canola oil, high oleic canola oil, high oleic soybean oil, vegetable oils with high n-3 fatty acids, high oleic palm oil, etc.). Microbial oils include oils produced from microorganisms such as yeast and algae. Examples of fats and oils synthesized from glycerin and fatty acids include fats and oils containing linear saturated fatty acids having 6 to 12 carbon atoms, preferably 8 to 10 carbon atoms, such as medium chain triglycerides (MCT) having 8 to 10 carbon atoms. Interesterified oils are oils and fats that have undergone interesterification using oils and fats as raw materials. For example, interesterified oils of palm oil or fractionated palm oil with other liquid oils and fats, or interesterified oils of MCT with vegetable oils, etc. can be used. Examples of the hydrogenated oil include hydrogenated oils of animal and vegetable oils, fractionated oils of animal and vegetable oils, and hydrogenated oils of interesterified oils.

[0014] When the noodle loosening agent of the present invention contains vegetable oil, the content of the vegetable oil in the medium-chain fatty acid-containing oil is preferably 65 mass % or less, more preferably 5 to 50 mass %, and even more preferably 5 to 20 mass %.

[0015] From the viewpoint of further improving the loosening properties, the content of medium-chain fatty acid-containing fats and oils per 100 parts by mass of the oil-soluble components of the noodle loosening agent of the present invention is preferably 1 part by mass or more, more preferably 3 parts by mass or more, even more preferably 20 parts by mass or more, especially preferably 30 parts by mass or more, particularly preferably 40 parts by mass or more, and most preferably 45 parts by mass or more. Also, from the viewpoint of further improving the loosening properties, the content of medium-chain fatty acid-containing fats and oils per 100 parts by mass of the oil-soluble components of the noodle loosening agent of the present invention is preferably 90 parts by mass or less, more preferably 70 parts by mass or less, even more preferably 60 parts by mass or less, and particularly preferably 50 parts by mass or less.

[0016] In this specification, the "oil-soluble components of the noodle loosening agent" include medium-chain fatty acid-containing oils and fats, emulsifiers, and other oil-soluble components. Soy protein ingredients are not included in the "oil-soluble components of the noodle loosening agent."

[0017] The noodle loosening agent of the present invention may be in a form in which the oil-soluble component is diluted with water or alcohol. In this case, the content of the medium-chain fatty acid-containing oil in the noodle loosening agent is preferably 0.5 to 5 mass%, and more preferably 1 to 3 mass%.

[0018] In the noodle loosening agent of the present invention, from the viewpoint of further improving the loosening ability, the mass ratio of the emulsifier to the oil (emulsifier content [mass] ÷ oil content [mass]) is preferably 0.2 or more, more preferably 0.5 or more, and even more preferably 1 or more. In the noodle loosening agent of the present invention, from the viewpoint of further improving the loosening ability, the mass ratio of the emulsifier to the oil (emulsifier content [mass] ÷ oil content [mass]) is preferably 5 or less, more preferably 3 or less, even more preferably 2 or less, particularly preferably 1.5 or less, and most preferably 1.2 or less.

[0019] In the noodle loosening agent of the present invention, the mass ratio of the soy protein material to the oils and fats (soy protein material content [mass] ÷ oil and fat content [mass]) is preferably 0.1 or more, more preferably 0.2 or more, and even more preferably 0.5 or more, from the viewpoint of further improving the loosening ability. In the noodle loosening agent of the present invention, the mass ratio of the soy protein material to the oils and fats (soy protein material content [mass] ÷ oil and fat content [mass]) is preferably 20 or less, more preferably 15 or less, even more preferably 10 or less, especially preferably 1.2 or less, and particularly preferably 1 or less, from the viewpoint of further improving the loosening ability.

[0020] <Emulsifier> The noodle loosening agent of the present invention contains an emulsifier. From the viewpoints of solubility in fats and oils and dispersibility in water, the emulsifier preferably has an HLB of 3 to 10, more preferably an HLB of 5 to 8, and even more preferably an HLB of 7 to 8.

[0021] In addition, HLB is an abbreviation for Hydrophile Lipophile Balance, and is an index for knowing whether an emulsifier is hydrophilic or lipophilic, and takes a value of 0 to 20. The smaller the HLB value, the stronger the lipophilicity. In the present invention, the HLB value is calculated using the Atlas method. The Atlas method is as follows: HLB = 20 × (1-S / A) S: Saponification value A: Neutralization value of fatty acid in ester This describes the method for calculating the HLB value.

[0022] As the emulsifier, fatty acid esters can be preferably used, and fatty acid glycerin monofatty acid esters, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid esters, organic acid monoglycerides, sorbitan fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, polysorbates, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, lecithin, etc. These emulsifiers can be used alone or in combination of two or more. In particular, monoglycerol fatty acid esters and / or polyglycerol fatty acid esters can be preferably used.

[0023] When a fatty acid ester is used as an emulsifier in the noodle loosening agent of the present invention, since the noodle loosening agent is easily liquidized, it is preferable that 50% by mass or more of the constituent fatty acids are unsaturated fatty acids having 16 to 22 carbon atoms. More preferable unsaturated fatty acids are oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, and erucic acid. From the viewpoint of oxidation stability, oleic acid and erucic acid are more preferable.

[0024] When a polyglycerol fatty acid ester is used as an emulsifier in the noodle loosening agent of the present invention, the degree of polymerization of the polyglycerol portion is not particularly limited. The polyglycerol portion of the polyglycerol fatty acid ester preferably has a degree of polymerization of 2 to 12, more preferably a degree of polymerization of 2 to 6, and even more preferably a degree of polymerization of 2. Polyglycerol is produced by polymerization of glycerol, and is obtained as a mixture having various degrees of polymerization. In the present application, the polyglycerol fatty acid ester may be one that has been made highly pure by molecular distillation or the like, but since it is generally difficult to isolate polyglycerol with a degree of polymerization of 4 or more, a mixture of polyglycerol fatty acid esters having various degrees of polymerization is permitted. Therefore, in the present invention, the degree of polymerization is the average degree of polymerization.

[0025] In the noodle loosening agent of the present invention, the content of emulsifier per 100 parts by mass of the oil-soluble components of the noodle loosening agent is, from the viewpoint of further improving the loosening properties, preferably 5 parts by mass or more, more preferably 10 parts by mass or more, even more preferably 30 parts by mass or more, and most preferably 50 parts by mass or more. In the noodle loosening agent of the present invention, the content of emulsifier per 100 parts by mass of the oil-soluble components of the noodle loosening agent is, from the viewpoint of further improving the loosening properties, preferably 90 parts by mass or less, more preferably 80 parts by mass or less, even more preferably 70 parts by mass or less, especially preferably 60 parts by mass or less, and particularly preferably 55 parts by mass or less.

[0026] As described above, the noodle loosening agent of the present invention may be in a form in which the oil-soluble component is diluted with water or alcohol. In this case, the content of the emulsifier in the noodle loosening agent is preferably 1 to 5 mass%, and more preferably 1.5 to 3 mass%.

[0027] <Soybean protein material> The noodle loosening agent of the present invention contains a soy protein ingredient. The soy protein ingredient is obtained from soybeans and contains soy protein. Specifically, it is defatted soybeans, isolated soy protein, concentrated soy protein, extracted soy protein, soy flour, etc. These soy protein ingredients can be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds. The defatted soybeans, isolated soybean protein, concentrated soybean protein, extracted soybean protein, and soybean flour may be commercially available products. Commercially available defatted soybeans include "Soya Flower A" sold by Nisshin Oillio Group Co., Ltd. Commercially available isolated soybean protein products include "Solpy 4000H" and "Solpy 6000H" sold by Nisshin Oillio Group Co., Ltd. Commercially available concentrated soybean protein products include "Arcon F" sold by ADM Co., Ltd. Commercially available soybean flour products include "Alpha Plus HS-600" and "Soya Flower NSA" sold by Nisshin Oillio Group Co., Ltd. As the soy protein ingredient, it is preferable to use isolated soy protein. Isolated soy protein can be produced by extracting defatted soybeans with water under neutral to weak alkaline conditions, separating the soybean lees, adjusting the resulting extract to an acidic state near the isoelectric point of the soy protein to cause a precipitate to form, thereby separating the whey component, dissolving the precipitate, neutralizing it, and then drying it.

[0028] From the viewpoint of further improving the loosening properties, the content of soy protein material per 100 parts by mass of the oil-soluble components of the noodle loosening agent of the present invention is preferably 5 parts by mass or more, more preferably 10 parts by mass or more, even more preferably 15 parts by mass or more, and particularly preferably 20 parts by mass or more. Also, from the viewpoint of further improving the loosening properties, the content of soy protein material per 100 parts by mass of the oil-soluble components of the noodle loosening agent of the present invention is preferably 500 parts by mass or less, more preferably 400 parts by mass or less, even more preferably 350 parts by mass or less, especially preferably 80 parts by mass or less, particularly preferably 40 parts by mass or less, and most preferably 30 parts by mass or less.

[0029] As described above, the noodle loosening agent of the present invention may be in a form in which the oil-soluble component is diluted with water or alcohol. In this case, the content of the soy protein ingredient in the noodle loosening agent is preferably 0.5 to 20 mass%, and more preferably 1 to 15 mass%.

[0030] <Water-soluble components> When the amount of the noodle loosening agent of the present invention to be added to noodles is small, the oil and fat, emulsifier, and soy protein ingredient can be diluted with water or an alcohol such as ethanol in order to coat the noodles evenly. When diluted with water or alcohol, the total content of the oil and fat, emulsifier, and soy protein ingredient in the noodle loosening agent can be, for example, 0.1 to 80% by mass, preferably 1 to 50% by mass, more preferably 3 to 30% by mass, and even more preferably 5 to 20% by mass.

[0031] <Other ingredients> In addition to the above-mentioned components, the noodle loosening agent of the present invention can use raw materials that are generally blended into noodle loosening agents. Specifically, for example, pH adjusters, seasonings, colorants, flavorings, antioxidants, sugars such as dextrin, sugar alcohols, stabilizers, emulsifiers, etc. can be used. The amount of these components can be any amount as long as it does not impair the effects of the present invention, but for example, the noodle loosening agent can contain 20% by mass or less, preferably 0 to 10% by mass, and more preferably 0 to 5% by mass.

[0032] <Uses of noodle loosening agent> The noodle loosening agent of the present invention can be used by coating noodles that are eaten as is, such as soba, udon, Chinese noodles, and pasta. It can also be used by coating noodles that are heated in a microwave oven or boiled before eating. It can be particularly suitable for use with noodles that are eaten with "tsuyu" (dipping sauce). There are no particular limitations on the coating method, but examples include applying the noodle loosening agent to the noodles using a spray or immersing the noodles in the noodle loosening agent.

[0033] The present invention also relates to noodles containing the above-mentioned noodle loosening agent. The noodles of the present invention can be produced by coating noodles with the noodle loosening agent as described above. EXAMPLES

[0034] The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to examples and comparative examples, but the present invention is not limited to these in any way.

[0035] <Ingredients used> Soy protein isolate: "Solpy 6000H", manufactured by Nisshin Oillio Group, Ltd. Polyglycerol fatty acid ester: "Poem DO-100V" (diglycerol monooleate) HLB7.3, manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd. Monoglycerol fatty acid ester: "Emulgy MU" (monoglycerol linoleic acid ester), HLB 4.2, manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd. Palm oil: "Refined palm", manufactured by Nisshin Oillio Group, Ltd. Dextrin: "TK-16", manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. Medium-chain triglyceride: "Nissin MCT Oil", a triglyceride consisting of medium-chain fatty acids with 8 and 10 carbon atoms, manufactured by Nisshin Oillio Group Co., Ltd.

[0036] <Production procedure and measurement method> The above-mentioned ingredients were mixed and then diluted with water to obtain the noodle loosening agents of Comparative Examples 1 to 3 and Examples 1 to 4. The composition of each noodle loosening agent is as shown in Table 1. The commercially available frozen soba noodles "Top Value Soba with Bonito Stock Sauce" were boiled according to the instructions, and after boiling, they were cooled in cold water (15°C or less) and the water was drained. After draining, the noodle loosening agents of Comparative Examples 1 to 3 and Examples 1 to 4 were added at 2% of the boiled noodle weight, and 60 g were served in a container. Then, they were stored in a refrigerator (10°C or less) for 24 hours.

[0037] A fork-shaped jig was attached to the Texture Analyzer and placed in the container with the noodles still in it. The jig was lowered as close as possible to the noodles, and about 10 noodles were hooked onto it. The weight (tensile strength) applied when the noodles were pulled up 70 mm was continuously measured and the maximum value was recorded. It was determined that the worse the noodles were, the greater the weight applied, and the pulling weight was used as an index of the degree of loosening to evaluate. The measurement results and evaluation are shown in Table 1.

[0038] [Table 1]

[0039] As shown in Table 1, good loosening properties were not obtained with the noodle loosening agents of Comparative Examples 1 to 3. On the other hand, excellent loosening properties were exhibited when the noodle loosening agents of Examples 1 to 4 were used. This result shows that by combining and blending an emulsifier, a soy protein ingredient, and a medium-chain fatty acid-containing oil or fat, it is possible to provide a noodle loosening agent that exhibits excellent loosening properties. [Industrial Applicability]

[0040] The noodle loosening agent of the present invention can be used to improve the loosening properties of noodles.

Claims

1. A noodle loosening agent containing an oil, an emulsifier, and a soy protein material, The noodle loosening agent comprises a triglyceride in which 35 to 100 mass % of the constituent fatty acids are medium-chain fatty acids having 6 to 10 carbon atoms.

2. The noodle loosening agent according to claim 1 , wherein the soy protein ingredient is isolated soy protein.

3. The noodle loosening agent according to claim 1, wherein the emulsifier has an HLB of 3 to 10.

4. The noodle loosening agent according to claim 1, wherein a mass ratio of the emulsifier to the fat (emulsifier content [mass] ÷ fat content [mass]) is 0.2 to 5, and a mass ratio of the soy protein ingredient to the fat (soy protein ingredient content [mass] ÷ fat content [mass]) is 0.1 to 20.

5. The noodle loosening agent according to claim 1, wherein the emulsifier is a monoglycerol fatty acid ester and / or a polyglycerol fatty acid ester in which 50% by mass or more of the constituent fatty acids are unsaturated fatty acids having 16 to 22 carbon atoms.

6. Noodles comprising the noodle loosening agent according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A method for producing noodles, comprising a step of adhering and / or soaking noodles in the noodle loosening agent according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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