Cheese-like foods

Abstract

To provide a cheese-like food product excellent in spinnability and springiness, and a method for producing the same.SOLUTION: A cheese-like food product comprises (A) rennet casein, (B) a molten salt, (C) an organic acid including one or more selected from among gluconic acid, glucono delta lactone and malic acid, and (D) fat. A method for producing the cheese-like food product comprises the step of mixing ingredient compositions including the (A) to (D).SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cheese-like food and a method for producing the same, and more specifically to a cheese-like food having excellent stringiness and elasticity and a method for producing the same. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, due to growing health consciousness and rising raw material prices, the production of cheese-like foods using rennet casein (a milk protein) has been considered in order to reduce costs.

[0003] Conventional cheese-like foods and methods for producing them are known, for example, as follows.

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes a cheese-like food product containing 60% or less of raw cheese ingredients, which contains acetylated acid-modified starch, milk protein, fats and oils, and molten salt, the molten salt containing 80% or more by mass of citrate, and the molten salt comprising 1% or more by mass and 3% or less by mass of the total mass of the cheese-like food product.

[0005] Patent Document 2 describes a method for producing a cheese-like food product by using a protein, oil, and an acidic raw material having a casein protein / whey protein weight ratio of 3.3 to 15, and by heating and melting the resulting mixture, in which the casein protein is rennet casein and / or casein protein contained in a milk protein concentrate obtained by lowering the pH of skim milk to 2 to 4 and adjusting the fractionated protein to neutral. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-120664 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-223209 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Conventional cheese-like foods do not have the stringiness that makes them stretchy like mozzarella cheese when heated. Furthermore, they lack the elasticity of natural cheese, making them difficult to process, such as shredding.

[0008] Patent Document 1 describes that a cheese-like food product is provided that contains a small amount of raw cheese ingredients or no raw cheese ingredients and that has good elongation when heated and melted, i.e., high spinnability, but it requires the use of a special starch (acetylated acid-modified starch) and there is room for improvement in terms of obtaining a cheese-like food product that is excellent in both spinnability and elasticity. Patent Document 2 does not describe the spinnability of the resulting cheese-like food product.

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide a cheese-like food product that is excellent in spinnability and elasticity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The present inventors have discovered that in a method for producing a cheese-like food, by using a specific type of organic acid such as gluconic acid as an additive to adjust the pH of the cheese-like food and its raw material composition, along with rennet casein, molten salt, oils and fats, etc., a cheese-like food with excellent spinnability and elasticity can be obtained, and have completed the present invention.

[0011] That is, the present invention includes at least the following items. [1] (A) Rennet casein, (B) molten salt, (C) an organic acid containing one or more selected from gluconic acid, glucono-delta-lactone, and malic acid; and (D)Oils and fats A cheese-like food comprising: [2] Item 2. The cheese-like food according to Item 1, wherein the organic acid (C) comprises gluconic acid or glucono-delta-lactone. [3] Item 3. The cheese-like food according to Item 1 or 2, wherein the molten salt (B) does not contain phosphates. [4] (A) Rennet casein, (B) molten salt, (C) an organic acid containing one or more selected from gluconic acid, glucono-delta-lactone, and malic acid; and (D)Oils and fats A method for producing a cheese-like food product, comprising the step of mixing ingredients comprising: [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, a cheese-like food product having desirable stringiness and elasticity can be provided.

[0013] The following hypothesis, for example, is considered as a mechanism by which the effects of the present invention regarding spinnability and the like are achieved by using a specific type of organic acid such as gluconic acid in the present invention: However, the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited by such a hypothesis, and even if some or all of the effects of the present invention are achieved by a mechanism different from this hypothesis, the configuration of the present invention and the effects brought about thereby are not denied.

[0014] Casein (rennet casein, etc.), a milk protein, aggregates to form small particles (submicelles). The submicelles are cross-linked by calcium phosphate to form casein micelles, with fat dispersed within the casein micelles. The molten salt (e.g., sodium citrate) incorporated into the raw material composition is a component that breaks (chelates) the calcium phosphate cross-links in the casein micelles and disperses the submicelles. When a cheese-like food product in this state is heated, the fat melts and stretches in the direction of the applied force. Meanwhile, the pH of the raw material composition is also related to the calcium phosphate cross-links in the casein micelles; the lower the pH (the more acidic it is), the more calcium phosphate detaches from the casein micelles, and the fewer cross-links remain in the cheese-like food product.

[0015] In conventional methods for producing cheese-like foods, lactic acid or citric acid has been used primarily to adjust the pH of the raw material composition (see the examples in Patent Documents 1 and 2). However, when these organic acids are used, the pH of the raw material composition fluctuates rapidly (within a specific pH range), which is thought to cause calcium phosphate to rapidly detach, destabilizing casein micelles and making them more susceptible to aggregation. In contrast, in the present invention, gluconic acid or the like is used to adjust the pH of the raw material composition, which is thought to slow the pH fluctuation of the raw material composition, i.e., the detachment of calcium phosphate, thereby preventing the destabilization and aggregation of casein micelles. As shown in the examples below, the cheese-like foods obtained by the present invention have significantly improved spinnability and elasticity compared to conventional cheese-like foods (comparative examples) that use lactic acid, citric acid, or other organic acids.

[0016] Furthermore, in conventional cheese-like food manufacturing methods, it is difficult to produce cheese-like foods without using phosphorus-containing compounds (phosphates) as molten salts, and phosphates are essentially required. However, the present invention allows cheese-like foods to be produced without using phosphates. Recently, some consumers have preferred foods that do not contain phosphates, and the present invention can meet such consumer preferences. For example, Patent Document 1 states that while phosphates (e.g., sodium polyphosphate) are known as molten salts, molten salts containing citric acid are preferred from the perspective of spinnability. However, the cheese melting agent "CH-4" (manufactured by Organo Food Tech Co., Ltd.) used in the examples is a product containing 89.3% sodium citrate, 1.7% citric acid, and 9.0% sodium hydrogen phosphate, and therefore does not completely exclude phosphorus-containing compounds. Furthermore, the examples in Patent Document 2 also use sodium polyphosphate or sodium hexametaphosphate as the molten salt. In contrast, the present invention provides cheese-like foods with excellent spinnability and elasticity, even when using only citrate (sodium citrate) as the molten salt. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] -Cheese-like food- The cheese-like food of the present invention contains (A) rennet casein, (B) a molten salt, (C) an organic acid (referred to herein as a "specific organic acid") including one or more selected from the group consisting of gluconic acid, glucono-delta-lactone, and malic acid, and (D) an oil or fat. The raw material composition of the cheese-like food of the present invention also contains the above-mentioned components (A) to (D). In the description of this specification, unless otherwise specified, items described as components contained in a "cheese-like food" can be construed as also being described as components contained in the "raw material composition."

[0018] (A) Rennet casein Rennet casein is a type of milk protein, and is obtained by coagulating casein contained in skim milk, etc., with a rennet enzyme. Rennet casein similar to that used in the production of known cheese-like foods can be used, and is not particularly limited.

[0019] The content of rennet casein in the cheese-like food of the present invention can be adjusted as appropriate, but for example, it can be 5 to 30% by mass, and preferably 10 to 20% by mass, based on the total amount of the cheese-like food.

[0020] (B) Molten salt The molten salt is a component that melts milk proteins such as rennet casein and enhances their dispersibility in cheese-like foods (and their raw material compositions). Examples of the molten salt include citrate, phosphates, and gluconates. Phosphates include monophosphate, pyrophosphate, polyphosphate, and metaphosphate. Counterions of the molten salt include sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, lithium, and manganese. Specific examples of the molten salt include sodium citrate, disodium phosphate, trisodium phosphate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, sodium polyphosphate, sodium metaphosphate, acidic sodium metaphosphate, and sodium gluconate. The molten salt may be used alone or in combination (mixed in any ratio). Citrate is preferred as the molten salt, and sodium citrate is more preferred, due to its favorable elasticity and the ability to produce a cheese-like food product that is free of phosphates. That is, the molten salt of the present invention preferably contains a citrate (e.g., sodium citrate) but does not contain phosphates.

[0021] The content of the molten salt can be adjusted as appropriate, but for example, it can be 0.1 to 3% by mass, and preferably 1 to 3% by mass, based on the total amount of the cheese-like food.

[0022] (C)Organic acid In the present invention, gluconic acid, glucono-delta-lactone, or malic acid is used as the organic acid. These specific organic acids may be used alone or in combination (mixed in any ratio). From the viewpoint of spinnability and elasticity, it is preferable to use gluconic acid and / or glucono-delta-lactone as the specific organic acid. Note that, since glucono-delta-lactone is hydrolyzed to gluconic acid when dissolved in water, when glucono-delta-lactone is used as an ingredient in the raw material composition, some or all (almost all) of the glucono-delta-lactone may be converted to gluconic acid in the produced cheese-like food product.

[0023] The content of the specific organic acid can be adjusted as appropriate, for example, to 0.1 to 10% by mass, preferably 0.5 to 5% by mass, and more preferably 0.5 to 3% by mass, based on the total mass of the cheese-like food. The content of the specific organic acid can be adjusted, for example, to an amount that causes the pH of the cheese-like food to be 4.5 to 7.5, preferably 5.5 to 6.5.

[0024] In the food industry, gluconic acid, glucono-delta-lactone, and malic acid are known to be used as pH adjusters and seasonings (acidulants). In the present invention, the primary purpose of these specific organic acids is to adjust the pH of the cheese-like food and its raw material composition to an appropriate range (and thereby achieve the effects of the present invention). However, at the same time, it is acceptable for them to simultaneously function as pH adjusters and seasonings (acidulants).

[0025] In the present invention, it is particularly preferred to use only the specific organic acid (accounting for 100% by mass of the total amount of organic acids as pH adjusters) as a component (pH adjuster) for adjusting the pH of the cheese-like food and its raw material composition within an appropriate range, but it is also permissible to use the specific organic acid in combination with an organic acid other than the specific organic acid as long as the effects of the present invention (improved spinnability and elasticity) are not lost. In the present invention, when the specific organic acid is used in combination with an organic acid other than the specific organic acid as a pH adjuster, the ratio of the specific organic acid to the total amount of these organic acids is preferably 50% by mass or more, more preferably 70% by mass or more.

[0026] (D)Oils and fats In the present invention, vegetable oils and animal fats can be used as the oils and fats. Examples of vegetable oils and fats include rapeseed oil, soybean oil, coconut oil, palm oil, corn oil, linseed oil, perilla oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, rice bran oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, and peanut oil, with rapeseed oil, soybean oil, coconut oil, and palm oil being preferred. Examples of animal oils and fats include lard, beef tallow, butter, chicken oil, refined fish oil, and horse fat, with lard and butter being preferred. The melting point of the oils and fats is preferably 0 to 50°C, more preferably 20 to 40°C. The oils and fats may be solid at room temperature (solid oils and fats) or liquid at room temperature (fatty oils).

[0027] The content of fats and oils can be adjusted as appropriate, but for example, can be 0.1 to 50% by mass, and preferably 20 to 40% by mass, based on the total amount of the cheese-like food.

[0028] (E) Optional component The cheese-like food product of the present invention can further contain ingredients other than (A) to (D) as needed. Examples of such optional ingredients include seasonings, coloring agents, modified starch, emulsifiers, flavorings, raw cheeses, water, etc. Any one of the optional ingredients may be used alone, or two or more may be used in combination.

[0029] Examples of seasonings include amino acids, nucleic acids, organic acids (other than gluconic acid, glucono-delta-lactone, and malic acid), refined sugar, salt, skim milk powder, and dietary fiber. Any one of the seasonings may be used alone, or two or more may be used in combination. The content of the seasoning may be, for example, 0.01 to 10% by mass of the total amount of the cheese-like food.

[0030] Examples of coloring agents include caramel color, gardenia color, anthocyanin color, annatto color, paprika color, safflower color, monascus color, flavonoid color, cochineal color, etc. Any one of the coloring agents may be used alone, or two or more may be used in combination. The content of the coloring agent may be, for example, 0.01 to 5% by mass of the total amount of the cheese-like food.

[0031] Examples of modified starches include acetylated adipic acid cross-linked starch, acetylated oxidized starch, acetylated phosphate cross-linked starch, sodium octenyl succinate starch, starch acetate, oxidized starch, hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch, hydroxypropyl starch, phosphate cross-linked starch, phosphated starch, phosphate monoesterified phosphate cross-linked starch, and sodium starch glycolate. The modified starch may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The content of the modified starch may be, for example, 0.01 to 20% by mass of the total amount of the cheese-like food.

[0032] Examples of emulsifiers include glycerin fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, lecithin, polysorbate, calcium stearoyl lactylate, and sodium stearoyl lactylate. Any one of the emulsifiers may be used alone, or two or more may be used in combination. The content of the emulsifier may be, for example, 0.01 to 5% by mass based on the total amount of the cheese-like food.

[0033] Examples of flavorings include cheese flavorings, butter flavorings, vanilla essence, and smoke flavors. One type of flavoring may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination. The content of the flavoring may be, for example, 0.01 to 5% by mass based on the total amount of the cheese-like food.

[0034] Examples of raw material cheeses include natural cheese (soft cheese, semi-hard cheese, hard cheese, extra-hard cheese), processed cheese, food cheese, etc. The content of raw material cheeses can be, for example, 0.01 to 40% by mass of the total amount of the cheese-like food.

[0035] The moisture content can be 20 to 90% by mass based on the total amount of the cheese food.

[0036] The use of the cheese-like food of the present invention is not particularly limited, and it can be used as a variety of cheese substitute foods. Examples of cheese substitute foods include cheese topping for pizza and cheese inside hamburger steak, and pizza topping cheese is preferred as the cheese-like substitute food of the present invention.

[0037] -Method of manufacturing cheese-like food- The method for producing the cheese-like food of the present invention includes a step of mixing raw materials (referred to as the "mixing step" in this specification) including (A) rennet casein, (B) a molten salt, (C) an organic acid including one or more selected from the group consisting of gluconic acid, glucono-delta-lactone, and malic acid, (D) an oil or fat, and, if necessary, (E) an optional ingredient.

[0038] In the mixing step, all of the components may be mixed at the same time, or some of the components may be mixed, and then other components may be added and further mixed. For example, all of the raw materials may be added at the same time and mixed, and then heat-treated while stirring (details will be described later), or some of the raw materials may be mixed and heat-treated while stirring, and then the remaining raw materials may be mixed (and further heat-treated if necessary).

[0039] More specifically, for example, the specific organic acid (C) may be added simultaneously with the rennet casein (A), the molten salt (B), the oil (D), and, if necessary, the optional component (E), and mixed, and the mixture (raw material composition) containing all of these raw materials is then subjected to a heat treatment, followed by a cooling treatment (details of which will be described later) (first embodiment of the mixing step), or the rennet casein (A), the molten salt (B), the oil (D), and, if necessary, the optional component (E), are added simultaneously and mixed, and the mixture containing some of these raw materials is then subjected to a heat treatment, and the specific organic acid (C) is further added and mixed, followed by a cooling treatment (second embodiment of the mixing step). Of these, the mixing step in the present invention is preferably carried out according to the first embodiment.

[0040] The mixing step can be carried out using a general mixing means such as those used in conventional cheese-like food manufacturing methods, for example, by adding each component to an emulsifying vessel and stirring. The conditions for mixing (stirring) in the mixing step can be adjusted as appropriate. For example, the stirring speed can be set to 100 to 1000 rpm.

[0041] The mixing step may include other processes than mixing (stirring) that are generally required for producing cheese-like foods. For example, the mixing step usually includes (1) a process of heating a mixture of all or part of the raw materials (referred to herein as a "heating process"), and (2) a process of cooling the mixture of all the raw materials (raw material composition) that has been subjected to the heating process (1) (referred to herein as a "cooling process").

[0042] The conditions for the heat treatment can be adjusted as appropriate. The heating temperature can be, for example, 70 to 100°C, and the heating time can be, for example, 1 to 10 minutes. The heat treatment can be carried out while stirring. The heat treatment can be carried out in one stage or in two or more stages in the mixing step.

[0043] The conditions for the cooling treatment can be adjusted as appropriate. The cooling temperature can be, for example, 1 to 10°C, and the cooling time can be, for example, 1 to 5 hours. The cooling treatment can be carried out, for example, by placing the raw material composition that has been subjected to the heat treatment in an appropriate container and allowing it to stand.

[0044] The method for producing a cheese-like food product of the present invention can further include, as necessary, steps other than the mixing step. Such optional steps include, for example, a step of cutting or shredding the cheese-like food product to a desired shape and size, a packaging step, a step of storing the cheese-like food product in a refrigerator or the like, and other steps necessary for commercialization, but are not particularly limited thereto. The optional steps can basically be carried out in the same manner as in conventional cheese-like foods (using appropriate means such as devices, methods, conditions, etc.), and can also be adjusted as necessary to suit the method for producing a cheese-like food product of the present invention.

[0045] With respect to technical matters not specifically described in this specification, a person skilled in the art can appropriately apply general or well-known technical matters in the technical field related to cheese-like foods, thereby enabling the present invention to be carried out based on the matters described in this specification. [Example]

[0046] 1. Preparation of Cheese-like Food (Examples 1 to 6, Comparative Examples 1 to 9) Rennet casein, molten salt, organic acid, and water were mixed and thoroughly stirred in an emulsifying kettle to obtain the contents shown in Tables 1 to 3. The organic acid was added so that the pH after heating would be around 6. Solid oil was added and mixed, and then the mixture was heated to 80°C while stirring. The mixture was thoroughly cooled to obtain a cheese-like food product.

[0047] (Comparative Example 10) Rennet casein, molten salt, and water were mixed in an emulsifying kettle and thoroughly stirred to obtain the contents shown in Table 3. After adding and mixing solid oil and fat, the mixture was heated with stirring, and when the temperature reached 60°C, lactic acid was added. Lactic acid was added so that the pH after heating would be around 6. The mixture was then heated to 80°C with stirring. After thoroughly cooling, a cheese-like food product was obtained.

[0048] (Comparative Example 11) Rennet casein, molten salt, and water were mixed and thoroughly stirred in an emulsifying kettle to obtain the contents shown in Table 3. After adding and mixing the solid oil, the mixture was heated with stirring, and when the temperature reached 80°C, lactic acid was added. Lactic acid was added so that the pH after heating would be around 6. After thorough mixing, the mixture was cooled to obtain a cheese-like food product.

[0049] 2. Measurement of spinnability of cheese-like foods The samples were heated and melted in a microwave oven at 600W for 20 seconds, and the length of the stretched thread was measured. Five samples were measured and the average value was calculated. The larger the value, the better the spinnability.

[0050] 3. Measurement of the breaking stress of cheese-like foods The cheese-like food was cut into a 10 mm thick block and the breaking stress was measured at a 5 mm penetration using a rheometer (CR-500DX, manufactured by Sun Scientific). Five samples were measured and the average value was calculated. The larger the value, the better the elasticity.

[0051] The measurement results of the spinnability and breaking stress of each Example and Comparative Example are shown in Tables 1 to 3. It can be seen that the cheese-like foods of Examples 1 to 6, which used gluconic acid, glucono-delta-lactone, or malic acid as the organic acid, all had significantly improved spinnability and elasticity (breaking stress) compared to the cheese-like foods of Comparative Examples 1 to 11, which used other organic acids.

[0052] [Table 1]

Table 2

Table 3

Claims

1. (A) rennet casein, (B) a molten salt containing citrate and / or gluconate but not containing phosphates; (C) an organic acid including gluconic acid and / or gluconodeltalactone, and (D) Oil and fat Including, The content of the rennet casein (A) is 10 to 20% by mass based on the total amount of the cheese-like food, The content of the molten salt (B) is 1 to 3% by mass based on the total amount of the cheese-like food, The content of the organic acid (C) is an amount such that the pH of the cheese-like food after heating is 5.5 to 6.5, The content of the oil / fat (D) is 20 to 40% by mass based on the total amount of the cheese-like food. Cheese-like foods.

2. (A) rennet casein, (B) a molten salt containing citrate and / or gluconate but not containing phosphates; (C) an organic acid including gluconic acid and / or gluconodeltalactone, and (D) Oil and fat Including, The content of the rennet casein (A) is 10 to 20% by mass based on the total amount of the cheese-like food, The content of the molten salt (B) is 1 to 3% by mass based on the total amount of the cheese-like food, The content of the organic acid (C) is an amount such that the pH of the cheese-like food after heating is 5.5 to 6.5, The content of the oil (D) is 20 to 40% by mass based on the total amount of the cheese-like food. A method for producing a cheese-like food product, comprising the step of mixing ingredients.

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