Liquid egg substitute composition and heat coagulum

Abstract

To provide a liquid-egg substitute composition making it possible to prepare a heated coagulation that excels in both of appearance and texture and is less prone to film breaks.SOLUTION: A liquid-egg substitute composition comprises protein extracted from almonds, curdlan and methyl cellulose, with the content of the almond-derived protein being 1 mass% or more and 15 mass% or less.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid egg substitute composition and its heat coagulum.

Background Art

[0002] Egg cooked foods such as scrambled eggs obtained by heating and coagulating liquid eggs have been favorably eaten because of the unique rich flavor and vivid color of eggs. On the other hand, in recent years, various liquid egg substitute compositions using vegetable proteins instead of eggs have been developed due to concerns about health and the increasing preference for plant-based foods.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes an egg substitute containing a purified mung bean protein isolate, which is characterized by having one or more sensory properties similar to those of eggs. Patent Document 2 describes an egg substitute containing a purified adzuki bean protein isolate, which is characterized by having one or more sensory properties similar to those of eggs. Patent Document 3 describes a powder composition for egg substitution, which is characterized by containing a soy protein material and oxidized starch.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, when attempting to prepare a minced heat-coagulated product such as scrambled eggs or fried eggs using a liquid egg substitute composition containing plant protein, there were problems such that the heat-coagulated product did not become a minced form of appropriate size, and it was difficult to achieve a minced appearance similar to scrambled eggs or fried eggs. There were also texture problems such as a gritty feeling of the plant protein, and it was difficult to obtain a liquid egg substitute composition capable of preparing a heat-coagulated product excellent in both appearance and texture. In response to this problem, the present inventors have found that by combining and using an extracted protein from almonds and curdlan, a liquid egg substitute composition capable of preparing a scrambled egg-like heat-coagulated product excellent in both appearance and texture can be obtained. However, when attempting to cook a heat-coagulated product that requires shaping such as an omelette or an omelette, there is a problem that the film of the outer coagulated product is somewhat easily broken, and further improvement has been demanded.

[0006] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid egg substitute composition capable of preparing a heat-coagulated product excellent in both appearance and texture and having a film that is difficult to break.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] As a result of intensive studies to achieve the above object, the present inventors have found that by further combining and using an extracted protein from almonds, curdlan, and methylcellulose, not only can a heat-coagulated product such as scrambled eggs excellent in both appearance and texture be prepared, but also when preparing a heat-coagulated product similar to heat-coagulated eggs such as an omelette or an omelette, a heat-coagulated product with a film that is difficult to break can be prepared, and thus the present invention has been completed.

[0008] That is, the present invention is (1) A liquid egg substitute composition containing an extracted protein from almonds, curdlan, and methylcellulose, wherein the content of the extracted protein from almonds is 1% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less, the liquid egg substitute composition, (2) The liquid egg substitute composition according to (1), wherein the carrageenan content is 1% by mass or more and 8% by mass or less. (3) The liquid egg substitute composition according to (1) or (2), wherein the proportion of methylcellulose is 0.01% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less. (4) The liquid egg substitute composition according to any one of (1) to (3), further containing 3% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less of lipid. (5) A heat coagulum prepared using the liquid egg substitute composition according to any one of (1) to (4). It is as follows.

Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a liquid egg substitute composition capable of preparing a heat coagulum that is excellent in both appearance and texture and has a film that is difficult to break.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail. In the present invention, “%” means “% by mass”.

[0011] <Liquid Egg Substitute Composition> The liquid egg substitute composition of the present invention is a liquid egg substitute composition that does not contain eggs or contains a small amount of eggs, and is characterized by containing 1% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less of almond extract protein, carrageenan, and methylcellulose. The liquid egg substitute composition of the present invention can be heated in the same manner as liquid eggs to obtain a heat coagulum having an appearance and texture similar to those of real scrambled eggs, fried eggs, etc., and a heat coagulum in which the film is difficult to break, such as heat coagulated eggs like egg pancakes and omelets. “Does not contain eggs” means that it does not contain raw materials derived from eggs of birds generally used for food, such as chicken, quail, and duck eggs, and “contains a small amount of eggs” means that the raw materials derived from the eggs of the birds are contained in the liquid egg substitute composition in an amount of 5% by mass or less, preferably 3% by mass or less, more preferably 1% by mass or less.

[0012] <Liquid Egg> In the present invention, the liquid egg refers to an unheated liquid egg obtained by uniformly mixing liquid egg white and liquid egg yolk obtained by cracking eggs of birds generally used for food. Since liquid eggs have heat coagulability, they are often eaten as heat-coagulated eggs. Therefore, as a substitute for liquid eggs, it is required to have heat coagulability equivalent to that of liquid eggs and the texture of the heat-coagulated product to be close to that of heat-coagulated eggs. In addition, it is desirable to have fluidity equivalent to that of liquid eggs because it is easy to use in cooking.

[0013] <Heat-coagulated egg> In the present invention, the heat-coagulated egg means a heat coagulation product of a liquid egg. Examples of heat-coagulated eggs include scrambled eggs, omelets, egg pancakes, fried eggs, thin fried eggs, silk thread eggs, and cooked foods containing these.

[0014] <Heat-coagulated product> The heat-coagulated product of the present invention refers to a heat coagulation product of the liquid egg substitute composition of the present invention. The heat-coagulated product is obtained by heating the liquid egg substitute composition in a frying pan, a water bath, or other appropriate methods to cause coagulation (gelation). The heat-coagulated product of the present invention can be used as a substitute for heat-coagulated eggs.

[0015] <Extracted protein of almond> The liquid egg substitute composition of the present invention is characterized by containing an extracted protein of almond. The extracted protein of almond refers to a protein extracted from almond. The extracted protein of almond has optimal solubility in water. That is, since its solubility in water is low, it is possible to prepare a minced heat-coagulated product without inhibiting the formation of a gel network by curdlan. On the other hand, since it is slightly soluble in water, it is difficult to feel the roughness of the protein powder, and a heat-coagulated product with excellent texture can be obtained. Furthermore, in terms of color tone, it has a light color tone based on white. This makes it easier to reproduce a yellow color tone close to that of heat-coagulated eggs as compared with other plant proteins having a dark color tone such as brown, black, or gray. Furthermore, the extracted protein of almond has little odor peculiar to the raw material. This makes it easy to obtain a heat-coagulated product closer to the flavor of heat-coagulated eggs. Thus, the liquid egg substitute composition of the present invention has all the properties required for a substitute for liquid eggs, namely heat coagulability and fluidity, and the properties required for a substitute for heat-coagulated eggs, namely a smooth texture, a light color tone, and a good flavor. Therefore, according to the present invention, a liquid egg substitute composition having more excellent properties can be obtained as a substitute for liquid eggs for producing heat-coagulated eggs.

[0016] <Content of extracted protein of almond> The liquid egg substitute composition of the present invention contains 1% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less of the above-mentioned extracted protein of almond. When the extracted protein of almond is less than the above range, even if a heat coagulum is prepared, it will not become a proper size of flaky shape during heating. Further, when the extracted protein of almond is more than the above range, the roughness of the extracted protein of almond can be felt. Also, the fluidity decreases, making it difficult to use in cooking. In addition, since the liquid egg substitute composition of the present invention is likely to obtain a heat coagulum with more excellent appearance and texture after heating, it is preferably contained 2% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less, and more preferably 3% by mass or more and 7% by mass or less of the above-mentioned extracted protein of almond. The ratio of the extracted protein of almond refers to the ratio of only the protein extracted from almond and does not include components other than the protein extracted from almond.

[0017] <Curdlan> In the present invention, curdlan is a general term for heat-coagulable polysaccharides mainly composed of β-1,3 glucoside bonds, and examples thereof include polysaccharides produced by Alcaligenes faecalis var. myxogenes fungi. Since curdlan is commercially available, commercially available products can be used. The ratio of curdlan contained in the liquid egg substitute composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, but it can be 1% by mass or more and 8% by mass or less, and more preferably 2% by mass or more and 7% by mass or less because it is easy to obtain a heat coagulum having excellent appearance and texture.

[0018] <Lipid> The liquid egg substitute composition of the present invention preferably further contains 3% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less of lipids. Thereby, the composition of the liquid egg substitute composition can be made closer to the composition of liquid eggs, and after heating, a texture similar to that of heat-coagulated eggs is likely to be felt. Further, the liquid egg substitute composition of the present invention preferably contains 4% by mass or more of lipids, preferably contains 12% by mass or less of lipids, and more preferably contains 10% by mass or less of lipids. From the viewpoint of adjusting the lipid content within the above range, the liquid egg substitute composition of the present invention preferably contains edible oil and fat. Examples of the edible oil and fat include animal and vegetable oils and their refined oils, oils and fats obtained by chemical or enzymatic treatment, and the like. Examples of the animal and vegetable oils include rapeseed oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, olive oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, palm oil, milk fat, beef tallow, lard, egg yolk oil, and the like. Examples of the oils and fats obtained by chemical or enzymatic treatment include MCT (medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride), diglyceride, hydrogenated oil, enzymatically treated egg yolk oil, and the like. These edible oils and fats may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0019] <Methylcellulose> In the present invention, methylcellulose is obtained by methyl-etherifying cellulose obtained from plant pulp or the like to enhance its water solubility, and commercially available products can be appropriately used. The proportion of methylcellulose contained in the liquid egg substitute composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, but it can be 0.01% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less because it is easy to obtain a heat-coagulated product with a hard-to-break film, and it is preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less.

[0020] <Other raw materials> The liquid egg substitute composition of the present invention can contain raw materials other than those described above, as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired. Examples of such raw materials include seasonings such as soy sauce, salt, pepper, and amino acids; sugars such as granulated sugar, refined sugar, brown sugar, fructose, glucose syrup, starches, dextrin, fructose, trehalose, glucose, lactose, oligosaccharides, and sugar ethanol; bacteriostatic agents such as glycine and sodium acetate; pH adjusters such as organic acids and organic acid salts; preservatives; antioxidants; and flavors.

[0021] <Method for Producing Liquid Egg Substitute Composition> The method for producing the liquid egg substitute composition of the present invention includes, for example, a step of preparing almond extracted protein and curdlan, and a step of preparing the liquid egg substitute composition such that the almond extracted protein is 1% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less.

[0022] <Step of Preparing Almond Extracted Protein> In this step, almond extracted protein is prepared by methods such as purchasing commercially available almond extracted protein or extracting protein from almonds according to conventional methods. Examples of the protein extraction method include the following. First, if necessary, pretreatment of almonds is performed. Examples of the pretreatment include pulverizing almonds into powder. Alternatively, if not pulverized, the pulverized almonds may be immersed in water or the like. Subsequently, protein is eluted from the almonds. For protein elution, an alkaline eluent containing, for example, sodium hydroxide can be used. Thereafter, if necessary, insoluble matter is removed and the protein dissolved in the eluent is precipitated. For protein precipitation, an acid such as hydrochloric acid can be used. Then, after collecting the precipitate by centrifugation or filtration, etc., the precipitate is neutralized if necessary to obtain almond protein. In addition, the extracted protein can be subjected to an enzyme treatment such as a transglutaminase treatment to enhance gelation properties, if necessary.

[0023] <Preparation Step> In this project, the extracted protein of almond, curdlan, methylcellulose, water, and other raw materials are stirred and mixed to prepare a liquid egg substitute composition. The extracted protein of almond is prepared to be 1% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less. In addition, after the preparation process, a heat sterilization process can be performed as necessary. Thus, the liquid egg substitute composition of the present invention is manufactured.

[0024] Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described based on Examples and Comparative Examples. Note that the present invention is not limited thereto.

Examples

[0025] <Test Example 1: Examination of Plant Protein> Liquid egg substitute compositions of Reference Examples 1 to 6 containing proteins extracted from various plant raw materials were prepared with the formulations shown in Table 1. Specifically, the gelling agent was mixed with water in advance and dispersed by stirring with a Hiscotron for 5 minutes. Then the plant protein was dissolved, and finally soybean oil and lecithin were added and emulsified with a Hiscotron for 1 minute to prepare a liquid egg substitute composition. The prepared liquid egg substitute composition was heated in a frying pan heated to about 170 °C to prepare a heat coagulum like scrambled eggs. The appearance and texture of the heat coagulum were evaluated according to the following criteria. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0026] [Evaluation Criteria for Appearance] A: The gel became a crumbly state where it fell apart and had an appearance equivalent to scrambled eggs. B: The crumbly gels were overall aggregated, but had an appearance close to scrambled eggs. C: The gel became a lump of paste, having an appearance different from scrambled eggs.

[0027] [Evaluation Criteria for Texture] A: It had no roughness and had a good texture. B: Slight roughness was felt, but it was not particularly bothersome. C: Roughness was felt, having an unfavorable texture.

[0028] [Table 1] TIFF0007691621000001.tif72136

[0029] As shown in Table 1, it was found that by using the protein extracted from almonds as a plant protein, a heat coagulum excellent in appearance and texture can be obtained.

[0030] [Test Example 2: Examination of Protein Content] Except that the extracted protein content of almonds was changed to the ratio described in Table 2, the liquid egg substitute compositions of Reference Examples 7 to 15 were prepared in the same manner as in Reference Example 1. Using each of the prepared liquid egg substitute compositions, a scrambled egg-like heat coagulum was prepared in the same manner as in Test Example 1, and the appearance and texture were evaluated. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0031] [Table 2] TIFF0007691621000002.tif23161

[0032] As shown in Table 2, it was found that by containing 1% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less of the protein extracted from almonds, a heat coagulum excellent in appearance and texture can be obtained. In addition, the liquid egg substitute compositions of Reference Examples 8 to 13 with a protein concentration of 2% by mass or more and 7% by mass or less had high fluidity and were easy to use for preparing scrambled eggs. Furthermore, the scrambled eggs prepared with the liquid egg substitute composition having a protein concentration of 3% by mass or more and 7% by mass or less were preferably closer to real scrambled eggs in the gel state.

[0033] [Test Example 3: Examination of Gelling Agent] Except that curdlan was changed to gellan gum or agar, the liquid egg substitute compositions of Reference Example 16 or 17 were prepared in the same manner as in Reference Example 1. Using each of the prepared liquid egg substitute compositions, a scrambled egg-like heat coagulum was prepared in the same manner as in Test Example 1, and the appearance and texture were evaluated. As a result, the heat coagulum prepared from the liquid egg substitute composition of Reference Example 16 or 17 had no graininess, but became a lump of paste and did not have a scrambled egg-like appearance.

[0034] <Test Example 4: Examination of curdlan concentration> Except that the content of curdlan was changed to the ratio shown in Table 3, liquid egg substitute compositions of Reference Examples 18 to 24 were prepared in the same manner as in Reference Example 1. Using each of the prepared liquid egg substitute compositions, a heat coagulum having a scrambled egg-like appearance was prepared in the same manner as in Test Example 1, and the appearance and texture were evaluated. The results are shown in Table 3.

[0035] [Table 3] TIFF0007691621000003.tif29156

[0036] As shown in Table 3, it was found that by containing 1% by mass or more and 8% by mass or less of curdlan, a heat coagulum excellent in appearance and texture can be obtained.

[0037] [Reference Example 25] A liquid egg substitute composition of Reference Example 25 was prepared in the same manner as in Reference Example 1 except that soybean oil was changed to 3%.

[0038] [Reference Example 26] A liquid egg substitute composition of Reference Example 26 was prepared in the same manner as in Reference Example 1 except that soybean oil was changed to 7%.

[0039] Using the liquid egg substitute compositions of Reference Examples 25 and 26, a heat coagulum having a scrambled egg-like appearance was prepared in the same manner as in Test Example 1, and the appearance and texture were evaluated. As a result, all were evaluated as A and had good results.

[0040] <Test Example 5: Examination of methylcellulose concentration> The liquid egg substitute compositions of Examples 1 to 9 were prepared in the same manner as in Reference Example 1, except that methyl cellulose was blended at the ratios shown in Table 4 (for 0.01% and 0.05%, Methocel (registered trademark) MCE-100TS manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. was used; for 0.1 to 0.3%, Methocel (registered trademark) MCE-400 was used; for 0.5% and 1%, Methocel (registered trademark) MCE-100 was used; for 1.5% and 2%, Methocel (registered trademark) MCE-25 was used). Using each of the prepared liquid egg substitute compositions, scrambled egg-like heat coagulated products were prepared in the same manner as in Test Example 1, and the appearance and texture were evaluated. Also, the prepared liquid egg substitute compositions were heated and molded in a frying pan heated to about 170°C to prepare egg pancake-like heat coagulated products. The appearance of the heat coagulated products was observed, and the ease of film breakage was evaluated according to the following criteria. The results are shown in Table 4.

[0041] [Evaluation Criteria for Ease of Film Breakage] AA: No film breakage was observed at all. A: Slight film breakage was observed, but it was not noticeable. B: Some film breakage was observed, but the shape of the egg pancake was maintained. C: Severe film breakage, and the shape was greatly damaged.

[0042] [Table 4] TIFF0007691621000004.tif30164

[0043] As shown in Table 4, it was found that blending methyl cellulose makes the film of the egg pancake-like heat coagulated product less likely to break. In particular, when using a liquid egg substitute composition blended with 0.05% or more and 0.5% or less of methyl cellulose, not only was no film breakage of the egg pancake observed, but also the viscosity of the liquid egg substitute composition was low, which was more preferable in terms of ease of cooking the egg pancake.

Claims

1. A liquid egg substitute composition containing almond-extracted protein, curdlan, and methylcellulose, wherein the content of the almond-extracted protein is 1% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less, Liquid egg substitute composition.

2. The content of curdlan is 1% by mass or more and 8% by mass or less, The liquid egg substitute composition according to Claim 1.

3. The proportion of methylcellulose is 0.01% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, The liquid egg substitute composition according to Claim 1 or 2.

4. Further containing 3% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less of lipid The liquid egg substitute composition according to any one of Claims 1 to 3.

5. Prepared using the liquid egg substitute composition according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, Heat coagulum.

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