Oil and fat-containing okara composition

Abstract

To provide an oil-and-fat-containing bean curd refuse composition having good soft feeling (meltability), free from powdery feeling and having good flavor.SOLUTION: The composition containing the oil and fat-containing bean curd refuse powder obtained by mixing the bean curd refuse powder having ≤ 150 μm median diameter with the oil and fat having ≤ 73 °C melting point is a powdery composition having creamy body in spite of having good soft feeling (meltability) and not remaining on the tongue by synergistic effect of the bean curd refuse powder having fine particles and the oil and fat.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a powdery composition containing soybean pulp powder. [Background technology]

[0002] Okara is a by-product of soy milk and tofu production. According to the 2023 revised Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan (8th edition), the undried okara (raw okara) is highly nutritious, with 13.8% carbohydrates, 6.1% protein, 11.5% dietary fiber, 3.6% fat, 1.0% ash, and 75.5% moisture. While dried and powdered okara is used as a food ingredient, many of these powders are unsuitable for consumption due to their coarse particles and size variation, a soy milk smell, an unpleasant soy flavor, a powdery texture, and other factors. Therefore, various improvements have been made, such as adding sugars and seasonings, or refining the okara particles to make them more uniform.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a method for producing oil-containing okara, in which okara and oil are dispersed in an aqueous solvent in a ratio such that the crude fat in the oil-containing okara ultimately amounts to 20 to 85 wt %, and the solvent is then removed. Patent Document 2 describes a method for producing a food containing okara, in which okara is crushed under heated conditions to obtain okara pulverized material, and oils and fats are mixed in an oil and fat mixing process, and the resulting mixture is used as a raw material. Patent Document 3 describes a method for processing soy pulverized okara in a grinder under heat to adjust the moisture content to 50 to 85% and the particle size to about 30 to 120 mesh, and then mixes the pulverized okara with processing ingredients such as vegetables and meat and seasonings, forms it into a predetermined shape, and then freezes or deep-fries it. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-336915 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-61033 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 4-190753 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a soybean pulp powder-containing composition having a soft feel, good melt-in-the-mouth texture and good flavor, and to provide a method for producing the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present inventors have discovered that by using okara powder having a median diameter of 150 μm or less and combining it with fats and oils having a melting point of 73°C or less, it is possible to obtain oil-containing okara powder that has a good soft texture (melts in the mouth), is not powdery, and has a good flavor, and have thus completed the present invention.

[0007] The present invention relates to the following compositions (1) to (7), foods (8), or production methods (9). (1) A powdery composition containing soybean pulp having a median diameter of 150 μm or less and a fat or oil having a melting point of 73°C or less. (2) The composition according to (1) above, wherein the okara is derived from soybeans from which at least a portion of the seed coat and / or hypocotyl has been removed. (3) The composition according to (1) or (2) above, wherein the dietary fiber content of the okara is 45% by weight or less. (4) The composition according to any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein the median diameter of the okara is 20 to 150 μm. (5) The composition according to any one of (1) to (4) above, which contains 26 to 68% by weight of the soy pulp refuse and 10 to 37% by weight of the oil or fat. (6) The composition according to any one of (1) to (5) above, wherein the oil is a vegetable oil having a melting point of 25 to 73°C. (7) A powdery composition containing soybean pulp and fats and oils, having a median diameter of 20 to 380 μm. (8) A food product containing the composition according to any one of (1) to (7) above. (9) A method for producing the composition according to any one of (1) to (7) above, characterized in that okara having a median diameter of 150 μm or less and fats and oils having a melting point of 73° C. or less are mixed and stirred. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The oil-containing okara powder composition of the present invention has a sweet flavor due to the oil and okara, while the stickiness of the oil is suppressed. The synergistic effect of the fine-grained okara powder and the oil results in a soft texture (melts easily in the mouth) that does not remain on the tongue, yet has a creamy richness. Furthermore, when okara is made from soybeans from which at least a portion of the seed coat and hypocotyl has been removed, the unpleasant harsh flavor of soybeans is less noticeable, resulting in a more pronounced sweet flavor and richness. This not only increases the nutritional value but also makes the okara more delicious, making it suitable for use as an ingredient in a wider variety of toppings and foods. Furthermore, the production method of the present invention involves a simple process of simply mixing finely divided soybean pulp powder with oil and fat and stirring the mixture, and can be produced in a time-saving and inexpensive manner. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Okara is a solid product obtained by heating raw soybeans by steaming, boiling, or the like, mashing them, and squeezing them to extract soy milk. The okara powder of the present invention can be obtained by pulverizing this undried (raw) okara or dried okara. In the present invention, "%" means "% by weight" even if the unit is not specified, and "~" between numerical values ​​means a value that includes the numerical values ​​before and after it, and means a value that is equal to or greater than the preceding numerical value and equal to or less than the following numerical value.

[0010] The okara of the present invention may be okara containing soybean husks and hypocotyls obtained during tofu production, but if okara produced from raw soybeans from which the seed coats and / or hypocotyls have been completely or partially removed by dehulling and dehulling, a sweet-tasting oil-containing okara powder can be obtained that is free of the unpleasant taste and odor of soybeans and has a less harsh taste. The greater the degree to which the raw soybeans have been dehulled and dehulled, the greater the effect, so okara obtained from raw soybeans from which the seed coats and hypocotyls have been removed, for example, during soymilk production, is more preferably used.

[0011] Okara made from dehulled and de-hypocotyled soybeans is prepared by heating the soybeans from which all or part of the seed coat and / or hypocotyl has been removed by steaming, boiling, or the like, mashing the soybeans, and squeezing the mashed soybeans to extract soy milk. The method for removing the seed coat and hypocotyl from the soybeans is not particularly limited, but can be carried out, for example, by passing the heated soybeans through an auxiliary dehulling machine and then a peeling machine, separating the skins by winnowing, and then passing the soybeans through a multi-stage sieving device to separate the cotyledons and hypocotyls.

[0012] The soybean refuse powder of the present invention is prepared by pulverizing undried soybean refuse with a moisture content of approximately 70% as is, or by drying and then pulverizing the pulverized refuse to obtain a fine powder having a median particle diameter of 150 μm or less. The median diameter of soybean refuse powder varies from 20 to 600 μm, and soybean refuse powder with a particle size distribution having a median diameter of 150 μm or less can be obtained by pulverizing the soybean refuse powder again or by fractionating the pulverized soybean refuse powder. If the median diameter of the okara powder exceeds 150 μm, the oil-containing okara powder will feel rough when eaten, and the softness and texture will be poor. Furthermore, since the lower limit of the median diameter of okara powder is about 20 μm, the median diameter of the okara powder of the present invention is 20 to 150 μm, preferably 20 to 120 μm.

[0013] To pulverize the soy pulverized product, a known pulverizer can be used, such as a roll pulverizer, a mortar pulverizer, an impact pulverizer, or an airflow pulverizer. The particle size distribution of the present invention was measured using a particle size distribution analyzer SYNC30 (Microtrac Bell Corporation) by laser diffraction / scattering and dry dispersion (particle refractive index: 1.81, dispersion pressure: 100 kPa). The median diameter is the cumulative 50% diameter, D (cumulative) 50%, and refers to the particle diameter at 50% of the cumulative value in the particle size distribution.

[0014] The soybean refuse powder of the present invention, which has been pulverized to a median diameter of 150 μm or less, preferably has a dietary fiber content of 45% by weight or less, more preferably 40% by weight or less, of the dried product. If the dietary fiber content exceeds 45%, the melt-in-the-mouth texture and softness of the resulting oil and fat composition will be impaired. Dietary fiber is found in large amounts in the skins and hypocotyls of soybeans, and the dietary fiber content can be reduced by adjusting the degree of dehulling and / or dehulling of the soybeans as raw material, with the lower limit being approximately 33% by weight. The dietary fiber content of commercially available soybean refuse powder is generally approximately 45 to 65% by weight.

[0015] In the present invention, oil-containing soybean refuse powder is produced by mixing soybean refuse having a median diameter of 150 μm or less with oil having a melting point of 73° C. or less. The oil or fat used is not particularly limited as long as it is edible and has a melting point of 73°C or less, and any of animal oils, vegetable oils, and powdered oils and fats can be used. The melting point of the oil or fat is preferably 25 to 73°C, more preferably 29 to 70°C, even more preferably 29 to 50°C, and most preferably 29 to 43°C. Examples of edible oils that can be used include animal oils and fats such as butter, lard, pork oil, and hemp; vegetable oils and fats such as rice bran oil, cottonseed oil, corn germ oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, peanut oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, and coconut oil; refined oils; high oleic oils thereof; fractionated oils thereof; hardened oils; and interesterified oils. A mixture of two or more of these edible oils can also be used. Examples of fractionated oils include palm mid-fractionated oil (PMF), which is a fractionated oil of palm oil, and palm stearin. Examples of hardened oils include hardened palm kernel oil, which is a hardened oil of palm kernel oil. Examples of powdered oils include powder of extremely hardened rapeseed oil. The melting point in the present invention is a value determined in accordance with the melting point (slip melting point) of "Standard Test Methods for the Analysis of Fats, Oils and Related Materials" 2.2.4.2-1996 compiled by the Japan Oil Chemists' Society. The melting point of rapeseed oil is said to be between -12°C and 0°C.

[0016] The composition of fatty acids is closely related to the melting point of fats and oils. Generally, the higher the proportion of saturated fatty acids, the higher the melting point, and the higher the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids, especially polyunsaturated fatty acids, the lower the melting point. Furthermore, the quantitative ratio of fatty acids greatly affects the flavor and texture of fats and oils, such as the melt-in-the-mouth texture (bad vs. good), richness (light vs. rich), stickiness (weak vs. strong), and odor (easy vs. resistant to oxidation). The quantitative ratio of fatty acids affects the effects of the present invention as follows.

[0017] When the fatty acid composition of the fat or oil used contains 40 to 75% by mass of fatty acids having 12 to 16 carbon atoms or 90 to 95% by mass of fatty acids having 18 carbon atoms, an oil-containing okara powder having a soft texture and rich flavor can be obtained. More preferably, the okara is derived from soybeans from which the seed coat and hypocotyl have been removed. Furthermore, when soybean-derived okara from which the seed coat and hypocotyl have been removed is used as the okara, if the fatty acid content of the oil or fat used is 40 to 75 mass% for fatty acids having 12 to 16 carbon atoms, an oil or fat-containing okara powder can be obtained that is not only soft and rich, but also has a sweeter taste. In particular, if the fatty acid content of 12 to 16 carbon atoms is 45 to 70 mass%, an oil or fat-containing okara powder that is better in terms of softness, richness, sweetness, and fluidity can be obtained. The fatty acid composition of fats and oils can be analyzed by gas chromatography (in accordance with AOCS Ce1f-96).

[0018] The method for producing the oil-containing soybean refuse powder containing soybean refuse powder and oil of the present invention is based on a conventional method of mixing and stirring raw materials. It can be produced by a simple process of mixing soybean pulp powder with a median diameter of 150 μm or less with an oil or fat with a melting point of 73°C or less. When seasonings or the like are further added to this composition, they may be added when or after mixing the soybean pulp powder and the oil or fat, and may be dried if necessary. There are no particular limitations on the equipment used for mixing, stirring, or drying, or on the production conditions, but it is preferable to mix the oil at room temperature or heated to 65°C or less.

[0019] Combining okara with a median diameter of 150 μm or less and a fat or oil with a melting point of 73°C or less improves the texture of the resulting oil-containing okara powder. When the melting point of the fat or oil exceeds 73°C, the melting point significantly decreases, making it difficult to use as a topping or food ingredient in a wide variety of dishes. Furthermore, when the melting point of the fat or oil is low, the fat or oil is liquid at room temperature, making the resulting oil-containing okara powder sticky. Since reduced stickiness improves flavor and also facilitates handling during production, vegetable oils with a melting point of 25 to 73°C are preferably used. In particular, using vegetable oils with a melting point of 29 to 70°C helps maintain the powdery shape when used as a topping or food ingredient in a wide variety of dishes. However, even if the melting point of the oil or fat is above 73°C, if the oil or fat has a high proportion of saturated fatty acids and the content of fatty acids having 12 to 16 carbon atoms is 40 to 75 mass% or the content of fatty acids having 18 carbon atoms is 90 to 95 mass%, the soft texture and richness of the oil-containing okara powder can be maintained.

[0020] In addition, the oil-containing okara powder of the present invention, which contains the okara and an oil or fat having a melting point of 73°C or less, can be mixed with seasonings, fragrances, colorants, excipients, etc. to produce a powdered composition, thereby obtaining a composition having a flavor and color appropriate for the use of the oil-containing okara powder. The ratio of okara to fat and oil in the powdered composition is preferably 30 to 68% by weight of okara with a median diameter of 150 μm or less and 10 to 35% by weight of fat and oil with a melting point of 73° C. or less. If the amount of fat and oil is too much relative to the okara powder, the stickiness of the fat and oil may not be suppressed, and if the amount is too little, the flavor, texture, and melt-in-the-mouth feel of the okara will not be improved.

[0021] The powdered composition preferably has a dietary fiber content of 11 to 55% by weight and a lipid content of 20 to 43% by weight. If the dietary fiber content of the soybean pulp powder itself with a median diameter of 150 μm or less exceeds 45%, the melt-in-the-mouth texture and softness of the resulting oil-containing soybean pulp powder will be impaired. However, in a powdered composition in which dietary fiber is further added to the oil-containing soybean pulp powder, the melt-in-the-mouth texture will not be impaired even if the dietary fiber content is up to 55% by weight.

[0022] The powdered composition thus produced, containing okara with a median diameter of 150 μm or less and fats and oils with a melting point of 73°C or less, has a sweet flavor due to the fats and oils and okara, and the composition is also less sticky. The synergistic effect of the fine-particle okara powder and the fats and oils results in a soft texture (melts easily in the mouth) that does not remain on the tongue, yet has a creamy richness. Because compositions with flavors and colors suited to specific applications can be produced, okara powder with excellent texture and flavor can be used as an ingredient in a wide range of foods.

[0023] Furthermore, the present invention encompasses an embodiment of a powdery composition containing soybean pulp refuse and fats and oils, and having a median diameter of 20 to 380 μm, preferably 60 to 360 μm, and more preferably 80 to 360 μm. Alternatively, a powdered composition having a median diameter of 20 to 380 μm may be prepared by adding dried ingredients or water-soluble particles. In this case, even if the median diameter is greater than 380 μm and not greater than 600 μm, the powdered composition, excluding solid ingredients of 1 mm or larger, will exhibit the same effects as a powdered composition having a median diameter of 20 to 380 μm if the swelling index of the powdered composition is 1.0 or less and the wet particle size is 250 μm or less. Preferably, the swelling index is 1.1 or less and the wet particle size is 210 μm or less, and the effect will be even greater. The swelling degree in the present invention is a value obtained by dividing the median diameter in a wet dispersion (dispersion medium: water, ultrasonic vibration output: 40 W, irradiation for 1 minute) by the median diameter in a dry dispersion. [Example]

[0024] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. In the examples, "%" simply means "% by mass."

[0025] [Preparation of okara powder] For Okara Powders A to J, the median diameter, dietary fiber content, and whether or not a process for removing the seed coat and hypocotyl is performed are shown in Table 1 below. [Table 1]

[0026] [Sensory evaluation] Before mixing with oil, okara powders A, B, and F were each subjected to a sensory evaluation on a five-point scale by three analytical panelists (with at least one year of training). The evaluation items were "softness" and "richness." The evaluation criteria for each item are as follows. The results of the sensory test are shown in Table 2. Note that PMF in the table refers to palm mid-fractionated oil, and the powdered oil refers to powdered highly hydrogenated rapeseed oil. In addition, the "sweet flavor," "astringent flavor (an unpleasant soybean-derived flavor reminiscent of astringency, bitterness, and astringency)," and "stickiness" were also evaluated, and the results were recorded as comments. Hereinafter, test plots that received a rating of 3 or higher for both "softness" and "richness" were evaluated as "acceptable."

[0027] <Softness> The soft feeling was defined as melting easily in the mouth and not having a powdery or rough aftertaste. 5: I feel strongly 4: Feel 3: Somewhat 2: Almost no feeling 1: I don't feel it <Body> Richness was defined as having a creamy flavor. 5: I feel strongly 4: Feel 3: Somewhat 2: Almost no feeling 1: I don't feel it

[0028] [Table 2]

[0029] Since no oils or fats were mixed in, none of the okara powders were sticky. Both okara powders A and F had small median diameters, but because A was made from soybeans with the seed coat and hypocotyl removed, there were differences compared to F, particularly in the evaluation of flavor.

[0030] [Preparation of a composition containing oil-containing okara powder] Powdered compositions were prepared by mixing and stirring the soybean pulp powder, fats and oils, and other ingredients in the respective raw material blends shown in Table 3. Each composition was subjected to the same sensory evaluation as above. The values ​​in parentheses in Table 3 indicate the melting points of the fats and oils.

[0031] [Table 3] JPEG2026002735000004.jpg107158

[0032] In Comparative Examples 1 to 8, which used soybean refuse powder with a median diameter of more than 150 μm, both softness and richness were rated low, whereas in Examples 1 to 18, which used soybean refuse powder with a median diameter of 150 μm or less, softness and richness were rated acceptable, although there was some variation depending on the oil or fat used. In particular, when soybean refuse powder from which the seed coat and / or hypocotyl had been removed was used, both softness and richness were rated high, and the sweet flavor was superior.

[0033] [Ratio of okara and fats and oils] Powdered compositions were prepared by mixing and stirring the soybean pulp powder, fats and oils, and other ingredients shown in Table 4. Each composition was subjected to the same sensory evaluation as above. The values ​​in parentheses in Table 4 indicate the melting points of the fats and oils. [Table 4]

[0034] In the powdered composition of the present invention, if the amount of fat or oil is too much, the composition will feel sticky, so the amount of fat or oil is preferably about 10 to 35% by weight, and the amount of soy pulp is preferably about 30 to 70% by weight. Furthermore, the fatty acid compositions of the fats and oils shown in Tables 3 and 4 are shown in Table 5.

[0035] [Table 5]

[0036] It was found that oil-containing okara powder with a soft texture and rich flavor can be obtained by using refined coconut oil, PMF, refined palm, hardened palm kernel oil, or palm stearin, each containing 40 to 75% by mass of fatty acids having 12 to 16 carbon atoms, or rapeseed oil, pork oil, or powdered oil and fat, each containing 90 to 95% by mass of fatty acids having 18 carbon atoms (Examples 1 to 26). Furthermore, when the evaluation results of Examples 5, 9, 11-15, 17, and 18, which contained 5% by mass of refined palm oil, were compared, it was found that the use of soybean-derived okara (okara powders A and I) from which the seed coat and hypocotyl had been removed resulted in an oil-containing okara powder with a sweeter flavor. Furthermore, when soybean-derived okara from which the seed coat and hypocotyl have been removed (okara powders A and I) is used as the okara, if the fatty acid content of the oil or fat used is 40 to 75 mass% with 12 to 16 carbon atoms, an oil-containing okara powder can be obtained that is not only soft and rich, but also has a sweeter taste. In particular, it has been found that if the fatty acid content of 12 to 16 carbon atoms is 45 to 70 mass%, an oil-containing okara powder with better softness, richness, sweetness, and fluidity can be obtained. Both Example 2 (pork oil) and Example 5 (refined palm) were suitable test plots. Although the melting points of both are the same at 35°C, there are slight differences in the effects on softness, sweet flavor, stickiness, etc., which are presumably due to differences in the fatty acid composition of the two, suggesting that the fatty acid composition of the lipids is involved in the effects of the present invention.

[0037] [Measurement of hexanal in soybean refuse powder] Hexanal is the main substance responsible for the grassy smell of soybeans, and was measured using a GC-MS "Agilent8890GC / 5977MSD" (manufactured by Agilent). 1.0 g of each sample was weighed into a 20 mL headspace vial, and 5.0 g of water was added. Next, the aroma components in the headspace were adsorbed onto an SPME fiber by the SPME method (solid phase microextraction) at 60°C for 15 minutes, and then measured. The peak area of ​​hexanal was determined using m / z 56. The detailed conditions are as follows: The hexanal content was calculated as a relative ratio when the peak area of ​​the control (okara powder A) was set to 1. Measurement mode: Scan SPME fiber: DVB / C-WR / PDMS Inlet temperature: 250℃ Column: DB-WAX UI 60m x 0.25mm x 0.25μm Carrier gas and flow rate: Hydrogen, 1.2 mL / min Cycle time: 63 min Split ratio: 100:1 Temperature conditions: 40°C (3 min) → Heat up to 250°C at 5°C / min → Hold for 10 min

[0038] The amount of hexanal (peak area relative value), with Okara Powder A set at a reference value of 1.0, was 3.4 for Okara Powder B, 2.6 for Okara Powder C, 5.0 for Okara Powder D, 5.2 for Okara Powder E, 2.8 for Okara Powder F, 1.8 for Okara Powder G, 3.5 for Okara Powder H, and 0.6 for Okara Powder I. Okara powders A and I, which had undergone a process in which the seed coat and embryonic axis had been removed, had low hexanal values, which was presumed to affect the richness of the flavor.

Claims

1. A powdery composition containing soybean pulp having a median diameter of 150 μm or less and fats and oils having a melting point of 73° C. or less.

2. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the okara is derived from soybeans from which the seed coat and / or hypocotyl have been at least partially removed.

3. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the dietary fiber content of the okara is 45% by weight or less.

4. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the median diameter of the okara is 20 to 150 μm.

5. The composition according to claim 1, comprising 30 to 68% by weight of the soy pulp refuse and 10 to 35% by weight of the fat or oil.

6. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the oil is a vegetable oil having a melting point of 25 to 73°C.

7. A powdery composition containing soybean pulp and fats and oils, having a median diameter of 20 to 380 μm.

8. A food product comprising the composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A method for producing the composition according to claim 1 or 7, characterized in that the okara having a median diameter of 150 μm or less and the fat or oil having a melting point of 73° C. or less are mixed and stirred.

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