Food containing myoga and method for producing food containing myoga

Abstract

To provide Japanese ginger-containing food product inhibiting a color tone of Japanese ginger from color fading and a method for producing the Japanese ginger-containing food product.SOLUTION: The Japanese ginger-containing food product containing Japanese ginger and a pH adjusting substance, having a pH of 3.6 or less and filled in a container; and the method for producing the Japanese ginger-containing food product including: a step of preparing a raw material mixture containing Japanese ginger and a pH adjusting substance, and having a pH of 3.6 or less; and a step of filling the raw material mixture in the container.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a myoga-containing food and a method for producing a myoga-containing food. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, in response to consumer demand for hassle-free cooking, there has been active development of time-saving food products. For example, aromatic vegetables such as garlic and ginger are ingredients that are mainly chopped or grated when used in cooking, which is inconvenient for many consumers, so in order to save the time and effort of processing, products have been marketed in which the vegetables are pre-chopped or grated and then squeezed out and packaged in tube containers.

[0003] Meanwhile, myoga (scientific name: Zingiber mioga) is a perennial plant of the Zingiberaceae family native to East Asia, and has been a familiar herb in Japan for a long time. The parts of the plant that are used for food are the inflorescences and young stems and leaves, and they are ingredients that allow you to enjoy their unique aroma and bitterness. For example, they are used as garnishes, condiments, pickles, vinegared dishes, soups, simmered dishes, etc., and they can impart the unique aroma and bitterness of myoga, as well as adding visual color with their reddish-purple color.

[0004] As an idea for saving cooking time when using myoga as an ingredient, for example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 61-10679) listed below describes sealing chopped myoga and green onions in bags and freezing them. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 61-10679 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, according to research by the present inventors, when myoga is processed into shredded form and packed into a container for serving, the color of the myoga fades over time, making it difficult to achieve a stable color tone in processed foods.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a myoga-containing food and a method for producing a myoga-containing food that suppresses fading of the color tone of myoga. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the inventors conducted extensive research and discovered that by preparing a mixture of ingredients for a food product containing myoga at a low pH, the color of myoga can be stabilized and discoloration can be suppressed, thus completing the present invention.

[0009] That is, the present invention provides a myoga-containing food, which contains myoga and a pH adjusting substance, has a pH of 3.6 or less, and is packed in a container.

[0010] In the above-mentioned food containing myoga, it is preferable that the main ingredient is myoga.

[0011] In addition, the above-mentioned food containing myoga preferably further contains an antioxidant.

[0012] In addition, the above-mentioned food containing myoga preferably has a viscosity at 25°C of 10 to 400 Pa·s.

[0013] On the other hand, in another aspect, the present invention provides a method for producing a myoga-containing food, comprising the steps of preparing a raw material mixture containing myoga and a pH adjusting substance and having a pH of 3.6 or less, and filling the raw material mixture into a container.

[0014] In the above-mentioned method for producing a food containing Japanese ginger, it is preferable that the main raw material of the raw material mixture is Japanese ginger.

[0015] In addition, in the above-mentioned method for producing a food containing myoga, it is preferable that the raw material mixture further contains an antioxidant.

[0016] In the method for producing a food containing myoga, the raw material mixture preferably has a viscosity at 25°C of 10 to 400 Pa·s. Effect of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, in a food containing myoga that is filled in a container and provided, fading of the color of the myoga can be effectively suppressed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a photograph of the tubed myoga-containing food prepared in Test Example 1, when the food was subjected to a discoloration evaluation after storage at room temperature. [Diagram 2] Photographs showing the change in color of the tubed myoga-containing food prepared in Test Example 2 before and after storage at room temperature. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] The Japanese ginger used in the present invention may be any Japanese ginger that is edible, and there is no particular restriction on the place of origin, variety, harvest time, etc. For example, it may be a flower Japanese ginger using an inflorescence, or a Japanese ginger mushroom cultivated by softening the leaf part. As a raw material, fresh Japanese ginger may be used, or a Japanese ginger raw material that has been subjected to a process such as freezing, drying, salting, etc. and stored for a certain period of time may be used. The shape may be a normal cooking and processing form, and there is no particular restriction on the shape, such as chopped, shredded, round sliced, minced, grated, crushed, paste, etc.

[0020] The Japanese ginger-containing food according to the present invention may contain ingredients other than Japanese ginger, and there is no particular limit to the type or number of ingredients. Examples of the ingredients include sugars, salt, seasonings, alcohol preparations, sugar alcohols, vegetables, fruits, spices, herbs, and flavorings. However, in order to obtain the effect of suppressing the fading of the color tone of Japanese ginger, it is necessary to contain a pH adjusting substance and adjust the pH to 3.6 or less. The pH adjusting substance may be any substance that is acceptable for consumption, such as citric acid, acetic acid, gluconic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, tartaric acid, adipic acid, itaconic acid, phosphoric acid, glacial acetic acid, and glucono-delta-lactone. Alternatively, the pH adjusting substance may be an edible material that can substantially adjust the pH of the Japanese ginger-containing food, such as pickled plums, pickled plums, and fruit juice. The pH adjusting substance may be one type, or two or more types.

[0021] The low pH adjustment for suppressing the fading of the color tone of Japanese ginger can be carried out by preparing a raw material mixture containing at least Japanese ginger and a pH adjusting substance and having a pH of 3.6 or less. To efficiently carry out this low pH adjustment, mixing, stirring, immersion, etc., are sufficient. Although it is not possible to say in general terms depending on the device and the amount of processing, for example, if stirring or immersion is used, it is preferable to stir or immerse for 1 minute or more. In this case, there is no particular restriction on the order of addition of the pH adjusting substance, as long as the final pH of the Japanese ginger-containing food is within the above range. That is, for example, the pH can be measured and evaluated in the state of the raw material mixture just before filling it into a container. The pH may be 3.6 or less as described above, or may be in the range of pH 2.8 to 3.6, or may be in the range of pH 3.0 to 3.6.

[0022] In any embodiment not limited by the present invention, the main ingredient of the myoga-containing food of the present invention is preferably myoga. Here, the term "main ingredient" refers to a food containing myoga in an amount of 20% to 99.9% by weight, or 40% to 80% by weight, or 50% to 70% by weight. In this case, when a material prepared in a dried state such as whole, flake, powder, salted, etc. is used as the raw material, the wet weight, that is, the value of the myoga in fresh form, is used. Specifically, for example, according to the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan, myoga has a moisture content of 95.6 to 97.1%, so such a value can be used to convert to fresh form. In addition, in the product, myoga can be confirmed as the main ingredient by the fact that myoga is listed first to third in the list of ingredients excluding additives on the packaging container specified by the Food Labeling Act.

[0023] In any embodiment not limited by the present invention, the Japanese ginger-containing food of the present invention may further contain a thickener. This can impart a suitable viscosity for filling a squeeze tube container and squeezing it out of the container. Examples of the thickener include gums such as xanthan gum, tamarind gum, guar gum, locust bean gum, and gellan gum, and starch and processed starch that impart viscosity. The content of the thickener may be adjusted as appropriate, but typically may be in the range of 0.05% to 1.0% by mass, or 0.05% to 0.7% by mass, or in some cases, 0.05% to 0.3% by mass based on the wet weight of the Japanese ginger-containing food.

[0024] In any embodiment not limited in the present invention, the Japanese ginger-containing food of the present invention preferably further contains an antioxidant. This can further enhance the effect of suppressing the fading of the color tone of Japanese ginger. The antioxidant may be any substance that generally prevents oxidation of food, and there is no particular limitation on the type. Examples of antioxidants acceptable for consumption include enzyme-treated rutin, bayberry extract, phytic acid, chlorogenic acid, ascorbic acid, rosemary extract, tocopherol, etc. The content of the antioxidant may be adjusted as appropriate, but typically may be in the range of 0.05% by mass to 0.5% by mass, or in the range of 0.05% by mass to 0.4% by mass, or in the range of 0.05% by mass to 0.3% by mass, based on the wet weight of the Japanese ginger-containing food.

[0025] In any embodiment not limited by the present invention, the Japanese ginger-containing food of the present invention may further contain starch or modified starch. This can impart a suitable viscosity for filling a squeeze tube container and squeezing it out of the container. Examples of modified starch include hydroxypropylated phosphate crosslinked starch, hydroxypropyl starch, acetylated adipate crosslinked starch, acetylated phosphate crosslinked starch, acetylated oxidized starch, octenyl succinate starch, acetate starch, oxidized starch, phosphate monoesterified phosphate crosslinked starch, phosphorylated starch, or phosphate crosslinked starch. The content of modified starch may be adjusted as appropriate, but typically may be in the range of 1% to 30% by mass, or 1% to 20% by mass, or 1% to 10% by mass, based on the wet weight of the Japanese ginger-containing food.

[0026] In any embodiment not limited by the present invention, the Japanese ginger-containing food according to the present invention has a water activity of preferably 0.9 to 0.98, more preferably 0.94 to 0.98. The water activity can be calculated by the dew point method.

[0027] In any embodiment not limited by the present invention, the myoga-containing food of the present invention preferably has a viscosity of 10 to 400 Pa·s at 25° C. The viscosity may be, for example, in the range of 100 to 400 Pa·s, or in the range of 200 to 400 Pa·s. The viscosity may be measured by a conventional method, for example, using a B-type viscometer TVB10 manufactured by Toki Sangyo Co., Ltd., rotor No. M4, rotor rotation speed 1.5 rpm, and at 25° C.±2° C.

[0028] The Japanese ginger-containing food according to the present invention is preferably packed and sealed in a container with high gas barrier properties such as a bottle, a small bag, a pouch, a tube, or a bottle. This allows the freshness of the contents to be maintained for a longer period of time. Furthermore, it is preferable to pack the food in a squeeze tube container with a small head space. This allows the contents to be pushed out and an appropriate amount to be discharged by pressing the side of the container when in use, making it easier to use without bothering the user.

[0029] As described above, the present invention can suppress the fading of the color of Japanese ginger in a Japanese ginger-containing food by adjusting the raw material mixture to a low pH. The effect of suppressing fading can be evaluated, for example, by visually examining the color change from reddish purple to white or colorless in a case where low pH adjustment is performed and a case where low pH adjustment is not performed, and comparing the state after a certain period of time. In addition, the effect of suppressing fading by adding an antioxidant can be evaluated by comparing the case where an antioxidant is added and the case where it is not added.

[0030] In addition, the reddish purple hue of myoga is not limited to any particular color, but can be evaluated, for example, based on whether the lightness is v4 to v9 and the chroma is c6 to c18 at hue 10RP of the Munsell color solid, whether the lightness is v4 to v9 and the chroma is c6 to c22 at hue 2.5RP, whether the lightness is v4 to v9 and the chroma is c6 to c18 at hue 5R, or whether it exhibits a color tone close to any of these. EXAMPLES

[0031] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, although the scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0032] <Test Example 1> A tube-packed food containing myoga was prepared using the ingredients shown in Table 1. Specifically, the ingredients were mixed and squeezed into a tube container, and an aluminum piece was welded to the outlet of the contents to seal it. The aluminum piece was then opened to simulate use, and the cap was tightened and stored at room temperature with the cap facing up. After one week and two weeks, the color fading was visually confirmed and scored according to the evaluation criteria shown below. The pH of the raw material mixture was measured when it was prepared.

[0033] (Fading evaluation) 1: Compared to the unopened sample, the color of the myoga has completely faded (the whole product is white). 2: The product is not completely discolored compared to the unopened sample, but is about 80% white. 3: Compared to the unopened sample, the color of the ginger is still intact, but some color loss is observed. 4: The color is almost the same as the unopened sample, but there is some color loss when compared side by side. 5: The color is almost the same as the unopened sample.

[0034] The results are shown in the lower part of Table 1 and in FIG.

[0035] [Table 1]

[0036] As a result, the following became clear:

[0037] (1) In Comparative Example 1, in which the pH of the raw material mixture was adjusted to pH 3.91, discoloration was observed after one week, and the discoloration became even more noticeable after two weeks. (2) In Example 1, in which the pH of the raw material mixture was adjusted to pH 3.25, after one week, some areas of the contents in the container showed discoloration, but most of the areas of the contents in the container maintained almost the same color as the unopened sample, and even after two weeks, the color of myoga was maintained over a relatively wide area of ​​the contents in the container. (3) In Example 2, in which the pH of the raw material mixture was adjusted to pH 3.50, after one week, some areas of the contents in the container showed discoloration, but a relatively large area of ​​the contents in the container maintained almost the same color as the unopened sample, and even after two weeks, the color of myoga was maintained in about 40% of the contents in the container.

[0038] From the above, it became clear that foods containing myoga will discolor if they are simply filled into a container and capped, and that this discoloration can be suppressed by low pH treatment.

[0039] <Test Example 2> Using the ingredients shown in Table 2, a tube-packed food product containing myoga was prepared, and in the same manner as in Test Example 1, a discoloration evaluation was performed after storage at room temperature.

[0040] The results are shown in the lower part of Table 2 and in FIG.

[0041] [Table 2]

[0042] As a result, the following became clear:

[0043] (1) As seen in Examples 3 and 4, when the raw material mixture was adjusted to a low pH and enzyme-treated rutin was added, the color was maintained almost the same as that of the unopened sample even after two weeks. (2) As seen in Examples 5 to 7, when the raw material mixture was adjusted to a low pH and phytic acid or chlorogenic acid was added, even after two weeks, some color loss was observed, but the color was maintained at almost the same level as that of the unopened sample. (3) As can be seen in the comparison between Examples 8 and 9 and Examples 10 and 11, when the raw material mixture was adjusted to a low pH and was mixed with bayberry extract and ascorbic acid, even after two weeks, some color loss was observed, but the color was maintained at almost the same level as the unopened sample.

[0044] From the above, it was revealed that foods containing myoga will discolor if they are simply filled into a container and capped, and that this discoloration can be suppressed by adjusting the raw material mixture to a low pH. However, it was also made clear that discoloration can be suppressed more effectively by adding substances with antioxidant properties, such as enzyme-treated rutin, phytic acid, chlorogenic acid, ascorbic acid, and bayberry extract.

Claims

1. The myoga-containing food is characterized in that it contains myoga and a pH adjusting substance, has a pH of 3.6 or less, and a viscosity at 25° C. of 10 to 400 Pa·s, and is filled in a container.

2. 2. The myoga-containing food according to claim 1, wherein the main ingredient is myoga.

3. The food containing myoga according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an antioxidant.

4. A method for producing a Japanese ginger-containing food product, comprising: a step of preparing a raw material mixture containing Japanese ginger and a pH adjusting substance, the raw material mixture having a pH of 3.6 or less and a viscosity of 10 to 400 Pa·s at 25°C; and a step of filling the raw material mixture into a container.

5. The method for producing a food containing Japanese ginger according to claim 4, wherein the main raw material of the raw material mixture is Japanese ginger.

6. The method for producing a food containing ginger according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the raw material mixture further contains an antioxidant.

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