Powdered Seasoning Mixes

Abstract

To provide a powder seasoning mixture which includes two or more kinds of powder seasonings, in which aggregation can be suppressed and which can be easily used.SOLUTION: A powder seasoning mixture of the invention includes two or more kinds of powder seasonings, and includes further, 1-20 mass% of heat treated wheat bran derived from white wheat. The heat treatment is preferably moist heat treatment. The white wheat is preferably Australian standard white wheat. An average grain diameter of the heat treated wheat bran derived from the white wheat is 30-200 μm preferably, and as the powder seasoning, table salt is described.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a powdered seasoning mixture containing two or more kinds of powdered seasonings. [Background technology]

[0002] Powdered seasonings such as salt and various spices may absorb moisture from the air during storage and become aggregated. The aggregated powdered seasonings are difficult to sprinkle on various foods, mix with other powdered seasonings, or dissolve or disperse in liquids, and the flavor of some types of powdered seasonings may be impaired, resulting in a significant decrease in commercial value. As a technology that can solve the problems caused by the aggregation of powdered seasonings, Patent Document 1 describes an anti-caking food in which 1 to 15 mass % of fine particles of water-insoluble dietary fiber are added to powdered seasonings containing salt that is easily absorbed by moisture or water-absorbent spices such as garlic and onion, and wheat fiber is described as an example of the water-soluble dietary fiber. The term "caking" used in Patent Document 1 basically has the same meaning as "aggregation" in this specification.

[0003] Patent Document 2 describes the inclusion of 1 to 25% by mass of cereal bran in a tablet-shaped seasoning containing salt, oils and fats, and cooking flavors. When using tablet-shaped seasonings of a specific shape such as cubes, they are usually crushed with fingers to make them powdery before use. However, conventional products have a problem that the hardness increases over time after production due to a phenomenon called post-hardening, making it difficult to crush with fingers when using. The technology described in Patent Document 2 is intended to solve such a problem, but is not intended to prevent the powder seasoning from agglomerating.

[0004] Patent Document 3 describes a method for reducing the odor of meat products such as livestock meat products and fish paste products by kneading heat-treated wheat bran into the meat products, thereby making the heat-treated wheat bran contained in the meat products. Patent Document 3 also lists Australia as a source of wheat bran. hmmIt is described that soft wheat such as standard white is preferable, and that moist heat treatment can be used as a heat treatment method for wheat bran. Patent Document 3 does not mention the problem of aggregation of powdered seasonings. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-84048 [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 2018-536409 [Patent Document 3] JP 2018-50568 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] A powder seasoning mixture containing two or more kinds of powder seasonings can provide the necessary seasoning to food by itself, and can more easily add flavor and seasoning than when multiple types of powder seasonings that exist individually and independently are used in combination. On the other hand, powder seasoning mixtures are often designed to have a higher content ratio of relatively hygroscopic powder seasonings such as salt, with the aim of imparting a characteristic flavor to foodstuffs with a relatively small amount of use, and as a result, conventional powder seasoning mixtures are prone to aggregation, which can cause problems during production or use. For example, even if a powder seasoning mixture is sprinkled on food and stirred with the intention of uniformly attaching it to the entire food, it does not work as intended, and there are inconveniences such as uneven adhesion of the powder seasoning to the food and the presence of aggregates of the powder seasoning locally, and the flavor and taste of the food may not be as expected. Furthermore, when preparing a seasoning liquid by dispersing or dissolving a powdered seasoning mixture in a liquid such as water, the powdered seasoning mixture mixed with the liquid may absorb the liquid and swell, becoming a highly viscous liquid or solid, which may make it impossible to carry out the operations originally intended using the seasoning liquid, such as applying the seasoning liquid to ingredients or immersing ingredients in the seasoning liquid.

[0007] Conventionally, methods for preventing the aggregation of powdered seasonings have been carried out by blending tricalcium phosphate, fine silicon dioxide, vegetable fibers such as cellulose powder, and the like into the powdered seasonings. However, the amount of tricalcium phosphate and fine silicon dioxide that can be used is restricted by the Food Sanitation Act, and it is difficult to say that they are ingredients that consumers feel are safe. In addition, cellulose powder is made from wood, which is difficult to imagine as a food ingredient, so there is a risk that consumers will shy away from powdered seasonings that contain this ingredient.

[0008] The present inventors have investigated the possibility of wheat bran as an anti-aggregation agent for powdered seasoning mixtures. Wheat bran is a component derived from wheat, which is widely consumed, and can provide consumers with a sense of security as a food ingredient rich in nutrients such as dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. However, wheat bran has a hard structure and is difficult to grind, so that the particles tend to be relatively large, and it has a unique grain odor, so that foods containing it have problems such as a rough texture, a harsh taste, and a strong unpleasant odor. There has not yet been provided a technology that can solve such problems unique to wheat bran and use it as an anti-aggregation agent for powdered seasoning mixtures.

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide a powder seasoning mixture which contains two or more types of powder seasonings but is less likely to clump and is easy to use. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The present invention is a powdered seasoning mixture containing two or more types of powdered seasonings, and further containing 1 to 20 mass % of heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, a powder seasoning mixture is provided which is easy to use and does not easily aggregate, even though it contains two or more kinds of powder seasonings. The powder seasoning mixture of the present invention can be uniformly attached to the entirety of various foods due to the action of heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat, and has excellent solubility and dispersibility in liquids such as water, so it can be used as a liquid seasoning. Moreover, the bitterness peculiar to wheat bran is reduced, so that the flavor, taste, and texture inherent to the seasoning can be utilized. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] The powder seasoning mixture of the present invention contains two or more kinds of powder seasonings. As the powder seasoning, any seasoning that is powdered at room temperature and normal pressure can be used without any particular limitation, and the combination of powder seasonings is also not particularly limited, and two or more kinds of powder seasonings can be appropriately combined depending on the purpose, the flavor to be provided, etc. The flavor that can be provided by the powder seasoning mixture of the present invention can include any flavor that can be used for seasoning food, and is not particularly limited. Specific examples of the flavor that can be provided by the present invention include consomme flavor, white sauce flavor, tomato sauce flavor, curry flavor, Japanese soy sauce flavor, and barbecue flavor.

[0013] Specific examples of powdered seasonings include salt; sugars such as sugar, glucose, fructose, dextrin, etc.; fermented seasoning powders such as soy sauce, miso, mirin, vinegar, etc.; amino acid-based umami seasonings; nucleic acid-based umami seasonings; powdered soup stock; powdered spices such as pepper, ginger, garlic, cumin, nutmeg, curry powder, etc.; powdered extracts such as meat extract, seafood extract, vegetable extract, etc.; powdered oils and fats; grain flours such as wheat flour, buckwheat flour, rice flour, corn flour, barley flour, rye flour, pearl barnyard millet flour, and foxtail millet flour; starches (raw starches) such as tapioca starch, potato starch, corn starch, waxy corn starch, wheat starch, and rice starch; and processed starches obtained by subjecting the raw starches to one or more treatments such as gelatinization, etherification, esterification, acetylation, cross-linking treatment, and oxidation treatment.

[0014] The content of wheat flour (strong flour, semi-strong flour, medium flour, weak flour, durum wheat flour, whole wheat flour, etc.) in the powder seasoning mixture of the present invention is preferably 20% by mass or less based on the total mass of the mixture. If the content of wheat flour in the powder seasoning mixture is too high, the water absorption of the mixture increases, and the mixture may excessively absorb moisture from the food to which it is applied, making the texture of the food sticky and undesirable.

[0015] A preferred embodiment of the powder seasoning mixture of the present invention is one containing table salt as the powder seasoning. Table salt is a relatively versatile powder seasoning that can be used to flavor and season various foods, but it is highly hygroscopic and prone to aggregation, so there is concern that problems will arise in terms of uniform adhesion to foods, uniform dispersion or dissolution in liquids, etc., when used as a constituent component of a powder seasoning mixture. However, in the present invention, such concerns are eliminated by using heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat, which will be described later, in combination, so that table salt can be used safely as a powder seasoning. The salt content in the powder seasoning mixture of the present invention is not particularly limited and can be appropriately adjusted depending on the use of the mixture, etc., but is preferably 10 to 80 mass %, more preferably 12.5 to 50 mass %, based on the total mass of the mixture. If the salt content is too low, there is little point in using it, and if it is too high, the content of other powder seasonings will be relatively low, making it difficult to obtain the desired flavor and taste, and there is a risk of causing inconveniences such as easy aggregation.

[0016] The powder seasoning mixture of the present invention is characterized in that it contains heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat in addition to two or more kinds of powder seasonings. As a result, the powder seasoning mixture of the present invention, while containing two or more kinds of powder seasonings, is difficult to aggregate, and the mixture alone can easily apply the necessary seasoning to food, making it easy to use. From the viewpoint of the supplier, the powder seasoning mixture of the present invention, which is difficult to aggregate, is easy to manufacture, package, etc., and from the viewpoint of the consumer, it is easy to sprinkle on food, mix with food, etc., and can be uniformly attached to the entire food, uniformly dispersed or dissolved in liquid, which are generally considered to be preferable. In addition, wheat bran is a familiar food ingredient derived from grains, so consumers tend to have a safe image of it compared to conventionally used anti-aggregation agents such as tricalcium phosphate, and it is also inexpensive. On the other hand, wheat bran has a particular unpleasant grain odor and bitter taste, and so there is concern that a powdered seasoning mixture containing it may diminish the original flavor of the seasoning. However, in the present invention, such concerns are eliminated by limiting the wheat bran used to "heat-treated" and "derived from white wheat."

[0017] The content of the heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat in the powder seasoning mixture of the present invention is 1 to 20% by mass, preferably 1 to 10% by mass, and more preferably 3 to 10% by mass, based on the total mass of the mixture. If the content of heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat is less than 1% by mass, there is little point in using it, and the desired effects of the present invention may not be achieved, and if the content exceeds 20% by mass, the content of the powder seasoning becomes relatively too small, and it may become difficult to flavor and season foods, which is the original purpose of the powder seasoning mixture.

[0018] In this specification, "wheat" refers to the caryopsis of a plant of the genus Triticum of the family Poaceae. Generally, the caryopsis of wheat (wheat kernel) is roughly divided into an endosperm, an outer skin (the outer skin and the seed coat), and a germ (the germ). The wheat kernel is crushed, and the endosperm and the germ are removed to obtain a fraction derived from the outer skin, which becomes wheat bran.

[0019] As described above, the wheat bran used in the present invention is heat-treated. The heat treatment is not particularly limited as long as it can raise the product temperature of untreated wheat bran to room temperature or higher. Specific examples of heat treatments applied to wheat bran include moist heat treatment and dry heat treatment. The moist heat treatment is a treatment in which the moisture in the treatment target (wheat bran) is maintained or moisture is supplied from the outside to heat the treatment target. In the moist heat treatment, moisture such as water, saturated steam, and superheated steam can be supplied and used. The heating method in the moist heat treatment is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a method in which moisture is added to the treatment target in a sealed environment, and then a heat medium such as hot air is directly brought into contact with the treatment target, a method in which high-temperature steam is brought into contact with the treatment target and heated by the latent heat of condensation, and a method in which the treatment target is heated in a high-humidity atmosphere. Dry heat treatment is a process in which the object to be treated (wheat bran) is heated under conditions in which no moisture is added, and is a heat treatment carried out while actively evaporating the moisture in the object to be treated. Dry heat treatment can be carried out, for example, by heating in an oven, heating in a roasting kiln, heating using a thermostatic bath, heating by blowing hot air, or leaving in a high-temperature, low-humidity environment. Note that the process of blowing hot air on wheat bran that has been hydrated, etc., to dry it is not included in dry heat treatment because the latent heat of evaporation of moisture does not sufficiently impart heat to the object to be treated.

[0020] Specific examples of heat treatments applied to wheat bran include 1) a treatment in which the wheat bran to be treated is subjected to a moist heat treatment to raise the product temperature to 80°C or higher (hereinafter also referred to as "moist heat treatment A"); and 2) a treatment in which the wheat bran to be treated is subjected to a dry heat treatment to raise the product temperature to 110°C or higher (hereinafter also referred to as "dry heat treatment A").

[0021] The moist heat treatment A is a treatment in which the wheat bran to be treated is placed in an enclosed space, saturated water vapor is introduced into the enclosed space, and the product temperature of the wheat bran is maintained at preferably 80 to 98°C, more preferably 85 to 98°C, for preferably 1 to 60 seconds, more preferably 3 to 60 seconds. The moist heat treatment A can be carried out by introducing the wheat bran to be treated and saturated steam into the powder heating device described in Japanese Patent No. 2784505 so as to achieve the above-mentioned product temperature and treatment time. This powder heating device is equipped with a cylindrical pressure vessel having an inlet for saturated steam and accommodating the material to be treated, and a stirring means having a plurality of rod-shaped blades on a rotating shaft with a size close to the inner diameter of the cylinder so as to stir the powder introduced from an inlet at one end of the vessel and transport it toward an outlet at the other end of the vessel.

[0022] In the dry heat treatment A, the product temperature of the wheat bran to be treated is preferably 110 to 180°C, more preferably 115 to 150°C, and the treatment time (the time during which such product temperature is maintained) is preferably 3 to 120 minutes, more preferably 5 to 90 minutes. Dry heat treatment A can be carried out by introducing wheat bran into an apparatus having a similar configuration to the heat treatment stirring apparatus described in JP 2004-9022 A, so that the product temperature and treatment time are as described above. This heat treatment stirring apparatus includes a cylindrical container for accommodating the material to be treated, a hollow rotating shaft provided inside the container, a hollow pipe screw formed in communication with the shaft, and a steam supply source for supplying steam into the rotating shaft and the pipe screw, and is configured to transmit heat generated by supplying steam into the rotating shaft and the pipe screw to the material to be treated via the rotating shaft and the pipe screw, thereby performing dry heat treatment.

[0023] In the present invention, the heat treatment applied to wheat bran is particularly preferably a moist heat treatment. That is, at least a part of the wheat bran used in the present invention is preferably moist heat treated wheat bran. As shown in the examples described later, moist heat treated wheat bran can reduce the bitterness peculiar to wheat bran compared to dry heat treated wheat bran.

[0024] In addition, whether wheat bran has been heat-treated or not can be determined, for example, by measuring the enzyme activity or gluten vitality of the wheat bran to be determined. Specifically, taking enzyme activity as an example, the enzyme activity of heat-treated wheat bran is less than that of unheated wheat bran or is below the detection limit, so that the two can be distinguished by the amount of enzyme activity.

[0025] As mentioned above, the wheat bran used in the present invention is derived from white wheat. Generally, wheat is broadly divided into two types, red wheat and white wheat, according to the color observed when the wheat kernel is visually observed. Red wheat is wheat that contains a red pigment in the outer skin, and when the wheat kernel is visually observed, it is observed as red, reddish brown, or brown. On the other hand, white wheat is wheat that contains almost no red pigment in the outer skin, and when the wheat kernel is visually observed, it is observed as white or pale yellow. White wheat includes, for example, Australian hmm There are three types of common wheat: Standard White (ASW, produced in Australia), Prime Hard (PH, produced in Australia), Soft White (SW, produced in the United States), and Western White (WW, produced in the United States). These are common wheats. There is also durum wheat (produced in various countries around the world) which is a non-common white wheat. These white wheats can be selected appropriately, for example, by genetic characteristics. The wheat bran derived from white wheat used in the present invention may be derived from ordinary wheat or durum wheat. Ordinary wheat is broadly divided into three types according to the hardness of the wheat kernel: hard wheat, soft wheat, and medium wheat having a hardness intermediate between hard and soft wheat. The wheat bran derived from white wheat used in the present invention may be derived from any ordinary wheat. For example, PH is white wheat and hard wheat, ASW is white wheat and medium wheat, and WW is white wheat and soft wheat.

[0026] The wheat bran derived from white wheat used in the present invention can be produced, for example, as follows. That is, selected wheat grains of white wheat are hydrated and conditioned as necessary, then pulverized, and the pulverized product is sorted using a sifter, purifier, etc. to remove the endosperm and germ, thereby producing wheat bran derived from white wheat. The method for pulverizing wheat grains is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include roll pulverization and impact pulverization, and a combination of multiple pulverization methods may be used. The pulverizer used for impact pulverization is not particularly limited as long as it pulverizes by mechanical impact between an impact plate and a rotating rotor, and examples thereof include turbo mills and blade mills, and turbo mills are particularly preferred. A preferred example of the method for pulverizing wheat grains is a method in which roll pulverization and impact pulverization are performed in this order. In this case, the number of times of roll pulverization may be one or more.

[0027] Among white wheat, ASW is particularly preferred. That is, the wheat bran used in the present invention is particularly preferably moist heat-treated wheat bran derived from ASW. ASW is wheat that is mainly used for noodles (especially udon), and has almost no history of use as an anti-aggregation agent for powdered seasonings. In addition, the main component derived from ASW is the endosperm fraction (wheat flour), and the bran fraction is hardly used. It can be said that it is difficult to imagine from the technical common sense in this field that the use of the bran fraction of ASW, which has been conventionally used for noodles, in a powdered seasoning mixture can reduce the bitterness specific to wheat bran while preventing the mixture from agglomerating.

[0028] The average particle size of the heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of more reliably preventing aggregation of the powdered seasoning mixture, increasing the productivity of the mixture, and improving uniform adhesion to various foods and uniform dispersion / solubility in liquids to make it more user-friendly, it is preferably 30 to 200 μm, more preferably 40 to 150 μm, and even more preferably 50 to 120 μm. The "average particle size" referred to here refers to the volume cumulative particle size D50 at 50% cumulative volume when measured in a dry state using a laser diffraction / scattering type particle size distribution analyzer (for example, "Microtrack Particle Size Distribution Analyzer 9200FRA" manufactured by Nikkiso Co., Ltd.).

[0029] The powder seasoning mixture of the present invention can be used to flavor and season various foods. In this specification, "food" includes "dishes" (cooked foods) and "ingredients" used in the preparation of dishes. Specific examples of foods to which the present invention can be applied include ingredients such as rice, noodles, bread, grains, meat, seafood, mushrooms, and vegetables; and dishes such as baked dishes, boiled dishes, stir-fried dishes, fried dishes, steamed dishes, salads, and mixed dishes.

[0030] The powder seasoning mixture of the present invention can be used for the same purposes as those distributed under the names of premix, seasoning, etc. Specific examples include premixes for seasoning rice foods such as paella, jambalaya, and fried rice; premixes for seasoning prepared foods using various ingredients (meat, seafood, vegetables, etc.) such as sweet and sour pork, eight treasures, curry, fried chicken, baked potatoes, marinades, salads, and lightly pickled foods; premixes for pasta sauce; seasonings for pasta; and premixes for soups such as corn soup, cream soup, and Chinese soup. The powder seasoning mixture of the present invention is suitable for applications such as powder pasta sauce, powder dressing, powder seasoning mix, and powder teriyaki sauce. The powder seasoning mix is ​​used by mixing it with potatoes, snacks, etc.

[0031] The powdered seasoning mixture of the present invention is in a powder form at normal temperature and pressure, and may be directly attached to food by sprinkling it on the food, or may be mixed with a liquid such as water to prepare a seasoning liquid, which may be applied to the food or immersed in the seasoning liquid. The powdered seasoning mixture of the present invention may be filled in a container, and an example of such a container is a shaking container having a shaking hole for shaking the contents out. Since the powdered seasoning mixture of the present invention is difficult to agglomerate, even if it is stored in such a shaking container for a long period of time, an appropriate amount of the mixture, which is the contents, can be shaken out from the shaking hole of the shaking container when used.

[0032] The powder seasoning mixture of the present invention can be used for preparing ingredients before cooking, seasoning ingredients before cooking or cooked foods, and topping or flavoring cooked foods. From the viewpoint of utilizing one of the features of the powder seasoning mixture of the present invention, that is, the ease of uniform adhesion to foods, the mixture is more effective when used after the end of cooking. Specifically, for example, the powder seasoning mixture of the present invention can be added at the end of the ingredients to be added in the cooking process of the food, or the powder seasoning mixture of the present invention can be added just before eating the cooked food. A preferred example of a method of using the powder seasoning mixture of the present invention is a method in which, when producing a cooked food, the powder seasoning mixture of the present invention is added to the intermediate product in the heating process of the intermediate product of the cooked food, and the intermediate product is heated for a short time (for example, within 3 minutes) to obtain the desired cooked food. Another preferred example of a method of using the powder seasoning mixture of the present invention is a method in which the powder seasoning mixture of the present invention is added to the cooked food and mixed, and the food is not heated thereafter. EXAMPLES

[0033] 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. It should be noted that Examples A1 to A4 are reference examples.

[0034] [Examples A1 to A11 and Comparative Examples A1 to A8: Production of Neapolitan Sauce Powder] After selecting various types of wheat and grinding them with a roll grinder, wheat bran collected from the ground product was ground by impact grinding using a turbo mill (bran preparation process). The wheat bran thus obtained was heat-treated by the method shown in Tables 1 and 2 (heat treatment process). Next, the heat-treated wheat bran was ground using an impact grinder (ACM Pulverizer, manufactured by Hosokawa Micron Corporation), and the ground product was classified using a sieve with an opening of 150 μm, and the fine bran fraction with a particle size of less than 150 μm that passed through the sieve was collected. For Example A7, the bran was classified using a sieve with an opening of 212 μm, and the fine bran fraction with a particle size of less than 212 μm that passed through the sieve was collected. This fine bran fraction was used as the heat-treated wheat bran to be blended in the powder seasoning mixture, and the ingredients listed in the "powder seasoning mixture" columns in Tables 1 and 2 were mixed to produce the powdered Neapolitan sauce, which is a type of powder seasoning mixture of interest. The "non-heat-treated wheat bran" used in Comparative Example A1 was the same as the heat-treated wheat bran used in Comparative Examples A2 and A3 before heat treatment.

[0035] Details of the raw materials used in the production of the powder seasoning mixture are as follows: 1CW: Western Red Spring 1, Canadian, red wheat Domestic red wheat: Kitahonami WW: Western White, American, white wheat PH: Prime Hard, Australian, White Wheat ASW: Australia hmm Standard White, Australian White Wheat

[0036] Details of each treatment described in the "Heat treatment method" column of each table are as follows. "Moist heat treatment": The moist heat treatment A was carried out using an apparatus with a similar configuration to the powder heating apparatus described in Patent No. 2784505. More specifically, the wheat bran to be treated was placed in a cylindrical container (sealed space) provided in the apparatus, saturated steam was introduced into the container, and the moist heat treatment was carried out under conditions where the wheat bran's product temperature was maintained at 90°C for 5 seconds. "Dry heat treatment": The dry heat treatment A was carried out using an apparatus having a similar configuration to the heat treatment stirring apparatus described in JP 2004-9022 A. More specifically, the wheat bran to be treated was placed in a cylindrical container (sealed space) provided in the apparatus, and the dry heat treatment was carried out under conditions where the product temperature of the wheat bran was maintained at 120°C for 25 minutes.

[0037] [Evaluation Test 1: Production and Evaluation of Neapolitan Spaghetti] Spaghetti (manufactured by Nissin Foods, Inc., product name "Ma Ma Spaghetti", noodle thickness 1.8 mm) was boiled for the recommended time, drained, and 200 g was placed in a deep dish. 25 g of the powdered Neapolitan sauce (powdered seasoning mixture) to be evaluated was sprinkled on top of the boiled spaghetti, and the whole was mixed well with chopsticks to produce Neapolitan spaghetti. The Neapolitan spaghetti immediately after production was eaten by 10 expert panelists, who evaluated the adhesion to food (boiled spaghetti) and flavor (harshness) according to the following evaluation criteria. The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2. The values ​​in the "Neapolitan Spaghetti Evaluation" column in Tables 1 and 2 are the arithmetic mean of the evaluation points of the 10 expert panelists.

[0038] <Evaluation criteria for adhesion to food> 5 points: The powder seasoning adheres evenly to the entire food, giving it a good, consistent flavor. 4 points: The powder seasoning adheres evenly to almost the entire food, with almost no unevenness in the flavor, making it good. 3 points: The powder seasoning is evenly distributed over almost the entire food, but the flavor is somewhat weak. 2 points: Powdered seasoning is unevenly distributed in some areas of the food, resulting in an uneven flavor. 1 point: Powdered seasoning is locally solidified in the food, resulting in poor flavor. <Flavor (bitterness) evaluation criteria> 5 points: No bitter taste of wheat bran at all. 4 points: The bitter taste of wheat bran is barely detectable. 3 points: The wheat bran has a slightly bitter taste, but can be eaten without any problems. 2 points: The bitter taste of wheat bran is clearly noticeable. 1 point: The wheat bran has a strong bitter taste that significantly impairs the flavor of the food.

[0039] [Table 1]

[0040] As shown in Table 1, the powdered seasoning mixtures of the Examples contain heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat (WW, PH, or ASW), and therefore are superior in both adhesion to food and flavor to food compared to the powdered seasoning mixtures of the Comparative Examples that do not contain heat-treated wheat bran. It is also clear that moist heat treatment is more preferable than dry heat treatment as a heat treatment method for wheat bran. It is also clear that ASW is particularly preferable among white wheats.

[0041] [Table 2] As shown in Table 2, the powdered seasoning mixture of the embodiment has a content of heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat in the range of 1 to 20 mass%, and therefore is superior in both adhesion to food and food flavor compared to the powdered seasoning mixture of the comparative example, in which the content is outside this range.

[0042] [Examples B1 to B5 and Comparative Examples B1 to B4: Preparation of Powder Dressings] After selecting various types of wheat and grinding them with a roll grinder, wheat bran collected from the ground product was ground by impact grinding using a turbo mill (bran preparation process). The wheat bran thus obtained was heat-treated by the method shown in Table 3 (heat treatment process). Next, the heat-treated wheat bran was ground using an impact grinder (ACM Pulverizer, manufactured by Hosokawa Micron Corporation), and the ground product was classified using a sieve with an opening of 150 μm, and the fine bran fraction with a particle size of less than 150 μm that passed through the sieve was separated. This fine bran fraction was used as the heat-treated wheat bran to be blended in the powder seasoning mixture, and each component listed in the "powder seasoning mixture" column in Table 3 was mixed to produce a powder dressing, which is a type of the desired powder seasoning mixture.

[0043] [Evaluation Test 2: Salad Production and Evaluation] Two washed lettuce leaves (60 g) were prepared, torn with fingers into strips of 3-5 cm square, and placed on a plate. 2.5 g of the powdered dressing (powdered seasoning mixture) to be evaluated was sprinkled on the strips of lettuce leaves, and the whole was mixed well with tongs to produce a salad. The salad immediately after preparation was eaten by 10 expert panelists, who evaluated the adhesion to food (lettuce leaves) and flavor (bitterness) according to the above-mentioned evaluation criteria. The results are shown in Table 3. The values ​​in the "Salad Evaluation" column in Table 3 are the arithmetic mean of the evaluation points of the 10 expert panelists.

[0044] [Table 3]

[0045] [Examples C1 to C5 and Comparative Examples C1 to C4: Production of Marinade Premixes] After selecting various types of wheat and grinding them with a roll grinder, wheat bran collected from the ground product was ground by impact grinding using a turbo mill (bran preparation process). The wheat bran thus obtained was heat-treated by the method shown in Table 4 (heat treatment process). Next, the heat-treated wheat bran was ground using an impact grinder (ACM Pulverizer, manufactured by Hosokawa Micron Corporation), and the ground product was classified using a sieve with an opening of 150 μm, and the fine bran fraction with a particle size of less than 150 μm that passed through the sieve was separated. This fine bran fraction was used as the heat-treated wheat bran to be blended in the powder seasoning mixture, and each component listed in the "powder seasoning mixture" column in Table 4 was mixed to produce a marinade premix, which is a type of powder seasoning mixture of interest.

[0046] [Evaluation test 3: Preparation of seasoning liquid, production and evaluation of chicken tempura] 5g of the marinade premix (powdered seasoning mixture) to be evaluated was placed in a stainless steel bowl, 50ml of cold water was added, and the premix was dissolved in the cold water by stirring with a whisk to prepare a seasoning liquid. This seasoning liquid preparation was carried out by two expert panelists, who evaluated the dispersibility of the premix in the liquid (cold water) according to the following evaluation criteria. Raw chicken breast meat was cut into pieces of 25g each, and 250g of the meat pieces were placed in a plastic bag. 55g of the marinade premix (powdered seasoning mixture) to be evaluated was placed in the plastic bag, and the plastic bag was kneaded by hand for 30 seconds, and then left in a refrigerator for 1 hour. A tempura batter was prepared by dissolving commercially available tempura flour (manufactured by Nisshin Foods Inc.) in 1.5 times its weight of cold water, and the pieces of meat taken out of the refrigerator were immersed in the batter and thoroughly mixed, then deep-fried in soybean white oil heated to 170°C for 4 minutes to produce chicken tempura. The chicken tempura immediately after production was tasted by 10 expert panelists, who evaluated the flavor (harshness) according to the evaluation criteria. The results are shown in Table 4. The values ​​in the "Chicken Tempura Evaluation" column in Table 4 are the arithmetic mean of the evaluation points of the 10 expert panelists.

[0047] <Evaluation criteria for dispersibility in liquid> 5 points: The powdered seasoning dispersed quickly and the seasoning ingredients dissolved easily. 4 points: When the liquid was first added, some crystals of the powdered seasoning remained at the bottom of the bowl, but these dissolved with stirring. 3 points: Although lumps formed at first, they dissolved after stirring for a long time. 2 points: The powder seasoning mixture absorbed water and became sticky, making subsequent workability somewhat poor. 1 point: The powder seasoning mixture absorbed water, swelled, and became solid, making it difficult to immerse food (pieces of meat) in it.

[0048] [Table 4]

Claims

1. A powdered seasoning mixture containing two or more types of powdered seasonings, further containing 1 to 20 mass% of heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat, the white wheat being Australian Standard White.

2. 2. The powdered seasoning mixture according to claim 1, wherein the heat treatment is a moist heat treatment.

3. The powdered seasoning mixture according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the average particle size of the heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat is 30 to 200 μm.

4. The powdered seasoning mixture according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the powdered seasoning contains salt.

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