Agents and methods for inhibiting the contraction of muscle fibers and / or collagen in food, and methods for producing food in which the contraction of muscle fibers and / or collagen is inhibited.

Abstract

This technology provides a simple and versatile method for suppressing the shrinkage of food products such as meat and seafood. [Solution] A food muscle fiber and / or collagen shrinkage inhibitor comprising one or more sugar alcohols selected from (a) to (g) below as an active ingredient; (a) sorbitol, (b) reduced starch syrup having a sugar composition of 30-50% by mass of monosaccharides, 20-55% by mass of disaccharides, and 40% by mass or less of trisaccharides or more, (c) reduced starch syrup obtained by reducing starch syrup having a dextrose equivalent of more than 55 and less than 100, (d) reduced starch syrup having a sugar composition of less than 30% by mass of monosaccharides and less than 50% by mass of pentasaccharides or more, (e) reduced starch syrup obtained by reducing starch syrup having a dextrose equivalent of more than 35 and less than 55, (f) reduced starch syrup having a sugar composition of 50% by mass or more of pentasaccharides or more, (g) reduced starch syrup obtained by reducing starch syrup having a dextrose equivalent of 10 to 35.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to an agent and a method for suppressing shrinkage of muscle fibers and / or collagen in foods using a predetermined sugar alcohol, and a method for producing a food in which shrinkage of muscle fibers and / or collagen is suppressed.

Background Art

[0002] Food ingredients such as livestock meat and seafood are often heated and eaten, such as by roasting or frying. On the other hand, such heating causes the food ingredients to shrink, resulting in poor appearance and a decrease in commercial value, which has become a problem. Therefore, technologies for suppressing shrinkage (thermal shrinkage) due to heating have been researched and developed for such food ingredients. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for preventing thermal shrinkage of shrimp by making incisions in the abdominal muscle part of raw shrimp and / or injecting a hydrated paste of glucomannan and / or a polysaccharide other than glucomannan dissolved in water into the abdominal muscle part.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the operations such as making incisions or injecting a hydrated paste in the technique described in Patent Document 1 may complicate the food manufacturing process and lack simplicity. Also, it is unclear whether it can be applied to food ingredients such as seafood and livestock meat other than shrimp, lacking versatility. That is, even in view of such prior art, a simple and highly versatile technique for suppressing shrinkage of foods such as livestock meat and seafood has not been sufficiently supplied.

[0005] This invention was made to solve the aforementioned problems and aims to provide a simple and versatile technology that can suppress the shrinkage of food products such as meat and seafood. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The majority of edible parts of meat and seafood are composed of muscle. The reason these foods shrink when heated is thought to be because the muscle proteins they contain denature and contract due to the heat. Muscle proteins are broadly classified into myofibrillar proteins (myosin, actin, troponin, etc.), myospheric proteins (myoglobin, hemoglobin, etc.), and muscle matrix proteins (collagen, elastin, etc.). Of these, myofibrillar proteins and collagen are the ones that undergo thermal contraction (Taneko Suzuki, Review Article: Cooking and Protein Denaturation, Culinary Science Vol. 4, No. 1 (1971), pp. 22-26).

[0007] Myofibrillar proteins are the main component, making up more than 50% of all muscle proteins, and form myofibrils (Chiyoko Kawaraya, Cooking and Science (5) Fish Cooking, Public Health 27-4 (1983), 221-223). Muscles have a structure in which many muscle fibers (muscle cells) are gathered together, and hundreds to thousands of myofibrils run through a single muscle fiber (Takahide Tsuchiya, Muscle Structure and Constituent Proteins of Invertebrates - Focusing on Squid and Octopus -, Cooking Science Vol. 21 No. 3 (1988), 159-166). On the other hand, muscle matrix proteins, including collagen, are components that form connective tissue, and in muscles, they form the endomysium that surrounds each individual muscle fiber and the perimysium that bundles many muscle fibers together (Hamada Food System Co., Ltd., HOME>Food Processing Technology>Livestock Meat>Meat Structure, [online] [Searched December 24, 2024], Internet). <URL:http: / / hamadafs.co.jp / publics / index / 79 / #:~:text=%E7%AD%8B%E8%82%89%E3%82%BF%E3%83%B3%E3%83%91%E3%82%AF%E8%B3%AA%E3%81%AE%E7%B4%8450,%E5%9F%BA%E8%B3%AA%E3%82%BF%E3%83%B3%E3%83%91%E3%82%AF%E8%B3%AA%E3%81%8B%E3%82%89%E3%81%AA%E3%82%8A%E3%81%BE%E3%81%99%E3%80%82> ). Depending on the part or animal species, some foods, such as beef tendons, chicken skin, chicken wings, and eel, either contain no muscle structure or have a relatively small amount of muscle structure, and are rich in collagen.

[0008] As a result of diligent research, the inventors have discovered that sorbitol, high-saccharification reduced starch syrup, medium-saccharification reduced starch syrup, or low-saccharification reduced starch syrup can suppress the thermal contraction of muscle fibers and collagen. Furthermore, they have found that these sugar alcohols can suppress the shrinkage of muscle fibers and collagen in foods containing them due to heating. Based on these findings, the inventors have completed the following inventions.

[0009] (1) The food muscle fiber and / or collagen contraction inhibitor according to the present invention (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "this agent") comprises one or more sugar alcohols selected from (a) to (g) below (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "specified sugar alcohols") as an active ingredient; (a) sorbitol, (i) Reduced starch syrup (highly saccharified reduced starch syrup) having a sugar composition of 30-50% by mass of monosaccharides, 20-55% by mass of disaccharides, and 40% by mass or less of trisaccharides or higher. (c) Reduced starch syrup (highly saccharified reduced starch syrup) obtained by reducing starch syrup with a dextrose equivalent of more than 55 but less than 100, (e) Reduced starch syrup in which the sugar composition is less than 30% by mass of monosaccharides and less than 50% by mass of pentasaccharides or more, (medium-saccharified reduced starch syrup) (O) Reduced starch syrup (medium-saccharified reduced starch syrup) obtained by reducing starch syrup with a dextrose equivalent of more than 35 and less than or equal to 55, (c) Reduced starch syrup (low-saturated reduced starch syrup) in which the sugar composition consists of 50% or more by mass of pentasaccharides or more. (k) Reduced starch syrup (low-saturated reduced starch syrup) obtained by reducing starch syrup with a dextrose equivalent of 10 to 35.

[0010] (2) In the present invention, a predetermined sugar alcohol may be used in contact with a food ingredient containing muscle fibers and / or collagen.

[0011] (3) When a specified sugar alcohol is used in contact with a food ingredient containing muscle fibers and / or collagen, the sugar alcohol may be one or more selected from (a) or (c) above.

[0012] (4) If the food to which the present invention is applied is a fried food consisting of a coating and ingredients containing muscle fibers and / or collagen, the specified sugar alcohol may be incorporated into the coating portion.

[0013] (5) A method for suppressing the contraction of muscle fibers and / or collagen in food according to the present invention comprises the step of bringing a predetermined sugar alcohol into contact with a food ingredient containing muscle fibers and / or collagen.

[0014] (6) A method according to the present invention for suppressing the shrinkage of muscle fibers and / or collagen in fried food consisting of a coating and ingredients containing muscle fibers and / or collagen comprises the step of incorporating a predetermined sugar alcohol into the coating portion of the fried food.

[0015] (7) A method for producing food in which the contraction of muscle fibers and / or collagen is suppressed according to the present invention comprises the step of bringing the agent into contact with a food ingredient containing muscle fibers and / or collagen.

[0016] (8) A method for producing fried food according to the present invention, comprising a coating and ingredients containing muscle fibers and / or collagen, wherein the contraction of muscle fibers and / or collagen is suppressed, comprises the step of incorporating the agent into the coating portion of the fried food. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the shrinkage of muscle fibers and / or collagen in food. This makes it possible to suppress the shrinkage of foods containing a large amount of muscle protein, such as meat and seafood, and to produce products with an excellent appearance. Furthermore, it is possible to suppress the shrinkage of food that occurs during heat storage, thereby maintaining an excellent appearance and contributing to the preservation of commercial value.

[0018] According to the present invention, the shrinkage of muscle fibers and collagen can be suppressed by a simple operation such as bringing a predetermined sugar alcohol into contact with food ingredients containing muscle fibers and collagen, or by incorporating it into the batter for fried foods. Therefore, shrinkage of food can be suppressed simply without increasing the time, effort, and other costs required for food production. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0019] [Figure 1] This is an observation image of grilled chicken, which was marinated in a seasoning solution containing various sugar alcohols and then baked, as seen with a scanning electron microscope. The areas circled in the image clearly show the thickness of the muscle fibers and the condition of the spaces between them. [Figure 2]It is a bar graph showing the shrinkage rates of grilled squid before and after a range increase, after being immersed in a seasoning liquid containing various sugar alcohols and then baked. [Figure 3] It is a photograph showing the appearance of grilled chicken skin before and after baking, after being immersed in a seasoning liquid containing various sugar alcohols and then baked. [Figure 4] It is a bar graph showing the shrinkage rates of grilled chicken skin before and after baking, after being immersed in a seasoning liquid containing various sugar alcohols and then baked. [Figure 5] It is a bar graph showing the shrinkage rates of chicken nuggets manufactured using ingredients containing low-saccharification reduced maltose before and after heat preservation storage for 3 hours or 6 hours. [Figure 6] It is an observation image of the meat of chicken karaage coated with a coating containing various sugar alcohols, observed with a scanning electron microscope. The locations circled are where the thickness of the muscle fibers and the state of the gaps between the muscle fibers can be clearly seen. [Figure 7] It is a bar graph showing the shrinkage rates of squid fries coated with a coating containing various sugar alcohols before and after a range increase. [Figure 8] It is a bar graph showing the shrinkage rates of chicken nuggets coated with a coating containing various sugar alcohols before and after a range increase.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail.

[0021] The food targeted by the present invention is a food containing muscle fibers and collagen. The food is a food manufactured using ingredients containing muscle fibers and collagen (in the present invention, sometimes simply referred to as "the present ingredients"). Here, as described above, muscle fibers are the structural units constituting muscle. Also, collagen is a constituent of the membranes (endomysium and perimysium) that wrap the muscle fibers. Therefore, specifically, examples of the present ingredients can include those that consume muscle. Also, among the ingredients containing collagen, there are those that do not contain a muscle structure or have a low content of the muscle structure.

[0022] More specifically, examples of these ingredients include seafood (fish, shellfish, crustaceans, mollusks, etc.) and meat (livestock meats such as beef, pork, chicken, and lamb, as well as meats from wild birds and animals, and by-products such as skins, organs, and tongues).

[0023] In this invention, it is possible to suppress the shrinkage of food that occurs when heat is applied to the food ingredient. Here, the heating time and temperature that cause shrinkage of food can be appropriately changed depending on the animal species and part from which the food ingredient originates, its size, shape, desired taste, texture, and appearance, and are not specified in general. For example, in general, in a pure protein solution, myofibrillar proteins begin to coagulate at 44-45°C (Taneko Suzuki, Review: Cooking and Protein Denaturation, Culinary Science Vol. 4, No. 1 (1971), pp. 22-26). Also, the contraction of collagen in meat occurs at approximately 65°C (Yumiko Inada, Relationship between Heating Amount and Gelatinization Rate of Livestock Meat, Toyo Food Research Institute Research Report, 33, 71-73 (2020)). Based on these considerations, examples of heating temperatures that cause shrinkage in food include 44°C or higher, 46°C or higher, 48°C or higher, 50°C or higher, 52°C or higher, 54°C or higher, 56°C or higher, 58°C or higher, 60°C or higher, 62°C or higher, 65°C or higher, 67°C or higher, 69°C or higher, 70°C or higher, 72°C or higher, 73°C or higher, and 75°C or higher. The upper limit temperature can be exemplified by the upper limit temperature used in normal food manufacturing, specifically, 250°C or lower.

[0024] According to the present invention, as shown in the examples described later, it is possible to suppress the contraction of muscle fibers and collagen before and after various heating methods and temperatures, such as baking at 200°C, deep frying at 175°C, heating by high-frequency dielectric heating using a microwave oven, and keeping warm during storage at 75°C, thereby suppressing the shrinkage of food.

[0025] In this invention, "suppressing shrinkage" means reducing the degree of shrinkage of ingredients or food products. In other words, "suppressing shrinkage" includes cases where, even if shrinkage occurs when using this invention, the degree of shrinkage is smaller compared to cases where this invention is not used.

[0026] Whether or not muscle fiber contraction has been suppressed can be confirmed, for example, by preparing food X using the present invention and food Y without the present invention, both using ingredients rich in muscle fibers (e.g., chicken breast) as the main ingredient, as shown in the examples described later, and observing the muscle fibers directly using an electron microscope. Alternatively, the degree of contraction of food X and food Y can be compared visually, or their size can be measured and compared using calipers. If the comparison result shows that X is larger than Y, it can be determined that muscle fiber contraction has been suppressed by the present invention.

[0027] Whether or not the shrinkage of collagen has been suppressed can be confirmed, for example, by similarly manufacturing food X using the present invention and food Y without the present invention, using a collagen-rich ingredient (e.g., chicken skin) as the main ingredient, as shown in the examples described later, and visually comparing the degree of shrinkage of the foods or by measuring their size with calipers. If the comparison result shows that X is larger than Y, it can be determined that the shrinkage of collagen has been suppressed by the present invention.

[0028] Sorbitol is a hexose monosaccharide alcohol that is naturally found in rowan berries, apples, and prunes, and is a reduced form of glucose.

[0029] Reduced starch syrup is a sugar alcohol obtained by reducing starch syrup. Here, starch syrup is a substance obtained by saccharifying starch with acid or enzymes, and is a mixture of monosaccharides (glucose) and polysaccharides (oligosaccharides, dextrin, etc.). Therefore, reduced starch syrup is also a mixture containing two or more sugar alcohols from monosaccharide sugar alcohols and polysaccharide (disaccharide, trisaccharide, or tetrasaccharide or more) sugar alcohols. Reduced starch syrup can be classified into (a) highly saccharified reduced starch syrup (reduced starch syrup with a sugar composition of 30-50% by mass of monosaccharides, 20-55% by mass of disaccharides, and 40% by mass or less of trisaccharides or more) depending on the degree of saccharification, (d) moderately saccharified reduced starch syrup (reduced starch syrup with a sugar composition of less than 30% by mass of monosaccharides and less than 50% by mass of pentasaccharides or more), and (f) low saccharified reduced starch syrup (reduced starch syrup with a sugar composition of 50% by mass or more of pentasaccharides or more).

[0030] In the present invention, the sugar composition of the high-saccharification reduced starch syrup can be exemplified by, for example, (i) a sugar composition in which monosaccharides are 37-50% by mass, disaccharides are 26-55% by mass, trisaccharides are 1-21% by mass, tetrasaccharides are 0-10% by mass, and pentasaccharides or more are 0-8% by mass.

[0031] Furthermore, the sugar composition of the medium-saccharified reduced starch syrup can be exemplified by, for example, (e) a sugar composition in which monosaccharides are 2-10% by mass, disaccharides are 15-55% by mass, trisaccharides are 15-65% by mass, tetrasaccharides are 1-15% by mass, and pentasaccharides or more are 1-38% by mass.

[0032] Furthermore, the sugar composition of low-saccharification reduced starch syrup can be exemplified by, for example, (k) a sugar composition in which monosaccharides are 1-10% by mass, disaccharides are 6-21% by mass, trisaccharides are 7-23% by mass, tetrasaccharides are 5-13% by mass, and pentasaccharides or more are 50-82% by mass.

[0033] In this invention, sugar composition refers to the mass ratio of each sugar to the total mass of sugars, expressed as a percentage. That is, it is the mass percentage of each sugar when the total mass of sugars is set to 100.

[0034] The sugar composition can be determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Specifically, reduced starch syrup is subjected to HPLC as a sample to obtain a chromatogram. In this chromatogram, the sum of the areas of all peaks corresponds to the "total mass of sugars," and the area of ​​each peak corresponds to the "mass of each sugar." Therefore, the mass percentage of each sugar in the sample can be calculated as the ratio of the area of ​​each peak to the sum of the areas of all detected peaks. The HPLC conditions can be set appropriately according to standard methods, but the following conditions are examples. HPLC conditions Column; MCI GEL CK04S (10mm ID x 200mm) Eluent; high purity water Flow rate; 0.4mL / min Injection volume: 20μL Column temperature: 65°C Detection; Differential refractive index detector RI-10A (Shimadzu Corporation)

[0035] Since reduced starch syrup is produced by reducing starch syrup, the degree of saccharification in reduced starch syrup is similar to the degree of saccharification in the original starch syrup. That is, the higher the degree of saccharification of the raw starch syrup, the higher the degree of saccharification in the reduced starch syrup, and the lower the degree of saccharification of the raw starch syrup, the lower the degree of saccharification in the reduced starch syrup. The degree of saccharification of starch syrup is generally indicated by the dextrose equivalent value (DE). DE is the percentage of the reducing sugar in the sample relative to the total solid content when the reducing sugar is measured as glucose. The maximum value of DE is 100, meaning that all of the solid content is glucose, and the smaller the DE, the more oligosaccharides and polysaccharides are present.

[0036] In other words, examples of DE for raw starch syrup of high-saccharification reduced starch syrup include (c) over 55, 60 or more, 65 or more, 85 or less, 90 or less, 95 or less, and 100 or less. Examples of DE for raw starch syrup of medium-saccharification reduced starch syrup include (e) over 35, 37 or more, 48 or less, 50 or less, and 55 or less. Examples of DE for raw starch syrup of low-saccharification reduced starch syrup include (g) 10 or more, 12 or more, 14 or more, 30 or less, 32 or less, and 35 or less.

[0037] The DE of corn syrup can be measured by the following method. 《Method for measuring DE》 Accurately weigh 2.5 g of the sample and dissolve it in water to make 200 mL. Measure 10 mL of this solution, add 10 mL of 1 / 25 mol / L iodine solution (Note 1) and 15 mL of 1 / 25 mol / L sodium hydroxide solution (Note 2), and leave in the dark for 20 minutes. Next, add 5 mL of 2 mol / L hydrochloric acid (Note 3) and mix, then titrate with 1 / 25 mol / L sodium thiosulfate solution (Note 4). When the solution turns slightly yellow near the titration endpoint, add 2 drops of starch indicator (Note 5) and continue the titration. The titration endpoint is reached when the color of the solution disappears. Determine the blank value using water and calculate DE using the following formula 1. (Note 1) 1 / 25 mol / L iodine solution: Place 20.4 g of potassium iodide and 10.2 g of iodine in a 2 L volumetric flask, dissolve with a small amount of water, then add water to the mark. (Note 2) 1 / 25 mol / L sodium hydroxide solution: Place 3.2 g of sodium hydroxide in a 2 L volumetric flask, dissolve it with a small amount of water, and then add water up to the mark. (Note 3) 2 mol / L hydrochloric acid: Gradually add 150 mL of hydrochloric acid to 750 mL of water while stirring. (Note 4) 1 / 25 mol / L sodium thiosulfate solution: Place 20 g of sodium thiosulfate in a 2 L volumetric flask, dissolve it with a small amount of water, and then add water to the mark. (Note 5) Starch indicator: Dissolve 5 g of soluble starch in 500 mL of water, and then dissolve 100 g of sodium chloride in this solution. TIFF2026112345000002.tif49165

[0038] In the present invention, sugar alcohols may be commercially available as is, or they may be manufactured according to methods known to those skilled in the art. Known methods for producing sorbitol and reduced starch syrup include a reduction reaction in which hydrogen is added to the raw material glucose or starch syrup (raw sugar).

[0039] The reduction reaction by hydrogenation can be carried out, for example, by charging a 40-75% by mass aqueous solution of raw sugar with a reduction catalyst into a high-pressure reactor, maintaining a hydrogen pressure of 4.9-19.6 MPa and a reaction mixture temperature of 70-180°C, and continuing the reaction while mixing and stirring until no further hydrogen absorption is observed. After that, the reduction catalyst is separated, decolorized and desalted by ion exchange resin treatment, and if necessary by activated carbon treatment, and then concentrated to the desired concentration to produce high-concentration sorbitol or reduced starch syrup.

[0040] The specified sugar alcohol can be used by bringing it into contact with the food ingredient. That is, the present invention also provides a method for suppressing the contraction of muscle fibers and collagen in food, and a method for producing food in which the contraction of muscle fibers and collagen has been suppressed, comprising the step of bringing a specified sugar alcohol into contact with the food ingredient. Examples of the manner of contact include adding and mixing the sugar alcohol with the food ingredient, immersing the food ingredient in a solution to which the sugar alcohol has been added, or coating, spraying, or injecting the sugar alcohol into the food ingredient, but any manner is acceptable.

[0041] When the food product covered by this invention is a fried food consisting of a coating and the main ingredient, the specified sugar alcohol can be incorporated into the coating. That is, this invention also provides a method for suppressing the contraction of muscle fibers and collagen in a fried food consisting of a coating and the main ingredient, which includes a step of incorporating a specified sugar alcohol into the coating portion of the fried food, as well as a method for producing a fried food in which the contraction of muscle fibers and collagen has been suppressed.

[0042] The coating (sometimes called "frying batter") refers to the substance that adheres to the entire surface of the food. The coating material can be anything that adheres to the entire surface of the food. Examples of coating materials include powders and granules such as flour, okara powder, breadcrumbs, dried seaweed, yukari seasoning, sesame seeds, rice crackers, and buckwheat groats, as well as liquids such as batter made by mixing flour with water, egg wash, corn, crushed somen noodles, yuba (tofu skin), and crushed or sliced ​​nuts. Coating can be done by conventional methods, depending on the form of the food and the coating material.

[0043] The method of incorporating sugar alcohol into the coating can be appropriately determined according to the type of fried food, the form of the product, the type of ingredients, and the desired texture, taste, and flavor. For example, if fried food is made using a batter, sugar alcohol can be added to the batter and the fried food can be made as usual. Alternatively, if the ingredients for the coating are granular materials such as fried chicken flour, tempura flour, potato starch, or breadcrumbs, granular sugar alcohol can be added and mixed, and then the ingredients can be coated with it. Another method, for example, when using breadcrumbs as a coating, can be to make bread by adding sugar alcohol to the ingredients, and then the breadcrumbs made from this bread can be coated with the ingredients. Alternatively, a sugar alcohol solution can be sprayed on the ingredients before or after coating.

[0044] The amount of sugar alcohol used can be appropriately set according to the type of food, product form, and desired texture, taste, and flavor. For example, when using this food ingredient by immersing it in a sugar alcohol-containing solution (when using this food ingredient in contact with sugar alcohol), the amount used can be, specifically, 0.1 parts by weight or more, 0.2 parts by weight or more, 0.3 parts by weight or more, 0.4 parts by weight or more, 0.5 parts by weight or more, 0.7 parts by weight or more, 0.9 parts by weight or more, 1.0 parts by weight or more, 1.2 parts by weight or more, 1.3 parts by weight or more, and 1. Examples include 5 parts by weight or more, 2.0 parts by weight or more, 2.5 parts by weight or more, 3.0 parts by weight or more, 3.5 parts by weight or more, 4.0 parts by weight or more, 4.5 parts by weight or more, 5.0 parts by weight or more, 5.5 parts by weight or more, 6.0 parts by weight or more, 6.5 parts by weight or more, 7.0 parts by weight or more, 50 parts by weight or less, 45 parts by weight or less, 40 parts by weight or less, 35 parts by weight or less, 30 parts by weight or less, 25 parts by weight or less, 20 parts by weight or less, 15 parts by weight or less, and so on.

[0045] Furthermore, when using this food ingredient with added sugar alcohol (when using this food ingredient in contact with sugar alcohol), specific examples of the amount to use include, for example, 0.1 parts by weight or more, 0.2 parts by weight or more, 0.3 parts by weight or more, 0.4 parts by weight or more, 0.5 parts by weight or more, 0.6 parts by weight or more, 0.7 parts by weight or more, 0.8 parts by weight or more, 0.9 parts by weight or more, 1.0 part by weight or more, 1.1 parts by weight or more, 1.2 parts by weight or more, 1.3 parts by weight or more, 1.4 parts by weight or more, 10 parts by weight or less, 9 parts by weight or less, 8 parts by weight or less, 7 parts by weight or less, and 6 parts by weight or less per 100 parts by weight of this food ingredient.

[0046] Furthermore, when sugar alcohol is incorporated into the coating portion, specific examples of the amount used include, for example, sugar alcohol (solid content) of 0.5 parts by weight or more, 0.6 parts by weight or more, 0.7 parts by weight or more, 0.8 parts by weight or more, 0.9 parts by weight or more, 1.0 parts by weight or more, 1.1 parts by weight or more, 1.2 parts by weight or more, 1.3 parts by weight or more, 1.4 parts by weight or more, 1.5 parts by weight or more, 1.6 parts by weight or more, 1.7 parts by weight or more, 2.0 parts by weight or more, 2.5 parts by weight or more, 50 parts by weight or less, 45 parts by weight or less, 40 parts by weight or less, 35 parts by weight or less, 30 parts by weight or less, 25 parts by weight or less, 20 parts by weight or less, 15 parts by weight or less, etc., per 100 parts by weight of the raw material for the coating portion before frying.

[0047] Furthermore, for example, relative to 100 parts by weight of flour raw material for the coating portion before deep-frying, examples of sugar alcohol (solid content) amounts include 0.5 parts by weight or more, 1.0 part by weight or more, 1.5 parts by weight or more, 2.0 parts by weight or more, 2.5 parts by weight or more, 50 parts by weight or less, 45 parts by weight or less, 40 parts by weight or less, 35 parts by weight or less, 30 parts by weight or less, 25 parts by weight or less, and 20 parts by weight or less.

[0048] Furthermore, for example, an example of usage can be given where 0.5 to 50 parts by weight of sugar alcohol (solids) is replaced with sugar alcohol in 100 parts by weight of water added to the coating portion before deep-frying. Generally, the amount of water added to the coating portion before deep-frying is 50 to 500 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of cereal flour raw material, so an example of the amount of sugar alcohol (solids) added can be given as 0.25 to 250 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of cereal flour raw material, or 0.167 to 41.67 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of coating raw material.

[0049] Food products can be manufactured by methods known to those skilled in the art, except for contacting the food ingredients with sugar alcohols or incorporating sugar alcohols into the batter of fried foods containing the food ingredients. Furthermore, this method may include other steps as long as they do not impair the features of the present invention. Examples of such steps include cutting the ingredients, crushing the ingredients, seasoning, sterilization, cooling, freezing, draining, and packaging.

[0050] The present invention will be described below based on various embodiments. However, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the features shown in these embodiments. [Examples]

[0051] ≪Test Method≫ <1> sugar alcohol The sugar alcohols used were commercially available products as shown in Table 1. [Table 1]

[0052] <2> Evaluation of shrinkage Food shrinkage was determined by visual observation, electron microscopy, or calculation of the shrinkage rate. The shrinkage rate was calculated using the following procedure (a) to (d). (a) The dimensions (length (mm), width (mm), thickness (mm)) of the food were measured using a digital caliper before and after high-frequency dielectric heating (microwave heating) in a microwave oven, before and after baking, or before and after keeping the food warm at 75°C. In each case, the measurement result "before" was called the "pre-measurement value," and the measurement result "after" was called the "post-measurement value." (b) The yield was calculated for the length, width, and thickness of the food using the following formula 2. Formula 2: Yield (%) = {Post-measurement value (mm) / Pre-measurement value (mm)} × 100 (c) The length, width, and thickness of the food were used to determine the length reduction ratio, width reduction ratio, and thickness reduction ratio using the following equations 3 to 5. Equation 3: Vertical reduction ratio (%) = 100 - Vertical yield (%) Equation 4: Horizontal reduction ratio (%) = 100 - Horizontal yield (%) Equation 5: Thickness reduction rate (%) = 100 - Thickness yield (%) (d) The reduction ratio was determined by formula 6 or formula 7 below. Equation 6: Reduction ratio (%) = (Vertical reduction ratio (%) + Horizontal reduction ratio (%) + Thickness reduction ratio (%)) / 3 Equation 7: Reduction ratio (%) = (Vertical reduction ratio (%) + Horizontal reduction ratio (%)) / 2

[0053] <<Example 1>> Shrinkage suppression effect by contact with ingredients <Example 1-1> Grilled Chicken Seasoning solutions for Samples 1-3 were prepared using the formulations shown in Table 2. Chicken breast cut into approximately 40g pieces was mixed with 30% by weight of the seasoning solution relative to the meat, and placed in a vacuum tumbler (Hirai Company) for 50 minutes, immersing the meat in the seasoning solution while rotating the tank under reduced pressure. Specifically, 0.63g of reduced starch syrup (solid content) was used in contact with 40g of meat (1.575 parts by weight of sugar alcohol per 100 parts by weight of meat). Hereinafter, the meat immersed in Samples 1-3 will be referred to as Samples 1-3. Subsequently, the drained meat was placed in a steam convection oven (Hoshizaki) and baked at 200°C, 70% humidity, and standard airflow for 15 minutes to produce grilled chicken. This was then rapidly frozen in a -40°C freezer for 60 minutes, and then stored at -20°C for 15 days. Frozen grilled chicken was cut into approximately 1 cm cubes, freeze-dried, and observed using a scanning electron microscope. The results are shown in Figure 1. [Table 2]

[0054] As shown in Figure 1, individual muscle fibers of chicken breast were visible in the scanning electron microscope images. In sample 1, the uniformity of the diameter of each muscle fiber was poor, with a mixture of thick, thin, and particularly thin fibers. Furthermore, as is clearly visible in the circled area, sample 1 had a relatively large number of thin muscle fibers and wide gaps between them. In contrast, samples 2 and 3 showed relatively high uniformity in the diameter of the muscle fibers, with a more uniform thickness. In addition, each muscle fiber was relatively thick, and the gaps between the muscle fibers were narrower. In other words, chicken soaked in a seasoning solution containing high-saccharification reduced starch syrup or low-saccharification reduced starch syrup had thicker muscle fibers and smaller gaps between them after cooking. From these results, it became clear that reduced starch syrup can suppress the shrinkage of muscle fibers due to heating when it comes into contact with food containing muscle fibers.

[0055] <Example 1-2> Grilled squid The raw material used was frozen American giant red squid cut into strips. Seasoning solutions for samples 1-5 were prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 3. Thawed squid was added to a seasoning solution at a concentration of 50% by weight relative to the squid, and immersed at 4°C for 16 hours. That is, 10.5 parts by weight of various sugar alcohols (solid content) were applied to 100 parts by weight of squid. Hereinafter, squid immersed in samples 1-5 will be referred to as samples 1-5. The squid was drained by placing it in a colander for 2 minutes, then placed skin-side up on a wire rack and baked in a 230°C oven (Tokura Shoji) for 7 minutes to produce grilled squid. This was then rapidly frozen in a -40°C freezer for 60 minutes, and then stored at -20°C for 7 days. Subsequently, the frozen grilled squid was heated in a microwave at 600 watts for 1 minute and 20 seconds per 4 pieces. Before and after heating, the length, width, and thickness of each grilled squid were measured using digital calipers. <2> The reduction ratio was calculated using the method described below. Each value was the average of the values ​​measured from 8 samples. The results are shown in Figure 2. [Table 3]

[0056] As shown in Figure 2, the shrinkage rate was significantly smaller for samples 2, 3, 4, and 5 than for sample 1. In particular, sample 3 showed the smallest shrinkage rate. Specifically, squid immersed in a seasoning solution containing sorbitol, high-saccharification reduced starch syrup, medium-saccharification reduced starch syrup, or low-saccharification reduced starch syrup shrank less after microwave heating. In particular, squid immersed in a seasoning solution containing high-saccharification reduced starch syrup shrank significantly less. From these results, it became clear that sugar alcohols can suppress the shrinkage of food due to heating when brought into contact with ingredients containing muscle fibers.

[0057] <Example 1-3> Grilled Chicken Skin Seasoning solutions for samples 1-3 were prepared using the formulations shown in Table 4. The skin was removed from chicken thigh meat and cut into roughly square pieces with sides of approximately 9 cm. Seasoning solution at a ratio of 20% by weight to the chicken skin was added to the cut chicken skin and placed in a vacuum tumbler (Hirai Company) for 50 minutes, immersing the chicken skin in the seasoning solution while rotating the tank under reduced pressure. Specifically, 1.4 parts by weight of reduced starch syrup (solid content) was used in contact with 100 parts by weight of chicken skin. Hereinafter, the chicken skin immersed in samples 1-3 will be referred to as samples 1-3. Subsequently, the drained chicken skin was placed in a steam convection oven (Hoshizaki) and baked at 200°C, 40% humidity, and standard wind speed for 6 minutes to produce roasted chicken skin. Visual observation and photographs were taken before and after baking, and the length and width of each piece of chicken skin were measured with a digital caliper. <2> The reduction ratio was calculated using the method described below. Each value was the average of the values ​​measured from five samples. Photographs of chicken skin are shown in Figure 3, and the reduction ratios are shown in Figure 4. [Table 4]

[0058] As shown in Figure 3, it was visually confirmed that the grilled chicken skin of samples 2 and 3 was larger than that of sample 1. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the shrinkage rate was significantly smaller for samples 2 and 3 than for sample 1. In other words, chicken skin soaked in a seasoning solution containing high- or low-saccharification reduced starch syrup shrank less after grilling. Here, the component in chicken skin that is involved in thermal shrinkage is thought to be collagen. Therefore, from these results, it is clear that sugar alcohols can suppress the shrinkage of collagen due to heating when brought into contact with collagen-containing food ingredients, thereby suppressing the shrinkage of food.

[0059] <Example 1-4> Chicken Nuggets The skin was removed from the chicken breast, and the meat was ground to a diameter of 12 mm to make minced meat. The other ingredients shown in Table 5 were added to the minced meat and mixed in a mixer (Aikousha Seisakusho) for 15 minutes. This was formed into a sheet about 6-8 mm thick, rapidly frozen at -40°C for 20 minutes, and then cut out with a ring mold to make oval-shaped ingredients with a diameter of 7.5 cm (30-40 g / piece). Specifically, 1.05 parts by weight of low-saccharification reduced starch syrup (solid content) was used in contact with 100 parts by weight of meat. The batter ingredients shown in Table 5 were mixed and stirred to make a batter, and left at 4°C for 10 minutes. After coating the formed ingredients with cornstarch, they were dipped in the batter and fried at 175°C for 1 minute. Hereinafter, chicken nuggets using the ingredients of Sample 1 and Sample 2 will be referred to as Sample 1 and Sample 2. Next, the chicken nuggets were placed in a steam convection oven (Hoshizaki) and baked for 8 minutes at 170°C, 40% humidity, and standard airflow. They were then rapidly frozen in a -40°C freezer for 60 minutes, and stored at -20°C for 1 day. The frozen chicken nuggets were then deep-fried again at 180°C for 5 minutes, and then placed in a 75°C hot warmer (Anji Co., Ltd.) for 6 hours. The length, width, and thickness of each nugget were measured using digital calipers before and after storage (3 and 6 hours after the start of storage). <2> The reduction ratio was calculated using the method described below. Each value was the average of the values ​​measured from six samples. The results are shown in Figure 5. [Table 5]

[0060] As shown in Figure 5, the shrinkage rate was significantly smaller for Sample 2 than for Sample 1 at both 3 hours and 6 hours after the start of heat-retaining storage. In other words, chicken nuggets made with ingredients containing low-saccharification reduced starch syrup shrank less after heat-retaining storage. From these results, it became clear that sugar alcohols can suppress the shrinkage of food during heat-retaining storage by coming into contact with ingredients containing muscle fibers.

[0061] <<Example 2>> Shrinkage suppression effect when incorporated into clothing <Example 2-1> Fried Chicken Chicken breast meat, cut into approximately 50g pieces, was mixed with a 30% saline solution (2 parts salt by weight, 98 parts water by weight) relative to the meat's mass. The mixture was then placed in a tumbler (Hirai Company) for 50 minutes, immersing the meat in the saline solution while rotating the tank under reduced pressure. Batter solutions for samples 1-3 were prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 6. The drained meat was coated in the batter and deep-fried at 175°C for 7 minutes to produce fried chicken. Specifically, 7 parts by weight of reduced starch syrup (solid content) was mixed into 100 parts by weight of the coating ingredients (17.5 parts by weight of reduced starch syrup per 100 parts by weight of flour). Hereinafter, fried chicken using the batter solutions for samples 1-3 will be referred to as samples 1-3. This was rapidly frozen in a -40°C freezer for 60 minutes, and then stored at -20°C for 19 days. The frozen fried chicken was cut into approximately 1cm cubes, freeze-dried, and observed using a scanning electron microscope. The results are shown in Figure 6. [Table 6]

[0062] As shown in Figure 6, individual muscle fibers were visible in the images taken with a scanning electron microscope. In sample 1, the uniformity of the diameter of each muscle fiber was poor, with a mixture of thick, thin, and particularly thin fibers. Also, as is clearly visible in the circled area, sample 1 had a relatively large number of thin muscle fibers and wide gaps between them. In contrast, samples 2 and 3 had relatively high uniformity in the diameter of the muscle fibers and were of uniform thickness. Furthermore, each muscle fiber was relatively thick, and the gaps between the muscle fibers were narrow. In other words, the chicken meat in fried chicken coated with high-saccharification reduced starch syrup or low-saccharification reduced starch syrup had thicker muscle fibers and smaller gaps between muscle fibers after frying. From these results, it became clear that reduced starch syrup can suppress the contraction of muscle fibers in ingredients by being incorporated into the coating of fried foods containing muscle fibers.

[0063] <Example 2-2> Fried Squid Frozen American squid cut into strips was used as the main ingredient. Batters for samples 1-6 were prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 7. After thawing the squid, it was dipped in the batter, coated with fresh breadcrumbs, and fried at 175°C for 1 minute to produce fried squid. Specifically, 7 parts by weight of sugar alcohol in solid content was added to 100 parts by weight of the coating ingredients (21 parts by weight of reduced starch syrup per 100 parts by weight of grain flour). Hereinafter, fried squid using the batters for samples 1-6 will be referred to as samples 1-6. These were rapidly frozen in a -40°C freezer for 60 minutes, and then stored at -20°C for 7 days. The frozen fried squid were heated in a microwave at 600 watts for 1 minute and 20 seconds per two pieces. Before and after heating, the length and width of each fried squid were measured with digital calipers. <2> The reduction ratio was calculated using the method described below. Each value was the average of the values ​​measured from 8 samples. The results are shown in Figure 7. [Table 7]

[0064] As shown in Figure 7, the shrinkage rate was significantly smaller for samples 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 than for sample 1. In other words, squid fries coated with sorbitol, high-saccharification reduced starch syrup, medium-saccharification reduced starch syrup, or low-saccharification reduced starch syrup showed less shrinkage after being heated in the microwave. From these results, it became clear that sugar alcohols can suppress the shrinkage of fried foods when incorporated into the coating of fried foods containing ingredients with muscle fibers.

[0065] <Example 2-3> Chicken Nuggets The skin was removed from the chicken breast and ground into minced meat using a 7mm diameter grinder. The other ingredients shown in Table 8 were added to the minced meat and mixed in a mixer (Aikousha Seisakusho) for 15 minutes. This was formed into a sheet approximately 5-6mm thick, rapidly frozen at -40°C for 15 minutes, and then cut out using a ring mold to create oval-shaped ingredients with a diameter of 4.7cm (40-50g / piece). The batter ingredients shown in Table 7 were mixed and stirred to create the batters for samples 1-3, and left at 4°C for 10 minutes. Cornstarch was sprinkled on the formed ingredients, then dipped in the batter to coat them, and fried at 175°C for 4 minutes to produce chicken nuggets. Specifically, 1.792 parts by weight of reduced starch syrup (solid content) was added to 100 parts by weight of the coating ingredients (1.865 parts by weight of reduced starch syrup per 100 parts by weight of flour). Hereinafter, chicken nuggets made using the batters of Samples 1-3 will be referred to as Samples 1-3. These were rapidly frozen in a -40°C freezer for 60 minutes, and then stored at -20°C for 28 days. The frozen chicken nuggets were heated in a microwave at 600 watts for 1 minute 30 seconds per 3 nuggets. The length and width of each chicken nugget were measured using digital calipers before and after heating, and the test method was described below. <2> The reduction ratio was calculated using the method described below. Each value was the average of the values ​​measured from three samples. The results are shown in Figure 8. [Table 8]

[0066] As shown in Figure 8, the shrinkage rate was significantly smaller for samples 2 and 3 than for sample 1. In other words, chicken nuggets coated with high-saccharification reduced starch syrup or low-saccharification reduced starch syrup shrank less after being microwaved. From these results, it became clear that sugar alcohols can suppress the shrinkage of fried foods when incorporated into the coating of fried foods containing ingredients with muscle fibers.

Claims

1. A food muscle fiber and / or collagen contraction inhibitor comprising one or more sugar alcohols selected from (a) to (g) below as an active ingredient; (a) Sorbitol, (i) Reduced starch syrup having a sugar composition of 30-50% by mass of monosaccharides, 20-55% by mass of disaccharides, and 40% by mass or less of trisaccharides or higher. (c) Reduced starch syrup obtained by reducing starch syrup having a dextrose equivalent of more than 55 and less than 100, (e) Reduced starch syrup having a sugar composition of less than 30% by mass of monosaccharides and less than 50% by mass of pentasaccharides or more, (O) Reduced starch syrup obtained by reducing starch syrup with a dextrose equivalent of more than 35 and 55 or less, (c) Reduced starch syrup in which the sugar composition consists of five or more saccharides, (K) Reduced starch syrup obtained by reducing starch syrup with a dextrose equivalent of 10 to 35.

2. The agent according to claim 1, characterized in that the active ingredient is used by bringing it into contact with a food ingredient containing muscle fibers and / or collagen.

3. The agent according to claim 2, wherein the active ingredient is one or more sugar alcohols selected from (a) or (c) above.

4. The agent according to claim 1, wherein the food is a fried food consisting of a coating and ingredients containing muscle fibers and / or collagen, and the active ingredient is used by being incorporated into the coating portion.

5. A method for suppressing the contraction of muscle fibers and / or collagen in food, comprising the step of bringing one or more sugar alcohols selected from (a) to (g) below into contact with food ingredients containing muscle fibers and / or collagen; (a) Sorbitol, (i) Reduced starch syrup having a sugar composition of 30-50% by mass of monosaccharides, 20-55% by mass of disaccharides, and 40% by mass or less of trisaccharides or higher. (c) Reduced starch syrup obtained by reducing starch syrup having a dextrose equivalent of more than 55 and less than 100, (e) Reduced starch syrup having a sugar composition of less than 30% by mass of monosaccharides and less than 50% by mass of pentasaccharides or more, (O) Reduced starch syrup obtained by reducing starch syrup with a dextrose equivalent of more than 35 and 55 or less, (c) Reduced starch syrup in which the sugar composition consists of five or more saccharides, (K) Reduced starch syrup obtained by reducing starch syrup with a dextrose equivalent of 10 to 35.

6. A method for suppressing the contraction of muscle fibers and / or collagen in fried food, comprising the step of incorporating one or more sugar alcohols selected from (a) to (g) below into the batter portion of the fried food; (a) Sorbitol, (i) Reduced starch syrup having a sugar composition of 30-50% by mass of monosaccharides, 20-55% by mass of disaccharides, and 40% by mass or less of trisaccharides or higher. (c) Reduced starch syrup obtained by reducing starch syrup having a dextrose equivalent of more than 55 and less than 100, (e) Reduced starch syrup having a sugar composition of less than 30% by mass of monosaccharides and less than 50% by mass of pentasaccharides or more, (O) Reduced starch syrup obtained by reducing starch syrup with a dextrose equivalent of more than 35 and 55 or less, (c) Reduced starch syrup in which the sugar composition consists of five or more saccharides, (K) Reduced starch syrup obtained by reducing starch syrup with a dextrose equivalent of 10 to 35.

7. A method for producing a food in which the contraction of muscle fibers and / or collagen is suppressed, comprising the step of bringing an agent according to any one of claims 1 to 3 into contact with a food ingredient containing muscle fibers and / or collagen.

8. A method for producing fried food comprising a coating and an ingredient containing muscle fibers and / or collagen, wherein the shrinkage of muscle fibers and / or collagen is suppressed, comprising the step of incorporating the agent according to claim 1 or claim 4 into the coating portion of the fried food.

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