Methods for processing arthropods or parts thereof, and internal fractions of arthropods

Abstract

To provide an internal fraction of an arthropod with excellent color tone and physical properties, and to provide a method for processing arthropods to obtain such an internal fraction. [Solution] A method for processing an arthropod having an exoskeleton and an internal body covered by the exoskeleton, or a part thereof, comprising the steps of: heat-treating the arthropod or a part thereof; and straining the heat-treated arthropod or a part thereof using a mesh and a scraper, thereby providing an internal fraction of an arthropod with overall superior color tone and physical properties.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for processing an arthropod having an exoskeleton and a body part covered by the exoskeleton or a part thereof. The present invention also relates to an internal body fraction of an arthropod having an exoskeleton and a body part covered by the exoskeleton.

Background Art

[0002] Insects such as silkworm pupae, bee larvae, and grasshoppers are consumed as food. Insects are covered with their bodies by a chitinous exoskeleton. Due to the gritty texture and fishy odor derived from the exoskeleton of insects, the cooking methods and eating methods of insects have been limited. Therefore, a method of separating the soft part (internal body) from the chitinous exoskeleton and using the separated soft part as food has been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a method of separating the soft part from the chitin of insects using a filter press or a belt separator.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present inventors have found that when fractionation is performed using the pressure separator described in Patent Document 1, browning occurs in the fractionated internal body fraction. Since the browned internal body fraction affects the color tone of the final product, the value of the product using the browned internal body fraction as a raw material may decrease. The cause of the browning of the internal body fraction is presumed to be that the crushed exoskeleton and the internal body come into contact during fractionation, and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) derived from the exoskeleton is mixed into the internal body fraction. On the other hand, if the PPO inactivation conditions become excessive to avoid browning of the internal body fraction, deterioration of the color tone and texture (smoothness) due to overheating or the like may occur.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide an internal fraction of an arthropod with excellent color tone and physical properties, and to provide a method for processing an arthropod to obtain such an internal fraction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] As a result of diligent research, the inventors discovered that by straining heat-treated arthropods using a mesh and scraper, they could obtain an internal fraction of arthropods with superior color and physical properties, thus completing the present invention.

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is a method for processing an arthropod or a part thereof having an exoskeleton and an internal body covered by the exoskeleton, comprising the steps of: heat-treating the arthropod or a part thereof; and straining the heat-treated arthropod or a part thereof using a mesh and a scraper.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention is a method for producing an internal fraction of an arthropod having an exoskeleton and an internal body covered by the exoskeleton, comprising the steps of: heat-treating the arthropod or a part thereof; and separating the internal fraction by straining the heat-treated arthropod or a part thereof using a mesh and a scraper.

[0009] Another aspect of the present invention is an internal fraction of an arthropod having an exoskeleton and an internal body covered by the exoskeleton, wherein the total score, which is the sum of a color score and a physical property score, is 3.5 or higher, the color score is a score evaluated on a scale of 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4 for color tones ranging from milky white to brown, and the physical property score is a score evaluated on a scale of 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5 or 2 for smoothness. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an internal fraction of arthropods that is comprehensively superior in terms of color tone and physical properties. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. A method for processing an arthropod or a part thereof having an exoskeleton and an internal body covered by the exoskeleton, according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprises the steps of: heat-treating the arthropod or a part thereof; and straining the heat-treated arthropod or a part thereof using a mesh and a scraper.

[0012] A method for producing an internal fraction of an arthropod having an exoskeleton and an internal body covered by the exoskeleton, according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprises the steps of: heat-treating the arthropod or a part thereof; and separating the internal fraction by straining the heat-treated arthropod or a part thereof using a mesh and a scraper.

[0013] The arthropods processed include insects, crustaceans, spiders, and myriapods. Examples of insects include silkworms, grasshoppers, stony worms, mayflies, dragonflies, earwigs, stoneflies, stick insects, grasshoppers, crickets, praying mantises, cockroaches, booklice, stink bugs, cicadas, aphids, water striders, bees, ants, lacewings, beetles, flies, butterflies, and caddisflies. The above examples are general names, and for example, silkworms include both domesticated silkworms such as the silkworm moth (Arthropoda - Insecta - Lepidoptera - Bombycoidea - Bombycidae - Samia cynthia ricini) and wild silkworms such as the Eri silkworm (Arthropoda - Insecta - Lepidoptera - Bombycoidea - Saturniidae - Samia cynthia ricini). Insects may be in any form: egg, larva, pupa, or adult. Crustaceans include shrimp, crabs, hermit crabs, mantis shrimp, and krill. Spiders include golden orb-weaver spiders, tarantulas, and scorpions. Myriapods include giant house centipedes and centipedes. From the viewpoint of obtaining an internal fraction of arthropods with excellent color and physical properties, the arthropods to be processed are preferably silkworm pupae, prawn pupae, and housefly pupae, and more preferably silkworm pupae. The arthropods to be processed may be all or only a portion. Furthermore, the organisms to which this processing method can be applied are not limited to arthropods, but can also be applied to organisms that have an internal body covered by an exoskeleton, wherein the exoskeleton contains a substance that decomposes the substrate contained in the internal body, and the substrate is decomposed by contact between the crushed exoskeleton and the internal body.

[0014] The arthropods to be processed may be live or euthanized. When processing frozen arthropods, it is preferable to thaw them before heating. Any thawing method can be used, such as thawing under running water or natural thawing.

[0015] In the process of heat-treating arthropods, the PPO contained in the arthropod exoskeleton is deactivated. Heat treatment includes scalding, hot water showering, steam treatment, and hot air treatment, and scalding is preferred from the viewpoint of obtaining an internal fraction of arthropods with excellent color and physical properties. The conditions for scalding can be, for example, 80°C to 95°C for 10 to 20 minutes. The conditions for hot water showering can be, for example, 80°C to 95°C for 5 to 15 minutes. The conditions for steam treatment can be, for example, 95°C to 120°C for 20 seconds to 5 minutes. The conditions for hot air treatment can be, for example, 80°C to 95°C for 5 to 15 minutes. Alternatively, instead of heat treatment, a treatment to deactivate the PPO contained in the arthropod exoskeleton may be performed, such as adding inhibitors such as chelating agents and substrate analogs, or denaturation treatment by pressurization, acid, base, or denaturing agent.

[0016] The heat-treated arthropods are then strained using a mesh and scraper. Straining removes the exoskeleton and separates the internal body fraction. The reason why straining separates the internal body fraction of arthropods, which is superior in overall color and physical properties, is not clear, but the inventors speculate that it is because, compared to separation using a pressure separator, it reduces the crushing of the exoskeleton and prevents PPO, which was not deactivated by the heat treatment, from being mixed into the internal body fraction. In pressure separators such as filter presses and belt separators, the arthropods are pressed against the mesh by uniformly applying pressure with a belt, causing the internal body fraction to pass through the mesh. Therefore, the arthropods receive a relatively uniform pressure regardless of the degree of separation. As a result, pressure is also applied to the separated exoskeleton, which does not need to be crushed, and some of the exoskeleton passes through the mesh and is mixed into the internal body fraction. On the other hand, in the straining process, the exoskeleton is scraped off by a scraper and passed through a mesh, so it is not crushed more than necessary, and contamination of the internal body fraction can be avoided.

[0017] The straining can be done manually, or an automatic straining machine equipped with a mesh and a rotary scraper can be used. From the viewpoint of obtaining an internal fraction of arthropods with superior color and physical properties, it is preferable to use an automatic straining machine. In an automatic straining machine, the arthropods are pressed against the mesh arranged on the outer perimeter by the centrifugal force from the rotation of the scraper, and pass through the mesh by scraping. Unfractionated arthropods have a larger mass than the fractionated exoskeleton and are more easily moved to the outer mesh by centrifugal force. Therefore, unfractionated arthropods are strained preferentially, preventing unnecessary crushing of the exoskeleton.

[0018] From the viewpoint of obtaining an arthropod internal fraction with excellent color tone and physical properties, the mesh opening is preferably 1 mm or less, and more preferably 0.5 mm or less. There is no particular lower limit for the mesh opening, but if the opening is too small, the straining process will take longer, which may result in poor color tone and flavor of the resulting internal fraction. Therefore, the mesh opening is preferably 0.2 mm or more, and more preferably 0.25 mm or more.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the internal fraction of an arthropod having an exoskeleton and an internal body covered by the exoskeleton has a total score of 3.5 or higher, wherein the color score is a score evaluated on a scale of 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 for color tones ranging from milky white to brown, and the physical property score is a score evaluated on a scale of 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, or 2 for smoothness.

[0020] Such internal fractions of arthropods can be obtained by processing the arthropods or parts thereof as described above.

[0021] The evaluation of color and physical property scores is preferably performed on the internal fraction of arthropods that have been left standing for 24 hours in an environment of 5°C to 10°C. Exposure to such an environment makes it possible to determine whether or not PPO derived from the exoskeleton is mixed into the internal fraction. In other words, if PPO derived from the exoskeleton is mixed in, exposure to such an environment will cause the PPO to act and the internal fraction to brown.

[0022] From the standpoint of objective evaluation, it is preferable that the evaluation of the hue in the above hue score be performed by comparison with five color samples (L:96 a:-6 b:29, L:90 a:-8 b:61, L:59 a:-2 b:28, L:33 a:24 b:37, L:20 a:28 b:13) specified by CIELAB of the International Commission on Illumination (CIE). The hue score is set to 4 when the color of the internal fraction is closest to the L:96 a:-6 b:29 color sample, 3 when it is closest to the L:90 a:-8 b:61 color sample, 2 when it is closest to the L:59 a:-2 b:28 color sample, 1 when it is closest to the L:33 a:24 b:37 color sample, and 0 when it is closest to the L:20 a:28 b:13 color sample.

[0023] From the perspective of objective evaluation, the evaluation of smoothness in the above physical property score is preferably performed by the following evaluation test. That is, the evaluation test includes a step of obtaining a diluted internal body fraction solution by adding the same mass of water to 30 g of the internal body fraction of an arthropod and stirring, and a step of subjecting the above internal body fraction diluted solution to a mesh with an opening of 1 mm and an inner diameter of 7.5 cm and measuring the mass A of the internal body fraction diluted solution remaining on the mesh. The above steps are performed on the internal body fraction of an arthropod obtained by passing through hot water at 80°C for 10 minutes and sieving with an automatic sieve machine equipped with a mesh with an opening of 0.5 mm and a rotary scraper, and the measured mass is designated as A'. The smoothness is defined as the value A / A' obtained by dividing the mass A by the mass A'. When the smoothness of the internal body fraction is less than 1.5, the physical property score is set to 2; when the smoothness is 1.5 or more and less than 3.5, the physical property score is set to 1.5; when the smoothness is 3.5 or more and less than 8.0, the physical property score is set to 1; when the smoothness is 8.0 or more, the physical property score is set to 0.5; and when the internal body fraction of the arthropod is liquid, the physical property score is set to 0.

[0024] The internal body fraction of an arthropod having an exoskeleton and an internal body covered by the exoskeleton can also be provided by including it in foods consumed daily or foods consumed as supplements. That is, the food according to one embodiment of the present invention contains the internal body fraction of the above arthropod. Since the internal body fraction of the above arthropod is rich in protein, including it in food can increase the amount of protein ingested. Except for including the internal body fraction of the above arthropod, it can be manufactured according to the normal manufacturing procedure of the food. Here, the food containing the internal body fraction of the above arthropod may be in any form, such as a solution, suspension, emulsion, powder, paste, semi-solid molded product, solid molded product, etc., as long as it is in an orally ingestible form. For example, instant foods such as instant noodles, retort foods, canned foods, microwave foods, instant soups and miso soups, freeze-dried foods, etc.; beverages such as soft drinks, fruit juice drinks, vegetable drinks, soy milk drinks, coffee drinks, tea drinks, powdered drinks, concentrated drinks, alcoholic beverages, etc.; wheat flour products such as bread, pasta, noodles, cake mixes, breadcrumbs, etc.; confectionery such as candies, caramels, chewing gums, chocolates, cookies, biscuits, bars, cakes, pies, snacks, crackers, Japanese confectionery, mousses, dessert confectionery, etc.; seasonings such as sauces, processed tomato seasonings, flavor seasonings, cooking mixes, sauces, dressings, broths, curry and stew bases, etc.; oils and fats such as processed oils and fats, butter, margarine, mayonnaise, etc.; dairy products such as milk drinks, milk-based drinks, fermented milk, cheeses, yogurts, lactic acid bacteria drinks, milk-based drinks, cheeses, ice creams, creams, prepared milk powder, liquid milk, solid milk, etc.; agricultural processed products such as canned agricultural products, jams and marmalades, cereals, etc.; frozen foods, liquid foods, etc.

Example

[0025] 1. Fractionation of the internal body fraction of silkworm pupae The internal body fraction of silkworm pupae was fractionated according to the following method.

[0026] 1.1. Pretreatment Frozen silkworm pupae (Samia cynthia ricini) that had not been pre-crushed were thawed with running water and thoroughly drained of moisture.

[0027] 1.2. Blanching Silkworm pupae were placed in hot water at a predetermined temperature of 80°C to 95°C, with a mass ratio of hot water to silkworm pupae of approximately 5:1. After placement, the pupae were blanched for 10 or 20 minutes.

[0028] 1.3. Fractionation The blanched silkworm pupae were cooled under running water, thoroughly drained, and then subjected to the fractionation process. Fractionation was performed manually (removing the outer skin of the silkworm pupae using a spatula), manually sieving (using a 0.5 mm mesh and scraper), or using an automatic sieving machine (Automatic Sieve C-80 (manufactured by FMI Co., Ltd.); mesh opening of 0.5 mm or 1.0 mm, scraper rotation speed of 1500 rpm). The fractionation conditions are summarized in Table 1.

[0029] [Table 1]

[0030] 2. Evaluation of the internal fraction of silkworm pupae The internal fractions of silkworm pupae obtained in the above comparative examples and examples were left to stand at 5°C to 10°C for 24 hours, and their color and physical properties were evaluated.

[0031] 2.1. Color Evaluation 100g of the internal fraction of the silkworm pupa was dispensed into a transparent plastic petri dish (inner diameter 8.5cm). The color closest to the color of the internal fraction of the silkworm pupa was selected from the following five color samples. The color samples and their corresponding color scores are summarized in Table 2.

[0032] [Table 2]

[0033] 2.2. Physical Property Evaluation 30 g of the internal fraction of silkworm pupae was diluted twice with the same mass (30 g) of deionized water and thoroughly mixed. The twice-diluted internal fraction of silkworm pupae was placed on a mesh with a mesh opening of 1.0 mm and an inner diameter of 7.5 cm, and after standing for 10 minutes, the mass A (g) of the internal fraction of silkworm pupae remaining on the mesh was measured. The internal fraction of silkworm pupae obtained by simmering in 80°C for 10 minutes and straining through an automatic sieving machine equipped with a mesh opening of 0.5 mm and a rotary scraper, i.e., the internal fraction obtained in Example 1, was defined as A'. The value A / A' was calculated by dividing the mass A measured under each processing condition by A', and this value was defined as the degree of smoothness. However, the internal fraction of Comparative Example 1 could not be made into a paste, and the above physical property evaluation could not be performed, so the physical property score was set to 0. Table 3 shows the results for the smoothness of the internal fraction of the silkworm pupa in each comparative example and example.

[0034] [Table 3]

[0035] Table 4 summarizes the numerical values ​​for smoothness and the corresponding physical property scores.

[0036] [Table 4]

[0037] 2.3. Overall Evaluation Table 5 summarizes the evaluation of the internal fractions of silkworm pupae for each comparative example and example. An overall score of 3.5 or higher, which is the sum of the color score and the physical property score, was evaluated as an internal fraction with excellent overall color and physical properties.

[0038] [Table 5]

Claims

1. A method for processing an arthropod having an exoskeleton and an internal body covered by the exoskeleton, or a part thereof, The aforementioned arthropod is an insect, A step of heat-treating the arthropod or a part thereof, A step of straining the heat-treated arthropod or a part thereof using a mesh and scraper without prior crushing, A method comprising, wherein the heat treatment is a blanching treatment at 80°C to 95°C for 10 to 20 minutes, a hot water shower treatment at 80°C to 95°C for 5 to 15 minutes, a steam treatment at 95°C to 120°C for 20 seconds to 5 minutes, or a hot air treatment at 80°C to 95°C for 5 to 15 minutes.

2. A method for producing an internal fraction of an arthropod having an exoskeleton and an internal body covered by the exoskeleton, The aforementioned arthropod is an insect, A step of heat-treating the arthropod or a part thereof, A step of separating the internal fraction of the arthropod or a part thereof that has been heat-treated by straining it using a mesh and scraper without prior crushing, A method comprising, wherein the heat treatment is a blanching treatment at 80°C to 95°C for 10 to 20 minutes, a hot water shower treatment at 80°C to 95°C for 5 to 15 minutes, a steam treatment at 95°C to 120°C for 20 seconds to 5 minutes, or a hot air treatment at 80°C to 95°C for 5 to 15 minutes.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the heat treatment is a blanching treatment at 80°C to 95°C for 10 to 20 minutes.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the straining is performed using an automatic straining machine equipped with a mesh and a rotary scraper.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the mesh opening is 1 mm or less.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the mesh opening is 0.5 mm or less.

7. The overall score, which is the sum of the color tone score and physical property score of the obtained internal body fraction, is 3.5 or higher. The aforementioned color score is a score that evaluates color tones from milky white to brown on a five-point scale of 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4. The aforementioned physical property score is a score that evaluates smoothness on a five-point scale of 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, or 2. The evaluation of the aforementioned color tone score and physical property score is performed on the internal fraction of arthropods that have been left undisturbed for 24 hours in an environment of 5°C to 10°C. The evaluation of the color tone in the aforementioned color tone score is performed by comparing it with the following Lab value color samples. Color score If the color is closest to the color sample with L:96 a:-6 b:29, then it should be set to 4. If the color is closest to the color sample with L:90 a:-8 b:61, assign a value of 3. If the color is closest to the color sample L: 59 a: -2 b: 28, then it should be set to 2. If the color is closest to the color sample L:33 a:24 b:37, assign a value of 1. If the color is closest to the color sample L:20 a:28 b:13, then it should be set to 0. The evaluation of smoothness in the aforementioned physical property score is performed by the following evaluation test: The evaluation test is, A step to obtain a diluted solution of the internal body fraction by adding the same mass of water to 30 g of the internal body fraction of an arthropod and stirring, The process involves applying the internal body fraction dilution solution to a mesh with a mesh opening of 1 mm and an inner diameter of 7.5 cm, and measuring the mass A of the internal body fraction dilution solution remaining on the mesh. Equipped with, The mass of the internal fraction of an arthropod body obtained by blanching it in 80°C for 10 minutes and then straining it through an automatic sieving machine equipped with a 0.5 mm mesh and a rotary scraper is denoted as A'. The value A / A' obtained by dividing mass A by mass A' is defined as the degree of smoothness. Material properties score If the smoothness is less than 1.5, set it to 2. If the smoothness level is between 1.5 and 3.5, it will be set to 1.

5. A smoothness score of 3.5 or higher and less than 8.0 is considered 1. If the smoothness is 8.0 or higher, set it to 0.

5. The manufacturing method according to claim 2, wherein the fraction of the internal body of an arthropod is set to 0 when it is in a liquid state.

8. An internal fraction of an arthropod having an exoskeleton and an internal body covered by the exoskeleton, The aforementioned arthropod is an insect, The overall score, which is the sum of the color tone score and physical property score of the internal fraction, is 3.5 or higher. The aforementioned color score is a score that evaluates color tones from milky white to brown on a five-point scale of 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4. The aforementioned physical property score is a score that evaluates smoothness on a five-point scale of 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, or 2. The evaluation of the aforementioned color tone score and physical property score is performed on the internal fraction of arthropods that have been left undisturbed for 24 hours in an environment of 5°C to 10°C. The evaluation of the color tone in the aforementioned color tone score is performed by comparing it with the following Lab value color samples. Color score If the color is closest to the color sample with L: 96, a: -6, and b: 29, then it should be set to 4. If the color is closest to the color sample with L:90 a:-8 b:61, assign a value of 3. If the color is closest to the color sample L: 59 a: -2 b: 28, then it should be set to 2. If the color is closest to the color sample L:33 a:24 b:37, assign a value of 1. If the color is closest to the color sample L:20 a:28 b:13, then it should be set to 0. The evaluation of smoothness in the aforementioned physical property score is performed by the following evaluation test: The evaluation test is, A step to obtain a diluted solution of the internal body fraction by adding the same mass of water to 30 g of the internal body fraction of an arthropod and stirring, The process involves applying the internal body fraction dilution solution to a mesh with a mesh opening of 1 mm and an inner diameter of 7.5 cm, and measuring the mass A of the internal body fraction dilution solution remaining on the mesh. Equipped with, The mass of the internal fraction of an arthropod body obtained by blanching it in 80°C for 10 minutes and then straining it through an automatic sieving machine equipped with a 0.5 mm mesh and a rotary scraper is denoted as A'. The value A / A' obtained by dividing mass A by mass A' is defined as the degree of smoothness. Material properties score If the smoothness is less than 1.5, set it to 2. If the smoothness level is between 1.5 and 3.5, it will be set to 1.

5. A smoothness score of 3.5 or higher and less than 8.0 is considered 1. If the smoothness is 8.0 or higher, set it to 0.

5. The internal fraction of an arthropod, where the internal fraction is considered 0 if it is in a liquid state.

9. The internal body fraction of an arthropod according to claim 8, wherein the arthropod is a silkworm pupa.

10. The internal fraction of the arthropod according to claim 8 or 9, which is a paste.

11. A heat-treated internal fraction of an arthropod according to any one of claims 8 to 10.

12. A food product containing the internal fraction of an arthropod according to any one of claims 8 to 11.

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