Composition for meat processing

Abstract

The object of the present invention is to provide a means that can reduce the binding properties between meat pieces or chunks of meat, even in meat that has undergone hardening-inhibiting treatment, by reducing the binding properties between meat pieces or chunks due to heat treatment such as cooking or heat sterilization, and thereby improve the ability to shred meat. [Solution] By applying oil-processed starch and curdlan to the meat, the binding of the meat during or after heat treatment can be suppressed. The weight ratio of oil-processed starch to curdlan is preferably 1 to 20 parts by weight of curdlan for every 10 parts by weight of oil-processed starch.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a composition for meat processing and a method for meat processing.

Background Art

[0002] Livestock meat and seafood tend to become hard due to water separation and fiber shrinkage during heat treatment processes such as boiling, roasting, and frying, which poses a problem in meat processing. Therefore, measures have been taken to suppress meat hardening, such as treatment with enzyme agents such as protease (Patent Document 1) or methods of tilting the pH to the alkaline side or acidic side with a pH adjuster or the like. However, these methods require the penetration of the treatment agent into the target, and thus require time. Therefore, products are commercially available that can perform a hardening suppression treatment by sprinkling a powder containing an enzyme and modified starch on the target within a short time.

[0003] In such meat with suppressed hardening, it is presumed that the desired effect is obtained by loosening the meat fibers. Therefore, when a plurality of meat slices or meat chunks with suppressed hardening are heat-treated, the loosened fibers are usually entangled on the surface and the binding property is improved. Improving the binding property of meat is often a desired effect, such as when handling meat granules such as hamburgers. On the other hand, in meat processing, it is presumed that improving the binding property between meat slices or meat chunks may not be desirable, but currently, the progress of technology for suppressing hardening is rapid, and this problem has not yet become apparent.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a means that can reduce the binding properties between meat pieces or chunks of meat, even in meat that has undergone hardening-inhibiting treatment, by reducing the binding properties between meat pieces or chunks due to heat treatment such as cooking or heat sterilization, and thereby improve the ability to shred meat. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention relates to the following (1) to (7). (1) A meat processing composition characterized by containing oil-processed starch and curdlan. (2) The composition of (1) above, wherein the weight ratio of oil-processed starch to curdlan is 1 to 20 parts by weight of curdlan for every 10 parts by weight of oil-processed starch. (3) A method for producing heat-treated meat, comprising the step of applying oil-processed starch and curdlan to the meat and then heat-treating the meat.

[0007] (4) A method for producing heat-treated meat, wherein the oil-processed starch and curdlan are attached to the meat using the composition of (1) or (2) above. (5) A method for suppressing the hardening of meat after heat treatment, characterized by attaching oil-processed starch and curdlan to the meat. (6) A method for suppressing the binding of meat during or after heat treatment, characterized by attaching oil-processed starch and curdlan to the meat. (7) The method of (5) or (6) above, wherein the oil-processed starch and curdlan are attached to the meat using the composition of (1) or (2) above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The present invention provides a means to solve not only the problem of suppressing the hardening of meat, but also a new problem of improving the ease of separating meat by suppressing the binding of meat pieces or chunks together due to heat treatment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The meat processing composition of the present invention is characterized by containing oil-modified starch and curdlan. The oil-based starch according to the present invention is obtained, for example, by adding oil to raw starch, mixing it uniformly, and then drying and aging it as necessary. Examples of raw starches include corn starch, potato starch, wheat starch, rice starch, sweet potato starch, tapioca starch, mung bean starch, sago starch, pea starch, or modified starches obtained by esterification (e.g., acetic acid starch), etherification (e.g., hydroxypropyl starch), cross-linking (e.g., phosphate cross-linked starch), oxidation (e.g., dialdehyde starch), acid treatment, moist heat treatment, and modified starches obtained by combining two or more treatments such as esterification, etherification, and cross-linking. These starches can be used individually or in combination of two or more types.

[0010] The oils and fats added to the raw starch are not particularly limited as long as they are edible. Examples include vegetable oils such as soybean oil, rapeseed oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, rice bran oil, corn oil, coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, kapok oil, peanut oil, olive oil, high-oleic rapeseed oil, high-oleic safflower oil, high-oleic corn oil, and high-oleic sunflower oil; animal oils such as beef tallow, lard, fish oil, and milk fat; and these animal and vegetable oils that have been fractionated, hydrogenated, or transesterified, as well as medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). Preferably, these are soybean salad oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, or corn salad oil. In addition, grain flours with a high oil content, such as raw soybean flour, may be used as a substitute for some or all of the above edible oils and fats.

[0011] The ratio of starch to oil is, for example, about 0.003 to 10 parts by mass, preferably about 0.05 to 5 parts by mass, and more preferably about 0.1 to 1 part by mass, per 100 parts by mass of starch. Starch and oil are mixed and heated to approximately 50-90°C, then aged at a temperature range of approximately 30-180°C, preferably approximately 30-140°C. When aging at temperatures above 120°C, care must be taken to prevent the starch from turning into dextrin. The aging time varies depending on the amount of oil relative to the starch, but for example, it is about 5 hours at approximately 60°C or about 1 hour at approximately 140°C.

[0012] After maturation is complete, the obtained modified starch is used as is, or after adjusting the moisture content to approximately 8-18% by mass, more preferably approximately 10-14% by mass, as oil-based modified starch in the present invention. Oil-modified starch may be prepared according to the method described above, but commercially available products may also be used.

[0013] The curdlan used in the present invention is not particularly limited and can be a fermentation product of microorganisms, a natural extract, or a synthetic product (enzyme, chemical), but preferably a fermentation product of microorganisms, and especially preferably one produced by microorganisms belonging to the genus Agrobacterium is used. Curdlan produced by microorganisms belonging to the genus Alcaligenes or Agrobacterium is particularly preferred due to its performance, availability, etc. Examples of microorganisms belonging to the genera Alcaligenes or Agrobacterium include Alcaligenes faecalis var myxogenes 10C3K strain [Agricultural Biological Chemistry, Vol.30, page 196 (1966)], the mutant NTK-u (IFO 13140) of Alcaligenes faecalis var myxogenes 10C3K strain (Japanese Patent Publication No. 48-32673), and those produced by Agrobacter radiobacter (IFO 13127) and its mutant U-19 (IFO 13126) (Japanese Patent Publication No. 48-32674). Curdlan is commercially available and easily obtainable.

[0014] The curdlan used in this invention may be a commercially available product. Commercially available curdlans include finely ground curdlans with an average particle size of approximately 10 to 50 μm, and either type may be used. The meat used in this invention is not particularly limited as long as it is meat intended for consumption, and examples include beef, pork, horse meat, lamb, goat meat, rabbit meat, poultry meat, or mixtures thereof, with beef, pork, or chicken being preferred. Furthermore, it is not limited to livestock meat, but fish meat may also be used as long as hardening due to heating or adhesion of meat pieces or chunks due to heating is a problem. The usable parts are not particularly limited, and any part can be used, for example, with beef, shoulder loin, brisket, rib loin, tenderloin, shoulder meat, thigh meat, etc.; with pork, brisket, loin, shoulder loin, shoulder meat, thigh meat, arm meat, etc.; and with chicken, breast meat, thigh meat, wing meat, tenderloin, etc.

[0015] The meat may be in a block or in pieces, such as by slicing, but it is preferable to use meat in pieces because the effects of the present invention are more easily observed. Oil-modified starch and curdlan may be used separately for meat, or they may be mixed together to form a mixture, which may then be used as the meat processing composition of the present invention. In this case, the oil-modified starch and curdlan are used in an amount of 1 to 20 parts by weight, preferably 2 to 15 parts by weight, and particularly preferably 2 to 10 parts by weight of curdlan per 10 parts by weight of oil-modified starch.

[0016] The following description will use the meat processing composition of the present invention, which contains oil-modified starch and curdlan, as an example, but the same applies when oil-modified starch and curdlan are used separately. When treating meat using the composition for meat treatment of the present invention, the composition for meat treatment of the present invention may be uniformly adhered to the meat surface in the form of powder, granules, or powder granules by methods such as sprinkling, and may be appropriately dissolved or suspended in water or the like, and adhered by immersing the meat in the resulting solution or suspension. Further, as described later, when boiling the meat as a heat treatment, even if the composition for meat treatment of the present invention is not previously adhered to the meat, it may be dissolved in water, hot water, or boiling water for boiling, and the meat may be boiled with the aqueous solution to thereby adhere to the meat after boiling as a result.

[0017] When adhering the composition for meat treatment of the present invention to meat, it is preferably adhered so that the total weight of the oil-processed starch and curdlan is 0.4 to 4 parts by weight, preferably 0.5 to 2 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of the meat. In addition to the oil-processed starch and curdlan, the composition for meat treatment of the present invention may contain starch other than the oil-processed starch, processed starch, starch degradation products such as dextrin, thickening polysaccharides such as xanthan gum and guar gum, organic acids such as lactic acid, citric acid, and succinic acid or salts thereof, carbonates, hydrogen carbonates, chlorides, etc. of potassium or sodium, and may also contain enzymes such as protease. Further, if necessary, it may contain sweeteners such as sugar, salt, other seasonings, spices, fragrances, pigments, etc.

[0018] After adhering the composition for meat treatment of the present invention to the meat, it is left standing for about 10 minutes. Appropriate stirring or the like may be performed. There is no particular limitation on the temperature during this treatment, but it is usually about 0 to 30°C. When the composition for meat treatment of the present invention contains an enzyme, it may be performed at a temperature at which the enzyme acts easily. The meat treated with the composition for meat treatment of the present invention can be used as it is for cooking and processing. However, particularly when subjected to heat treatment such as heat cooking and heat sterilization under conditions where the meat hardens, the degree of hardening is small, and effects such as maintaining the soft state before heating are exhibited. Further, the meat treated with the composition for meat treatment of the present invention becomes a state where the meats do not adhere to each other and are easily peeled off even during and after the heat treatment, and there is an effect of improving the so-called looseness.

[0019] In the case of processing meat, etc., in order to prevent the meat from binding during heat cooking, instead of raw meat with higher binding properties, boiled meat may be used. However, even when boiling meat, if a large amount of meat is boiled in a large pot at once, the meat may bind to each other during heating or when cooling after heating due to its own weight. Therefore, improving the looseness of the hardened and suppressed meat slices leads to an improvement in processing efficiency, which is desirable. As described above, the treatment of meat with the composition for meat treatment of the present invention can be suitably used as a method for suppressing the hardening of meat after heat treatment or a method for suppressing the binding of meat during or after heat treatment. Hereinafter, examples of the present invention will be shown, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiments of the examples.

Examples

[0020] (Test 1-1) Each raw material shown in Table 1 and water were weighed on a ball, mixed with a whisk until there were no bubbles, and a meat treatment liquid was prepared. After accurately weighing 100 g of sliced pork loin and adding it to the meat treatment liquid, it was evenly adhered to the surface and then left in a refrigerator for 10 minutes for meat treatment. The treated meat was heat-cooked in a steam convection oven at 180°C for 4 minutes and cooled to room temperature. In addition, the tenderness when biting each cooled meat was regarded as "softness" and sensory evaluation was performed by 4 trained panelists. The evaluation was carried out according to the following criteria, and the average score of the 4 evaluations was shown in Table 1 as the "sensory evaluation score". No hardening suppression effect was observed (hard and crispy): 1 point A slight hardening suppression effect was observed but it was crispy: 2 points A hardening suppression effect was observed and it was easy to chew: 3 points A hardening suppression effect was observed, it was moist, and it was easy to chew: 4 points

[0021]

Table 1

[0022] The ingredients listed in the table are as follows: (1) Commercial products using waxy corn starch as the starch (hereinafter the same) (2) Standard particle size product manufactured by Mitsubishi Corporation Life Sciences Co., Ltd. (hereinafter the same) (3) Finely ground product manufactured by Mitsubishi Corporation Life Sciences Co., Ltd. (average particle size approximately 30 μm) (the same applies hereafter)

[0023] As shown in Table 1, hardening was observed when slices of pork loin were subjected to heat treatment in a steam convection oven. However, the degree of hardening was suppressed when the meat was treated with a meat processing composition using a combination of oil-modified starch and curdlan.

[0024] (Test 1-2) Using the meat processing solution described in Table 2, slices of pork shoulder loin were processed in accordance with the method described in (Test 1-1) above. After shaping several processed slices into a block using a mold, the block was dropped into 1 liter of boiling water and boiled for 1 minute without being touched. However, if the top surface of the block turned red from exposure to air, it was turned over once. After boiling for a further 4 minutes, it was boiled for the remaining 1 minute while being loosened with chopsticks. In this test, a test group in which the amount of processed starch was changed was added as Comparative Example 3.

[0025] After boiling, the meat was allowed to cool to room temperature, and its tenderness was evaluated in the same manner as described above (Test 1-1). Furthermore, the appearance of the meat pieces was observed in terms of their degree of cohesion, and a four-point scale was used, with 4 points awarded for low cohesion (easily separated) and 1 point for high cohesion (not separated). The results are shown in Table 2.

[0026] [Table 2]

[0027] As shown in Table 2 under "Sensory Evaluation Score," sliced ​​pork shoulder loin treated with a meat processing composition containing both processed oil starch and curdlan showed suppressed hardening even during boiling. Furthermore, compared to meat processing compositions containing only oil-modified starch (Comparative Examples 2 and 3) and meat processing compositions containing only curdlan (Comparative Examples 4 and 5), the meat processing compositions of Examples 1 and 2, which used both oil-modified starch and curdlan, were superior in terms of "ease of shredding."

[0028] (Test 2) Using the meat processing solution described in Table 3, slices of pork shoulder loin were processed according to the method described in (Test 1-2) above, varying the ratio of processed starch and curdlan, and then boiled. The tenderness and degree of solidity of the meat were then evaluated. In order to check for variations due to individual differences in the meat used in the test, Comparative Examples 1 and 2 and Example 1 were processed in the same manner as in Test 1-2. The results are shown in Table 3.

[0029] [Table 3]

[0030] Comparative Example 2 showed differences in sensory evaluation scores and ease of shredding scores, but based on Comparative Example 1 and Example 1, it was determined that the variation due to individual differences in meat was not a problem. Examples 3 through 5, which differed in the ratio of processed oil starch to curdlan, all showed suppressed hardening and superior "ease of shredding" compared to Comparative Examples 1 and 2. When the amount of curdlan exceeded 2 to 5 parts by weight per 10 parts by weight of processed oil starch, the effect on shredding decreased slightly, but the effect on suppressing meat hardening was very good. [Industrial applicability]

[0031] The present invention provides a means to solve not only the problem of suppressing the hardening of meat, but also a new problem of improving the ease of separating meat by suppressing the binding of meat pieces or chunks together due to heat treatment.

Claims

1. A meat processing composition characterized by containing oil-modified starch and curdlan.

2. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of oil-processed starch to curdlan is 1 to 20 parts by weight of curdlan per 10 parts by weight of oil-processed starch.

3. A method for producing heat-treated meat, comprising the step of applying processed oil starch and curdlan to the meat and then heat-treating the meat.

4. A method for producing heat-treated meat, wherein the attachment of oil-processed starch and curdlan to the meat is carried out using the composition described in claim 1 or 2.

5. A method for suppressing the hardening of meat after heat treatment, characterized by applying oil-processed starch and curdlan to the meat.

6. A method for suppressing the binding of meat during or after heat treatment, characterized by applying oil-processed starch and curdlan to the meat.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the oil-processed starch and curdlan are attached to the meat using the composition according to claim 1 or 2.

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