Dry food material crack prevention agent

Abstract

To provide a crack prevention agent capable of effectively preventing cracking or chipping of dried food materials during a manufacturing process and transportation, the dried food materials having volume and weight significantly reduced as a result of removal of moisture, and being brittle and easily cracked.SOLUTION: In a method for producing dried food materials using a dry food material crack prevention agent, the dried food material crack prevention agent comprises, as an active ingredient, a hydrogenated saccharide composition containing a total of 40 wt.% or more of hydrogenated monosaccharides and hydrogenated disaccharides.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing a dried food material that is less likely to break during production or transportation, using a hydrogenated sugar, and to an agent for preventing cracking of dried food materials. [Background technology]

[0002] Dried ingredients are food ingredients from which moisture has been removed, can be stored for long periods, and are widely used as ingredients in instant soups and instant noodles. While the volume and weight of dried ingredients decrease significantly as moisture is removed, they also become brittle and prone to cracking. Therefore, cracks and chips often occur during the manufacturing process and transportation. Cracked dried ingredients impair the edibility and appearance of the product after rehydration, leading to a decline in product quality.

[0003] Known methods for preventing breakage of dried ingredients when they are packed include a method in which the ingredients are packed into a bag before drying and then the bag is dried (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-99314 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for reducing cracking of dried food materials during the manufacturing process and transportation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] As a result of intensive research to solve the above problems, the inventors discovered that breakage of the raw materials for dried food materials can be reduced by soaking them in a solution containing a hydrogenated sugar, and thus completed the present invention.

[0007] That is, the present invention provides: (1) A crack prevention agent for dry food materials containing hydrogenated sugars, (2) The agent for preventing cracking of dried food materials according to (1), wherein the hydrogenated sugar contains a hydrogenated monosaccharide or a hydrogenated disaccharide. (3) The agent for preventing cracking of dried food materials according to (1), wherein the hydrogenated sugars contain 40% by weight or more of hydrogenated monosaccharides and hydrogenated disaccharides in total. (4) A method for producing a dried food material, comprising a step of immersing a dried food material raw material in a solution containing 0.1 to 5% by weight of a hydrogenated monosaccharide and a hydrogenated disaccharide in total; (5) A method for preventing cracking of dried food materials, comprising immersing the food materials to be dried in a solution containing 0.1 to 5% by weight of a hydrogenated monosaccharide and a hydrogenated disaccharide in total, and then drying the food materials; to provide. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, cracking of dried food materials can be easily improved, and high-quality dried food materials with reduced cracking can be easily provided. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Dried ingredients are ingredients from which moisture has been removed, and examples include dried foods produced by sun-drying or air-drying, and freeze-dried foods made by drying ingredients using a vacuum freeze dryer.

[0010] The raw materials for the dried food materials used in the present invention are not particularly limited as long as they are edible, and are preferably meat, seafood, seaweed, eggs, fruit, vegetables, beans, mushrooms, and processed products thereof, with fruit, vegetables, beans, mushrooms, and processed products thereof being more preferred. Examples of meat include beef, pork, and chicken. Examples of seafood include salmon, bonito, shrimp, octopus, squid, crab, littleneck clams, hard clams, abalone, and sea cucumber. Examples of eggs include chicken eggs and quail eggs, which may be scrambled or whole. Examples of vegetables include root vegetables such as carrots, radishes, onions, potatoes, pumpkins, lotus roots, and burdock; leafy vegetables such as chives, celery, spinach, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, and leeks; and fruit vegetables such as eggplants, tomatoes, zucchini, and okra. Examples of fruits include peaches, strawberries, apples, mangoes, apricots, blueberries, cranberries, kiwis, pineapples, grapes, and mandarin oranges. Examples of grains and legumes include adzuki beans, soybeans, edamame, broad beans, green peas, and corn. Examples of mushrooms include shiitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, shimeji mushrooms, maitake mushrooms, nameko mushrooms, tsukuritake mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms, and yamabushitake mushrooms. Examples of seaweed include wakame seaweed, tororo kombu, mozuku seaweed, and mekabu seaweed. Examples of processed products include meat substitutes and seafood substitutes made from beans, mushrooms, and thickening polysaccharides.

[0011] In the present invention, the hydrogenated sugars used as crack-preventing agents for dried food materials refer to carbohydrates and mixtures (compositions) thereof in which the carbonyl group of the sugar is hydrogenated, i.e., a structure in which a hydroxyl group and a hydrogen atom are bonded to a carbon atom. These carbohydrates are also referred to as sugar alcohols or polyols. Hydrogenated sugars can be obtained by catalytic hydrogen reduction of the corresponding sugar or by microbial fermentation, but xylose, sorbitol, mannitol, and other sugars are present in plants and can also be obtained by separation and extraction. Examples of hydrogenated monosaccharides include sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, and erythritol. Examples of hydrogenated disaccharides include maltitol, lactitol, and isomaltulose reduction (a mixture of equivalent amounts of α-D-glucopyranosyl-1,6-sorbitol and α-D-glucopyranosyl-1,1-mannitol). Furthermore, examples of mixtures (compositions) of hydrogenated sugars with different degrees of polymerization include reduced starch saccharification products obtained by hydrogenating dextrin. The anti-cracking agent for dried food materials of the present invention contains one or more substances selected from the group consisting of hydrogenated monosaccharides and hydrogenated disaccharides, and may naturally contain one or more hydrogenated monosaccharide substances or one or more hydrogenated disaccharide substances, or may contain one or more hydrogenated monosaccharide substances and one or more hydrogenated disaccharide substances. Furthermore, the hydrogenated disaccharide content is preferably 20% by weight or more, and more preferably 30% by weight or more.

[0012] When a mixture (composition) such as reduced starch saccharification product is used as a hydrogenated sugar as an anti-cracking agent for dried food materials in the present invention, it may contain hydrogenated sugars with a degree of polymerization of 3 or higher, as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired. Such hydrogenated sugar compositions preferably contain 40% by weight or more, more preferably 50% by weight or more, of hydrogenated monosaccharides and hydrogenated disaccharides combined, and preferably 20% by weight or more, more preferably 30% by weight or more, of hydrogenated disaccharides.

[0013] In the present invention, the content of hydrogenated monosaccharides, hydrogenated disaccharides, and hydrogenated sugars with a degree of polymerization of 3 or more contained in a hydrogenated sugar product can be understood as the sugar composition. Here, sugar composition refers to the ratio of the mass of each sugar to the total mass of the sugars, expressed as a percentage. The sugar composition can be confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). HPLC is performed using an aqueous solution of the sugars as a sample to obtain a chromatogram. The total sum of the peak areas in the obtained chromatogram corresponds to the total mass of the sugars, and each peak area corresponds to the mass of each sugar, allowing the mass ratio of each sugar to be determined. HPLC conditions can be set appropriately.

[0014] The dried food material of the present invention is obtained by soaking the raw material for the dried food material in an aqueous solution of a sugar hydrogenate. Soaking refers to immersion in a liquid such as a solution. In the present invention, the soaking of the raw material for the dried food material is sometimes referred to as the soaking treatment, and a process including the soaking treatment is sometimes referred to as the soaking process. Before the soaking process, a short-term heating (blanching) treatment may be performed to inactivate enzymes contained in the raw material for the dried food material. Alternatively, the soaking process may be performed simultaneously with the blanching treatment by using a solution of a sugar hydrogenate.

[0015] An aqueous solution is preferably used as the solution for soaking the dried food material raw materials. Furthermore, the effects of the present invention are more easily achieved when the combined concentration of monosaccharide hydrogenates and disaccharide hydrogenates in the solution is 0.1 to 5 wt%, preferably 0.2 to 4 wt%, and more preferably 0.5 to 2 wt%. This concentration range allows for a dried food material that has little effect on taste, a non-sticky surface, and crack-preventing properties. The viscosity of the soaking solution is also reduced, improving workability. The solution may also contain other ingredients as long as they do not impair the effects of the present invention. Examples include seasonings such as salt, soy sauce, miso, and vinegar, and chemical seasonings such as glutamate, inosinate, and guanylate. The total solute concentration in the solution is not particularly limited, but from the perspective of handling, it is preferable that it be 30% or less. The soaking method for the dried food material raw materials is not particularly limited, but should be carried out so that the solution spreads over the entire surface of the raw materials. If a portion of the surface is not immersed in the solution, measures such as turning the raw materials upside down can be taken. There are no particular restrictions on the degree of immersion, but it is preferable that the solution penetrates to a depth of 0.5 mm or more, preferably 1 mm or more, from the surface. If it is difficult to judge the state of penetration of the solution by appearance, the immersion time can be used as a guide, and although it depends on the type of raw material, immersion for 5 to 300 minutes is usually sufficient.

[0016] In producing the dried food material of the present invention, any commonly used method can be used to dry the raw materials of the dried food material without any particular restrictions, and examples of methods that can be used include sun drying, hot air / air drying, reduced pressure drying, and freeze drying.

[0017] In the present invention, cracking of the dried food material refers to breakage and fragmentation of the produced dried food material as a result of impact due to dropping, vibration, etc., and "prevention of cracking" means that the degree of cracking is reduced compared to that of a dried food material not produced according to the present invention. Furthermore, "improved shape retention" means that damage due to cracking caused by impact is reduced.

[0018] The shape retention of the dried ingredients was evaluated by placing the dried ingredients and rubber balls in a sieve, vibrating it for a certain period of time, and then dividing the number of dried ingredients that did not crack by the number of dried ingredients before the test and comparing the results.

[0019] EXAMPLES The present invention will be specifically explained below with reference to examples and comparative examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples. Commercially available carbohydrates were used in the examples and comparative examples. The sugar compositions of the hydrogenated carbohydrates used in the examples are shown in Table 1. In Table 1, hydrogenated monosaccharides are shown in the column of "degree of polymerization 1," and hydrogenated disaccharides are shown in the column of "degree of polymerization 2."

[0020] [Table 1]

[0021] (Preparation of dried ingredients - 1) Commercially available green onions were cut into small pieces 3 mm thick and then blanched in hot water at 100°C for 1 minute. The blanched green onions were immersed in a 5 wt% aqueous solution of carbohydrates for 20 minutes so that the aqueous solution was distributed over the entire surface of each piece of green onion, and then freeze-dried to prepare a dried food material.

[0022] (Preparation of dried ingredients - 2) In the above method, instead of the sugar solution, the material was immersed in water, and then freeze-dried to prepare a dried food material.

[0023] (Preparation of dried ingredients - 3) In the above-described method, a dried food material was prepared by freeze-drying without the soaking treatment.

[0024] (shape retention evaluation) Fifteen dried ingredients obtained using the above method and five 3cm diameter, 16g rubber balls were placed on a 20cm diameter sieve with 4mm mesh, and the sieve was vibrated for one minute using an automatic sieving machine set to an amplitude of 1mm. The test was conducted three times for each test group, and the residual rate for each dried ingredient was calculated using the formula below. Test groups with a residual rate of 40% or higher were deemed to have an anti-cracking effect. The results are shown in Table 2. Residual rate (%) = (number of dry ingredients that are not broken after the test) / (number of dry ingredients before the test) x 100

[0025] [Table 2]

[0026] Examples 1 to 5, which were immersed in a hydrogenated sugar containing 40% or more by weight of hydrogenated monosaccharides and hydrogenated disaccharides, had a survival rate of 40% or more, demonstrating a crack-preventing effect. While the dried food materials immersed in a sorbitol or erythritol solution had a high survival rate but sticky surfaces, the dried food materials of Examples 2 to 4, which contained a certain amount of hydrogenated disaccharides, did not have sticky surfaces and were suitable as dried food materials. Furthermore, the dried food materials not immersed in a hydrogenated sugar had a survival rate of less than 40%, demonstrating no crack-preventing effect. Furthermore, Comparative Example 6, which was immersed in reduced starch saccharified product 3, which contained less than 40% by weight of hydrogenated monosaccharides and hydrogenated disaccharides, also showed no crack-preventing effect. [Industrial Applicability]

[0027] According to the present invention, it is possible to easily provide dried food materials that are less likely to be damaged during production or transportation.

Claims

1. An agent for preventing cracking of dry food ingredients containing hydrogenated sugars.

2. The agent for preventing cracking of dry food materials according to claim 1, wherein the hydrogenated sugar contains a hydrogenated monosaccharide or a hydrogenated disaccharide.

3. 2. The agent for preventing cracking of dried food materials according to claim 1, wherein the hydrogenated sugars contain 40% by weight or more of hydrogenated monosaccharides and hydrogenated disaccharides in total.

4. A method for producing a dried food material, comprising the step of immersing a dried food material raw material in a solution containing 0.1 to 5% by weight of a combined total of hydrogenated monosaccharides and hydrogenated disaccharides.

5. This method prevents cracking of dried food materials by immersing the food materials to be dried in a solution containing 0.1 to 5% by weight of hydrogenated monosaccharides and hydrogenated disaccharides in total, and then drying the food materials.

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