Agent for improving physical properties of cheese-containing foods and method for improving physical properties

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a cheese-containing food product that has suitable stringiness or viscosity when melted and has a good texture. [Solution] A cheese-containing food product contains curdlan and modified starch so that the curdlan is present in an amount of 0.1 to 2.5% by weight and the modified starch is present in an amount 3 to 6 times the weight of the curdlan. If necessary, a molten salt may also be contained in the cheese-containing food product in an amount of 0.2 to 3% by weight. A composition containing curdlan and modified starch in an amount 3 to 6 times the weight of the curdlan can be suitably used as a physical property improver for cheese-containing foods. [Selected Drawing] None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cheese-containing food product, and an agent for improving the physical properties of a cheese-containing food product and a method for improving the physical properties of the cheese-containing food product. [Background technology]

[0002] Cheese, especially natural cheese, is often used as a topping for pizza and as a filling for pizza buns. However, like other processed foods, foods that use natural cheese are often subjected to heat sterilization, which usually results in overheating, or freezing, which is assumed to be thawed, for distribution and storage, and may also be kept warm. Natural cheese that has been exposed to such overheating, cold thawing, warming, etc. loses its original properties of melting when heated (meltability) and stretching like threads (spinnability), resulting in a gel-like texture and poor taste.

[0003] The cheese that solves the above problems is a process cheese produced by crushing natural cheese, adding a melting salt or an emulsifier as necessary, heating and melting the cheese, and emulsifying it. However, even in the case of process cheese, if the melting property is made too high, the spinnability when melted decreases, so it is said to be difficult to achieve a good balance between the appropriate viscosity and spinnability when melted.

[0004] Various types of cheese with improved spinnability have been reported, including, for example, processed cheese containing natural cheese, molten salt, and a specific milk concentrate (see Patent Document 1), cheese containing specific amounts of processed tapioca starch and high-fat natural cheese and having a specific ratio of milk fat to milk protein (see Patent Document 2), cheese containing specific amounts of processed tapioca starch and cheese and having a milk fat / milk protein ratio not greater than a specific ratio (see Patent Document 3), processed cheese containing specific amounts of natural cheese, oxidized starch, and molten salt (see Patent Document 4), and cheese blended with hydroxypropyl starch derived from tapioca or potato as the starch (Patent Document 5).

[0005] Many of these cheeses with improved spinnability use modified starch to improve spinnability, but depending on the amount used, modified starch can have a negative effect on the texture, such as making the cheese slimy.

[0006] Process cheese containing specific amounts of melting salt, gums and sucrose fatty acid esters for the purpose of improving both spinnability and meltability is also known (see Patent Document 6). Examples of the gums used here include locust bean gum, guar gum, xanthan gum, and the like.

[0007] It has also been reported that cheeses contain curdlan as a polysaccharide other than gums (see Patent Document 7). However, this technology is not intended to improve melting or spinnability, but rather to provide heat-resistant, shape-retaining properties to cheeses by utilizing the fact that curdlan forms an irreversible gel when heated.

[0008] In addition, for cheese foods defined as having a cheese content of 51% by weight or more, and even for foods containing cheese even if the cheese content is less than 51%, the challenge remains, as with processed cheese, of imparting appropriate spinnability or viscosity while avoiding the deterioration of texture caused by processed starch, etc. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5732539 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6162395 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 6162394

[0010] [Patent Document 4] Patent No. 5835908 [Patent Document 5] JP 2014-108055 A [Patent Document 6] Patent No. 4994586 [Patent Document 7] Patent No. 2908522 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] An object of the present invention is to provide a cheese-containing food product which has suitable stringiness or viscosity when melted and has a good texture. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] As means for solving the above problems, the present invention provides the following (1) to (9): (1) an agent for improving physical properties of cheese-containing foods, which contains curdlan and 3 to 6 times the weight of modified starch relative to the curdlan; (2) a method for improving the physical properties of cheese-containing foods, which comprises blending the physical property improver of (1) above into the cheese-containing food in an amount of 0.1 to 2.5% by weight of curdlan and 3 to 6 times the weight of modified starch relative to the curdlan.

[0013] (3) A method for improving the physical properties of a cheese-containing food, comprising adding 0.1 to 2.5% by weight of curdlan and 3 to 6 times the weight of the processed starch to the cheese-containing food, (4) A method for improving the physical properties of a cheese-containing food according to (2) or (3), further comprising adding 0.2 to 3% by weight of a molten salt to the cheese-containing food.

[0014] (5) A method for producing a cheese-containing food, comprising the step of blending the physical property improver of (1) above into a cheese-containing food so that the curdlan is 0.1 to 2.5% by weight and the modified starch is 3 to 6 times the weight of the curdlan. (6) A method for producing a cheese-containing food, comprising the step of blending curdlan and modified starch into a cheese-containing food so that the curdlan is 0.1 to 2.5% by weight and the modified starch is 3 to 6 times the weight of the curdlan.

[0015] (7) A method for producing a cheese-containing food according to (5) or (6) above, further comprising a step of blending molten salt in the cheese-containing food at 0.2 to 3% by weight. (8) A cheese-containing food comprising 0.1 to 2.5% by weight of curdlan and 3 to 6 times the weight of the curdlan as processed starch. (9) The cheese-containing food according to (8) above, further comprising 0.2 to 3% by weight of molten salt. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cheese-containing food product which has suitable stringiness or viscosity when melted and has a good texture. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] The physical property improver for cheese-containing foods of the present invention (hereinafter also simply referred to as the physical property improver of the present invention) is a composition containing curdlan and 3 to 6 times the weight of modified starch relative to the curdlan. By blending the physical property improver of the present invention into a food containing cheese (cheese-containing food) so that the final amount of curdlan is 0.1 to 2.5% by weight, the amount of modified starch is 3 to 6 times the weight of the curdlan, and if necessary, the amount of molten salt is 0.2 to 3% by weight, a cheese-containing food having appropriate spinnability or viscosity but little deterioration in texture can be obtained (hereinafter also referred to as the physical property improving effect of the present invention).

[0018] Examples of cheese-containing foods include cheese foods that are produced by crushing and mixing natural cheese or processed cheese, adding molten salt or emulsifier as necessary, heating and melting, and emulsifying, and that have a cheese content of 51% by weight or more. Even if the cheese content is less than 51% by weight, it is included in the cheese-containing foods of the present invention as long as the cheese content is 10% by weight or more, preferably 20% by weight or more. Examples of such cheese-containing foods include cheese fondue, carbonara sauce, and aligo sauce.

[0019] The natural cheese used in the present invention is not particularly limited, but in view of the ease of obtaining spinnability, preferred examples include soft cheeses such as mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese, cream cheese, quark cheese, Camembert cheese, Brie cheese, Limburger cheese, and Hunt cheese. Semi-hard cheeses such as gorgonzola cheese and blue cheese may also be used.

[0020] The curdlan used in the present invention is Alcaligenes ( Alcaligenes ) genus, Agrobacterium ( Agrobacterium Curdlan is a general term for heat-coagulating polysaccharides mainly composed of β-1,3-glucoside bonds, produced by microorganisms such as the genus Curdlan. Curdlan may be obtained from the above microorganisms, but commercially available products can be used. Commercially available curdlan may have an average particle size of 100 μm or more, but may also have an average particle size of 100 μm or less. Examples of curdlan with an average particle size of 100 μm or less include "Curdlan NS," a finely pulverized curdlan (MC Food Specialties Co., Ltd. until March 2019, Mitsubishi Corporation Life Sciences Co., Ltd. from April 2019 onwards. Average particle size is 30 μm or less).

[0021] The modified starch used in the present invention may be any modified starch obtained by chemically modifying starch derived from potato, corn, tapioca, etc. Specific examples include starch acetate, oxidized starch, hydroxypropyl starch, hydroxypropyl phosphate crosslinked starch, phosphate crosslinked starch, phosphorylated starch, phosphate monoesterified phosphate crosslinked starch, acetylated phosphate crosslinked starch, acetylated adipate crosslinked starch, acetylated oxidized crosslinked starch, and sodium octenyl succinate starch, and preferably includes hydroxypropyl starch and crosslinked starch having a crosslinked structure in its molecular structure, such as phosphate crosslinked starch, hydroxypropyl phosphate crosslinked starch, phosphate monoesterified phosphate crosslinked starch, acetylated phosphate crosslinked starch, acetylated adipate crosslinked starch, and acetylated oxidized crosslinked starch. Modified starch is commercially available and can be easily obtained.

[0022] The physical property improving agent of the present invention may contain other additives, such as molten salts such as phosphates, citrates, tartrates, potassium salts, etc., sweeteners such as glucose and sugar, polysaccharides such as xanthan gum, guar gum, carrageenan, locust bean gum, starch (excluding modified starch), etc., various seasonings, various spices, etc., so long as the ratio of curdlan and modified starch contained in the physical property improving agent of the present invention is within the above-mentioned numerical range, so long as the physical property improving effect of the present invention is not hindered.

[0023] The physical property improver of the present invention may be in any form of solid such as powder, granules, or powdery particulate, or in liquid such as solution. The contents of curdlan and modified starch in the physical property improver of the present invention are not particularly limited except for the content ratio of the two, but it is preferable that the content of curdlan in the physical property improver is 1 to 25% by weight.

[0024] When the physical property improver of the present invention is incorporated into cheese, in the case where the cheese also contains curdlan, processed starch, or a molten salt, the blending amounts of the physical property improver of the present invention, curdlan, processed starch, and molten salt are adjusted so that the contents of these fall within the above-mentioned ranges.

[0025] When the cheese-containing food of the present invention is a cheese food, the content of natural cheese may be 51% by weight or more, with the upper limit being 99.4% by weight, but is usually 51-80% by weight, preferably 55-70% by weight. Thus, one embodiment of the present invention is a method for producing a cheese-containing food or a method for improving the physical properties of a cheese-containing food, in which the content of curdlan is 0.1-4.9 parts by weight, preferably 1-4.5 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of cheese, and the content of modified starch is 3-6 times the weight of curdlan, in a cheese food made from natural cheese as a raw material.

[0026] Another embodiment of the present invention is a method for producing a cheese-containing food or a method for improving the physical properties of a cheese-containing food, in which curdlan, modified starch, and optionally molten salt are mixed and contained in the cheese-containing food in any one of the production steps of the cheese-containing food, without using the physical property improver of the present invention, so that the content in the cheese-containing food is 0.1 to 2.5% by weight of curdlan, 3 to 6 times the weight of modified starch relative to curdlan, and 0.2 to 3% by weight of molten salt as required. Regardless of whether or not the physical property improver of the present invention is used, when curdlan and modified starch are added to the cheese-containing food or drink, the cheese-containing food is preferably heated to a temperature of 70°C or higher, more preferably 75°C or higher, and even more preferably 80°C or higher, which improves the mouthfeel of the cheese-containing food. Examples of the present invention are shown below, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. EXAMPLES

[0027] Example 1 Preparation of cheese physical property improvers and evaluation of physical properties Each of the raw materials shown in Table 1 was weighed out in the amount (parts by weight) shown in the same table and stirred for 1 minute with a juicer mixer to prepare solution-type cheese physical property improvers (Comparative Areas 1 to 7 and Experimental Areas 1 and 2). Here, hydroxypropyl tapioca starch was used as modified starch A, and the modified starch was Acetylated adipate cross-linked waxy corn starch was used as punch B, finely ground curdlan (average particle size 30 μm or less) "Curdlan NS" (manufactured by MC Food Specialties) was used as curdlan, and dextrin with DE 8 to 9.5 was used as dextrin.

[0028] Next, each physical property improver was stirred and heated in a water bath until it reached 80°C, and after heating, the temperature was adjusted to 5°C, 20°C, and 70°C, respectively, and the viscosity at each temperature was measured using a Brookfield viscometer. The viscosity (unit: Pa s) at each temperature for each test group is shown in Table 2.

[0029] [Table 1]

[0030] [Table 2]

[0031] As shown in Table 2, the viscosity of the physical property improver in the test group containing curdlan (comparison group 3) was low at all temperatures.

[0032] A sensory test was also conducted by five panelists on the mouthfeel of the solutions of these cheese physical property improvers. The test was conducted on two groups, a group of comparison groups 1 to 5 and experimental group 1 (group 1), and a group of comparison groups 6 and 7 and experimental group 2 (group 2), and the groups were ranked by mouthfeel. The "order of mouthfeel" in Tables 3 and 4 shows the test group that was most frequently selected for each rank. The cheese physical property improver in comparison group 3 had a good mouthfeel, but was excluded from the sensory evaluation because it had clearly low viscosity.

[0033] [Table 3]

[0034] As shown in Table 3, the mouthfeel of the cheese physical property improving agent solutions deteriorated in the following order: Experimental Area 1, Comparative Area 1, Comparative Area 4, Comparative Area 5, and Comparative Area 2. Even the solution of Comparative Area 1 (containing 3.2% by weight of hydroxypropyl tapioca starch), which had the second best mouthfeel after Experimental Area 1, was thought to be insufficient for solving the problem of the present invention, which is to achieve both suitable spinnability or viscosity and a good mouthfeel.

[0035] [Table 4]

[0036] As shown in Table 4, the texture deteriorated in the order of experimental area 2, comparative area 6, and comparative area 7. As in the results in Table 3, the solution of comparative area 6, which used processed starch B (acetylated adipic acid cross-linked waxy corn starch), which had the second best texture after experimental area 1, was also considered to be insufficient for solving the problem of the present invention, which is to achieve both suitable spinnability or viscosity and a good texture.

[0037] Example 2 Use of cheese property improver in cheese-containing food The ingredients shown in Table 5 were mixed, and the mozzarella cheese was dissolved in a hot water bath, and then the temperature was raised to 85°C to prepare cheese sauce as a cheese-containing food, which was then filled into a container. The container was placed in a steam convection oven, heated at a steam temperature of 90°C for 30 minutes, allowed to cool, and then frozen. The names of the ingredients in the table are as in Example 1.

[0038] 15 g of frozen cheese sauce was weighed out and placed in a jelly cup, then thawed by heating in a 600W microwave for 30 seconds. The short side (16 mm) of a 2 mm L-shaped hexagonal wrench fixed to the base of the rheometer was lowered so that it touched the bottom of the center of the melted cheese-containing food in the jelly cup, and was then raised at a speed of 1 cm / sec. The movement of the base was stopped when the stretched cheese sauce broke, and the movement distance of the base was measured as the thread-drawn distance of the cheese sauce. The measurement results are shown in Table 6.

[0039] In addition, the texture of the cheese sauce was evaluated by a panel of five people. The most common comments for each test group are shown in Table 6.

[0040] [Table 5]

[0041] [Table 6]

[0042] As shown in Table 6, the cheese sauce of the test group (test group 3) in which curdlan and modified starch were used in combination had a good mouthfeel and high spinnability. In contrast, the cheese sauces of comparison groups 8 and 9 in which curdlan and modified starch were not used in combination did not have low spinnability, but they felt slimy and sticky in the mouth (comparison group 8), and had a texture similar to kudzu mochi, which was probably due to the large amount of modified starch used (comparison group 9). [Industrial Applicability]

[0043] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cheese-containing food product which has suitable stringiness or viscosity when melted and has a good texture.

Claims

1. An agent for improving spinnability or viscosity when melted for a cheese-containing food, comprising curdlan and a modified starch in an amount 3 to 6 times the weight of the curdlan, said modified starch being hydroxypropyl starch or a crosslinked starch selected from phosphate crosslinked starch, hydroxypropyl phosphate crosslinked starch, phosphate monoesterified phosphate crosslinked starch, acetylated phosphate crosslinked starch, acetylated adipate crosslinked starch and acetylated oxidized crosslinked starch.

2. A method for improving the spinnability or viscosity of a cheese-containing food when melted, comprising blending the improving agent according to claim 1 with the cheese-containing food in such amounts as to contain 0.1 to 2.5% by weight of curdlan and 3 to 6 times the weight of modified starch relative to the curdlan.

3. A method for improving the spinnability or viscosity of a cheese-containing food when melted, comprising adding to the cheese-containing food curdlan and hydroxypropyl starch, or a modified starch which is a crosslinked starch selected from the group consisting of phosphate crosslinked starch, hydroxypropyl phosphate crosslinked starch, phosphate monoesterified phosphate crosslinked starch, acetylated phosphate crosslinked starch, acetylated adipic acid crosslinked starch and acetylated oxidized crosslinked starch, in an amount of 0.1 to 2.5% by weight of curdlan and 3 to 6 times the weight of the modified starch relative to the curdlan.

4. 4. The method for improving the spinnability or viscosity of a cheese-containing food when melted according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising adding a molten salt to the cheese-containing food in an amount of 0.2 to 3% by weight.

5. 13. A method for producing a cheese-containing food, comprising the step of blending the improving agent according to claim 1 into a cheese-containing food in such amounts as to contain 0.1 to 2.5% by weight of curdlan and 3 to 6 times the weight of modified starch relative to the curdlan.

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