Fibrous cheese

Abstract

To provide fibrous cheese having higher chewability than conventional fibrous cheese, and relatively retaining chewability even in continuous chewing.SOLUTION: Fibrous cheese has a ratio of an average value of impulse at each chewing from 25-th to 29-th chewing to an average value of impulse at each chewing from first to fifth chewing of greater than 0.39 when being subjected to pseudo chewing with a physical property evaluation device (oral maps (R)) by adding pseudo saliva of 1 mL to 3 g. The fibrous cheese has an average value of impulse at each chewing from first to third chewing of preferably 40 N s or more.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to fibrous cheese and a method for making the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Various proposals have been made on fibrous cheese (see, for example, JP 2017-086025 A and JP 3-67542 A). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-086025 A [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 3-67542 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Meanwhile, conventional fibrous cheeses are often relatively soft and easy to chew so that they can be eaten by a wide range of ages, from infants to the elderly. Fibrous cheeses with such characteristics are difficult to feel chewy when chewed (the small change in the force that the food receives when chewing the fibrous cheese to form a food bolus), or the fibrous cheese often becomes soft after several chews, making it difficult to feel chewy. For this reason, there is an opinion that such fibrous cheeses are not satisfying when chewed by consumers who want a chewy texture.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a fibrous cheese which is chewier than conventional fibrous cheeses and which relatively maintains its chewiness even when chewed continuously, and a method for producing the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] As a result of intensive research, the present inventors found that the problem can be solved by a fibrous cheese in which, when 1 mL of artificial saliva is added to 3 g of fibrous cheese and an artificial bolus is formed using a food property evaluation device capable of simulating and evaluating the process of food bolus formation by mastication, the ratio of the average impulse during each of the 25th to 29th mastications to the average impulse during each of the 1st to 5th mastications exceeds 0.39, and thus the present invention was completed. In the present invention, the fibrous cheese is a cheese obtained by forming cheese curd into a rod or plate shape by applying a certain stretch through a process such as heating, and then cooling and solidifying the cheese, which can be torn into thin threads in a certain direction when torn by hand. In the market, such a fibrous cheese is called string cheese, etc.

[0007] That is, the present invention is as follows. (1) A fibrous cheese in which, when 1 mL of simulated saliva is added to 3 g of the cheese and the cheese is subjected to simulated chewing using a food physical property evaluation device, the ratio of the average impulse during the 25th to 29th chews to the average impulse during the 1st to 5th chews is greater than 0.39.

[0008] (2) The fibrous cheese according to (1), wherein the average impulse during each of the first to third chewings is 40 N·s or more.

[0009] (3) A fibrous cheese according to (1) or (2), which contains edible starch.

[0010] (4) The fibrous cheese according to (3), wherein the edible starch comprises at least one type of modified starch.

[0011] (5) The fibrous cheese according to (3) or (4), wherein the total content of edible starch is 9.0% by mass or less.

[0012] (6) The fibrous cheese according to any one of (1) to (5), having a moisture content in the range of 41% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less.

[0013] (7) A fibrous cheese according to any one of (1) to (6), which is a natural cheese or a processed cheese.

[0014] (8) A fibrous cheese according to any one of (1) to (7) above, which is for eating directly.

[0015] (9) The fibrous cheese according to any one of (1) to (8), which is packaged by any one of a vacuum packaging method, a gas replacement packaging method, and a packaging method including an oxygen scavenger.

[0016] (10) The method for producing fibrous cheese includes a cheese curd preparation step of preparing cheese curd, a moisture content adjusting step of adjusting the moisture content of the cheese curd to obtain a moisture content adjusted cheese curd, and an edible starch adding step of adding edible starch to the moisture content adjusted cheese curd to obtain an edible starch added cheese curd, wherein the moisture content of the moisture content adjusted cheese curd is within the range of 41% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less, and the total edible starch content of the edible starch added cheese curd is 11.0% by mass or less.

[0017] (11) The method for producing a fibrous cheese according to (10), wherein the total edible starch content of the cheese curd containing added edible starch is 9.0% by mass or less.

[0018] (12) The method for producing a fibrous cheese according to (10) or (11), wherein the total edible starch content of the cheese curd to which edible starch has been added is 6.0% by mass or more. Effect of the Invention

[0019] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a fibrous cheese which is chewier than conventional cheeses and which maintains its chewiness relatively even during chewing, and a method for producing the same. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a food property evaluation device used in evaluating a bolus of fibrous cheese according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a schematic diagram showing directions in which an upper jig and a lower jig can operate in the food physical property evaluation device shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the initial operation of an upper jig and a lower jig of the food physical property evaluation apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a schematic diagram showing the next operation of the operation shown in FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] 5 is a schematic diagram showing the next operation of the operation shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 6 is a schematic diagram showing the next operation of the operation shown in FIG. 5. FIG. [Figure 7] This is a graph showing the five-term moving average (%) of the number of chews-relative impulse obtained when a pseudo food bolus evaluation was performed using a food property evaluation device. The horizontal axis is the number of chews (times), and the vertical axis is the average value (%) of the relative impulse. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] <Method of manufacturing fibrous cheese> The fibrous cheese according to the embodiment of the present invention is a natural cheese or a processed cheese for immediate consumption, and is produced, for example, through a cheese curd preparation step, a freezing step, a pH adjustment step, a primary kneading step, a moisture content adjustment step, a heat kneading step (secondary kneading step), an edible starch addition step, a molding step, and a cooling step. These steps are described in detail below.

[0022] (1) Cheese curd preparation process In the cheese curd preparation process, lactic acid bacteria and enzymes are added to raw milk to curdle the raw milk, and then the raw milk is cut and the whey is drained to prepare cheese curd. The cheese curd may be subjected to the next pH adjustment process as it is, or may be frozen through the freezing process described below and then subjected to the pH adjustment process in a frozen or thawed state. Alternatively, commercially available cheese curd may be prepared and the moisture content, etc. may be adjusted. Alternatively, a mixture of unfrozen cheese curd and frozen cheese curd may be subjected to the pH adjustment process.

[0023] (2) Freezing process The freezing step refers to a step of cooling the cheese curd obtained in the cheese curd preparation step to -4°C or lower. At this time, it is preferable to rapidly cool the cheese curd to the center in a short time in the ice crystal growth temperature range (-7°C to 0°C), as this is less likely to damage the cheese structure and less likely to oxidize the cheese structure. In this case, for example, freezing may be performed by blowing cold air at -30°C or lower, or by using a refrigerant such as liquid nitrogen. In this way, frozen cheese curd is obtained.

[0024] (3) pH adjustment process In the pH adjustment step, an organic acid (e.g., lactic acid, etc.) is added to the cheese curd obtained in the cheese curd preparation step or the frozen cheese curd obtained in the freezing step in an amount necessary to set the pH of the cheese curd within the range of 5.0 to 5.6, thereby adjusting the pH of the cheese curd to within the range of 5.0 to 5.6. In order to maintain the emulsion stability of the kneaded cheese curd in the subsequent heating and kneading step (secondary kneading step) and to facilitate stretching of the cheese curd during extrusion molding, etc., the pH of the cheese curd is preferably within the range of 5.1 to less than 5.6, and more preferably within the range of 5.1 to 5.5. Furthermore, in order to obtain good fibrous cheese, the pH of the cheese curd is preferably within the range of 5.2 to 5.5.

[0025] In the cheese curd thus pH adjusted, the protein content is preferably in the range of 17% to 37% by mass, more preferably in the range of 18% to 36% by mass, even more preferably in the range of 19% to 35% by mass, and particularly preferably in the range of 20% to 34% by mass. In the cheese curd, the fat content is preferably in the range of 18% to 26% by mass, more preferably in the range of 18% to 23% by mass, even more preferably in the range of 18% to 22% by mass, and particularly preferably in the range of 19% to 21% by mass. In the cheese curd, the moisture content is preferably in the range of 40% to 50% by mass, more preferably in the range of 41% to 46% by mass, even more preferably in the range of 42% to 45% by mass, and particularly preferably in the range of 43% to 45% by mass.

[0026] (4) Primary mixing process After the pH adjustment, additives are added to the cheese curd as necessary, and the raw materials are then kneaded. Such a primary kneading process is preferably carried out by, for example, a ribbon screw or a paddle mixer.

[0027] Meanwhile, examples of the additives include water, salt, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins, minerals, organic acids, organic bases, fruit juice, flavors, functional ingredients, food additives, cheese enzyme-treated products, and other ingredients that can be contained in normal foods. Here, examples of carbohydrates include dextrin, soluble starch, oxidized starch, starch esters, starch ethers, and dietary fibers. Examples of lipids include animal fats and oils such as lard, fish oil, and their fractionated oils, hydrogenated oils, and interesterified oils; vegetable oils such as palm oil, safflower oil, corn oil, rapeseed oil, coconut oil, and their fractionated oils, hydrogenated oils, and interesterified oils; and phospholipids. Examples of vitamins include vitamin A, carotenes, vitamin B group, vitamin C, vitamin D group, vitamin E, vitamin K group, vitamin P, vitamin Q, niacin, nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid, biotin, inositol, choline, and folic acid. Examples of minerals include calcium, potassium, magnesium, copper, iron, manganese, zinc, and selenium. Examples of organic acids include malic acid, citric acid, lactic acid, and tartaric acid. Examples of flavors include spices, herbs, seasonings (excluding salt), and liquid smoke. Examples of functional ingredients include oligosaccharides, glucosamine, collagen, ceramide, royal jelly, polyphenols, fatty acid amides, lactic acid bacteria, bifidobacteria, peptides, whey, milk protein concentrates (MPC), whey protein concentrates (WPC, WPI), and amino acids. Examples of food additives include emulsifiers, molten salts, stabilizers, thickeners, gelling agents, sweeteners, acidulants, preservatives, antioxidants, pH adjusters, colorants, and flavors. These ingredients may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Furthermore, the above-mentioned ingredients may be natural products, processed natural products, synthetic products, and / or foods rich in these.

[0028] In the embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable to select as the additive salt, enzyme-treated cheese, amino acid seasoning, etc. from the viewpoint of improving flavor and fiber content.

[0029] (5) Moisture content adjustment process In the moisture content adjustment step, a steam cooker is used to heat the cheese curd after the primary kneading (hereinafter, may be referred to as the "primary kneaded product") with steam at 50°C or higher. This makes it possible to adjust the moisture content of the primary kneaded product.

[0030] (6) Edible starch addition process In the edible starch addition step, modified starch is added to the primary kneaded product after the moisture content adjustment. The above-mentioned edible starch preferably contains at least one type of modified starch. In the embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable to select hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch, acid-treated starch, etc. as the modified starch. The total amount added is preferably in the range of more than 0% by mass and not more than 11% by mass, more preferably in the range of 0.1% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less, and particularly preferably in the range of 6% by mass or more and 9% by mass or less, based on the mass (100% by mass) of the fibrous cheese. When edible starch is added to the primary kneaded product after adjusting the moisture content, it is preferable, from the viewpoint of maintaining the chewiness of the fibrous cheese, to add the edible starch by dispersing or dissolving it in the cloudy liquid (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "milky water") containing components such as fat, protein, and moisture that is generated from the cheese curd when the cheese curd is heated at 50°C or higher and 75°C or lower in the (7) heating and kneading step (secondary kneading step) described below.

[0031] (7) Heat-kneading process (secondary kneading process) In the heating and kneading step, additives are added to the cheese curd as necessary, and the raw materials are then heated and kneaded. It is preferable that such a heating and kneading process is carried out by, for example, a hot water heating kneading device or a steam heating kneading device, but it is more preferable that the kneaded product is further subjected to Joule heating or microwave heating, etc., and then additionally kneaded by a kneading device (such as a twin screw or a stretcher), or that the kneaded product is further heated and kneaded by a kneading device with a heating function (such as a twin screw or a stretcher). In the heating and kneading process, the heating temperature in the hot water heating kneading device or the steam heating kneading device needs to be 75°C or lower. In addition, the heating temperature during the subsequent secondary heating is preferably in the range of 50°C to 75°C, more preferably in the range of 65°C to 75°C.

[0032] In addition, as one embodiment of the present invention, in the case of a fibrous cheese that does not contain edible starch, it is preferable to discharge some or all of the milky water produced from the cheese curd during the heating and kneading step in a hot water heating and kneading apparatus, a steam heating and kneading apparatus, or the like, without taking in the water, because this makes it easier to maintain the chewy texture of the fibrous cheese.

[0033] Furthermore, the fibrous cheese according to the embodiment of the present invention may be natural cheese or processed cheese, but natural cheese is preferred from the viewpoint of reducing unpleasant flavors and additives.

[0034] The process cheeses according to the embodiment of the present invention refer to processed cheese, cheese food, foods made mainly from milk, etc. When producing processed cheese and cheese food, it is necessary to add an emulsifier such as a molten salt to the cheese curd and mix it. As the molten salt, molten salts used in normal process cheese production, such as phosphate, citrate, and tartrate, can be used. The type of the molten salt compound is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include sodium phosphate, disodium phosphate, trisodium phosphate, sodium pyrophosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium tetrametaphosphate, potassium phosphate, dipotassium phosphate, tripotassium phosphate, trisodium citrate, sodium tartrate, and calcium tartrate, and these can be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

[0035] In the embodiment of the present invention, an emulsifier may be added as an additive. Examples of the emulsifier include glycerin fatty acid ester, lecithin, sucrose fatty acid ester, sorbitan fatty acid ester, propylene glycol fatty acid ester, and polysorbate. Polyglycerin fatty acid ester, enzyme-treated lecithin, and polysorbate are preferred because they prevent separation of oil and emulsion from the cheese curd during heating and kneading.

[0036] (8) Molding process In this molding process, the heated and kneaded product (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "secondary kneaded product") obtained in the heated and kneaded process (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "secondary kneaded product") is extruded from a tube, or a stretching force is applied to the heated and kneaded product, thereby obtaining fibrous cheese. It is preferable to use an extrusion molding device in this molding process. In this molding process, by appropriately utilizing conventional technology and stretching the heated and kneaded product with an appropriate force, fibrous cheese with good tearability is obtained.

[0037] (9) Cooling process In the cooling step, the fibrous cheese after the molding step is cooled to 40°C or less. This enhances the tearability of the fibrous cheese. In this step, liquefied gas, water, saline, etc. can be used as the cooling solvent. Methods for cooling the fibrous cheese using this cooling solvent include a method of spraying the cooling refrigerant onto the fibrous cheese, a method of immersing the fibrous cheese in the cooling refrigerant, and a method of blowing the cooling refrigerant onto the fibrous cheese in a cooling facility. These methods may be carried out alone or in combination. The fibrous cheese cooled in this step is cut and packaged. The tearability of the fibrous cheese is maintained by cooling the fibrous cheese. The fibrous cheese may be cut and frozen after cooling. The fibrous cheese after cooling may be frozen, thawed, cut, and packaged.

[0038] Methods for packaging the fibrous cheese according to the embodiment of the present invention include, for example, vacuum packaging, gas replacement packaging, inclusion of an oxygen scavenger, packaging with an oxygen scavenging packaging material, etc. In vacuum packaging, packaging is performed so that the internal pressure is within a range of 3 kPa to 15 kPa. In gas replacement packaging, the inside of the packaging material containing the fibrous cheese may be replaced with an inert gas. By individually packaging the fibrous cheese by any of the above methods, the growth of microorganisms such as mold can be further suppressed until just before eating.

[0039] <Fibrous cheese> In the fibrous cheese obtained as described above, the moisture content is preferably in the range of 38% by mass to 52% by mass, more preferably in the range of 39% by mass to 50% by mass, even more preferably in the range of 40% by mass to 47% by mass, and particularly preferably in the range of 41% by mass to 45% by mass. This is because lowering the moisture content increases the hardness of the fibrous cheese when first biting. In addition, by setting the moisture content within the above range, the fibrousness is improved. The protein content is preferably in the range of 18% by mass to 36% by mass, more preferably in the range of 19% by mass to 35% by mass, even more preferably in the range of 20% by mass to 35% by mass, and particularly preferably in the range of 20% by mass to 34% by mass. This is because the chewiness of the fibrous cheese increases as the protein content of the fibrous cheese increases. In addition, by setting the protein content within the above range, the chewiness of the fibrous cheese improves. The fat content is preferably in the range of 18% to 25% by weight, more preferably in the range of 18% to 24% by weight, even more preferably in the range of 19% to 23% by weight, and particularly preferably in the range of 19% to 21% by weight. By keeping the fat content within the above ranges, the chewiness of the fibrous cheese is improved.

[0040] Furthermore, in the fibrous cheese obtained as described above, the total edible starch content is preferably in the range of more than 0% by mass and not more than 11% by mass, more preferably in the range of 0.1% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less, even more preferably in the range of 1% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less, and particularly preferably in the range of 6% by mass or more and 9% by mass or less.

[0041] Furthermore, when 1 mL of artificial saliva is added per 3 g of the fibrous cheese obtained as described above, the cheese is placed in a food property evaluation device, and the cheese is chewed while supplying artificial saliva to the food property evaluation device at an addition rate of 2 mL / min., the ratio of the average value of the impulse during each of the 25th to 29th chews to the average value of the impulse during each of the 1st to 5th chews is in the range of more than 0.39 and not exceeding 0.65, preferably in the range of 0.40 to 0.65, more preferably in the range of 0.50 to 0.65, even more preferably in the range of 0.55 to 0.64, and particularly preferably in the range of 0.62 to 0.63. The average value of the impulse during each of the first to third chewings is preferably 40 N·s or more, more preferably 42 N·s or more, even more preferably 44 N·s or more, even more preferably 46 N·s or more, and particularly preferably 47 N·s or more. There is no particular upper limit to the average impulse, but if an upper limit is to be imposed, it is preferably 100 N·s or less, more preferably 80 N·s or less, and particularly preferably 70 N·s or less from the viewpoints of ease of eating and tearing.

[0042] The food property evaluation device and artificial saliva described above will be described in detail below. <Food property evaluation device and artificial saliva> 1, the food property evaluation device 1 includes an upper jig 10, a lower jig 20, a sensor 12, a driving unit 30, a measurement control unit 40, and an artificial saliva supplying unit 50. These components will be described in detail below.

[0043] An upper mating portion 11 is formed at the lower end portion of the upper jig 10 as shown in Fig. 1. The upper mating portion 11 has a semispherical convex portion. The upper jig 10 is made of ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer) resin.

[0044] A lower interlocking portion 21 is formed at the upper end of the lower jig 20. The lower interlocking portion 21 is a semispherical recess having approximately the same diameter as the upper interlocking portion 11, and is provided to face the upper interlocking portion 11 along the vertical direction as shown in FIG. 1. That is, the lower interlocking portion 21 interlocks with the upper interlocking portion 11. The lower jig 20 is formed of ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer) resin, similar to the upper jig 10. In addition, a cylindrical protective portion 22 is disposed on the outer periphery of the lower jig 20 as shown in FIG. 1. The protective portion 22 prevents the fibrous cheese from jumping out of the space between the upper interlocking portion 11 and the lower interlocking portion 21.

[0045] The movements of the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20 are restricted so that the upper mating portion 11 and the lower mating portion 21 do not come into contact with each other even when they are closest to each other. In addition, the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20 are restricted so that a force exceeding a set mating force is not applied when the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20 are mated with each other.

[0046] The sensor 12 is a six-axis sensor that is incorporated into the upper end portion of the upper jig 10 and measures a physical quantity applied to the upper jig 10 (such as a force or torque applied to the upper jig 10).

[0047] 2, the driving unit 30 can drive the lower jig 20 in the up-down direction so that the lower jig 20 performs a reciprocating linear motion LR in a direction in which the lower jig 20 engages with the upper jig 10 and in a direction in which the lower jig 20 moves away from the upper jig 10. In addition, the driving unit 30 can drive the upper jig 10 so that the upper jig 10 performs a reciprocating rotational motion RR with the direction of the reciprocating linear motion LR of the lower jig 20 as the rotation axis AX, as shown in FIG.

[0048] The measurement control unit 40 controls the reciprocating linear motion LR of the lower jig 20 and the reciprocating rotational motion RR of the upper jig 10 by the drive unit 30. The measurement control unit 40 also measures the physical quantity applied to the upper jig 10 from the output of the sensor 12. The measurement control unit 40 can obtain impulse data by integrating the force data measured by the sensor 12 over time.

[0049] The artificial saliva supplying part 50 supplies artificial saliva at a constant flow rate to the lower occlusal part 21. A supply tube 51 extends from the artificial saliva supplying part 50, and the supply tube 51 penetrates the protective part 22 and extends to the upper end part of the lower occlusal part 21. The artificial saliva is an aqueous solution of 0.02% xanthan gum. This artificial saliva does not contain other components such as a buffering agent or amylase.

[0050] Incidentally, in this food property evaluation apparatus 1, a hot air device (not shown) is installed beside the food property evaluation apparatus 1 in order to keep the temperatures of the upper engagement part 11, the lower engagement part 21 and the space between them constant.

[0051] The method for evaluating the simulated chewing characteristics of fibrous cheese using the above-mentioned food property evaluation device and simulated saliva will be described in detail below. <Method for evaluating simulated chewing characteristics> First, the fibrous cheese FA to be evaluated is placed on the lower bite portion 21 of the food property evaluation device 1, and 1 mL of artificial saliva is poured (see FIG. 3). Next, the drive unit 30 raises the lower jig 20 in the first linear motion direction LR1, and the lower bite portion 21 of the lower jig 20 is brought into bite with the upper bite portion 11 of the upper jig 10 (see FIG. 3).

[0052] Next, the lower bite portion 21 of the lower jig 20 bites into the upper bite portion 11 of the upper jig 10, whereby the fibrous cheese is crushed by the lower bite portion 21 and the upper bite portion 11 (see FIG. 4). In this state, the upper jig 10 is rotated in the first rotational motion direction RR1, whereby the upper bite portion 11 of the upper jig 10 is moved in contact with the fibrous cheese (see FIG. 4). The upper jig 10 and the lower jig 21 have surfaces that are sufficiently larger than the contact area with the fibrous cheese FA to be evaluated (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

[0053] Next, the drive unit 30 stops the rotation of the upper jig 10 in the first rotational motion direction RR1 and lowers the lower jig 20 in the second linear motion direction LR2, disengaging the lower engaging portion 21 of the lower jig 20 from the upper engaging portion 11 of the upper jig 10 (see Figure 5).

[0054] Next, the driving unit 30 raises the lower jig 20 in the first linear motion direction LR1, and causes the lower mating portion 21 of the lower jig 20 to matingly engage with the upper mating portion 11 of the upper jig 10. Then, in this state, the driving unit 30 rotates the upper jig 10 in the second rotational motion direction RR2, thereby sliding the upper mating portion 11 of the upper jig 10 while bringing it into contact with the fibrous cheese (see FIG. 6).

[0055] Thereafter, the above-mentioned operation, i.e., the operation shown in Fig. 3 to Fig. 6, is repeated. During this time, the artificial saliva continues to be supplied onto the lower occlusal portion 21 from the artificial saliva supplying portion 50 at a rate of 2 mL / min. Among the above-mentioned operations, the process in which the lower jig 20 rises from the lowest position to occlude with the upper jig 10, and then descends again to return to the lowest position is sometimes referred to as one compression or mastication.

[0056] In this manner, the lower jig 20 is caused to perform a reciprocating linear motion LR, and at the same time, a physical quantity is measured from the output of the sensor 12, and the physical properties of the fibrous cheese are evaluated from the obtained measurement values.

[0057] In addition, in this food property evaluation device 1, it is possible to set items such as bite force (maximum force applied to fibrous cheese during mastication), simulated mastication speed (number of bites per unit time: bite speed), simulated initial saliva, flow rate of added simulated saliva, number of mastications (number of bites), temperature, etc. In addition, when the fibrous cheese according to the embodiment of the present invention is evaluated, the above parameters are set as follows. ·Bite force: 200N ·Pseudo mastication speed: 1 time / sec ·Pseudo initial saliva: 1mL ·Simulated saliva addition flow rate: 2mL / min

[0058] This food property evaluation device 1 (food property evaluation device) allows visual confirmation of the appearance of the food bolus during and after a predetermined number of chewings. Also, the measurement control unit 40 can obtain impulse data by integrating the measured force data over time or the number of chewings.

[0059] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples and comparative examples, although the present invention is not limited to these examples. EXAMPLES

[0060] 1. Preparation of fibrous cheese Raw milk was curdled by adding lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus lactis, Lactobacillus thermophilus) and enzymes (rennet), and then the curdled raw milk was cut and the whey was drained to produce cheese curds. The moisture content of this cheese curd was 45% by mass, the fat content was 21% by mass, and the protein content was 20% by mass. (The moisture content was measured according to the "normal pressure heat drying method with addition of drying aids" (P2-P3) described in "Chapter 1 General components and related components" of the Analysis Manual for the 2015 Edition (7th Edition) of the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. The protein content was measured according to the "macro-modified Kjeldahl method" (P12-P16) described in the same chapter. The fat content was measured according to the "acid-ammonia decomposition method" (P24-P25) described in the same chapter.) Next, 3200g of this cheese curd and 15mL of the lactic acid aqueous solution were put into the raw material input chamber of a twin-shaft kneader (Model PN-5, manufactured by Irie Shokai Co., Ltd.), and then the raw materials were mixed while cooling the raw material input chamber by circulating chilled water at 2°C through the jacket of the raw material input chamber to obtain a pH-adjusted cheese curd. Furthermore, 20g of salt and 40g of cheese enzyme-treated product were put into the raw material input chamber, and the materials were kneaded so as to be uniformly dispersed to obtain a primary kneaded product. The primary kneaded product was put into MicraTherm (manufactured by GoldPeg Co., Ltd.) and heated to 62°C while feeding steam. Next, the primary kneaded product was added with 256g of hydroxypropylated phosphate crosslinked starch as edible starch to the milky water generated in the heating and kneading process. At this time, 90mL of cold water was added to the milky water to which hydroxypropylated phosphate crosslinked starch had been added, and the mixture was dispersed for 3 minutes at a rotation speed of 9000 rpm using a homomixer (manufactured by Primix Co., Ltd.). Next, the primary kneaded product to which the dispersed milky water had been added was fed into the twin-shaft kneader, and the primary kneaded product was kneaded for 30 minutes while being kept at 70° C. to obtain a secondary kneaded product. At this time, the milky water containing the hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch was incorporated into the secondary kneaded product.The secondary kneaded material was then fed into an extrusion molding machine manufactured by Futora Metal Industries Co., Ltd. (SQWS-40EHJ-MGA manufactured by Futora Metal Industries Co., Ltd.), and the secondary kneaded material was extruded from a tube with a diameter of 14 mm by the extrusion molding machine. The extruded material was then immersed in saturated saline solution at 2°C for 1 minute, and when the temperature of the extruded material fell below 35°C, the extruded material was cut into 100 mm pieces and then cooled in a refrigerator at 4°C until the product temperature fell to below 10°C, thereby obtaining the desired fibrous cheese. The moisture content of this fibrous cheese was 45% by mass, the fat content was 21%, the protein content was 20%, the hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch content was 6.0% by mass, and the pH was 5.4 (the moisture content, fat content, and protein content were measured using the same methods as those for measuring the moisture content, fat content, and protein content of the cheese curd described above. The pH was measured by crushing the fibrous cheese for 5 minutes with a homogenizer (Excel Auto Homogenizer, manufactured by Nippon Seiki Co., Ltd.) set at a rotation speed of 10,000 rpm, and then inserting the probe of a pH meter (pHspear, manufactured by Nikko Hansen Co., Ltd.) into the crushed material.).

[0061] 2. Evaluation of physical properties of fibrous cheese bolus A fibrous cheese cut to 3 g was placed on the lower bite portion 21 of the lower jig 20 of the food property evaluation device described above. Next, 1 mL of 0.02% xanthan gum aqueous solution was added to the fibrous cheese as simulated initial saliva, and the bite force, simulated chewing speed, and simulated saliva addition flow rate were set to the same conditions as above, and the number of chews was set to 90. After performing a simulated chewing evaluation of the fibrous cheese, the five-term moving average of the relative impulse (%) against the number of chews was plotted, and the graph shown in Figure 7 was obtained (the relative impulse is a relative value expressed with the impulse obtained in the first chew as 100). The average value of the impulse in the first to third chews (bites) was 48.87 N·s (see Table 1). The average relative impulse in the first to fifth mastications was 70.20%, and the average relative impulse in the 25th to 29th mastications was 45.50% (see Table 2). Here, the ratio of the average relative impulse in the 25th to 29th mastications to the average relative impulse in the 1st to 5th mastications (occlusion) was calculated, and the value was 0.65 (=45.50 / 70.20) (see Table 2). The ratio of the average relative impulse in the 25th to 29th mastications to the average relative impulse in the 1st to 5th mastications at the start of mastication was calculated, and the change in the force applied to the food during mastication was confirmed. This allowed the mastication of fibrous cheese to be evaluated for the change in the force applied to the food when a food bolus was formed.

[0062] (Sensory evaluation) The chewiness of the fibrous cheese obtained above was evaluated according to the following method. The evaluation was carried out by five members of Meiji Co., Ltd. who had experience in cheese-related work (5 years or more of experience).

[0063] (Evaluation method) The fibrous cheese was cut into pieces 10 mm in diameter and 20 mm in length for evaluation, to prepare fibrous cheese for evaluating chewiness (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "evaluation sample"). The evaluation sample was then tasted to evaluate the chewiness of the evaluation sample. The evaluation sample was also evaluated according to the following criteria, and the average score given by five evaluators was used as the score.

[0064] (Evaluation criteria for chewiness) 5: There is almost no change in hardness when chewing, and it is very chewy. 4: There is little change in hardness when chewing and it is satisfying to chew. 3: It has a chewy texture when chewed. 2: It gets softer with each chew and isn't very chewy. 1: Soft and not chewy.

[0065] When the chewiness of the sample was evaluated according to the above-mentioned method, the score was 4.3 (see Table 2). EXAMPLES

[0066] A cheese curd having a moisture content of 45% by mass, a fat content of 19% by mass, and a protein content of 20% by mass was prepared, and the target fibrous cheese was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the amount of hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch added as edible starch was changed to 362 g. The moisture content of this fibrous cheese was 45% by mass, the fat content was 19% by mass, the protein content was 20% by mass, the hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch content was 9.0% by mass, and the pH was 5.5.

[0067] Then, after the simulated mastication evaluation of the fibrous cheese was performed by the method shown in Example 1, the five-term moving average of the relative impulse (%) was plotted against the number of mastications, and the graph shown in FIG. 7 was obtained. The average value of the impulse in the first to third mastications (bites) was 49.19 N·s (see Table 1). The average value of the relative impulse in the first to fifth mastications was 68.10%, and the average value of the relative impulse in the 25th to 29th mastications was 36.20% (see Table 2). Here, the ratio of the average value of the relative impulse in the 25th to 29th mastications to the average value of the relative impulse in the first to fifth mastications (bites) was calculated, and the value was 0.53 (= 36.20 / 68.10) (see Table 2). Furthermore, when the chewiness of the evaluation sample was evaluated according to the method of Example 1, the score was 3.7 (see Table 2). EXAMPLES

[0068] A cheese curd having a moisture content of 45% by mass, a fat content of 19% by mass, and a protein content of 21% by mass was prepared, and the target fibrous cheese was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that 107 g of hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch as edible starch and 256 g of acid-treated starch as modified starch were added. The moisture content of this fibrous cheese was 45% by mass, the fat content was 19% by mass, the protein content was 21% by mass, the hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch content was 3.0% by mass, the acid-treated starch content was 6.0% by mass (i.e., the total edible starch content was 9.0% by mass), and the pH was 5.5.

[0069] Then, after the simulated chewing evaluation of the fibrous cheese was performed by the method shown in Example 1, the five-term moving average of the relative impulse (%) was plotted against the number of chews, and the graph shown in FIG. 7 was obtained. The average value of the impulse in the first to third chews (bites) was 40.39 N·s (see Table 1). The average value of the relative impulse in the first to fifth chews was 68.30%, and the average value of the relative impulse in the 25th to 29th chews was 41.50% (see Table 2). Here, the ratio of the average value of the relative impulse in the 25th to 29th chews to the average value of the relative impulse in the first to fifth chews (bites) was calculated, and the value was 0.61 (= 41.50 / 68.30) (see Table 2). Furthermore, when the chewiness of the evaluation sample was evaluated according to the method of Example 1, the score was 4.0 (see Table 2). EXAMPLES

[0070] In Example 1, the primary kneaded material was put into MicraTherm (manufactured by GoldPeg), and the primary kneaded material was heated at 65°C for 5 minutes using only the temperature-regulating jacket of the MicraTherm to produce cheese curd with a moisture content of 41% by mass, a fat content of 21% by mass, and a protein content of 33% by mass, milky water generated from the cheese curd during the heating and kneading process was discharged without being incorporated into the primary kneaded material, and edible starch was not added to the cheese curd, and the target fibrous cheese was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1. The moisture content of this fibrous cheese was 41% by mass, the fat content was 21% by mass, the protein content was 33% by mass, and the pH was 5.5.

[0071] Then, after the simulated mastication evaluation of the fibrous cheese was performed by the method shown in Example 1, the five-term moving average of the relative impulse (%) was plotted against the number of mastications, and the graph shown in FIG. 7 was obtained. The average value of the impulse in the first to third mastications (bites) was 62.55 N·s (see Table 1). The average value of the relative impulse in the first to fifth mastications was 91.20%, and the average value of the relative impulse in the 25th to 29th mastications was 53.50% (see Table 2). Here, the ratio of the average value of the relative impulse in the 25th to 29th mastications to the average value of the relative impulse in the first to fifth mastications (bites) was calculated, and the value was 0.59 (= 53.50 / 91.20) (see Table 2). Furthermore, when the chewiness of the evaluation sample was evaluated according to the method of Example 1, the score was 4.7 (see Table 2).

[0072] Comparative Example 1 A commercially available fibrous cheese A was purchased as the fibrous cheese. The moisture content of this commercially available fibrous cheese A was 57.3% by mass, the fat content was 23.2% by mass, the protein content was 27.7% by mass, and the pH was 5.4. The commercially available fibrous cheese A did not contain edible starch (hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch, acid-treated starch).

[0073] After the pseudo-chewing evaluation of the fibrous cheese A was performed by the method shown in Example 1, the five-term moving average of the relative impulse (%) was plotted against the number of chews, and the graph shown in FIG. 7 was obtained. The average value of the impulse in the first to third chews (bites) was 46.32 N·s (see Table 1). The average value of the relative impulse in the first to fifth chews was 84.50%, and the average value of the relative impulse in the 25th to 29th chews was 33.10% (see Table 2). Here, the ratio of the average value of the relative impulse in the 25th to 29th chews to the average value of the relative impulse in the first to fifth chews (bites) was calculated, and the value was 0.39 (= 33.10 / 84.50) (see Table 2). Furthermore, when the chewiness of the evaluation sample was evaluated according to the method of Example 1, the score was 2.7 (see Table 2).

[0074] Comparative Example 2 512 g of hydroxypropylated starch phosphate crosslinked was added as edible starch, and then 90 mL of cold water was added. At this time, an attempt was made to disperse the hydroxypropylated starch phosphate crosslinked as edible starch in the milky water at a rotation speed of 9000 rpm using a homomixer (manufactured by Primix), but the mixture formed lumps and could not be uniformly dispersed. In other words, a fibrous cheese with a hydroxypropylated starch phosphate crosslinked content of 12.0% by mass could not be produced. For this reason, it was not possible to perform a chewing evaluation or a sensory evaluation of the fibrous cheese.

[0075] [Table 1]

[0076] [Table 2]

[0077] (summary) The fibrous cheese according to Example 1-4 had a higher average value of the relative impulse in the 25th to 29th chews (bites) than the fibrous cheese according to Comparative Example 1. Also, the fibrous cheese according to Example 1-4 had a higher ratio ([B] / [A]) of the average value of the relative impulse in the 25th to 29th chews to the average value of the relative impulse in the 1st to 5th chews (bites) than the fibrous cheese according to Comparative Example 1. From these results, it can be said that the fibrous cheese according to Example 1-4 has a chewier texture than the fibrous cheese according to Comparative Example 1, and has the property of maintaining the chewy texture even during chewing. [Industrial Applicability]

[0078] The fibrous cheese of the present invention has a chewier texture than conventional cheeses and maintains its chewiness even during chewing. This makes it possible to provide a fibrous cheese that satisfies many consumers with specific texture preferences.

Claims

1. A fibrous cheese in which, when 1 mL of simulated saliva is added to 3 g of the cheese and the cheese is subjected to simulated chewing using a food property evaluation device, the ratio of the average impulse during each of the 25th to 29th chews to the average impulse during each of the 1st to 5th chews exceeds 0.

39.

2. 2. The fibrous cheese according to claim 1, wherein the average impulse during each of the first to third chewings is 40 N·s or more.

3. The fibrous cheese of claim 1 comprising edible starch.

4. The fibrous cheese of claim 3 , wherein the edible starch comprises at least one modified starch.

5. 5. The fibrous cheese of claim 4, wherein the total edible starch content is 9.0% by weight or less.

6. 2. The fibrous cheese of claim 1, having a moisture content in the range of 41% by weight to 45% by weight.

7. 2. The fibrous cheese of claim 1 which is a natural cheese or a processed cheese.

8. 2. The fibrous cheese of claim 1 which is ready to eat.

9. 2. The fibrous cheese according to claim 1, which is packaged by any one of a vacuum packaging method, a gas replacement packaging method, and a packaging method including an oxygen scavenger.

10. A cheese curd preparation step for preparing cheese curd; a moisture content adjusting step of adjusting the moisture content of the cheese curd to obtain a moisture content adjusted cheese curd; an edible starch adding step of adding edible starch to the moisture content adjusted cheese curd to obtain an edible starch-added cheese curd; Equipped with The moisture content of the moisture-adjusted cheese curd is in the range of 41% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less, The total content of edible starch in the edible starch-added cheese curd is 11.0% or less. A method for producing fibrous cheese.

11. The total content of edible starch in the edible starch-added cheese curd is 9.0% or less. A method for producing the fibrous cheese of claim 10.

12. The total content of edible starch in the edible starch-added cheese curd is 6.0% or more. A method for producing the fibrous cheese according to claim 10 or 11.

Images