Method for producing meat-like processed food

Abstract

Provided is a meat-like processed food product having an improved yield when heated. A meat-like processed food product that has an improved yield by suppressing water separation during heating can be manufactured by the following steps: (A) preparing an oil-in-water emulsion containing at least an oil / fat, methyl cellulose, and water; (B) preparing a dough by mixing the emulsion prepared in (A) with a textured vegetable material and a low-temperature gelatinized starch; and (C) forming and then heating the dough prepared in (B) into a meat-like processed food product.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a meat-like processed food having an improved yield when heated. [Background technology]

[0002] The market for plant-based foods, particularly meat-like processed foods such as veggie burgers, has grown significantly both domestically and internationally. These meat-like processed foods are made by using a textured protein material, primarily made from soybean or other vegetable protein, textured using an extruder or other device, to resemble meat. Some of these foods use methylcellulose instead of dried egg white. Patent Document 1 describes a meat-like processed food with a methylcellulose body made from methylcellulose and gluten, while Patent Document 2 describes a meat-like processed food made from an emulsion curd using isolated soybean protein material and methylcellulose.

[0003] Citrus fiber is a material used to improve the physical properties of wheat flour products in bakeries, etc. Patent Document 3 claims that adding citrus fiber to the marinade of food ingredients for deep-frying, such as chicken, can improve the crispiness of the coating.

[0004] The gelatinization state of starch can be adjusted by various processes, and pregelatinized starch, which is in a gelatinized state at room temperature, is widely available. Starch with a gelatinization temperature of around 40°C that is obtained by special processing is also known (Patent Document 4). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-21163 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-29565 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-110898 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-109192 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a meat-like processed food with improved yield when heated. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] As a result of extensive research into the above-mentioned problems, the present inventors discovered that the addition of low-temperature gelatinized starch improves the yield during heating, and thus completed the present invention.

[0008] That is, the present invention (1) A method for producing a meat-like processed food, comprising the following steps: (A) A step of preparing an oil-in-water emulsion containing at least a fat or oil, methylcellulose, and water. (B) A process of mixing the emulsion of (A) with a textured plant material and low-temperature gelatinized starch to prepare dough. (c) A process of heating the dough prepared in (a) after molding it to produce a meat-like processed food. (2) The method for producing a meat-like processed food according to (1), wherein the gelatinization onset temperature of the low-temperature gelatinizing starch is 30 to 50°C. (3) A method for producing a meat-like processed food according to (2), wherein citrus fiber is mixed during the preparation of the dough (i). (4) A method for producing a meat-like processed food according to (3), characterized in that the formed dough is steamed at 75 to 130°C for 5 to 20 minutes. (5) A meat-like processed food containing an oil-in-water emulsion containing fats and oils and methylcellulose, textured plant material, and low-temperature gelatinized starch. (6) The meat-like processed food according to (5), wherein the gelatinization onset temperature of the low-temperature gelatinizing starch is 30 to 50°C. (7) A meat-like processed food according to (6), containing citrus fiber. It is related to. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a meat-like processed food that has improved yield when heated while maintaining quality, with reduced or no egg white content. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] (meat-like processed foods) The term "meat-like processed food" as used herein refers to a food in which a portion or all of the ground meat in a food product typically made with various types of ground meat has been replaced with a textured plant material. Examples of such processed food include those in which 50% by weight or more, 80% by weight or more, 90% by weight or more, or 100% by weight of the ground meat has been replaced with a textured plant material that has been rehydrated and then drained. These may also be referred to as "plant-based." Foods that typically use various types of ground meat include, but are not limited to, hamburger steaks, patties, meatballs, nuggets, meatballs, ham, sausages, salami, frankfurters, corn dogs, dumplings, shumai, spring rolls, meat buns, xiaolongbao, minced meat cutlets, meat pies, ravioli, lasagna, meatloaf, cabbage rolls, and stuffed peppers.

[0011] (oil-in-water emulsion) In the present invention, an oil-in-water emulsion containing oil, methylcellulose, and water is essential. The methylcellulose used in the present invention is a methoxylated product of cellulose, a widely distributed natural material. It is typically produced by treating cellulose with caustic soda and then reacting it with methyl chloride and an etherifying agent. Its gelling power increases reversibly upon heating. In the present invention, methylcellulose can be used alone or in combination with other gelling agents. Examples of other gelling agents include egg white, gellan gum, carrageenan, alginic acid, agar, curdlan, konjac flour, and starch. Furthermore, meat-like processed foods containing methylcellulose may undergo syneresis during heating. When consumers heat the products themselves, syneresis can produce a juicy meaty texture. However, when the products are heated on a production line in a processing plant, syneresis can cause contamination of the line and wastewater, as well as a significant decrease in production yield. Various types of fats and oils can be used in the present invention. Specific examples include soybean oil, rapeseed oil, rice bran oil, corn oil, palm oil, beef tallow, lard, and their fractionated oils, hardened oils, and interesterified oils. However, since the object of the present invention is to produce meat-like processed foods, it is desirable to use fats and oils that are in a melted state at body temperature.

[0012] (Low temperature gelatinized starch) The low-temperature gelatinizing starch used in the present invention differs from so-called pregelatinized starch, which is soluble in cold water, and is a starch that begins to gelatinize at temperatures higher than room temperature, i.e., 30 to 50°C, preferably 35 to 45°C, and more preferably 35 to 40°C. Examples include hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch, specifically LO-TEMP453-S manufactured by TATE & LYLE INGREDIENTS AMERICAS LLC. In the field of breeding, starches with a gelatinization onset temperature of around 60°C are sometimes referred to as low-temperature gelatinizing starches, but in the present invention, starches having a gelatinization temperature within the aforementioned range are defined as low-temperature gelatinizing starches. Addition of low-temperature gelatinizing starch can suppress syneresis without impairing texture.

[0013] (insoluble dietary fiber) In the present invention, it is preferable to use insoluble dietary fiber in combination. The insoluble dietary fiber used here is fiber derived from plants that does not dissolve in water or hot water. Specific examples include oat fiber, wheat fiber, and citrus fiber. In the present invention, citrus fiber, which has high water absorption capacity as described below, is particularly preferred. The addition of insoluble dietary fiber further strengthens the syneresis-inhibiting effect of low-temperature gelatinized starch and can also tighten the texture after baking.

[0014] (Citrus Fiber) The insoluble dietary fiber is preferably citrus fiber. The citrus fiber used in the present invention is obtained by squeezing citrus fruits such as oranges, removing the juice from the squeezed liquid, and then subjecting the cell walls of the powder to a high impact. As a result, the micellar structure of the cells in this citrus fiber is broken down, resulting in a porous structure, which significantly improves water absorption and water binding, resulting in improved water retention. Specifically, this refers to fiber that absorbs water at a rate of 15 times or more, preferably 18 times or more, per gram. The water absorption rate is measured by adding 50 g of water to 1 g of each sample fiber, stirring in a 50 ml container, and allowing it to stand for 24 hours. The measurement is performed by observing the boundary between the supernatant and the precipitate.

[0015] (Textured plant material) The textured plant material used in the present invention is a material having a water-insoluble structure, and is mainly divided into textured plant protein materials and textured plant polysaccharide materials. Examples of textured vegetable protein materials include those processed into a textured form from vegetable raw materials such as soybeans, defatted soybeans, isolated soy protein, concentrated soy protein, wheat, wheat protein, peas, pea protein, chickpeas, and mycoprotein. For example, in the case of soybeans, soybeans, defatted soybeans, isolated soy protein, etc. are blended with other raw materials as needed, and textured under high temperature and pressure using a single-screw or twin-screw extruder or the like to produce granular, flake, sliced ​​meat, or other shapes. Textured materials can also be obtained from peas, mung beans, and chickpeas by similar processing using whole beans or their fractions as raw materials.

[0016] In the present invention, a textured soy protein material made primarily from soybeans is suitable, and products of any shape and size can be appropriately selected and used depending on the desired product form. Although some products are distributed in a reconstituted state, it is preferable to use a dried product (water content 10% by weight or less) in the present invention. Also suitable for the present invention is a soy material textured by pressing tofu. As the textured vegetable protein material, so-called gluten chips prepared by processing wheat protein can also be used in the present invention.

[0017] On the other hand, the textured plant polysaccharide material is a textured product in which polysaccharides, particularly konjac gel, are frozen to insolubilize some of the polysaccharides. In the present invention, the tissue-like plant material may be used in combination with various shapes such as flat shapes and granular shapes, and various types of tissue-like plant materials may also be used in combination.

[0018] The textured plant polysaccharide material, low-temperature gelatinized starch, and, if necessary, insoluble dietary fiber are added to the emulsion to form a dough. By heating this dough, the textured plant material is bound by the gelling agent methylcellulose, and a meat-like processed food can be prepared. These meat-like processed foods have a texture similar to that of meat processed foods made using egg white.

[0019] The method for preparing the processed meat food is described below. (Step A) (Preparation of emulsion) An oil-in-water emulsion is prepared by mixing fats and oils, methylcellulose, and water. It is preferable to apply shear using a mixer, food processor, silent cutter, hand blender, Stephan mixer, etc., to reduce the size of the emulsion particles. An even better emulsion can be obtained by mixing fats and oils with methylcellulose in advance, thoroughly dispersing them, and then adding water.

[0020] The amount of methylcellulose required is sufficient to form a gel, and can be, for example, 2 to 8% by weight. The amount of oil is preferably 10 to 40% by weight, and more preferably 15 to 30% by weight.

[0021] The amount of water varies depending on the amount of other additives, but is preferably 55 to 88% by weight, more preferably 55 to 83% by weight. Furthermore, since the solubility of methylcellulose increases at low temperatures, it is preferable to use water at low temperatures, and ice water is more preferable. Freezing the emulsion after preparation is also effective. Other ingredients such as sweeteners, spices, salt, flavoring agents, and seasonings may be added to the emulsion as long as they do not impair the effects of the present invention. These ingredients may be added before or after the emulsification step. The amounts used in step A above are concentrations based on the emulsion as the denominator.

[0022] (Step A) (Dough preparation) The aqueous solution or emulsion prepared in step (a) is mixed with low-temperature gelatinized starch, insoluble dietary fiber if necessary, and a textured plant material to form a dough. A mixer, food processor, silent cutter, or the like can be used for mixing. When the textured plant material is a textured plant protein material, it is usually in a dried form, so in that case it is first "rehydrated" to absorb water and soften the texture before mixing. However, it is also possible to add water to a dry textured plant protein material and mix it, or to add water to a partially rehydrated textured plant protein material and mix it. Furthermore, part of the water can be the above-mentioned oil-in-water emulsion. To change the flavor and physical properties, various seasonings, vegetables, starches, gelling agents, vegetable protein materials such as powdered soy protein, etc. may be added. The order in which the above-mentioned emulsions and various ingredients are added is not particularly specified.

[0023] The amount of each emulsion used in the dough is preferably 10 to 40% by weight, more preferably 20 to 30% by weight. The amount of low-temperature gelatinized starch is preferably 0.1 to 20% by weight, more preferably 0.1 to 10% by weight. When insoluble dietary fiber is used in combination, the amount of low-temperature gelatinized starch is preferably 0.1 to 10% by weight and insoluble dietary fiber is 0.1 to 3% by weight, more preferably 2 to 4% by weight and insoluble dietary fiber is 0.5 to 2% by weight. The amount of textured plant material is preferably 5 to 30% by weight, more preferably 8 to 20% by weight, in terms of dry matter. The amount used in step (a) above is the concentration in the dough.

[0024] (Process C) (Forming and heating) The dough prepared in step (a) is molded into the desired size and shape using a molding machine. It is then subjected to a heating step. The heating method used in the present invention can be a combination of baking, steaming, boiling, frying, electromagnetic heating, etc. Retort heating is also possible. This heats and solidifies the molded dough, stabilizing its shape. The temperature and time vary depending on the shape, weight, and heating method, but in the case of steaming, a temperature of 75 to 130°C is preferred, with 75 to 100°C being even more preferred. The heating time is preferably 5 to 20 minutes. A low heating temperature and short heating time are unhygienic, while a high heating temperature and long heating time may increase the risk of syneresis (drip). For baking, the heating time is 150 to 300°C for 5 to 15 minutes; for retort heating, the heating time is 115 to 130°C for 10 to 60 minutes; and for boiling, the heating time is 75 to 100°C for 5 to 50 minutes.

[0025] According to the present invention, meat-like processed foods having a texture similar to that of ordinary meat processed foods can be obtained without reducing or using animal raw materials such as meat and egg white, without reducing the yield when heated. [Example]

[0026] The invention is illustrated by the following examples, in which the parts are by weight.

[0027] Example 1 (Basic manufacturing method) 1.4 parts of methylcellulose (Metolose MCE100TS, manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) and 0.1 parts of caramel color (Caramel SF-180, manufactured by Ikeda Tohka Kogyo Co., Ltd.) were added to 4.3 parts of rapeseed oil and stirred in a Robocup, after which 25.6 parts of ice water were added and further stirred to obtain oil-in-water emulsion A. To the total amount of emulsion A, 3.0 parts of low-temperature gelatinized starch (LO-TEMP453-S manufactured by TATE & LYLE INGREDIENTS AMERICAS LLC / gelatinization onset temperature 38°C) and 1.0 part of citrus fiber (Helbacell AQ Plus CF-D / 100 manufactured by DSP Gokyo / water absorption rate 40 times) were added, and the mixture was stirred in a mixer. Then, 2.3 parts of textured soy protein material A (Apex 350 manufactured by Fuji Oil / granular shape) reconstituted with 4.6 parts of water, 11.4 parts of textured soy protein material B (Apex 950 manufactured by Fuji Oil / flat shape) reconstituted with 15.1 parts of water, 10.0 parts of seasoning, and 21.3 parts of onions cut into 5 mm cubes were added, and the mixture was stirred for 3 minutes in a Kenwood mixer to form a dough. The dough was punched using an automatic molding machine (GM-D) manufactured by Nippon Carrier Co., Ltd. to form 75 g (φ85 × 10 mm) pieces, which were then steamed at 95°C for 10 minutes using a convection oven (FCCM-PLUS manufactured by Fujimac Co., Ltd.) to obtain a hamburger-like food product.

[0028] Examples 2 to 5 The low-temperature gelatinized starch and insoluble dietary fiber used in Example 1 were combined according to the formulations shown in Table 1, and the product was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1. In Example 5, oat fiber (Vitacel HF200 manufactured by Rettenmeyer, water absorption rate 7.5 times) was used.

[0029] Comparative Examples 1 to 4 The same preparation as in Example 1 was carried out, except that the low-temperature gelatinized starch in the formulation of Example 1 was replaced with a modified starch (Food Starch SG, gelatinization temperature 55°C, manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) or a pregelatinized starch (GMIX-K1A, room temperature gelatinized, manufactured by Glico Nutrition Foods Co., Ltd.), or no low-temperature gelatinized starch was added.

[0030] (Table 1) Compositions of Examples and Comparative Examples TIFF0007768217000001.tif66151

[0031] (evaluation) The weight of each molded dough was measured before and after heating, and the heating yield was calculated and rated as follows: ◎: 95% or more / very good, ○: 90-95% / good, ×: less than 90% / fail. The condition and moldability of the unheated dough were also rated as ◎: very good moldability, ○: good moldability, △: moldable, ×: hard and difficult to mold. The sensory evaluation was carried out according to the following criteria.

[0032] (Sensory evaluation criteria) The sensory evaluation was carried out by five experienced panelists, who comprehensively evaluated the texture after heating, to determine whether it was like a processed meat food, especially a hamburger steak (including patties), and made a consensus decision. ◎: Comparable to meat hamburger, particularly good ○: No problems as a hamburger-like food product, and good △: Slightly inferior, but within the range of hamburger-like foods ×: Unusual and inappropriate as a hamburger-like food

[0033] (Table 2) Yield and performance evaluation of each example and comparative example TIFF0007768217000002.tif50151

[0034] The results are shown in Table 2. All of the Examples containing low-temperature gelatinized starch and insoluble dietary fiber had improved yields compared to the Comparative Example, which did not contain low-temperature gelatinized starch. In particular, Examples 1, 3, and 5, which contained appropriate amounts of insoluble dietary fiber, had favorable dough formability, post-heating yield, and texture. These were suitable for use as patties.

[0035] Examples 6 to 10 The low-temperature gelatinized starch of Example 1 was modified according to the composition shown in Table 3, and the same preparation as in Example 1 was carried out without adding insoluble dietary fiber.

[0036] (Table 3) Composition of each example TIFF0007768217000003.tif72151

[0037] (Table 4) Yield and performance evaluation of each example TIFF0007768217000004.tif40151

[0038] The results are shown in Table 4. The low-temperature gelatinized starch alone showed the effect of improving yield. In the texture evaluation after heating, when the amount of gelatinized starch exceeded 4% by weight, the starch exhibited softer physical properties than when insoluble dietary fiber was added, and was considered to be more suitable for hamburger steaks than patties. Note that an important issue in the present invention is the suppression of syneresis, and since it is difficult to accurately measure the amount of syneresis, a yield value correlated with the amount of syneresis is used. Because steaming is performed, the apparent yield may exceed 100%, but it is important to compare it with comparative examples.

[0039] Examples 11 to 12, Comparative Example 5 (Prepared by heating on a hot iron plate) The dough prepared and shaped in Examples 8, 9, and Comparative Example 1 was baked on a 180°C iron plate for 7 minutes. The results are shown in Table 5. All Examples showed favorable physical properties with reduced syneresis. The heating yield in the case of iron plate baking was rated as follows: ◎: 90% or more / very good; ○: 85-90% / good; ×: less than 85% / fail.

[0040] (Table 5) Composition and functional evaluation of each example (heated on an iron plate) TIFF0007768217000005.tif101136 [Industrial Applicability]

[0041] According to the present invention, by using a textured plant material and methylcellulose, it is possible to produce a meat-like processed food with improved yield when heated.

Claims

1. A method for producing a meat-like processed food, comprising the following steps: (A) A step of preparing an oil-in-water emulsion containing at least a fat or oil, methylcellulose, and water. (B) A process of preparing dough by mixing the emulsion of (A) with a textured plant material and hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch, which is a low-temperature gelatinizing starch with a gelatinization onset temperature of 35 to 40°C. (C) A process of heating the dough prepared in (A) after molding it to produce a meat-like processed food.

2. 2. The method for producing a meat-like processed food according to claim 1, wherein citrus fiber is mixed during the preparation of the dough (a).

3. 3. The method for producing the meat-like processed food according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the formed dough is steamed at 75 to 130°C for 5 to 20 minutes.

4. A meat-like processed food containing an oil-in-water emulsion containing fats and oils and methylcellulose, a textured plant material, and hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch, which is a low-temperature gelatinizing starch with a gelatinization onset temperature of 35 to 40°C.

5. The meat-like processed food according to claim 4, which contains citrus fiber.

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