Vegetable protein ingredients and foods containing said vegetable protein ingredients

Abstract

To provide a vegetable protein material in which a smell itself derived from a vegetable protein raw material is removed without a heating treatment step, etc. for removing a smell of the vegetable protein raw material and thereby can cause one to sufficiently smell the same aroma as that of a natural material such as livestock meat, fish meat, and crustacean meat.SOLUTION: A vegetable protein material comprises a porous material and a vegetable protein. The porous material comprises at least one selected from activated carbon and a zeolite.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vegetable protein material and a food product containing said vegetable protein material. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, the social situation surrounding meat ingredients has become increasingly severe, and there has been a growing tendency to use vegetable proteins such as soy protein as an alternative ingredient to meat or as an extender. Vegetable proteins are widely used in the field of processed foods, and are defined by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan in the "Japanese Agricultural Standard for Vegetable Proteins." In this standard, the raw materials for vegetable proteins are selected from soybean flour, defatted soybean flour, wheat flour, wheat gluten, etc.

[0003] As a representative example of the above-mentioned vegetable proteins, textured vegetable protein materials structured using defatted soybeans or powdered soy protein materials as raw materials are used for a variety of purposes, and textured vegetable protein is used as a filler for ground meat in processed meat foods such as hamburgers and meatballs.

[0004] On the other hand, a characteristic of these textured vegetable protein materials is that the odor originating from the raw material is felt during chewing, and the aroma is inferior to that of ground beef or pork foods. Various studies have been conducted to improve the odor of such textured vegetable protein materials.

[0005] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for producing odorless soybean powder by subjecting dried raw soybeans to air steam treatment in an atmosphere of water vapor to deodorize the soybeans.

[0006] On the other hand, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique that enables masking the flavor specific to soybeans without impairing the original flavor of the food by adding trehalose during the production of soybean protein-containing foods. Patent Document 3 discloses a technique that reduces the unique odor of soybean protein by blending at least one type of spice with soybean protein. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] JP 2001-169741 A [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-66516 [Patent Document 3] JP 2017-51161 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, the method disclosed in Patent Document 1 requires heat treatment of the protein raw material, and therefore requires a large amount of energy for production, which results in a problem of high cost of the vegetable protein material. On the other hand, the method disclosed in Patent Document 2 reduces odors by using a masking agent, and the method disclosed in Patent Document 3 reduces odors by adding spices. Neither method is able to remove the unique odor itself, and is unsatisfactory in terms of odor removal.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and has an object to provide a plant protein material from which the odor inherent to the plant protein material itself is removed without the need for a heat treatment step or the like for removing the odor of the plant protein material, and which has a fragrance that is comparable to that of natural materials such as livestock meat, fish meat, and crustacean meat, and a food product containing the plant protein material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The vegetable protein material of the present invention comprises a porous material and vegetable protein, and is characterized in that the porous material contains at least one selected from activated carbon and zeolite. According to the vegetable protein material of the present invention, the vegetable protein material contains a porous material and vegetable protein, and the porous material contains at least one selected from activated carbon and zeolite, so that the porous material can adsorb odor components derived from the vegetable protein raw material, thereby deodorizing it. Therefore, even when a food containing the vegetable protein material is chewed, the odor derived from the vegetable protein raw material is not felt, and the food can fully feel the same aroma as that of natural materials such as livestock meat, fish meat, and crustacean meat. Furthermore, since there is no need for heat treatment or the like, less energy is required for production, which makes it possible to keep the price of the vegetable protein material low.

[0011] Furthermore, since the odor originating from the vegetable protein raw material is not masked by other ingredients but the odor itself is removed, foods obtained by using the vegetable protein material have a fully satisfactory odor and aroma. The form of the vegetable protein is not particularly limited, and it may be in any form, such as powder, granules, fibers, or paste.

[0012] In the vegetable protein material of the present invention, the average pore size of the porous material is desirably 0.5 to 10 nm. In the vegetable protein material of the present invention, when the average pore size of the porous material is 0.5 to 10 nm, the odor components derived from the vegetable protein raw material can be removed by physical adsorption inside the open pores of the porous material, and the odor derived from the vegetable protein raw material can be effectively removed.

[0013] In the vegetable protein material of the present invention, if the average pore size of the porous material is less than 0.5 μm, the average pore size of the porous material is too small, making it difficult to adequately adsorb odor components derived from the vegetable protein raw material, resulting in insufficient deodorizing effect.On the other hand, in the vegetable protein material of the present invention, if the average pore size of the porous material is more than 10 μm, even if odor components derived from the vegetable protein raw material are once adsorbed, they tend to be easily desorbed, resulting in insufficient deodorizing effect.

[0014] In the vegetable protein material of the present invention, the specific surface area of ​​the porous material is 100 to 1000 m 2 / g is preferable. In the vegetable protein material of the present invention, the specific surface area of ​​the porous material is 100 to 1000 m 2 / g, the porous material has a sufficiently large surface area, so that odorous components are adsorbed onto the surface, including the open pores, of the porous material, and odors derived from the vegetable protein raw material can be sufficiently removed without adding a large amount of the porous material.

[0015] In the vegetable protein material of the present invention, the specific surface area of ​​the porous material is 100 m 2 When the specific surface area of ​​the porous material is less than 1000 m / g, the surface area of ​​the porous material is not so large that a large amount of the porous material must be added for deodorization, which may adversely affect the taste, texture, etc. of the food product obtained by using the vegetable protein material. 2 If the porous material has a molecular weight of more than 1 / g, the mechanical properties of the porous material deteriorate, the porous material becomes more susceptible to destruction, and the properties as an adsorbent tend to deteriorate.

[0016] The vegetable protein material of the present invention preferably contains the above-mentioned porous material in an amount of 0.01 to 1.0% by weight, and more preferably 0.1 to 0.5% by weight. When the vegetable protein material of the present invention contains the above-mentioned porous material in an amount of 0.01 to 1.0% by weight, odor components derived from the vegetable protein raw material can be sufficiently removed.

[0017] In the vegetable protein material of the present invention, if the content of the porous material is less than 0.01% by weight, it becomes difficult to sufficiently remove odor components derived from the vegetable protein raw material. On the other hand, if the content of the porous material exceeds 1.0% by weight, the deodorizing effect becomes large, but the large amount of porous material contained increases the possibility of adversely affecting the color, taste, texture, etc. of foods obtained by using the vegetable protein material.

[0018] In the vegetable protein material of the present invention, the vegetable protein is preferably structured. In the plant protein material of the present invention, when the plant protein is a structured plant protein, its hardness and cohesiveness even after cooking are similar to those of natural materials such as livestock meat, fish meat, and crustacean meat, and foods obtained by using the plant protein material have a texture similar to that of natural materials.

[0019] In the vegetable protein material of the present invention, the vegetable protein is desirably structured into a layered or fibrous form. In the vegetable protein material of the present invention, when the vegetable protein is a textured vegetable protein that is structured into layers or fibers, the food obtained by using the vegetable protein material has a texture that is closer to that of natural ingredients.

[0020] The vegetable protein material of the present invention desirably comprises the above-mentioned vegetable protein, the above-mentioned porous material, a moisturizing gel and a coating which covers these, and the above-mentioned vegetable protein is desirably structured. In the vegetable protein material of the present invention, when the vegetable protein material comprises a textured vegetable protein (textured vegetable protein), a porous material, a moisturizing gel, and a coating that covers these, the odor derived from the vegetable protein raw material during chewing is not felt, and the flavor of natural ingredients can be reproduced, as compared with the case where a conventional vegetable protein material is used. Therefore, foods obtained by using the vegetable protein material have the same aroma, texture, juiciness, and the persistence of these properties as natural ingredients such as meat, fish meat, and crustacean meat.

[0021] In the vegetable protein material of the present invention, the moisturizing gel preferably contains oil or fat.

[0022] The food of the present invention is characterized by containing the above-mentioned vegetable protein material. According to the food of the present invention, since the food contains the above-mentioned vegetable protein material, the odor inherent to the vegetable protein raw material can be reproduced by adding extracts and flavorings, and the food has the same aroma, texture, juiciness and long-lasting flavor as natural materials such as meat, fish meat and crustacean meat, without the odor. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a scanning electron microscope (SEM) photograph showing an example of layered vegetable protein.

[0024] Detailed Description of the Invention The vegetable protein material of the present invention will now be described. The vegetable protein material of the present invention comprises a porous material and vegetable protein, and is characterized in that the porous material contains at least one selected from activated carbon and zeolite.

[0025] According to the vegetable protein material of the present invention, the vegetable protein material contains a porous material and vegetable protein, and the porous material contains at least one selected from activated carbon and zeolite, so that the porous material can adsorb odor components derived from the vegetable protein raw material, thereby deodorizing it. Therefore, even when a food containing the vegetable protein material is chewed, the odor derived from the vegetable protein raw material is not felt, and the food can fully feel the same aroma as that of natural materials such as livestock meat, fish meat, and crustacean meat. Furthermore, since there is no need for heat treatment or the like, less energy is required for production, which makes it possible to keep the price of the vegetable protein material low. Furthermore, since the odor originating from the vegetable protein raw material is not masked by other ingredients but the odor itself is removed, foods obtained by using the vegetable protein material have a fully satisfactory odor and aroma.

[0026] (vegetable protein) The vegetable protein contained in the vegetable protein material of the present invention will now be described. The vegetable protein is not particularly limited as long as it contains a protein derived from a plant, and can be obtained from various vegetable raw materials. Examples of the vegetable raw materials include beans such as soybeans, peas, mung beans, chickpeas, peanuts, almonds, lupins, pigeon peas, jack beans, vine beans, kidney beans, adzuki beans, cowpeas, lentils, broad beans, and locust beans, seeds such as rapeseed seeds, sunflower seeds, cottonseed seeds, and coconuts, and grains such as wheat, barley, rye, rice, and corn.

[0027] In the vegetable protein material of the present invention, these vegetable raw materials may be used as the vegetable protein as is, but it is preferable to use as the vegetable protein the vegetable raw material from which the protein has been extracted, or the vegetable raw material from which components other than protein, i.e., lipids, soluble carbohydrates, starch, insoluble fiber (okara), minerals, etc. have been partially or completely removed to obtain a more concentrated protein content. The vegetable protein may be one of the vegetable raw materials mentioned above, or a combination of two or more of them.

[0028] In the case of soy protein, for example, such vegetable protein may be any material containing protein derived from soybeans, and examples thereof include full-fat soybeans such as whole soybeans and semi-cracked soybeans, reduced-fat soybeans and defatted soybeans from which fats and oils have been removed, concentrated soy protein obtained by concentrating the protein by washing with aqueous ethanol or acidic water, and further isolated soybean protein or soy milk, as well as hydrolysates thereof, okara, whey, etc., and at least one of these may be selected. The soybean protein may be in the form of powder, granules, fiber, or the like. Examples of wheat protein include wheat flour, wheat gluten, etc., and the form of the wheat protein may be powder, granules, paste, etc. Furthermore, enzymatic decomposition products, thermal decomposition products, etc. of vegetable proteins may also be used.

[0029] (porous material) Next, the porous material contained in the vegetable protein material of the present invention will be described. The porous material contained in the vegetable protein material of the present invention is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, at least one material selected from the group consisting of activated carbon and zeolite.

[0030] Examples of the activated carbon include those made from raw materials such as wood, bamboo, coconut shells, and walnut shells, as well as those made from raw materials such as coal and petroleum. Usually, these raw materials are heated to 800°C to 950°C, carbonized in a gas such as steam or air, and then crushed into granules or powder. In the present invention, activated carbon made from coconut shells or bamboo is preferable.

[0031] The zeolite is a microporous crystalline aluminosilicate, and its types include natural zeolites and synthetic zeolites. There are a wide variety of types of synthetic zeolites. Among these, natural zeolites having excellent adsorption capacity are preferred, but synthetic zeolites can also be used. Among the above synthetic zeolites, A-type, X-type, and LSX-type are preferred.

[0032] Among the above-mentioned porous materials, activated carbon is preferable because of its excellent adsorption performance. However, activated carbon is black in color, and depending on the amount of activated carbon, it is easy to become black. Therefore, when adding activated carbon, it is preferable to further add a white additive such as titania that can be added to food. This can prevent the vegetable protein material from becoming black.

[0033] Although silica gel may be used as a porous material, silica gel has poor ability to adsorb odors derived from vegetable protein raw materials and is therefore unsuitable as a porous material that can be used in the present invention.

[0034] The average pore size of these porous materials is desirably 0.5 to 10 nm. In the vegetable protein material of the present invention, when the average pore size of the porous material is 0.5 to 10 nm, the odor components derived from the vegetable protein raw material can be removed by physical adsorption inside the open pores of the porous material, and the odor derived from the vegetable protein raw material can be effectively removed. The average pore diameter of a porous material can be measured by the BET method using nitrogen gas on a thoroughly dried sample at an adsorption temperature of 77 K, a vacuum level of 1.0E-4 Pa or less, and a leakage rate of 1.0E-1 Pa / min or less.

[0035] The specific surface area of ​​the above porous material is 100 to 1000 m 2 / g is preferable. In the vegetable protein material of the present invention, the specific surface area of ​​the porous material is 100 to 1000 m 2 / g, the porous material has a sufficiently large surface area, so that odorous components are adsorbed onto the surface, including the open pores, of the porous material, and odors derived from the vegetable protein raw material can be sufficiently removed without adding a large amount of the porous material. The specific surface area of ​​the porous material can be measured by the BET method. For example, a sufficiently dried sample can be measured by the BET method using nitrogen gas under conditions of an adsorption temperature of 77 K, a degree of vacuum of 1.0E-4 Pa or less, and a leak rate of 1.0E-1 Pa / min or less.

[0036] The average particle size of the porous material in the vegetable protein material is preferably 1 to 30 μm, and more preferably 3 to 15 μm. When the average particle size of the porous material is 1 to 30 μm, even if the porous material is contained in a vegetable protein material, the person eating the food containing the vegetable protein material can chew it without feeling any discomfort. The average particle size of a porous material can be measured by SEM observation. From a photograph taken at an accelerating voltage of 10 kV, an emission current of 10 μA, and a magnification of 1K, 20 particles are randomly selected, their particle sizes are measured, and the average is calculated.

[0037] If the average particle size of the porous material is less than 1 μm, the deodorizing performance is likely to decrease, whereas if the average particle size of the porous material is more than 30 μm, an unpleasant sensation is likely to be felt when chewing foods containing vegetable protein materials.

[0038] (Other ingredients that can be included in vegetable protein) In the vegetable protein material of the present invention, the above-mentioned vegetable protein may contain carbohydrates, pH adjusters, lipids, nutrients, seasoning ingredients, etc., as described below.

[0039] By combining the above-mentioned vegetable protein with carbohydrates, a structured vegetable protein material can be obtained. Examples of carbohydrates include starches such as rice starch, wheat starch, corn starch (corn starch), potato starch, and potato starch obtained from agricultural products that contain a large amount of carbohydrates, such as rice, wheat, corn, potato, and sweet potato, as well as processed and modified starches such as alpha-starch, dextrin, and resistant dextrin obtained by processing and modifying the above starches. Examples of carbohydrates include sugars such as lactose, sucrose, sugar, honey, and starch sugar, and the pulp or juice of fruits such as apples, oranges, strawberries, and grapes. Examples of dietary fiber include polydextrose, resistant dextrin, crystalline cellulose, and thickening polysaccharides. These carbohydrates may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0040] Furthermore, the vegetable protein can be made into a structured vegetable protein material by adjusting the pH by adding a pH adjuster such as phosphoric acid or its polycondensate, phytic acid, citric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, fumaric acid, acetic acid, adipic acid, tartaric acid, carbonic acid, gluconic acid, glucono-delta-lactone, or salts thereof such as potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, etc. These pH adjusters may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

[0041] The vegetable protein may further contain lipids. Examples of lipids include natural fats and oils such as linseed oil, perilla oil, perilla oil, walnut oil, safflower oil, grape oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, sesame oil, rapeseed oil, peanut oil, olive oil, palm oil, coconut oil, beef tallow, lard, chicken fat, mutton tallow, whale oil, and fish oil, as well as medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides (MCT) with about 6 to 12 carbon atoms, docosahexaenoic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid. These lipids may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0042] Nutrients may be added to the vegetable protein. Examples of nutrients include minerals such as magnesium, potassium, iron, calcium, and zinc, and at least one vitamin selected from vitamin A group, vitamin B group, vitamin C group, vitamin D group, vitamin E group, and vitamin K group. These nutrients may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0043] Furthermore, the vegetable protein of the present invention may be added with seasoning ingredients. Examples of seasoning ingredients include vegetable extracts such as ginger extract, carrot extract, and tomato extract, seafood extracts such as shrimp extract, crab extract, oyster extract, and scallop extract, meat extracts such as beef extract, bok extract, and chicken extract, vanilla extract containing vanilla flavor as the main ingredient, seaweed extracts that are extracts from seaweed, yeast extracts that are extracts from yeasts such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae and torula yeast, sugar, salt, vinegar, soy sauce, miso, mirin, consomme, and monosodium glutamate, and spices such as pepper, etc. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0044] (textured vegetable protein) The vegetable protein containing the above ingredients is preferably a textured vegetable protein (textured vegetable protein). The textured vegetable protein may be in any form, such as powder, granules, layered, or fibrous, but layered and fibrous forms are particularly preferred, as they resemble natural materials.

[0045] FIG. 1 is an SEM photograph showing an example of layered vegetable protein. Layered vegetable protein refers to vegetable protein in which layers of a certain thickness are spread two-dimensionally, as shown in Figure 1. The layers may be formed by overlapping multiple layers, as shown in the photograph in Figure 1, or one or a small number of layers may be spread two-dimensionally in the horizontal direction. The thickness of one layer of the layered vegetable protein is preferably 0.01 μm to 1000 μm. When the textured vegetable protein is lamellar, the thickness of one layer means the average value obtained by measuring the shortest part of any 30 pieces of the lamellar textured vegetable protein in a dry state, and the number of layers means the average value measured for any 30 pieces of the lamellar textured vegetable protein.

[0046] In the case of fibrous vegetable protein, the fiber diameter is preferably 0.01 μm to 1000 μm. When the textured vegetable protein is fibrous, the average fiber diameter and aspect ratio refer to the average values ​​measured for any 30 pieces of the fibrous textured vegetable protein in a dry state.

[0047] Whether or not the above-mentioned vegetable protein has been deodorized can be determined by using a gas chromatograph to measure the concentration of odor components of the vegetable protein before and after deodorization, or by a sensory test in which a person smells a food containing vegetable protein or eats a food containing vegetable protein and determines whether there is a specific difference in odor before and after deodorization.

[0048] When a gas chromatograph is used, the temperature of the vegetable protein may be changed to facilitate odor generation. When conducting a sensory test, it is desirable to hire a specialist to carry out the test.

[0049] (Vegetable protein material having vegetable protein, porous material, moisturizing gel and coating) The vegetable protein material of the present invention desirably contains, in addition to the above-mentioned porous material and vegetable protein, a coating that covers the moisturizing gel, vegetable protein, etc.

[0050] (Moisturizing gel) The moisturizing gel refers to a gel-like substance, and the presence of the moisturizing gel allows a juicy sensation to be felt when chewing foods containing a vegetable protein material. The moisturizing gel preferably contains a gelling agent, and the presence of the gelling agent in the moisturizing gel causes the components that become the moisturizing gel to gel. Examples of gelling agents include alginic acid, alginates, pectin, LM pectin, HM pectin, seaweed extract, seaweed extract, agar, konjac mannan (glucomannan), locust bean gum, guar gum, gellan gum, taragacanth gum, xanthan gum, carrageenan, curdlan, tamarind seed gum, karaya gum, tara gum, tragacanth gum, gum arabic, cassia gum, methylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, polydextrose, etc. By including the above-mentioned gelling agents, other components included in the components that become the moisturizing gel are gelled to form a moisturizing gel. The content ratio of the gelling agent is preferably 0.3 to 20% by weight, more preferably 0.5 to 5% by weight, based on the total weight of the moisturizing gel. These gelling agents may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0051] The moisturizing gel may contain fats and oils, and the fats and oils content is preferably 0.1 to 30% by weight, and more preferably 1 to 20% by weight, based on the total weight of the moisturizing gel.

[0052] Examples of fats and oils contained in the moisturizing gel include vegetable fats and oils such as corn oil, soybean oil, sesame oil, rapeseed oil, rice oil, rice bran oil, safflower oil, coconut oil, palm oil, sunflower oil, perilla oil, perilla oil, linseed oil, and olive oil; animal fats and oils such as lard (pork fat), beef tallow, chicken oil, mutton tallow, horse fat, fish oil, whale oil, and milk fat; and hardened oils thereof. The fats and oils mentioned above are particularly preferably those with a melting point of 40° C. or less. This is because when the fats and oils are liquefied when heated and eaten, they can be made to have a juicy feel and a rich flavor. These fats and oils may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0053] The moisturizing gel preferably contains water, and the water content is preferably 40 to 99.7% by weight, and more preferably 80 to 99% by weight, based on the total weight of the moisturizing gel.

[0054] When the moisturizing gel contains water and a water-soluble component, the water dissolves the component and becomes an aqueous solution such as consomme soup, which is gelled by the gelling agent to become a moisturizing gel. Furthermore, when water-insoluble solid components are contained, the mixture becomes in a slurry state, which is gelled by the gelling agent to become a moisturising gel containing solid components. Furthermore, it is also possible to make an emulsion in which a dispersoid such as oil or fat is emulsified in a dispersion medium such as water, and the gelling agent turns it into a moisturizing gel. When the amount of water is small, the emulsion can also be made into a gel state. The oil may simply be dispersed in a dispersion medium such as water.

[0055] The moisturizing gel preferably contains a flavoring ingredient. Examples of seasoning ingredients include vegetable extracts such as ginger extract, carrot extract, and tomato extract, seafood extracts such as shrimp extract, crab extract, oyster extract, and scallop extract, meat extracts such as beef extract, bok extract, and chicken extract, vanilla extract containing vanilla flavor as the main ingredient, seaweed extracts that are extracts from seaweed, yeast extracts that are extracts from yeasts such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae and torula yeast, sugar, salt, vinegar, soy sauce, miso, mirin, consomme, and monosodium glutamate, and spices such as pepper, etc. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0056] By including the flavoring ingredients in the moisturizing gel, the flavoring ingredients are not localized, and a more uniform taste can be obtained when chewing compared to when flavoring materials are enclosed in conventional capsules. Furthermore, the seasoning ingredients are preferably plant-derived, since they can be consumed by people who cannot consume animal products for religious reasons.

[0057] (film) The vegetable protein material of the present invention desirably has a coating that covers the vegetable protein and the moisturizing gel.

[0058] Examples of the coating include those containing carbohydrates such as sodium alginate, potassium alginate, calcium alginate, agar, konjac, carrageenan (κ type, ι type, λ type), gellan gum, pectin, and xanthan gum. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among these, components that are solidified by metal ions, such as sodium alginate and pectin, are preferred.

[0059] Components that solidify carbohydrates such as pectin include compounds containing metal ions such as calcium ions, magnesium ions, ammonium ions, and aluminum ions. Examples of calcium salts that supply calcium ions include calcium lactate, calcium chloride, calcium gluconate, calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, calcium sulfate, and calcium hydrogen phosphate. Examples of magnesium salts that supply magnesium ions include magnesium chloride and magnesium carbonate. Examples of copper salts that supply copper ions include copper gluconate and copper sulfate. Examples of aluminum salts include ammonium aluminum sulfate and potassium aluminum sulfate.

[0060] The coating may contain starch with high moisture retention, such as modified starch, starch syrup, reduced starch syrup, maltose, mannan powder, and the like. The melting point of the coating is preferably 180°C or higher, because it does not easily break when heated, and it is only when chewed that the coating breaks, releasing the moisturizing gel and vegetable protein inside the coating, resulting in a vegetable protein material that has a good aroma, texture, and juicy taste, and that retains these properties.

[0061] The coating preferably has a certain degree of mechanical strength, since it is desirable for the vegetable protein material to be satisfying to eat. The thickness of the coating is measured by observing the coating with a microscope, and the value obtained by measuring the part with the smallest thickness is regarded as the thickness of the coating.

[0062] The vegetable protein material of the present invention may contain only a porous material and vegetable protein, or may be vegetable protein that is a composite of a porous material, vegetable protein, and carbohydrates, or may be vegetable protein to which at least one of a porous material, carbohydrates, a pH adjuster, lipids, nutrients, extracts, and flavorings has been added. The above vegetable protein is preferably a textured vegetable protein such as a layered or fibrous one.

[0063] Furthermore, the vegetable protein material of the present invention preferably comprises the above-mentioned vegetable protein (textured vegetable protein) together with a moisturizing gel and a coating that covers the same.

[0064] As described above, the vegetable protein material of the present invention desirably comprises structured vegetable protein, a moisturizing gel, and a coating that covers these, and the vegetable protein material can be layered and shaped by using an enzyme-based binder or card as a binder.

[0065] The vegetable protein content in the vegetable protein material is preferably 5 to 80% by weight, more preferably 10 to 30% by weight. If the vegetable protein content is less than 10%, the vegetable protein may be inefficient as a protein intake material. The content of the moisturizing gel in the vegetable protein material is preferably 20 to 95% by weight, and more preferably 70 to 90% by weight.

[0066] Next, a method for producing a vegetable protein material having a structured vegetable protein, a moisturizing gel and a coating film that covers these will be described. In producing the above-mentioned vegetable protein material, for example, the vegetable protein material can be produced by carrying out (1) a deodorizing treatment process, (2) a texturizing process, (3) a slicing process, (4) a process of combining with a moisturizing gel, and (5) a coating process.

[0067] (1) Deodorization process First, a deodorizing agent is added to vegetable protein or vegetable protein with other additives such as carbonized materials (vegetable protein containing other components) and mixed to perform deodorizing treatment. Heating may be performed during mixing, but the heating temperature is preferably 60 to 120°C. When activated carbon is used as a deodorizer, the material may turn black, so it is desirable to add a white additive such as titania that can be added to food to prevent blackening.

[0068] (2) Organization process Next, the vegetable protein or vegetable protein containing other components that has been subjected to step (1) is put into an apparatus such as an extruder and extruded through a die to structure the vegetable protein into a layered, fibrous, or other structured form. The extruder is an apparatus that performs kneading, processing, molding, expanding, sterilization, etc. by adding water to a material such as vegetable protein and applying pressure with a screw at high temperature to extrude the material through a die. In the present invention, the extruder may be a single-screw extruder or a twin-screw extruder.

[0069] (3) Slicing process Thereafter, the vegetable protein or vegetable protein containing other ingredients that has passed through the extruder is extruded through a die having through-holes of a predetermined shape, and then sliced ​​to a predetermined thickness by fixed teeth. In the present invention, the textured vegetable protein thus produced can be provided to food manufacturers and the like in response to their requests.

[0070] (4) Combination with moisturizing gel Next, the material that will become the moisturizing gel is absorbed into vegetable protein or vegetable protein containing other ingredients, or the two are mixed together, and the material that will become the moisturizing gel is gelled by cooling or the like. This produces a complex of the vegetable protein or vegetable protein containing other ingredients and the moisturizing gel.

[0071] (5) Film formation process The coating can be formed by immersing the above-mentioned composite of moisturizing gel and structured vegetable protein in an aqueous solution containing metal ions with added metal salt, then immersing it in an aqueous solution in which carbohydrates such as sodium alginate or pectin are dissolved, and allowing the metal ions to come into contact with the carbohydrates and solidify, thereby producing a vegetable protein material.

[0072] (Food and its manufacturing) Food products using the vegetable protein material of the present invention can be obtained by placing the food product in a concave forming tool such as a cylindrical or elliptical cylindrical tool, and then pressing and molding the food product using a convex forming tool. The shape of the forming tool is not limited to a cylindrical or elliptical cylindrical shape, and can be selected depending on the food product. In addition, the pressure molding can be performed using a multiaxial press using a concave or convex tool, a multiaxial press, an isostatic press (cold isostatic press), etc. Furthermore, after molding, the food product can be cut into shapes commonly seen in various foods such as shrimp, crab, fish, meat, and noodles.

[0073] Furthermore, the food product formed from the vegetable protein material of the present invention may be immersed in a gelling agent solution or a solution for forming a coating to allow the gelling agent to penetrate into the food product or to form a coating on the surface of the food product. For example, when an aqueous solution of sodium alginate and an aqueous solution of a calcium salt are used to form a coating on the vegetable protein material of the present invention, the food product containing the vegetable protein material may be immersed in an aqueous solution of a calcium salt such as calcium chloride or calcium lactate to promote the coagulation reaction of the coating, thereby improving the adhesion between the vegetable protein materials so that the food product does not fall apart during cooking. Furthermore, the vegetable protein material of the present invention can be mixed with binders such as starch and transglutaminase, commercially available vegetable protein particles, colorants, seasoning ingredients, etc., and molded into a food product.

[0074] By mixing the vegetable protein material of the above composition with auxiliary ingredients such as water, the above-mentioned oils and fats, the above-mentioned sugars, seasonings, and other ingredients that make up the structure of the dough, as well as vegetables such as carrots, burdock, sesame, and onions, seaweed such as wakame seaweed and hijiki seaweed, and meat such as minced meat, it is possible to produce a variety of foods containing vegetable protein materials.

[0075] These foods are then consumed at home, in restaurants, etc., after being baked, steamed, boiled, fried, heated by electromagnetic waves, etc. Since the food of the present invention contains a vegetable protein material mixed with the above-mentioned porous material, the odor inherent to the vegetable protein raw material can be reproduced by adding extracts and flavorings, and the food has the same aroma, texture, juiciness and long-lasting flavor as natural ingredients such as meat, fish meat and crustacean meat, without the odor inherent to the vegetable protein raw material. EXAMPLES

[0076] EXAMPLES Hereinafter, examples that more specifically disclose the present invention will be described, however, the present invention is not limited to only the following examples. Example 1 A deodorizing treatment was carried out by adding 0.5 parts by weight of activated carbon (bamboo charcoal powder for food coloring, Sunwhite Taiyotan Co., Ltd.) to the main raw material flour consisting of 100 parts by weight of defatted soybean flour (Soya Flower A, manufactured by Nisshin Oillio Co., Ltd.) and mixing it.

[0077] The deodorized powder was placed in a twin-screw extruder, and while supplying water to the main raw material powder so that the amount was 50% by weight, it was extruded from a nozzle with an aperture of 8 mm square under conditions of an outlet temperature of 115°C and a screw rotation speed of 450 RPM to produce a textured protein material. This textured protein material was pulverized in a food processor, made into mincemeat, and dried in an incubator at 85°C to obtain a dried textured protein material.

[0078] Example 2 A dried material of a textured protein material was prepared under the same conditions as in Example 1, except that the amount of activated carbon (bamboo charcoal powder for food coloring, manufactured by Sunwhite Taiyotan Co., Ltd.) mixed was 1.0 part by weight.

[0079] Example 3 A dried body of the textured protein material was prepared under the same conditions as in Example 1, except that 0.5 parts by weight of activated carbon (coconut shell charcoal) was used instead of 0.5 parts by weight of activated carbon (bamboo charcoal powder for food coloring, manufactured by Sunwhite Taiyotan Co., Ltd.).

[0080] Example 4 A dried body of the textured protein material was prepared under the same conditions as in Example 1, except that 1.0 part by weight of activated carbon (coconut shell charcoal) was used instead of 0.5 part by weight of activated carbon (bamboo charcoal powder for food coloring, manufactured by Sunwhite Taiyotan Co., Ltd.).

[0081] Example 5 A dried body of the textured protein material was prepared under the same conditions as in Example 1, except that 0.5 parts by weight of zeolite (Itaya Zeolite SGW, manufactured by Zeeklite Co., Ltd.) was used instead of 0.5 parts by weight of activated carbon (bamboo charcoal powder for food coloring, manufactured by Sunwhite Taiyotan Co., Ltd.).

[0082] Example 6 A deodorizing treatment was carried out by adding 0.5 parts by weight of activated carbon (bamboo charcoal powder for food coloring, Sunwhite Taiyotan Co., Ltd.) to a main raw material powder consisting of 90 parts by weight of defatted soy flour (Soya Flour A, manufactured by Nisshin Oillio Co., Ltd.) and 10 parts by weight of powdered soy protein (Solpy 4000H, manufactured by Nisshin Oillio Co., Ltd.) and mixing.

[0083] The deodorized powder was placed in a twin-screw extruder, and while supplying water to the main raw material powder so that the amount was 50% by weight, it was extruded from a nozzle with an aperture of 8 mm square under conditions of an outlet temperature of 115°C and a screw rotation speed of 450 RPM to produce a textured protein material. This textured protein material was pulverized in a food processor, made into mincemeat, and dried in an incubator at 85°C to obtain a dried textured protein material.

[0084] Example 7 A deodorizing treatment was carried out by adding 0.5 parts by weight of activated carbon (bamboo charcoal powder for food coloring, Sunwhite Taiyotan Co., Ltd.) to a main raw material flour consisting of 80 parts by weight of defatted soy flour (Soya Flour A, manufactured by Nisshin Oillio Co., Ltd.) and 20 parts by weight of powdered soy protein (Solpy 4000H, manufactured by Nisshin Oillio Co., Ltd.) and mixing.

[0085] The deodorized powder was placed in a twin-screw extruder, and while supplying water to the main raw material powder so that the amount was 50% by weight, it was extruded from a nozzle with an aperture of 8 mm square under conditions of an outlet temperature of 115°C and a screw rotation speed of 450 RPM to produce a textured protein material. This textured protein material was pulverized in a food processor, made into mincemeat, and dried in an incubator at 85°C to obtain a dried textured protein material.

[0086] Example 8 A deodorizing treatment was carried out by adding 0.5 parts by weight of activated carbon (bamboo charcoal powder for food coloring, Sunwhite Taiyotan Co., Ltd.) to the main raw material flour consisting of 90 parts by weight of defatted soy flour (Soya Flour A, manufactured by Nisshin Oillio Co., Ltd.) and 10 parts by weight of full-fat soy flour (Soya Flour NSA, manufactured by Nisshin Oillio Co., Ltd.) and mixing.

[0087] The deodorized powder was placed in a twin-screw extruder, and while supplying water to the main raw material powder so that the amount was 50% by weight, it was extruded from a nozzle with an aperture of 8 mm square under conditions of an outlet temperature of 115°C and a screw rotation speed of 450 RPM to produce a textured protein material. This textured protein material was pulverized in a food processor, made into mincemeat, and dried in an incubator at 85°C to obtain a dried textured protein material.

[0088] Comparative Example 1 A main raw material flour consisting of 100 parts by weight of defatted soy flour (Soya Flour A manufactured by Nisshin Oillio Co., Ltd.) was put into a twin-screw extruder, and while supplying water so that the amount was 50% by weight, it was extruded from a nozzle having an aperture of 8 mm square under conditions of an outlet temperature of 115°C and a screw rotation speed of 450 RPM to produce a textured protein material. This textured protein material was pulverized in a food processor, made into mince, and dried in an incubator at 85°C to obtain a dried body of the textured protein material.

[0089] Comparative Example 2 0.5 parts by weight of silica gel was added to a main raw material flour consisting of 100 parts by weight of defatted soybean flour (Soya Flour A, manufactured by Nisshin Oillio Co., Ltd.) and mixed.

[0090] The main raw material powder mixed with silica gel was put into a twin-screw extruder, and while supplying water to the main raw material powder so that the amount was 50% by weight, it was extruded from a nozzle with an aperture of 8 mm square under conditions of an outlet temperature of 115°C and a screw rotation speed of 450 RPM to produce a textured protein material. This textured protein material was pulverized in a food processor, made into mincemeat, and dried in an incubator at 85°C to obtain a dried body of the textured protein material.

[0091] (Measurement of average particle size) The average particle size of the porous material was measured by SEM observation using a HITACHI S-4800. From the photograph observed at an acceleration voltage of 10 kV, an emission current of 10 μA, and a magnification of 1K, 20 particles were randomly selected, their particle sizes were measured, and the average was calculated. The results are shown in Table 1 below.

[0092] (Measurement of average pore size) Using a Belsorp max made by Japan Bell Co., Ltd., the samples were thoroughly dried and subjected to the BET method using nitrogen gas under the following conditions: adsorption temperature 77K, vacuum level 1.0E-4 Pa or less, and leakage rate 1.0E-1 Pa / min or less. The results are shown in Table 1 below.

[0093] (Measurement of specific surface area) Using a Belsorp max made by Japan Bell Co., Ltd., the samples were thoroughly dried and subjected to the BET method using nitrogen gas under the following conditions: adsorption temperature 77K, vacuum level 1.0E-4 Pa or less, and leakage rate 1.0E-1 Pa / min or less. The results are shown in Table 1 below.

[0094] (Odor testing by tasting) The vegetable protein materials obtained in Examples 1 to 8 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 were soaked in 98°C hot water for 5 minutes to rehydrate, and then five evaluators ate them and evaluated the texture, soybean odor before chewing, soybean odor after one chew, and soybean odor after 10 chews on a 5-point scale, and the average scores are shown in Table 1. The evaluation method was to rate the soybean odor of the vegetable protein material obtained in Comparative Example 1, which was not subjected to deodorization treatment, as 3 at every stage, and to compare the texture and soybean odor of the vegetable protein material obtained in Comparative Example 1 with the texture and soybean odor of the vegetable protein materials obtained in the other Examples and Comparative Examples, and evaluate them as follows. The scale was 1: very bad, 2: bad, 3: equal, 4: good (reduced), and 5: very good (greatly reduced). The evaluation results are shown in Table 1 below.

[0095] [Table 1]

[0096] Specific evaluation results for each of the Examples and Comparative Examples are given below. Example 1: The texture of the vegetable protein material of Example 1 was not changed from that of Comparative Example 1, and the soybean odor was reduced. In addition, the soybean odor after 10 chews was also reduced, and the soybean odor was not desorbed to a level that could be detected by the olfactory sense during chewing. Example 2: Compared to Example 1, the effect of reducing the soybean odor was further improved, to a level where the soybean odor was almost unnoticeable. Examples 3 to 5: The texture was unchanged, and the soybean odor was reduced. In particular, the soybean odor felt during chewing after 10 bites was reduced. Examples 6 and 8: The texture remained unchanged, but the soybean smell was reduced. Example 7: The texture remained the same, but the soybean smell was significantly reduced to a level where the soybean smell was almost unnoticeable. Comparative Example 1: Although the texture was good as a vegetable protein material, the vegetable protein material had a soybean smell, and the soybean smell did not disappear even after 10 chews. Comparative Example 2: The texture was unchanged, but the texture and soybean odor were not reduced even with the addition of silica gel.

[0097] Thus, the vegetable protein materials containing a porous material made of activated carbon or zeolite obtained in Examples 1 to 8 had a significantly reduced odor derived from the vegetable protein raw material, whereas the vegetable protein material not containing a porous material obtained in Comparative Example 1 had a strong odor derived from the vegetable protein raw material, and the vegetable protein material containing silica gel obtained in Comparative Example 2 also had a strong odor derived from the vegetable protein raw material.

[0098] (Production of meat-like foods) 1% by weight of kappa-type carrageenan (WR-78-J), 1% by weight of xanthan gum (SATIAKINE CX90), 10% by weight of coconut oil, 5% by weight of palm oil, and beef extract were added to boiling water and stirred to obtain a moisturizing gel solution. The moisturizing gel aqueous solution was added in an amount 10 times by weight to the structured vegetable protein described in Examples 1 to 8 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2, and allowed to stand at 92°C for 5 minutes to complex the vegetable protein with the moisturizing gel aqueous solution. The vegetable protein that had been complexed with the moisturizing gel and structured was then removed and allowed to stand in a refrigerator for 30 minutes to cool, yielding a moisturizing gel-containing vegetable protein.

[0099] The structured vegetable protein encapsulating a moisturizing gel was immersed in an aqueous solution containing 10% calcium chloride, and then immersed in a 2% by weight sodium alginate solution (IL-6M) at room temperature for approximately 10 seconds, causing the sodium alginate to solidify and form a coating, producing a vegetable protein material encapsulating a moisturizing gel with a coating.

[0100] The moisturizing gel-encapsulated vegetable protein materials provided with coatings corresponding to Examples 1 to 8 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 were individually placed in cylindrical concave molds for each Example and Comparative Example, and pressed in the vertical direction of the cylindrical mold (the normal direction of the circular cross section of the cylindrical mold) using a convex mold to form 10 food molded bodies. Each food molded body was further immersed in a 10% calcium chloride solution to completely solidify the coating components, producing meat-like food molded bodies.

[0101] These meat-like food products were immersed in 98°C water for 5 minutes to rehydrate, after which five evaluators rated the soybean odor after 10 bites on a 5-point scale, and the average score was used to determine the evaluation score. The results were as follows: body corresponding to Example 1: 4.0, body corresponding to Example 2: 4.8, body corresponding to Example 3: 4.2, body corresponding to Example 4: 4.4, body corresponding to Example 5: 4.0, body corresponding to Example 6: 4.2, body corresponding to Example 7: 4.6, body corresponding to Example 8: 4.2, body corresponding to Comparative Example 1: 3.0, and body corresponding to Comparative Example 2: 3.2.

Claims

1. The porous material includes at least one selected from activated carbon and zeolite, The average pore size of the porous material is 0.5 to 10 nm; The specific surface area of ​​the porous material is 100 to 1000 m 2 / g; The vegetable protein material is characterized in that the vegetable protein is structured.

2. 2. The vegetable protein material according to claim 1, wherein the porous material is contained in an amount of 0.01 to 1.0% by weight.

3. 3. The vegetable protein material according to claim 2, wherein the porous material is contained in an amount of 0.1 to 0.5% by weight.

4. 4. The vegetable protein material according to claim 1, wherein the vegetable protein is structured in a layered or fibrous form.

5. 5. The vegetable protein material according to claim 1, comprising the vegetable protein, the porous material, a moisturizing gel and a coating which coats these.

6. The vegetable protein material according to claim 5 , wherein the moisturizing gel contains an oil or fat.

7. A food comprising the vegetable protein material according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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