Textured soy protein

Abstract

To provide a meat-like food that has random irregularities in appearance and can reproduce the versatile (non-uniform) eat-texture of natural meat when masticated.SOLUTION: Provided is a tissue-like soybean protein material, which is a tissue-like soybean protein material composed of fibrous soybean protein, and in which, characterized, the fibrous soybean protein contains carbohydrate and calcium, and the surface of the tissue-like soybean protein material has a plurality of lumpy parts containing pores and the plurality of lumpy parts are in contact with each other to form a surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a textured soy protein material. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, the social situation surrounding meat ingredients has become increasingly severe, and there is a growing trend toward using vegetable proteins such as soy protein as substitutes for meat or as bulking agents.

[0003] Among vegetable proteins, textured soy protein, which is textured using defatted soybeans or powdered soy protein material as raw materials, is used for a variety of purposes, and textured soy protein is used as a filler for ground meat in processed meat foods such as hamburgers and meatballs. On the other hand, one of the characteristics of the texture of meat-like foods using textured soy protein is that they are inferior in terms of the ability to break apart during mastication compared to natural meat. In particular, there is a problem in that the breaking apart of meat fibers cannot be fully reproduced. Therefore, various studies have been conducted to improve the texture of such textured soy protein. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a textured protein material produced by reacting soy protein raw material and water under heat and pressure in an extruder, blending calcium and starches together, extruding the mixture through a die, and slicing the mixture horizontally in the extrusion direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6844736 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The inventors have discovered that meat-like foods using such textured plant proteins lack the diversity (uneven texture) of natural meat and have an artificial texture. Furthermore, meat-like foods using textured plant proteins lack the natural texture of natural meat and only have an unnatural, artificial appearance. The researchers discovered that the reason why such meat-like foods have an artificial texture is that the texture extruded from the extruder in meat-like foods is uniform in the direction perpendicular to the extrusion direction, resulting in a uniform texture when chewed. It was also discovered that the unnatural appearance of meat-like foods is due to the fact that they are sliced ​​horizontally in the extrusion direction, resulting in regular and lacking variety in the irregularities in their appearance. An object of the present invention is to provide a meat-like food product that has a randomly uneven appearance and that can reproduce the diverse (non-uniform) texture of natural meat when chewed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides a textured soy protein material that can faithfully reproduce the appearance and diverse textures of natural livestock meat.

[0007] That is, the textured soy protein material of the present invention is a textured soy protein material made from fibrous soy protein, the fibrous soy protein containing carbohydrates and calcium, and characterized in that the surface of the textured soy protein material has a plurality of agglomerates containing pores, and the plurality of agglomerates come into contact with each other to form the surface. The textured soy protein material of the present invention is composed of fibrous soy protein containing calcium, so the fibers easily break down when chewed, and its surface is randomly formed with multiple lumps containing pores formed by the swelling of carbohydrates, which come into contact with each other and are densely packed together, so that the unevenness and variety (non-uniformity) that occurs by chance in natural meat can be reproduced, and the texture of natural meat can be achieved.

[0008] The porosity of the chunks in the textured soy protein material of the present invention is preferably 65% ​​to 85%. The average pore size of the chunks in the textured soy protein material of the present invention is preferably 50 μm to 200 μm. When the porosity and average pore size of the chunks of the textured soy protein material of the present invention are within the above ranges, it is possible to achieve a texture that is closer to that of natural meat.

[0009] The textured soy protein material of the present invention preferably contains 300 mg to 1500 mg of the calcium per 100 g of the textured soy protein material. When the amount of calcium in the textured soy protein material of the present invention is within the above range, the soy protein is easily fibrous. The calcium content mentioned above means the amount (mg) contained per 100 g of dry weight of the textured soy protein material.

[0010] The textured soy protein material of the present invention preferably contains 10 to 50 parts by mass of the carbohydrates described above per 100 parts by mass of the textured soy protein material. When the carbohydrate content is within the above range, the textured soy protein material is more likely to swell and form lumps. Preferably, the carbohydrate in the textured soy protein material of the present invention is corn starch. When the carbohydrate is cornstarch, the textured soy protein material is more likely to swell and form lumps.

[0011] The textured soy protein material of the present invention can be dried to produce a dried product for distribution, and can be made into a meat-like food product in a state where it has absorbed water and been given a seasoning. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1A is a photograph of the surface of the textured soy protein material of Example 1 in a dry state. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B is a photograph of the surface of the textured soy protein material of Example 1 in a water-absorbed state. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a photograph of a cross section of the textured soy protein material of Example 1 in a dry state. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged photograph of a cross section of the textured soy protein material of Example 1 in a dry state. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the textured soy protein material according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The textured soy protein material of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises fibrous soy protein, the fibrous soy protein containing carbohydrates and calcium, and the surface of the textured soy protein material has a plurality of agglomerates containing pores, and the plurality of agglomerates come into contact with each other to form the surface.

[0014] The following explanation will be given with reference to Figure 4. Because the textured soy protein material 1 of the present invention is composed of fibrous soy protein 2 containing calcium, the fibers are easily loosened when chewed, and the surface of the textured soy protein material 1 is composed of a plurality of clumps 4 of various sizes, including pores 3 formed by the swelling of carbohydrates, which are in contact with each other and densely packed together, thereby realizing the appearance of random unevenness that occurs by chance, which is characteristic of natural meat. Furthermore, the textured soy protein material 1 of the present invention can reproduce the variety of textures (unevenness), and can achieve the appearance and texture of natural meat. The chunks 4 are formed by the random swelling of the fibrous soy protein 2 by carbohydrates. The chunks 4 contain pores 3. There are multiple chunks 4, and these come together and come into contact with each other to form the surface of the textured soy protein material 1. This results in a randomly uneven texture just like the surface of natural meat. Furthermore, because the chunks 4 of various sizes come together, a diverse (non-uniform) texture like that of natural meat is obtained when chewed.

[0015] The planar size of the lump (when the lump is observed in a planar view and sandwiched between two parallel lines, the largest distance between the two parallel lines is taken as the planar size of the lump) is preferably 1 to 30 mm in a dry state, and 1 to 30 mm in a water-absorbed state. The cross-sectional height of the lumpy portion (the lumpy portion is observed in cross section, and the maximum difference between the highest and lowest points is taken as the cross-sectional height of the lumpy portion) is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.1 to 10 mm in a dry state, and 0.1 to 10 mm in a water-absorbed state. In this specification, the term "water-absorbed state" refers to the state after adding 100 g of water at 15°C to 10 g of a textured soy protein material sample, leaving the mixture for 2 hours, and then draining the water through a 30 mesh colander.

[0016] In the textured soy protein material of the present invention, the fibrous soy protein preferably has a fiber diameter of, for example, 0.01 to 1000 μm.

[0017] The carbohydrate used in the textured soy protein material of the present invention is preferably starch, and more preferably cornstarch, because cornstarch is more likely to cause soy protein to swell than wheat starch. The textured soy protein material of the present invention preferably contains 10 to 50 parts by mass, more preferably 20 to 35 parts by mass, of the carbohydrates per 100 parts by mass of the textured soy protein material.

[0018] The textured soy protein material of the present invention preferably contains 300 mg to 1500 mg of calcium per 100 g of the textured soy protein material, because when the amount of calcium in the textured soy protein material of the present invention is within the above range, the soy protein is easily fibrous. The calcium is preferably a calcium salt, and is not particularly limited as long as it is a compound that dissociates even slightly to form calcium ions. Examples of calcium salts that can be used include calcium sulfate, calcium carbonate, calcium chloride, and calcium hydroxide. While calcium is preferably added to the raw material, it may also be added by impregnating carbohydrate-containing soy protein extruded under heat and pressure in an extruder with an aqueous solution of such a calcium salt. In addition to calcium salts, magnesium salts can also be used.

[0019] The porosity of the aggregates in the textured soy protein material of the present invention is preferably 65% ​​to 85% in both the water-absorbed state and the dry state. When the porosity of the chunks is within the above range, the textured soy protein material can achieve a texture closer to that of natural meat. The average pore size of the chunks in the textured soy protein material of the present invention is preferably 50 μm to 200 μm in both a water-absorbed state and a dry state. When the average pore size of the chunks is within the above range, the textured soy protein material can achieve a texture closer to that of natural meat.

[0020] Next, a method for producing the textured soy protein material of the present invention will be described.

[0021] (Soybean protein mixture preparation process) First, a raw material mixture for the textured soy protein material is prepared by adding water to a soy protein raw material such as isolated soy protein and a carbohydrate (corn starch), and then adding the aforementioned calcium salt and the like, and kneading the mixture. The carbohydrate content in the raw material, converted into solid content, is preferably 10 to 50 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the textured soy protein material. This is because when the carbohydrate content is within the above range, the textured soy protein material can be easily expanded to form clumps.

[0022] (Textured soy protein production process) The prepared raw material mixture of textured soy protein material is fed into an extruder (extrusion molding machine), and then the raw material is pressurized and heated to become thermoplastic, and is extruded through a die (mouthpiece) attached to the tip of the screw. In the present invention, the size of the die slit through which the textured soy protein material is extruded is 1 to 2 mm thick and 45 mm or more wide. By making the slit width 45 mm or more, the degree of distribution of the size of the agglomerates increases, resulting in an undulating surface shape. The textured soy protein sheet emerging from the die slit expands under atmospheric pressure due to the action of carbohydrates, forming agglomerates of various sizes. The formed textured soy protein is cut to a predetermined length to produce a textured soy protein material. At this time, the raw material composition can be adjusted to 5 to 90% by weight of isolated soy protein, and the pressurized heating conditions can be adjusted to a screw rotation speed of 150 to 500 rpm, a heating temperature of 25 to 180°C, and a water content of 10 to 40%, thereby producing the textured soy protein material. In the textured soy protein material of the present invention, the calcium-containing fibrous soy protein is oriented in the extrusion direction of the textured soy protein material, so that the fibrous soy protein is easily torn in the direction of orientation, and the fibers are easily loosened during mastication. Note that "orientation" refers to the fibers of the fibrous soy protein being aligned in a certain direction, and when a tensile force is applied manually to the hydrated textured soy protein material in each of the left-right, front-back, and up-down directions, if the textured soy protein material is torn and separated in the direction of the applied force, this means that the fibrous soy protein is oriented perpendicular to the direction of the applied force.

[0023] (Rehydrate) The textured soy protein material obtained by extrusion may be reconstituted with water. Furthermore, the textured soy protein material may be dried as needed before being reconstituted with water. After the textured soy protein material has been reconstituted with water, it may be dehydrated as needed. The degree of dehydration is not particularly limited and can be selected in various ways depending on the purpose. The textured soy protein material can be used as a food material by adding a seasoning or cooking it. The seasoning may be mixed in advance with the raw material mixture of the textured soy protein material.

[0024] Through the above steps, a textured soy protein material can be produced.

[0025] In the textured soy protein material of the present invention, fats and oils, sugars, seasonings, vegetables such as carrots, burdock, sesame and onions, seaweed such as wakame seaweed and hijiki seaweed, meat such as minced meat, etc. may be added to the raw materials of the textured soy protein material or may be added to the textured soy protein material.

[0026] The textured soy protein material can be used by cutting and processing it into a predetermined shape, adding seasonings, and cooking it. Cooking may be performed by an appropriate combination of baking, steaming, boiling, frying, electromagnetic heating, etc.

[0027] The products obtained as described above can be provided in the form of meat-like foods such as hamburger steaks, meatballs, fried chicken, and grilled meat ingredients. [Example]

[0028] (Preparation of textured soy protein material) Example 1 70 parts by weight of isolated soy protein (New Fuji Pro E, protein content 92%, Fuji Oil Co., Ltd.) and 25 parts by weight of cornstarch were mixed, and 4 parts by weight of calcium sulfate and 1 part by weight of powdered oil were further added to this mixed raw material and mixed. 100 parts by weight of this mixture and 28 parts by weight of water were fed into a twin-screw extruder and heated and pressurized to obtain expanded textured soy protein. The extruder treatment was carried out at a screw rotation speed of 200 rpm, an outlet side temperature of 120°C, and a die slit width of 45 mm and thickness of 1 mm. At the outlet of the extruder, the textured soy protein was cut perpendicular to the extrusion direction at a length of 30 cm in the extrusion direction to produce a textured soy protein material. To 1 part by weight of the obtained textured soy protein material, 20 parts by weight of 6% by weight saline solution was added and stirred for 30 minutes to rehydrate, followed by washing with running water. Next, 20 parts by weight of an acidic solution adjusted to pH 3.6 with phosphoric acid was added and stirred for 30 minutes to rehydrate, followed by washing with 100 parts by weight of water to remove the sourness, thereby producing the textured soy protein material of Example 1. The obtained textured soy protein material was dried for 24 hours in an incubator at 80°C. FIG. 1A is a photograph of the surface of the textured soy protein material of Example 1 in a dried state. The extruded sheet-like product expanded under atmospheric pressure, and densely packed agglomerates were formed on the surface (FIG. 1A). The agglomerates were composed of fibrous soy protein, and their sizes in plan view varied, generally ranging from 1 to 30 mm. FIG. 1B is a photograph of the surface of the textured soy protein material of Example 1 in a water-absorbed state. Fig. 2 is a photograph of a cross section of the dried textured soy protein material of Example 1. When the cross section of the textured soy protein material was observed, dense clumps were formed on the surface, and sponge-like pores were observed inside (Fig. 2). Figure 3 is an enlarged photograph of a cross section of the dried textured soy protein material of Example 1. When the cross section of the textured soy protein material was observed under an optical microscope at 50x magnification, sponge-like pores surrounded by fibrous soy protein were observed (Figure 3). The porosity of the aggregate portion of the dried textured soy protein material was 72.8%. The average pore size of the aggregate portion in the dried state was 75.0 µm.

[0029] (Calculation of porosity) The porosity of the block was determined by binarizing the image captured by X-ray CT and calculating the percentage of the area of ​​the voids relative to the total area. Dimensional X-ray CT: Carl Zeiss METROTOM800 X-ray tube voltage: 60 kV X-ray tube current: 120μA Views:1500 Accumulation number:- Exposure time: 400ms Metal filter: Al 0.5mm Magnification: 10.85 Vx size: 0.012mm Image processing software: ImageJ

[0030] (Measuring the average pore diameter) The average pore diameter of the aggregate was measured by image analysis of SEM images taken at 100x magnification using a low-vacuum scanning electron microscope (Hitachi Tabletop Microscope TM3030, accelerating voltage 15 kV) manufactured by Hitachi High-Tech Science Corporation. Image analysis was performed using the image analysis software ImageJ, and the minor axis length of 10 randomly selected pores was measured. The minor axis length was determined by measuring the distance between two parallel lines sandwiching the outline of the pore. The shortest distance between the two parallel lines was determined. The calculation of the porosity and the measurement of the average pore diameter can also be carried out for the water-absorbed textured soy protein material in the same manner as above.

[0031] (Comparative Example 1) 75 parts by weight of isolated soy protein (New Fujipro E, protein content 92%, manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd.), 25 parts by weight of corn starch, and 3 parts by weight of calcium sulfate were mixed. 100 parts by weight of this mixture and 20 parts by weight of water were fed to a twin-screw extruder, where they were heated and pressurized to obtain disintegrated soy protein. The extruder treatment was carried out at a screw rotation speed of 200 rpm, an outlet temperature of 120°C, and a die slit width of 15 mm and thickness of 1 mm. The extruded sheet was expanded to a thickness of about 20 mm, and was cut into 30 cm lengths, and then cut with a cutter in a direction parallel to the extrusion direction to a thickness of 3 mm. One part by weight of this soy protein sheet was immersed in 6% by weight saline for 30 minutes to rehydrate, and then washed with running water. Next, the sheet was immersed in an acidic solution adjusted to pH 3.6 with phosphoric acid for 30 minutes to rehydrate, and then washed with running water to remove the sourness, to produce a sheet of the textured soy protein material of Comparative Example 1. The extruded sheet-like molded product expands under atmospheric pressure, but no lumpy portions are visible on the surface because the surface has been sliced.

[0032] (Measurement of elements in textured soy protein material) The calcium contained in the textured soy protein material of Example 1 and the sheet of the textured soy protein material of Comparative Example 1 was identified and quantified by ICP (inductively coupled plasma) method. The results are shown in Table 1. Measurements were performed by drying the textured soy protein material or a sheet of the textured soy protein material in an incubator at 80°C for 24 hours, and measuring the amount of elements in 100g of the dried product.

[0033] [Table 1]

[0034] (Production of meat-like foods) Sheets of the textured soy protein material of Example 1 and the textured soy protein material of Comparative Example 1 were dried and immersed in a seasoning liquid of the following composition to prepare a meat-like food. This meat-like food was heated at 180°C to prepare a baked sample. The baked samples of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 were eaten and evaluated by five people. The evaluation was carried out on the basis of appearance and texture.

[0035] (Composition of seasoning liquid) Reduced starch syrup 40 parts by weight 20 parts by weight of white sugar Regular salt 5 parts by weight Pepper 0.5 parts by weight Monosodium glutamate 5 parts by weight Soy sauce 10 parts by weight Garlic powder 2 parts by weight Solid fat 20 parts by weight 120 parts by weight of water Caramel color 2 parts by weight

[0036] (exterior) The results were evaluated on a 4-point scale, including 0, ranging from 0 points for completely different appearance from natural livestock meat to 3 points for the same appearance as natural livestock meat. 0 points: Completely different in appearance from natural meat 1 point: Slightly different in appearance from natural meat 2 points: The appearance is roughly the same as natural meat 3 points: Similar in appearance to natural meat

[0037] (Texture) The diversity of texture (unevenness) was scored on a 6-point scale, ranging from 0 points (no sense of texture diversity (unevenness) of natural meat) to 5 points (full sense of texture diversity of natural meat). Points will be awarded based on each individual's experience, with the following criteria: 0 points: The variety of textures that natural meat has is not felt at all. 1: The variety of textures found in natural meat is barely noticeable. 2 points: The variety of textures that natural meat has is not felt very much. 3 points: The texture diversity of natural meat is slightly noticeable. 4 points: The variety of textures that natural meat has can be felt to some extent. 5 points: The diversity of textures of natural meat is fully felt. The average values ​​for the five people are shown in Table 2.

[0038] [Table 2] [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 1 Textured soy protein material 2. Fibrous soy protein 3 Stomata 4 Massive part

Claims

1. A textured soy protein material comprising fibrous soy protein, the fibrous soy protein containing corn starch and calcium; the cornstarch is contained in an amount of 20 to 35 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the textured soy protein material; the surface of the textured soy protein material has a plurality of lumps containing pores, and the plurality of lumps come into contact with each other to form irregularities on the surface; The textured soy protein material is characterized in that the size of the agglomerates in a plan view is 1 to 30 mm, and the height of the agglomerates in a cross-sectional view is 0.1 to 10 mm.

2. 2. The textured soy protein material according to claim 1, wherein the porosity of the chunks is 65% to 85%.

3. 3. The textured soy protein material according to claim 1, wherein the average pore size of the chunks is 50 μm to 200 μm.

4. 4. The textured soy protein material according to claim 1, wherein the calcium is contained in an amount of 300 mg to 1500 mg per 100 g of the textured soy protein material.

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