Food composition, masking agent and masking method

Abstract

To provide a food composition which contains mycoprotein, in which mushroom-like odor and taste of mycoprotein are masked and which improves the odor and taste, and to provide masking agent for mycoprotein and a masking method of mycoprotein.SOLUTION: A food composition containing mycoprotein and at least one kind selected from a group consisting of dried egg white, salt and cyclodextrin as masking components of mycoprotein is provided. Masking agent for mycoprotein containing at least one kind selected from the group consisting of dried egg white, salt and cyclodextrin as the masking components is also provided. Furthermore, a masking method of mycoprotein, in which at least one kind selected from the group consisting of dried egg white, salt and cyclodextrin as the masking components is added, is also provided.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a food composition containing mycoprotein, a masking agent for mycoprotein, and a masking method. [Background technology]

[0002] Currently, due to people's increasing health consciousness and changing food preferences, the demand for protein, among other nutrients contained in food, is increasing year by year.

[0003] At the same time, the environmental burden caused by greenhouse gas emissions from livestock has become a global issue, making it an urgent task to establish food production methods that have a low environmental burden and are highly efficient.

[0004] Furthermore, livestock farming is currently being reexamined from the perspectives of animal welfare and human consideration, and there is a demand for next-generation protein-containing foods that can solve these issues.

[0005] Next-generation protein-containing foods include, for example, meat-like foods containing non-animal proteins, and various production processes have been developed to source such proteins from plants such as soybeans, chemical culture, insects, algae, etc.

[0006] In particular, research and development of proteins using microorganisms is being advanced as one of such next-generation proteins, and among these, alternative proteins (mycoproteins) produced by fungi are currently attracting attention.

[0007] Mycoprotein is a food product made from the mycelium formed by fungi during cultivation, which is used as a nutrient (protein). Food products containing mycoprotein are already being manufactured and sold overseas.

[0008] It is expected that many consumers in Japan will be reluctant to eat fungi themselves, but it is well known that koji mold (Aspergillus genus) is used in the production of soy sauce and miso, and in the fermentation of sake and shio-koji, so it is thought that there will be little consumer resistance to it.

[0009] In addition, the entire genome of Aspergillus oryzae has been analyzed, and it has been proven that the fungal body can be detoxified through selective breeding. It also has other advantages, such as a short production period and a low environmental impact. Therefore, Aspergillus oryzae-derived mycoprotein is thought to be extremely useful as a next-generation protein in Japan.

[0010] As a prior art document for foods containing such next-generation proteins, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for producing a processed meat-like food, which includes a step of mixing a textured vegetable protein with a frozen emulsion gel containing vegetable protein, water, and fat to obtain a mixture. It also describes that the vegetable protein includes soy protein.

[0011] Furthermore, as a prior art document on foods that use the mycelium of Aspergillus oryzae as a raw material, Patent Document 2 discloses a method for producing koji fungus cells as a meat substitute, which includes a step of initiating cultivation of koji fungus in a liquid medium and then recovering and washing the grown fungus cells. It also describes a method for producing a meat-like food containing koji fungus cells as a meat substitute. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0012] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7355967 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-023172 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0013] However, consumers who have eaten food compositions prepared from ingredients containing mycoprotein derived from Aspergillus oryzae have reported that they have a distinctive mushroom-like odor and taste.

[0014] It is expected that many consumers will dislike this mushroom-like smell and taste, just like they dislike real mushrooms, and masking the mushroom-like smell and taste has been a challenge when producing and selling food compositions containing mycoprotein.

[0015] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a food composition, a masking agent for mycoprotein, and a method for masking mycoprotein that contain mycoprotein but mask the mushroom-like smell and taste of mycoprotein, thereby improving the smell and taste. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] The inventors have conducted extensive research and have found that the mushroom-like odor and taste of mycoprotein can be masked by incorporating at least one masking component selected from the group consisting of dried egg white, salt, and cyclodextrin in addition to mycoprotein, thereby completing the present invention.

[0017] (1) A first aspect of the present invention is a food composition comprising mycoprotein and at least one masking component for the mycoprotein selected from the group consisting of dried egg white, salt, and cyclodextrin.

[0018] (2) The second aspect of the present invention is the food composition described in (1), characterized in that the masking component is contained in an amount of 0.01% or more and 10% or less relative to 100% of the mycoprotein.

[0019] (3) A third aspect of the present invention is the food composition according to (1), characterized in that the mycoprotein is derived from Aspergillus oryzae.

[0020] (4) A fourth aspect of the present invention is a masking agent for mycoprotein, characterized in that it contains at least one masking component selected from the group consisting of dried egg white, salt, and cyclodextrin.

[0021] (5) A fifth aspect of the present invention is the mycoprotein masking agent according to (4), characterized in that the masking component is dried egg white.

[0022] (6) A sixth aspect of the present invention is the mycoprotein masking agent according to (4), characterized in that the masking components are dried egg white and salt, and the content ratio of the dried egg white to the salt is 1:1 to 100:1.

[0023] (7) A seventh aspect of the present invention is a method for masking mycoprotein, characterized by adding at least one masking component selected from the group consisting of dried egg white, salt, and cyclodextrin. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a food composition, a masking agent for mycoprotein, and a method for masking mycoprotein, which contain mycoprotein but mask the mushroom-like smell and taste of the mycoprotein, thereby making the smell and taste pleasant. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 is a graph showing the degree of suppression of mushroom-like flavor in each sample of a food composition containing only mycoprotein and a food composition containing mycoprotein and a masking ingredient. [Figure 2]1 is a graph showing the degree of improvement in texture for each sample of a food composition containing only mycoprotein and a food composition containing mycoprotein and a masking ingredient. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] Hereinafter, a mode for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter simply referred to as "the present embodiment") will be described in detail. The following present embodiment is an example for explaining the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention to the following content. The present invention can be carried out by appropriately modifying it within the scope of its gist.

[0027] <Food composition> The food composition of this embodiment contains mycoprotein and at least one masking component (masking agent) for the mycoprotein selected from the group consisting of dried egg white, salt, and cyclodextrin.

[0028] The form of the food composition according to this embodiment is not particularly limited, but is preferably a meat-like food such as a hamburger steak or meatball, or a processed meat-like food such as sausage, ham, or bacon. Each of the components contained therein will be described in detail below.

[0029] (Mycoprotein) The mycoprotein contained in the food composition of this embodiment is the mycelium itself produced by fungi during cultivation (fermentation), and although it depends on the type of fungus, it is usually fibrous (filament-like) such as linear or fibrous.

[0030] The fungi that produce mycoprotein are not particularly limited as long as they are proven non-toxic and are used in food production or fermentation, but among them, Aspergillus (genus Aspergillus) is preferred (i.e., the mycoprotein is derived from Aspergillus). The Aspergillus species used to produce the mycoprotein contained in the food composition of this embodiment is preferably any one of Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus sojae, Aspergillus awamori, Aspergillus luchuensis, and Aspergillus kawachii, or a mixture thereof.

[0031] The method for culturing fungi to produce mycoprotein is not particularly limited, and known culture media and culture conditions can be used depending on the type of fungus, but from the perspective of ease of recovery of mycoprotein, it is preferable that the culture medium be a liquid medium (culture solution).

[0032] The method for recovering mycoprotein from the culture medium is not particularly limited, and known separation methods such as centrifugation, filtration separation, compression separation, slide culture separation, etc. can be used as appropriate.

[0033] (Masking ingredient (masking agent)) The food composition of this embodiment contains at least one masking ingredient selected from the group consisting of dried egg white, salt, and cyclodextrin as a masking ingredient for masking the mushroom-like smell and taste of mycoprotein. By including the above-mentioned masking component, a food composition can be obtained in which the mushroom-like smell and taste of mycoprotein is masked.

[0034] Other embodiments of the present invention include a masking agent for mycoprotein containing the above-mentioned masking component, and a method for masking mycoprotein by adding the above-mentioned masking component.

[0035] The masking component is preferably present in an amount of 0.01% to 10% based on 100% mycoprotein. By containing the masking component within this range, the mushroom-like odor and taste of the mycoprotein can be adequately masked, and a food composition containing mycoprotein with a good texture can be obtained.

[0036] (Dried egg white) The masking component is preferably dried egg white (including dried egg white). The dried egg white used as a masking component may be one that is already isolated and available on the market, or one that has been dried after separating the egg yolk from a chicken egg. When dried egg white is used as a masking component, it is preferably contained in an amount of 0.01% to 10% of 100% mycoprotein, more preferably 1% to 7.5%, and even more preferably 2% to 5%.

[0037] (salt) The salt used as a masking component can be any common salt (sodium chloride) commonly used as a seasoning, and is not particularly limited. When salt is used as a masking component, it is preferably contained in an amount of 0.01% to 5% of 100% mycoprotein, more preferably 0.05% to 3.5%, and even more preferably 0.1% to 2%.

[0038] (cyclodextrin) Furthermore, the cyclodextrin used as a masking component can be any cyclodextrin typically added to foods, without any particular restrictions. When cyclodextrin is included as a masking component, it is preferably contained in an amount of 0.01% to 10% of 100% mycoprotein, more preferably 0.05% to 5% and even more preferably 0.1% to 1%.

[0039] The masking component may contain only one of dried egg white, salt, and cyclodextrin, but it is preferable to contain dried egg white and salt, as this will provide a better mycoprotein masking effect. Furthermore, when dried egg white and salt are contained, the content ratio of dried egg white to salt is preferably 1:1 to 100:1. When the content ratio of dried egg white to salt is within the above range, a more pronounced mycoprotein masking effect can be obtained.

[0040] The masking component may be added at the same time as the seasoning or binding material is added during the food composition production process described below, but depending on the form of the food composition, it may also be added before or after that process.

[0041] In addition to mycoprotein and the above-mentioned masking component, the food composition of this embodiment can also contain other additives, such as so-called binding ingredients that bind the raw materials of the food composition together, auxiliary ingredients such as oils and fats, sugars, and seasonings, as well as solid ingredients such as vegetables and algae, as appropriate, within a range that does not impair the masking effect of the masking component of the present invention.

[0042] <Method of manufacturing food composition> The method for producing the food composition according to this embodiment is not particularly limited as long as it includes the same steps as those for general processed foods, although this depends on the form of the food composition. For example, when the food composition is a meat-like food, the food composition is obtained through the following steps: (1) culturing fungi, (2) recovering and washing mycelium (mycoprotein) from the culture medium, (3) adding a masking agent and other seasonings and binding ingredients, and (4) heat treatment such as baking, steaming, boiling, etc. Depending on the sales form, subsequent steps such as freezing, bagging, or shrink packaging may also be performed.

[0043] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, it goes without saying that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments. Furthermore, it is clear from the claims that such modifications and improvements can also be included within the technical scope of the present invention. [Example]

[0044] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the examples shown below.

[0045] Food compositions containing mycoprotein, a meat-like food, were prepared according to the formulation shown in Table 1 below. As described above, the food compositions were prepared through the following steps: (1) culturing fungi, (2) recovering and washing the mycelium (mycoprotein) from the culture medium, (3) adding a masking agent and other seasonings and binding ingredients, and (4) baking. Each sample will be described later. The fungal species used was Aspergillus oryzae, an isolated strain from the barley miso koji starter koji produced by Higuchi Matsunosuke Shoten Co., Ltd. [Table 1]

[0046] <Test 1: Suppression of the mushroom-like flavor of Aspergillus oryzae mycoprotein> Five panelists tasted food compositions No. 1 to 18, which were meat-like foods prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 2, and evaluated the strength of the mushroom-like flavor of the food compositions on a five-point scale, calculating the average (5 being a very strong mushroom-like flavor and 1 being a very weak mushroom-like flavor). Table 2 shows the blending ratio and significance test for each sample, and Figure 1 shows the evaluation results for each sample. [Table 2]

[0047] As shown in Table 2 and Figure 1, food compositions Nos. 2 to 18, which contain a masking ingredient, were found to have a more suppressed mushroom-like flavor than No. 1, which contains only mycoprotein. In particular, Nos. 4, 6, 9-10, and 12-13, which contain dried egg white and refined salt, and Nos. 8 and 11, which contain 5% dried egg white, showed significant differences compared to No. 1, which does not contain a masking ingredient.

[0048] <Test 2: Improving the texture of koji mycoprotein> As in Test 1, five panelists tasted food compositions No. 1 to 18, which were meat-like foods prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 3, and evaluated the degree of improvement in the texture of the food compositions on a five-point scale, with the average calculated (5 being very good texture and 1 being very poor texture). Table 3 shows the blending ratios and significance tests for each sample, and Figure 2 shows the evaluation results for each sample. [Table 3]

[0049] As shown in Table 3 and Figure 2, food compositions Nos. 2 to 18, which contain a masking ingredient, were confirmed to have improved texture compared to No. 1, which contains only mycoprotein. In particular, Nos. 9 to 10 and 12 to 13, which contain 5% dried egg white and 0.1% or more refined salt, showed significant differences compared to No. 1, which does not contain a masking ingredient.

[0050] From the above examples, it has been confirmed that the present invention can provide a food composition, a mycoprotein masking agent, and a mycoprotein masking method that contain mycoprotein but mask the mushroom-like odor and taste of mycoprotein, thereby improving the odor and taste.

Claims

1. Mycoprotein and A food composition characterized by containing at least one masking ingredient for the mycoprotein selected from the group consisting of dried egg white, salt, and cyclodextrin.

2. 2. The food composition according to claim 1, wherein the masking component is contained in an amount of 0.01% or more and 10% or less relative to 100% of the mycoprotein.

3. 2. The food composition according to claim 1, wherein the mycoprotein is derived from Aspergillus oryzae.

4. A masking agent for mycoprotein, characterized in that it contains at least one masking component selected from the group consisting of dried egg white, salt, and cyclodextrin.

5. The masking agent for mycoprotein according to claim 4, wherein the masking component is dried egg white.

6. the masking ingredients are dried egg white and salt, 5. The mycoprotein masking agent according to claim 4, wherein the content ratio of the dried egg white to the salt is 1:1 to 100:

1.

7. A method for masking mycoprotein, characterized by adding at least one masking component selected from the group consisting of dried egg white, salt, and cyclodextrin.

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