Noodle-containing set product, fresh noodles used therein, and method for suppressing quality deterioration of noodles due to overheating

Abstract

To provide: a noodle-containing set product in which noodles and a high-moisture food such as soup are housed without being in contact with each other, and which can be heated together in a microwave oven or the like for consumption, the product being capable of suppressing quality deterioration of the noodles caused by overheating; fresh noodles used therein; and a method for suppressing quality deterioration such as deterioration of texture of noodles due to overheating.SOLUTION: A noodle-containing set product to be heated for consumption includes: (a) heatable noodles that contain grain flour as a noodle raw material, the grain flour containing a total of 3-30 mass% of modified starch having an acetyl group content of 1% or more and / or modified starch having a hydroxypropyl group content of 2.3% or more; and (b) a high-moisture food having a higher moisture content than (a), where the (a) heatable noodles and the (b) high-moisture food are housed not in contact with each other. For the noodle-containing set product of the present invention, also provided are fresh noodles to be used in the (a) heatable noodles, and a method for suppressing deterioration of texture and / or deterioration of ease of separation caused by overheating of the heatable noodles, the method comprising using, in the preparation of the heatable noodles, noodle raw materials containing grain flour that includes a total of 3-30 mass% of modified starch having an acetyl group content of 1% or more and / or modified starch having a hydroxypropyl group content of 2.3% or more.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a noodle-containing set product in which noodles and high-moisture foods such as soups are stored without contacting each other and are eaten after being heated simultaneously, in which deterioration of the quality of the noodles due to overheating is suppressed, fresh noodles used in the product, and a method for suppressing deterioration of the quality of noodles due to overheating. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, many noodle-containing set products have been sold as frozen noodles or refrigerated noodles, in which noodles and high-moisture foods such as soups (which in the present invention also include thickened or thickened noodles and sauces), cooked rice foods such as white rice, pilaf, and fried rice, and side dishes such as stir-fried vegetables and mapo tofu are heated in a microwave oven or the like and eaten simultaneously. Such noodle-containing set products include types in which the noodles and high-moisture food such as soup are stored in contact with each other and are heated in a microwave oven or the like and eaten as is, and types in which the noodles and high-moisture food are stored separately and are heated simultaneously in a microwave oven or the like and then eaten together as needed (particularly when the high-moisture food is soup). In either type, noodles are often more easily heated than high-moisture foods such as soups, and so if the heating conditions are adjusted to match those of the high-moisture food, the noodles will overheat, causing a problem of quality deterioration.

[0003] As an example of technology related to noodles used in the above-mentioned noodle-containing set products, Patent Document 1 discloses a boiled water expander for frozen cooked noodles that contains resistant starches as an active ingredient, frozen cooked noodles that contain the boiled water expander for frozen cooked noodles, noodles for frozen cooked noodles that contain the boiled water expander for frozen cooked noodles, noodles for frozen cooked noodles that contain the boiled water expander for frozen cooked noodles, noodles for frozen cooked noodles that contain the boiled water expander for frozen cooked noodles, and frozen cooked noodles that include the noodles for frozen cooked noodles and frozen soup, as well as frozen cooked noodles in which the noodles for frozen cooked noodles are placed below the frozen soup within a package. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-180779 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the technology of Patent Document 1 is intended to prevent deterioration in the quality of noodles in a noodle-containing set product in which noodles and soup are stored in contact with each other and are heated in a microwave oven or the like and eaten as is, but it does not address the problem of deterioration in the quality of noodles in a noodle-containing set product in which noodles and high-moisture foods such as soup are stored without being in contact with each other and are heated simultaneously in a microwave oven or the like and eaten, i.e., deterioration in the quality of noodles due to overheating when the moisture content is low.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a noodle-containing set product in which noodles and high-moisture foods such as soups are stored without being in contact with each other and are heated and eaten simultaneously, in which deterioration in the quality of the noodles, such as their texture, due to overheating in a low-moisture state is suppressed, as well as fresh noodles to be used in the product, and a method for suppressing deterioration in the quality of the noodles, such as their texture, due to overheating. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The above object can be achieved by a noodle-containing set product to be eaten after heating, which comprises (a) cooked noodles containing cereal flour as a noodle ingredient, the cereal flour containing 3 to 30% by mass in total of a modified starch having an acetyl group content of 1% or more and / or a modified starch having a hydroxypropyl group content of 2.3% or more, and (b) a high-moisture food having a higher moisture content than (a), wherein the (a) cooked noodles and the (b) high-moisture food are contained without contacting each other; and a method for suppressing a decrease in texture and / or loosening ability caused by overheating the raw noodles used in the (a) cooked noodles and the cooked noodles in the noodle-containing set product of the present invention, which method comprises using a noodle ingredient containing cereal flour containing 3 to 30% by mass in total of a modified starch having an acetyl group content of 1% or more and / or a modified starch having a hydroxypropyl group content of 2.3% or more to prepare the cooked noodles. In the present invention, "high-moisture food having a higher moisture content than (a)" means a food having a higher moisture content (the proportion of water expressed as a percentage) than "(a) cooked noodles." [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, in a noodle-containing set product in which noodles and a high-moisture food such as soup are stored without contact and are heated and eaten simultaneously, deterioration in the quality of the noodles, such as their texture, can be suppressed even if the heating time of the noodles is extended to match the heating time of the high-moisture food such as soup. This makes it possible to provide a noodle-containing set product that allows easy cooking of noodles, as in specialty stores that combine the noodles and soup just before eating, particularly when the high-moisture food is soup. The present invention is a technology for noodle-containing set products that are stored and / or distributed at room temperature, refrigerated, or frozen, and is particularly applicable to noodle-containing set products that are stored and / or distributed refrigerated or frozen, which enable longer best-before dates and expiration dates, and can also contribute to a sustainable society. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] [Set product containing noodles] The noodle-containing set product of the present invention is a noodle-containing set product to be heated and eaten, and includes (a) cooked noodles containing cereal flour as a noodle ingredient, the cereal flour containing a total of 3 to 30 mass% of a modified starch having an acetyl group content of 1% or more and / or a modified starch having a hydroxypropyl group content of 2.3% or more, and (b) a high-moisture food having a higher moisture content than (a), wherein the cooked noodles (a) and the high-moisture food (b) are packaged separately. By using cooked noodles made from the above-specified noodle ingredients, in a noodle-containing set product in which noodles and a high-moisture food such as soup are packaged separately and heated and eaten simultaneously, deterioration in the quality of the noodles, such as their texture, can be suppressed even if the heating time of the noodles is extended to match the heating time of the high-moisture food such as soup. In the present invention, noodles are a concept that encompasses not only the noodle strings and noodle sheets used in pastas such as Chinese noodles, spaghetti, and macaroni, but also the noodle skins used in dumplings and the like. Specific examples include Chinese noodles, yakisoba, udon, Japanese soba, somen, hiyamugi, hiyashimen, rice vermicelli, kishimen, long pasta such as spaghetti, capellini, linguine, and fettuccine, short pasta such as macaroni and penne, gyoza wrappers, wonton wrappers, etc. Examples of high-moisture foods include soups (including thickened and soy sauces) for various noodles, cooked rice such as white rice, pilaf, and fried rice, and prepared dishes such as stir-fried vegetables and mapo tofu. In the present invention, the high-moisture food is preferably a soup, since this allows for the production of a noodle-containing set product that can easily cook noodles like those found in specialty stores, where the noodles and soup are heated without coming into contact with each other and then combined just before eating. In one aspect of the present invention, since the decrease in the loosening properties of noodles due to overheating can be suppressed, the present invention is suitable for use in noodle-containing set products that use noodle strands such as Chinese noodles, yakisoba, udon, Japanese soba, somen, hiyamugi, hiyashimen, rice vermicelli, kishimen, and long pasta such as spaghetti, capellini, linguine, fettuccine, etc. In another aspect, the present invention is suitable for use in noodles with a high pH due to kansui or the like (for example, Chinese noodles, wonton wrappers, etc.) since the browning of noodles due to overheating can be suppressed.

[0010] In the noodle-containing set product of the present invention, the cooked noodles and high-moisture foods such as soups are stored in a manner that prevents them from coming into contact with each other. The cooked noodles and high-moisture foods such as soups may be stored in the same space without coming into contact with each other, or the cooked noodles and high-moisture foods such as soups may be stored in separate spaces. For example, the cooked noodles may be stored in a single dedicated container that has a space for storing cooked noodles and a space for storing high-moisture foods such as soups, or a container for cooked noodles and a container for high-moisture foods such as soups may be stored separately. The container may be equipped with a steam vent or other conventional method for cooking noodles. Because the effects of the present invention are achieved even when the cooked noodles are overheated without the influence of steam generated when heating soups, it is preferable that the cooked noodles and the soups be stored in separate spaces. Furthermore, the noodle-containing set product of the present invention is a noodle-containing set product that can be stored and / or distributed at room temperature, refrigerated, or frozen. In particular, the heating time tends to be long, and the effects of the present invention are more easily exhibited in a noodle-containing set product that is stored and / or distributed in a frozen state. In another aspect, the noodle-containing set product of the present invention is preferably a noodle-containing set product that is heated in a microwave oven and eaten.

[0011] <Noodle ingredients> In the present invention, the noodle raw material for the (a) cooked noodles contains cereal flour, as described above, and the cereal flour contains a total of 3 to 30 mass% of modified starch with an acetyl group content of 1% or more and / or modified starch with a hydroxypropyl group content of 2.3% or more. That is, in the present invention, cereal flour includes not only flour obtained by milling raw cereal grains, but also starch containing the above-mentioned modified starches. There are no particular limitations on the cereal flour obtained by milling cereals, and examples include wheat flour such as hard flour, semi-hard flour, medium-strength flour, weak flour, durum wheat flour (including durum semolina), buckwheat flour, rice flour, sorghum flour, corn flour, barley flour, soy flour, and products obtained by heat-treating these flours. The starch is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include starches (aerial starches) such as corn starch, rice starch, wheat starch, and sago starch; starches derived from rhizomes or roots (underground starches) such as potato starch, tapioca starch, and sweet potato starch; waxy and high-amylose starches; and processed starches obtained by subjecting these starches to physical or chemical processing, either alone or in combination. In the present invention, the flour preferably contains at least one of wheat flour, buckwheat flour, and rice flour, and more preferably the proportion of one selected from wheat flour, buckwheat flour, and rice flour is higher than the proportion of each of the other grain flours. Furthermore, the content of one selected from wheat flour, buckwheat flour, and rice flour in the flour is more preferably 50% by mass or more, even more preferably 70% by mass or more, and it is particularly preferred that the wheat flour content be 70% by mass or more.

[0012] In the present invention, the noodle raw material has a total content of processed starch with an acetyl group content of 1% or more and / or processed starch with a hydroxypropyl group content of 2.3% or more in the flour of 3 to 30% by mass. As will be shown in the examples described later, if the content of the processed starch in the flour does not satisfy the above-mentioned range, the effects of the present invention will not be obtained. There are no particular restrictions on the content of starch (including modified starch) other than those mentioned above. The total content of processed starch with an acetyl group content of 1% or more and / or processed starch with a hydroxypropyl group content of 2.3% or more in the flour is preferably 6 to 28% by mass, more preferably 8 to 22% by mass. In processed starches having an acetyl group content of 1% or more and / or a hydroxypropyl group content of 2.3% or more, the raw starch is not particularly limited, and any starch that can be processed to have the above-specified acetyl group content and / or hydroxypropyl group content (similar to the starch contained in the above-mentioned cereal flour) can be used, for example, tapioca starch, potato starch, waxy corn starch, etc. Furthermore, there is no particular limitation on processing other than acetylation and / or hydroxypropylation, and the starch may be subjected to a crosslinking treatment such as phosphate crosslinking, for example.

[0013] In the present invention, the acetyl group content of the processed starch is preferably 1.3% or more, more preferably 1.7% or more. The upper limit of the acetyl group content is preferably 2.5% or less, which allows it to be used as a food additive. The acetyl group content of the processed starch is the value measured by the method described in the section on acetylated adipate cross-linked starch (p. 380) of the "Japan Standards for Food Additives, 9th Edition."

[0014] In the present invention, the hydroxypropyl group content of the processed starch is preferably 3% or more, more preferably 3.4% or more, even more preferably 4% or more, and even more preferably 4.5% or more. The upper limit of the hydroxypropyl group content is preferably 7.0% or less, which is the limit for use as a food additive. The hydroxypropyl group content of the processed starch is the value measured by the method described in the section on hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch (pp. 843-845) of the "Japan Standards of Food Additives, 9th Edition."

[0015] In the present invention, there are no particular restrictions on the ingredients other than the flour contained in the noodle ingredients. However, when noodles are heated in a microwave oven and eaten, the greater the amount of salt and / or kansui (water-soluble alkaline mineral water), the more likely the noodles are to be overcooked, resulting in a greater deterioration in quality, such as texture, even for the same heating time. The noodle-containing set product of the present invention can suppress this deterioration in quality, making it easier to achieve the effects of the present invention. Therefore, it is preferable that the noodle ingredients contain salt and / or kansui. The total content of salt and kansui is more preferably 1.2 to 5 parts by mass, more preferably 1.8 to 4.5 parts by mass, even more preferably 2.2 to 4.3 parts by mass, or even 2.8 to 4.2 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of flour. In another aspect, the content of kansui in the noodle ingredients is more preferably 0.8 to 4 parts by mass, more preferably 1.2 to 3.5 parts by mass, and even more preferably 1.8 to 3 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of flour, in order to enhance the aroma characteristic of Chinese noodles. Furthermore, as ingredients for the noodle ingredients of the present invention, other than the above-mentioned grain flour, salt, and kansui, ingredients generally used for noodles can be appropriately selected and used, and examples include proteins such as whole eggs, egg whites, egg yolks, casein, and wheat protein; edible oils and fats; sugars; colorings; amino acids such as alanine, glycine, and lysine; seasonings other than salt such as monosodium glutamate; flavorings; thickeners, alcoholic preparations, etc.

[0016] <Cooked noodles> In the present invention, cooked noodles can be produced using the aforementioned noodle ingredients according to conventional methods. For example, a noodle dough is prepared by mixing and kneading the aforementioned noodle ingredients, if necessary, with water. The amount of water added will vary depending on the type of noodle, but it is usually preferred to add 25 to 50 parts by mass, and more preferably 28 to 48 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the noodle ingredients. It is also possible to premix some of the noodle ingredients with the water to be added, and then add this to the other noodle ingredients and knead. Furthermore, when preparing the noodle dough, it is preferable to knead the noodles under conditions of a vacuum pressure of 0.06 MPa or higher. This ensures a good texture for the noodles when eaten.

[0017] In the present invention, the prepared noodle dough can be made into fresh noodles of the desired shape using known noodle-making methods such as extrusion, rolling, hand-stretching, and hand-made methods. In the present invention, the noodle dough or fresh noodles may be aged as needed. One aspect of the present invention is the fresh noodles used in the noodle-containing set product of the present invention (a) cooked noodles. The fresh noodles of the present invention can be obtained, for example, by rolling the noodle dough, and then cutting it into noodle strands using a noodle-making machine or the like, cutting out noodle skins using a die-cutting machine or the like, or cutting noodle strips into the desired size. Alternatively, fresh noodles of the desired size and shape can be obtained by extruding the noodle dough through an extrusion die, for example. The shape of the fresh noodles in the present invention is not particularly limited and can be selected depending on the type of noodle, but preferably has a diameter of 0.6 to 4.5 mm or a thickness of 0.6 to 4.5 mm. Furthermore, the fresh noodles of the present invention can be used as (a) cooked noodles in the noodle-containing set product of the present invention after being stored and / or distributed at room temperature, refrigerated, or frozen.

[0018] In the present invention, the prepared fresh noodles can be cooked by boiling in hot water or the like to produce cooked noodles. There are no particular restrictions on the method for cooking fresh noodles, and they can of course be cooked by boiling, but they can also be cooked by steaming, frying, using a microwave, steam convection, or a combination of these. The noodles can be gelatinized until they are ready to eat, and sauces or seasonings can be added, or they can be fried afterwards. Furthermore, as described above, the prepared cooked noodles are preferably used in a noodle-containing set product that is stored and / or distributed in a frozen state, as this makes it easier to achieve the effects of the present invention. Therefore, they are preferably frozen to -20°C or below, and more preferably flash-frozen to -20°C or below. There are no particular restrictions on the freezing method, and the noodles can be frozen using conventional methods. There are also no particular restrictions on the timing of freezing, and the cooked noodles can be frozen on their own, or they can be frozen after being combined with soup to form a noodle-containing set product.

[0019] In the present invention, the water weight of cooked noodles is not particularly limited. For example, when the cooked noodles contained in the package weigh 100 g, the water weight of the cooked noodles is 40 to 75 g, preferably 45 to 70 g. The water weight of cooked noodles refers to the water weight when they are packaged in a noodle-containing set product. For example, when cooked noodles are cooled and then packaged in a noodle-containing set product, the water weight after cooling is the water weight of the cooked noodles. When sauces or seasonings are added and the noodles are then stir-fried before being packaged in a noodle-containing set product, the water weight of the cooked noodles refers to the water weight after the sauces or seasonings are added, or after the sauces or seasonings are added and stir-fried. Furthermore, when a loosening agent is applied or a glaze treatment is performed, the water weight attached to the cooked noodles is the water weight of the cooked noodles. The cooked noodles may be in contact with ingredients, but the water weight of the cooked noodles of the present invention does not include the water weight of the ingredients. In the present invention, the moisture weight of cooked noodles is calculated by determining the moisture content and then multiplying it by the weight of the cooked noodles contained therein. The moisture content of cooked noodles can be determined by the dry weight method. Specifically, the cooked noodles are weighed to a certain weight, dry-heat dried, and then reweighed, and the weight loss is taken as the moisture content. A preferred embodiment of the present invention is a noodle-containing set product to be eaten by heating, comprising: (a) cooked noodles containing cereal flour as a noodle ingredient, the cereal flour containing a total of 3 to 30 mass% of modified starch having an acetyl group content of 1% or more and / or modified starch having a hydroxypropyl group content of 2.3% or more; and (b) a high-moisture food having a higher moisture content than (a), wherein the moisture weight of the (b) high-moisture food is greater than the moisture weight of the (a) cooked noodles, and the (a) cooked noodles and the (b) high-moisture food are contained without contacting each other. "The water weight of the (b) high-moisture food is greater than the water weight of the (a) cooked noodles" means that the water weight of the (b) high-moisture food is greater when compared to the water weight of the (a) cooked noodles. In other words, the water weight of the cooked noodles is lower than the water weight of high-moisture foods such as soups that are also contained in noodle-containing set products. When heating in a microwave oven, the higher the water weight, the longer the heating time tends to be.The noodle-containing set product of the present invention can prevent quality deterioration caused by overheating of noodles without them coming into contact with high-moisture foods such as soups, so the above embodiment is preferred in that it makes it easier to achieve the effects of the present invention.

[0020] <High moisture foods> The high-moisture food of the present invention has a higher moisture content than the cooked noodles. As described above, examples of the high-moisture food include soups (including thickened and sauced dishes) for various types of noodles, cooked rice dishes such as white rice, pilaf, fried rice, and risotto, and side dishes such as stir-fried vegetables and mapo tofu, with soups being preferred. When the high-moisture food is a soup, it can be appropriately selected depending on the type of noodles, and examples include soups for ramen, udon, soba, soups for soup pasta, thickened dishes for thickened yakisoba, and sauces for pasta such as meat spaghetti. The moisture weight of the high-moisture food of the present invention is not particularly limited; for example, when the cooked noodles contained in the noodle set are 100 g, the moisture weight of the high-moisture food is 30 to 500 g. The moisture weight of the high-moisture food, such as soups, of the present invention is preferably greater than the moisture weight of the cooked noodles contained in the noodle-containing set product. Under this rule, high-moisture foods such as soups tend to require longer heating times than cooked noodles, resulting in overheating of noodles without contact with the high-moisture food. The moisture weight of a high-moisture food refers to the total moisture weight. For example, if the high-moisture food is a soup, the soup may contain ingredients. If ingredients are included, the moisture weight of the soup of the present invention refers to the total moisture weight of the soup, including the ingredients. Furthermore, a preferred range for the moisture weight of a high-moisture food of the present invention is 80 to 500 g, 85 to 400 g, or 90 to 350 g, for example, when the cooked noodles contained therein are 100 g. The moisture weight of a high-moisture food is calculated after determining its moisture content in the same manner as for cooked noodles, and the moisture content can also be measured by the dry weight method. Specifically, the high-moisture food is homogenized as necessary, weighed to a fixed weight, dry-heat dried, and then weighed again, and the moisture content can be determined by taking the weight loss as the moisture content.

[0021] The high-moisture foods such as soups of the present invention can be prepared according to conventional methods depending on the type of noodle-containing set product. The high-moisture foods such as soups may be prepared in the same location (such as in the same factory) as the cooked noodles, or in a different location and / or at a different time. The prepared high-moisture foods such as soups are preferably used in noodle-containing set products that are stored and / or distributed in a frozen state, as this makes it easier to achieve the effects of the present invention, as described above. Therefore, they are preferably frozen, preferably frozen to -20°C or below. The freezing method is not particularly limited, and follows conventional methods. Furthermore, when the high-moisture food is soup, it may be crushed after freezing.

[0022] [Manufacturing method for noodle-containing set products] The method for producing a noodle-containing set product of the present invention is a method for producing a noodle-containing set product to be heated and eaten, and includes the steps of (a) preparing cooked noodles using a noodle ingredient containing cereal flour, the cereal flour containing a total of 3 to 30% by mass of a modified starch having an acetyl group content of 1% or more and / or a modified starch having a hydroxypropyl group content of 2.3% or more, preparing a (b) high-moisture food having a higher moisture content than (a), and storing the (a) cooked noodles and the (b) high-moisture food separately. This allows for the production of a noodle-containing set product of the present invention in which noodles and a high-moisture food such as soup are stored separately and are heated and eaten simultaneously, and in which deterioration in the quality of the noodles, such as their texture, is suppressed even if the heating time of the noodles is extended to match the heating time of the high-moisture food such as soup. In addition to the above steps, the method for producing a noodle-containing set product of the present invention preferably also includes the steps of flash-freezing the prepared cooked noodles and freezing the prepared high-moisture food such as soup. These steps may be carried out separately or simultaneously, or may be carried out after the step of packing the cooked noodles and the high-moisture food such as soup without them being in contact with each other. Note that preferred embodiments of the method for producing the noodle-containing set product of the present invention are the same as those for the noodle-containing set product of the present invention.

[0023] [Method for preventing deterioration in the texture and other qualities of cooked noodles] The method of the present invention for suppressing deterioration in the quality of cooked noodles, such as their texture, is a method for suppressing deterioration in texture and / or loosening properties caused by overheating cooked noodles, and is characterized in that the cooked noodles are prepared using a noodle ingredient containing flour containing a total of 3 to 30 mass% of processed starch with an acetyl group content of 1% or more and / or processed starch with a hydroxypropyl group content of 2.3% or more. There are no particular restrictions on the heating method used to overheat the cooked noodles, but the effects of the present invention are more likely to be achieved when overheating in a microwave oven. The noodle ingredient and preferred embodiments thereof are the same as the noodle ingredient described above in the description of the noodle-containing set product of the present invention. [Example]

[0024] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to examples. 1. Modified starch used The raw starches and the acetyl group content or hydroxypropyl group content of the processed starches used are shown in Table 1. The acetyl group content of the processed starch was measured by the method described in the section on acetylated adipate cross-linked starch (p. 380) of the 9th edition of the Japanese Standards of Food Additives, and the hydroxypropyl group content of the processed starch was measured by the method described in the section on hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch (pp. 843-845) of the 9th edition of the Japanese Standards of Food Additives.

[0025] [Table 1]

[0026] 2. Preparation and evaluation of noodle-containing set products 1 (1) Preparation of cooked noodles The cooked noodles were prepared by adding 35 to 44 parts by mass of water to the noodle ingredients shown in each table, mixing, and then mixing for 15 minutes to prepare noodle dough. The noodle ingredients used were wheat flour (Kinran, Showa Sangyo), wheat protein (B-Powder Glu, Showa Sangyo), and kansui (Kansui Blue, Oriental Yeast Co., Ltd.). The resulting noodle dough was rolled out in a roll-type noodle machine and cut (cutting blade: No. 20) to prepare fresh Chinese noodles (fresh noodles) with a noodle strand thickness of 1.6 mm. Next, each fresh Chinese noodle was boiled in boiling water, washed with water, drained, and then divided into 100g portions in bags with steam vents. They were then flash-frozen at -40°C to obtain frozen Chinese noodles (frozen cooked noodles). The boiling time was adjusted so that the moisture content of the cooked noodles after draining was 60% by mass. (2) Preparation of noodle-containing set products As a high-moisture food, 300 g of soy sauce soup (290 g of water) was frozen and then crushed, placed in a bag with a steam vent, and placed in a container together with the bag containing the frozen Chinese noodles prepared in (1) to prepare a noodle-containing set product, which was then stored in a freezer at -20°C. (3) Evaluation of noodle-containing set products The noodle-containing set products prepared in (2) were heated in a microwave oven at 500W for 10 minutes and 30 seconds, and then the cooked noodles were mixed with soup and subjected to the following sensory evaluation. The sensory evaluation was carried out by a trained expert panel of 10 people, who evaluated the loosening properties, surface hardness, viscoelasticity, and browning based on the following evaluation criteria. The noodle-containing set products in Table 2 were also evaluated for aroma. The evaluation results were calculated as average scores. The results are shown in Tables 2 to 4. (i) Fragrance 5: The aroma of the noodles is very good 4: The aroma of noodles is good 3: The aroma of noodles is somewhat good 2: The noodles don't have much of a scent. 1: No noodle smell (ii) Disentanglement 5: Noodles come apart very easily 4: Noodles come apart easily 3: Noodles tend to fall apart easily 2: Noodles are a little difficult to separate 1: Noodles are difficult to separate (iii) Surface hardness 5: Very good surface hardness 4: Good surface hardness 3: Surface hardness is somewhat good 2: The surface is soft or a little too hard 1: The surface is too soft or too hard (iv) Viscoelasticity 5: Very good viscoelasticity of noodles 4: Good viscoelasticity of noodles 3: The viscoelasticity of noodles is somewhat good 2: The viscoelasticity of noodles is somewhat poor 1: Noodles have poor viscoelasticity (v) Browning 5: The noodles have not browned at all. 4: The noodles are barely browned. 3: The noodles are slightly browned. 2: The noodles are slightly browned 1: The noodles have turned brown.

[0027] [Table 2]

[0028] [Table 3]

[0029] [Table 4]

[0030] In Table 2, we first investigated the effects of microwave heating on noodles prepared using noodle ingredients containing only wheat flour and varying amounts of salt and alkaline mineral water. As shown in Table 2, a higher total salt and alkaline mineral water content in the noodle ingredients tended to increase the evaluation of "aroma" and decrease the evaluation of other items. In particular, the sensory evaluation was significantly lower for noodle-containing set products containing cooked noodles prepared using noodle ingredients in which the total salt and alkaline mineral water content was 1.5 parts by mass or more per 100 parts by mass of flour. Therefore, in Examples 1 to 17 and Comparative Examples 1 to 6, we used noodle ingredients containing 1.5 parts by mass of salt and 2.5 parts by mass of alkaline mineral water, for a total content of 4 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of flour, and conducted tests to determine whether deterioration in the quality of the cooked noodles, such as the texture, contained in the noodle-containing set products could be suppressed.

[0031] As shown in Tables 3 and 4, the noodle-containing set products of Examples 1 to 17, which contained cooked noodles containing cereal flour as a noodle ingredient, the cereal flour containing 5 to 25 mass% in total of modified starches B to E having an acetyl group content of 1.1 to 2.3%, or modified starches G to K having a hydroxypropyl group content of 2.5 to 5.2%, and soup as a high-moisture food, in which the cooked noodles and the soup were stored without coming into contact with each other, were all evaluated as good in terms of loosening ability, surface hardness, viscoelasticity, and browning.On the other hand, the noodle-containing set products of Comparative Example 1, in which the processed starch was modified starch A having an acetyl group content of 0.5%, and Comparative Example 2, in which the processed starch was modified starch F having a hydroxypropyl group content of 2%, were evaluated as good in all respects. Furthermore, even though the cereal flour contained processed starch C with an acetyl group content of 2.3%, Comparative Example 3, where the content was 1% by mass, gave low ratings for all of the items, and Comparative Example 4, where the content was 40% by mass, gave a low rating for loosening ability. Similarly, even though the cereal flour contained processed starch I with a hydroxypropyl group content of 5.2%, Comparative Example 5, where the content was 1% by mass, gave low ratings for all of the items, and Comparative Example 6, where the content was 40% by mass, gave a low rating for loosening ability. The noodle-containing set products in Tables 3 and 4 had a similar aroma to the noodle-containing set product of Reference Example 6 in Table 2, which did not contain any processed starch. Therefore, it was suggested that a noodle-containing set product containing cooked noodles that contain cereal flour as a noodle ingredient, where the cereal flour contains a total of 3 to 30 mass% of processed starch with an acetyl group content of 1% or more and / or processed starch with a hydroxypropyl group content of 2.3% or more, and a high-moisture food such as soup, in which the cooked noodles and the high-moisture food such as soup are stored without coming into contact with each other, can suppress deterioration in the quality of the noodles, such as their texture, even if the heating time of the noodles is long.

[0032] 3. Preparation and evaluation of noodle-containing set products 2 (1) Preparation of cooked noodles Chinese noodles (boiled noodles), Chinese noodles (steamed noodles), and fried noodles were selected as the cooked noodles, and frozen noodles were prepared as follows: In Examples 18 to 25 and Reference Examples 7 to 10, noodle ingredients were used in which 1 part by mass of salt and 1.5 parts by mass of alkaline mineral water were used per 100 parts by mass of flour, for a total content of both ingredients of 2.5 parts by mass. (i) Chinese noodles (boiled noodles) The cooked noodles were prepared by adding 28 parts by mass of water to the noodle ingredients shown in Table 5, mixing, and then mixing for 15 minutes to prepare noodle dough. The noodle ingredients used were wheat flour (Kinran, Showa Sangyo), wheat protein (B-Powder Glu, Showa Sangyo), and kansui (Kansui Blue, Oriental Yeast Co., Ltd.). The resulting noodle dough was rolled out in a roll-type noodle machine and then cut (cutting blade: No. 24) to prepare fresh Chinese noodles (fresh noodles) with a noodle strand thickness of 1.2 mm. Next, each fresh Chinese noodle was cooked by boiling in boiling water, washed with water, drained, and then divided into 100g portions in bags with steam vents. These were then flash-frozen at -40°C to obtain frozen Chinese noodles (frozen cooked noodles). The boiling time was adjusted so that the moisture content of the cooked noodles after draining was 50% by mass. (ii) Chinese noodles (steamed noodles) The steamed noodles were prepared by adding 35 to 38 parts by mass of water to the noodle ingredients listed in Table 5, mixing, and then mixing for 15 minutes to prepare noodle dough. The noodle ingredients used were wheat flour (Kinran, Showa Sangyo), wheat protein (B-Powder Glu, Showa Sangyo), and kansui (Kansui Blue, Oriental Yeast Co., Ltd.). The resulting noodle dough was rolled using a roll-type noodle machine and then cut (cutting blade: No. 20) to prepare fresh Chinese noodles (fresh noodles) with a noodle strand thickness of 1.5 mm. Each fresh Chinese noodle was then steamed in a steamer, washed with water, drained, and coated with 2% canola oil based on the noodle content. The noodles were then divided into 100g portions in bags with steam vents and flash-frozen at -40°C to obtain frozen Chinese noodles (frozen cooked noodles). The steaming time was adjusted so that the moisture content of the cooked noodles after cooling would be 60% by mass. (iii) Fried noodles To prepare the yakisoba, Chinese noodles (steamed noodles) coated with canola oil were prepared using the method described in (ii) and stored overnight at 8°C. They were then stir-fried in a frying pan heated to 200°C, divided into 100g portions into bags with steam vents, and flash-frozen at -40°C to obtain frozen yakisoba (frozen cooked noodles). The stir-frying time was adjusted so that the moisture content of the cooked noodles after cooking was 55% by mass. (2) Preparation of noodle-containing set products As high-moisture foods, the soups shown in Table 5 were used. Specifically, for Examples 18-21 and Reference Examples 7-8, 300 g of soy sauce soup (290 g of water) was frozen and then crushed. For Examples 22-23 and Reference Example 9, 120 g of yakisoba sauce (94 g of water, containing ingredients such as vegetables (cabbage, carrots), and pork) was frozen. For Examples 24-25 and Reference Example 10, 200 g of filling (185 g of water, containing ingredients such as vegetables (cabbage, carrots, bamboo shoots), and pork) was frozen. These were placed in a bag with a steam vent, and placed in a container together with the bag containing the frozen cooked noodles prepared in (1) to prepare a noodle-containing set product, which was then stored in a freezer at -40°C. (3) Evaluation of noodle-containing set products The noodle-containing set products prepared in (2) were heated in a microwave oven at 500 W for 10 minutes 30 seconds for Examples 18-21 and Reference Examples 7-8, at 500 W for 6 minutes for Examples 22-23 and Reference Example 9, and at 500 W for 8 minutes for Examples 24-25 and Reference Example 10, as shown in Table 5. The cooked noodles were then mixed with soup, and sensory evaluations were carried out in the same manner as in 2.(3) for loosening, surface hardness, viscoelasticity, and browning. The results are shown in Table 5.

[0033] [Table 5]

[0034] As shown in Table 5, the noodle-containing set products of Examples 18 to 25, which contain cooked noodles containing cereal flour as a noodle ingredient, where the cereal flour contains modified starch with an acetyl group content within the above range or modified starch with a hydroxypropyl group content within the above range in an amount within the above range, and soup as a high-moisture food, and in which the cooked noodles and soup are stored without coming into contact with each other, were different from Reference Examples 7 to 10, in which the cereal flour was wheat flour only, and all of the evaluations of loosening, surface hardness, viscoelasticity, and browning were good, regardless of whether the cooked noodles were boiled noodles, steamed noodles, or fried noodles.

[0035] 4. Preparation and evaluation of noodle-containing set products 3 (1) Preparation of cooked noodles Udon, soba, and rice flour noodles were selected as the cooked noodles, and frozen noodles were prepared as follows: In Example 26 and Reference Example 11, the noodle ingredients used were 4 parts by mass of salt per 100 parts by mass of flour, and in Examples 27-28 and Reference Examples 12-13, the noodle ingredients used were 1.5 parts by mass of salt per 100 parts by mass of flour. (i) Udon Udon noodles were prepared by adding 53 parts by mass of water in Example 26 and 50 parts by mass of water in Reference Example 11 to the noodle ingredients shown in Table 6, mixing, and then mixing for 12 minutes to prepare noodle dough. The noodle ingredients used were wheat flour (Men no Chikara, Showa Sangyo) and wheat protein (B-Powder Glue, Showa Sangyo). The resulting noodle dough was made into noodles using a manual noodle making machine to obtain 4.0 mm square fresh udon noodles (fresh noodles). Each fresh udon was boiled in boiling water, rinsed, drained, and then glazed with 4 parts by mass of water per 100 parts by mass of cooked noodles. The noodles were then divided into 100 g portions into bags with steam vents and flash-frozen at -40°C to obtain frozen udon noodles (frozen cooked noodles). The boiling time was adjusted so that the moisture content of the cooked noodles before dividing into bags was 75% by mass. (ii) Buckwheat The soba noodles were prepared by adding 35 parts by mass of water to the noodle ingredients listed in Table 6, mixing, and then mixing for 15 minutes to prepare noodle dough. The noodle ingredients used were wheat flour (Kinran, Showa Sangyo), buckwheat flour (Kinju (Yuki), Nikkoku Seifun), and wheat protein (B-Powder Glu, Showa Sangyo). The resulting noodle dough was rolled out in a roll-type noodle machine and then cut (cutting blade: No. 18) to prepare fresh soba noodles (fresh noodles) with a noodle strand thickness of 1.2 mm. Next, each fresh soba noodle was boiled in boiling water, washed with water, drained, and then divided into 100g portions in bags with steam vents. These were then flash-frozen at -40°C to obtain frozen soba noodles (frozen cooked noodles). The boiling time was adjusted so that the moisture content of the cooked noodles after draining was 60% by mass. (iii) Rice flour noodles The rice flour noodles were prepared by adding 30 parts by mass of water to the noodle ingredients listed in Table 6, mixing, and then mixing for 15 minutes to prepare a noodle dough. The noodle ingredients used were wheat flour (Kinran, Showa Sangyo), rice flour (Weak Rice Flour Noodles (M) V3, Namisato), and a thickening polysaccharide (Neosoft XR, Taiyo Kagaku). The resulting noodle dough was extruded under reduced pressure using an extrusion noodle machine to produce flat, 2.5 mm wide raw rice flour noodles (raw noodles). Next, each raw rice flour noodle was boiled in boiling water, washed with water, drained, and then divided into 100 g portions in bags with steam vents. These were then flash-frozen at -40°C to obtain frozen rice flour noodles (frozen cooked noodles). The boiling time was adjusted so that the moisture content of the cooked noodles after draining was 60% by mass. (2) Preparation of noodle-containing set products As high-moisture foods, the soups shown in Table 6 were placed in bags with steam vents, specifically 300 g of frozen udon soup (water content: 290 g) for Example 26 and Reference Example 11, 300 g of frozen soba noodle soup (water content: 290 g) for Example 27 and Reference Example 12, and 300 g of frozen pho ga soup (water content: 290 g) for Example 28 and Reference Example 13, and these were placed in containers together with the bags containing the frozen cooked noodles prepared in (1) to prepare noodle-containing set products, which were then stored in a freezer at -40°C. (3) Evaluation of noodle-containing set products The noodle-containing set product prepared in (2) was heated in a microwave oven at 500W for 10 minutes and 30 seconds, after which the cooked noodles were mixed with the soup and subjected to a sensory evaluation of the loosening property, surface hardness, and viscoelasticity in the same manner as in 2.(3). The results are shown in Table 6.

[0036] [Table 6]

[0037] As shown in Table 6, the noodle-containing set products of Examples 26 to 28, which contain cooked noodles that contain cereal flour as a noodle ingredient, and the cereal flour contains modified starch with an acetyl group content within the above range in an amount within the above range, and soup as a high-moisture food, and in which the cooked noodles and soup are stored without coming into contact with each other, were all evaluated as good in terms of disintegration, surface hardness, and viscoelasticity, regardless of whether the cooked noodles were udon, soba, or rice flour noodles, unlike Reference Examples 11 to 13, which do not contain modified starch in the cereal flour.

[0038] 5. Preparation and Evaluation of Noodle-Containing Set Products 4 (1) Preparation of cooked noodles Sauce yakisoba was selected as the cooked noodle. 35 to 38 parts by mass of water was added to the noodle ingredients shown in Table 7, mixed, and then mixed for 15 minutes to prepare noodle dough. The noodle ingredients used were wheat flour (Kinran, Showa Sangyo), wheat protein (B-Powder Glu, Showa Sangyo), and kansui (Kansui Blue, Oriental Yeast Co., Ltd.). The resulting noodle dough was rolled out in a roll-type noodle machine and then cut (cutting blade: No. 20) to prepare fresh Chinese noodles (fresh noodles) with a noodle strand thickness of 1.5 mm. Each fresh Chinese noodle was then steamed in a steamer, washed with water, and drained. After that, Chinese noodles (steamed noodles) were prepared by sprinkling 2% canola oil on the noodle basis and storing them overnight at 8°C. The noodles were then stir-fried with sauce in a frying pan heated to 200°C, divided into 100g bags with steam vents, and flash-frozen at -40°C to obtain frozen sauce yakisoba (frozen cooked noodles). The stir-frying time was adjusted so that the moisture content of the cooked noodles after cooking was 57% by mass. (2) Preparation of noodle-containing set products As high-moisture foods, the rice foods shown in Table 7 were frozen and placed in a bag with a steam vent, and this was placed in a container together with the bag containing the frozen cooked noodles prepared in (1) to prepare a noodle-containing set product, which was then stored in a freezer at -40°C. (3) Evaluation of noodle-containing set products The noodle-containing set products prepared in (2) were heated in a microwave oven at 500W for 6 minutes and 30 seconds, and the surface hardness and viscoelasticity were evaluated in the same manner as in 2.(3) for the cooked noodles. The results are shown in Table 7.

[0039] [Table 7]

[0040] As shown in Table 7, the noodle-containing set product of Example 29, which contains cooked noodles containing cereal flour as a noodle ingredient, the cereal flour containing processed starch with an acetyl group content within the above range or processed starch with a hydroxypropyl group content within the above range in an amount within the above range, and a cooked rice food as a high-moisture food, in which the cooked noodles and the cooked rice food are stored without coming into contact with each other, gave good evaluations of the surface hardness and viscoelasticity of the cooked noodles, unlike Reference Example 14, in which the cereal flour was wheat flour only.

[0041] The above suggests that the noodle-containing set product of the present invention can suppress deterioration in the quality of noodles, such as their texture, even if the heating time of the noodles is extended.

[0042] The present invention is not limited to the configurations and examples of the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0043] According to the present invention, in a noodle-containing set product in which noodles and a high-moisture food such as soup are contained without contacting each other and are heated and eaten simultaneously, deterioration in the quality of the noodles, such as their texture, can be suppressed even if the heating time of the noodles is extended to match the heating time of the high-moisture food such as soup.As a result, particularly when the high-moisture food is soup, a noodle-containing set product can be provided that allows noodles to be easily cooked, as in a specialty store where the noodles and soup are mixed just before eating.

Claims

1. A noodle-containing set product to be heated and eaten, (a) Cooked noodles containing cereal flour as a noodle ingredient, the cereal flour containing 3 to 30% by mass in total of modified starch having an acetyl group content of 1% or more and / or modified starch having a hydroxypropyl group content of 2.3% or more; and (b) High-moisture foods with higher moisture content than (a) Including, A noodle-containing set product in which the (a) cooked noodles and the (b) high-moisture food are housed without contacting each other.

2. 2. The noodle-containing set product according to claim 1, wherein the high-moisture food (b) is a soup.

3. The noodle-containing set product according to claim 1, which is stored and / or distributed in a frozen state.

4. The noodle-containing set product according to claim 1, wherein the noodle ingredients of the (a) cooked noodles contain salt and / or alkaline water, and the total content of the salt and alkaline water is 1.2 to 5 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the grain flour.

5. The noodle-containing set product according to claim 1 or 4, wherein (a) the raw noodles are used for the cooked noodles.

6. A method for producing a noodle-containing set product to be heated and eaten, comprising: (a) preparing cooked noodles using a noodle ingredient containing cereal flour, the cereal flour containing 3 to 30% by mass in total of modified starch having an acetyl group content of 1% or more and / or modified starch having a hydroxypropyl group content of 2.3% or more; (a) higher moisture (b) preparing a high moisture food product; and a step of storing the (a) cooked noodles and the (b) high-moisture food without contacting each other; A method for producing a noodle-containing set product, comprising:

7. 7. The method for producing a noodle-containing set product according to claim 6, wherein the noodle ingredients contain salt and / or alkaline water, and the total content of the salt and alkaline water is 1.2 to 5 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the grain flour.

8. The method for producing a noodle-containing set product according to claim 6, further comprising a step of rapidly freezing the prepared (a) cooked noodles.

9. The method for producing a noodle-containing set product according to claim 6, further comprising a step of freezing the prepared (b) high-moisture food.

10. A method for suppressing deterioration in texture and / or loosening properties caused by overheating of cooked noodles, wherein the cooked noodles are prepared using a noodle ingredient containing cereal flour containing 3 to 30% by mass in total of processed starch having an acetyl group content of 1% or more and / or processed starch having a hydroxypropyl group content of 2.3% or more.

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