Noodles containing dehulled mung bean flour

Abstract

To provide noodles that have a good flavor and excellent food texture and physical properties, although the noodles are made from low-processed materials containing a large amount of β-conglycinin-like protein.SOLUTION: By blending a certain amount of dehulled mung bean flour with mung beans containing mung bean protein that has health functions such as physiological functions similar to those of β-conglycinin (7S globulin protein), it is possible to produce noodles rich in mung bean protein having a good flavor with less of grassy smell, and having improved food texture and improved noodle surface smoothness compared to noodles made by adding isolated mung bean protein.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to noodles containing dehulled mung bean flour. [Background technology]

[0002] β-conglycinin (7S globulin) protein, a component of soy protein, has the effect of improving blood neutral fat (Patent Document 1) and body fat (Patent Document 2). Therefore, it can be said that daily intake of soy protein is important for maintaining good health. Noodles are one example of a form in which specific nutrients can be easily and efficiently ingested, but adding bean flour to wheat flour generally impairs the flavor and texture. Soybeans also pose a flavor issue due to the unique soybean flavor, and soy protein inhibits the gluten network, creating physical property issues. Furthermore, when fortifying protein, adding whole beans or similar lightly processed ingredients results in the inclusion of dietary fiber. As noted in Patent Document 3, dietary fiber impairs the texture and ease of noodle production, so adding lightly processed ingredients is undesirable. Noodles containing a high amount of soy protein ingredients are described in Patent Document 4, which reports that the use of water-extracted, less-denatured soy protein improves noodle-making properties. Furthermore, Patent Document 5 describes that soy-containing noodles with excellent noodle-making properties can be produced by subjecting soy flour to treatments such as swelling.

[0003] Mung beans are legumes of the genus Vigna in the family Fabaceae, and are widely eaten in China, Southeast Asia, and other regions. The main protein component of mung bean protein (8S globulin protein) accounts for 90% of mung bean protein (Non-Patent Document 1). Mung bean protein is known to have health benefits, such as reducing blood triglycerides (Non-Patent Document 2), and ingesting 2.5 g of mung bean protein per day is known to improve glucose metabolism (Non-Patent Document 3), and there is a strong demand for a means to easily consume this. As an example, Patent Document 6 discloses noodles containing isolated mung bean protein. It is mentioned that adding isolated mung bean protein not only enhances protein but also imparts firmness, chewiness, and a smooth texture. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. WO2002 / 026243 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. WO2004 / 009107 [Patent Document 3] International Publication No. WO2019 / 059145 [Patent Document 4] International Publication No. WO2008 / 072656 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-155950 [Patent Document 6] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-92848 [Non-patent literature]

[0005] [Non-Patent Document 1] Soy Protein Research (2020) vol.23 p.10-16 [Non-patent document 2] Exploring the new physiological functions of isolated mung bean protein (1) - Blood triglyceride lowering effect - (Abstracts of the 68th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Nutrition and Food Science, 2014, p.225) [Non-patent document 3] Functional Foods in Health and Disease (2017); 7(2):115-134 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The water-extracted, less-denatured soy protein of Patent Document 4 requires a special sterilization method, and therefore cannot be said to be a general-purpose production method. Furthermore, Patent Document 5 requires special treatment of soybeans, such as swelling, which makes the production process complicated. Patent Document 6 describes noodles using isolated mung bean protein, but the production of isolated mung bean protein requires protein extraction and separation processes, and there is a need for a material with lower costs and environmental impact.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide noodles that have a good flavor and excellent texture and physical properties, even though they are made from a low-processed material that contains a large amount of β-conglycinin-like protein. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In light of the above issues, the present inventors worked to simplify the manufacturing process for mung bean protein isolate, which has the effect of improving the texture of noodles, as disclosed in Patent Document 6. Surprisingly, they discovered that mung beans contain mung bean protein, which has physiological and other health benefits similar to those of β-conglycinin (7S globulin protein). Unlike many other legumes, which impair the texture of noodles due to the fiber contained in them when added in a low-processed state, mung beans can further improve the surface smoothness of noodles by using low-processed dehulled mung bean flour without removing the fiber and starch, rather than by adding mung bean protein isolate. As a result, they discovered that adding dehulled mung bean flour to noodles makes it possible to produce noodles that are rich in mung bean protein and have a good flavor and texture, leading to the completion of the present invention.

[0009] That is, the present invention provides: (1) Noodles characterized by containing dehulled mung bean flour in an amount of 5 to 60% by mass in the raw material solids. (2) A method for producing noodles, comprising a step of blending dehulled mung bean flour in an amount of 5 to 60% by mass of a raw material solid; (3) A method for improving the texture of noodles, characterized by blending dehulled mung bean flour in an amount of 5 to 60% by mass of the raw material solids; (4) The method for improving the texture of noodles according to (3) above, wherein the texture improvement is an improvement in the smoothness of the surface of the noodles. (5) a texture improver for noodles containing dehulled mung bean flour; is. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide noodles containing a high amount of mung bean protein, which have an improved noodle surface smoothness compared to conventional noodles, while using dehulled mung bean flour with a low degree of processing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] (raw material solids) In the present invention, the raw material solids refer to the total amount of raw materials excluding added water, i.e., the total amount of dehulled mung bean flour, raw grain flour, and additives, regardless of the moisture content of each of these raw materials.

[0012] (raw flour) The raw material flour may include wheat flour such as strong flour, medium flour, and soft flour, as well as buckwheat, barley, rye, rice, corn, and other grain flours. It may also contain starch materials such as cornstarch, potato starch, rice starch, wheat starch, tapioca, sweet potato starch, and modified starch. Among the above, wheat flour is preferred for achieving the effects of the present invention, with durum semolina flour being particularly preferred. The amount of wheat flour is preferably 40 to 95% by mass, more preferably 55 to 91% by mass, and even more preferably 65 to 89% by mass, of the raw material solids. Furthermore, in order to maintain the firmness of the noodles, the amount of starch material blended is preferably 10% by mass or less of the raw material solids. 5% by mass or less is more preferred, and it is most preferred that no starch material be added.

[0013] (additives) Furthermore, within the range that does not affect the effects of the present invention, it may contain common ingredients such as plasticized oils and fats, omega-3 oils and fats, soybeans and other legumes, fiber materials such as water-soluble dietary fiber and insoluble dietary fiber, dairy ingredients such as milk protein, whey, whole milk powder and skim milk powder, egg ingredients such as egg white and egg yolk, protein hydrolysates such as peptides and amino acids, vegetables, potatoes, herbs, various seasonings, various leavening agents and various preservatives. Salt is generally added during noodle production. The amount of salt added is preferably 0.1 to 5% by mass of the raw material solids. Carbonates, pyrophosphates, polyphosphates, metaphosphates, phosphates, sodium bicarbonate, etc. can also be used. Furthermore, polysaccharides having properties of a thickener or gelling agent, such as xanthan gum, guar gum, locust bean gum, tamarind seed polysaccharides, pectin, glucomannan, pullulan, gellan gum, alginic acid, sodium alginate, and curdlan, and emulsifiers, such as glycerin fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, lecithin, and saponin, may also be used within the scope that does not affect the effects of the invention.

[0014] (added water) The added water is mixed with the solid raw materials when preparing the noodle sheet, and is preferably 30 to 70 mass % of the solid raw materials. A portion of the raw materials in the solid raw materials can also be dissolved or dispersed in the added water in advance.

[0015] (noodles) Noodles in the present invention include soba, udon, Chinese noodles, pasta, somen, hiyamugi, instant noodles, and yakisoba noodles, which are primarily made from wheat flour or buckwheat flour. The noodles of the present invention can be obtained by adding dehulled mung bean flour. The noodles obtained by the present invention have an improved surface smoothness and an improved texture. Here, surface smoothness can also be referred to as ease of swallowing and a smooth texture. It can also be expressed as "smoothness." Of the noodles, pasta is a particularly suitable form for the present invention.

[0016] (Dehulled mung bean flour) Dehulled mung bean flour is obtained by dehulling mung beans (Vigna radiata seeds) and then dry-grinding them. Dehulling can be performed in advance using a dehulling machine used for dehulling soybeans and other crops. The dry-grinding method for dehulled mung beans is not particularly limited, and examples include dry grinders such as flake crushers, hammer mills, pin mills, blade mills, ball mills, stamp mills, jet mills, cyclone mills, fret mills, edge runners, roller mills, mix mullers, and vibratory mills. The particle size distribution and median diameter of the dehulled mung bean flour obtained by grinding can be measured using a laser diffraction particle size analyzer such as the SALD-2300 (Shimadzu Corporation) using 2-propanol as the measurement medium. Before measurement, the sample is thoroughly dispersed in a small amount of solvent using a vortex mixer or similar device. It is preferable to pulverize so as to minimize coarse particles. Specifically, in the particle size distribution measured by the above method, the median diameter range is preferably 10 to 400 μm, more preferably 30 to 350 μm, and even more preferably 50 to 300 μm. The pulverization may be carried out in one stage, or in two or more stages. As described above, dehulled mung bean flour is a material that can be easily obtained from mung beans through dehulling and pulverization processes, and is different from materials such as mung bean soy milk powder and isolated mung bean protein, which require the addition of water or separation.

[0017] (Amount added) For the purpose of ingesting mung bean protein, the content of dehulled mung bean flour in the raw solid material is preferably 5% by mass or more, more preferably 7% by mass or more. It is further preferably 9% by mass or more, and even more preferably 11% by mass or more. Furthermore, to suppress the characteristic grassy flavor, it is preferably 60% by mass or less, more preferably 55% by mass or less. It is even more preferably 45% by mass or less, and even more preferably 35% by mass or less. The content of dehulled mung bean flour in the raw solid material is preferably in the range of 5 to 60% by mass, more preferably 9 to 45% by mass, and even more preferably 11 to 35% by mass. Depending on the protein content in the mung beans, a blend of roughly 11% by mass allows for the intake of 2.5 g of mung bean protein per 80 g of noodles; blending more than this allows for the intake of noodles to be reduced. Even with a blend of less than 11% by mass, the required amount of mung bean protein can be ensured by increasing the intake of noodles.

[0018] (Noodle manufacturing method) The noodles of the present invention can be produced by a known method. Noodles are generally made by adding water and kneading the raw material flour, rolling the resulting dough into a noodle sheet, and then repeatedly rolling it to form noodle strands. For example, in a method for producing pasta, dehulled mung bean flour is added to the raw material grain flour, and water containing dissolved salt is added, followed by kneading with water to obtain noodle dough. The noodle dough is then rolled in a rolling machine to form a noodle sheet, which is then repeatedly rolled to form noodle strands. The present invention is characterized in that dehulled mung bean flour is added during the production of noodles, and the method of addition is not particularly limited.

[0019] (Texture improver for noodles) The noodle texture modifier of the present invention is characterized by containing dehulled mung bean flour. Texture improvement specifically refers to the effect of imparting surface smoothness to noodles. The form of this noodle texture modifier is not particularly limited. Examples include a liquid or paste state in which dehulled mung bean flour and other auxiliary ingredients are dissolved in water, a powder state in which these are simply mixed, and a granular state in which the mixture is granulated.

[0020] Western blotting can be used to measure the concentration of mung bean protein in noodles. Specifically, a sample buffer containing SDS and a reducing agent such as 2-mercaptoethanol is added to the ground sample, and the mixture is extracted in boiling water for 10 minutes. SDS-PAGE is then performed simultaneously with the sample using mung bean protein (control) adjusted to several concentrations, and the results are transferred to a PVDF (Polyvinylidene difluoride) membrane using the semi-dry method. The transferred membrane is reacted with an anti-mung bean protein antibody as the primary antibody, and then with an antibody labeled with AP (Alkaline phosphatase) or HRP (Horse radish peroxidase) as the secondary antibody. The mung bean protein can be quantified by the color development due to enzymatic activity. [Example]

[0021] Hereinafter, more specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to examples. In the examples, % means by mass. The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0022] (Production Example 1) Preparation of dehulled mung bean flour Dehulled mung bean flour was obtained by grinding half-split mung beans (Suzuya Grain Co., Ltd.) with Micro Powder (West Co., Ltd.) and passing the powder through a JIS test sieve (42 mesh). The median diameter of the dehulled mung bean flour was 110 μm. The crude protein content (CP) of the dehulled mung bean flour was 29% by mass, assuming a nitrogen-to-protein conversion factor of 6.25.

[0023] (Examples 1 to 5, Comparative Examples 1 to 3) Noodles were made using dehulled mung bean flour. Dehulled mung bean flour, durum semolina flour, salt, and water were mixed and kneaded as shown in Table 1, and then left to stand in a refrigerator for 1 hour. A pasta machine (Marcato) was then used to make noodle sheets, which were then cut using the same machine to make noodles 1-2 mm thick and 20 cm long. The noodles were boiled in boiling water for 3 minutes, eaten, and evaluated by consensus of a five-person panel.

[0024] (Table 1) TIFF2025171199000001.tif51156

[0025] Possibility of making noodle sheets Acceptable: A good, elastic noodle sheet was produced. Unacceptable: The dough was sticky and did not come together, or it came together but lacked elasticity, making it impossible to form a noodle sheet. Noodle flavor 5 points: No bean flavor. 4 points: A slight grassy smell can be detected. 3 points: Has a grassy smell. 2 points: Strong grassy taste. 1 point: A very strong grassy taste is felt.

[0026] For noodle flavor, 4 points was a passing grade, with 5 points indicating a particularly high evaluation. The results of Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 showed that the amount of dehulled mung bean flour added did not have a significant effect on flavor up to 50% by mass of the raw material solids, but at 74% by mass, a noticeable grassy smell occurred and the noodles were prone to breaking, making them unsuitable in terms of both flavor and physical properties.

[0027] (Production Example 2) Preparation of skinned mung bean flour Hulled mung beans (Suzuya Grain Co., Ltd.) were ground with Micro Powder (West Co., Ltd.) and passed through a JIS test sieve with a mesh size of 42 to obtain hulled mung bean flour. The median diameter of the hulled mung bean flour was 120 μm, and the CP content was 25% by mass.

[0028] (Examples 1, 2, and 5, and Comparative Examples 3 to 5) Noodles were made using mung bean flour with skin and dehulled mung bean flour. Hulled mung bean flour, dehulled mung bean flour, durum semolina flour, salt, and water were mixed and kneaded as shown in Table 2, and then left to stand in a refrigerator for 1 hour. A pasta machine (Marcato) was then used to make noodle sheets, which were then cut using the same machine to make noodles 1-2 mm thick and 20 cm long. The noodles were boiled in boiling water for 3 minutes, eaten, and evaluated by consensus of a five-person panel. (Table 2) TIFF2025171199000002.tif63146

[0029] The flavor of the noodles is the same as the evaluation in Table 1. Smoothness of the noodle surface 5 points: The surface is much smoother than the control (Comparative Example 3) and is very good. 4 points: The surface is smoother and better than the control (Comparative Example 3). 3 points: The surface is as smooth as the control (Comparative Example 3). 2 points: The surface smoothness is slightly inferior to that of the control (Comparative Example 3). 1 point: Smoothness is significantly inferior to that of the control (Comparative Example 3). Noodle firmness 5 points: Noodle firmness equal to or greater than that of the control (Comparative Example 3). 4 points: Noodles have slightly weaker firmness than the control (Comparative Example 3). 3 points: The firmness of the noodles was clearly weaker than that of the control (Comparative Example 3). 2 points: Noodles have very weak firmness compared to the control (Comparative Example 3). 1 point: No firmness at all.

[0030] For noodle flavor and firmness, a score of 4 was given as a passing grade, with 5 indicating a particularly high evaluation. For noodle surface smoothness, a score of 5 was given as a passing grade. The results of Example 1 and Comparative Example 4 indicated that when skin-on mung bean flour was used, the noodle flavor was poor and the texture was also inferior compared to when dehulled mung bean flour was added. This tendency was also observed in Comparative Example 5, in which the same amount of mung bean-derived protein was added to the noodle dough as in Example 1. Furthermore, when the amount of dehulled mung bean flour added was 10 mass % of the raw material solid content, the surface smoothness of the noodles was very good.

[0031] (Production Example 3) Preparation of isolated mung bean protein One part by weight of dehulled, halved mung beans was added to 5 parts by weight of water and ground using a colloid mill (Tokushu Kika Kogyo Co., Ltd.). The pH was adjusted to 8.5, and the mixture was extracted at 50°C for 30 minutes while stirring using a homomixer (Tokushu Kika Kogyo Co., Ltd.). The mixture was then centrifuged at 3,000 × g to remove starch, yielding destarched mung bean soy milk. The pH was adjusted to 4.5 with hydrochloric acid for isoelectric precipitation, and the precipitate was centrifuged to obtain acid-precipitated curd. Four volumes of water were added to the acid-precipitated curd, and the pH was adjusted to 7.0 with sodium hydroxide to obtain a solution containing isolated mung bean protein. The resulting solution was heated at 120°C for 10 seconds each in a continuous direct-heating sterilizer (Alfa Laval) and spray-dried to obtain isolated mung bean protein. The CP of the isolated mung bean protein was 86% by mass.

[0032] (Example 1, Comparative Examples 3, 6 to 11) Noodles were produced using dehulled mung bean flour or ground products of other legumes. The amount of isolated mung bean protein blended was 4.4 parts by weight to ensure the same amount of legume-derived protein in the noodle dough. Similarly, the amounts of white kidney bean flour, adzuki bean flour, green pea flour, and soybean flour were also calculated and added. The CP values ​​of the white kidney bean flour, adzuki bean flour, green pea flour, and soybean flour were 20, 20, 22, and 34% by mass, respectively. Furthermore, the amount of mung bean starch blended was 6.6 parts by weight to ensure the same amount of legume-derived starch in the noodle dough as in Example 1. Dehulled mung bean flour, durum semolina flour, mung bean starch, isolated mung bean protein, white kidney bean flour, red bean flour, green pea flour, soybean flour, salt, and water were mixed and kneaded as shown in Table 3, and then left to stand in a refrigerator for 1 hour. A pasta machine (Marcato) was then used to make noodle sheets, which were then cut using the same machine to make noodles 1-2 mm thick and 20 cm long. The noodles were boiled in boiling water for 3 minutes, eaten, and evaluated by consensus of a five-person panel.

[0033] (Table 3) TIFF2025171199000003.tif74156

[0034] The evaluations regarding the possibility of making noodle sheets, noodle flavor, noodle surface smoothness, and noodle firmness are the same as those in Tables 1 and 2.

[0035] A score of 4 was given as a passing grade for noodle flavor and firmness, with 5 indicating particularly high evaluation. A score of 5 was given as a passing grade for noodle surface smoothness. In the tests for Example 1 and Comparative Examples 7 to 11, the same amount of added protein was added to each bean flour. However, in Comparative Examples 9, 10, and 11, which added red bean flour, green pea flour, and soybean flour, it was not possible to produce a noodle band. Furthermore, in Comparative Example 8, which added white kidney bean flour, a noodle band could be produced, but the flavor was poor and the texture was impaired. Comparative Example 6, in which mung bean starch was added in an amount equal to the amount of starch contained in Example 1, produced a good flavor, but the noodle surface smoothness observed when dehulled mung bean flour was added was not felt, and the noodle firmness was also weak. Furthermore, Comparative Example 7, in which isolated mung bean protein was added, showed improved noodle surface smoothness compared to Comparative Example 3. However, compared to Example 1, in which less-processed dehulled mung bean flour was added, the noodle surface smoothness was actually weaker.

Claims

1. Noodles characterized in that dehulled mung bean flour is contained in an amount of 5 to 60 mass % of the raw material solids.

2. A method for producing noodles, comprising a step of blending dehulled mung bean flour in an amount of 5 to 60 mass% of a raw material solid.

3. A method for improving the texture of noodles, characterized by incorporating dehulled mung bean flour in an amount of 5 to 60 mass% of the raw material solids.

4. 4. The method for improving the texture of noodles according to claim 3, wherein the texture improvement is an improvement in the smoothness of the surface of the noodles.

5. A texture improver for noodles containing dehulled mung bean flour.

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