Enzyme-containing composition, method for producing a food composition using the same, method for improving the texture of a food composition, and method for improving the ease of packaging of a food composition.

Abstract

The objective is to obtain a quality that prevents deterioration of texture during long-term storage in the production of a food composition using at least one selected from the group consisting of legumes, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice. [Solution] A method for producing a food composition comprising the following steps (S1) to (S4). (S1) A step of preparing composition A containing at least one selected from the group consisting of amylase, xylanase, lipase, glucosidase, and glycosyltransferase. (S2) A step in which the enzyme activity of composition A is reduced using activity reducing agent B, which has a wet mass water content of 70% by mass or less. (S3) A step of mixing the composition obtained in step S2 with food ingredient C containing at least one selected from the group consisting of legumes, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice. (S4) A step of heating the composition obtained in step S3.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an enzyme-containing composition, a method for producing a food composition using the same, a method for improving the texture of a food composition, and a method for improving the ease of packaging of a food composition.

Background Art

[0002] Since some enzymes bring excellent effects in food processing, various enzymes for food production are commercially available. For example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-274858, a method for producing indica rice cooked rice is disclosed, which is characterized by adding and existing β-amylase during rice cooking in the production of cooked rice of indica rice or blended rice containing the same. However, it is difficult to find the desired effect from a huge variety of enzymes. Further, even for an enzyme having the desired effect, if the enzyme activity is too high, the effect will be excessively expressed. On the contrary, if an attempt is made to lower the enzyme activity, the enzyme activity will become unstable and a sufficient effect cannot be obtained. In particular, in food compositions containing beans, miscellaneous grains, seeds, and brown rice, there is room for improvement in the type and method of use of enzymes for preventing deterioration of the texture when the food composition is stored for a long period of time. In recent years, old rice and overseas rice have come to be distributed in the market, and the need to eat white rice deliciously has been increasing. Therefore, for food compositions containing white rice, a technique for preventing deterioration of the texture when stored for a long period of time is desired.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to obtain a quality that prevents deterioration of texture during long-term storage in the production of a food composition using at least one selected from the group consisting of, for example, beans, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present inventors, in order to solve the aforementioned problems, conducted extensive research and found that by using a predetermined enzyme in combination with an activity-reducing agent whose wet-mass water content is below a predetermined value, the food composition exhibits excellent processing suitability, such as ease of packaging (also referred to as fillability as appropriate in this specification), immediately after production, and that deterioration of texture can be suppressed when stored for a long period of time. Thus, the present invention was completed.

[0006] In other words, the essence of this invention relates, for example, to the following: [1] A method for producing a food composition, comprising the following steps (S1) to (S4). (S1) A step of preparing composition A containing at least one selected from the group consisting of amylase, xylanase, lipase, glucosidase, and glycosyltransferase. (S2) A step in which the enzyme activity of composition A is reduced using activity reducing agent B, which has a wet mass water content of 70% by mass or less. (S3) A step of mixing the composition obtained in step S2 with food ingredient C containing at least one selected from the group consisting of legumes, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice. (S4) A step of heating the composition obtained in step S3. [2] The method for producing the product according to [1], wherein the activity reducing agent B contains a starch hydrolysate. [3] The method for producing the product according to [2], wherein the activity reducing agent B contains at least one selected from the group consisting of glucose, maltose, dextrin, and reduced starch syrup as the starch hydrolysate. [4] The manufacturing method according to any one of the above [1] to [3], wherein the activity reducing agent B is in liquid or powder form in an environment of 1 atmosphere and 0°C. [5] The manufacturing method according to any one of the above [1] to [4], wherein in step S2, the enzyme activity of composition A is reduced to 0.5 times or less. [6] The manufacturing method according to any one of the above [1] to [5], wherein the food ingredient C contains, as legumes, at least one type of legume selected from the group consisting of the genera pea, kidney bean, pigeon bean, cowpea, broad bean, chickpea, soybean, and lentil. [7] The manufacturing method according to any one of the above [1] to [6], wherein the food ingredient C contains, as miscellaneous grains, at least one type of miscellaneous grain selected from the group consisting of the grasses, amaranthaceae, buckwheat, and amaranthaceae families. [8] The manufacturing method according to any one of the above claims [1] to [7], wherein the food ingredient C contains, as nuts and seeds, at least one type of grain selected from the group consisting of almonds, hemp, flax, perilla, cashews, pumpkin seeds, kaya seeds, ginkgo nuts, chestnuts, walnuts, poppies, coconuts, sesame seeds, oak, horse chestnuts, lotus seeds, water chestnuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, pine, and peanuts. [9] The manufacturing method according to any one of the above items [1] to [8], wherein the food ingredient C contains brown rice as a type of rice.

[10] The manufacturing method according to any one of items [1] to [9] above, wherein the food ingredient C contains white rice as a type of rice.

[11] The manufacturing method according to any one of the above items [1] to

[10] , wherein the food ingredient C contains Japonica rice as a type of rice.

[12] The manufacturing method according to any one of items [1] to

[11] above, wherein the food ingredient C contains foreign-produced rice as a type of rice.

[13] The manufacturing method according to any one of the above items [1] to

[12] , wherein the food ingredient C contains rice that has been harvested for more than one year.

[14] The manufacturing method according to any one of the above claims [1] to

[13] , wherein the food ingredient C further contains at least one cereal selected from the group consisting of wheat and barley.

[15] The manufacturing method according to any one of items [1] to

[14] above, wherein the S4 step comprises the following steps (S4-1) and (S4-2). (S4-1) A heating step in which the composition obtained in step S3 is heated to 95°C or higher at a heating rate of 5.0°C / min or more. (S4-2) Insulation stage: The composition after the heating stage is kept at 95°C or higher for 2 minutes or more.

[16] A method for producing cooked rice, as described in any one of items [1] to

[15] above.

[17] The method for producing a product according to any one of the above [1] to

[16] , wherein composition A contains at least one selected from the group consisting of maltose-producing α-amylase, endoxylanase, lipase, β-glucosidase, cyclodextrin glucanotransferase, 6-α-glucanotransferase, and 4-α-glucanotransferase.

[18] The method for producing the product according to any one of the above items [1] to

[17] , wherein the activity reducing agent B is in liquid form under an environment of 1 atmosphere and 0°C, has a non-dissociated acetic acid content of 0.015% by mass or more, and has a pH greater than 4.0.

[19] An enzyme-containing composition D for use in a method of producing a food composition, satisfying the following requirements (i) and (ii), and comprising the following steps (T1) and (T2). (i) Contains at least one enzyme selected from the group consisting of amylase, xylanase, lipase, glucosidase, and glycosyltransferase. (ii) Contains an activity-reducing agent B whose wet-mass water content is 70% by mass or less. (T1) Mixing enzyme-containing composition D with food raw material C containing at least one selected from the group consisting of legumes, miscellaneous grains, seeds, and rice (T2) Heating the composition obtained in the T1 step

[20] The enzyme-containing composition D according to

[19] , wherein the activity reducing agent B contains a starch degradation product.

[21] The enzyme-containing composition D according to

[19] , wherein the starch degradation product contains at least one selected from the group consisting of glucose, maltose, dextrin, and reduced maltose.

[22] The enzyme-containing composition D according to any one of

[19] to

[21] , wherein the activity reducing agent B is liquid or powdery in an environment of 1 atm and 0°C.

[23] The enzyme-containing composition D according to any one of

[19] to

[22] , which is liquid or powdery in an environment of 1 atm and 0°C.

[24] The enzyme-containing composition D according to any one of

[19] to

[23] , wherein the food raw material C contains at least one legume selected from the group consisting of Vicia, Phaseolus, Cicer, Glycine, Pisum, Arachis, and Lens.

[25] The enzyme-containing composition D according to any one of

[19] to

[24] , wherein the food raw material C contains at least one miscellaneous grain selected from the group consisting of Gramineae, Urticaceae, Polygonaceae, and Amaranthaceae.

[26] The enzyme-containing composition D according to any one of

[19] to

[25] , wherein the food raw material C contains at least one seed selected from the group consisting of almond, flax, hemp, sesame, cashew nut, pumpkin seed, kaya, gingko nut, chestnut, walnut, poppy seed, coconut, sesame, oak, chestnut, lotus seed, water chestnut, pistachio, sunflower seed, Brazil nut, hazelnut, pecan, macadamia nut, pine, and castor bean.

[27] The enzyme-containing composition D according to any one of the above items

[19] to

[26] , wherein the food ingredient C contains brown rice as a type of rice.

[28] The enzyme-containing composition D according to any one of the above items

[19] to

[27] , wherein the food ingredient C contains white rice as a type of rice.

[29] The enzyme-containing composition D according to any one of the above items

[19] to

[28] , wherein the food ingredient C contains Japonica rice as a type of rice.

[30] The enzyme-containing composition D according to any one of the above items

[19] to

[29] , wherein the food ingredient C contains foreign-produced rice as a type of rice.

[31] The enzyme-containing composition D according to any one of the above

[19] to

[30] , wherein the food ingredient C contains rice that has been harvested for more than one year.

[32] The enzyme-containing composition D according to any one of the above

[19] to

[31] , wherein the food ingredient C further contains at least one cereal selected from the group consisting of wheat and barley.

[33] The enzyme-containing composition D according to any one of the above

[19] to

[32] , wherein the manufacturing method comprises the following steps (T2-1) and (T2-2) in step T2. (T2-1) A heating step in which the composition obtained in step T1 is heated to 95°C or higher at a heating rate of 5.0°C / min or more. (T2-2) Insulation stage: The composition after the heating stage is kept at 95°C or higher for 2 minutes or more.

[34] The enzyme-containing composition D according to any one of the above items

[19] to

[33] , wherein the manufacturing method is a method for manufacturing cooked rice.

[35] An enzyme-containing composition D according to any one of the above

[19] to

[34] , comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of maltose-producing α-amylase, endoxylanase, lipase, β-glucosidase, cyclodextrin glucanotransferase, 6-α-glucanotransferase, and 4-α-glucanotransferase.

[36] The enzyme-containing composition D according to any one of the above items

[19] to

[35] , wherein the activity-reducing agent B is in liquid form under an environment of 1 atmosphere and 0°C, has a non-dissociated acetic acid content of 0.015% by mass or more, and has a pH greater than 4.0.

[37] A method for improving the texture of a food composition after long-term storage, comprising the following steps (S1) to (S4). (S1) A step of preparing composition A containing at least one selected from the group consisting of amylase, xylanase, lipase, glucosidase, and glycosyltransferase. (S2) A step in which the enzyme activity of composition A is reduced using activity reducing agent B, which has a wet mass water content of 70% by mass or less. (S3) A step of mixing the composition obtained in step S2 with food ingredient C containing at least one selected from the group consisting of legumes, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice. (S4) A step of heating the composition obtained in step S3.

[38] A method for improving the ease of packaging during the manufacture of a food composition, comprising the following steps (S1) to (S4). (S1) A step of preparing composition A containing at least one selected from the group consisting of amylase, xylanase, lipase, glucosidase, and glycosyltransferase. (S2) A step in which the enzyme activity of composition A is reduced using activity reducing agent B, which has a wet mass water content of 70% by mass or less. (S3) A step of mixing the composition obtained in step S2 with food ingredient C containing at least one selected from the group consisting of legumes, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice. (S4) A step of heating the composition obtained in step S3.

[39] A method for maintaining the enzyme activity of an enzyme-containing composition D for use in a method for producing a food composition, comprising the following steps (T1) and (T2), the method comprising preparing an enzyme-containing composition D that satisfies the following requirements (i) and (ii). (i) Contains at least one enzyme selected from the group consisting of amylase, xylanase, lipase, glucosidase, and glycosyltransferase. (ii) Contains an activity-reducing agent B whose wet-mass water content is 70% by mass or less. Step (T1): Mixing enzyme-containing composition D with food ingredient C containing at least one selected from the group consisting of legumes, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice. Step (T2): A step in which the composition obtained in step T1 is heated. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a method for producing a food composition in which deterioration of texture during long-term storage is suppressed. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and can be implemented in any form without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0009] In this specification, the terms “contains” and “includes” encompass the concepts of “contains,” “includes,” “substantially consist of,” and “consist solely of.” When using the terms “contains” and “includes,” the listed steps or options do not need to be exhaustive.

[0010] In this specification, when specifying a numerical range, if multiple upper and / or lower limits are indicated, even if not explicitly stated otherwise, the specification of a numerical range obtained by combining at least the maximum value of the upper limit and the minimum value of the lower limit shall be directly stated, and furthermore, all numerical ranges obtained by combining any upper limit from said upper limits and any lower limit from said lower limits shall be directly stated.

[0011] In this invention, values ​​expressed as "mass%", "mass ppm", and "mass ppb" represent values ​​on a "wet mass basis". "Wet mass basis" refers to the content ratio of the target component in the sample, calculated by using the wet mass containing water in the sample as the denominator and the mass of the target component in the sample as the numerator. In this invention, when "mass%" is written, it indicates the mass (g) of the target component in the sample per 100g of sample mass, and can also be read as w / w%. Furthermore, mass ppm indicates the mass (mg) of the target component per 1kg of sample, and mass ppb indicates the mass (μg) of the target component per 1kg of sample.

[0012] In this specification, the expression "and / or" encompasses both the meanings of "and" and "or." For example, "A and / or B" encompasses both the meanings of A and B and A or B, and refers to three possibilities: A alone, B alone, and A and B together.

[0013] In this specification, expressions to the effect of "the ratio of the content of component ○○ (▲▲) to the content of component ◆◆ (△△)" indicate the ratio of the content of component ○○ (specified by unit ▲▲) in the food composition of the present invention to the value of the content of component ◆◆, specified by unit △△, and the value of the content of component ○○, specified by unit ▲▲, in the food composition of the present invention. For example, in an embodiment in which the salt equivalent amount of activity reducing agent B of the present invention is 5% by mass and the glucose content is 5% by mass, the "ratio of glucose content (mass%) to salt equivalent amount (mass%)" is calculated to be 1.0.

[0014] According to one aspect of the present invention, the description of the problems described above does not preclude the existence of other problems disclosed herein. That is, in one aspect of the present invention, for example, one problem may be improving the moldability of a food composition immediately after its manufacture, or one problem may be stabilizing the enzyme activity in an enzyme-containing composition. Furthermore, other problems may be extracted from the description of the specification and claims.

[0015] <First Embodiment> The first embodiment relates to the following invention, for example. A method for producing a food composition, comprising the following steps (S1) to (S4). (S1) A step of preparing composition A containing at least one selected from the group consisting of amylase, xylanase, lipase, glucosidase, and glycosyltransferase. (S2) A step in which the enzyme activity of composition A is reduced using activity reducing agent B, which has a wet mass water content of 70% by mass or less. (S3) A step of mixing the composition obtained in step S2 with food ingredient C containing at least one selected from the group consisting of legumes, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice. (S4) A step of heating the composition obtained in step S3.

[0016] In the present invention, the type of food composition is not particularly limited and can be seasonings, beverages, rice dishes, noodles, cereals, puffed foods, processed meat products, processed seafood products, cakes and other confectionery, etc. However, the food composition of the present invention is preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of rice dishes, noodles, cereals, and puffed foods (such as bread), and is particularly preferably rice dishes. In the present invention, examples of rice dishes include sushi rice (vinegared rice), red bean rice, pilaf, fried rice, mixed rice, sticky rice, paella, doria, dry curry, rice porridge, rice balls, barley rice, mixed grain rice, white rice, brown rice, etc. In other words, one preferred embodiment of the present invention may be a method for producing rice dishes comprising the above steps (S1) to (S4).

[0017] In addition, the food composition of the present invention may be a composition for refrigerated storage, a food composition for home consumption, or a food composition for outdoor consumption. The "food composition for home consumption" refers to a food composition manufactured to conform to a meal form that can be taken home and eaten after cooking, such as cooked rice, sushi rice (vinegared rice), red rice, pilaf, fried rice, steamed rice, mochi, breads (sandwich bread, confectionery bread, waffles, etc.), noodles (frozen noodles, chilled distribution noodles, etc.), cakes (sponge cakes, tarts, muffins, etc.) included in onigiri, sushi, bento, etc. sold at convenience stores, supermarkets, etc. In many cases, the time from production to the start of eating is long for food compositions for home consumption or food compositions for outdoor consumption. Furthermore, from the viewpoints of storage stability, transportability, etc., ease of packaging (filling property, molding property, etc.) is emphasized, and it is important to be able to maintain an excellent texture for a long time. Since the above-mentioned rice-based foods particularly have a large problem in this regard, the present invention can be preferably applied.

[0018] <Step S1> Step S1 in the method for producing the food composition of the present invention is a step of preparing a composition A containing a predetermined enzyme. As a preferred embodiment, it can be a step of preparing a composition A containing at least one selected from the group consisting of amylase, xylanase, lipase, glucosidase, and glycosyltransferase.

[0019] <Composition A containing a predetermined enzyme> Composition A preferably contains an enzyme having an optimal pH of 4.0 or higher. The enzyme may be one type or two or more types may be arbitrarily combined. The optimal pH of the enzyme is not limited to an upper limit, but can be, for example, 9.5 or lower, 9.3 or lower, 9.0 or lower, 8.8 or lower, 8.2 or lower, 8.0 or lower, 7.5 or lower, 7.1 or lower, 7.0 or lower, 6.8 or lower, 6.5 or lower, 6.4 or lower, 6.35 or lower, 6.3 or lower, 6.2 or lower, 6.1 or lower, 5.9 or lower, 5.8 or lower, 5.6 or lower, or 5.5 or lower. On the other hand, the lower limit can be, for example, 4.0 or higher, 4.2 or higher, 4.3 or higher, 4.4 or higher, 4.5 or higher, 4.6 or higher, 4.7 or higher, 4.8 or higher, 4.9 or higher, 4.95 or higher, 5.0 or higher, 5.05 or higher, 5.1 or higher, 5.15 or higher, 5.2 or higher, 5.3 or higher, or 5.4 or higher. More specifically, the optimal pH of the enzyme may usually be 4.0 to 7.0, preferably 4.7 to 6.8, more preferably 4.8 to 6.5, even more preferably 4.9 to 6.4, even more preferably 4.95 to 6.35, particularly preferably 5.0 to 6.3, especially preferably 5.05 to 6.3, or 5.1 to 6.1. In this invention, the optimal pH refers to the pH at which the enzyme activity is highest, and usually refers to the pH at which the enzyme activity is highest at 30°C. If the optimal pH for any enzyme is determined at a specific pH, it is sufficient that the value satisfies the above requirement (e.g., 4.0 or higher). If the optimal pH has a certain range, it is sufficient that part or all of that range satisfies the above requirement (e.g., 4.0 or higher).

[0020] Furthermore, composition A preferably contains at least one enzyme that uses at least one selected from the group consisting of amino acids, peptides, starch, phospholipids, hemicellulose (including components constituting hemicellulose), pectin, phospholipids, oligosaccharides, glycolipids, cellulose, glucose, xylan, sucrose, proteins, and simple lipids as a substrate. It may also contain two, three, four, five, six, seven, or eight or more enzymes that use at least one selected from the group consisting of amino acids, peptides, starch, phospholipids, hemicellulose, pectin, phospholipids, oligosaccharides, glycolipids, cellulose, glucose, xylan, sucrose, proteins, and simple lipids as a substrate.

[0021] The enzymes are not particularly limited, but it is preferable that composition A contains at least one enzyme selected from the group consisting of transferases and hydrolases. A transferase is an enzyme classified in EC2 group and is also called a transferase. A hydrolase is an enzyme classified in EC3 group and is also called a hydrolase. When composition A contains a transferase, it can maintain appropriate elasticity, especially when the food composition being produced is rice. When composition A contains a hydrolase, it can maintain softness, especially when the food composition being produced is rice. Furthermore, when composition A contains both a transferase and a hydrolase, it can maintain both softness and elasticity, and maintain a chewy texture, especially when the food composition being produced is rice.

[0022] Examples of the transferase include glycosyltransferase, and more specifically, hexosyltransferase. Glycosyltransferase is an enzyme specified by "EC number 2.4.○.○" (where ○ is a number). Hexosyltransferase is an enzyme specified by "EC number 2.4.1.○" (where ○ is a number). More specifically, the transferase may contain, for example, at least one selected from the group consisting of 6-α-glucanotransferase, 4-α-glucanotransferase, and cyclodextrin glucanotransferase, and may contain two, three, or four such enzymes. In particular, when the present invention contains cyclodextrin glucanotransferase as the transferase, it is preferable to use it in the manner disclosed in stages S2, S3, and S4 described later, because it can provide a food ingredient C containing at least one selected from the group consisting of legumes, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice, with an effect of excellent processing suitability, such as ease of packaging, immediately after the production of the food composition, or an effect of suppressing deterioration of texture when stored for a long period of time. Furthermore, when the present invention relates to a method for producing cooked rice, it is particularly preferable because this effect is easily obtained.

[0023] In this invention, 6-α-glucanotransferase may be 6-α-glucanotransferase classified under EC number 2.4.1.18 (also called 1,4-α-glucan branching enzyme, branching enzyme, or blanching enzyme). Furthermore, 4-α-glucanotransferase may be 4-α-glucanotransferase classified under EC number 2.4.1.25. Additionally, cyclodextrin glucanotransferase may be cyclodextrin glucanotransferase classified under EC number 2.4.1.19.

[0024] Examples of the hydrolases include glutaminase, maltotriohydrolase, β-amylase, phospholipase A1, pullulanase, α-amylase, pectinase, glucoamylase, pectin methylesterase, phospholipase A2, protease, α-galactosidase, invertase, cellulase, xylanase, fructosyltransferase, β-glucosidase, and lipase. Composition A is particularly preferably composed of at least one selected from these, and may contain two, three, four, or five or more.

[0025] In this invention, glutaminase may be a glutaminase classified under EC number 3.5.1.35 or EC number 3.5.1.2. Maltotriohydrolase may be a maltotriohydrolase classified under EC number 3.2.1.116. β-amylase may be a β-amylase classified under EC number 3.2.1.2. Phospholipase A1 may be a phospholipase A1 classified under EC number 3.1.1.32. Pullulanase may be a pullulanase classified under EC number 3.2.1.41. α-amylase may be an α-amylase classified under EC number 3.2.1.1, and may also be a maltose-producing α-amylase classified under EC number 3.2.1.133. Pectinase may be a pectinase classified under EC number 3.2.1.15. Furthermore, glucoamylase can be a glucoamylase classified under EC number 3.2.1.3. Transglucosidase can be a transglucosidase (α-glucosidase) classified under EC number 3.2.1.20. Pectin methylesterase can be a pectin methylesterase classified under EC number 3.1.1.11. Phospholipase A2 can be a phospholipase A2 classified under EC number 3.1.1.4. Protease is not particularly restricted as long as it is a protease classified under EC number 3.4.○.○ (○ is a number), but for example, it can be a protease classified under EC number 3.4.23.21. α-galactosidase can be an α-galactosidase classified under EC number 3.2.1.22. Invertase can be an invertase classified under EC number 3.2.1.26. Furthermore, the cellulase may be a cellulase classified under EC number 3.2.1.4. Also, the xylanase may be a xylanase or endoxylanase classified under EC number 3.2.1.8, or an endo-1,3-β-xylanase classified under EC number 3.2.1.32.Furthermore, the fructosyltransferase may be a fructosyltransferase (inulinase) classified under EC number 3.2.1.7. The β-glucosidase may be a β-glucosidase classified under EC number 3.2.1.21. The lipase may be a lipase classified under EC number 3.1.1.3. Moreover, when the food composition of the present invention contains at least one enzyme selected from xylanase, β-glucosidase, or lipase as the hydrolase, it is preferable to use it in the manner disclosed in stages S2, S3, and S4 described later, as it exhibits an effect of excellent processing suitability, such as ease of packaging, immediately after production of the food composition, or an effect of suppressing deterioration of texture when stored for a long period, for food raw material C containing at least one selected from legumes, grains, nuts, and rice described later. Furthermore, when the present invention relates to a method for producing cooked rice, this effect is easily obtained, making it particularly preferable.

[0026] Furthermore, composition A may contain at least one selected from the group consisting of glucose oxidase, polyphenol oxidase, and glucose isomerase.

[0027] In this invention, glucose oxidase may be glucose oxidase classified under EC number 1.1.3.4. Polyphenol oxidase may be polyphenol oxidase classified under EC number 1.10.3.2. Glucose isomerase may be glucose isomerase (also called xylose isomerase) classified under EC number 5.3.1.5.

[0028] The food composition of the present invention may contain any combination of the above-mentioned enzymes. In other words, the food composition of the present invention may contain at least one, two, three, four, or five or more enzymes selected from the group consisting of glutaminase, 6-α-glucanotransferase, maltotriohydrolase, 4-α-glucanotransferase, β-amylase, phospholipase A1, pullulanase, α-amylase, cyclodextrin glucanotransferase, pectinase, glucose oxidase, polyphenol oxidase, glucoamylase, transglucosidase, pectin methylesterase, phospholipase A2, protease, α-galactosidase, invertase, cellulase, glucose isomerase, xylanase, fructosyltransferase, β-glucosidase, and lipase. In particular, the food composition of the present invention may contain 6-α-glucanotransferase and maltotriohydrolase, 4-α-glucanotransferase and β-amylase, protease and lipase, cellulase and pectinase, or glutaminase and α-amylase. Furthermore, the food composition of the present invention may not contain at least one, two, three, four, or five enzymes selected from the above-mentioned enzymes.

[0029] In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, composition A is preferably a composition A containing at least one selected from the group consisting of amylase, xylanase, lipase, glucosidase, and glycosyltransferase, and in particular preferably a composition A containing at least one, two, or three selected from the group consisting of maltose-producing α-amylase, endoxylanase, lipase, β-glucosidase, cyclodextrin glucanotransferase, 6-α-glucanotransferase, and 4-α-glucanotransferase. When composition A contains these enzymes, by using it in the manner disclosed in stages S2, S3, and S4 described later with respect to food raw material C containing at least one selected from the group consisting of legumes, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice, the food composition can exhibit an effect of excellent processing suitability, such as ease of packaging, immediately after production, or an effect of suppressing deterioration of texture when stored for a long period of time. That is, in one preferred embodiment of the present invention, for example, stage S1 can be the following embodiment. (S1) A step of preparing composition A containing at least one selected from the group consisting of amylase (particularly preferably maltose-producing α-amylase), xylanase (particularly preferably endoxylanase), lipase, glucosidase (particularly preferably β-glucosidase), and glycosyltransferase (particularly preferably at least one selected from cyclodextrin glucanotransferase, 6-α-glucanotransferase, and 4-α-glucanotransferase). Furthermore, when the present invention relates to a method for producing cooked rice, it is particularly preferable because the effect is easier to obtain.

[0030] Incidentally, the composition A can be, for example, a commercially available product. For example, as an example of the composition A containing endoxylanase, Frontia GlutenEx of Novozymes Japan Co., Ltd.; as the composition A containing β-glucosidase, Aromase H2 of Amano Enzyme Inc.; as the composition A containing maltose-producing α-amylase, Sensea Rice MA L of Novozymes Japan Co., Ltd.; as the composition A containing lipase, Lipase DF "Amano" 15 of Amano Enzyme Inc.; as the composition A containing cyclodextrin glucanotransferase, CGT-SL of Amano Enzyme Inc. and the like can be mentioned. Further, as the composition A containing 6-α-glucanotransferase, Denazyme (trademark) BBR LIGHT of Nagase Vita Co., Ltd.; as the composition A containing 4-α-glucanotransferase, Glycotransferase "Amano" L of Amano Enzyme Inc. and the like can be mentioned.

[0031] Incidentally, the composition A may contain excipients other than enzymes, pH adjusters, etc., as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired.

[0032] <S2 step> The S2 step in the method for producing the food composition of the present invention is a step of reducing the enzyme activity of the composition A using the activity reducing agent B having a moisture content in terms of wet mass of 70% by mass or less.

[0033] Composition A, as described above, can be sold as a commercially available enzyme in the manner described above, but it is often manufactured and distributed in a manner in which the enzyme activity is very high. Therefore, when used in a food composition (such as rice dishes, noodles, cereals, or puffed foods (such as bread)) that has a step of heating using food ingredient C, which contains at least one selected from the group consisting of beans, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice, the enzyme activity may be too high, resulting in the food composition becoming excessively soft, excessively sweet, or poor packaging after manufacturing. On the other hand, attempting to adjust the enzyme activity of composition A promotes the denaturation of the enzyme itself, resulting in unstable enzyme activity and the inability to fully obtain the effects that the enzyme should inherently possess. Therefore, the present inventors conceived of a manner in which an activity-reducing agent B having a wet-mass water content of 70% by mass or less is used.

[0034] <Activation-reducing agent B with a wet-mass water content of 70% by mass or less> <Moisture content converted to wet mass> In this invention, the moisture content on a wet mass basis refers to the ratio of the amount of water to the total amount of the sample. This value is measured by heating to 90°C using a reduced-pressure heating drying method, in accordance with the 2015 edition (7th revised) of the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. Specifically, an appropriate amount of sample is taken into a weighing container (W0) that has been pre-weighed to a constant weight and weighed (W1). The weighing container is placed in a reduced-pressure electric constant-temperature drying oven adjusted to a predetermined temperature (more specifically, 90°C) at atmospheric pressure, with the lid removed or the opening left open. The door is closed, a vacuum pump is activated, and the sample is dried for a certain period of time at a predetermined reduced pressure. The vacuum pump is then stopped, dry air is introduced to return to atmospheric pressure, the weighing container is removed, the lid is put on, and after cooling in a desiccator, the mass is measured. This drying, cooling, and weighing process is repeated until a constant weight is reached (W2), and the moisture content (moisture content on a wet mass basis) (mass %) is calculated as (W1-W2) / (W1-W0). Furthermore, the dry weight of the sample can be measured by determining (W2 - W0).

[0035] In the present invention, the activity reducing agent B should be used such that, after going through the S2 step, the composition obtained in the S2 step has reduced enzyme activity compared to composition A. For example, if equivalent amounts of composition A and activity reducing agent B are mixed, even if activity reducing agent B itself does not have an enzyme-inactivating effect, the enzyme activity in the composition obtained in the S2 step will be lower than that of composition A. Therefore, activity reducing agent B may, for example, not have an enzyme-inactivating effect. It is preferable that the activity reducing agent B of the present invention has a wet-mass water content of a predetermined value or less. This makes it possible to suppress excessive enzyme activity while stably maintaining enzyme activity in the production of food compositions having the S3 to S4 steps described later, thus achieving the seemingly contradictory characteristics of obtaining the effects of the enzyme, and is extremely useful. Furthermore, by having a wet-mass moisture content of activity-reducing agent B below a predetermined value, it is surprisingly possible to improve the ease of packaging (fillability, moldability, etc.) of the food composition of the present invention immediately after its manufacture, and to improve the texture when stored for a long period of time (this effect is particularly easy to obtain when the present invention relates to a method for producing cooked rice). The wet-mass moisture content of activity-reducing agent B of the present invention may be 70% by mass or less, 65% by mass or less, 60% by mass or less, 55% by mass or less, 50% by mass or less, 45% by mass or less, 40% by mass or less, 35% by mass or less, 30% by mass or less, 25% by mass or less, 20% by mass or less, 15% by mass or less, 10% by mass or less, 9.0% by mass or less, 8.0% by mass or less, or 7.0% by mass or less. Furthermore, the lower limit can be, for example, 0% by mass, 1.0% or more by mass, 2.0% or more by mass, 3.0% or more by mass, 4.0% or more by mass, 5.0% or more by mass, 10% or more by mass, 15% or more by mass, or 20% or more by mass. Furthermore, the range can be, for example, 0 to 70% by mass, preferably 0 to 65% by mass, more preferably 0 to 60% by mass, and particularly preferably 0 to 50% by mass. Numerical ranges specified by combining the above upper and lower limits are also disclosed in the present invention.

[0036] As described above, the activity reducing agent B of the present invention preferably has a wet mass-based water content of less than or equal to a predetermined value. It is also preferable that it be in liquid, gel, or powder form under conditions of 1 atmosphere and 0°C, preferably 1 atmosphere and -5°C, and particularly preferable that it be in liquid or powder form under conditions of 1 atmosphere and 0°C, preferably 1 atmosphere and -5°C. In this embodiment, the properties can be stably maintained in various environments, and thus enzyme activity can be appropriately maintained. Furthermore, when the activity reducing agent B of the present invention is in liquid form under conditions of 1 atmosphere and 0°C, preferably 1 atmosphere and -5°C, it can be uniformly mixed with food raw material C, and therefore can be adopted as a preferred embodiment from the viewpoint of efficient workability. In particular, when the activity reducing agent B of the present invention is in liquid form, the pH of the activity reducing agent B of the present invention is preferably 4.0 or higher, 4.2 or higher, 4.4 or higher, 4.6 or higher, 4.7 or higher, 4.8 or higher, 4.9 or higher, 4.95 or higher, 5.0 or higher, 5.05 or higher, 5.1 or higher, 5.15 or higher, 5.2 or higher, 5.3 or higher, or 5.4 or higher, and there is no upper limit, but for example, 8.8 or lower, 8.2 or lower, 8.0 or lower, 7.5 or lower, 7. The values ​​are 1 or less, 7.0 or less, 6.9 or less, 6.8 or less, 6.5 or less, 6.4 or less, 6.35 or less, 6.3 or less, 6.2 or less, 6.1 or less, 5.9 or less, 5.8 or less, 5.6 or less, or 5.5 or less, and the range can be, for example, 4.0 to 7.0, 4.4 to 6.9, 4.7 to 6.8, 4.8 to 6.5, 4.9 to 6.4, 4.95 to 6.35, 5.0 to 6.3, 5.05 to 6.3, or 5.1 to 6.1.Furthermore, when the activity reducing agent B of the present invention is in liquid form, the non-dissociated acetic acid content of the activity reducing agent B of the present invention is, for example, 0.015% by mass or more, 0.02% by mass or more, 0.025% by mass or more, 0.03% by mass or more, 0.035% by mass or more, 0.04% by mass or more, 0.045% by mass or more, 0.048% by mass or more, 0.05% by mass or more, 0.053% by mass or more, 0.055% by mass or more, 0.100% by mass or more, 0.150% by mass or more, 0.180% by mass or more, 0.200% by mass or more, 0.210% by mass Preferably, the amount is 0.230% by mass or more, 0.240% by mass or more, 0.270% by mass or more, 0.300% by mass or more, 0.350% by mass or more, 0.400% by mass or more, 0.450% by mass or more, 0.500% by mass or more, 0.550% by mass or more, or 0.600% by mass or more. The upper limit is not particularly limited, but for example, 20.0% by mass or less, 15.0% by mass or less, 12.0% by mass or less, 10.0% by mass or less, 9.0% by mass or less, 8.0% by mass or less, 7.0% by mass or less. , 6.0 mass% or less, 5.0 mass% or less, 4.5 mass% or less, 4.0 mass% or less, 3.5 mass% or less, 3.0 mass% or less, 2.5 mass% or less, 2.0 mass% or less, 1.900 mass% or less, 1.800 mass% or less, 1.700 mass% or less, 1 .650 mass% or less, 1.600 mass% or less, 1.580 mass% or less, 1.510 mass% or less, 1.450 mass% or less, 1.380 mass% or less, 1.280 mass% or less, 1.200 mass% or less, 1.150 mass% or less, 1.100 mass% or less The lower limit is 1.050% by mass or less, 1.005% by mass or less, 0.980% by mass or less, 0.940% by mass or less, or 0.920% by mass or less, and the range can be, for example, 0.01 to 20.0% by mass, 0.01 to 18.0% by mass, 0.01 to 15.0% by mass, 0.01 to 10.0% by mass, 0.03 to 5.0% by mass, 0.05 to 3.0% by mass, 0.07 to 2.5% by mass, 0.100 to 1.550% by mass, 0.15 to 1.450% by mass, or 0.200 to 1.300% by mass. By satisfying this requirement, the activity reducing agent B can suppress the growth of microorganisms that cause food spoilage and stably maintain enzyme activity.

[0037] <Content of undissociated acetic acid> In aqueous solution, acetic acid molecules coexist in equilibrium in both dissociated and undissociated forms, as shown in Equation 2. CH3COOH⇔H + +CH3COO - (Formula 2) Here, if we denote the dissociated acetic acid content as [A-], the proton content as [H+], and the undissociated acetic acid content as [AH], the undissociated acetic acid content [AH] can be determined by the following formula (Equation 3) using the pH and the total acetic acid content (i.e., [A-] + [AH]). In this invention, the total acetic acid content (total acetic acid content) is measured by high-performance liquid chromatography in accordance with the measurement method for "organic acids" in the Japanese Food Standard Composition Table 2015 Edition (7th Revised Edition). That is, especially when a large amount of acetate salts such as sodium acetate is present, a value greater than the "titrate acidity" obtained by neutralization titration may be obtained. pH=4.76+log10 [A-] / [AH] (Formula 3)

[0038] Furthermore, the activity-reducing agent B of the present invention may also contain sodium salts such as sodium chloride, sodium acetate, sodium citrate, disodium citrate, trisodium citrate, sodium gluconate, monosodium succinate, disodium succinate, DL-sodium tartrate, L-sodium tartrate, sodium lactate, monosodium fumarate, DL-sodium malate, as well as starch (raw starch, processed starch, etc.), starch hydrolysates, and other sugars. In particular, in one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the activity-reducing agent B may contain starch hydrolysates.

[0039] In the present invention, starch hydrolysate refers to starch that has been hydrolyzed with acid or enzymes to reduce its molecular weight. When the activity reducing agent B contains starch hydrolysate, it is easy to improve the ease of packaging of the food composition of the present invention immediately after production and to improve the texture when stored for a long period of time (this effect is particularly easy to obtain when the present invention relates to a method for producing cooked rice). Although the mechanism is unknown, it is presumed that by reducing the enzyme activity of composition A with the activity reducing agent B containing starch hydrolysate, a synergistic effect between the starch hydrolysate and enzymes can be obtained under conditions where the enzyme activity is appropriate. More specifically, it is preferable that the activity reducing agent B of the present invention contains at least one selected from the group consisting of glucose, maltose, dextrin, and reduced starch syrup as the starch hydrolysate. Furthermore, according to one aspect of the present invention, the activity reducing agent B of the present invention may consist of only at least one selected from the group consisting of glucose, maltose, dextrin, and reduced starch syrup, or it may consist of at least two, three or more combinations. According to one aspect of the present invention, if the activity-reducing agent B of the present invention contains dextrin, and the present invention relates particularly to the production of cooked rice, it may be possible to improve the graininess of cooked rice that has been stored for a long period of time after cooking. According to one aspect of the present invention, if the activity-reducing agent B of the present invention contains glucose and / or maltose, and the present invention relates particularly to the production of cooked rice, it may be possible to enhance the sweetness of cooked rice that has been stored for a long period of time after cooking. According to one aspect of the present invention, if the activity-reducing agent B of the present invention contains reduced starch syrup, and the present invention relates particularly to the production of cooked rice, it may be possible to maintain the fluffy texture of cooked rice that has been stored for a long period of time after cooking.

[0040] Examples of dextrins include those with a DE value of 1 to 80, preferably 2 to 70, more preferably 4 to 40, with an upper limit of, for example, 80 or less, 70 or less, 60 or less, 50 or less, 40 or less, 30 or less, or 20 or less, and a lower limit of, for example, 1 or more, 2 or more, 3 or more, 4 or more, 5 or more, 6 or more, 7 or more, 8 or more, 9 or more, or 10 or more. More specifically, examples include PineDix #100, Max 1000, PineDix #2, Glister P, TK-16, PineDix #4, PineOligo 20, PineDix #3, and PineDix #6 from Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. Examples of reduced starch syrups include Amamiru from Mitsubishi Corporation Life Sciences Co., Ltd., and SE 600, Sweet PEM, SE 57, Sweet OL, and SE 30 from Bussan Food Science Co., Ltd.

[0041] If the activity reducing agent B of the present invention contains starch hydrolysates, the total content of these hydrolysates may be, for example, 1.0% by mass or more, 5.0% by mass or more, 10% by mass or more, 15% by mass or more, 20% by mass or more, 25% by mass or more, 30% by mass or more, 40% by mass or more, 50% by mass or more, 60% by mass or more, 70% by mass or more, 80% by mass or more, 90% by mass or more, or 95% by mass or more in the activity reducing agent B. The upper limit may also be, for example, 99% by mass or less, 95% by mass or less, 90% by mass or less, 80% by mass or less, 70% by mass or less, 60% by mass or less, 50% by mass or less, 40% by mass or less, 30% by mass or less, 20% by mass or less, or 10% by mass or less. The range may also be, for example, 1.0% by mass or more and 99% by mass or less. Furthermore, if the activity reducing agent B contains starch hydrolysates, all of them may be glucose, maltose, dextrin, or reduced starch syrup, or at least two or three selected from the group consisting of glucose, maltose, dextrin, or reduced starch syrup may be included. In addition, according to one aspect of the present invention, the content of glucose, maltose, dextrin, or reduced starch syrup may satisfy the provisions regarding the content of the above-mentioned starch hydrolysates.

[0042] A preferred feature of the activity-reducing agent B of the present invention is that it is used such that the enzyme activity of the composition obtained in step S2 is 0.5 times or less the enzyme activity of composition A. This can be calculated as a ratio when the enzyme activity of composition A is the denominator and the enzyme activity of the composition obtained in step S2 is the numerator. For example, if equal amounts of composition A and dextrin as the activity-reducing agent B are mixed, the composition obtained in step S2 will be a mixture of equal amounts of composition A and activity-reducing agent B (dextrin), and its enzyme activity will be approximately 0.5 times the enzyme activity of composition A. Therefore, this value can be satisfied by adjusting the mixing ratio of composition A and activity-reducing agent B. The upper limit of the value may be, for example, 0.5 times or less, 0.4 times or less, 0.3 times or less, 0.2 times or less, 0.15 times or less, 0.10 times or less, 0.05 times or less, 0.03 times or less, 0.01 times or less, 0.005 times or less, or 0.001 times or less. Furthermore, the lower limit may be 0.0000000001 times or more, 0.000000001 times or more, 0.0000001 times or more, 0.000001 times or more, 0.00001 times or more, 0.0001 times or more, 0.001 times or more, or 0.01 times or more. The range may also be, for example, 0.0000000001 times or more and 0.5 times or less. In this embodiment, the composition obtained in step S2 can obtain the effects of both the enzyme and the activity reducing agent B. In other words, while reducing the activity of the enzyme, the activity of the enzyme is stabilized, and the effects of the present invention can be significantly obtained due to the synergistic effect of the activity reducing agent B and the enzyme. Furthermore, this embodiment is particularly preferred when the present invention relates to a method for producing cooked rice, as it is easier to obtain these effects. In this specification, the ratio of the enzyme activity of the composition obtained in step S2 to the enzyme activity of composition A will be appropriately expressed as "ratio of enzyme activity to composition A". For example, if "the enzyme activity of the composition obtained in step S2 is approximately 0.5 times that of composition A," the ratio of enzyme activity to composition A is expressed as 0.5, and if "the enzyme activity of the composition obtained in step S2 is approximately 0.3 times that of composition A," the ratio of enzyme activity to composition A is expressed as 0.3.

[0043] The lower limit of the content of composition A (for example, the commercially available enzyme) contained in the composition obtained in step S2 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 0.001% by mass or more, 0.01% by mass or more, 0.05% by mass or more, 0.1% by mass or more, 0.3% by mass or more, 0.5% by mass or more, 0.7% by mass or more, 0.9% by mass or more, 1.0% by mass or more, 1.2% by mass or more, 1.5% by mass or more, 1.7% by mass or more, 1.8% by mass or more, 2.0% by mass or more, 2.2% by mass or more, 2.5% by mass or more, 2.7% by mass or more, or 3.0% by mass or more. The upper limit may be, for example, 10% by mass or less, 8.0% by mass or less, 7.0% by mass or less, 6.0% by mass or less, 5.0% by mass or less, 4.0% by mass or less, or 3.0% by mass or less. The range may also be, for example, 0.001 to 10% by mass. Numerical ranges specified by combining the above upper and lower limits are also disclosed in the present invention. Furthermore, according to one aspect of the present invention, the composition obtained in step S2 may contain enzyme activity within a predetermined range after using the activity reducing agent B. This range may be, for example, 100 U / L or more and 10,000,000 U / L or less. More specifically, the lower limit may be 150 U / L or more, 200 U / L or more, 250 U / L or more, 300 U / L or more, 400 U / L or more, 500 U / L or more, 600 U / L or more, 650 U / L or more, 700 U / L or more, 800 U / L or more, 900 U / L or more, 950 U / L or more, 1000 U / L or more, 1200 U / L or more, 1500 U / L or more, 1700 U / L or more, 1800 U / L or more, or 2000 U / L or more.On the other hand, the upper limits are 10,000,000 U / L or less, 9,000,000 U / L or less, 8,000,000 U / L or less, 7,000,000 U / L or less, 6,000,000 U / L or less, 5,000,000 U / L or less, 4,000,000 U / L or less, 3,000,000 U / L or less, 2,000,000 U / L or less, 1,800,000 U / L or less, 1,600,000 U / L or less, 1,400,000 U / L or less, 1,200,000 U / L or less, 1,100,000 U / L or less, 1,000,000 U / L or less, 9,000,000 U / L or less, 80,000 It may be 0 U / L or less, 700,000 U / L or less, 600,000 U / L or less, 500,000 U / L or less, 400,000 U / L or less, 300,000 U / L or less, 200,000 U / L or less, 100,000 U / L or less, 90,000 U / L or less, 80,000 U / L or less, 70,000 U / L or less, 60,000 U / L or less, 50,000 U / L or less, 40,000 U / L or less, 30,000 U / L or less, 20,000 U / L or less, 10,000 U / L or less, 5,000 U / L or less, or 1,000 U / L or less. Furthermore, the range may be preferably 150 U / L to 10,000,000 U / L, more preferably 200 U / L to 8,000,000 U / L, even more preferably 300 U / L to 6,000,000 U / L, even more preferably 600 U / L to 4,000,000 U / L, particularly preferably 900 U / L to 2,000,000 U / L, and especially preferably 1,000 U / L to 1,000,000 U / L. The enzyme activity of each enzyme can be defined as the amount of enzyme that can convert 1 μmol of substrate per minute at 30°C in 1 L of sample under optimal conditions, with 1 unit (1 U / L). Also, 1 U (μmol / min) can be converted to the SI unit kat (mol / second). For example, glutaminase enzyme activity can be measured by adding 2.0 mL of 30 mM L-glutamine solution to 0.1 mL of enzyme solution diluted appropriately with 10 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.0), reacting at 30°C for 30 minutes, and quantifying the produced glutamate using a known method (for example, using a glutamate measurement kit (manufactured by Seikagaku Corporation)). The amount of enzyme that produces 1 μmol of glutamate per minute can be defined as 1 unit (1 U = 1000 mU).Also, for example, in the case of amylase activity, by a known method, using starch (soluble) as a substrate, at 40 °C and pH 5.0, the activity of decomposing 1 ml of 1% starch solution until the iodine color development degree gives a transmittance of 66% at a wavelength of 670 nm and an optical path length of 10 mm in 30 minutes can be measured with 1 unit (1 U = 1000 mU) (reference can be made to https: / / www.jfrl.or.jp / storage / file / 222.pdf or https: / / web.archive.org / web / 20220918072602 / https: / / www.jfrl.or.jp / storage / file / 222.pdf, etc.). It is recommended in the S2 step to maintain the various enzyme activities of the contained enzymes at a predetermined level after using the activity reducing agent B.

[0044] <S3 step> The S3 step in the method for producing the food composition of the present invention is a step of mixing the composition obtained in the S2 step with a food raw material C containing at least one or more selected from beans, miscellaneous grains, seeds, and rice.

[0045] <Food raw material C> In step S3, food ingredient C, which contains at least one selected from the group consisting of beans, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice, is mixed with food ingredient C as a raw material for producing the food composition of the present invention. The properties of the beans, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice contained in food ingredient C are not particularly limited; for example, they may be raw or roasted. Furthermore, the beans, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice may be in a state with the outer husk or chaff removed, or they may be in the form of granules, paste, or powder obtained by grinding them. Food ingredient C may be the beans, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice themselves, a mixture thereof, or a composition in which the beans, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice are kneaded into a dough, such as bread or noodle dough, as food ingredient C. The content of the beans, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice in food ingredient C may be, for example, 1 to 100% by mass. Furthermore, the lower limit may be, for example, 1% by mass or more, 3% by mass or more, 5% by mass or more, 7% by mass or more, 9% by mass or more, 10% by mass or more, 12% by mass or more, 14% by mass or more, 16% by mass or more, 18% by mass or more, 20% by mass or more, 25% by mass or more, 30% by mass or more, 35% by mass or more, 40% by mass or more, or 45% by mass or more. Furthermore, the upper limit may be 100% by mass or less, 95% by mass or less, 90% by mass or less, 85% by mass or less, 80% by mass or less, 75% by mass or less, 70% by mass or less, 65% by mass or less, 60% by mass or less, or 55% by mass or less. Furthermore, the amount of the composition obtained in the S2 stage added to food raw material C may be, for example, 0.0005 to 10% by mass as the amount added to food raw material C.Furthermore, the lower limit is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 0.001% by mass or more, 0.005% by mass or more, 0.01% by mass or more, 0.05% by mass or more, 0.1% by mass or more, 0.15% by mass or more, 0.2% by mass or more, 0.25% by mass or more, 0.3% by mass or more, 0.35% by mass or more, 0.4% by mass or more, 0.45% by mass or more, 0.5% by mass or more, 0.55% by mass or more, 0.6% by mass or more, 0.65% by mass or more, 0.7% by mass or more, 0.75% by mass or more, 0.8% by mass or more, 0.85% by mass or more, 0.9% by mass or more, 0.95% by mass or more, 0.95% by mass or more, 1.0% by mass or more, 1.5% by mass or more, 2.0% by mass or more, 3.0% by mass or more, 4.0% by mass or more, 5.0% by mass or more, or 5.5% by mass or more. Furthermore, the upper limit is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 6.0% by mass or less, 5.0% by mass or less, 4.0% by mass or less, 3.0% by mass or less, 2.5% by mass or less, 2.0% by mass or less, 1.5% by mass or less, 1.0% by mass or less, 0.8% by mass or less, 0.6% by mass or less, 0.5% by mass or less, 0.3% by mass or less, 0.2% by mass or less, 0.1% by mass or less, 0.05% by mass or less, or 0.03% by mass or less.

[0046] The type of legume contained in the food ingredient C of the present invention is not limited, but it is preferably at least one type of legume selected from the group consisting of the genera *Pis*, *Pis*, *Pisule*, *Vigna*, *Vicia*, *Vicia*, *Pisule*, *Soybean*, and *Vicia*. Specific examples, though not limited to these, include peas (especially yellow peas and white peas), kidney beans, red kidney beans, white kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, tiger beans, lima beans, red kidney beans, pigeon peas, mung beans, cowpeas, adzuki beans, broad beans, soybeans, chickpeas, lentils, flat beans, blue peas, purple kidney beans, lentils, peanuts, lupine beans, grass peas, carob, twisted crowberry, broad crowberry, coffee beans, cocoa beans, Mexican flying beans, and the like. The classification of other legumes not exemplified can be easily understood by those skilled in the art who handle such legumes and their processed products. Specifically, it can be clearly understood by referring to the food group classification (page 249, Table 1) described in the 2015 edition (7th revised edition) of the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan, which is widely used in daily life in ordinary households. These legumes may be included individually or in any combination of two or more types.

[0047] In the present invention, "grains" generally refers to grains other than the major grains of rice, wheat, and barley, and is a concept that includes grains other than grasses, such as those of the Amaranthaceae, Amaranthaceae, and Polygonaceae families. The types of grains contained in food ingredient C of the present invention are not limited, but preferably, it is at least one type of grain selected from the group consisting of grasses, Amaranthaceae, Amaranthaceae, and Polygonaceae, and more preferably, it is of the grass family. Specific examples, though not limited to these, include millet, barnyard millet, foxtail millet, sorghum, rye, oats, Job's tears, corn, buckwheat, amaranth, and quinoa, and it is particularly preferable to contain one or more of oats, amaranth, quinoa, and foxtail millet. Furthermore, it is preferable that the grains are substantially gluten-free (specifically, with a gluten content of less than 10 ppm by mass), and more preferably gluten-free.

[0048] The types of nuts and seeds contained in the food ingredient C of the present invention are not limited, but examples include, preferably, at least one type of grain selected from the group consisting of almonds, hemp, flax, perilla, cashews, pumpkin seeds, kaya seeds, ginkgo nuts, chestnuts, walnuts, poppies, coconuts, sesame seeds, oak, horse chestnuts, lotus seeds, water chestnuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, pine, and peanuts. Among these, sesame seeds, almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, and coconuts are preferred.

[0049] In this invention, "rice" refers to the plant that corresponds to rice. In particular, in one preferred embodiment, food ingredient C of this invention may contain brown rice and / or white rice.

[0050] In this invention, "brown rice" refers to rice with a milling rate of less than 100%, where the milling rate of white rice is 100% and the milling rate of brown rice is 0%. Examples of food ingredient C in this invention include "70% milled rice" with a milling rate of 70%, "50% milled rice" with a milling rate of 50%, and "30% milled rice" with a milling rate of 30%. In other words, according to one aspect of this invention, food ingredient C may contain 70% milled rice, 50% milled rice, or 30% milled rice. Furthermore, when food ingredient C contains brown rice (e.g., 70% milled rice, 50% milled rice, 30% milled rice, or brown rice), the proportion of brown rice (e.g., 70% milled rice, 50% milled rice, or 30% milled rice) to the total rice may be, for example, 1 to 100% by mass. Furthermore, the lower limit may be, for example, 1% or more by mass, 3% or more by mass, 5% or more by mass, 7% or more by mass, 9% or more by mass, 10% or more by mass, 12% or more by mass, 14% or more by mass, 16% or more by mass, 18% or more by mass, 20% or more by mass, 25% or more by mass, 30% or more by mass, 35% or more by mass, 40% or more by mass, or 45% or more by mass. Furthermore, the upper limit may be 100% or less by mass, 95% or less by mass, 90% or less by mass, 85% or less by mass, 80% or less by mass, 75% or less by mass, 70% or less by mass, 65% or less by mass, 60% or less by mass, or 55% or less by mass. Furthermore, the proportion of polished rice in the total rice may be, for example, 1 to 100% by mass. Furthermore, the lower limit may be, for example, 1% by mass or more, 3% by mass or more, 5% by mass or more, 7% by mass or more, 9% by mass or more, 10% by mass or more, 12% by mass or more, 14% by mass or more, 16% by mass or more, 18% by mass or more, 20% by mass or more, 25% by mass or more, 30% by mass or more, 35% by mass or more, 40% by mass or more, or 45% by mass or more. Furthermore, the upper limit may be 100% by mass or less, 95% by mass or less, 90% by mass or less, 85% by mass or less, 80% by mass or less, 75% by mass or less, 70% by mass or less, 65% by mass or less, 60% by mass or less, or 55% by mass or less.

[0051] Furthermore, examples of rice varieties in the present invention include Japonica rice, Indica rice, and Javanica rice. In particular, in the present invention, it is preferable that the food ingredient C contains Japonica rice as the rice variety. This is because, while Japonica rice is preferred for its chewy texture, this texture can be lost if stored for a long period of time, and immediately after cooking, the chewy texture can worsen the filling and molding properties. Therefore, the problems addressed in the present invention are significant, and the effects of Japonica rice are easily enjoyed. In addition, other examples of Japonica rice include Aichi no Kaori, Akita Komachi, Ichihomare, Oborozuki, Kaze Sayaka, Kinuhikari, Kirara 397, Ginga no Shizuku, Koshiibuki, Koshihikari, Kin-iro no Kaze, Sakihokore, Sasanishiki, Satoyama no Tsubu, Shinnosuke, Seiten no Hekireki, Date Masayume, Tsugaru Roman, Tsukiakari, Tsuyahime, Tentakaku, Ten no Tsubu, Donpishari, Nanatsuboshi, Nikomaru, Haenuki, Hatsushimo, Hitomebore, Hyakumangoku, Fusakogane, Fukkurinko, Tomitomi, Masshigura, Mineasahi, Mori no Kumasan, Yukiwakamaru, Yumeobako, Yumepirika, Yumemizuho, ​​and California rice (such as Calrose). In particular, in the present invention, when Calrose is included, the problem of texture after long-term storage becomes significant, which can be considered a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] Furthermore, in one preferred embodiment, the food ingredient C in the present invention may contain foreign-produced rice as a type of rice. Foreign-produced rice refers to rice cultivated and harvested outside of Japan. In this embodiment, indica rice and Javanica rice are typical examples, but japonica rice may also be used. A particularly preferred embodiment is the inclusion of Calrose rice.

[0053] Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, the food ingredient C in the present invention may include rice that has been harvested for more than one year. Typical examples of this embodiment include old rice (rice that has been harvested for more than one year but less than two years) and very old rice (rice that has been harvested for more than two years but less than three years). These types of rice present significant challenges regarding texture when stored for long periods, and therefore can be a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0054] Furthermore, food ingredient C may also include food ingredients other than the aforementioned legumes, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice. Examples of these include sodium salts such as sodium chloride, sodium acetate, sodium citrate, disodium citrate, trisodium citrate, sodium gluconate, monosodium succinate, disodium succinate, DL-sodium tartrate, L-sodium tartrate, sodium lactate, monosodium fumarate, and DL-sodium malate; organic acids such as acetic acid, citric acid, gluconic acid, succinic acid, and lactic acid; starch (raw starch, processed starch, etc.); starch hydrolysates; and other sugars. Other examples include grains such as wheat and barley, vegetables, meat, and seafood. In particular, in one preferred embodiment of the present invention, food ingredient C may include at least one grain selected from the group consisting of wheat and barley. In this embodiment, the properties of the wheat and barley are not particularly limited and may be, for example, raw or roasted. Furthermore, in a more preferred embodiment of the present invention, the food ingredient C may be a mixture of rice (white rice) and brown rice, or a mixture of rice (white rice), grains, and water. In this embodiment, cooked rice can be produced by adding water and cooking it under the heating conditions described later. The amount of water added may be, for example, 0.5 to 3.0 times, preferably 1.0 to 2.5 times, and particularly preferably 1.2 to 2.3 times, as a mass ratio to at least one selected from white rice, brown rice, beans, nuts and seeds, and grains, or a mixture thereof.

[0055] In the present invention, the terms "composition obtained in step S3," "composition obtained in step S3," and similar expressions refer to the composition immediately before being used in step S4, after step S3. For example, in step S3, the composition obtained by mixing the composition obtained in step S2 with food ingredient C may be used directly in step S4, which will be described later. In this case, the mixture becomes the "composition obtained in step S3." On the other hand, in one embodiment of the present invention, the mixture obtained in step S2 with food ingredient C may be mixed and then subjected to appropriate water addition and pH adjustment treatments before being used in step S4. In this embodiment, the "composition obtained in step S3" is the "composition obtained by mixing the composition obtained in step S2 with food ingredient C and then subjecting it to appropriate water addition and pH adjustment treatments." For example, if the present invention relates to a method for producing cooked rice, and white rice and brown rice are mixed in a 1:1 mass ratio, and 1.5 times the amount of water is added to the mixture of white rice and brown rice before cooking, the composition obtained in step S3 refers to the "mixture of white rice and brown rice in the state after water has been added."

[0056] Also, in the S3 step, the composition obtained in the S2 step may be, for example, 0.0005 to 10% by mass based on the total composition obtained in the S3 step. The lower limit is not particularly limited, but for example, it may be 0.001% by mass or more, 0.005% by mass or more, 0.01% by mass or more, 0.05% by mass or more, 0.1% by mass or more, 0.15% by mass or more, 0.2% by mass or more, 0.25% by mass or more, 0.3% by mass or more, 0.35% by mass or more, 0.4% by mass or more, 0.45% by mass or more, 0.5% by mass or more, 0.55% by mass or more, 0.6% by mass or more, 0.65% by mass or more, 0.7% by mass or more, 0.75% by mass or more, 0.8% by mass or more, 0.85% by mass or more, 0.9% by mass or more, 0.95% by mass or more, 1.0% by mass or more, 1.5% by mass or more, 2.0% by mass or more, 3.0% by mass or more, 4.0% by mass or more, 5.0% by mass or more, 5.5% by mass or more. The upper limit is not particularly limited, but for example, it may be 6.0% by mass or less, 5.0% by mass or less, 4.0% by mass or less, 3.0% by mass or less, 2.0% by mass or less, 1.0% by mass or less, 0.8% by mass or less, 0.6% by mass or less, 0.5% by mass or less, 0.3% by mass or less, 0.2% by mass or less, 0.1% by mass or less, 0.05% by mass or less, 0.03% by mass or less.

[0057] <S4 step> The S4 step in the method for producing the food composition of the present invention is a step of heating the composition obtained in the S3 step.

[0058] In the S4 step, the heating conditions are not particularly limited. For example, a mode of heating at 50 to 200°C for 1 to 180 minutes can be mentioned. In particular, it is preferable to include the steps (S4-1) and (S4-2) described later. (S4-1) A temperature-rising step of heating the composition obtained in the S3 step at a temperature-rising rate of 5.0°C / min or more to 95°C or more (S4-2) A heat-retaining step of holding the composition after the temperature-rising step at 95°C or more for 2 minutes or more

[0059] <S4-1 step> In this step (S4-1), the composition obtained in step S3 is heated to 95°C or higher (this is appropriately referred to as the "heating step"). One of the features of the heating step in step (S4-1) of the present invention is that the heating rate of the composition obtained in step S3 is above a predetermined value. Although the principle is unknown, it is thought that by treating a predetermined enzyme with the activity reducing agent B and then heating it at the above rate, an enzymatic reaction is carried out with a suitable thermal history for at least one selected from the group consisting of beans, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice, and as a result, improvements in the moldability of the manufactured food composition and improvements in texture after long-term storage can be obtained. Specifically, the heating rate in the center of the composition obtained in step S3 may be 5.0°C / min or more and 25°C / min or less, while heating to 95°C or higher. More specifically, the lower limit is not particularly restricted, but it may be 6.5°C / min or higher, or 7.0°C / min or higher, or 7.5°C / min or higher, or 8.0°C / min or higher, or 8.5°C / min or higher, or 9.0°C / min or higher, or 9.5°C / min or higher, or 10.0°C / min or higher, or 11.0°C / min or higher, or 12.0°C / min or higher, or 13.0°C / min or higher, or 14.0°C / min or higher, or 15.0°C / min or higher. The upper limit is also not particularly restricted, but it may usually be 23°C / min or lower, or 20°C / min or lower.

[0060] Furthermore, if the present invention is a method for manufacturing cooked rice, the above step (S4-1) can be carried out by cooking the rice. In this embodiment, the rate at which the bottom of the rice cooker pot used for cooking the rice heats up may satisfy the above requirements. It is also preferable that the rate at which the pot heats up is above a predetermined value. Specifically, the pot may be heated to 95°C or higher with a rate of heating up of 5.0°C / min or more and 25°C / min or less. More specifically, the lower limit is not particularly limited, but it may be 6.5°C / min or higher, or 7.0°C / min or higher, or 7.5°C / min or higher, or 8.0°C / min or higher, or 8.5°C / min or higher, or 9.0°C / min or higher, or 9.5°C / min or higher, or 10.0°C / min or higher, or 11.0°C / min or higher, or 12.0°C / min or higher, or 13.0°C / min or higher, or 14.0°C / min or higher, or 15.0°C / min or higher. Furthermore, there is no particular upper limit, but it may be 23°C / min or less, or 20°C / min or less. Also, in this embodiment, the time required for both the pot top temperature and pot bottom temperature to reach 95°C may be within a predetermined time after the start of cooking. Specifically, the time required for both the pot top temperature and pot bottom temperature to reach 95°C may be 3 minutes or more and 15 minutes or less after the start of cooking. More specifically, there is no particular upper limit, but it may be 14 minutes or less, or 13 minutes or less, or 12 minutes or less, or 11 minutes or less, or 10 minutes or less, or 9 minutes or less, or 8 minutes or less. There is no particular lower limit, but it may be 3 minutes or more, 4 minutes or more, or 5 minutes or more.

[0061] Also, step (S4-1) is preferably started within a predetermined time after step S3. Although the principle is unclear, it is considered that if too much time elapses after step S3, the texture becomes soft due to the enzymatic reaction, resulting in a decrease in taste. Specifically, after step S3, the time until heating is started may be 1440 minutes or less and 0 minutes or more. More specifically, the upper limit may be 1200 minutes or less, 900 minutes or less, 600 minutes or less, 400 minutes or less, 80 minutes or less, 70 minutes or less, 60 minutes or less, 50 minutes or less, 40 minutes or less, 30 minutes or less, 20 minutes or less, 15 minutes or less, 10 minutes or less, 5 minutes or less, 1 minute or less, or 0.5 minutes or less, and the lower limit may be 0 minutes or more, 0.1 minutes or more, or 0.2 minutes or more. When the present invention relates to an aspect of manufacturing rice-based foods, the time until heating is started after step S3 refers to the time until cooking is started starting from the point when the composition obtained in step S2 is mixed with raw rice (white rice and / or brown rice), water, and optionally miscellaneous grains, beans, or seeds (this step is appropriately referred to as a soaking step).

[0062] <Step S4-2> In this step (S4-2), the composition obtained in step (S4-1) after the heating step is maintained at 95°C or higher (this is appropriately referred to as the "heat retention step"). One of the features of the heat retention step in step (S4-2) of the present invention is that the core temperature of the composition obtained in step (S4-1) after the heating step is maintained at 95°C or higher for a predetermined time or longer. Although the principle is unknown, it is thought that by acting an activity-reducing agent B on a predetermined enzyme, then heating it at the above rate, and then maintaining the temperature, some effect occurs on components such as starch contained in at least one selected from the group consisting of beans, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice, and as a result, improvements in the moldability of the manufactured food composition and improvements in texture after long-term storage can be obtained. Specifically, in step (S4-2), the core temperature of the composition obtained in step (S4-1) after the heating step may be maintained at 95°C or higher for 2 minutes to 120 minutes. More specifically, there is no particular limit to the lower limit, but it may be 3 minutes or more, or 4 minutes or more, or 5 minutes or more, or 6 minutes or more, or 7 minutes or more, or 8 minutes or more, or 9 minutes or more, or 10 minutes or more, or 11 minutes or more, or 12 minutes or more, or 13 minutes or more, or 14 minutes or more, or 15 minutes or more. There is no particular limit to the upper limit, but it may be 100 minutes or less, or 80 minutes or less, or 60 minutes or less, or 50 minutes or less, or 40 minutes or less.

[0063] Furthermore, if the present invention is a method for manufacturing cooked rice, the above step (S4-2) can be carried out by cooking the rice. In this embodiment, the rate at which the bottom of the rice cooker pot used for cooking the rice rises may satisfy the above requirements. Also, in the heat retention step in step (S4-2) of the present invention, the bottom temperature of the cooked rice after the heating step may satisfy the requirements for the heat retention step, or the top temperature of the pot may satisfy the requirements for the heat retention step. Specifically, the cooked rice after the heating step may be kept at a top temperature of 95°C or higher for 2 minutes to 120 minutes. More specifically, the lower limit is not particularly limited, but may be 3 minutes or more, or 4 minutes or more, or 5 minutes or more, or 6 minutes or more, or 7 minutes or more, or 8 minutes or more, or 9 minutes or more, or 10 minutes or more, or 11 minutes or more, or 12 minutes or more, or 13 minutes or more, or 14 minutes or more, or 15 minutes or more. There is no particular upper limit, but it may be 100 minutes or less, or 80 minutes or less, or 60 minutes or less, or 50 minutes or less, or 40 minutes or less.

[0064] Furthermore, if the present invention is a method for producing cooked rice, it is preferable that the time during which both the temperature at the top and bottom of the pot reach 95°C or higher is for a predetermined period of time or longer. Specifically, the time during which both the temperature at the top and bottom of the pot reach 95°C or higher may be 10 minutes or more and 100 minutes or less. More specifically, the lower limit is not particularly limited, but it may be 11 minutes or more, or 12 minutes or more, or 13 minutes or more, or 14 minutes or more, or 15 minutes or more. Also, the upper limit is not particularly limited, but it may be 90 minutes or less, or 80 minutes or less, or 60 minutes or less, or 50 minutes or less, or 40 minutes or less, or 30 minutes or less.

[0065] Furthermore, if the present invention is a method for manufacturing cooked rice, it is preferable that the difference in time between the top temperature and the bottom temperature of the pot reaching 95°C or higher is within a predetermined time. Although the principle is unclear, it is thought that by satisfying this provision, uneven heating inside the rice cooker pot is improved, and heat convection inside the pot becomes smoother, so that the top temperature, which rises first inside the pot during the heating stage, and the bottom temperature, which usually rises later, rise in conjunction, thereby reducing the difference in time. Specifically, the difference in time between the top temperature and the bottom temperature of the pot reaching 95°C or higher may be 0 minutes or more and 15 minutes or less. More specifically, there is no particular limit, but the upper limit may be 14 minutes or less, or 13 minutes or less, or 12 minutes or less, or 11 minutes or less, or 10 minutes or less, or 9 minutes or less, or 8 minutes or less, or 7 minutes or less. There is no particular limit to the lower limit, but it may be 1 minute or more, or 2 minutes or more. Furthermore, it is preferable that the time during which both the top and bottom temperatures of the pot are 95°C or higher is 15 minutes or longer, and that the difference between the time during which both temperatures are 95°C or higher is within a predetermined time, in order to produce high-quality cooked rice. Specifically, it is more preferable that the time during which both the top and bottom temperatures of the pot are 95°C or higher is 15 minutes or longer, and that the difference between the time during which both temperatures are 95°C or higher is within 10 minutes.

[0066] Furthermore, the method for producing the food composition of the present invention may include a step of cooling the composition obtained in step S4. In this embodiment, it is preferable to lower the temperature of the composition obtained in step S4 to 50°C or below. The cooling step can be carried out using a commercially available vacuum cooler (for example, GMJ-20QE manufactured by Miura Co., Ltd.).

[0067] Furthermore, the food composition obtained by the present invention may be maintained at a temperature range of 0°C to 40°C for a predetermined time or longer after the S4 stage until consumption. Specifically, it may be maintained at a temperature range of 0°C to 40°C for 8 hours to 72 hours after the S4 stage until consumption. The lower limit is not particularly limited, but may be 10 hours or more, or 12 hours or more, or 14 hours or more, or 16 hours or more. The upper limit is not particularly limited, but may be 68 hours or less, or 60 hours or less, or 54 hours or less, or 48 hours or less, or 40 hours or less, or 36 hours or less, or 32 hours or less, or 36 hours or less, or 24 hours or less. Moreover, the present invention is particularly useful in embodiments in which the temperature range for maintaining the food composition from the S4 stage until consumption is 0°C to 30°C, particularly 0°C to 20°C, for the above-mentioned time.

[0068] As described above, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is a method for producing cooked rice. When the present invention is a method for producing cooked rice, embodiments that can be suitably adopted for this method can be arbitrarily extracted from the disclosure herein.

[0069] <Second Embodiment> A second embodiment relates to the following invention, for example. An enzyme-containing composition D for use in a method of producing a food composition, satisfying the following requirements (i) and (ii), and comprising the following steps (T1) and (T2). (i) Contains at least one enzyme selected from the group consisting of amylase, xylanase, lipase, glucosidase, and glycosyltransferase. (ii) Contains an activity-reducing agent B whose wet-mass water content is 70% by mass or less. Step (T1): Mixing enzyme-containing composition D with food ingredient C containing at least one selected from the group consisting of legumes, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice. Step (T2): A step in which the composition obtained in step T1 is heated.

[0070] In this embodiment, the enzyme-containing composition D preferably contains enzymes of the types disclosed in the first embodiment, and particularly preferably contains the enzymes disclosed in the above requirement (i) (at least one enzyme selected from the group consisting of amylase, xylanase, lipase, glucosidase, and glycosyltransferase). Further, the activity reducer B in the above requirement (ii) can directly adopt the provisions regarding the activity reducer B disclosed in the first embodiment. Furthermore, the enzyme activity of the enzyme-containing composition D can adopt the numerical values disclosed as "the enzyme activity of the composition obtained in the S2 step" in the first embodiment. The enzyme-containing composition D in this embodiment is preferably in a liquid, gel, or powder state under an environment of 1 atm and 0°C, particularly preferably in a liquid or powder state under an environment of 1 atm and -5°C.

[0071] In the second embodiment, the enzyme-containing composition D can be used for the production of food compositions. The "food composition" in this aspect can directly adopt the aspect disclosed in the first embodiment. For example, in the second embodiment, the enzyme-containing composition D is preferably used for the production of cooked rice.

[0072] Also, the food raw material C in step (T1) can directly adopt the provisions regarding the food raw material C disclosed in the first embodiment (such as the type and blending amount of the raw materials).

[0073] Also, the heating conditions in step (T2) are not particularly limited. For example, heating at 50 to 200°C for 1 to 180 minutes can be mentioned. Particularly, it is preferable to include the subsequent steps (T2-1) and (T2-2). (T2-1) A temperature-rising step of heating the composition obtained in the T1 step to 95°C or higher at a temperature-rising rate of 5.0°C / min or higher (T2-2) An insulation step of holding the composition after the temperature-rising step at 95°C or higher for 2 minutes or longer

[0074] <T2-1 step> In this stage (T2-1), the composition obtained in stage T1 is heated to 95°C or higher (this will be appropriately referred to as the "heating stage"). One of the features of the heating stage in stage (T2-1) of the present invention is that the heating rate of the composition obtained in stage T1 is above a predetermined value. Although the principle is unknown, it is thought that by treating a predetermined enzyme with the activity reducing agent B and then heating it at the above rate, an enzymatic reaction is carried out with a suitable thermal history for at least one selected from the group consisting of beans, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice, and as a result, improvements in the moldability of the manufactured food composition and improvements in texture after long-term storage can be obtained. Specifically, the heating rate in the center of the composition obtained in stage T1 may be 5.0°C / min or more and 25°C / min or less, while heating to 95°C or higher. More specifically, the lower limit is not particularly restricted, but it may be 6.5°C / min or higher, or 7.0°C / min or higher, or 7.5°C / min or higher, or 8.0°C / min or higher, or 8.5°C / min or higher, or 9.0°C / min or higher, or 9.5°C / min or higher, or 10.0°C / min or higher, or 11.0°C / min or higher, or 12.0°C / min or higher, or 13.0°C / min or higher, or 14.0°C / min or higher, or 15.0°C / min or higher. The upper limit is also not particularly restricted, but it may usually be 23°C / min or lower, or 20°C / min or lower.

[0075] Furthermore, if the present invention relates to the production of cooked rice, the above (T2-1) step can be carried out by cooking the rice. In this embodiment, the rate at which the bottom of the rice cooker pot used for cooking the rice heats up may satisfy the above requirements. It is also preferable that the rate at which the pot heats up is above a predetermined value. Specifically, the pot may be heated to 95°C or higher with a rate of heating up of 5.0°C / min or more and 25°C / min or less. More specifically, the lower limit is not particularly limited, but it may be 6.5°C / min or higher, or 7.0°C / min or higher, or 7.5°C / min or higher, or 8.0°C / min or higher, or 8.5°C / min or higher, or 9.0°C / min or higher, or 9.5°C / min or higher, or 10.0°C / min or higher, or 11.0°C / min or higher, or 12.0°C / min or higher, or 13.0°C / min or higher, or 14.0°C / min or higher, or 15.0°C / min or higher. Furthermore, there is no particular upper limit, but it may be 23°C / min or less, or 20°C / min or less. Also, in this embodiment, the time required for both the pot top temperature and pot bottom temperature to reach 95°C may be within a predetermined time after the start of cooking. Specifically, the time required for both the pot top temperature and pot bottom temperature to reach 95°C may be 3 minutes or more and 15 minutes or less after the start of cooking. More specifically, there is no particular upper limit, but it may be 14 minutes or less, or 13 minutes or less, or 12 minutes or less, or 11 minutes or less, or 10 minutes or less, or 9 minutes or less, or 8 minutes or less. There is no particular lower limit, but it may be 3 minutes or more, 4 minutes or more, or 5 minutes or more.

[0076] Also, step (T2-1) preferably starts within a predetermined time after step T1. Although the principle is unclear, if too much time elapses after step T1, it is believed that the texture becomes soft due to the enzymatic reaction, resulting in a decrease in taste. Specifically, after step T1, the time until the start of heating may be 1440 minutes or less and 0 minutes or more. More specifically, the upper limit may be 1200 minutes or less, 900 minutes or less, 600 minutes or less, 400 minutes or less, 80 minutes or less, 70 minutes or less, 60 minutes or less, 50 minutes or less, 40 minutes or less, 30 minutes or less, 20 minutes or less, 15 minutes or less, 10 minutes or less, 5 minutes or less, 1 minute or less, or 0.5 minutes or less, and the lower limit may be 0 minutes or more, 0.1 minutes or more, or 0.2 minutes or more. When the present invention relates to the production of cooked rice, the time from when the enzyme-containing composition D is mixed with raw rice (white rice and / or brown rice), water, and optionally miscellaneous grains, beans, or seeds until the start of cooking rice is referred to as the time until the start of heating after step T1.

[0077] <Step T2-2> In this step (T2-2), the composition after the temperature-raising step obtained in step (T2-1) is held at 95°C or higher (this is appropriately referred to as the "heat-retaining step"). In the heat retention stage of step (T2-2) of the present invention, one of its features is that the core temperature of the composition obtained in step (T2-1) after the heating stage is maintained at 95°C or higher for a predetermined time or longer. Although the principle is unknown, it is thought that by treating a predetermined enzyme with the activity reducing agent B, heating at the above rate, and then maintaining the temperature, some effect occurs on components such as starch contained in at least one selected from the group consisting of beans, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice, and as a result, improvements in the moldability of the manufactured food composition and improvements in texture after long-term storage can be obtained. Specifically, in step (T2-2), the core temperature of the composition obtained in step (T2-1) after the heating stage may be maintained at 95°C or higher for 2 minutes to 120 minutes. More specifically, there is no particular limit to the lower limit, but it may be 3 minutes or more, or 4 minutes or more, or 5 minutes or more, or 6 minutes or more, or 7 minutes or more, or 8 minutes or more, or 9 minutes or more, or 10 minutes or more, or 11 minutes or more, or 12 minutes or more, or 13 minutes or more, or 14 minutes or more, or 15 minutes or more. There is no particular limit to the upper limit, but it may be 100 minutes or less, or 80 minutes or less, or 60 minutes or less, or 50 minutes or less, or 40 minutes or less.

[0078] Furthermore, if the present invention is a method for manufacturing cooked rice, the above (T2-2) step can be carried out by cooking the rice. In this embodiment, the rate at which the bottom of the rice cooker pot used for cooking the rice rises may satisfy the above requirements. Also, in the heat retention step in step (T2-2) of the present invention, the bottom temperature of the cooked rice after the heating step may satisfy the requirements for the heat retention step, or the top temperature of the pot may satisfy the requirements for the heat retention step. Specifically, the cooked rice after the heating step may be kept at a top temperature of 95°C or higher for 2 minutes to 120 minutes. More specifically, the lower limit is not particularly limited, but may be 3 minutes or more, or 4 minutes or more, or 5 minutes or more, or 6 minutes or more, or 7 minutes or more, or 8 minutes or more, or 9 minutes or more, or 10 minutes or more, or 11 minutes or more, or 12 minutes or more, or 13 minutes or more, or 14 minutes or more, or 15 minutes or more. There is no particular upper limit, but it may be 100 minutes or less, or 80 minutes or less, or 60 minutes or less, or 50 minutes or less, or 40 minutes or less.

[0079] Furthermore, when the present invention relates to the production of cooked rice, it is preferable that the time during which both the temperature at the top and bottom of the pot reach 95°C or higher is for a predetermined period of time or longer. Specifically, the time during which both the temperature at the top and bottom of the pot reach 95°C or higher may be 10 minutes or more and 100 minutes or less. More specifically, the lower limit is not particularly limited, but it may be 11 minutes or more, or 12 minutes or more, or 13 minutes or more, or 14 minutes or more, or 15 minutes or more. Also, the upper limit is not particularly limited, but it may be 90 minutes or less, or 80 minutes or less, or 60 minutes or less, or 50 minutes or less, or 40 minutes or less, or 30 minutes or less.

[0080] Furthermore, if the present invention is a method for manufacturing cooked rice, it is preferable that the difference in time between the top temperature and the bottom temperature of the pot reaching 95°C or higher is within a predetermined time. Although the principle is unclear, it is thought that by satisfying this provision, uneven heating inside the rice cooker pot is improved, and heat convection inside the pot becomes smoother, so that the top temperature, which rises first inside the pot during the heating stage, and the bottom temperature, which usually rises later, rise in conjunction, thereby reducing the difference in time. Specifically, the difference in time between the top temperature and the bottom temperature of the pot reaching 95°C or higher may be 0 minutes or more and 15 minutes or less. More specifically, there is no particular limit, but the upper limit may be 14 minutes or less, or 13 minutes or less, or 12 minutes or less, or 11 minutes or less, or 10 minutes or less, or 9 minutes or less, or 8 minutes or less, or 7 minutes or less. There is no particular limit to the lower limit, but it may be 1 minute or more, or 2 minutes or more. Furthermore, it is preferable that the time during which both the top and bottom temperatures of the pot are 95°C or higher is 15 minutes or longer, and that the difference between the time during which both temperatures are 95°C or higher is within a predetermined time, in order to produce high-quality cooked rice. Specifically, it is more preferable that the time during which both the top and bottom temperatures of the pot are 95°C or higher is 15 minutes or longer, and that the difference between the time during which both temperatures are 95°C or higher is within 10 minutes.

[0081] Furthermore, the method for producing the food composition of the present invention may include a step of cooling the composition obtained in step T2. In this embodiment, it is preferable to lower the temperature of the composition obtained in step T2 to 50°C or below. The cooling step can be carried out using a commercially available vacuum cooler (for example, GMJ-20QE manufactured by Miura Co., Ltd.).

[0082] Furthermore, the food composition obtained by the present invention may be maintained at a temperature range of 0°C to 40°C for a predetermined time or longer after the T2 stage until consumption. Specifically, it may be maintained at a temperature range of 0°C to 40°C for 8 hours to 72 hours after the T2 stage until consumption. The lower limit is not particularly limited, but may be 10 hours or more, or 12 hours or more, or 14 hours or more, or 16 hours or more. The upper limit is not particularly limited, but may be 68 hours or less, or 60 hours or less, or 54 hours or less, or 48 hours or less, or 40 hours or less, or 36 hours or less, or 32 hours or less, or 36 hours or less, or 24 hours or less. Moreover, the present invention is particularly useful in embodiments in which the temperature range for maintenance between the S4 stage and consumption is 0°C to 30°C, particularly 0°C to 20°C, for the above-mentioned time.

[0083] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the enzyme-containing composition D of the present invention may be used for use in a method for producing cooked rice. When the enzyme-containing composition D of the present invention is used for use in a method for producing cooked rice, any embodiment that can be suitably adopted in a method for producing cooked rice can be arbitrarily extracted from the disclosure herein.

[0084] <Third Embodiment> As described above, the present invention is useful in improving the texture of food compositions after long-term storage. Accordingly, the third embodiment includes, for example, the following aspects. A method for improving the texture of a food composition after long-term storage, comprising the following steps (S1) to (S4). (S1) A step of preparing composition A containing at least one selected from the group consisting of amylase, xylanase, lipase, glucosidase, and glycosyltransferase. (S2) A step in which the enzyme activity of composition A is reduced using activity reducing agent B, which has a wet mass water content of 70% by mass or less. (S3) A step of mixing the composition obtained in step S2 with food ingredient C containing at least one selected from the group consisting of legumes, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice. (S4) A step of heating the composition obtained in step S3.

[0085] In this embodiment, the "food composition" can be the same as the embodiment disclosed in the first embodiment. For example, a preferred embodiment of the third embodiment could be a method for improving the texture of cooked rice (especially cooked rice for ready-to-eat meals or cooked rice distributed chilled) after long-term storage. In this embodiment, any embodiment suitable for use with cooked rice can be arbitrarily extracted from the disclosures of this specification. Furthermore, as texture improvement, in particular for cooked rice, it can be an improvement of at least one of the hardness, stickiness, and looseness after long-term storage of cooked rice containing beans, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice (specifically brown rice, white rice, rice harvested more than one year ago, imported rice, Japonica rice, Calrose rice, etc.). Furthermore, one more specific aspect of improving texture is the improvement of the balance of hardness, stickiness, and looseness after long-term storage, particularly in cooked rice containing beans, grains, seeds, and rice (specifically brown rice, white rice, rice harvested more than one year ago, imported rice, Japonica rice, Calrose rice, etc.). Long-term storage can refer to storage at 4-30°C for 6-72 hours after cooking.

[0086] In the third embodiment, the provisions relating to stages (S1) to (S4) can be adopted as they are, based on the provisions relating to stages (S1) to (S4) disclosed in the first embodiment.

[0087] <Fourth Embodiment> As described above, the present invention is useful in improving the ease of packaging during the manufacture of food compositions. Accordingly, the fourth embodiment includes, for example, the following aspects. A method for improving the ease of packaging during the manufacture of a food composition, comprising the following steps (S1) to (S4). (S1) A step of preparing composition A containing at least one selected from the group consisting of amylase, xylanase, lipase, glucosidase, and glycosyltransferase. (S2) A step in which the enzyme activity of composition A is reduced using activity reducing agent B, which has a wet mass water content of 70% by mass or less. (S3) A step of mixing the composition obtained in step S2 with food ingredient C containing at least one selected from the group consisting of legumes, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice. (S4) A step of heating the composition obtained in step S3.

[0088] In this embodiment, the "food composition" can be the same as the embodiment disclosed in the first embodiment. For example, a preferred embodiment of the fourth embodiment could be a method for improving the ease of packaging during the production of rice products. In this embodiment, any embodiment that can be suitably adopted for rice products can be extracted from the disclosures of this specification.

[0089] In the fourth embodiment, the provisions relating to stages (S1) to (S4) can be adopted as they are, based on the provisions relating to stages (S1) to (S4) disclosed in the first embodiment.

[0090] <Fifth Embodiment> A fifth embodiment relates to the following invention, for example. A method for maintaining the enzyme activity of an enzyme-containing composition D for use in a method for producing a food composition, comprising the following steps (T1) and (T2), the method comprising preparing an enzyme-containing composition D that satisfies the following requirements (i) and (ii). (i) Contains at least one enzyme selected from the group consisting of amylase, xylanase, lipase, glucosidase, and glycosyltransferase. (ii) Contains an activity-reducing agent B whose wet-mass water content is 70% by mass or less. Step (T1): Mixing enzyme-containing composition D with food ingredient C containing at least one selected from the group consisting of legumes, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice. Step (T2): A step in which the composition obtained in step T1 is heated.

[0091] The enzyme-containing composition D in this embodiment can adopt the same form as disclosed in the second embodiment, and it is particularly preferable that it contains the enzyme disclosed in requirement (i) above (at least one enzyme selected from the group consisting of amylase, xylanase, lipase, glucosidase, and glycosyltransferase). Furthermore, the activity-reducing agent B in requirement (ii) above can adopt the same provision for activity-reducing agent B disclosed in the first embodiment. In addition, the enzyme activity of the enzyme-containing composition D can adopt the value disclosed in the first embodiment as "enzyme activity of the composition obtained in step S2". The enzyme-containing composition D in this embodiment is preferably in liquid, gel, or powder form in an environment of 1 atmosphere 0°C, preferably 1 atmosphere -5°C, and is particularly preferably in liquid or powder form in an environment of 1 atmosphere 0°C, preferably 1 atmosphere -5°C.

[0092] In the fifth embodiment, the enzyme-containing composition D can be used in the manufacture of food compositions. In this embodiment, the "food composition" can be the same as that disclosed in the first embodiment. For example, in the fifth embodiment, the enzyme-containing composition D is preferably used in the manufacture of rice products.

[0093] Furthermore, the food ingredient C in stage (T1) can be the same as the provisions concerning food ingredient C disclosed in the first embodiment (such as the type of ingredient and the amount blended).

[0094] Furthermore, the heating conditions in stage (T2) can be the same as those disclosed in the second embodiment. [Examples]

[0095] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but these examples are merely illustrative examples for explanatory purposes, and the present invention is not limited in any sense to these examples.

[0096] <Preparation of Component A> The enzymes shown in Table 1 (xylanase (endoxylanase), glucosidase (β-glucosidase), amylase (maltose-producing α-amylase), lipase, cyclodextrin glucanotransferase, 6-α-glucanotransferase, and 4-α-glucanotransferase, all commercially available products) were prepared as composition A (A1-A7).

[0097] [Table 1]

[0098] <Preparation of activity-reducing agent B> Activity-reducing agent B was prepared by appropriately blending starch hydrolysates (dextrin (manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Co., Ltd.; PineDix #100), glucose (manufactured by Kato Chemical Co., Ltd.; Fujicristar), reduced starch syrup (manufactured by Bussan Food Science Co., Ltd.; SE 600, or manufactured by Mitsubishi Corporation Life Science Co., Ltd.; Amamiru)), vinegar (acetic acid content 15%), sodium acetate, salt, and water to obtain the composition shown in Table 2 below (B1 to B4). When the pH of B4 was measured, it was in the range of greater than 4.6 and less than or equal to 5.9, and the non-dissociated acetic acid content was 0.015% by mass or more. Furthermore, when stored under conditions of 0°C and 1 atm, and -5°C and 1 atm, it remained in liquid form.

[0099] [Table 2]

[0100] <Preparation of Food Ingredient C> As raw materials containing at least one selected from the group consisting of legumes, grains, nuts and seeds, and brown rice, the following are used: Cooking grains manufactured by Hakubaku Co., Ltd. (Meisen Jurokukoku (containing black rice, glutinous rice, rolled barley, white barley, glutinous barley, steamed black beans (soybeans), steamed adzuki beans, sprouted brown rice, roasted sprouted brown rice, green rice, cracked adlay, sprouted red rice, rice grain barley, millet, barnyard millet, sorghum) and Bean Hokuhoku Jurokukoku Gohan (steamed black beans (soybeans), chickpeas, black soybeans, glutinous millet) The following were used: , black rice, roasted sprouted brown rice, glutinous barley, roasted glutinous barley, soybeans, roasted black sesame seeds, roasted white sesame seeds, steamed adzuki beans, steamed mung beans, sprouted red rice, quinoa, and amaranth; and sixteen-grain rice for a delicious taste (black rice, glutinous millet, steamed black beans (soybeans), amaranth, glutinous foxtail millet, roasted sprouted brown rice, quinoa, sorghum, steamed adzuki beans, roasted black sesame seeds, roasted white sesame seeds, sprouted red rice, white barley, non-glutinous barnyard millet, cracked corn, and cracked Job's tears). In addition, partially polished rice, glutinous barley, barley, brown rice, and white rice (Koshihikari from Toyama Prefecture or Calrose from the USA) were appropriately blended to prepare food ingredient C with the composition shown in Table 3 (C1-C4).

[0101] [Table 3] (S1') A step of preparing composition A containing at least one selected from the group consisting of amylase, xylanase, lipase, glucosidase, and glycosyltransferase; Prepare the items A1 to A7 mentioned above.

[0102] (S2') A step in which the enzyme activity of composition A is reduced using activity reducing agent B, which has a wet mass water content of 70% by mass or less; The above-mentioned composition A (A1-A7) and the pre-stage activity reducing agent B (B1-B4) or water were appropriately mixed under room temperature (20-24°C) conditions to obtain samples 1-35 in which the enzyme activity of composition A was reduced.

[0103] [Table 4-1]

[0104] [Table 4-2]

[0105] [Table 4-3]

[0106] [Table 4-4]

[0107] [Table 4-5]

[0108] [Table 4-6]

[0109] [Table 4-7]

[0110] (S3') A step of mixing the composition obtained in step S2 with food ingredient C containing at least one selected from the group consisting of legumes, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice; For the initial food ingredients C (C1-4), water was added at the water dilution ratios shown in Table 5. Furthermore, initial samples 1-35 were appropriately mixed so that the amount of composition obtained in step S2 relative to food ingredients C matched the composition shown in Table 5. The sample using B4 as the activity reducing agent B was easy to mix with food ingredients C and therefore easy to handle.

[0111] (S4') A step of heating the composition obtained in step S3. The composition obtained in step S3 was left at room temperature (20-24°C) for 1 hour (immersion step), and then cooked in the quick-cook mode of an IH rice cooker (Tiger Corporation: JKT-G101), and the resulting cooked rice was used as a test example. The cooked rice was evaluated on a 5-point scale for its packability into containers (packability immediately after cooking (ease of packaging)) according to the following criteria, and its texture (texture immediately after cooking) was evaluated on a 5-point scale by sensory evaluation according to the following criteria. The average value of these evaluations was used as the overall quality evaluation immediately after cooking. Furthermore, the cooked rice was cooled to 30°C in a vacuum cooler (Miura Co., Ltd.: GMJ-20QE), and then stored at 10°C for 24 hours. The texture after storage was also evaluated on a 5-point scale by sensory evaluation according to the following criteria. Finally, based on the average values ​​of the overall quality evaluation results immediately after cooking and the texture evaluation results after storage, the final evaluation was given on the following 4-point scale. The results are shown in Table 5.

[0112] <Texture immediately after cooking> 1: The balance of hardness, stickiness, and looseness is poor and undesirable. 2: The balance of hardness, stickiness, and ease of breaking apart is somewhat poor, making it somewhat undesirable. 3: The balance of hardness, stickiness, and ease of breaking apart is good, which is somewhat desirable. 4: Good balance of hardness, stickiness, and looseness, desirable. 5: The balance of hardness, stickiness, and looseness is excellent and very desirable.

[0113] <Filling capacity immediately after cooking> 1: It is difficult to stir and shape with a rice paddle, which is undesirable. 2: Mixing and shaping with a rice paddle is somewhat difficult and therefore not ideal. 3. It is somewhat easier to stir and shape with a rice paddle, which is somewhat preferable. 4: It is easy to stir and shape with a rice paddle, which is preferable. 5. It is very easy to stir and shape with a rice paddle, which is very preferable.

[0114] <Texture after storage> 1: The balance of hardness, stickiness, and looseness is poor and undesirable. 2: The balance of hardness, stickiness, and ease of breaking apart is somewhat poor, making it somewhat undesirable. 3: The balance of hardness, stickiness, and ease of breaking apart is good, which is somewhat desirable. 4: Good balance of hardness, stickiness, and looseness, desirable. 5: The balance of hardness, stickiness, and looseness is excellent and very desirable.

[0115] <Final Evaluation> C: The average of the overall quality evaluation result immediately after cooking and the texture evaluation result after storage is 2.5 or less. B: The average of the overall quality evaluation result immediately after cooking and the texture evaluation result after storage is between 2.5 and 3.5. A: The average of the overall quality evaluation result immediately after cooking and the texture evaluation result after storage is between 3.5 and 4.5. S: The average of the overall quality evaluation result immediately after cooking and the texture evaluation result after storage is over 4.5.

[0116] Furthermore, the sensory evaluation was conducted by selecting sensory evaluators according to the following procedure.

[0117] <Sensory evaluator> For each sensory evaluation, the sensory evaluators were selected based on their outstanding performance, product development experience, extensive knowledge of food quality such as taste and texture, and the ability to perform absolute evaluations for each sensory evaluation item, after undergoing prior identification training as described in A) to C) below. Furthermore, in each sensory evaluation test, all evaluators evaluated a standard sample in advance to standardize the evaluation criteria, and then 10 evaluators conducted objective sensory evaluations.

[0118] A) A taste discrimination test in which, for each of the five basic tastes (sweetness: the taste of sugar, sourness: the taste of tartaric acid, umami: the taste of monosodium glutamate, saltiness: the taste of sodium chloride, bitterness: the taste of caffeine), one aqueous solution is prepared at a concentration close to the threshold for each component, and two distilled water solutions are added to these to create a total of seven samples, from which the tester must accurately identify the sample for each taste. B) A concentration difference identification test to accurately identify the concentration differences between five types of saline solutions and acetic acid solutions with slightly different concentrations. C) A three-point identification test to accurately identify soy sauce from manufacturer B from a total of three samples: two from manufacturer A and one from manufacturer B.

[0119] [Table 5-1]

[0120] [Table 5-2]

[0121] [Table 5-3]

[0122] [Table 5-4]

[0123] [Table 5-5]

[0124] [Table 5-6]

[0125] [Table 5-7]

[0126] [Table 5-8]

[0127] [Table 5-9]

[0128] [Table 5-10]

[0129] [Table 5-11]

[0130] [Table 5-12]

[0131] [Table 5-13]

[0132] Table 5 shows that by reducing the activity of a predetermined enzyme with activity-reducing agent B, which has a wet-mass water content of 70% or less, and then mixing it with a food ingredient containing at least one selected from the group consisting of legumes, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice, and heating it to produce a food composition, the texture immediately after production or after storage is improved, and the packability immediately after production is also improved. In the test examples that received a final evaluation of A or higher, monitoring the temperature of the top and bottom of the rice cooker pot using a temperature measuring instrument (DATATRACE (memory thermometer) Micropack III) revealed that (S4-1) the process included a stage of heating to 95°C or higher at a heating rate of 5.0°C / min or higher, and a warming stage in which the composition after the heating stage was maintained at 95°C or higher for 2 minutes or more. Furthermore, in the test example using activity-reducing agent B4, when the samples used in the test (samples 4 and 14) were stored at 40°C for one month and then tested, similar effects were obtained. This suggests that an enzyme-containing composition obtained by reducing the activity of an enzyme with an activity-reducing agent B having a wet-mass water content of 70% by mass or less can stably retain the enzyme in the composition.

[0133] Based on the above results, the inventors conducted the following further tests to confirm that using activity-reducing agent B, which has a wet-mass water content of 70% by mass or less, enhances the stability of the enzyme.

[0134] Samples 36-40 were prepared by mixing the aforementioned activity-reducing agents B (B1-B4) or water, heated to 40°C, with composition A (A2) to obtain the compositions shown in Table 6. Next, samples 36-40 were stored at 40°C for 10 minutes, and then mixed with food ingredient C (C1) and heated in the same manner as in (S3') and (S4') above to obtain the compositions shown in Table 7. The texture immediately after cooking, the packability immediately after cooking, and the overall quality immediately after cooking, as well as the texture after storage, were evaluated in the same manner as above, and a final evaluation was performed. The results are shown in Table 7.

[0135] [Table 6]

[0136] [Table 7]

[0137] Table 7 shows that using activity reducer B, which has a wet-mass moisture content of 70% or less, improved the texture immediately after cooking and after storage compared to reducing enzyme activity with water (wet-mass moisture content of 100%), indicating that it can enhance enzyme stability. Furthermore, similar results were obtained when A3 was used instead of A2, suggesting that similar effects can be obtained even when various enzymes are used.

Claims

1. A method for producing a food composition, comprising the following steps (S1) to (S4). (S1) A step of preparing composition A containing at least one selected from the group consisting of amylase, xylanase, lipase, glucosidase, and glycosyltransferase. (S2) A step in which the enzyme activity of composition A is reduced using activity reducing agent B, which has a wet mass equivalent water content of 70% by mass or less. (S3) A step of mixing the composition obtained in step S2 with a food ingredient C containing at least one selected from the group consisting of beans, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice. (S4) A step of heating the composition obtained in step S3.

2. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the activity reducing agent B contains a starch hydrolysate.

3. The method for producing the product according to claim 2, wherein the activity reducing agent B contains at least one selected from the group consisting of glucose, maltose, dextrin, and reduced starch syrup as the starch hydrolysate.

4. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the activity reducing agent B is in liquid or powder form in an environment of 1 atmosphere and 0°C.

5. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in step S2, the enzyme activity of composition A is reduced to 0.5 times or less.

6. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the food ingredient C contains, as legumes, at least one legume selected from the group consisting of the genera pea, kidney bean, pigeon bean, cowpea, broad bean, chickpea, soybean, and lentil.

7. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the food ingredient C contains, as miscellaneous grains, at least one type of miscellaneous grain selected from the group consisting of the grasses, amaranthaceae, buckwheat, and amaranthaceae families.

8. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the food ingredient C contains, as nuts and seeds, at least one type of grain selected from the group consisting of almonds, hemp, flax, perilla, cashews, pumpkin seeds, kaya seeds, ginkgo nuts, chestnuts, walnuts, poppies, coconuts, sesame seeds, oak, horse chestnuts, lotus seeds, water chestnuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, pine, and peanuts.

9. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the food ingredient C contains brown rice as a type of rice.

10. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the food ingredient C contains white rice as a type of rice.

11. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the food ingredient C contains Japonica rice as a type of rice.

12. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the food ingredient C contains foreign-produced rice as a type of rice.

13. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the food ingredient C contains rice that has been harvested for more than one year.

14. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the food ingredient C further contains at least one cereal selected from the group consisting of wheat and barley.

15. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the S4 step comprises the following steps (S4-1) and (S4-2). (S4-1) A heating step in which the composition obtained in step S3 is heated to 95°C or higher at a heating rate of 5.0°C / min or more. (S4-2) A heat retention stage in which the composition after the heating stage is kept at 95°C or higher for 2 minutes or more.

16. A method for producing cooked rice, as described in claim 1 or 2.

17. The production method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein composition A contains at least one selected from the group consisting of maltose-producing α-amylase, endoxylanase, lipase, β-glucosidase, cyclodextrin glucanotransferase, 6-α-glucanotransferase, and 4-α-glucanotransferase.

18. The method for producing the product according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the activity reducing agent B is in liquid form under an environment of 1 atmosphere and 0°C, has a non-dissociated acetic acid content of 0.015% by mass or more, and has a pH greater than 4.

0.

19. An enzyme-containing composition D for use in a method of producing a food composition, satisfying the following requirements (i) and (ii), and comprising the following steps (T1) and (T2). (i) Contains at least one enzyme selected from the group consisting of amylase, xylanase, lipase, glucosidase, and glycosyltransferase. (ii) Contains an activity-reducing agent B whose wet-mass water content is 70% by mass or less. (T1) A step of mixing enzyme-containing composition D with food ingredient C containing at least one selected from the group consisting of legumes, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice. (T2) A step of heating the composition obtained in step T1.

20. The enzyme-containing composition D according to claim 19, wherein the activity-reducing agent B contains a starch hydrolysate.

21. The enzyme-containing composition D according to claim 20, wherein the starch hydrolysate contains at least one selected from the group consisting of glucose, maltose, dextrin, and reduced starch syrup.

22. The enzyme-containing composition D according to claim 18 or 19, wherein the activity-reducing agent B is in liquid or powder form under an environment of 1 atmosphere and 0°C.

23. The enzyme-containing composition D according to claim 19 or 20, which is in a liquid or powder state in an environment of 1 atmosphere and 0°C.

24. The enzyme-containing composition D according to claim 19 or 20, wherein the food ingredient C contains, as legumes, at least one legume selected from the group consisting of the genera pea, kidney bean, pigeon bean, cowpea, broad bean, chickpea, soybean, and lentil.

25. The enzyme-containing composition D according to claim 19 or 20, wherein the food ingredient C contains, as a type of grain, at least one type of grain selected from the group consisting of the grasses, amaranthaceae, buckwheat, and amaranthaceae.

26. The enzyme-containing composition D according to claim 19 or 20, wherein the food ingredient C contains, as nuts and seeds, at least one type of grain selected from the group consisting of almonds, hemp, flax, perilla, cashews, pumpkin seeds, kaya seeds, ginkgo nuts, chestnuts, walnuts, poppies, coconuts, sesame seeds, oak, horse chestnuts, lotus seeds, water chestnuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, pine, and peanuts.

27. The enzyme-containing composition D according to claim 19 or 20, wherein the food ingredient C contains brown rice as a type of rice.

28. The enzyme-containing composition D according to claim 19 or 20, wherein the food ingredient C contains white rice as a type of rice.

29. The enzyme-containing composition D according to claim 19 or 20, wherein the food ingredient C contains Japonica rice as a type of rice.

30. The enzyme-containing composition D according to claim 19 or 20, wherein the food ingredient C contains foreign-produced rice as a type of rice.

31. The enzyme-containing composition D according to claim 19 or 20, wherein the food ingredient C contains rice that has been harvested for more than one year.

32. The enzyme-containing composition D according to claim 19 or 20, wherein the food ingredient C further contains at least one cereal selected from the group consisting of wheat and barley.

33. The enzyme-containing composition D according to claim 19 or 20, wherein the manufacturing method comprises the following steps (T2-1) and (T2-2) in step T2. (T2-1) A heating step in which the composition obtained in step T1 is heated to 95°C or higher at a heating rate of 5.0°C / min or more. (T2-2) Insulation stage in which the composition after the heating stage is held at 95°C or higher for 2 minutes or more.

34. The enzyme-containing composition D according to claim 19 or 20, wherein the manufacturing method is a method for manufacturing cooked rice.

35. The enzyme-containing composition D according to claim 19 or 20, comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of maltose-producing α-amylase, endoxylanase, lipase, β-glucosidase, cyclodextrin glucanotransferase, 6-α-glucanotransferase, and 4-α-glucanotransferase.

36. The enzyme-containing composition D according to claim 19 or 20, wherein the activity-reducing agent B is in liquid form under an environment of 1 atmosphere and 0°C, has a non-dissociated acetic acid content of 0.015% by mass or more, and has a pH greater than 4.

0.

37. A method for improving the texture of a food composition after long-term storage, comprising the following steps (S1) to (S4). (S1) A step of preparing composition A containing at least one selected from the group consisting of amylase, xylanase, lipase, glucosidase, and glycosyltransferase. (S2) A step in which the enzyme activity of composition A is reduced using activity reducing agent B, which has a wet mass equivalent water content of 70% by mass or less. (S3) A step of mixing the composition obtained in step S2 with a food ingredient C containing at least one selected from the group consisting of beans, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice. (S4) A step of heating the composition obtained in step S3.

38. A method for improving the ease of packaging during the manufacture of a food composition, comprising the following steps (S1) to (S4). (S1) A step of preparing composition A containing at least one selected from the group consisting of amylase, xylanase, lipase, glucosidase, and glycosyltransferase. (S2) A step in which the enzyme activity of composition A is reduced using activity reducing agent B, which has a wet mass equivalent water content of 70% by mass or less. (S3) A step of mixing the composition obtained in step S2 with a food ingredient C containing at least one selected from the group consisting of beans, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice. (S4) A step of heating the composition obtained in step S3.

39. A method for maintaining the enzyme activity of an enzyme-containing composition D for use in a method for producing a food composition, comprising the following steps (T1) and (T2), the method comprising preparing an enzyme-containing composition D that satisfies the following requirements (i) and (ii). (i) Contains at least one enzyme selected from the group consisting of amylase, xylanase, lipase, glucosidase, and glycosyltransferase. (ii) Contains an activity-reducing agent B whose wet-mass water content is 70% by mass or less. Step (T1): Mixing enzyme-containing composition D with food ingredient C containing at least one selected from the group consisting of legumes, grains, nuts and seeds, and rice. Step (T2): A step in which the composition obtained in step T1 is heated.

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