Egg-like food composition, and scrambled egg-like food using the same.

Abstract

The present invention aims to provide an egg-like food composition that is excellent in texture and prevents syneresis, and a scrambled egg-like food composition obtained by processing the same, without using sodium alginate. [Solution] An egg-like food composition characterized by containing fine cellulose fibers, methylcellulose, and plant-derived protein, wherein the egg-like food composition contains 20 to 300 parts by mass of fine cellulose fibers per 100 parts by mass of methylcellulose.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an egg-like food composition characterized by containing microcrystalline cellulose fibers and vegetable proteins, and a scrambled egg-like food using the same.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, especially with the increase in population and the expansion of income in emerging countries, the demand for animal proteins has been continuously expanding, and there is a concern about supply shortages in the future. Furthermore, plant-based foods that use little or no animal proteins with a large amount of plant-based raw materials such as soy-based materials and grains, due to religious reasons, personal beliefs, or health claims, have attracted attention.

[0003] As such plant-based foods, for example, there have been proposals for processed meat-like foods obtained by mixing specific textured soy proteins as a binding raw material and subjecting them to molding and heating (Patent Document 1), and methods for producing scrambled egg-like foods by heat-treating a gel-like substance containing plant-derived processed products, alginic acid, and calcium as a coagulation accelerator (Patent Document 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] As such, plant-based foods are being studied for various uses, but the studies on meat-like foods as shown in Patent Document 1 account for the majority, and the studies on egg-like foods as shown in Patent Document 2 have not yet been sufficiently studied.

[0006] In this context, Patent Document 2 describes using plant-based milk, alginic acid (salt), and calcium as a coagulation accelerator to obtain a smooth texture with a good balance of softness and elasticity characteristic of scrambled eggs, which are a plant-based food. However, in the example, sodium alginate is used, and such sodium salts are known to be a major cause of hypertension as well as a major risk factor for dyslipidemia and arteriosclerosis, so there is a demand for formulations that do not use sodium salts.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to obtain an egg-like food composition that is excellent in texture and prevents syneresis, and a scrambled egg-like food composition obtained by processing the same, without using sodium alginate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] As a result of diligent study, the inventors of this application have found that the problem can be solved by the following configurations (1) to (6). (1) An egg-like food composition characterized by containing fine cellulose fibers, methylcellulose, and plant-derived protein. (2) The egg-like food composition according to (1), characterized in that it contains 20 to 300 parts by mass of fine cellulose fibers per 100 parts by mass of methylcellulose. (3) The egg-like food composition according to any one of (1) to (2), characterized in that the fine cellulose fibers are anionically modified. (4) The egg-like food composition according to either (1) or (2), characterized in that the plant-derived protein is derived from soy milk. (5) An egg-like food composition according to either (1) or (2), characterized in that it substantially does not contain animal protein. (6) A scrambled egg-like food obtained by processing any of the egg-like food compositions described in (1) to (5). [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, an egg-like food composition with excellent texture and anti-synchronization properties, and a scrambled egg-like food composition obtained by processing the same, can be obtained without using sodium alginate. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The details of the present invention will be described below, but unless otherwise specified, any notation such as "AA~BB%" shall mean "AA% or more and BB% or less".

[0011] In other words, the present invention is an egg-like food composition characterized by containing fine cellulose fibers, methylcellulose, and plant protein.

[0012] <Fine Cellulose Fibers> Fine cellulose fibers are cellulose fibers derived from cellulose raw materials. Fine fibrous cellulose is defined as a dispersion of fine cellulose fibers (1 wt%) that exhibits a light transmittance in the range of 1 to 99% when analyzed using a visible light spectrometer (UV-1800, Shimadzu Corporation) with a path length of 1 cm / 660 nm. Methods for manufacturing fine cellulose fibers include defibration treatment of pulp, and, if necessary, chemical modification treatment before or after defibration (usually before defibration). Fine cellulose fibers with a fiber diameter on the nano-order are called cellulose nanofibers (CNF), and fine cellulose fibers with a fiber diameter on the micron-order are called cellulose microfibrils (MFC). The size of fine cellulose fibers can be adjusted by conditions such as micronization treatment and chemical modification treatment.

[0013] In the present invention, either CNF or MFC can be used as the fine cellulose fiber, and can be appropriately selected depending on the desired texture and effect. However, in order to achieve a smoother mouthfeel when added to an egg-like food composition, it is preferable to use CNF, which has a smaller fiber size.

[0014] <Cellulose nanofiber> Cellulose nanofibers can be produced by applying a strong shear force to cellulose raw materials, either in their unmodified state or after chemical modification. In this invention, the cellulose raw material may be unmodified or chemically modified, but chemical modification is more preferable. Cellulose nanofibers produced using chemically modified cellulose raw materials are expected to exhibit superior effects compared to cellulose nanofibers produced using unmodified cellulose raw materials, as they have more uniform fiber length and diameter, resulting in more stable dispersibility in water. The method of chemical modification is not particularly limited, but for example, oxidation, etherification, phosphorylation, esterification, silane coupling, fluorination, and cationization can be performed. Among these, oxidation using an N-oxyl compound, carboxymethylation, or cationization is preferred, and carboxymethylation or oxidation is particularly preferred for food applications.

[0015] (Cellulose raw material) In the present invention, known cellulose raw materials for producing cellulose nanofibers include those originating from plants (e.g., wood, bamboo, hemp, jute, kenaf, agricultural waste, cloth, pulp (unbleached softwood kraft pulp (NUKP), bleached softwood kraft pulp (NBKP), unbleached hardwood kraft pulp (LUKP), bleached hardwood kraft pulp (LBKP), unbleached softwood sulfite pulp (NUSP), bleached softwood sulfite pulp (NBSP), thermomechanical pulp (TMP), recycled pulp, waste paper, etc.), animals (e.g., sea squirts), algae, microorganisms (e.g., acetic acid bacteria (Acetobacter)), microbial products, etc., and any of these can be used in the present invention. Preferably, the cellulose fibers are derived from plants or microorganisms, and more preferably, they are derived from plants.

[0016] The fiber diameter of the cellulose fiber raw material used in the present invention is not particularly limited, and the number average fiber diameter is from 1 μm to 1 mm. Those经过一般精制的 are about 50 μm. For example, when refining those several centimeters in size such as chips, it is preferable to perform mechanical treatment with a defibrator such as a refiner or a beater to make it about 50 μm.

[0017] (Oxidation) In the present invention, the oxidation of the cellulose raw material can be carried out using a known method and is not particularly limited. However, it is preferable to adjust the amount of carboxyl groups to be 0.5 mmol / g to 3.0 mmol / g with respect to the absolute dry weight of the cellulose nanofiber.

[0018] As an example, it can be obtained by oxidizing cellulose in water using an oxidizing agent in the presence of an N - oxyl compound and a compound selected from the group consisting of bromides, iodides or mixtures thereof. By this oxidation reaction, the primary hydroxyl group at the C6 position of the glucopyranose ring on the cellulose surface is selectively oxidized, and a cellulose - based fiber having an aldehyde group, a carboxyl group or a carboxylate group on the surface can be obtained. The concentration of cellulose during the reaction is not particularly limited, but preferably 5% by weight or less. The N - oxyl compound refers to a compound capable of generating a nitroxyl radical. As the N - oxyl compound, any compound can be used as long as it promotes the target oxidation reaction.

[0019] The amount of the N - oxyl compound used is not particularly limited as long as it is a catalytic amount capable of oxidizing the raw material cellulose. For example, for 1 g of absolutely dry cellulose, 0.01 to 10 mmol is preferable, 0.01 to 1 mmol is more preferable, and 0.05 to 0.5 mmol is even more preferable. Also, about 0.1 to 4 mmol / L is good for the reaction system. A bromide is a compound containing bromine, and examples thereof include alkali metal bromides that can dissociate and ionize in water. Iodides are compounds containing iodine, and examples thereof include alkali metal iodides. The amount of bromide or iodide used can be selected within a range that can promote the oxidation reaction. The total amount of bromide and iodide is preferably 0.1 to 100 mmol, more preferably 0.1 to 10 mmol, and even more preferably 0.5 to 5 mmol, for example, per 1 g of absolutely dry cellulose.

[0020] As the oxidizing agent, known ones can be used. For example, halogens, hypohalogenous acids, halogenous acids, perhalogenous acids or their salts, halogen oxides, peroxides, etc. can be used. Among them, sodium hypochlorite, which is inexpensive and has a low environmental impact, is preferable. The appropriate amount of the oxidizing agent used is preferably 0.5 to 500 mmol, more preferably 0.5 to 50 mmol, even more preferably 1 to 25 mmol, and most preferably 3 to 10 mmol, for example, per 1 g of absolutely dry cellulose. Also, for example, 1 to 40 mol is preferable per 1 mol of the N-oxyl compound.

[0021] The oxidation process of cellulose can proceed efficiently even under relatively mild conditions. Therefore, the reaction temperature is preferably 4 to 40 °C, and it may be about room temperature of 15 to 30 °C. Since carboxyl groups are generated in the cellulose as the reaction proceeds, a decrease in the pH of the reaction solution is observed. In order to make the oxidation reaction proceed efficiently, it is preferable to add an alkaline solution such as an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution to maintain the pH of the reaction solution at 8 to 12, preferably about 10 to 11. The reaction medium is preferably water in view of ease of handling and difficulty in causing side reactions. The reaction time in the oxidation reaction can be appropriately set according to the degree of progress of oxidation, and is usually 0.5 to 6 hours, for example, about 0.5 to 4 hours. Also, the oxidation reaction may be carried out in two steps. For example, the oxidized cellulose obtained by filtration after the completion of the first-stage reaction can be oxidized again under the same or different reaction conditions, so that it can be efficiently oxidized without being inhibited by the by-produced sodium chloride in the first-stage reaction.

[0022] Another example of a carboxylation (oxidation) method is to oxidize the cellulose raw material by contacting it with a gas containing ozone. This oxidation reaction oxidizes at least the hydroxyl groups at positions 2 and 6 of the glucopyranose ring, and also causes decomposition of the cellulose chain. The ozone concentration in the gas containing ozone is preferably 50 to 250 g / m³, and more preferably 50 to 220 g / m³. The amount of ozone added to the cellulose raw material is preferably 0.1 to 30 parts by weight, and more preferably 5 to 30 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of solids in the cellulose raw material. The ozone treatment temperature is preferably 0 to 50°C, and more preferably 20 to 50°C. The ozone treatment time is not particularly limited, but is preferably about 1 to 360 minutes, and more preferably about 30 to 360 minutes. When the ozone treatment conditions are within these ranges, it is possible to prevent excessive oxidation and decomposition of the cellulose, and a good yield of oxidized cellulose can be obtained. After ozone treatment, a follow-up oxidation treatment may be performed using an oxidizing agent. The oxidizing agent used in the post-oxidation treatment is not particularly limited, but examples include chlorine compounds such as chlorine dioxide and sodium chlorite, as well as oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, persulfuric acid, and peracetic acid. For example, the post-oxidation treatment can be carried out by dissolving these oxidizing agents in water or a polar organic solvent such as alcohol to create an oxidizing agent solution, and then immersing the cellulose raw material in the solution.

[0023] The amounts of carboxyl groups, carboxylate groups, and aldehyde groups in cellulose fibers can be adjusted by controlling the amount of oxidizing agent added and the reaction time. For example, the amount of carboxyl groups can be measured by preparing 60 mL of a 0.5 wt% slurry (aqueous dispersion) of oxidized cellulose, adding a 0.1 M hydrochloric acid aqueous solution to adjust the pH to 2.5, then adding a 0.05 N sodium hydroxide aqueous solution dropwise until the pH reaches 11, measuring the electrical conductivity, and calculating the amount of sodium hydroxide consumed during the neutralization stage of the weak acid, where the change in electrical conductivity is gradual, using the following formula: Carboxyl group content [mmol / g oxidized cellulose or cellulose nanofiber] = a [mL] × 0.05 / weight of oxidized cellulose [g]

[0024] (carboxymethylation) In the present invention, carboxymethylation of the cellulose raw material can be carried out using known methods and is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to adjust the degree of carboxymethyl substitution per anhydrous glucose unit of cellulose to 0.01 to 0.50. As an example, the following production method can be given, but it may also be synthesized by conventionally known methods or commercially available products may be used. Cellulose is used as the base raw material, and 3 to 20 times the weight of water and / or lower alcohols, specifically methanol, ethanol, N-propyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, N-butanol, isobutanol, tertiary butanol, etc., are used as the solvent, either alone or as a mixture of two or more. The mixing ratio of lower alcohols is 60 to 95% by weight. As the mercerizing agent, 0.5 to 20 times the molar amount of alkali metal hydroxide per anhydrous glucose residue of the base raw material is used, specifically sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide. The base raw material, solvent and mercerizing agent are mixed, and the reaction temperature is 0 to 70°C, preferably 10 to 60°C, and the reaction time is A mercerization treatment is performed for 15 minutes to 8 hours, preferably 30 minutes to 7 hours. Then, a carboxymethylating agent is added at a rate of 0.05 to 10.0 molars per glucose residue, and the etherification reaction is carried out at a reaction temperature of 30 to 90°C, preferably 40 to 80°C, and for a reaction time of 30 minutes to 10 hours, preferably 1 hour to 4 hours.

[0025] The degree of carboxymethyl substitution per glucose unit can be measured by, for example, the following method: 1) Accurately weigh approximately 2.0 g of carboxymethylated cellulose fiber (dry) and place it in a 300 mL stoppered Erlenmeyer flask. 2) Add 100 mL of a solution made by adding 100 mL of special grade concentrated nitric acid to 1000 mL of methanol, and shake for 3 hours to convert carboxymethylcellulose salt (CM-modified cellulose) to hydrogen-type CM-modified cellulose. 3) Weigh 1.5 to 2.0 g of hydrogenated CM cellulose (absolutely dry) accurately and place it in a 300 mL Erlenmeyer flask with a stopper. 4) Wet the hydrogenated CM-modified cellulose with 15 mL of 80% methanol, add 100 mL of 0.1 N NaOH, and shake at room temperature for 3 hours. 5) Using phenolphthalein as an indicator, back titrate the excess NaOH with 0.1N H2SO4. 6) The degree of carboxymethyl substitution (DS) is calculated using the following formula: A = [(100 × F' - (0.1N H2SO4) (mL) × F) × 0.1] / (Dry weight of hydrogenated CM-modified cellulose (g)) DS = 0.162 × A / (1 - 0.058 × A) A: Amount of 1N NaOH required to neutralize 1g of hydrogenated CM-modified cellulose (mL) F': Factor of H2SO4 at 0.1N F: Factor of 0.1N NaOH

[0026] (cationization) In the present invention, cationization of the cellulose raw material can be carried out using known methods, and cationization can result in the cellulose molecule having groups containing, for example, ammonium, phosphonium, sulfonium, or these ammonium, phosphonium, or sulfonium groups, but groups containing ammonium are preferred, and groups containing quaternary ammonium are particularly preferred. The specific cationization method is not particularly limited, but as an example, By reacting lurose with a cationizing agent such as glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride, 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyltrialkylammonium hydrate, or its halohydrin type, and an alkali metal hydroxide catalyst (such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide) in the presence of water and / or an alcohol having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, cationically modified cellulose containing a quaternary ammonium group can be obtained. In this method, the degree of cation substitution per glucose unit of the resulting cation-modified cellulose can be adjusted by controlling the amount of cationizing agent added and the composition ratio of water and / or C1-C4 alcohols. Here, the degree of substitution refers to the number of substituents introduced per unit structure (glucopyranose ring) constituting the cellulose. In other words, it is defined as "the number of moles of introduced substituents divided by the total number of moles of hydroxyl groups in the glucopyranose ring." Since pure cellulose has 3 substituteable hydroxyl groups per unit structure (glucopyranose ring), the theoretical maximum degree of substitution of the cellulose fibers of this invention is 3 (minimum value is 0).

[0027] In the present invention, the degree of cation substitution per glucose unit of cationized cellulose is preferably 0.01 to 0.40. By introducing cationic substituents to cellulose, the cellulose molecules repel each other electrically. Therefore, cellulose with introduced cationic substituents can be easily nanofibrillated. If the degree of cation substitution per glucose unit is less than 0.01, sufficient nanofibrillation cannot be achieved. On the other hand, if the degree of cation substitution per glucose unit is greater than 0.40, swelling or dissolution occurs, making it impossible to maintain the fibrous form, and potentially preventing the acquisition of nanofibers. The degree of cation substitution per glucose unit can be calculated by measuring the nitrogen content using a total nitrogen analyzer TN-10 (Mitsubishi Chemical) after drying the sample (cation-modified cellulose), and then using the following formula. The degree of substitution here represents the average number of moles of substituents per mole of anhydrous glucose unit. Degree of cation substitution = (162 × N) / (1 - 151.6 × N) N: Nitrogen content

[0028] (Fibreation) In the present invention, the apparatus for defibration is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to apply a strong shear force to the aqueous dispersion using an apparatus such as a high-speed rotary type, colloidal mill type, high-pressure type, roll mill type, or ultrasonic type. In particular, to efficiently defibrate, it is preferable to use a wet high-pressure or ultra-high-pressure homogenizer that can apply a pressure of 50 MPa or more to the aqueous dispersion and apply a strong shear force. The pressure is more preferably 100 MPa or more, and even more preferably 140 MPa or more. Furthermore, prior to the defibration and dispersion treatment in the high-pressure homogenizer, it is also possible to pre-treat the cellulose nanofibers using a known mixing, stirring, emulsifying, and dispersion apparatus such as a high-speed shear mixer, if necessary.

[0029] When defibrating using the above process, the solid content concentration of the cellulose fiber raw material is preferably 0.1% by weight or more, more preferably 0.2% by weight or more, more preferably 0.3% by weight or more, and 10% by weight or less, and more preferably 6% by weight or less. If the solid content concentration is too low, the amount of liquid will be too large relative to the amount of cellulose fiber raw material to be processed, resulting in poor efficiency. If the solid content concentration is too high, the fluidity will be poor.

[0030] In the present invention, the form of cellulose nanofibers to be included in the additive for meat-like food compositions is not particularly limited, and may be a dispersion of cellulose nanofibers, a dried solid of cellulose nanofibers, or a wet solid, which is an intermediate state between the two. In the present invention, a dried solid of cellulose nanofibers means a dispersion containing cellulose nanofibers that has been dehydrated and dried to a moisture content of 12% or less.

[0031] Examples of dried solid cellulose nanofibers include a dried dispersion of cellulose nanofibers, or a dried mixture of cellulose nanofibers and a water-soluble polymer. The latter is preferable in terms of redispersibility. Examples of the above water-soluble polymers include cellulose derivatives (carboxymethylcellulose, methylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, ethylcellulose), xanthan gum, xyloglucan, dextrin, dextran, carrageenan, locust bean gum, alginic acid, alginate, pullulan, starch, potato starch, kudzu starch, positive starch, phosphorylated starch, corn starch, gum arabic, locust bean gum, gellan gum, polydextrose, pectin, chitin, water-soluble chitin, chitosan, casein, albumin, soy protein lysate, peptone, polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylamide, sodium polyacrylate, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinyl acetate, polyamino acids, polylactic acid, polymalic acid, polyglycerin, latex, rosin-based sizing agents, petroleum resin-based sizing agents, urea resin, melamine resin, epoxy resin, and polyamide resin. This refers to fats, polyamides and polyamine resins, polyethyleneimines, polyamines, plant gums, polyethylene oxides, hydrophilic crosslinked polymers, polyacrylates, starch-polyacrylic acid copolymers, tamarind gum, gellan gum, pectin, guar gum, and colloidal silica, as well as mixtures of one or more of these. Among these, carboxymethylcellulose and its salts are preferred from the viewpoint of compatibility.

[0032] The dried solid of the cellulose nanofiber described above is preferably prepared by adjusting the pH of an aqueous dispersion of cellulose nanofiber, or a mixture containing a cellulose nanofiber dispersion and a water-soluble polymer, to 9-11, followed by dehydration and drying, from the viewpoint of redispersibility. When a water-soluble polymer is added to the cellulose nanofiber dispersion, the water-soluble polymer The amount of this compound is preferably 5 to 50% by weight relative to the oven-dry solids content of the cellulose nanofibers. If it is less than 5% by weight, sufficient redispersibility will not be achieved. On the other hand, if it exceeds 50% by weight, problems such as a decrease in viscosity properties and dispersion stability, which are characteristics of cellulose nanofibers, will occur.

[0033] As a method for dehydrating and drying a cellulose nanofiber dispersion or a mixture containing a cellulose nanofiber dispersion and a water-soluble polymer, any conventionally known method is acceptable, such as spray drying, pressing, air drying, hot air drying, and vacuum drying. Examples of drying apparatuses specifically used in the method of the present invention are as follows: Continuous tunnel dryers, band dryers, vertical dryers, vertical turbo dryers, multi-stage disc dryers, ventilated dryers, rotary dryers, airflow dryers, spray dryers, atomizing dryers, cylindrical dryers, drum dryers, screw conveyor dryers, rotary dryers with heating tubes, vibrating conveyor dryers, etc., as well as batch-type box dryers, ventilated dryers, vacuum box dryers, and agitated dryers, can be used individually or in combination of two or more. Among these, using a drum dryer is preferable from the viewpoint of energy efficiency because it uniformly supplies thermal energy directly to the material to be dried. Furthermore, a drum dryer is also preferable because it allows for immediate recovery of the dried material without applying more heat than necessary.

[0034] The above-mentioned dried solid material may be used after being crushed and classified. Dry grinding or wet grinding is particularly preferable as it results in finer particles. Examples of equipment used for dry grinding include impact mills such as hammer mills and pin mills, media mills such as ball mills and tower mills, and jet mills. Examples of equipment used for wet grinding include homogenizers, mascolloiders, and pearl mills.

[0035] <Methylcellulose> The egg-like food composition of the present invention is characterized by containing methylcellulose. By using methylcellulose and fine cellulose fibers in combination, it is assumed that a synergistic improvement in gel properties occurs when the crystalline fine cellulose fibers are incorporated into the gel (cross-linked) structure of methylcellulose, which increases in gel properties upon heating, forming a three-dimensional cross-linked structure. This allows for the egg-like processed food obtained by molding and heating the egg-like food composition containing this additive to have a good elastic texture.

[0036] The methylcellulose contained in such an egg-like food composition is preferably present in an amount of 0.1 to 10 parts by mass, and more preferably 0.5 to 5 parts by mass, relative to the total amount of the egg-like food composition. Furthermore, the aforementioned fine cellulose fibers are preferably present in an amount of 20 to 300 parts by mass, more preferably 50 to 250 parts by mass, and even more preferably 50 to 200 parts by mass, relative to 100 parts by mass of methylcellulose.

[0037] In egg-like food compositions, when methylcellulose and fine cellulose fibers are within this range, it is possible to maintain an elastic texture while also exhibiting a high effect in preventing syneresis during heating.

[0038] In the present invention, the form of methylcellulose contained in the egg-like food composition is not particularly limited, and may be a dispersion of methylcellulose, a dry solid of methylcellulose, or a wet solid that is an intermediate state between the two. In addition, commercially available methylcellulose may be used in the present invention.

[0039] <Plant-derived protein> In the present invention, plant-derived proteins include, for example, oilseeds such as soybeans, peas, rapeseed, cottonseed, peanuts, sesame, safflower, sunflower, corn, safflower, and coconut, or protein materials derived from grain seeds such as rice, barley, and wheat, as well as extracted and processed proteins therefrom, such as rice glutelin, barley prolamin, wheat prolamin, wheat gluten, soy globulin, soy albumin, and peanut albumin, and heat-treated, acid-treated, alkali-treated, and enzyme-treated proteins therefrom. Soy protein is preferred in terms of ease of availability and cost-effectiveness. Furthermore, the term "soy protein" here refers to any material containing protein derived from soybeans. Examples include whole soybeans and halved soybeans (full-fat soybeans), reduced-fat soybeans and defatted soybeans (soybeans with oil removed), concentrated soy protein obtained by washing with aqueous ethanol or acidic water, isolated soy protein or soy milk, and their hydrolyzed products, okara (soy pulp), whey, etc. At least one of these can be selected. Of these, defatted soybeans are particularly preferred due to their superior economic advantages.

[0040] Such plant-derived proteins are not particularly limited in their properties and can be appropriately selected according to the properties required for egg-like food compositions, such as granular, powdered, paste-like, or fibrous forms.

[0041] The egg-like food composition of the present invention can reproduce an excellent egg-like texture even without containing animal protein. In order to obtain the advantage that it can be consumed by people who do not consume animal protein for various reasons, it is preferable to keep the animal protein content as low as possible, for example, an animal protein content of 20% by weight or less is preferable, and 10% by weight or less is more preferable. Furthermore, it is even more preferable that it contains substantially no animal protein (animal protein content of 0 to 1% by weight).

[0042] Other ingredients used in the egg-like food composition of the present invention are not particularly limited, and other additives can be used according to the desired flavor, texture, physical properties, and appearance, just as with ordinary egg processed foods. For example, thickeners other than methylcellulose, vegetables, other animal proteins, seasonings, flours including breadcrumbs, starches, dietary fiber, thickening polysaccharides, oils and fats, sugars, salts, spices, colorings, preservatives, etc. can be used.

[0043] Furthermore, the egg-like food composition of the present invention preferably contains 20% by weight or more of plant-derived protein relative to the total solid content, more preferably 25% by weight or more, and even more preferably 27% by weight or more. The upper limit is preferably 90% by weight or less, more preferably 80% by weight or less, and even more preferably 70% by weight or less. In the egg-like food composition, it is preferable to use appropriate amounts of the above-mentioned other additives in addition to plant-derived protein, as this can better reproduce the texture and flavor of eggs.

[0044] The egg-like food composition of the present invention can be obtained by kneading the above-mentioned raw materials. There are no particular restrictions on the kneading method, but in order to obtain an excellent egg-like texture and water retention, it is preferable to knead the fine cellulose fibers and methylcellulose as uniformly as possible with the plant-derived protein.

[0045] <Processing of egg-like food compositions> The egg-like food composition of the present invention can be molded into various shapes, and egg-like processed foods can be obtained by heat treatment. Such egg-like processed foods can be used in scrambled eggs, omelets, steamed egg custard, commercial egg liquid and its processing applications, and it is particularly preferable to use it in scrambled egg-like foods because it has an elastic texture and excellent resistance to syneresis. [Examples]

[0046] The present invention will be described more specifically below with reference to examples and comparative examples, but the present invention is not limited to these. Unless otherwise specified, parts and % refer to parts by mass and mass%.

[0047] <Manufacturing Example 1: Carboxymethylated Cellulose Nanofibers> In a stirrer capable of mixing pulp, 200g of pulp (NBKP (coniferous bleached kraft pulp), manufactured by Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd.) by dry weight and 111g of sodium hydroxide by dry weight were added, and water was added to achieve a pulp solid content of 20% (w / v). After stirring at 30°C for 30 minutes, 216g of sodium monochloroacetate (calculated as active ingredient) was added. After stirring for 30 minutes, the temperature was raised to 70°C and stirred for 1 hour. The reaction product was then removed, neutralized, and washed to obtain carboxymethylated pulp with a carboxymethyl substitution degree of 0.25 per glucose unit. The carboxymethylated pulp was then diluted with water to a solid content of 1%, and defibrated by processing it five times in a high-pressure homogenizer at 20°C and a pressure of 150MPa to obtain carboxymethylated cellulose fibers. The obtained fibers had an average fiber diameter of 15 nm and an aspect ratio of 50.

[0048] To a 0.7 wt% aqueous suspension of the above-mentioned carboxymethylated cellulose fibers (cellulose nanofibers), 10 wt% carboxymethylcellulose (product name: F350HC-4, manufactured by Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd.) was added relative to the cellulose nanofibers, and the mixture was stirred for 60 minutes using a TK homomixer (12,000 rpm). 0.5% aqueous sodium hydroxide solution was added to this aqueous suspension to adjust the pH to 9. The mixture was then dried in a drum dryer D0405 (manufactured by Katsuragi Industries Co., Ltd.) at a vapor pressure of 0.5 MPa.G and a drum rotation speed of 2 rpm to obtain a mixed dried solid of cellulose nanofibers and carboxymethylcellulose with a moisture content of 5 wt%. The dried solid was pulverized in a dry mill to obtain cellulose nanofibers (CNF1).

[0049] <Example 1> Each ingredient (total amount 300g) was weighed according to the mixing ratios listed in Table 1. First, the ingredients of ingredient group A were mixed together. Then, water was added to the Braun mixer, and the well-mixed ingredients of ingredient group A were added and mixed for 45 seconds at a stirring speed of 20500 ± 2500 rpm. After stopping the mixer, ingredients group B were added and mixed again for 30 seconds. The mixer was stopped again, and then ingredients group C was mixed and thoroughly dispersed before being added to the mixer and mixed for 1 minute.

[0050] Once obtained, the egg-like food composition was placed in a bag, vacuum-sealed (95% vacuum), stored in a refrigerator for 24 hours, then removed from the bag, cooked in an oiled frying pan, and processed into a scrambled egg-like dish.

[0051] <Comparative Example 1> Except for the absence of CNF1, egg-like food compositions were prepared in the same manner as shown in Table 1 in terms of their respective proportions, and then processed into scrambled egg-like processed foods.

[0052] [Table 1]

[0053] <Texture Evaluation> The resulting scrambled egg-like processed food was tasted by five panelists, who each rated it on a 10-point scale (with a score closer to 10 indicating a better texture). The average of these ratings was then calculated. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0054] <Evaluation of water release properties> The resulting scrambled egg-like processed food was placed on the edge of an aluminum tray, with approximately 70g of the mixture, and then the tray was tilted at an angle of about 10°. The amount of liquid released from the tray was visually measured immediately after tilting and again after standing for 10 minutes, and evaluated according to the following criteria. The results are shown in Table 2. ○: No water separation was observed from the scrambled egg-like processed food, indicating good water separation prevention. ×: Water has accumulated at the edge of the tray from the processed food resembling scrambled eggs.

[0055] [Table 2]

[0056] Example 1, which satisfies the configuration of the present invention, had a good texture and also exhibited excellent suppression of syneresis when processed into a scrambled egg-like food product. This is presumed to be because, although egg-like food compositions tend to undergo syneresis when heated, the appropriate balance of fine cellulose fibers and methylcellulose creates a three-dimensional network, improving water retention and suppressing syneresis.

Claims

1. An egg-like food composition characterized by containing fine cellulose fibers, methylcellulose, and plant-derived protein.

2. The egg-like food composition according to claim 1, characterized in that it contains 20 to 300 parts by mass of fine cellulose fibers per 100 parts by mass of methylcellulose.

3. The egg-like food composition according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the fine cellulose fibers are anionically modified.

4. The egg-like food composition according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the plant-derived protein is derived from soy milk.

5. An egg-like food composition according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that it substantially does not contain animal protein.

6. A scrambled egg-like food obtained by processing the egg-like food composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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