Meat substitute food, composition thereof, and production method

Abstract

To provide a meat substitute food which achieves a delicious taste, a composition thereof, and a production method.SOLUTION: A meat substitute food contains precooked Sorghum bicolor as a main component, and the Sorghum bicolor is contained 50% or more, and konjac is contained 1-5%. According to the above, a meat substitute food having a good texture and good taste compared to soy meat can be realized. The meat substitute food does not substantially include any of livestock meat, fish and shellfish, eggs, honey, or dairy products. According to the above, a meat substitute food for a vegan diet in which no animal-derived protein is used can be realized. Further, the meat substitute food can correspond to various food allergies.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a meat substitute processed food, a composition thereof, and a manufacturing method thereof, for example, a meat substitute processed food that allows the intake of plant-derived protein, a composition thereof, and a manufacturing method thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] Protein is a fundamental component of all living organisms, and protein nutrients for a healthy diet can be obtained from foods of both animal and plant origin. Eating animal-derived meat to obtain protein is a part of many people's daily lives. However, the adverse effects of meat-based diets on human health and the environment have been reported. As an alternative to animal-derived proteins, there is growing consumer interest and demand for protein-rich foods that provide texture and flavor characteristics similar to animal meat but lack the unhealthy components associated with meat, such as saturated fatty acids and cholesterol.

[0003] Furthermore, our current lifestyle, in which most of our animal protein comes from livestock, raises serious concerns about climate change. The growing global population (projected to reach 9.6 billion by 2050, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)) and the resulting increased demand for both plant- and animal-based protein are expected to have a significant impact on climate change. Livestock production contributes more to global warming than the transportation industry (40% more than all forms of transportation combined, including cars, trucks, planes, trains, and ships). A recent report estimated that the livestock industry accounts for 14.5% of all human-caused greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Against this background, research into the environmental impacts of various dietary patterns has revealed that vegan diets have the lowest impact. Furthermore, plant-based agriculture is known to have a much lower environmental impact than meat-producing agriculture, in terms of freshwater use, land requirements, and waste generation.

[0004] Against this background, the development of meat substitutes has been actively pursued. Furthermore, for religious reasons, personal beliefs, and even health reasons, meat-like foods that contain a large amount of plant-based ingredients and contain little or no meat ingredients have attracted attention. A representative example of such meat substitutes and meat-like foods (hereinafter referred to as meat substitutes in this disclosure) is soy-derived artificial meat (e.g., Patent Document 1).

[0005] However, the general impression is that meat substitutes sacrifice flavor, are healthy and environmentally friendly, but are not tasty to eat.

[0006] Furthermore, soy meat, which is made primarily from defatted soybeans, has the problem of easily developing the so-called soybean smell or grassy smell derived from soybeans, as well as the bitter taste that is unique to soy meat. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-138220 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] One object of the present disclosure is to provide a meat substitute processed food that is a delicious meat substitute, a composition thereof, and a manufacturing method thereof. Another object is to provide a meat substitute processed food that is a meat substitute that can replace soy meat, a composition thereof, and a manufacturing method thereof. Yet another object is to provide a meat substitute processed food that suppresses soybean odor and grassy odor, a composition thereof, and a manufacturing method thereof. Note that the description of these objectives and objectives of the present disclosure does not preclude the existence of other objectives and objectives. Furthermore, it is not necessary for one embodiment of the present disclosure to solve all of these objectives. Furthermore, it is possible to extract other objectives from the description of the specification, drawings, and claims of the present disclosure. Means for solving the problems and effects of the invention

[0009] The meat substitute processed food according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure contains cooked rice millet as a main ingredient as a meat substitute. This configuration allows for the realization of a food product that has an excellent texture, is low in calories, and is rich in dietary fiber, plant protein, and minerals such as magnesium, folic acid, and iron.

[0010] Furthermore, the meat substitute processed food according to the second aspect contains 50% or more of millet and 1 to 5% of konjac in the above-mentioned aspects. This configuration makes it possible to realize a meat substitute processed food that has a better texture and taste than soy meat, etc.

[0011] Furthermore, in the meat substitute processed food according to the third aspect, in any of the above aspects, the meat substitute processed food is substantially free of meat, seafood, eggs, honey, and dairy products. This allows for the realization of a meat substitute processed food for vegan diets that does not use animal-derived proteins. It can also accommodate various food allergies.

[0012] Furthermore, in a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any of the above aspects, the meat substitute processed food is a frozen food.

[0013] Furthermore, in a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the above aspects, the meat substitute processed food is a hamburger steak or a gyoza dumpling.

[0014] Furthermore, the composition for meat-substitute processed foods according to embodiment 6 contains cooked rice millet as a main ingredient as a meat substitute. With the above-mentioned composition, it is possible to realize a food product that has an excellent texture, is low in calories, and is rich in dietary fiber and minerals such as magnesium and iron.

[0015] Furthermore, the meat substitute processed food composition according to form 7, in any of the above forms, contains 50% or more of millet and 1 to 5% of konjac. With the above composition, it is possible to realize a meat substitute processed food composition that has a better texture and taste than soy meat, etc.

[0016] Furthermore, a method for producing a meat substitute processed food according to embodiment 8 includes the steps of cooking millet, aging the cooked millet for 12 hours or more at 10°C or less, and adding seasonings containing soy sauce and salt to 50% or more of the aged millet and 1 to 5% of konjac, followed by stirring. This allows for the production of a meat substitute processed food with a better texture and taste than soy meat, etc. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below are merely examples for embodying the technical concepts of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to the following. Furthermore, this specification does not in any way specify the components set forth in the claims to be those of the embodiments. The dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions, etc. of components described in the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, and are merely illustrative examples, unless otherwise specified. The size and positional relationships of components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity. Furthermore, in the following description, the same names and symbols indicate components that are identical or of the same quality, and detailed descriptions will be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, the elements constituting the present disclosure may be configured with the same components, such that multiple elements are shared by one component, or conversely, the functions of one component may be shared by multiple components.

[0018] The meat substitute processed food and the meat substitute processed food composition constituting the same of the present disclosure can be used as a substitute or ingredient constituting a substitute for various meat products, such as gyoza, hamburger steak, cabbage rolls, mapo tofu, pasta, etc. In particular, they can be suitably used as a substitute for foods that use ground meat.

[0019] Takakibi is an annual grass in the grass family, known as a grain with a chewy texture and rich flavor. It is also rich in potassium, as well as a balanced amount of minerals such as magnesium, calcium, and iron, and is also rich in dietary fiber. As such, it is a highly nutritious superfood, and is said to be effective in preventing high blood pressure, increasing appetite, bone formation, relieving constipation, improving skin, and preventing anemia. Furthermore, when cooked, takakibi takes on a chewy texture, similar to that of minced meat.

[0020] However, despite its chewy texture and rich flavor, millet itself is a grain, so it inevitably has a texture that feels different from meat. Furthermore, its taste is fundamentally different from meat, with a sweetness unique to grains, making it difficult to describe as "delicious" for those expecting meat. For this reason, it is difficult to use millet as a meat substitute. At best, it has only been used as a partial replacement or bulking agent for ground meat, replacing about half of the ground meat in hamburgers and other dishes with millet. In other words, it has to be mixed into meat products to the extent that the millet tastes unnatural. This method inevitably requires the use of meat and cannot meet the demands of vegans. Furthermore, its effect on reducing livestock production is limited. Most importantly, it fails to address its fatal flaw as a food ingredient—its insipid taste—and merely serves to mask the inherent flavor of the millet. Furthermore, food manufacturers have not yet developed the know-how to mass-produce it.

[0021] Additionally, unlike soy meat, sorghum has a weak viscosity, so a thickener is required. Food additives such as methylcellulose are commonly used as thickeners, but they have the problem of only dissolving in cold water and poorly in warm or hot water. Furthermore, methylcellulose can take a long time to dissolve, and if dissolution is incomplete, clumps or gels can form. In addition to these solubility limitations, it can also interact with proteins and other polymeric compounds, causing precipitation or aggregation. Furthermore, under acidic conditions, viscosity can decrease or precipitation can occur. Furthermore, there are concerns about adverse effects on processability.

[0022] In response to this, the present inventors conducted extensive research to develop a composition for meat substitute processed foods that would not only partially replace meat but would also provide a meat-like texture using only millet, and discovered that adding konjac could achieve a meat-like taste and texture using only millet, leading to the creation of the present invention. Furthermore, they discovered that adding 1-5% konjac to 50% or more millet provides a moderate viscosity, eliminating the need for thickeners or binders that were previously required with conventional millet, resulting in an easy-to-handle food ingredient. As a result, cooked millet, which was previously difficult to use as is, can now be used as a meat substitute in a variety of food ingredients. It can be used as a particularly suitable meat substitute in frozen foods.

[0023] Reproducibility of meat fiber is crucial in developing meat substitutes. As mentioned above, because millet has low viscosity, it does not have a meaty texture when used as is. While various recipes using millet have been shared by individuals on social media, cross-sectional photographs of these recipes clearly show that the millet grains are not completely bonded together. While this may be acceptable for home consumption, it would be unviable for commercial use unless it is commercially viable, and would not contribute to solving issues such as global warming and the protein crisis. To encourage repeat purchases from consumers and establish a mass production system to expand consumption, a product of comparable quality to the meat-based hamburgers and gyoza that consumers regularly eat is required. Reproducibility of meat fiber is crucial. The applicant has been involved in restaurant management since the company's founding in 1968, and has operated a yakiniku restaurant for many years, giving him extensive knowledge of the characteristics of meat fiber and the advantage of being able to reproduce it.

[0024] Furthermore, by not using soy meat, it is possible to avoid the soy smell and grassy smell, as well as the risk of excessive intake of isoflavones, which has been an issue with soy meat.

[0025] The meat substitute processed food composition according to this embodiment and the meat substitute processed food containing the same contain cooked rice millet as a main ingredient as a meat substitute. Specifically, it contains 50% or more millet and 1 to 5% konjac. It may also contain wood ear mushroom powder, salt koji, and perilla oil. This allows the taste and texture to be closer to that of meat.

[0026] Furthermore, the meat substitute processed food composition according to this embodiment and the meat substitute processed food containing the same are substantially free of livestock meat, seafood, eggs, honey, and dairy products. The eggs are substantially free of egg white and egg yolk. This makes them suitable for vegan diets and allows them to be safely consumed as an environmentally friendly food that does not contain animal-derived ingredients. Note that, in this disclosure, "substantially free" does not exclude trace amounts of components, typically impurity levels of less than 1 ppm, that may be unavoidably mixed in when various food ingredients and additives are mixed or added. [Method of manufacturing meat substitute processed food]

[0027] Here we will explain the manufacturing method for meat substitute processed food. First, seasonings are added before cooking the rice to season it. Then the rice is cooked at a temperature of 98°C or higher for no more than 30 minutes. By cooking a large amount of rice in one go over gas, the flavor of the ingredients is concentrated, resulting in a delicious meat substitute processed food.

[0028] After cooking, it is recommended to cool the rice in a refrigerator for about 10 minutes. By quickly cooling the rice in a refrigerator after cooking, it is possible to lock in the flavor of the ingredients.

[0029] The mixture is then further aged. Specifically, ingredients are added to the cooked rice mixture and aged for a certain period of time at a specified temperature. The aging time is set to 12 hours or more. By adjusting the aging time in this way, it is possible to enhance the umami flavor. If it is shorter than this, the texture will be too hard and the core will remain. Conversely, if it is longer than this, the graininess will disappear and the texture will become mochi-like, resulting in a poor texture. The aging temperature is set to 10°C or below. This results in a meat substitute processed food with a good flavor, a moderate chewiness, and an excellent texture.

[0030] The aged sorghum is mixed with 50% or more of the sorghum, 1-5% of konjac, and seasonings including soy sauce and salt.

[0031] By aging at low temperatures in this way, the starch content of the cooked millet itself is suppressed, allowing the millet to proceed to the stirring process while maintaining its shape and firmness. If the cooked millet is then moved to the stirring process while still at high temperatures, the starch becomes sticky and appears to have improved binding properties, but the stickiness is completely different from the stickiness of the meat fibers. As described above, the low-temperature aging process makes it possible to obtain a meat substitute processed food with an enhanced meaty texture. Furthermore, the texture during the stirring process varies significantly depending on the order in which the ingredients are added. The applicant conducted a 2000-hour sensory test of texture to identify the optimal timing for adding the konjac raw material. While compression fracture tests are generally used to measure the firmness of food ingredients, in this embodiment, sensory tests were conducted by testers to achieve a level of meat fiber reproducibility that cannot be achieved with soy meat raw materials. Here, multiple testers were fixed, the test time was fixed, the menu and order of the tests were fixed, and the testers' temperatures were checked on the day. After that, a chewing test was conducted in parallel with a human meat product for 2,000 hours, and the reproduction of the meat texture was confirmed in an environment with high reproducibility and objectivity. [Example 1]

[0032] As a specific example of a meat substitute processed food, a hamburger steak using a composition for meat substitute processed foods was prepared as Example 1, and its nutritional components were analyzed. For comparison, the components of a "mixed ground hamburger steak" published by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in its food composition database were used as Comparative Example 1. The hamburger steak of Example 1 was prepared by first baking a hamburger steak with a composition for meat substitute processed foods using millet, and then freezing it to produce a frozen hamburger steak. Frozen hamburger steaks are sold in staffed stores, unstaffed stores, online stores, etc. The components of this frozen hamburger steak were examined for each item per 100g, and the results are shown in Table 1 below. Analysis of each component was commissioned to Spec Co., Ltd.

[0033] [Table 1] TIFF2025165136000001.tif40144

[0034] As is clear from Table 1, it was confirmed that the frozen hamburger steak serving as a meat substitute processed food according to Example 1 had approximately 34% of the fat content and approximately 70% of the energy content of a meat hamburger steak. In other words, the hamburger steak according to Example 1 has approximately 66% less fat and approximately 30% less energy than the meat hamburger steak of Comparative Example 1. It also contains five nutrients: folic acid, iron, vitamin D, potassium, and magnesium, fulfilling the requirements for a functional food. There are no products on the meat substitute market that fulfill the same functions as those described above. Thus, the meat substitute processed food, composition thereof, and production method according to the present disclosure exhibit excellent nutritional value, low fat content, and low calories, as well as excellent taste. [Industrial Applicability]

[0035] The meat substitute processed food and composition thereof, as well as the production method according to the present disclosure, can be suitably used for gyoza, hamburger steak, cabbage rolls, mapo tofu, pasta, and the like.

[0036] Furthermore, not using meat or dairy products reduces the environmental impact in many ways. For example, methane gas emitted by livestock such as cows, sheep, and goats through burps is a cause of greenhouse gases. When viewed over a 100-year period, methane's greenhouse effect is said to be 28 times that of CO2. As such, greenhouse gases emitted by livestock account for approximately 14% of the world's greenhouse gases, equivalent to the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted from all vehicles. In recent years, it has been reported that one-third of greenhouse gases are related to food. This disclosure will contribute to such improvements in global warming.

[0037] The technology disclosed herein also contributes to improving water quality. Animals raised for meat and dairy products produce many times more waste than humans. Most of this waste is sprayed onto ponds and fields because there are no animal sewage treatment plants. Furthermore, in industrial livestock farming, animals are raised indoors in overcrowded conditions, and large amounts of antibiotics and hormones are administered. It has been pointed out that large amounts of drug-contaminated animal feces and urine are contaminating waterways and rivers and oceans. Additionally, many crops grown for livestock feed are produced using large amounts of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and the like, much of which flows into streams and rivers, polluting the water quality. The present disclosure also contributes to improving such water pollution.

[0038] Furthermore, the technology disclosed herein also contributes to forest conservation. Approximately 100 million hectares of tropical rainforest were lost between 1980 and 2000, much of which was attributed to plantations for cattle grazing and livestock feed. Forests absorb and store carbon, and further deforestation is extremely dangerous in preventing climate change. This disclosure also contributes to improving this type of deforestation.

[0039] Furthermore, the disclosed technology also contributes to land use. According to the United Nations report "Livestock's Long Shadow," industrial livestock farming is the largest user of land on Earth and a leading cause of deforestation. Meat production utilizes 26% of the Earth's land area, or approximately one-quarter. To feed 9.8 billion people in 2050, we will need to produce 56% more food than in 2010. If meat and dairy consumption continues at the current rate, it is estimated that forests twice the size of India would need to be converted into farmland. With the habitats of many wild animals already destroyed and their futures threatened, further deforestation would be catastrophic. We need to reduce the production of animal-based ingredients and conserve land cleared for mass production of grains for livestock feed and animal farming. Reducing livestock farming using the disclosed technology will also contribute to land use on Earth.

[0040] Furthermore, the technology of the present disclosure also contributes to curbing the mass use of grain. Livestock farming requires large amounts of grain, which requires vast areas of farmland, leading to deforestation and ecosystem destruction. For example, it is said that 25 kg of grain is required to produce 1 kg of steak. The technology of the present disclosure is also effective in this case.

[0041] Furthermore, the technology disclosed herein also contributes to the issue of air pollution. Air pollution is a major cause of death, and a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States found that approximately 16,000 people die annually in the United States due to air pollution caused by PM2.5 emissions from agriculture and other food production. 80% of these deaths are said to be related to the production of animal products such as meat, dairy products, and eggs. According to this paper, the number of premature deaths caused by air pollution from raising cattle and growing feed crops is 4,000 per year; if pigs and dairy cows are added to this, the number of deaths rises to 9,100 per year.

[0042] Furthermore, the technology disclosed herein contributes to the problem of soil degradation. Because livestock raising requires large amounts of feed, monoculture using pesticides and chemical fertilizers has traditionally been practiced. The overreliance on chemical fertilizers has led to an increase in soils with excess or deficiencies of certain nutrients. As a result, approximately one-third of the world's soil is said to be experiencing some level of degradation. The nitrogen and phosphorus cycles, which are crucial for maintaining the Earth's balance, have already exceeded a dangerous critical point. To ensure the Earth remains a safe place to live, the use of chemical fertilizers, along with climate change, is an urgent issue. The use of chemical fertilizers not only leads to soil degradation but also increases dead zones, where marine life cannot survive due to a lack of oxygen. Chemical fertilizers also contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide, which exacerbate climate change, as well as acid rain, respiratory diseases, and reduced crop yields.

[0043] The technology disclosed also addresses the issue of excessive water use. Meat companies use large amounts of water throughout their operations and supply chains, from animal feed and production to animal slaughter and processing. For example, it takes approximately 15,000 liters of water to produce a 1 kg steak.

[0044] Furthermore, the technology disclosed herein can contribute to the problem of zoonotic diseases. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that three-quarters of newly emerging infectious diseases originate from animals. The World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) have also warned that increased demand for animal protein poses a major risk to the proliferation of pandemics. One cause of infectious diseases is deforestation. Increased meat consumption and the continued decline of forest areas for livestock and feed cultivation have led to increased contact between animals. Overcrowding of animals is also a contributing factor to the spread of infectious diseases. To fundamentally resolve pandemics, we must reconsider the nature of animal exploitation and environmental destruction. The One Health concept, which considers the environment (ecosystem), living things, and human health to be interconnected and integral, is crucial for preventing future infectious diseases.

[0045] Furthermore, the technology disclosed herein contributes to addressing the issue of biodiversity loss. Over the past 50 years, wild animal populations have declined by 68%. It is said that 60% of this biodiversity loss is due to human consumption. Among the Earth's terrestrial mammals, wild animals account for only 4% of the total. Conversely, livestock animals, which humans have overpopulated, account for 60%. Human life and the Earth's stable climate are supported by biodiversity.

[0046] As mentioned above, excessive consumption of animal-based ingredients is causing not only greenhouse gas emissions but also many other environmental problems. The technology disclosed here will help reduce these environmental impacts by popularizing meat substitute processed foods and curbing the livestock industry. As a result, of the 17 goals and 169 targets set out in the international goals SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) adopted at the United Nations Summit in September 2015, "8. Decent work and economic growth", "8.4 By 2030, improve progressively global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production, with developed countries taking the lead." "9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable development, and promote sustainable development through the sustainable use of natural resources and the promotion of sustainable development strategies.", "9.4 By 2030, improve infrastructure and retrofit industries, including by increasing resource-use efficiency and expanding the adoption of clean and environmentally friendly technologies and industrial processes, to make them sustainable. All countries will take action in accordance with their respective capabilities.", "11. Sustainable cities and communities", "11.6 By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management", - This technology contributes to the following goals: "12. Responsible Consumption and Production", "12.4 By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment", and "12.5 By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse".

Claims

1. A meat substitute processed food, A meat substitute processed food containing cooked rice millet as a main ingredient as a substitute for meat.

2. The meat substitute processed food according to claim 1, More than 50% sorghum, A meat substitute processed food containing 1 to 5% konjac.

3. The meat substitute processed food according to claim 1, The meat substitute processed food is substantially free of any of livestock meat, seafood, eggs, honey, and dairy products.

4. The meat substitute processed food according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The meat substitute processed food is a frozen food.

5. The meat substitute processed food according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The meat substitute processed food is a hamburger steak or a gyoza.

6. A composition for a meat substitute processed food, The composition for meat substitute processed food contains cooked rice millet as a main component as a meat substitute.

7. The composition for meat substitute processed food according to claim 6, More than 50% sorghum, A composition for meat substitute processed foods containing 1 to 5% konjac.

8. A method for producing a meat substitute processed food, The process of cooking millet, A step of maturing the cooked rice millet at 10°C or less for 12 hours or more; A step of adding seasonings containing soy sauce and salt to 50% or more of the matured sorghum and 1 to 5% of konjac, and stirring the mixture; A method for producing a meat substitute processed food comprising the steps of:

Images