Frozen foods and methods for producing the same

Abstract

To provide frozen food products that are less prone to toppings falling off and have a good appearance and texture. [Solution] The frozen food 1 has a main body 2 made of frozen solid food and a topping part 3 made of frozen food composition placed on the upper surface 2a of the main body 2. The food composition contains a fluid food having a viscosity of 2000 to 6000 mPa·s at a temperature of 25°C, small solid ingredients derived from vegetables with a maximum extension length of 0.05 to 3 mm, and large solid ingredients with a maximum extension length of 5 to 20 mm. The proportion of the small solid ingredients in the total content of the fluid food and small solid ingredients in the food composition is 10 to 70% by mass, the total content of the fluid food and small solid ingredients in the food composition is 10 to 90% by mass, and the content of the large solid ingredients in the food composition is 10 to 80% by mass.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a frozen food having a main body portion and a topping portion arranged on an upper surface of the main body portion. Background Art

[0002] Frozen food is a food that exhibits little quality deterioration during storage and can be stored for a long period of time even without using preservatives, and its good convenience is favored by many consumers. As one form of frozen food, integrated frozen foods such as frozen pasta dishes and frozen rice bowls are known. Said integrated frozen food typically has a main body portion formed of a frozen product of a main food material such as cooked rice or noodles, and a topping portion formed of a frozen product of an auxiliary food material such as various side dishes or sauces, wherein the topping portion is integrally arranged on the main body portion, and is distributed while being accommodated in a container such as a tray. For example, as the aforementioned frozen pasta dish for lunch boxes, products in which topping ingredients (auxiliary food materials) such as corn and ham are arranged on a relatively small mass of pasta noodles (main food material) are commercially available. Said integrated frozen food becomes ready for eating after being thawed using a heating cooker such as a microwave oven.

[0003] For said integrated frozen food, it goes without saying that good taste and texture in the edible state after thawing is required, and it is also important that the appearance is good in the same state, that is, the auxiliary food material is arranged on the main food material with good appearance. For example, the packaging container of a commercially available frozen food is usually printed with a good-looking appearance of the frozen food after thawing as a food sample, and consumers often decide whether or not to purchase the frozen food with reference to the food sample. Therefore, when the frozen food is actually thawed, if the appearance after thawing greatly deviates from the food sample, it will give consumers a great sense of disappointment and may lead to a decline in the credibility of the frozen food manufacturer.

[0004] For the aforementioned one-piece frozen food to have a good appearance after thawing, it is important that it has a good appearance in its frozen state before thawing. However, even if the topping is attractively arranged on top of the main body and has a good appearance immediately after manufacturing, vibrations, shocks, friction etc. during the subsequent distribution process can cause some or all of the topping to detach from the main body, resulting in a problem where the good appearance immediately after manufacturing is not maintained when the consumer obtains the frozen food. In some cases, the topping that has detached from the main body may not stay inside the container that holds the frozen food but may spill out and scatter inside the packaging container that packs the container, in which case the aforementioned problem becomes even more serious.

[0005] To address the problem of deterioration in appearance of integrated frozen foods between manufacturing and consumption, one approach is to adopt so-called top-seal packaging, where the frozen food is placed in a plastic container and sealed with a heat-sealed film lid. However, top-seal packaging alone is insufficient to prevent the topping from falling off the main body. Furthermore, in recent years, there has been a demand for reducing plastic usage in various fields from the perspective of reducing environmental impact. To meet this demand, a technology is needed that can solve the aforementioned problem without adopting top-seal packaging.

[0006] Patent Document 1 discloses an improved technology for the aforementioned integrated frozen food. Specifically, the pre-cooked frozen food described in Patent Document 1 includes, as the topping portion, a frozen fluid food portion made by freezing and solidifying fluid food, and frozen ingredients made by freezing and solidifying ingredients, and the frozen ingredients include large frozen ingredients with a maximum span length of 20 to 60 mm. Its main feature is that the frozen fluid food portion is arranged on top of the frozen ingredients and the surrounding frozen solid food portion such that 10 to 50% of the total area of ​​the frozen ingredients is exposed when viewed in the thickness direction of the upper surface of the frozen solid food portion (main body). The pre-cooked frozen food described in Patent Document 1 is said to have large ingredients and fluid food arranged attractively on top of the solid food, making it difficult for the ingredients to be damaged or fall off during frozen storage, and having good texture and appearance with no uneven thawing after thawing. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-024443 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] While the technology described in Patent Document 1 is effective in addressing the problem of deterioration in appearance caused by the detachment of toppings in the aforementioned integrated frozen food, the quality requirements for frozen foods have been increasing in recent years, and there was room for improvement to meet these high demands. There was a need for a technology that could more effectively prevent the detachment of toppings without compromising the texture of the food after thawing and making it edible.

[0009] The present invention aims to provide a frozen food having a main body and a topping portion arranged on its upper surface, wherein the topping portion is less likely to fall off and the frozen food has a good appearance and texture. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The present invention relates to a frozen food having a main body and a topping portion disposed on the upper surface of the main body, wherein the main body is made of a frozen solid food product including food that is solid at room temperature and pressure, and the topping portion is made of a frozen food composition, The aforementioned food composition contains a liquid food having a viscosity of 2000 to 6000 mPa·s at a temperature of 25°C, small solid ingredients derived from vegetables with a maximum dispensing length of 0.05 to 3 mm, and large solid ingredients with a maximum dispensing length of 5 to 20 mm. The proportion of the small solid ingredients in the food composition to the total content of the liquid food and the small solid ingredients (100% by mass) is 10 to 70% by mass. The total content of the liquid food and the small solid ingredients in the food composition is 10 to 90% by mass. The above-mentioned food composition contains 10 to 80% by mass of the large solid ingredients, and is a frozen food.

[0011] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for producing frozen food as described above, The food composition preparation step, A step of obtaining an intermediate product by placing the food composition prepared in the above preparation step on the surface of the solid food or its frozen product, The process includes a step of freezing the aforementioned intermediate product, The preparation step involves mixing the liquid food and the small solid ingredients, and then adding and mixing the large solid ingredients into the mixture, in a method for producing frozen food. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, a frozen food having a main body and a topping portion arranged on its upper surface is provided, wherein the topping portion is less likely to fall off, and the frozen food has a good appearance and texture. Because the topping portion of the frozen food of the present invention is less likely to fall off during transportation or storage, the good appearance (attractive arrangement of the topping portion) immediately after production is easily maintained until just before use (thawing), and therefore, the appearance is good and the texture is also good when it is ready to eat after thawing. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of one embodiment of the frozen food product of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Figure 1 shows a cooked frozen food 1 (hereinafter also simply referred to as "frozen food 1") which is one embodiment of the frozen food of the present invention. Frozen food 1 has a main body 2 and a topping part 3 arranged on the upper surface 2a of the main body 2. The main body 2 consists of a frozen solid food product containing solid food products that are solid at room temperature and pressure. The topping part 3 consists of a frozen food composition containing fluid food products that are fluid at room temperature and pressure, and includes a frozen fluid food product 31, a frozen small solid ingredient (not shown) derived from vegetables, and a frozen large solid ingredient 32. The frozen small solid ingredient is contained in the frozen fluid food product 31. The main body 2 and the topping part 3 are frozen and solidified as a single unit. Since frozen food 1 is cooked, it can be easily prepared by heating and thawing using a microwave oven or other heating device, or by natural thawing, resulting in an edible cooked food product with the fluid food product arranged on the upper surface of the solid food product.

[0015] In this specification, "room temperature and atmospheric pressure" refers to the ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure in the environment in which the manufacturing and use (consumption) of the frozen food of the present invention are normally carried out, and is typically an environment with an ambient temperature of 25°C and an atmospheric pressure of 1 atmosphere.

[0016] The frozen food 1 shown in Figure 1 is a pre-cooked frozen pasta dish, which is a pre-cooked pasta dish (specifically, spaghetti with sauce) that can be eaten after thawing. The main component 2 of the frozen food 1 is a frozen noodle block made by freezing and solidifying a block of boiled noodles (boiled spaghetti).

[0017] In the present invention, the solid food constituting the main body portion 2 is not limited to noodles. The solid food only needs to be a food containing a non-fluid solid portion in an edible state, may be composed of one type of food material, or may be composed of a plurality of types of food materials. Typical examples of the solid food are foods that form the center of a meal, that is, staple food materials, specifically, cooked rice, noodles and bakery foods, but foods other than staple food materials are not excluded. The solid food may contain only one of cooked rice, noodles and bakery foods, or may contain two or more thereof.

[0018] The type of cooked rice as the solid food is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include white rice, red rice, and fried rice. Cooked rice as the solid food is usually obtained by subjecting raw rice to a hydrothermal treatment such as cooking or steaming.

[0019] The type of noodles as the solid food is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include pastas such as spaghetti and macaroni; udon, hiyamugi, somen, flat noodles, Japanese soba, and Chinese noodles; noodle skins such as wrappers for dumplings, shao mai, spring rolls, and wontons. Noodles as the solid food are usually gelatinized noodles in which the starch contained therein is gelatinized by heat cooking such as boiling cooking.

[0020] The bakery food as the solid food is mainly made of cereal flour such as wheat flour, and is obtained by subjecting fermented or non-fermented dough, which is obtained by adding auxiliary materials such as yeast, leavening agent, water, salt, and sugar as necessary, to a heat treatment such as baking, steaming, or frying. The type of bakery food as the solid food is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include breads such as loaf bread, roll bread, white bread, black bread, French bread, coppe bread, croissant, and steamed bread; cakes such as sponge cake, butter cake, roll cake, hot cake, bussé, baumkuchen, pound cake, cheese cake, snack cake, muffin, bar, cookie, and pancake; pizza crust; Japanese and Western baked confectioneries such as waffle, cream puff, biscuit, dorayaki, and baked manju; and fried confectioneries such as doughnut.

[0021] The solid food is not particularly limited as long as it contains food that is solid at normal temperature and normal pressure, and may be composed of only a solid part such as a main food material. In addition to the solid part, the solid food may further contain a fluid food (for example, a sauce, dip or soup containing no ingredients) that is different from the food composition of the topping part 3 in a pre-freezing state (that is, does not have the characteristics of the food composition described later). Specific examples of the latter include those obtained by pouring said other fluid food over a solid food, and those obtained by mixing a solid food with said other fluid food.

[0022] In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the main body portion 2 has a substantially circular shape in a plan view (top view), and the topping portion 3 is disposed on an upper surface 2a of the substantially circular shape. The upper surface 2a of the main body portion 2 is a horizontal surface, which can stabilize the arrangement of the topping portion 3 and prevent unintended changes in the arrangement. The term "horizontal surface" as used herein includes a complete horizontal surface perpendicular to the vertical direction in which gravity acts, and a surface that is not a complete horizontal surface but can be substantially regarded as a horizontal surface. The inclination angle of the former complete horizontal surface with respect to the horizontal direction is 0 degrees, and that of the latter is more than 0 degrees and 30 degrees or less. The inclination angle is measured as an angle formed between a rigid flat plate that has substantially no unevenness and is placed on the upper surface 2a of the main body portion 2 so as to cover the entire upper surface 2a, and the horizontal direction of the flat plate.

[0023] In the present invention, a recess (not shown) for accommodating the topping portion 3 may be formed on the upper surface 2a of the main body portion 2. Thereby, the arrangement of the topping portion 3 is stabilized, and damage or falling off of the topping portion 3 during transportation or storage of the frozen food 1 can be effectively prevented. From the viewpoint of improving the appearance of the frozen food 1 and the like, the recess is preferably formed in a central portion of the upper surface 2a. From the same viewpoint, the area of the recess in plan view (the area of a projection image when the recess is projected in the thickness direction of the main body portion 2) is preferably a size capable of accommodating all of the topping portion 3 included in the frozen food 1. The ratio of the area of the recess in plan view to the area of the upper surface 2a of the main body portion 2 is preferably 30 to 80%. The recess may be formed in the solid food before freezing, or in the solid food after freezing, i.e., in the main body 2. In the latter case, the recess is formed by scraping off a part of the upper surface 2a of the main body 2.

[0024] The following describes the food composition that constitutes the topping portion according to the present invention, that is, the topping portion before freezing. The food composition contains (A) a liquid food, (B) small solid ingredients derived from vegetables, and (C) large solid ingredients.

[0025] (A) Liquid food A fluid food is a liquid, semi-solid, or paste-like portion of a food composition that is fluid at room temperature and pressure, and is a sauce-like food. The fluid food has a viscosity of 2000 to 6000 mPa·s at a product temperature of 25°C, preferably 3500 to 5000 mPa·s. The viscosity mentioned above is the viscosity measured using a Type B viscometer (for example, "TVB-20L" manufactured by Toki Sangyo Co., Ltd.) according to a standard method. To prevent the detachment of toppings, particularly large solid frozen ingredients, during the transportation or storage of frozen foods, it is important that the liquid food mixes easily with the various ingredients (small and large solid ingredients) to achieve a homogeneous mixture, and that this mixture and the coating of the ingredients by the liquid food are maintained throughout the time from mixing the liquid food with the ingredients until freezing. Furthermore, the viscosity of the liquid food significantly affects the texture of the cooked food. By keeping the viscosity of the liquid food within the specified range, the above important requirements are met without adversely affecting the texture of the cooked food, thereby preventing the detachment of toppings.

[0026] The viscosity of liquid foods can be adjusted by known methods. One preferred method for adjusting the viscosity of liquid foods to the aforementioned range is to include starch as a viscosity modifier in the liquid food. That is, liquid foods can contain starch. The type of starch is not particularly limited and includes unprocessed raw starch, pregelatinized starch, chemically treated modified starch, etc., and one or more of these can be used. Modified starch is particularly preferred as an ingredient in liquid foods because it has relatively stable quality and freeze resistance. Examples of modified starch include acetylated phosphate crosslinked starch.

[0027] The starch content in the liquid food is preferably 0.01 to 5% by mass, and more preferably 0.5 to 3% by mass, based on 100% by mass of the liquid food.

[0028] Liquid foods may or may not have a flavoring function and be usable as a seasoning. Examples of liquid foods with a flavoring function include sauces, roux, bean paste, dressing, dipping sauce, cream, and dip. Examples of liquid foods without a flavoring function include starch gel and oils and fats.

[0029] The type of liquid food can be appropriately selected according to the type of solid food mentioned above. For example, if the solid food is pasta noodles, examples of liquid foods include tomato-based sauces such as meat sauce, Neapolitan sauce, and arrabiata sauce; white sauces such as carbonara sauce; and brown sauces. In this case, the cooked food is cooked spaghetti. Also, if the solid food is cooked rice, examples of liquid foods include curry sauce (in this case, the cooked food is cooked curry rice) and stew (in this case, the cooked food is cooked stew rice).

[0030] The content of the fluid food in the food composition is not particularly limited and can be adjusted as appropriate depending on the type of cooked food, etc., but typically it is preferably 10 to 40% by mass, more preferably 15 to 30% by mass, based on 100% by mass of the food composition.

[0031] (B) Small solid ingredients The small solid ingredients must be derived from vegetables and have a maximum span of 0.05 to 3 mm. One of the main roles of the small solid ingredients in the frozen food of the present invention is to prevent the topping from falling off the main body, especially large solid ingredients, during transportation or storage of the frozen food. By incorporating small solid ingredients, which are fine pieces derived from vegetables rich in dietary fiber, into the food composition in the state before freezing of the topping, the frozen small solid ingredients function as a reinforcing material in the topping. This improves the mechanical properties such as tensile strength of the topping and enhances its toughness, thereby effectively preventing the topping from falling off. For example, since meat or seafood contains almost no dietary fiber, even if small solid ingredients derived from meat or seafood are included in the food composition, the toughness of the topping may not be sufficiently improved, and the topping may not fall off. Furthermore, even if the small solid ingredients are derived from vegetables, if their maximum extension length is outside the aforementioned range, the toughness of the topping portion may not be sufficiently improved, and there is a risk that the topping portion may not fall off. In addition, the maximum extension length of the small solid ingredients has a considerable effect on the viscosity of the fluid food that constitutes the food composition. When the maximum extension length is within the aforementioned range, the diffusivity or adhesion of the food composition to the designated placement area (the surface of the main body, which is the solid food or its frozen form) is improved when the food composition is placed on the designated placement area during the manufacture of the frozen food, thereby making it easier to place the topping portion in the appropriate position on the main body.

[0032] Vegetables that serve as the source of small solid ingredients are preferably those rich in dietary fiber. Examples of vegetables suitable as a source of small solid ingredients include onions, tomatoes, carrots, garlic, celery, ginger, and cabbage. In the food composition according to the present invention, one type of small solid ingredient may be used, or two or more types of small solid ingredients may be used in combination.

[0033] Small solid ingredients may be cooked or uncooked, and can be appropriately selected depending on the type of large solid ingredient. The cooking method for small solid ingredients is not particularly limited and includes, for example, stir-frying, boiling, steaming, and deep-frying.

[0034] From the viewpoint of ensuring that the effects of the small solid ingredients mentioned above are achieved more reliably, it is preferable that the maximum length of the small solid ingredients is 0.8 to 2.3 mm.

[0035] In this specification, "maximum extension length" refers to the maximum extension length of the object (small solid ingredient) in a plan view. The maximum extension length of a small solid ingredient can also be said to be the maximum extension length of the projected image when the small solid ingredient is projected in any direction. For example, if the external shape of the small solid ingredient is spherical (circular in plan view), the maximum extension length of the small solid ingredient is the diameter of that sphere (circle).

[0036] From the viewpoint of ensuring that the effects of the small solid ingredients described above are achieved more reliably, the ratio of the content of the small solid ingredients to the total content of the liquid food and the small solid ingredients in the food composition is 10 to 70% by mass, preferably 30 to 60% by mass. If the ratio is too low, the effects of the small solid ingredients will not be achieved effectively, and there is a risk that the toppings will not fall off. On the other hand, if the ratio is too high, the proportion of liquid food will be relatively too low, resulting in the effects of the liquid food not being achieved effectively, and there is a risk that the toppings will not fall off. Furthermore, there is a risk that the texture when eaten will be negatively affected, and in addition, the handling properties of the food composition may decrease, which may cause inconveniences such as difficulty in efficiently and accurately placing the food composition at a desired position on the surface of solid food or its frozen product during the manufacture of frozen food.

[0037] From a similar perspective, the total content of fluid food and small solid ingredients in a food composition is 10 to 90% by mass, preferably 30 to 40% by mass, based on 100% by mass of the food composition. If the total content is too low, the effect of the small solid ingredients will be less pronounced, and it may not be possible to prevent the topping from falling off. If the total content is too high, the content of large solid ingredients in the food composition will be relatively insufficient, which may reduce the effect of the large solid ingredients (effect of improving appearance and texture) described later, and may also contradict the technical concept of the present invention, which involves employing specific problem-solving means to prevent the large solid ingredients from falling off.

[0038] (C) Large solid ingredients Large solid ingredients must have a maximum span length of 5 to 20 mm. One of the main roles of large solid ingredients in the frozen food of the present invention is to improve the appearance of both the frozen food and the cooked food obtained by thawing the frozen food. Since the maximum span of the large solid ingredients is within the aforementioned range, the large solid ingredients become visually conspicuous, thus improving the appearance of both the frozen food and the cooked food, which is ready to eat. Another main role of large solid ingredients in the frozen food of the present invention is to improve the texture of the cooked food. Since the maximum span of the large solid ingredients is within the aforementioned range, the large solid ingredients have a good bite and satisfying texture, thus improving the texture of the cooked food.

[0039] The source of the large solid ingredients is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected depending on the type of food composition, etc. Typically, the source of the large solid ingredients is vegetables, meat, or seafood. In the food composition according to the present invention, one type of large solid ingredient may be used, or two or more types of large solid ingredients may be used in combination.

[0040] Large solid ingredients may be cooked or uncooked, and can be appropriately selected depending on the type of large solid ingredient. The cooking method for large solid ingredients is not particularly limited and includes, for example, stir-frying, boiling, steaming, and deep-frying.

[0041] From the viewpoint of ensuring that the effects of the large solid ingredients mentioned above are achieved more reliably, the maximum extension length of the large solid ingredients is preferably 10 to 20 mm. The "maximum extension length" referred to here is as described above.

[0042] From the viewpoint of ensuring that the effects of the large solid ingredients mentioned above (effects of improving appearance and texture) are achieved more reliably, the content of large solid ingredients in the food composition is 10 to 80% by mass, preferably 55 to 70% by mass. If the content of large solid ingredients is too low, the effects of the large solid ingredients may decrease, and it may also contradict the technical concept of the present invention, which involves employing specific problem-solving means to prevent the large solid ingredients from falling off. On the other hand, if the content of large solid ingredients is too high, the total content of liquid food and small solid ingredients in the food composition will be relatively insufficient, which may reduce the effects of these ingredients mentioned above (effects of preventing the toppings from falling off).

[0043] Provided that the predetermined effects of the present invention are not inhibited, the food composition may contain other ingredients other than the essential ingredients (liquid food, small solid ingredients, and large solid ingredients) mentioned above. Examples of such other ingredients include vegetables with a maximum extension length of more than 3 mm but less than 5 mm (ingredients derived from vegetables that do not fall under the category of small solid ingredients), and meat or seafood with a maximum extension length of less than 5 mm (ingredients derived from meat or seafood that do not fall under the category of large solid ingredients). It is preferable that the maximum extension length of such other ingredients is less than 20 mm. Furthermore, the content of such other foods in the food composition is preferably 50% by mass or less, and more preferably 25% by mass or less.

[0044] Next, the method for producing the frozen food of the present invention (hereinafter also simply referred to as "the method for producing the present invention") will be described. The method for producing the present invention will be described in a manner that differs from that of the frozen food of the present invention described above. For any configuration not specifically described in this method, the description of the frozen food of the present invention described above will apply as appropriate.

[0045] The manufacturing method of the present invention comprises a step of preparing the food composition, a step of placing the food composition prepared in the preparation step on the surface of the solid food or its frozen product to obtain an intermediate product (intermediate product manufacturing step), and a step of freezing the intermediate product (freezing step).

[0046] In the preparation step, the food composition is prepared by mixing the ingredients that are the raw materials for the food composition. The order in which the raw materials are mixed is not particularly limited, but a method of mixing the liquid food and small solid ingredients, and then adding and mixing the large solid ingredients to the mixture (hereinafter also referred to as the "specific mixing method") is preferred. In the specific mixing method, the liquid food does not need to have a viscosity of 2000 to 6000 mPa·s at a product temperature of 25°C before mixing with the small solid ingredients; it is sufficient that the final food composition has such a viscosity.

[0047] By preparing the food composition using the aforementioned specific mixing method, a food composition in which each ingredient is uniformly mixed can be obtained, and the detachment of the topping portion can be more reliably prevented. In other words, as mentioned above, the effect of preventing the detachment of the topping portion (especially the large solid ingredients in the topping portion) is largely due to the fact that the frozen small solid ingredients function as a reinforcing material for the frozen liquid food. Furthermore, in order for this reinforcing function to be effectively expressed, it is important that the frozen small solid ingredients are uniformly dispersed within the frozen liquid food. By mixing the raw materials in the food composition preparation process as described above, the small solid ingredients become easier to uniformly disperse within the liquid food, thereby preventing the detachment of the topping portion, which is the frozen material of the food composition. In mixing methods other than the specified mixing method described above, specifically, in methods of adding and mixing small solid ingredients to a mixture of liquid food and large solid ingredients, and in methods of simultaneously adding and mixing small solid ingredients and large solid ingredients to liquid food, the development of viscosity due to the mixing of liquid food and large solid ingredients makes it difficult to uniformly disperse the small solid ingredients in the liquid food. As a result, achieving such uniform dispersion becomes difficult, or requires a great deal of effort or time, and there is a risk that excessive external force will be applied to the large solid ingredients during the preparation of the food composition, causing them to break.

[0048] In the intermediate product manufacturing process, the food composition prepared in the preparation process may be placed on the top surface of the solid food, or on the top surface of the main body of the solid food, which is a frozen product. In other words, the solid food may be frozen and solidified at the time the food composition is placed (i.e., it may be the main body), or it may not be frozen and solidified. However, in the method of placing the food composition on the top surface of frozen and solidified solid food, the food composition may be cooled when it comes into contact with the top surface, reducing its fluidity and making it difficult for the food composition to diffuse on the top surface. From the viewpoint of reliably preventing such inconveniences, it is preferable that the solid food is not frozen and solidified at the time the food composition is placed.

[0049] In the aforementioned freezing step, the intermediate product obtained in the intermediate product manufacturing step is frozen. The method for freezing the intermediate product is not particularly limited, and known freezing methods can be used.

[0050] It is preferable that the liquid food is not subjected to heat treatment from the preparation step through the intermediate product manufacturing step to the completion of the freezing step. In other words, it is preferable that the liquid food is not heated in the preparation step and the intermediate product manufacturing step, as well as in the freezing step. This is because if the liquid food is heated during such a period, unintended changes in viscosity of the liquid food and unintended changes in shape of small solid ingredients may occur, which may prevent the predetermined effects of the present invention from being achieved. The term "heat treatment" refers to a process in which the temperature of the liquid food increases by 30°C or more, based on the temperature of the product immediately before it is subjected to the preparation step. [Examples]

[0051] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0052] (Manufacturing of liquid foods) Tomato paste, sautéed and pasteurized aromatic vegetables, water, and seasonings were simmered over low heat, strained through a 0.05 mm sieve, and the viscosity was adjusted with modified starch to obtain several types of tomato sauce with different viscosities as a liquid food. Acetylated phosphate cross-linked starch was used as the modified starch. The content of the modified starch in each of the several types of tomato sauce (liquid food) was 0.5 to 2.5% by mass relative to 100% by mass of the tomato sauce.

[0053] (Manufacturing of vegetable slices A-C) As vegetable pieces, thinly sliced ​​onions, coarsely chopped carrots, and garlic were used. After sautéing the vegetable pieces, they were further cut and separated to obtain four fractions: 1) a fraction with a maximum span length of 0.05 mm or more and less than 0.8 mm, 2) a fraction with a maximum span length of 0.8 mm or more and 2.3 mm or less, 3) a fraction with a maximum span length of more than 2.3 mm and 3 mm or less, and 4) a fraction with a maximum span length of more than 3 mm and less than 5 mm. Vegetable pieces A to C were obtained by using one of these fractions alone or by mixing two of them. The composition of vegetable pieces A to C is shown in Table 1 below. Vegetable pieces A and B correspond to the small solid ingredients derived from vegetables according to the present invention described above, while vegetable piece C does not.

[0054] [Table 1]

[0055] (Manufacturing of large solid ingredients) A mixture of boiled ham and boiled corn was prepared as a large solid ingredient. The boiled ham was cut, and the boiled corn was sorted by kernel, so that the maximum length of each ingredient was within the range of 10 to 20 mm. In the large solid ingredient, the ham content was 50% by mass per 100% by mass of the large solid ingredient, and the corn content was 50% by mass per 100% by mass of the large solid ingredient.

[0056] (Manufacturing of food compositions) A food composition was prepared using the aforementioned liquid food, vegetable pieces A to C, and large solid ingredients. Specifically, one of several types of liquid food with different viscosities was thoroughly mixed with one of the vegetable pieces A to C, the large solid ingredients were added to the mixture and thoroughly mixed, and then left to stand for 30 minutes to obtain the food composition. The liquid food was not subjected to heat treatment during the preparation of the food composition. The composition of the obtained food composition is shown in Tables 2 to 5 below.

[0057] [Examples 1-15 and Comparative Examples 1-6: Manufacturing of Frozen Foods] As a frozen food, a pre-cooked frozen pasta dish having the same appearance as frozen food 1 shown in Figure 1 was manufactured. Specifically, first, commercially available dried spaghetti was boiled and cooked, and the boiled spaghetti was mixed with commercially available tomato sauce to obtain spaghetti with sauce. Next, 150g of the spaghetti with sauce was placed in a resin tray having a circular bottom wall in plan view and a peripheral wall rising from the periphery of the bottom wall, so as to fill almost the entire area of ​​the storage space (the storage space surrounded by the bottom wall and the peripheral wall), thereby obtaining a noodle mass with a shape corresponding to the shape of the storage mass, i.e., a circular shape in plan view, and the upper surface of the noodle mass was arranged to be an almost perfectly horizontal surface to obtain a solid food. Next, 40g of the food composition was placed in the center of the upper surface of the solid food, and then frozen at -35°C, thereby manufacturing a frozen food (pre-cooked frozen pasta dish) in which a topping portion made of the frozen food composition was placed in the center of the upper surface of the main body made of the frozen noodle mass, which is the frozen solid food.

[0058] [Evaluation Test] The frozen foods (pre-cooked frozen pasta dishes) of each example and comparative example contained in the aforementioned tray were placed in polyethylene bags, sealed, and stored in a -35°C freezer for 3 days. After being removed from the freezer, the bags were dropped from a height of 50 cm. After repeating this dropping operation of the frozen foods 5 times, the frozen foods were removed from the bags and visually inspected. The appearance (arrangement of toppings) was evaluated according to the following evaluation criteria, while comparing it with the results of the visual inspection of the frozen foods before the dropping operation. Furthermore, the frozen foods of each example and comparative example were heated and thawed in a microwave oven at 500W for 3 minutes to obtain a cooked food (cooked pasta dish) in which the food composition was placed on top of the solid food (the noodle mass of spaghetti with sauce), and the texture of the cooked food was evaluated according to the following evaluation criteria. Ten samples were prepared for each example and comparative example, and the appearance and texture were evaluated by a trained expert panel. The average of these evaluation scores was used as the evaluation result for the subject. The results are shown in Tables 2 to 5 below.

[0059] <Evaluation criteria for appearance after drop operation> 5 points: The entire topping is integrated and arranged on top of the main part (frozen noodle block), and there is virtually no change in appearance from before the drop operation, which is extremely good. 4 points: Compared to the appearance before the drop operation, some of the toppings are in a state where they can swing, and some of the toppings are about to fall off, but the entire topping is integrated and positioned on top of the main body, which is good. 3 points: Compared to the appearance before the drop operation, more than 10% of the topping has fallen off the main body, but the condition is still relatively good. 2 points: Compared to the appearance before the drop operation, more than 20% of the topping portion has fallen off from the main body, which is defective. 1 point: Compared to the appearance before the drop operation, more than 30% of the topping portion has detached from the main body, which is extremely defective.

[0060] <Criteria for evaluating texture> 5 points: The deterioration in texture of large solid ingredients due to the viscosity of the food composition was not at all noticeable, making it extremely good. 4 points: The deterioration in texture of large solid ingredients due to the viscosity of the food composition was hardly noticeable, which is good. 3 points: The viscosity of the food composition is slightly high, which results in a slightly unusual texture for the large solid ingredients, but is otherwise good. Points 2: The food composition has high viscosity, which results in a reduced texture of the large solid ingredients, making it undesirable. 1 point: The viscosity of the food composition is extremely high, which significantly reduces the texture of the large solid ingredients, making it extremely unacceptable.

[0061] [Table 2]

[0062] As shown in Table 2, each example had a viscosity of 2000-6000 mPa·s at a product temperature of 25°C for the liquid food. Compared to the comparative example that did not meet this requirement, it was superior in both the appearance of the frozen food after the dropping operation and the texture of the liquid food.

[0063] [Table 3]

[0064] As shown in Table 3, in each example, the proportion of small solid ingredients to the total content of liquid food and small solid ingredients in the food composition was 10 to 70% by mass. Therefore, compared to the comparative example which did not meet this requirement, the appearance of the frozen food after the dropping operation was superior.

[0065] [Table 4]

[0066] As shown in Table 4, in each example, the vegetable pieces A or B contained in the food composition were small solid ingredients with a maximum extension length of 0.05 to 3 mm, and therefore, compared to the comparative example that did not meet this requirement, the appearance of the frozen food after the dropping operation was superior.

[0067] [Table 5]

[0068] As shown in Table 5, each example had a large solid ingredient content of 10-80% by mass in the food composition, and therefore exhibited superior appearance after the freezing operation compared to the comparative example which did not meet this requirement. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0069] 1. Frozen food (pre-cooked frozen pasta dishes) 2 Main part 2a Upper surface of the main body 3. Topping section 31. Frozen liquid foods 32 Large solid frozen ingredients

Claims

1. A frozen food comprising a main body and a topping portion disposed on the upper surface of the main body, wherein the main body is made of a frozen solid food product including food that is solid at room temperature and pressure, and the topping portion is made of a frozen food composition, The food composition contains a fluid food having a viscosity of 2000 to 6000 mPa·s at a temperature of 25°C, small solid ingredients derived from vegetables with a maximum dispensing length of 0.05 to 3 mm, and large solid ingredients with a maximum dispensing length of 5 to 20 mm. The proportion of the small solid ingredients in the food composition to the total content of the liquid food and the small solid ingredients (100% by mass) is 10 to 70% by mass. The total content of the liquid food and the small solid ingredients in the food composition is 10 to 90% by mass. A frozen food in which the content of the large solid ingredients in the food composition is 10 to 80% by mass.

2. The total content of the liquid food and the small solid ingredients in the food composition is 30 to 40% by mass. The frozen food according to claim 1, wherein the content of the large solid ingredients in the food composition is 55 to 70% by mass.

3. The frozen food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the maximum length of the small solid ingredients is 0.8 to 2.3 mm.

4. The frozen food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the starch content in the liquid food is 0.01 to 5% by mass.

5. A method for producing a frozen food according to claim 1 or 2, The food composition preparation step, A step of obtaining an intermediate product by placing the food composition prepared in the above preparation step on the surface of the solid food or its frozen product, The process includes a step of freezing the aforementioned intermediate product, A method for producing frozen food, comprising the preparation step of mixing the liquid food and the small solid ingredients, and then adding and mixing the large solid ingredients to the mixture.

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