Method of producing textured vegetable protein small lump, method of producing molded product for textured vegetable protein containing processed food, and method of producing textured vegetable protein containing processed food

Abstract

To provide a method of producing a textured vegetable protein small lump for producing textured vegetable protein containing processed food having fish-like texture and appearance, a method of producing a molded product for textured vegetable protein containing processed food using the textured vegetable protein small lump, and a method of producing the textured vegetable protein containing processed food using the molded product.SOLUTION: Textured vegetable protein and transglutaminase are mixed, followed by vacuum-packing to prepare a textured vegetable protein lump. The textured vegetable protein lump is cut to make a textured vegetable protein small lump. The textured vegetable protein small lump is mixed with other raw materials to form a molded product. The molded product is heated to produce a textured vegetable protein containing processed food having fish-like texture and appearance.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing textured plant protein globules, a method for producing a molded product for processed foods containing textured plant protein using the textured plant protein globules, and a method for producing a processed food containing textured plant protein using the molded product. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, plant-based foods such as meat substitutes, egg substitutes, milk substitutes, and dairy substitutes that use plant proteins have been studied not only for vegetarians but also from an environmental perspective, and many plant-based products have been launched on the market. Among these, textured plant proteins produced by extruding plant protein powders such as soybeans, peas, and wheat using an extruder are used as a method for producing meat substitutes for livestock and fish. However, textured plant proteins alone do not produce meat-like foods, and meat-like textured plant protein-containing processed foods are produced by seasoning the textured plant proteins themselves (e.g., Patent Document 1), or by binding the textured plant proteins with a binder such as egg white, soybean protein powder, methylcellulose, curdlan, or glucomannan to form a single mass (e.g., Patent Documents 2 to 5).

[0003] Furthermore, a technique is known in which transglutaminase is used as a binder for textured plant proteins (for example, Patent Document 6). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6495990 [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 2018-533945 [Patent Document 3] Special Publication No. 2017-509349 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-21163 [Patent Document 5] International Publication No. 2007 / 013146 [Patent Document 6] JP 2023-66140 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a method for producing textured plant protein lumps for producing processed foods containing textured plant protein that have a texture and appearance similar to fish meat, a method for producing molded articles for processed foods containing textured plant protein using the textured plant protein lumps, and a method for producing processed foods containing textured plant protein using the molded articles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The inventors of the present invention have been investigating methods for producing textured plant protein-containing processed foods with various meat-like textures and appearances using textured plant protein without using animal ingredients, and have also conducted extensive research into methods for producing processed foods containing textured plant protein with fish meat-like textures and appearances without using fish meat, such as grilled fish, boiled fish, and fried fish. However, simply binding textured plant protein with a binder such as protein powder, methylcellulose, or glucomannan, as is commonly done, does not result in a fish meat-like texture or appearance. As a result of extensive research, the present invention has been achieved.

[0007] That is, the method for producing small pieces of textured plant protein comprises the steps of mixing textured plant protein with transglutaminase and vacuum packaging the mixture, reacting the vacuum-packaged textured plant protein with the transglutaminase to produce textured plant protein chunks, and cutting the textured plant protein chunks thus produced.

[0008] In addition, a preferred method for producing a shaped product for processed food containing textured plant protein according to the present invention is to mix the textured plant protein pellets produced by the method for producing textured plant protein pellets according to the present invention with other raw materials to produce a shaped product.

[0009] In addition, as a molding method for the method of producing a molded product for textured plant protein-containing processed food according to the present invention, it is preferred to vacuum-package and mold a mixture of the textured plant protein nodules and other raw materials.

[0010] Furthermore, the textured plant protein-containing processed food to be produced by the method for producing a textured plant protein-containing processed food according to the present invention is preferably a fish-like protein processed food.

[0011] Furthermore, the method for producing a textured plant protein-containing processed food according to the present invention preferably includes a step of heating the molded product produced by the method for producing a textured plant protein-containing processed food molded product according to the present invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] The present invention provides a method for producing textured plant protein lumps for producing processed foods containing textured plant protein that have a texture and appearance similar to fish meat, a method for producing molded products for processed foods containing textured plant protein using the textured plant protein lumps, and processed foods containing textured plant protein using the molded products for processed foods containing textured plant protein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The present invention will be described in detail below, but the present invention is not limited to the following description.

[0014] 1. Textured vegetable protein nuggets In producing the textured plant protein-containing processed food of the present invention, textured plant protein pellets are first prepared using the textured plant protein and transglutaminase.

[0015] The textured vegetable protein used in the present invention includes expanded granular vegetable protein produced by extruding vegetable protein powder such as soybean protein (including soybean flour), pea protein, wheat protein, etc., and optionally vegetable materials such as starch and inorganic substances such as calcium salts, at high temperature and high pressure using a twin-screw extruder, and examples thereof include fibrous vegetable protein that has been extruded while cooling the outlet using a cooling die or the like to suppress expansion and give the fibers directionality.

[0016] When these textured plant proteins are dry or have low moisture content, they are preferably rehydrated by absorbing them in water or hot water. If they are rehydrated too much, the reaction with transglutaminase, which will be described later, becomes weaker, making it difficult to produce small pieces of textured plant protein. Therefore, the moisture content of the textured plant protein after rehydration is preferably in the range of 50 to 70% by weight.

[0017] Furthermore, these textured plant proteins can be crushed or cut before or after reconstitution with water to suitably adjust the size, length, etc. before use.

[0018] The tissue-like plant protein is then mixed with transglutaminase. Transglutaminase is an enzyme that catalyzes an acyl transfer reaction in which glutamine residues in proteins act as donors and lysine residues act as acceptors, and is known to be derived from mammals, fish, microorganisms, and recombinant enzymes. The transglutaminase used in the present invention is not particularly limited, and commercially available products may be used.

[0019] The amount of transglutaminase added to prepare the textured plant protein aggregates of the present invention is not particularly limited, and may be adjusted to suit the desired texture of the textured plant protein-containing food and the transglutaminase reaction conditions. The amount added may be 0.1 U (unit) to 10 U per gram of solids of the textured plant protein aggregates of the present invention.

[0020] In preparing the textured vegetable protein mass, other ingredients may be added, but it is preferable to avoid adding ingredients containing a lot of salts such as table salt, ingredients that significantly change the pH, or substances that inhibit the transglutaminase reaction such as fats and oils. Even if other ingredients are added, the amount should preferably be 3% by weight or less in the mass.

[0021] The textured plant protein and transglutaminase are mixed, filled into a vacuum packaging bag or container, and vacuum-packaged. Vacuum packaging can be performed using a commercially available vacuum packaging machine. There are no particular limitations on the conditions for the vacuum packaging machine, but if the vacuum packaging machine's degassing level is low, the bonds between the textured plant proteins will be weak, leaving air remaining and making the textured plant protein more susceptible to breakage. Therefore, it is preferable to degas the textured plant protein sufficiently until there is almost no remaining air, at least in appearance, and the textured plant protein is tightly adhered, and then seal and vacuum-package it.

[0022] The vacuum-packed textured plant protein is reacted to produce a textured plant protein mass by adjusting the temperature and time to suit the optimal conditions for the transglutaminase to be added. For example, the reaction can be carried out at a low temperature of 4 to 10°C for 12 hours, at a medium temperature of 20 to 40°C for 2 hours, or at a high temperature of 50 to 65°C for 10 to 30 minutes.

[0023] The prepared textured plant protein chunks are cut to form textured plant protein chunks. There are no particular limitations on the shape of the chunks, but if they are too large, it will be difficult to uniformly season the textured plant protein chunks with other ingredients in the process of preparing the molded product described below, and if they are too small, the benefit of preparing the textured plant protein chunks will be lost. Therefore, it is sufficient to cut them into chunks with a size of about 10 to 40 mm and a thickness of about 5 to 20 mm.

[0024] The textured plant protein clumps of the present invention are vacuum-packaged, so the density of the textured plant protein in the textured plant protein clumps is high, giving them a fibrous, meaty texture, but because the textured plant proteins are only weakly bound together by transglutaminase, the meat is easy to bite through and has a fish meat-like texture. Such a texture is difficult to achieve with textured plant protein alone; if the density of the textured plant protein is increased, it becomes more elastic and difficult to bite through, while if the density of the textured plant protein is decreased, it becomes easier to bite through but it becomes difficult to achieve the fibrous, meaty texture of fish meat.

[0025] The textured plant protein nodules of the present invention are intended to be used in the textured plant protein-containing processed food moldings described below and in textured plant protein-containing processed foods made using the moldings, but because the textured plant protein nodules alone have a fish meat-like texture, they can be seasoned and heat-treated as they are and used as ingredients in other foods, or they can be used as raw materials for producing other foods.

[0026] 2. Molded products containing textured vegetable protein for processed foods The textured vegetable protein-containing processed food shaped product of the present invention is produced by mixing the textured vegetable protein globules of the present invention described above with other ingredients such as binders and seasoning ingredients, followed by molding. Examples of binders include vegetable protein powders such as soy flour, defatted soy protein flour, and pea protein flour; various starches including modified starch; and cellulose derivatives such as methylcellulose and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose. Examples of seasoning ingredients include salt, monosodium glutamate, nucleic acids, succinic acid, amino acids, sugars such as sugar, soy sauce, spices such as pepper, ginger, garlic, herbs, yeast hydrolysates, acidulants, flavorings, and vegetable oils. Other ingredients include colorants, antioxidants, thickening polysaccharides, emulsifiers, and pH adjusters.

[0027] The textured plant protein-containing processed food of the present invention is intended for vegan diets that do not use any animal materials, but in consideration of the environment, it can also be made into a textured plant-containing processed food that partially replaces meat, in which case, for example, minced meat or fish paste can be used as a binding agent, or partial animal ingredients such as egg white or collagen can be added. According to the production method of the present invention, it is possible to produce a textured plant protein-containing processed food that has a texture and appearance similar to fish meat, without using any animal or plant materials at all.

[0028] The amount of textured plant protein globules in the textured plant protein-containing molded processed food product of the present invention is preferably 50 to 80% by weight. If the amount is too high, the binding and seasoning of the textured plant protein globules will be insufficient, and if the amount is too low, the meat-like texture will be weak if no animal ingredients are included.

[0029] When methylcellulose is used as the binder for binding the textured vegetable protein globules according to the present invention, it is dissolved in water in advance. In the case of other binders, it is mixed directly with the textured vegetable protein globules and seasoning materials, etc., to prepare a mixture. The prepared mixture is filled into a mold, bag, container, etc. and molded. Alternatively, the mixture may be filled into a vacuum packaging bag or container, similar to the preparation of the textured vegetable protein globules, and vacuum-packed and molded. The molded product may be distributed in a molded state after being filled into a mold, bag, container, etc., but since the molded product is not heated and does not have complete shape retention, it must be distributed in a molded, bag, container, etc. state when distributed at room temperature or low temperature. The molded product may also be distributed frozen; the mixture may be filled into a mold, bag, container, etc., and molded, and then frozen to form a molded product. Since the frozen product retains its shape, it can be removed from the mold, bag, container, etc., or the frozen molded product can be cut and further shaped before distribution.

[0030] 3. Textured vegetable protein contains processed foods The processed food containing textured plant protein according to the present invention is intended to be a fish-like protein processed food, which is an imitation food made from fish meat. Examples of such imitation foods made from textured plant protein include fish steak, grilled fish, meunière, boiled fish, fish fry, and fish tempura, but there are no particular limitations as long as the food is produced by heating and cooking the molded product for processed food containing textured plant protein according to the present invention.

[0031] For example, in the case of fish steak-like foods, grilled fish-like foods, meunière, etc., the prepared woven plant protein-containing processed food molded product can be heat-treated by baking in a frying pan or oven either as is or after wheat flour has been attached to it to produce a textured plant protein-containing processed food; alternatively, the textured plant protein-containing processed food molded product can be heat-treated by boiling or steaming to retain its shape, and then cut as necessary, wheat flour can be attached to it, and the product can be baked in a frying pan or oven to produce a textured plant protein-containing processed food.

[0032] In addition, in the case of foods such as boiled fish, the molded product for processed foods containing textured plant protein can be heat-treated by boiling it directly with the broth to produce a processed food containing textured plant protein, or the molded product for processed foods containing woven plant protein can be heat-treated by boiling or steaming to retain its shape, and then cut if necessary and boiled with the broth to produce a processed food containing textured plant protein.

[0033] In addition, in the case of fish fry-like foods or tempura-like foods, batter or breadcrumbs can be applied directly to the molded product for processed foods containing textured plant protein and heated by frying to produce a processed food containing textured plant protein; alternatively, the molded product for processed foods containing textured plant protein can be heated by boiling or steaming to retain its shape, and then batter or breadcrumbs can be applied and the product can be fried to produce a processed food containing textured plant protein.

[0034] The textured plant protein-containing processed food thus produced can be distributed as is at room temperature or at low temperature, or can be frozen and distributed as a frozen food.Furthermore, after freezing, it can be vacuum freeze-dried and distributed as a dried ingredient for instant foods and the like.

[0035] The present embodiment will be described in more detail below with reference to examples. [Example]

[0036] Example 1 (Preparation of textured plant protein pellets) To 100 g of commercially available textured soy protein (Wilfib (Wilmar Japan Co., Ltd.): moisture content 9.0 wt%), 1 kg of boiling water was added, and the mixture was left to stand for 30 minutes to absorb water. After that, the mixture was dehydrated using a centrifugal dehydrator to a weight of 300 g and crushed into small pieces of approximately 3 to 6 mm in size using a food processor for 20 seconds. The crushed textured soy protein and a transglutaminase preparation (TG: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.) were added and mixed to a final volume of 6 g. 100 g portions were placed in polypropylene bags, degassed for 20 seconds using a vacuum packaging machine (Furukawa Manufacturing Co., Ltd.) to form a shape of 80 x 100 x 15 mm, sealed, and vacuum-packaged. The vacuum-packed mixture was placed in a water bath at 55°C for 20 minutes to allow the enzyme reaction, after which it was removed from the bag and used to prepare a textured vegetable protein mass. The resulting textured vegetable mass was then trimmed and cut into 15 mm squares to form small textured vegetable protein blocks. The hardness (maximum point load) of the prepared textured plant protein mass was also measured. The measurement method was to compress the textured plant protein mass with a 6 cm wedge plunger at a constant speed of 60 mm / min using a Tensilon universal material testing machine (manufactured by A&D Co., Ltd.), and measure the maximum point load (N).

[0037] (Production of food moldings containing textured plant protein) The textured vegetable protein globules were then mixed with other raw materials for food products containing textured vegetable protein to produce a molded product. The mixing method involved first mixing 0.8 g of methylcellulose (binding agent) with 2.4 g of rapeseed oil and 27.1 g of cold water at 4°C to produce an emulsion of methylcellulose and fat, followed by mixing with a powder mixture of 0.3 g of sugarcane starch, 0.4 g of salt, 1 g of monosodium glutamate, 0.3 g of granulated sugar, 0.3 g of pepper, and 0.1 g of tocopherol. 67.3 g of the textured vegetable protein globules were then added and stirred until homogenous without breaking the textured vegetable protein globules, producing a mixture of the textured vegetable protein globules and other raw materials for food products containing textured vegetable protein. 100 g of the resulting mixture was placed again in a polypropylene bag, and the bag was vacuum-packaged after degassing for 20 seconds three times using a vacuum packaging machine (Furukawa Manufacturing Co., Ltd.) to form a shape of 80 x 100 x 15 mm. The vacuum-packaged mixture was then frozen in a quick freezer at -35°C for 40 minutes to produce a frozen textured vegetable protein-containing food product.

[0038] (Production of foods containing textured plant protein) 100 g of frozen textured plant protein-containing food molded product was immersed in a batter made by suspending wheat flour (soft flour) and water in a 1:2 ratio to coat the product with the batter to a thickness of 20 g, and then dry breadcrumbs were quickly and evenly coated onto the product to a thickness of 15 g, followed by frying in rapeseed oil heated to 180°C for 5 minutes to produce a textured plant protein-containing food (fish fry-like food (cod-like)). The textured plant protein-containing food produced was further frozen in a quick freezer at -35°C for 50 minutes to produce a frozen textured plant protein-containing food (fish fry-like frozen food (cod-like)).

[0039] Example 2 A frozen textured plant protein-containing food (frozen fish fry-like food) was prepared according to the method of Example 1, except that the degassing time in the vacuum packaging machine when preparing the textured plant protein pellets was 10 seconds. Note that this was the minimum time during vacuum packaging when preparing the textured plant protein pellets that allowed almost no residual air to remain in the pouch.

[0040] Example 3 A frozen textured vegetable protein-containing food (frozen fish fry-like food) was prepared according to the method of Example 1, except that the degassing time in the vacuum packaging machine when preparing the textured vegetable protein pellets was 30 seconds.

[0041] (Comparative Example 1) A frozen textured vegetable protein-containing food (fish fry-like frozen food) was prepared according to the method of Example 1, except that no textured vegetable protein nodules were prepared and 66 g of the crushed textured vegetable protein prepared in Example 1 was used instead of the textured vegetable protein nodules when preparing the molded product.

[0042] (Comparative Example 2) Frozen textured plant protein-containing food (frozen fish fry-like food) was prepared according to the method of Example 1, except that no textured plant protein nodules were prepared, and when preparing the molded product, 66 g of the disintegrated textured plant protein prepared in Example 1 was used instead of the textured plant protein nodules, 1.32 g of transglutaminase was added, and the prepared textured plant protein-containing food molded product was placed in a water bath at 55°C for 20 minutes to allow the enzyme reaction to occur.

[0043] (Comparative Example 3) A frozen textured vegetable protein-containing food (frozen fish fry-like food) was prepared in accordance with the method of Example 1, except that the textured vegetable protein nodules were not vacuum-packed when they were prepared.

[0044] The frozen textured vegetable protein-containing foods (fish fry-like foods) prepared in each test group were cooked in an oven at 180°C for 10 minutes, and the appearance of the fish-like portion and the texture upon eating were evaluated. The evaluation method was an open panel method conducted by six experienced panelists.

[0045] In terms of appearance, those with a cut surface that looked like a collection of small, firm pieces of meat similar to fish meat were rated as excellent, those that were generally good were rated as good, those that were similar to a paste and were inferior were rated as fair, and those that looked like a paste were rated as poor.

[0046] In terms of texture, those that had the density, fibrous texture, and ease of chewing of fish meat, like fried white cod, were rated as ◎; those that were slightly less dense, fibrous, and easy to chew than fish meat but were generally good were rated ○; those that were less dense, fibrous, and easy to chew than fish meat were rated △; and those that were significantly less dense, fibrous, and easy to chew than fish meat were rated ×.

[0047] The evaluation results are shown in Table 1 below.

[0048] [Table 1]

[0049] As shown in Comparative Example 1, in the test group in which the textured plant protein was bound with a binder without preparing small pieces of textured plant protein, the appearance of the molded product itself was homogeneous and paste-like, not only was it unattractive, but the texture was also uniform, soft and easy to chew, but lacked the density and fibrous texture of fish meat.

[0050] As shown in Comparative Example 2, in the test group in which textured plant protein was bound with a binder and transglutaminase without preparing small pieces of textured plant protein, the appearance of the molded product itself was homogeneous and paste-like, which was unattractive, and the texture was also uniform. As for the texture, although the density of the meat increased slightly, the binding was weak, possibly due to enzyme inhibition by the seasoning ingredients, and the density was lacking.

[0051] As shown in Comparative Example 3, when textured plant protein chunks were produced but not vacuum-packaged, the hardness of the textured plant protein chunks was too soft, below the threshold value and unmeasurable, and the adhesion of the textured plant protein within the textured plant protein chunks was weak, making them prone to breaking when cut into chunks and also prone to breaking when mixed to produce a molded product, with the appearance being somewhat like a paste. Furthermore, the texture was nearly uniform, lacking the density and fiber of meat.

[0052] In contrast, as shown in Example 1, when the textured plant protein chunks of the present invention were used, which were prepared by vacuum-packaging textured plant protein and transglutaminase, reacting them, and cutting the textured plant protein chunks, the appearance was not uniform like a paste, and the texture was very good, with the texture being similar to that of fish meat, but being non-continuous and easy to chew, and having a fish meat-like texture.

[0053] Furthermore, as shown in Example 2, when the vacuum packaging conditions were weaker than in Example 1 and the vacuum packaging was at a level where there was barely any remaining air, the adhesion of the textured plant protein aggregates was weaker than in Example 1, as can be seen from the hardness of the textured plant protein aggregates, and the textured plant protein nodules were more likely to break, but the product generally had a good appearance and texture.

[0054] Furthermore, as shown in Example 3, when the vacuum packaging conditions were stronger than those in Example 1, the appearance remained almost unchanged, as can be seen from the hardness of the textured vegetable protein mass, but the texture became denser and harder. If the texture was more densely fish-like rather than cod-like, it would be considered to have a very good texture, and it is believed that the desired texture can be adjusted by changing the time and strength of the vacuum packaging.

Claims

1. mixing the textured plant protein and transglutaminase and vacuum packaging the mixture; a step of reacting the vacuum-packaged textured plant protein with the transglutaminase to produce a textured plant protein mass; and cutting the textured plant protein aggregates thus produced.

2. mixing the textured plant protein and transglutaminase and vacuum packaging the mixture; a step of reacting the vacuum-packaged textured plant protein with the transglutaminase to produce a textured plant protein mass; cutting the prepared textured plant protein mass to prepare small textured plant protein masses; a step of mixing the prepared textured vegetable protein lump with other ingredients to prepare a molded product.

3. 3. A method for producing a molded product for processed foods containing textured vegetable protein according to claim 2, characterized in that the process for producing the molded product is a process for vacuum-packing a mixture of the textured vegetable protein lumps and other ingredients.

4. 4. The method for producing a molded product for processed foods containing textured vegetable protein according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the processed foods containing textured vegetable protein are fish-meat-like protein processed foods.

5. mixing the textured plant protein and transglutaminase and vacuum packaging the mixture; a step of reacting the vacuum-packaged textured plant protein with the transglutaminase to produce a textured plant protein mass; cutting the prepared textured plant protein mass to prepare small textured plant protein masses; a step of mixing the prepared textured plant protein lump with other raw materials to prepare a textured plant protein-containing processed food product; and heating the textured plant protein-containing processed food molded article thus produced.

6. 6. A method for producing a processed food containing textured plant protein according to claim 5, characterized in that the step of producing a molded product for the processed food containing textured plant protein is a step of vacuum-packing a mixture of the textured plant protein lumps and other ingredients.

7. 7. The method for producing a textured plant protein-containing processed food according to claim 5, wherein the textured plant protein-containing processed food is a fish-meat-like protein processed food.

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