Browning composition

Abstract

To provide a browning composition for use in microwave-cooked foods, which delivers a high browning effect and shows little color change under room-temperature storage.SOLUTION: A browning composition is constituted by dispersing reducing sugar particles and amino acid particles, acting as browning components, into non-aqueous plastic fat. The composition with this configuration inhibits the Maillard reaction during room-temperature storage, since the reducing sugar particles and amino acid particles are dispersed in the non-aqueous plastic fat without being in contact with each other. The Maillard reaction starts only when the water-containing food material generates heat by microwave heating and the fat melts.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a charring imparting composition. More specifically, the present invention relates to a paste-like charring imparting composition capable of efficiently imparting charring to microwave-cooked foods.

Background Art

[0002] There are many foods that can be easily cooked using a microwave oven. Examples of these foods include retort foods and frozen foods typified by curry, stew, soup, hamburger, gratin, and the base of donburi. Since these foods are pre-cooked, if they are heated in a microwave oven, one can enjoy the flavor of freshly cooked food. However, in a microwave oven, since the food is heated in too short a time, there has been a recognized problem that it is difficult to form the unique charring of the food that is naturally formed in normal cooking methods. For example, when heating frozen gratin in a microwave oven, there has been a drawback that it is difficult to get the unique charring of cheese. For this reason, the development of microwave foods that can easily get charred and seasonings that promote charring has been studied even by heating with a microwave oven. It is known that the mechanism by which charring occurs during the heat cooking of food and the unique aroma of the food increases is that the reducing sugar and amino acid contained in the food react (this reaction is called the Maillard reaction), and a brown substance (sometimes also called a Maillard substance) is generated. Based on the above findings, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-131092 (Patent Document 1) discloses a microwave food having emulsified oil and fat, reducing sugar, and amino acid on the surface. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-218568 (Patent Document 2) discloses a food coloring agent comprising at least one of dairy products and edible oils, at least one of sugars selected from monosaccharides and disaccharides, and at least one of coloring agents selected from paprika, caramel, β-carotene, beet powder, carmine, food dyes, water-soluble annatto, turmeric and saffron. According to the invention of Patent Document 2, the coloring agent is melted in dairy products or edible oils, and browning of sugars and the like is promoted.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Therefore, when the inventors applied the invention of Patent Document 1 to various foods, it was found that in all cases, although pizza, gratin, etc. can be charred on their surfaces, when applied to vegetables, they become something similar to steamed dishes without a stir-fried feeling. In addition to the above problems, it was found that a charring agent prepared by blending emulsified fats and oils, reducing sugars and amino acids discolors when stored at room temperature according to Patent Document 1. Therefore, there is a concern about the deterioration of the product during the period from when the charring agent is manufactured as a product until it reaches the end consumer, and further during the storage period on the consumer side. On the other hand, since the invention of Patent Document 2 contains a coloring agent, inevitably, the types of foods that can be used are limited. Therefore, the inventors have intensively studied to develop a charring agent that suppresses color change even when stored at room temperature and can impart aroma and a stir-fried feeling, particularly when applied to vegetables.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] As a result, the inventors have found that a paste-like composition in which particles of a reducing sugar and particles of an amino acid are dispersed in a non-aqueous plastic fat / oil achieves the above problems, and thus have completed the present invention. That is, the present invention is a paste-like scorching-imparting composition in which particles of a reducing sugar and particles of an amino acid are dispersed in a non-aqueous plastic fat / oil.

Advantages of the Invention

[0006] In the paste-like scorching-imparting composition of the present invention, since both components of the reducing sugar and the amino acid are dispersed in a particulate form in a non-aqueous plastic fat / oil, the Maillard reaction does not proceed at normal temperature, so that the storage stability is excellent. Further, since it is in a paste form, if it is filled in a flexible container, it can be squeezed out from the container opening and evenly applied to the surface of the food material.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] The most characteristic feature of the paste-like scorching-imparting composition of the present invention is that it is neither liquid nor solid, but truly in a paste form. Due to this property, it has many advantages over conventional scorching-imparting compositions (hereinafter, the paste-like scorching-imparting composition of the present invention may be simply abbreviated as "scorching-imparting composition"). In the present invention, the paste form means a property in which it does not flow and retains its shape in a state where no external force is applied, easily deforms when an external force is applied, and retains the deformed shape.

[0009] In the scorching-imparting composition of the present invention, the reducing sugar and the amino acid are essential components involved in the formation of browning substances by the Maillard reaction. Further, the non-aqueous plastic fat / oil in the composition serves as a dispersion medium for the reducing sugar and the amino acid.

[0010] Examples of reducing sugars include monosaccharides such as xylose, galactose, fructose, mannose, glucose, arabinose, ribose, etc., and disaccharides such as lactose, maltose, etc. Among these saccharides, monosaccharides are preferred because they have a high production efficiency of Maillard substances (char components). Among the monosaccharides, pentoses such as xylose have an even higher production efficiency of Maillard substances, so they are even more preferred. All of these saccharides can be obtained as powdery raw materials. In addition, in order to enhance the flavor, non-reducing sugar white sugar (sucrose) may be added as an optional component.

[0011] Examples of amino acids include glycine, alanine, isoleucine, leucine, valine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, lysine, arginine, tryptophan, histidine, and their salts, and any of them can be preferably used. All of these amino acids can be obtained as powdery raw materials.

[0012] In addition to the above-mentioned reducing sugars and amino acids, a non-aqueous plastic oil is essential for the char-imparting composition of the present invention. The non-aqueous plastic oil functions as a dispersion medium for the particles of the reducing sugar and the particles of the amino acid, and the resulting composition becomes paste-like. In the present invention, the non-aqueous plastic oil refers to an oil that has plasticity at normal temperature (15 to 25°C) and has a moisture content of 1.0 mass% or less. Therefore, liquid oil is not sufficient as a component of the char-imparting composition of the present invention. Similarly, solid fats that do not show plasticity at normal temperature are also not sufficient as components of the char-imparting composition of the present invention. Therefore, oils that do not show plasticity at normal temperature, such as hardened palm oil, are not suitable as components of the composition of the present invention. Also, even for plastic oils, butter and margarine usually contain 16 to 17% moisture, so they are not suitable as components of the composition of the present invention. A non-aqueous plastic oil suitable as a raw material for the char-imparting composition of the present invention is a non-aqueous plastic oil having a solid fat content in the range of about 15 to 25 at normal temperature (15 to 25°C). Examples of non-aqueous plastic fats and oils that can be suitably used include, but are not limited to, lard (moisture content as defined in Japanese Agricultural Standards: 0.2% or less), shortening (moisture content as defined in Japanese Agricultural Standards: 0.5% or less), and partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Refined lard is more preferable as the lard.

[0013] In the scorching-imparting composition of the present invention, the non-aqueous plastic fat and oil functions as a dispersion medium for dispersing powder particles of reducing sugar and amino acid without bringing them into contact with each other during the storage period of the composition. As a result, during storage at room temperature, the particles of reducing sugar and amino acid are dispersed in the non-aqueous plastic fat and oil without contacting each other, so the Maillard reaction does not proceed. Therefore, the scorching-imparting composition of the present invention can be stored at room temperature.

[0014] When the water-containing food heated in a microwave oven generates heat and is heated through the food, the non-aqueous plastic fat and oil dissolves, and only then does the contact between the reducing sugar and the amino acid particles start, and the Maillard reaction starts. As shown in the following examples, the scorching-imparting composition of the present invention that employs a non-aqueous plastic fat and oil (hereinafter, abbreviated as plastic fat and oil in this paragraph) has a scorching-imparting performance superior to that of the conventional invention. The reason is not clear, but the inventors consider it to be due to the following mechanism (Figure 1). That is, taking vegetables as an example of the food, i) As a result of employing the plastic fat and oil, the composition is in a paste form, so even when applied on vegetables, it is difficult to drip and stays on the vegetables. Therefore, it can be effectively irradiated with microwave. ii) Then, by microwave heating, moisture comes out from the vegetables, and the particles of reducing sugar and amino acid dissolve in water and the reaction starts. iii) At that time, the plastic fat and oil starts to dissolve selectively from the part in contact with the surface of the vegetables heated to a high temperature. Therefore, the undissolved part of the plastic fat and oil temporarily confines in a manner of covering the high-temperature water (where the reaction between reducing sugar and amino acid is in progress) in a dome shape (hereinafter referred to as the "confining effect"). As a result, the Maillard reaction proceeds sufficiently.

[0015] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a composition is presented which, in addition to reducing sugar and amino acid, contains salt (or powdered soy sauce) as an optional component. In this preferred embodiment, it has been shown that the performance of imparting char is further enhanced. The inventors speculate that this is because the addition of salt (or powdered soy sauce) creates an osmotic pressure, which further promotes the step (b) above.

[0016] On the other hand, when liquid oil is used instead of non-aqueous plasticizable oil, the effects of (a) and the "confining effect" of (c) are less likely to occur. Also, in the case of liquid oil, during the formulation stage of the composition and even during storage at room temperature, the Maillard reaction proceeds due to the contact between the reducing sugar particles and the amino acid particles in the liquid oil, causing the composition to change color.

[0017] On the other hand, when emulsified oil is used instead of non-aqueous plasticizable oil, it is considered that the "confining effect" of (c) is less likely to occur. Also, when emulsified oil is used, during the formulation of the composition or during storage at room temperature, the reducing sugar and amino acid dissolve in the aqueous phase contained in the composition, and the Maillard reaction proceeds as in the case of liquid oil, causing the composition to change color.

[0018] There is no restriction on the total amount of reducing sugar and amino acid in the char-imparting composition of the present invention as long as it does not impair the plasticity of the composition. Preferably, the total amount of reducing sugar and amino acid is in the range of 1 to 60% by mass in the total mass of the composition. If it is less than 1% by mass, the effect of imparting char becomes poor. On the other hand, if it exceeds 60% by mass, the plasticity of the composition is impaired, and in addition, the particles of reducing sugar and amino acid are likely to come into contact. More preferably, the total amount of reducing sugar and amino acid is 2 to 20% by mass. The quantitative ratio of reducing sugar to amino acid is not particularly restricted, but preferably, in terms of mass ratio, the reducing sugar:amino acid = 1:99 to 99:1. More preferably, it is in the range of 10:90 to 90:10.

[0019] In order to further enhance the storage stability of the scorching-imparting composition of the present invention, it can be filled into a container or a bag and sealed for packaging. Additionally, taking advantage of the paste-like property of the scorching-imparting composition of the present invention, it can be filled and sealed in a flexible container (including a bag-shaped container). By sealing it in a flexible container, only the required amount can be squeezed out from the flexible container each time it is used, and after use, by sealing it, deterioration due to air oxidation can be minimized. Further, as one aspect of the flexible container, an individual package that uses up the entire amount of the scorching-imparting composition of the content when opened can also be adopted. As the aspect of the individual package, either an individual packaging bag or an individual packaging container can be applied. By adopting the mode of sealed packaging (including individual packaging), the air oxidation deterioration during the period from the production of the scorching-imparting composition to the consumption by the consumer can be suppressed as much as possible. Moreover, by filling and sealing the scorching-imparting composition of the present invention into the above-mentioned flexible container, individual packaging bag, or individual packaging container, when in use, the scorching-imparting composition of the present invention can be squeezed out from the opening of the above-mentioned container and evenly sprinkled on the food ingredients, so that the food ingredients can be evenly imparted with a scorched color. This is also an advantage brought about by the paste-like property of the scorching-imparting composition of the present invention.

[0020] As described above, in the present invention, as an optional component, salt or powdered soy sauce can also be added. By adding salt or powdered soy sauce, the imparting of a scorched color and flavor after heating in a microwave oven is further promoted. Both salt and powdered soy sauce are powder raw materials and can be dispersed in the non-aqueous plasticizable oil in the same manner as the above-mentioned reducing sugars and amino acids.

[0021] Hereinafter, the scorching-imparting composition of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to Examples and Comparative Examples. Note that the scorching-imparting tests in the following Examples and Comparative Examples were based on the following procedures and conditions.

[0022] <Scorching-imparting test> · Put 200 grams of cut vegetables in a container. · Sprinkle 20 grams of the scorching-imparting composition on the cut vegetables. · Then, heat in a microwave oven under the conditions of 600 watts for 5 minutes. · Visually observe the degree of charring after heating, and evaluate according to the following evaluation criteria from the perspectives of the degree of browning and the presence or absence of charring. [Evaluation Criteria] · +++: Browning with charring. · ++: Browning but no charring. · +: Slightly browned. · -: Not browned.

[0023] [Storage Stability Test] · Fill the charring-imparting composition into a polyethylene small bag and seal it to obtain a container-sealed sample. · Store the above container-sealed sample at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined period, and determine the color tone change before and after the storage period through visual observation and a color difference meter (spectrophotometer SE7700 manufactured by Nippon Denshoku Industries Co., Ltd.). Calculate the color difference (ΔE) according to the following formula. Color difference (ΔE)=[(Difference in L value before and after the storage period) 2 +(Difference in a value before and after the storage period) 2 +(Difference in b value before and after the storage period) 2 1 / 2

[0024] [Test Series 1] For the purpose of showing the superiority of non-hydrophilic plastic fats and oils over liquid oils, the following tests were conducted. [Example 1] Weigh 10 parts by mass of xylose (powder), 10 parts by mass of glycine (powder), and 80 parts by mass of refined lard, and mix them with a mixer to obtain a paste-like composition in which powder particles of xylose and powder particles of glycine are dispersed in the refined lard. Fill the obtained composition into a polyethylene small bag, seal it, and use it as a container-sealed sample for the storage stability test. The results of both tests are shown in Table 1. Note that the storage stability test is carried out at an ambient temperature of 30°C and a storage period of 28 days.

[0025] [Comparative Example 1] ​Weigh 10 parts by mass of xylose (powder), 10 parts by mass of glycine (powder), and 80 parts by mass of salad oil, and mix them with a mixer to obtain a composition in which the above powder components are suspended and dispersed in the salad oil. Hereinafter, in the same manner as in Example 1, the composition was filled into a small polyethylene bag and subjected to a storage stability test as a container-sealed sample. The results of both tests are shown in Table 1.

[0026] [Table 1] JPEG2025096013000001.jpg63162

[0027] From this test series, it is clear that refined lard (non-aqueous plastic fat) is superior to liquid oil typified by salad oil as the oil component of the composition in terms of both scorching property and room temperature storage property.

[0028] [Test Series 2] For the purpose of showing the superiority of non-aqueous plastic fat over emulsified oil and fat, the following test was conducted. [Example 2] Weigh 4 parts by mass of xylose (powder), 4 parts by mass of glycine (powder), and 92 parts by mass of refined lard, and mix them with a mixer to obtain a paste-like composition in which the powder particles of xylose and the powder particles of glycine are dispersed in the refined lard. Hereinafter, in the same manner as in Example 1, a scorching property test was conducted. The results are shown in Table 2. In addition, a storage stability test was conducted in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the ambient temperature was 36°C and the storage period was 7 days. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0029] [Comparative Example 2] Weigh 4 parts by mass of xylose (powder), 4 parts by mass of glycine (powder), 42 parts by mass of water, and 50 parts by mass of powdered oil and fat (Magic Fat 205 of Miyoshi Oil & Fat Co., Ltd. Note that Magic Fat is a registered trademark of Miyoshi Oil & Fat), and mix them with a mixer to obtain a liquid composition. Hereinafter, in the same manner as in Example 2, a scorching property test and a storage stability test were conducted. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0030] [Table 2] JPEG2025096013000002.jpg69160

[0031] From this series of tests, it became clear that using non-aqueous plastic fats instead of emulsified fats is superior in both scorching performance and storage stability. That is, when emulsified fats are used as the fat component, due to the water in the emulsified fats, the temperature rise of the scorching composition is suppressed, and the scorching effect is considered to be inferior to that of the composition using non-aqueous plastic fats without water. Regarding storage stability, when emulsified fats are used, it is considered that xylose and glycine dissolve in the aqueous phase of the emulsified fats over time, and the Maillard reaction proceeds.

[0032] [Example 3] In Example 1, a paste-like composition was prepared in the same manner except that xylose (powder): 10 parts by mass, glycine (powder): 10 parts by mass, refined lard: 70 parts by mass, and salt: 10 parts by mass, and a scorching test and a storage stability test were conducted. As a result, the scorching property was higher than that of the composition of Example 1. The storage stability was also good.

[0033] [Example 4] In Example 1, a paste-like composition was prepared in the same manner except that xylose (powder): 10 parts by mass, glycine (powder): 10 parts by mass, refined lard: 70 parts by mass, and powdered soy sauce: 10 parts by mass, and a scorching test and a storage stability test were conducted. As a result, the scorching property was even higher than that of the composition of Example 1, and the flavor was also taken into account. The storage stability was also good.

Claims

1. A paste-like char formation imparting composition in which particles of reducing sugar and particles of amino acid are dispersed in a non-aqueous plastic oil.

2. The paste-like char formation imparting composition according to Claim 1, wherein the reducing sugar is xylose.

3. The paste-like char formation imparting composition according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein particles of salt or powdered soy sauce are further dispersed in the non-aqueous plastic oil.

4. The paste-like char formation imparting composition according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, which is filled and sealed in a flexible container.

5. The paste-like char formation imparting composition according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, which is filled and sealed in an individual package, a bag or a container.

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