Noodle-like food product comprising defatted soy flour

Abstract

To develop a noodle-like food having a high protein content and excellent palate feeling.SOLUTION: The noodle-like food having ≥ 40 wt.% protein content expressed in terms of solid content is produced by extrusion molding raw material flour formulated with ≥ 20 wt.% defatted soybean flour in a non-swollen state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a noodle-like food product comprising defatted soy flour and having an excellent texture. [Background technology]

[0002] In the field of processed foods, vegetable proteins such as soy protein are widely used, and in recent years, there has been a trend towards their active use due to health concerns such as the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases. Vegetable proteins are specified in the JAS standard as the "Japanese Agricultural Standard for Vegetable Protein," and the raw materials for vegetable proteins are defined as oil seeds such as soybeans or their defatted products, or powders of grains such as wheat (for example, soybean flour, defatted soybean flour, wheat flour, wheat gluten, etc.).

[0003] Among vegetable proteins, those made from legumes such as soybeans have attracted attention from the perspective of promoting health because they contain more protein and dietary fiber and less carbohydrates than wheat flour, rice flour, etc. For example, Patent Document 1 describes the production of noodle-like foods from raw material flour containing soybean protein, etc. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 proposes the production of noodle-like compositions from raw materials derived from legumes such as yellow peas. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-032499 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2022 / 030638 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Traditionally, wheat flour has been widely used as a raw material for pasta, udon, and other dishes, but wheat flour has a high carbohydrate content, making it difficult to produce noodles with a high protein content using wheat flour as the main raw material. While it is possible to increase the protein content of noodles by adding ingredients with a higher protein content than wheat flour, simply reducing the amount of wheat flour added can significantly impair the texture of the noodles.

[0006] In view of these circumstances, an object of the present invention is to develop a noodle-like food product that has a high protein content and an excellent texture. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] As a result of extensive research into the above-mentioned problems, the inventors discovered that a noodle-like food product with a high protein content and an excellent texture can be obtained by blending defatted soybean flour made from soybeans with raw material flour and extruding the mixture without swelling, which led to the completion of the present invention.

[0008] The present invention includes, but is not limited to, the following inventions. [1] A noodle-like food product comprising a non-expanded extrusion product of raw material flour, wherein the raw material flour contains 20% by weight or more of defatted soy flour, and the protein content of the noodle-like food product is 40% by weight or more, calculated as solid content. [2] The noodle food product according to [1], wherein the raw material flour contains 1 to 50% by weight of protein powder derived from beans, and the weight ratio of defatted soy flour to protein powder derived from beans is 99:1 to 50:50. [3] The noodle food product according to [2], wherein the protein powder derived from beans is isolated soy protein or concentrated soy protein. [4] The noodle food product according to [1], which does not use wheat flour as the raw material flour. [5] A method for producing the noodle-like food product according to any one of [1] to [4], comprising a step of extruding a raw material containing defatted soy flour without swelling it. [6] The method according to [5], further comprising the step of cutting the obtained non-expanded extrudate. [7] The method according to [5], wherein an extruder is used in the extrusion molding step, and a non-expanded extrudate is obtained by extruding the raw material through a cooling die installed at the outlet of the extruder. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, a noodle-shaped food product with an excellent texture can be obtained using defatted soy flour, a plant-derived material. The food product obtained by the present invention has a high protein content, which makes it easy to feel full, and is less likely to become fatty than foods high in carbohydrates or lipids, making it ideal from the perspective of promoting health. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the direction in which noodle strings are cut out. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a photograph showing the appearance of cooked noodles produced in the example (Sample 1-2). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The present invention relates to a noodle-shaped food product made from defatted soy flour. In this invention, by blending 20% ​​by weight or more of defatted soy flour made from soybeans into raw material flour, a noodle-shaped food product with a high protein content and excellent texture can be obtained. In particular, in this invention, a raw material containing defatted soy flour is extruded without swelling to form a layered structure oriented in one direction, and this oriented layered structure makes it possible to realize a noodle-shaped food product with an excellent texture.

[0012] noodle-like food The present invention relates to a noodle food product having a protein content of 40% by weight or more of the solid content. Compared to common udon noodles or pasta (protein content: approximately 10%) made primarily from wheat flour, the protein content of the noodle food product of the present invention is high, and in a preferred embodiment, the protein content of the noodle food product of the present invention is 45% by weight or more, 50% by weight or more, or even 55% by weight or more. There is no particular upper limit to the protein content, but it may be, for example, 90% by weight or less or 80% by weight or less. The noodle food product obtained by the present invention has a high protein content, which makes it easy to feel full, and is less likely to become fat than foods high in carbohydrates or lipids, making it ideal from the perspective of promoting health.

[0013] Generally, when the amount of wheat flour used is reduced in order to increase the protein content, the gluten network is not sufficiently formed, resulting in a poor noodle texture or even making noodles impossible. However, in the present invention, a noodle food product with an excellent texture can be obtained despite its high protein content by extruding a raw material containing 20% ​​by weight or more of defatted soy flour without swelling.

[0014] The noodle foods according to the present invention are, for example, noodle strands or noodle bands such as pasta, udon, soba, and somen. Specific examples include rod-shaped noodle foods such as spaghetti, Chinese noodles, udon, Japanese soba, somen, hiyamugi, hiyashimen, and rice vermicelli; flat noodle foods such as kishimen and fettuccine; sheet-shaped noodle foods such as lasagna; and short pasta-like noodle foods such as macaroni.

[0015] Furthermore, the noodle food product according to the present invention is a concept that encompasses both uncooked and cooked noodle foods. To prepare a cooked noodle food product, an uncooked noodle food product can be cooked until it is edible, for example by boiling it in hot water. The cooking method is not particularly limited, and the noodle food product can be cooked by boiling, frying, steaming, stir-frying, a microwave oven, a steam convection oven, or the like.

[0016] The noodle food product of the present invention is not particularly limited in terms of the thickness, width, cross-sectional shape, etc., of the noodle strands. The thickness of the noodle strands or noodle bands can be, for example, in the range of 0.3 to 4 mm, preferably 0.5 to 3 mm, and may be 0.8 to 2.5 mm or 1 to 2 mm. The width of the noodle strands can be, for example, in the range of 1 to 15 mm, preferably 2 to 10 mm, and may be 3 to 9 mm or 4 to 8 mm. The shape of the noodle food product can be adjusted by, for example, cutting or rolling the non-expanded extrusion molded product, and known cutting machines or rolling machines can be used. In one embodiment, a noodle band of the desired thickness is prepared from the non-expanded extrusion molded product of the present invention, and the noodle band can then be cut using a cutting machine or the like to obtain noodle strands. The cutting direction is not particularly limited; for example, the noodle may be cut parallel to the extrusion direction during extrusion molding, or perpendicular to the extrusion direction. Specifically, noodle strands can be cut out as shown in Figure 1, and noodle strands can also be produced by cutting out noodle strips diagonally or randomly. The thickness of the noodle band or noodle strands can be adjusted, for example, by rolling the non-expanded extrudate through pressure rolls.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the noodle food product of the present invention has a moisture content of 30 to 80% by weight, or alternatively 40 to 75% by weight or 50 to 70% by weight. This moisture content makes it easier to obtain a noodle food product with an excellent texture. The moisture content of the noodle food product of the present invention can be adjusted appropriately by the amount of water added during extrusion molding, and can also be adjusted by using aqueous solutions containing seasonings such as soy sauce, colorings, etc.

[0018] The noodle food product of the present invention may be stored, distributed, or sold, for example, at room temperature, refrigerated, or frozen, and maintains an excellent texture even after storage. Furthermore, the noodle food product of the present invention may be subjected to a heat treatment such as retort sterilization to enable longer storage periods. The heat treatment may be performed on the noodle food product before it is placed in a container, or may be performed after the noodle food is placed in a container, or may be performed both before and after it is placed in a container.

[0019] In one aspect, the present invention includes processed foods, including noodle-like foods. In the present invention, water, oils and fats, vegetables, fruits, seaweed, seasonings, spices, thickeners, gelling agents, starches, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, colorings, flavorings, and other vegetable and animal proteins may be blended into the food, provided that the effects of the invention are not impaired. Examples of vegetables include onions, carrots, and bell peppers, and examples of seasonings include garlic, ginger, chili peppers, pepper, soy sauce, and miso paste. In one aspect, when a noodle sheet is produced as a noodle-like food, the noodle sheet can be used as a wrapper for a filled food to produce the filled food.

[0020] Manufacturing of noodle-like foods The noodle-shaped food product of the present invention is produced using a raw material flour containing 20% ​​or more by weight of defatted soy flour. In a preferred embodiment, the raw material flour can contain 30% or more by weight or 40% or more by weight of defatted soy flour, and the amount of defatted soy flour may be 50% or more by weight, 60% or more by weight, or even 80% or more by weight. There is no upper limit to the amount of defatted soy flour, but it may be, for example, 100% by weight, or up to 95% or 85% by weight.

[0021] The defatted soy flour used in the present invention is not particularly limited, and soy flour with various properties can be used. Defatted soy flour is a powder made from the residue (defatted soybeans) left over after oil extraction from soybeans. In the present invention, the median diameter (hereinafter referred to as D50) of the defatted soy flour is preferably 30 to 120 μm, and may be 40 to 110 μm or 50 to 100 μm. Generally, when oil is extracted from soybeans, after dehulling, the moisture content is adjusted and the soybeans are pressed with a roll, resulting in a thin flake-like residue (defatted soybeans), which can be crushed to produce defatted soy flour.

[0022] In the present invention, the degree of denaturation of the defatted soy flour is not particularly limited, and the water-soluble nitrogen index (hereinafter referred to as NSI) may be appropriately adjusted depending on the application. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the NSI of the defatted soy flour is 30 to 98, more preferably 55 to 95, and may be 65 to 90 or 75 to 88. The fat and oil content of the defatted soy flour is preferably 4% or less, and may be 3% or less or 2% or less. In one embodiment, the protein content of the defatted soy flour is less than 65%, and the ash content is 4% or more. The protein content can be measured by the Kjeldahl method (nitrogen conversion coefficient 6.25), and the ash content can be measured by the direct ashing method.

[0023] Furthermore, in the present invention, defatted soy flour and pulse protein can be used in combination. By incorporating pulse protein in addition to defatted soy flour into the raw material flour, the texture of the noodle-shaped food product can be improved and noodle-making properties are also enhanced. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the weight ratio of defatted soy flour to pulse protein incorporated into the raw material flour is 99:1 to 50:50, and may also be 95:5 to 55:45 or 90:10 to 60:40. The combined weight of defatted soy flour and pulse protein is preferably 60% by weight or more of the raw material flour, and may be 70% by weight or more, 80% by weight or more, or even 90% by weight or more of the raw material flour. It is also possible to use only defatted soy flour and pulse protein as the raw material flour.

[0024] The pulse protein is not particularly limited as long as it is a protein powder derived from pulses, but from the viewpoint of improving the texture of noodle-shaped foods, the protein content is 65% or more. The pulses used as the raw material for the protein powder are not particularly limited, but examples include pulses of the Glycine max, Vigna spp., Phaseolus vulgaris, Vicia faba, Pisum sativum, Arachis hypogaea, Chickpea spp., and Lentil spp. Examples of pulses of the Glycine max include soybeans such as yellow soybeans, green soybeans, black soybeans, red soybeans, and brown soybeans. Examples of pulses of the Vigna spp. include adzuki beans, dainagon beans, cowpeas, and mung beans. Examples of pulses of the Phaseolus spp. include red kidney beans, pinto beans, daifuku beans, white flower beans, purple flower beans, tiger beans, adzuki beans, and red kidney beans. Examples of pulses of the Vicia spp. include fava beans. Examples of pulses of the Pisum spp. include green peas, red peas, and white peas. Examples of beans in the Arachis genus include peanuts, examples of beans in the Chickpea genus include chickpeas, and examples of beans in the Lentil genus include lentils. In a preferred embodiment, the pulse protein of the present invention is a soy protein such as a soy protein isolate or a soy protein concentrate, a pea protein, or a chickpea protein, more preferably a soy protein such as a soy protein isolate or a soy protein concentrate, and even more preferably a soy protein isolate. The protein content of the pulse protein of the present invention is 65% or more, but may be, for example, 70-99%, 75-95%, or 80-90%. The protein content of the pulse protein can be measured by the Kjeldahl method (nitrogen conversion coefficient 6.25), and the ash content can be measured by the direct ashing method.

[0025] In the present invention, the isolated soy protein used in combination with defatted soy flour is not particularly limited, and soy protein of various properties can be used. Isolated soy protein is generally obtained by suspending defatted soy flour with a low degree of denaturation in water, adjusting the pH to neutral to alkaline to extract the protein, centrifuging to remove insoluble components, adding a dilute acid to the extract to precipitate the protein, recovering it by centrifugation, neutralizing and washing with water as necessary, and then spray-drying it. In one embodiment, the isolated soy protein has a protein content of 80% or more and an ash content of 6% or less.

[0026] The concentrated soy protein used in combination with defatted soy flour in the present invention is not particularly limited, and soy protein of various properties can be used. Concentrated soy protein is generally obtained by removing soluble components such as sugars from defatted soy flour with a low degree of denaturation, followed by drying. Methods for removing soluble components include washing with alcohol, washing with dilute acid, and steam heating followed by water washing. In one embodiment, the concentrated soy protein has a protein content of 65% or more and an ash content of 7% or less.

[0027] In the present invention, the pea protein to be used in combination with defatted soybean flour is not particularly limited, and pea protein of various properties can be used. Pea protein can be obtained by peeling and grinding peas, suspending the ground product in water, adjusting the pH as necessary to extract the protein, centrifuging to remove insoluble components, or washing with alcohol or water to remove soluble components, and then sterilizing, concentrating, etc. as necessary, and drying. In one embodiment, the protein content of the pea protein is 70% or more.

[0028] In the present invention, the chickpea protein used in combination with defatted soy flour is not particularly limited, and chickpea protein of various properties can be used. Chickpea protein can be obtained by suspending ground chickpeas in water, adjusting the pH as needed to extract the protein, centrifuging to remove insoluble components, or washing with alcohol or water to remove soluble components, and then sterilizing, concentrating, etc. as needed, and then drying. In one embodiment, the protein content of the chickpea protein is 60% or more.

[0029] In the present invention, vegetable proteins obtained from plants other than beans may also be used. Suitable vegetable proteins include proteins derived from plants such as wheat and rapeseed, and may be treated with enzymes. One type of vegetable protein may be used, or multiple types of vegetable proteins may be used.

[0030] In the present invention, in addition to defatted soy flour, pulse protein, and vegetable protein, cereal flour may be blended into the raw material flour. Examples of cereal flour that can be used include wheat flour (hard flour, semi-hard flour, medium-strength flour, soft flour, whole wheat flour, durum semolina, durum wheat flour, etc.), rice flour, buckwheat flour, barley flour, rye flour, oat flour, corn flour, barnyard millet flour, foxtail millet flour, soy flour (excluding defatted soy flour), white sorghum flour, and heated flours obtained by heat-treating any of these.

[0031] Although wheat flour is widely used as the grain flour for general noodles, wheat flour does not have to be used in the present invention. According to the present invention, a noodle food with a good texture can be produced without using wheat flour, and therefore the product can also be used as a gluten-free food. For example, the amount of wheat flour can be 10% by weight or less of the raw material flour, and may also be 5% by weight or less or 2% by mass or less.

[0032] In the present invention, starches may be blended with the raw material flour. The starches are not particularly limited, and examples include aboveground and underground starches, as well as waxy and high-amylose starches. These may be used alone or in combination. Examples of aboveground starches include corn starch, rice starch, wheat starch, and sago starch. Examples of underground starches include starches derived from rhizomes or roots, such as potato starch, tapioca starch, and sweet potato starch. Starch can be physically or chemically processed, for example, by gelatinization, oxidation, acid treatment, esterification (e.g., acetylation), phosphorylation, etherification (e.g., hydroxypropylation), or crosslinking (e.g., phosphate crosslinking or adipic acid crosslinking). However, starch hydrolyzates, such as dextrin, obtained by hydrolyzing the above-mentioned starches with acid and / or enzymes are not included in the starches.

[0033] In addition to the above-mentioned ingredients, the present invention may also use secondary ingredients such as polysaccharides, monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, dextrin, proteinaceous materials, dietary fiber, colorings, seasonings, flavorings, emulsifiers, organic acids, salts, and vitamins. These secondary ingredients may be used singly or in combination of two or more. In particular, incorporating polysaccharides into the raw materials can improve the texture of noodle-shaped foods. Examples of polysaccharides include alginic acid, pullulan, gum arabic, guar gum, xanthan gum, gellan gum, and hemicellulose, with alginic acid being preferred. The amount of polysaccharides incorporated into the raw material flour is preferably 0.05 to 6 wt %, more preferably 0.1 to 4 wt %, and may be 0.3 to 2 wt %. In the present invention, the raw material flour refers to not only defatted soy flour but also the powdered raw materials listed above.

[0034] In the present invention, edible oils and fats, such as liquid oils and fats, may be used as ingredients. The oils and fats to be added are not particularly limited as long as they are edible, and one or more oils and fats may be used. Examples include vegetable oils and fats such as soybean oil, rapeseed oil (including canola oil), corn oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, sesame oil, linseed oil, perilla oil, olive oil, rice bran oil, wheat germ oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, and cocoa butter; animal oils and fats such as beef tallow, lard, chicken fat, milk fat, fish oil, whale oil, and seal fat; and algae oil. Extracts from plants bred using genetic engineering techniques may also be used. For example, oils and fats obtained from high-oleic varieties of rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, and soybean oil can be used. Processed oils and fats can also be used in the present invention. For example, hydrogenated oils and fats, esterified oils of glycerin and fatty acids, interesterified oils, and fractionated oils and fats can also be used as appropriate, and specific examples include shortening and medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides. Because of their ease of mixing and workability, vegetable oils that are liquid at room temperature (20°C) are preferred. By incorporating oils and fats as ingredients in noodle foods, the texture of the noodle foods can be softened and the flavor improved. The amount of oil and fat incorporated is preferably 1 to 20 parts by weight, more preferably 2 to 15 parts by weight, and may be 4 to 12 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the raw material flour.

[0035] The noodle-shaped food product of the present invention comprises a non-expanded extrusion molded product produced by adding water to a raw material flour containing defatted soy flour and extruding the resulting mixture without expanding it using an extruder equipped with a high-pressure pump or a twin-screw extruder.

[0036] In the present invention, any known extruder can be used without limitation as long as it can extrude the raw material without expanding it. In a preferred embodiment, the food product of the present invention can be molded using an extruder having a die that allows cooling. For example, when a twin-screw extruder is used, the heating temperature of the barrel can be adjusted so that the temperature in the front half of the barrel is 30 to 140°C and the temperature in the rear half of the barrel is 100 to 180°C. In addition, the pressure immediately before the cooling die can be adjusted to 0 to 50 kg / cm.2 It can be adjusted to 35 kg / cm 2 Less than 20kg / cm 2 The following is preferable. The screw can be used in appropriate combination with a kneading disk, a reverse element, etc. In a preferred embodiment, the extruder has a raw material supply port, a mechanism for feeding raw materials through a screw in the barrel, a mixing, compression, and temperature adjustment mechanism, and further has a cooling die attached to the tip of the barrel.

[0037] The cooling conditions may be appropriately set so as to prevent swelling during extrusion, but cooling is preferably performed so that the central temperature of the extrudate immediately after being extruded from the cooling die is 90°C or below, and cooling can also be performed so that the central temperature is 70°C or below, or 50°C or below. The cooling die can be cooled by water cooling or the like, and the temperature and flow rate of the cooling water can be adjusted appropriately depending on the size and type of extruder, the raw material throughput, etc. There are no particular restrictions on the size of the cooling die used, and the flow path length and inner diameter can be adjusted appropriately depending on the size and type of extruder, the raw material throughput, etc. By extruding the raw materials without causing them to swell, a layered structure oriented in one direction is formed, resulting in a noodle-like food product with an excellent texture. [Example]

[0038] The present invention will be described in more detail based on specific examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples. Unless otherwise specified, concentrations and the like in this specification are based on weight, and numerical ranges are stated as including their endpoints.

[0039] Preparation of defatted soy flour The soybeans were pressed into flakes of approximately 0.3 mm using a rolling mill (manufactured by Suehiro EPM), and then defatted for 4 hours at 40-60°C using a food additive hexane (manufactured by JX Nippon Oil & Energy) as a solvent. The resulting defatted soybeans were then subjected to a pressure of 2 kgf / cm 2Live steam at approximately 130°C was injected at a pressure of 1000 kJ / min to reduce the NSI. The defatted soybeans were then air-dried and crushed in a crusher to obtain defatted soybean flour. The live steam injection time and crushing time were adjusted to produce defatted soybean flour with a particle size (D50) of 52 μm and a water-soluble nitrogen index (NSI) of 85. The protein content of the defatted soybean flour was 51%.

[0040] The particle size (50% cumulative particle size: D50) of the sample was measured using a laser diffraction particle size analyzer. Specifically, the 50% cumulative particle size was determined from the volume-based distribution (frequency distribution) by Fraunhofer diffraction using a laser diffraction particle size distribution analyzer (HELOS&RODOS, manufactured by Nippon Laser).

[0041] The water-soluble nitrogen index (NSI) of the sample was measured according to the following procedure. Specifically, 10.0 g of sample was weighed into a beaker, and 450 mL of 30°C distilled water and one drop of antifoaming agent (silicone oil) were added, stirred, and left for 10 minutes. The beaker was fixed in an 80°C water bath and heated and stirred for 25 minutes. After that, the mixture was cooled to 30°C with cold water, and 30°C distilled water was added to the mixture to a constant volume of 500 mL to obtain an extract. 50 mL of the resulting extract was centrifuged (3000 rpm, 10 minutes). 25 mL of the separated supernatant was transferred to a decomposition distillation tube, and the total nitrogen content in the supernatant was measured by the Kjeldahl method. Specifically, 4 g of a decomposition aid (CuSO4:CaSO4 = 9:1) and 15 mL of concentrated sulfuric acid were added to the decomposition distillation tube, and the mixture was subjected to thermal decomposition at 420°C for 1 hour. After cooling, the mixture was distilled and the nitrogen content was measured by a conventional method. In addition, the total nitrogen content in the sample was measured using the Kjeldahl method, and the water-soluble nitrogen index (NSI) was calculated as the percentage of nitrogen extracted with hot water relative to the total nitrogen.

[0042] Furthermore, the protein content was calculated by measuring the total nitrogen content in the sample using the Kjeldahl method and using a nitrogen conversion factor of 6.25.

[0043] Experiment 1: Production and evaluation of noodle-like foods The following ingredients were mixed in the proportions shown in the table below to prepare a raw material flour for producing noodle-like food products. ·Defatted soybean flour (protein content: 51%, D50: 52μm, NSI: 85) Soy protein isolate (Showa Fresh M-600, protein content: 86%, Showa Sangyo) ·Concentrated soy protein (Wilcon F, protein content: 70%, Wilmar) Alginic acid (Argyron, Chimica) Next, the raw material flour, water, and liquid oil (high oleic sunflower oil, Showa Sangyo) were fed into a twin-screw extruder (Alpha Riser EA-20, Suehiro EPM) in the formulation shown in the table below and kneaded. In the twin-screw extruder, the temperature was raised stepwise from 30 to 140°C in the first half of the barrel, maintained at 140 to 180°C near the middle of the barrel, and then lowered stepwise from 140 to 100°C in the second half of the barrel. Cooling water was circulated through a cooling die attached to the tip of the extrudate to cool it so that the central temperature at the outlet of the extrudate was 85°C, while the extrusion was carried out under normal pressure, to obtain an unexpanded extrudate (non-expanded extrudate). The opening of the cooling die was 15 mm x 50 mm (opening area: 700 mm 2 ) and was 800 mm long.

[0044] As comparative examples, a sample simply kneaded in a mixer without extrusion molding using an extruder (Sample 1-12) and a sample expanded and extruded (Sample 1-13) were also prepared. For Sample 1-12 (kneaded product), the same materials as in Sample 1-2 were placed in a horizontal vacuum pin mixer and vacuum mixed at room temperature for 10 minutes to prepare a dough. For Sample 1-13 (expanded extrusion product), an expanded extrusion product was obtained in the same manner as Sample 1-2, except that the core temperature during extrusion from the twin-screw extruder was set to 110°C.

[0045] Noodle sheets (thickness: 15 mm, width: 50 mm, length: 120 mm) were cut from the extrusion-molded product and kneaded product prepared as described above, and then the noodle sheets were cut using a cutter to produce noodle strands (thickness: 1.5 mm, width: 5 mm, length: 120 mm). Here, the extrusion-molded product was cut perpendicular to the extrusion direction to obtain noodle sheets, which were then cut parallel to the extrusion direction to obtain noodle strands (cutting direction: Figure 1A).

[0046] The noodles were frozen at -18°C for one day, then cooked in boiling water for one minute (Figure 2). A trained panel of 10 people conducted a sensory evaluation of the cooked noodles based on the following criteria, and the average score of each panel was calculated. ■ Texture of noodles 4 (Very good): Pasta-like texture made primarily from wheat flour, with moderate hardness 3 (Good): Slightly harder / slightly softer than wheat-based pasta 2 (fairly good): Harder / softer than wheat-based pasta 1 (poor): Significantly hard and rubbery, or too soft and brittle ■ Appearance as a noodle-like food 4 (Very good): The surface is uniform, very smooth, and glossy 3 (Good): The surface is slightly rough but smooth 2 (fairly good): The surface is slightly rough / some edges are chipped 1 (poor): The surface is rough / the edges are ragged and torn off ■ Smell (soybean smell) 3 (very good): No noticeable soybean smell 2 (Good): There is a slight soybean smell, but it is not a problem 1 (bad): Strong soybean smell

[0047] [Table 1]

[0048] As shown in the table above, excellent noodle foods were obtained by using non-puffed extrusions made from defatted soy flour according to the present invention. When oil or fat was added to the noodle foods, the soybean odor inherent in the raw material flour was less noticeable, and the texture of the noodle foods tended to become softer. Furthermore, the texture of the noodle foods tended to become softer when more water was added to increase the moisture content of the noodle foods (Samples 1-1, 1-2, 1-7, and 1-8). On the other hand, the texture of the noodle foods tended to become harder when alginic acid was added to the noodle foods (Samples 1-4 and 1-5).

[0049] Furthermore, when a noodle food product was produced from a simple kneaded mixture (Sample 1-12), the dough did not bond well, so the noodle strands were very easily torn apart, and the texture was too soft and unpleasant.

[0050] Furthermore, when a noodle food product was produced from an expanded extrusion product rather than a non-expanded extrusion product (Sample 1-13), the noodle strands were extremely prone to breaking due to the expanded structure, and the texture was too soft and unpleasant.

[0051] Experiment 2: Production and evaluation of noodle-like foods The thickness and width of the noodle food products were examined in detail. Specifically, a noodle band consisting of a non-expanded extrusion molded product was produced from the raw material in the same manner as Sample 1-2 in Experiment 1, and then cut into noodle strands in the longitudinal direction using a cutter (length: 12 cm) to produce noodle strands with the shapes shown in the table below. Note that noodle strands were cut from the noodle band as shown in Figure 1A for Samples 2-1 to 2-8 and as shown in Figure 1B for Samples 2-9 and 2-10.

[0052] The results of evaluating the texture and appearance of the resulting noodle foods are shown in the table below, in the same manner as in Experiment 1. As is clear from the results shown in the table, when the noodle food was shaped like flat noodles, a favorable pasta-like texture was achieved, and an excellent noodle food product was produced according to the present invention.

[0053] [Table 2]

Claims

1. A noodle-like food product comprising a non-expanded extrusion product of raw material flour, wherein the raw material flour contains 20% by weight or more of defatted soy flour, and the protein content of the noodle-like food product is 40% by weight or more calculated as solid content.

2. 2. The noodle-like food product according to claim 1, wherein the raw material flour contains 1 to 50% by weight of protein flour derived from beans, and the weight ratio of defatted soybean flour to protein flour derived from beans is 99:1 to 50:

50.

3. 3. The noodle-like food according to claim 2, wherein the protein powder derived from beans is soy protein isolate or soy protein concentrate.

4. 2. The noodle food product according to claim 1, wherein wheat flour is not used as the raw material flour.

5. A method for producing the noodle food product according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising the steps of: The above method, which comprises a step of extruding a raw material containing defatted soy flour without swelling.

6. 6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of chopping the resulting unexpanded extrudate.

7. 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein an extruder is used in the extrusion molding step, and the raw material is extruded through a cooling die installed at the outlet of the extruder to obtain a non-expanded extrudate.

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