Method for producing dried meat-like products

Abstract

To provide a dried processed meat-like product which does not contain meat, uses a plant-derived component as a main ingredient, and has appearance, food feeling, and flavor unique to dried processed meat.SOLUTION: A method of producing a dried processed meat-like product includes the steps of (i) mixing textured processed soy protein and water to prepare protein of renaturation, (ii) mixing the protein of renaturation and liquid seasoning to prepare a base composition, (iii) heating the base composition, (iv) forming the base composition, (v) drying the base composition after heating and forming, and (vi) rolling the base composition after drying.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a novel dried meat (jerky)-like product mainly made from plant-derived ingredients and a method for producing the novel dried meat-like product using plant-derived ingredients as the main ingredient. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for meat-like foods that do not use meat and that have a texture and flavor similar to meat but are made primarily from plant-derived ingredients, due to people's increasing interest in health, changing tastes, environmental considerations, economic circumstances, etc. For example, meat-like processed foods made primarily from vegetable proteins such as soybean protein, as described in Patent Document 1, have become widespread.

[0003] Dried meat (jerky) generally refers to meat such as beef, pork, chicken, and horse meat that has been dried and can be used as a preserved food. Dried meat is usually produced by first seasoning the raw meat, then heating and drying it. There is a demand for dried meat-like products that do not use livestock meat as an alternative to this type of dried meat. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a method for producing a dried livestock meat-like food using soybean protein, starch, and edible oils and fats as the main raw materials. The dried livestock meat-like food disclosed therein is produced by a production method in which soybean protein to which water has been added is processed in an extruder to prepare fibrous soybean protein, which is then added with a seasoning liquid and dried. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-75358 A [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 62-74246 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Meat-like products made mainly from plant-derived ingredients such as soy protein are widely available, such as hamburgers and sausages, which use soy protein processed to resemble minced meat, as described in Patent Document 1. However, products made by drying chunks of meat, such as jerky, have a unique appearance, texture, and flavor that differ from products using minced meat. It is difficult to reproduce this by adding water to fibrous protein, forming it, and then seasoning, heating, and drying it in the same way as chunks of meat. It can be said that we have not yet been able to produce a dried meat-like product with a unique appearance, texture, and flavor that can replace dried meat.

[0006] Furthermore, in recent years, there has been a trend towards preference for dried meat that is soft to the touch and easy to tear by hand, but it is even more difficult to produce dried meat-like products with such properties using conventional techniques.

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a dried meat-like product that does not contain meat and is made mainly from plant-derived ingredients, has the appearance, texture and flavor unique to dried meat, and is soft to the touch and easy to tear by hand. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The inventors have discovered that, in producing a dried meat-like product using tissue-processed soy protein as the main ingredient, a base composition in which the content of tissue-processed soy protein and water activity have been optimally adjusted can be dried and then rolled to obtain a dried meat-like product having the unique appearance, texture and flavor of dried meat.

[0009] That is, the present invention provides the following. (1) A dried meat-like product having a textured soy protein content of 15-50% and a water activity of 0.75-0.87, and not containing meat. (2) the following steps: (i) mixing the texture-processed soy protein with water to prepare a reconstituted protein; (ii) mixing the rehydrated protein with a seasoning liquid to prepare a base composition; (iii) heating the base composition; (iv) forming the base composition; (v) drying the base composition after heating and molding; and (vi) rolling the dried base composition; A method for producing a dried meat-like food, comprising: (3) The method according to (2), wherein in the step (i), the texture-processed soy protein and water are mixed in a weight ratio of 1:1 to 1:5. (4) The method according to (2) or (3), wherein in the step (ii), the reconstituted protein and the seasoning liquid are mixed in a weight ratio of 1:1 to 3:1. (5) Any of the methods (2) to (4), wherein in the step (v), the water activity of the base composition after drying is set to 0.75 to 0.87. (6) A dried meat-like product produced by any of the methods in (2) to (5). Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a dried meat-like product that does not contain meat and is made mainly from plant-derived ingredients, has the appearance, texture and flavor unique to dried meat, and further has a soft texture and is easy to tear by hand. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] In this specification, "A to B" (A and B are numerical values) means "A or more and B or less" unless otherwise specified. "%" used in this specification means "% by weight" unless otherwise specified.

[0012] <Dried meat-like products> The dried meat-like food of the present invention is characterized in that it has a texture-modified soy protein content of 15 to 50%, a water activity of 0.75 to 0.87, and does not contain meat.

[0013] The dried meat-like food of the present invention contains texture-processed soy protein as a main ingredient. In this specification, soy protein refers to a protein-containing ingredient produced by defatting soybeans. Defatted soybean material is processed into granular or fibrous form before or after separation, and then dried or frozen, which are respectively called granular soy protein and fibrous soy protein, and these are collectively called texture-processed soy protein. Preferably, the texture-processed soy protein complies with the standard for "granular vegetable protein" or "textured vegetable protein" of JAS standard 0838:2019.

[0014] The dried meat-like food of the present invention does not contain meat, but contains 15 to 50%, preferably 20 to 45%, and more preferably 22 to 40% of tissue-processed soy protein. If the content of tissue-processed soy protein is less than 15%, it is difficult to reproduce a texture similar to that of meat, and if it exceeds 50%, the texture becomes hard and difficult to tear by hand. The tissue-processed soy protein used is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to use granular protein.

[0015] In this specification, "water activity" (Aw) refers to the proportion of water available for the growth of microorganisms in a food, and refers to a value calculated by the formula Aw=P / PD, where P is the water vapor pressure in a sealed container containing the food, and PD is the above pressure of pure water at that temperature. The water activity of the dried meat-like food of the present invention is 0.75 to 0.87, preferably 0.80 to 0.87. If the water activity is lower than 0.75, it is difficult to obtain a texture similar to dried meat, and if it is higher than 0.87, the storage stability of the product is likely to be reduced.

[0016] The dried meat-like product of the present invention preferably has a thickness of 2 to 10 mm, particularly 2.5 to 7 mm, and more preferably 3 to 6 mm. The dried meat-like product of the present invention is preferably produced through a rolling process. Therefore, the thickness is preferably the thickness after the rolling process.

[0017] The shape of the whole dried meat-like product is not particularly limited, and may be square, rectangular, oval, or irregular. Considering ease of handling as a food, the size of the dried meat product is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, in the range of 5 cm x 5 cm to 20 cm x 20 cm.

[0018] The dried meat-like food of the present invention may contain fats and oils. As fats and oils, either vegetable fats and oils or animal fats and oils may be used, but vegetable fats and oils are preferably used. Preferable vegetable fats and oils include soybean oil, rapeseed oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, coconut oil, and sesame oil. The content of fats and oils is preferably 0.1 to 1.0 parts by weight, particularly 0.2 to 0.8 parts by weight, and more preferably 0.3 to 0.7 parts by weight, per part by weight of the texture-processed soybean protein.

[0019] The dried meat-like product of the present invention may contain transglutaminase. Transglutaminase gels vegetable protein components and provides a meat-like chewiness, so it is useful for obtaining a texture closer to that of meat. As the transglutaminase used in the dried meat-like product of the present invention, a commercially available glutaminase preparation such as Activa TG-S-NF (Ajinomoto Co., Inc.) can be used. The dried meat-like food of the present invention preferably contains 0.005 to 0.03 parts by weight of the glutaminase preparation per part by weight of the tissue-processed soybean protein.

[0020] The dried meat-like product of the present invention may contain a coloring component. The coloring component may be selected from those usable as food additives, such as red millet powder, cocoa powder, caramel color, gardenia color, etc. Such coloring components are particularly useful for giving consumers a sense of satisfaction as if they were eating meat, even from the appearance alone.

[0021] The dried meat-like product of the present invention may contain various seasonings (soy sauce, salt, sugars, spices, acidulants, amino acids, etc.), pH adjusters, thickening polysaccharides, whey protein, egg white, etc. In particular, animal proteins such as whey protein and egg white are useful for enhancing the meat flavor.

[0022] The dried meat-like product obtained according to the present invention can be further cut and packaged as required to provide a suitable product form.

[0023] The dried meat-like product of the present invention is preferably a dried meat-like food produced by the manufacturing method of the dried meat product of the present invention described below. The dried meat-like product of the present invention is characterized by having an appearance and texture similar to that of dried meat obtained by drying natural meat, but the appearance and properties of natural meat are not constant, and it is difficult to fully describe its characteristics. Therefore, it is also necessary to describe the dried meat-like product of the present invention as being produced by the manufacturing method described below.

[0024] <Method of manufacturing dried meat-like products> The method for producing a dried meat-like food of the present invention is characterized by comprising the following steps. (i) mixing the texture-processed soy protein with water to prepare a reconstituted protein; (ii) mixing the rehydrated protein with a seasoning liquid to prepare a base composition; (iii) heating the base composition; (iv) forming the base composition; (v) drying the base composition after heating and molding; and (vi) rolling the dried base composition.

[0025] The method of the present invention will be described in detail below in the order of each step. The definitions of the terms used below are the same as those explained in the section <Dried meat-like product> unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, the dried meat-like product produced by the method of the present invention has the same properties as the dried meat-like product explained in the section <Dried meat-like product> unless otherwise specified.

[0026] Step (i) of the method of the present invention is a step of mixing the tissue-processed soy protein with water to prepare a reconstituted protein. The tissue-processed soy protein is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to use granular soy protein. In step (i), the mixing ratio of the tissue-processed soy protein to water is preferably 1:1 to 1:5, particularly 1:2 to 1:3, by weight. Preferably, the water content is such that the water activity of the dried meat-like product of the present invention can be realized after production. In step (i), seasonings, transglutaminase, etc. may be added to the tissue-processed soy protein in addition to water. Mixing is preferably performed using a commonly used known stirring device such as a vacuum mixer, a mixer, a silent cutter, or a rotary massager.

[0027] Step (ii) of the method of the present invention is a step of preparing a base composition by mixing the rehydrated protein with a seasoning liquid. The seasoning liquid is also called pickle liquid and contains a seasoning and water. The seasoning liquid may further contain coloring agents, oils and fats, pH adjusters, thickening polysaccharides, whey protein, egg white, etc. Examples of seasonings include soy sauce, salt, sugars, spices, acidulants, amino acids, etc. The mixing ratio of the rehydrated protein to the seasoning liquid is 1:1 to 3:1, preferably 5:4 to 7:3, by weight. Mixing is preferably performed using a commonly used known stirring device such as a vacuum mixer, a mixer, a silent cutter, or a rotary massager.

[0028] Step (iii) of the method of the present invention is a step of heating the base composition. The base composition may be heated as it is, or may be heated in a state sealed in a casing or the like. The heating means is not particularly limited as long as it does not substantially affect the composition ratio of materials other than water, but preferably, steaming, hot water bath, etc. can be used. Note that step (iii) may be performed after step (iv). In this case, for example, the molded base composition can be sealed in a vacuum pack or the like, and heated by steaming, hot water bath, etc.

[0029] Step (iv) of the method of the present invention is a step of shaping the base composition. Step (iv) may be performed before or after step (iii), but is preferably performed after step (iii). When performed after step (iii), it is a step of shaping the heated base composition. When step (iii) is performed using a casing or the like, step (iv) may include a step of slicing it to a preset thickness. When performed before step (iii), the shaped base composition may be sealed one by one in a vacuum pack or the like as described above.

[0030] In step (iv), the base composition is preferably formed to a thickness of 4 to 12 mm, particularly 5 to 9 mm, and further preferably 6 to 8 mm. In particular, it is preferably formed so that the thickness after drying in step (v) is 3 to 11 mm, and further preferably 4 to 10 mm. If the thickness before drying is less than 4 mm, it is difficult to obtain the effect of rolling in step (vi), and if it exceeds 12 mm, it is difficult to obtain ease of eating (ease of tearing).

[0031] Step (v) of the method of the present invention is a step of drying the base composition after heating and molding. The drying means is not particularly limited, but can be carried out using a dryer, a smokehouse, etc., while adjusting the drying temperature and time appropriately according to the type, size, weight, etc. of the meat. The drying step is carried out until the water activity of the base composition reaches a predetermined value. The predetermined value of water activity here is any value of 0.75 to 0.87, preferably 0.80 to 0.87. If the water activity is lowered below 0.75, the texture of the finished product becomes hard, and in the subsequent rolling step, the base composition is more likely to crack or the desired softness cannot be obtained.

[0032] Step (vi) of the method of the present invention is a step of rolling the base composition after drying. The rolling step can use a rolling means used in the art, such as a rolling roll. It is preferable to adjust the rolling conditions (compression force, roll rotation speed, etc.) using the rolling roll while checking the state of the base composition so that the base composition is less likely to crack and can be rolled with a smaller roll gap. The rolling direction can be, for example, along the fiber direction of soy protein or perpendicular to the fiber direction. It is preferable to roll in stages for those with a thickness of 10 mm or more. It is preferable to roll the rolling step without using a heating means such as a heating roll in order to prevent an excessive decrease in water activity. The rolling means, rolling conditions, rolling direction, etc. are not particularly limited.

[0033] The thickness of the base composition after rolling is preferably 2 to 10 mm, particularly 2.5 to 7 mm, and further preferably 3 to 6 mm. The base composition before the rolling process has a constant thickness and is typical, which is different from the amorphous appearance of dried meat. The texture is also rough and hard, which is likely to be different from the texture of meat. In addition, it is difficult to obtain the property of being easy to tear by hand, which is required for dried meat products. By adding the rolling process, the fibers open up, and the appearance tends to become closer to that of dried meat. In addition, the opening of the fibers makes the texture closer to that of meat, and further improves the softness. In addition, the property of being easy to tear by hand is obtained. EXAMPLES

[0034] The present invention will be described in more detail below by way of examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0035] Example 1: Effect of water activity on beef jerky-like products 3400 parts by weight of granular soy protein was added to 8500 parts by weight of water and mixed in a vacuum mixer to prepare rehydrated protein. A seasoning liquid (containing soy sauce, sugar, coloring, spices, amino acids, powdered egg white, whey protein, thickening polysaccharides, transglutaminase preparation, olive oil, and water) was added to the rehydrated protein and seasoning liquid in a weight ratio of 3:2, and mixed in a vacuum mixer to prepare a base composition. The amounts of the transglutaminase preparation and olive oil contained in the seasoning liquid were 0.013 parts by weight and 0.52 parts by weight, respectively, per part by weight of granular soy protein.

[0036] The base composition was stuffed into a fibrous casing and heated by steaming. The heated base composition was sliced ​​into slices of 7.5 mm thickness, placed on a wire net, and dried in a smokehouse (drying equipment) until the water activity reached 0.7, 0.75, 0.8, and 0.86. After drying, the base composition had an average thickness of 4.4 mm.

[0037] Next, the dried base composition was rolled using a rolling roll (Ultra Roll L-500 type, Taiyo Seisakusho). The strength of the rolling was adjusted by turning the left and right handles while checking the state of the product. The average thickness of the base composition after rolling was 3.8 mm. Each base composition after rolling was cut to a width of 10 mm to form a dried meat-like product.

[0038] <Sensory evaluation> The ease of eating, texture and appearance of each dried meat-like product were evaluated by six panelists using the following evaluation criteria. The evaluation results are shown in Table 1. Ease of eating ○: Good (easy to tear by hand) △: Fairly good (slightly easy to tear) ×: Poor (difficult to tear) Texture 〇: Good (soft texture similar to meat) △: Fairly good (slightly hard texture remains) ×: Poor (hard texture) exterior ○: Good (fibers are open) △: Fairly good (fibers are partially open, but cracks are visible) ×: Poor (no opening of fibers observed, cracks observed)

[0039] [Table 1]

[0040] As shown in Table 1, a water activity of 0.75 or higher results in a dried meat-like appearance with open fibers, while a water activity of 0.8 or higher results in a soft meat-like texture.

[0041] Example 2: Effect of thickness on beef jerky-like products The adjustment of reconstituted protein, the adjustment of seasoning liquid, mixing, and heating were performed under the same conditions as in Example 1. The heated base composition was sliced ​​to a specified thickness, placed on a wire mesh, and dried in a smokehouse (drying treatment equipment) until the water activity reached 0.86. The thicknesses of each base composition after drying were 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 mm.

[0042] The dried base composition was then rolled using a rolling roll. The thickness of each base composition after rolling was 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 mm, respectively. Each base composition after rolling was cut into a width of 10 mm to form a dried meat-like product.

[0043] A sensory evaluation was carried out by six monitors using the same criteria as in Example 1. For comparison, a base composition having a thickness of 5 mm before rolling was cut without rolling and subjected to the same sensory evaluation. The evaluation results are shown in Table 2.

[0044] [Table 2]

[0045] It was confirmed that the ease of eating, texture, and appearance of the rolled dried meat-like products with a thickness of 4 to 9 mm were all good. On the other hand, the ease of eating, texture, and appearance of the products that were not rolled were all significantly different from those of the dried meat products. [Industrial Applicability]

[0046] INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be utilized primarily in the food industry as a dried meat-like product to replace jerky and a method for producing the same.

Claims

1. The following steps: (i) mixing the texture-processed soy protein with water to prepare a reconstituted protein; (ii) mixing the rehydrated protein with a seasoning liquid to prepare a base composition; (iii) heating the base composition; (iv) shaping the base composition; (v) drying the base composition after heating and molding; and (vi) rolling the dried base composition; A method for producing a dried meat-like food, comprising: The dried meat-like food product has a textured modified soy protein content of 15-50%, a water activity of 0.75-0.87, and is meat-free.

2. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the step (i), the texture-processed soy protein and water are mixed in a weight ratio of 1:1 to 1:

5.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the step (ii), the reconstituted protein and the liquid seasoning are mixed in a weight ratio of 1:1 to 3:

1.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein in step (v), the water activity of the base composition after drying is 0.75 to 0.

87.

5. A dried meat-like product produced by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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