Method for producing heated food

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a technique by which a heated food having a juicy texture can be easily manufactured while minimizing moisture loss in a food material due to heating and cooking. The method for manufacturing a heated food of the present invention comprises: a pretreatment step for attaching a composition, said composition containing a monovalent metal salt of alginic acid and a hardly water-soluble divalent metal salt, to a food material from which moisture exudes upon heating; and a heating step for heating and cooking the food material from the pretreatment step. After completing the pretreatment step and before starting the heating step, a treatment for preventing gelation is performed to prevent gelation of alginic acid contained in the composition. The treatment for preventing gelation includes: immediately before attaching the composition in the pretreatment step, controlling the material temperature of the food material to 30°C or lower; controlling the period of time, in which the material temperature of the food material from the pretreatment step is 40°C or higher, to not longer than 2 hours; and controlling the period of time, in which the material temperature of the food material from the pretreatment step is 10-20°C inclusive, to not longer than 12 hours.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing a heated food product by cooking a food material that exudes moisture when heated. [Background technology]

[0002] Animal-based ingredients such as meat and seafood are eaten either raw or cooked. When eaten raw, one can enjoy the fresh texture and vivid flavor of the ingredients, while when cooked, chemical reactions and decomposition reactions of the ingredients occur, producing unique aromatic and flavor components, allowing one to enjoy a complex and mysterious taste. As such, animal-based ingredients are very popular because there are various ways to eat them, but when eaten raw, strict hygiene control is required, while when cooked, high cooking skills are required, as the quality varies greatly depending on the skill of the chef. In addition to animal-based ingredients, ingredients processed into mince also have similar hygiene control and quality degradation issues because the cells are destroyed.

[0003] When animal-based or minced ingredients are cooked, muscle tissue often contracts, causing intercellular or intracellular water to seep out, resulting in dripping, which can lead to excessive water loss from the ingredients. When excessive water loss occurs during cooking, the resulting cooked food has a dry texture, making the eating experience unsatisfying, and inevitably reduces yield due to weight loss. To address this problem of water loss during cooking, experienced chefs carefully control the water loss from ingredients by carefully adjusting the heat level, the temperature of the ingredients during cooking, and the heating rate. Traditionally, methods have been used, such as applying liquid seasonings, such as sauces, to ingredients or coating the surface of ingredients with a coating material. However, the use of liquid seasonings is limited to certain dishes, so applying them to ingredients is limited in its scope of application. Furthermore, even if food is covered with a coating material, it is not always possible to sufficiently prevent moisture loss from the food, and other problems often arise, such as the coating material bursting, resulting in a significant decrease in the quality of the cooked food, or the flavor of the coating material not matching with the food covered by it. Thus, various methods have been used to prevent moisture loss from the food when cooking animal-based food materials or minced food materials, but the current situation is that there is significant room for improvement in all of these methods.

[0004] Alginic acid is known to have the property of gelling under certain conditions, and various food-related technologies utilizing this property have been proposed. Patent Document 1 describes a method for forming an edible coating on the surface of a battered food such as a fried food, which contains food ingredients (ingredients) and a batter covering the ingredients, by contacting the ingredients with a liquid containing alginic acid and then contacting the ingredients with a liquid containing a polyvalent metal salt, in order to increase the binding strength between the ingredients and the batter. Patent Document 2 describes a method of applying a coating material containing a propylene glycol alginate ester to an alkali-treated solid food, frying the food to impart functionality to the coating, and freezing the resulting fried food. According to Patent Document 2, the frozen fried food produced in this manner has a good texture, does not harden even after time has passed after cooking, and is easy to eat. Patent Document 3 describes a method for producing fried foods, which includes a step of applying a liquid coating material containing a deep-fried food coating mix containing a monovalent metal salt of alginic acid and a poorly soluble divalent metal salt, and a liquid to ingredients, and then cooking the ingredients.The technology described in Patent Document 3 is said to produce deep-fried foods with a good batter color and a good texture that is not dry. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-23861 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-23846 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-195292 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Although the techniques described in Patent Documents 1 to 3 have a certain effect in improving the quality of fried foods, there is room for improvement in terms of suppressing moisture loss during cooking, especially when the ingredients being cooked are animal ingredients such as meat or seafood, or minced ingredients.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a technology that can suppress moisture loss during cooking of ingredients and easily produce heated foods that have a juicy texture.

[0008] The method for producing a heated food product of the present invention comprises a pretreatment step of adhering a composition containing a monovalent metal salt of alginic acid and a poorly water-soluble divalent metal salt to a food material that exudes moisture when heated, and a heating step of cooking the food material that has been subjected to the pretreatment step. After the pretreatment step is performed and before the heating step is performed, a gelation prevention measure is taken to prevent gelation of the alginic acid contained in the composition. The gelation prevention measure is The temperature of the food material immediately before the composition is applied in the pretreatment step is set to 30 ° C. or less; The time during which the temperature of the food material that has undergone the pretreatment process reaches 40°C or higher is not more than 2 hours; The method also includes ensuring that the temperature of the food material that has undergone the pre-treatment step remains between 10°C and 20°C for no longer than 12 hours. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The method for producing a heated food product of the present invention comprises at least a step of adhering a specific composition described below to a food material (pretreatment step), and a step of cooking the food material that has been subjected to the pretreatment step (heating step).

[0010] The food materials used in the pretreatment step, i.e., the food materials to which the specific composition described below is applied, are “food materials that exude water when heated.” The water exuded from the food materials is called “drip,” and typically contains soluble components (proteins, extracts, vitamins, etc.) within the cells. Examples of the food material used in the pre-treatment step include animal food materials and granular food materials. The food material used in the pre-treatment step is typically unheated, but may be heated as long as the desired effect of the present invention is achieved. The animal food materials are food materials derived from animals, and specific examples include meat from livestock such as chicken, pork, beef, lamb, and goat; and seafood such as squid, shrimp, and horse mackerel. The granular food material is a crushed or granulated product of raw material ingredients, typically a collection of crushed pieces of the raw material ingredients or granular protein. The method for producing the granular food material is not particularly limited, and various methods can be used, such as crushing the raw material ingredients or granulating them using an extruder. The size of the crushed raw material ingredients can be appropriately determined depending on the type of heated food product to be produced. The typical particle size of the granular food material is preferably 0.5 to 12 mm, more preferably 0.8 to 9 mm, as measured through a sieve with openings. The granular food materials are broadly divided into "granular animal food materials" and "granular plant food materials." A typical example of the former is a minced food material (e.g., hamburger steak) containing one or more granular materials (ground meat) of the specific examples of animal food materials. A typical example of the latter is soy meat (imitation meat) made by granulating plant protein using an extruder. Examples of the plant food materials include vegetables, beans, grain flour, and mushrooms. The present invention is particularly useful for food ingredients that exude a relatively large amount of water when cooked, and specific examples of such food ingredients include animal food ingredients sourced from livestock meat or cephalopods such as squid, and granulated plant food ingredients (e.g., the soy meat mentioned above).

[0011] In the pretreatment step, a composition containing a monovalent metal salt of alginic acid and a poorly water-soluble divalent metal salt (hereinafter also referred to as "specific composition") is applied to the food material.

[0012] As used herein, the term "monovalent metal alginate" refers to a salt of alginic acid and a monovalent metal. The monovalent metal alginate is preferably one or more selected from sodium alginate and potassium alginate, and more preferably sodium alginate.

[0013] Substances that have similar properties to monovalent metal alginates and can be used in foods include alginic acid, polyvalent metal alginates, propylene glycol alginate, etc. However, according to the findings of the present inventors, alginic acid and polyvalent metal alginates are poorly soluble in water, making it difficult to control gelation, and propylene glycol alginate is difficult to gel, so even if these are used in the specific composition, the desired effect of the present invention (the effect of suppressing moisture loss due to cooking of ingredients) is not achieved.

[0014] The content of the monovalent metal alginate in the specific composition is preferably 0.1 to 5% by mass, more preferably 0.5 to 3% by mass, based on the total mass of the specific composition (i.e., 100% by mass of the specific composition). If the content is too low, the desired effects of the present invention may not be fully achieved, and if the content is too high, the texture of the heated food may become hard.

[0015] The divalent metal salt, which is an essential component of the specific composition together with the monovalent metal salt of alginic acid, must be poorly water-soluble.As will be described later, in order to ensure the desired effect of the present invention, the alginic acid in the specific composition must gel when cooking foodstuffs.If the divalent metal salt used in the specific composition is a water-soluble divalent metal salt such as calcium chloride, this gelation will occur before cooking, and the desired effect of the present invention may not be achieved. In the present invention, "poorly water-soluble" means that the mass (solubility) of the substance dissolved in 100 g of water at pH 7 and 20° C. is 5 (g / 100 g water) or less.

[0016] From the viewpoint of ensuring the desired effects of the present invention, the divalent metal salt used in the present invention is preferably insoluble or poorly soluble in water at least in the neutral or alkaline pH range, and more specifically, preferably has a solubility of 0.1 (g / 100 g water) or less in water at pH 7 and 20° C. The solubility is measured by the following method.

[0017] <Method for measuring the solubility of metal salts> A flask is charged with 100 g of water at pH 7 and 2 g of the metal salt to be measured, sealed, and shaken for 1 hour in a thermostatic bath at 20° C. The contents of the flask are then removed, and the undissolved metal salt is collected by filtration and dried, after which its mass (unit: g) is measured, and the measured value is subtracted from the initial mass of the metal salt (2 g) to calculate the solubility of the target.

[0018] Considering that the divalent metal salt used in the present invention is used for food, it is preferable that it is one or more selected from calcium and magnesium, which are relatively commonly eaten, and calcium is more preferable. The solubilities of representative calcium salts and magnesium salts measured by the above method are shown in Table 1.

[0019] [Table 1]

[0020] Among the divalent metal salts shown in Table 1, from the viewpoint of more reliably achieving the desired effects of the present invention, one or more selected from calcium carbonate, tricalcium phosphate, calcium hydrogen phosphate (all calcium salts), magnesium phosphate, magnesium hydroxide, magnesium oxide, and magnesium carbonate (all magnesium salts), which have a solubility of 0.1 (g / 100 g water) or less, are preferred.

[0021] The content of the poorly water-soluble divalent metal salt in the specific composition is preferably 0.1% by mass or more, more preferably 0.5% by mass or more, based on the total mass of the specific composition. If the content is too low, the desired effect of the present invention (the effect of suppressing moisture loss due to cooking of food materials) may not be fully achieved. Furthermore, although there is no particular upper limit to the content, if the content is extremely high, inconveniences such as an unpleasant taste specific to metal salts, reduced adhesion to food materials, and a poor texture of heated foods may occur. In consideration of this, the content of the poorly water-soluble divalent metal salt in the specific composition is preferably 30% by mass or less, more preferably 20% by mass or less, and even more preferably 10% by mass or less, based on the total mass of the specific composition.

[0022] In addition to the monovalent metal alginate and the poorly water-soluble divalent metal salt, the specific composition may contain, if necessary, other ingredients commonly used in the production of cooked foods. Examples of such other ingredients include cereal flours such as wheat flour (hard wheat flour, medium wheat flour, soft wheat flour, durum wheat flour, etc.), rye flour, barley flour, and rice flour; unprocessed starches such as potato starch, wheat starch, cornstarch, waxy cornstarch, tapioca starch, and rice starch; and processed starches obtained by subjecting these unprocessed starches to one or more of the following treatments: oil processing, gelatinization, etherification, esterification, crosslinking, and oxidation; sugars; seasonings such as salt and powdered soy sauce; oils and fats; thickeners; proteins; leavening agents; insoluble dietary fiber; and the like, which may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The content of the other raw materials in the specific composition is preferably 99.5% by mass or less, more preferably 99% by mass or less, and even more preferably 98% by mass or less, based on the total mass of the specific composition.

[0023] The form of the specific composition when it is applied to a food material is not particularly limited, and may be powder or liquid, and may be appropriately selected depending on the type of food material, the cooking method of the food material, etc., but is preferably liquid. The specific composition itself is typically in powder form at room temperature and normal pressure, and when a powdery specific composition is to be made into a liquid, the specific composition is dissolved or dispersed in a liquid. The liquid used to prepare the specific liquid composition is preferably an aqueous liquid. Although water is generally used as the aqueous liquid, liquids other than water, such as beaten eggs, soup stock, broth, liquid oil, etc., can also be used, and these can be used alone or in combination of two or more. When preparing a liquid specific composition, the amount of liquid used in combination with the powder specific composition is not particularly limited and can be adjusted appropriately depending on the type of food ingredient, the cooking method for the food ingredient, etc., but is preferably 50 to 500 parts by mass, more preferably 80 to 400 parts by mass, and even more preferably 100 to 300 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the powder specific composition.

[0024] In the pretreatment step, the method for applying the specific composition to the food material is not particularly limited, and known methods can be used as appropriate depending on the form of the specific composition, the type of food material, the cooking method of the food material, etc. Examples of known methods include applying a common powdered coating material such as flour, blender, or breadcrumbs, or applying a liquid coating material such as a marination liquid or batter. For example, when using a powdered specific composition, methods of sprinkling the composition on the food material, coating the food material with the specific composition, or kneading the composition into the food material can be used. When using a liquid specific composition, in addition to these methods, methods of immersing the food material in the liquid specific composition or spraying the food material can also be used. If necessary, the food material may be seasoned by adding a seasoning, etc., before applying the specific composition, as long as the desired effect of the present invention is not impaired.

[0025] For example, when the specific composition is used as a coating material for deep-fried foods in the pretreatment step, 1) the specific composition in powder form may be applied directly to the surface of the food material, thereby serving as a dusting agent; or 2) the specific composition may be used as a blender, such as by applying a liquid that can be used as the aqueous liquid, such as beaten egg, to the surface of the food material, and then applying the powdered specific composition to the food material. Alternatively, the specific composition may be granulated and then applied to the food material as in 1) or 2). Alternatively, the specific composition may be mixed with breadcrumb ingredients to obtain breadcrumbs, which may then be applied to the food material as in 1) or 2). Alternatively, a batter (liquid composition) may be prepared from the powdered specific composition, and the batter may be applied to the food material in a conventional manner, followed by applying breadcrumbs containing the specific composition to the food material. That is, in the pretreatment step, one type of coating material containing the specific composition may be applied to the food material multiple times, thereby causing the specific composition to be applied in layers to the surface of the food, or multiple types of coating materials containing the specific composition may be applied to the food material in a predetermined order, thereby causing the specific composition to be applied in layers to the surface of the food.

[0026] For example, when the food material used in the pretreatment step is a granular food material (minced food material) such as hamburger steak, 1) the granular food material may be formed into a predetermined shape, and then a powdered or liquid specific composition may be attached to the surface of the formed granular food material, or 2) a powdered or liquid specific composition may be added to the granular food material and mixed, and then the granular food material may be formed into a predetermined shape.

[0027] Furthermore, when the liquid specific composition is used in the pretreatment step as a conventionally known marinade or seasoning, the liquid specific composition may be sprinkled directly onto the food material in a conventional manner, and then the specific composition may be thoroughly mixed or kneaded so that the specific composition adheres evenly to the entire food material. Alternatively, the liquid specific composition may be mixed or kneaded with the food material before use, or the food material may be immersed in the liquid specific composition for several minutes to several hours.

[0028] In the pretreatment step, the amount of the specific composition applied to the food material is not particularly limited and can be adjusted appropriately depending on the type of food material, the cooking method of the food material, etc., but is typically preferably 0.1 to 60 parts by mass, more preferably 0.1 to 30 parts by mass, and even more preferably 0.1 to 10 parts by mass, in terms of solid content, per 100 parts by mass of the food material.

[0029] The food material that has been subjected to the pre-treatment step is cooked in the heating step. The cooking method for the food material in the heating step may be any method that can cause moisture to ooze out of the food material, and may be any method suitable for the type of food material. etc. Depending on the cooking method, one or a combination of two or more conventionally known cooking methods can be used, and examples thereof include deep-frying, grilling, and steaming.

[0030] The present invention is characterized in that a gelation prevention measure is taken to prevent gelation of the alginic acid contained in the specific composition between the time when the pretreatment step is performed and the time when the heating step is performed. The main objective of the present invention is to suppress moisture loss during cooking of food materials. To achieve this objective, a pretreatment step is carried out prior to the heating step in which food materials are cooked. A composition containing a monovalent metal alginate and a poorly water-soluble divalent metal salt is applied to food materials that exude moisture (drip) upon heating. This causes the alginic acid in the specific composition to gel during cooking, forming a coating of gelled alginic acid on the surface of the food materials. This coating suppresses the exudation of drips from the food materials, thereby suppressing moisture loss during cooking of the food materials. The mechanism by which the alginic acid coating is formed is presumed to be as follows. The divalent metal salt in the specific composition is typically insoluble in water in the alkaline range, but dissolves in the acidic range. Here, the drips exuded from ingredients during cooking are generally acidic, so when the drips come into contact with the divalent metal salt in the specific composition attached to the ingredients, the divalent metal salt dissolves. When the dissolved divalent metal salt comes into contact with the monovalent metal salt of alginic acid in the specific composition, a gel is formed. This gel forms a coating that covers the surface of the ingredients. In this way, the specified effect of the present invention (the effect of suppressing moisture loss due to cooking of food materials) is achieved when the alginic acid contained in the specific composition adhered to the food materials gels during cooking of the food materials, i.e., when the heating step is carried out, and an alginic acid coating is formed on the surface of the food materials. However, drips may seep out of the food materials between the pretreatment step and the heating step, and if the gelation of the alginic acid progresses beyond a certain level due to the drips, the portion that had already gelled before the heating step will be detached from the food materials by the relatively large amount of drips that seep out of the food materials during the heating step, making the above-mentioned effect of the alginic acid coating insufficient and there is a risk that the peeling of the coating will lead to a deterioration in the appearance of the heated food. This peeling of the coating from the food material during cooking occurs when drips exuding from the food material are trapped by the coating (the portion of the specific composition that gelled before the heating step) that covers the food material and accumulate between the food material and the coating. When the accumulated drips reach a certain volume and the force pushing the coating away from the food material exceeds the strength of the coating, the drips leak out, pushing the coating away from the coating. One possible method for preventing this peeling of the coating from the food material during cooking is to include a heat-coagulating protein material in the specific composition. However, when this method is adopted, since the protein material coagulates due to heat, the specific composition containing the protein material adhered to the surface of the food material will coagulate from the side opposite to the side of the food material that is heated (the outer side). The side of the specific composition that coagulates relatively slowly will accumulate a large amount of drips exuded from the food material. As a result, the texture of the heated food may become watery or too soft, resulting in an undesirable texture. Therefore, in the present invention, gelation prevention measures are taken to prevent the alginic acid contained in the specific composition from gelling between the time when the pretreatment step is carried out and the time when the heating step is carried out, and the gelation of the alginic acid is controlled so that it occurs substantially at the time when the heating step is carried out.

[0031] The gelation prevention measures must include at least all of the following measures A to C. Measure A: The temperature of the food material immediately before the specific composition is applied in the pretreatment step is set to 30°C or below, preferably 20°C or below, and more preferably 10°C or below. Measure B: The time during which the temperature of the food material that has undergone the pretreatment step reaches 40°C or higher, preferably 30°C or higher, and more preferably 20°C or higher (hereinafter also referred to as "high-temperature exposure time") should not exceed 2 hours. Measure C: The time during which the temperature of the food material that has undergone the pretreatment step remains at 10°C or higher and 20°C or lower, preferably 0°C or higher and 10°C or lower, and more preferably 0°C or higher and 4°C or lower (hereinafter also referred to as the "medium-low temperature leaving time") is not to exceed 12 hours. The "food temperature" refers to the surface temperature of the food, and when the food has multiple different diameters, it refers to the surface temperature at the center of the maximum diameter. For example, when the food is spherical, the surface temperature at any point on the surface of the food is the food temperature of the food. When the food is rectangular in plan view, the food temperature is the surface temperature of the center when the food is divided into three equal parts along the maximum diameter (the longitudinal direction of the rectangle).

[0032] In the above-mentioned measure B, the high temperature exposure time is 2 hours That's all. If the alginic acid is left standing at high temperature for a period of time longer than the pretreatment step, gelation of the alginic acid may proceed substantially between the pretreatment step and the heating step, and the desired effect of the present invention may not be achieved. , good Preferably 90 minutes or less, twist Preferably, it is 1 hour or less, and the shorter the better. From the same viewpoint, in the above-mentioned measure C, the time for leaving the product at medium to low temperature is , good Preferably 10 hours or less, twist Preferably, it is 8 hours or less, and the shorter the better. In addition, if there are multiple discrete high-temperature exposure times or intermediate-low-temperature exposure times between the time after the pretreatment step and the time before the heating step, the total of those multiple high-temperature exposure times or intermediate-low-temperature exposure times may fall within the above-mentioned preferred range.

[0033] Furthermore, when the temperature of the food material that has undergone the pretreatment process reaches 40°C or higher, the gelation of alginic acid progresses rapidly, so as mentioned above, the shorter the high-temperature exposure time in Measure B, the better. However, when the product temperature is below 40°C, the gelation of alginic acid progresses more slowly than when the product temperature is 40°C or higher. Therefore, the gelation prevention measures to be taken when the product temperature is below 40°C may differ from those when the product temperature is 40°C or higher. Specifically, in the temperature range where the temperature of the food material after the pretreatment step is below 40°C, the higher the product temperature and the longer the time (standing time) between the completion of the pretreatment step and the start of the heating step, the more rapidly alginic acid gels. Therefore, from the perspective of more reliably preventing alginic acid gelation in this temperature range, the gelation prevention measure preferably includes, when the temperature of the food material after the pretreatment step is below 40°C, keeping the product of the product temperature and the time (standing time) between the completion of the pretreatment step and the start of the heating step, i.e., "product temperature below 40°C (°C) × standing time (h)," relatively low. The product of the product temperature below 40°C and the standing time is preferably less than 220, more preferably less than 160, even more preferably less than 95, and most preferably less than 80. The medium-low temperature standing time of Measure C is preferably adjusted so that the product of the product temperature below 40°C and the standing time falls within the preferred range.

[0034] The gelation prevention measure preferably includes preventing the pH of the specific composition from falling into the acidic range after the pretreatment step is performed and before the heating step is performed (hereinafter also referred to as "Measure D"). With regard to Measure D, the pH of the specific composition after the pretreatment step is performed and before the heating step is performed is preferably 7 or higher, more preferably 7.0 to 12.0. The "pH of a specific composition" referred to here is measured as follows. First, 300 parts by mass of water with a pH of 7 is added to 100 parts by mass of the specific composition to be measured, and the mixture is thoroughly stirred to disperse uniformly. Next, the dispersion is applied to pH test paper to measure the pH, and the measured pH is taken as the pH of the specific composition to be measured.

[0035] Measure D can be carried out, for example, by preparing a specific composition having a pH in the alkaline range, adhering the specific composition to food material, and then carrying out the heating step promptly, specifically, for example, so that the time from after carrying out the pretreatment step (immediately after adhering the specific composition to the food material) to before carrying out the heating step (immediately before cooking the food material) is within 30 minutes.

[0036] The gelation prevention measure preferably includes carrying out the pretreatment step in an environment with an ambient temperature of 30°C or less, preferably 20°C or less, and maintaining the environment until the heating step is carried out (hereinafter also referred to as "Measure E"). Measure E has less effect on the taste of ingredients or heated foods than Measure D, and is therefore preferred as the gelation prevention measure.

[0037] In the present invention, in addition to the measures A to C, one kind of measure can be used alone or a combination of two or more kinds of measures can be used as the gelation prevention measure.

[0038] Preferable specific examples of the measure E include the following measures E1 and E2. Measure E1: The food material that has undergone the pre-treatment step is frozen and stored until the heating step is carried out. Measure E2: Frozen ingredients are used as ingredients in the pre-treatment step.

[0039] A preferred example of the gelation prevention measure is a combination of the measures E1 and E2. That is, in addition to the measures A to C, it is preferable to previously freeze a food material that exudes moisture when heated to form a frozen food material, adhere a specific composition to the frozen food material, and then store the frozen food material with the specific composition adhered thereto frozen until the heating step is carried out.

[0040] In the above measures E (E1, E2), the freezing method for the food material is not particularly limited, and known food freezing methods such as quick freezing methods such as air blast freezing, brine freezing, and liquefied gas freezing, as well as slow freezing methods can be appropriately adopted, but quick freezing methods are particularly preferred from the viewpoint of further improving the anti-gelling effect. "Quick freezing" here refers to a freezing method in which the food passes through the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range of -5°C or higher and -1°C or lower within 30 minutes.

[0041] While it would be ideal for the gelation prevention measures to prevent all gelation of the specific composition (alginic acid) adhered to the food material between the pretreatment step and the heating step, preventing gelation to this ideal level is not necessarily required to achieve the desired effect of the present invention. According to the inventors' findings, the desired effect of the present invention can be achieved if the non-gelling rate measured by the following method between the pretreatment step and the heating step is preferably 50% or more, more preferably 60% or more, and even more preferably 70% or more. That is, gelation of less than 50% of the total area of ​​the specific composition adhered to the surface of the food material immediately before the heating step is acceptable. Even if nearly 50% of the total area of ​​the specific composition adhered to the surface of the food material is gelled immediately before the heating step, the presence of the remaining 50% or so of the non-gelled portion can offset the effects of dripping from the food material due to the heating step, thereby substantially preventing the problem of the alginic acid coating detaching from the food material.

[0042] <Method for measuring non-gelling rate> The food material that has undergone the pretreatment step, i.e., "food material with the composition attached but not cooked with heat," is used as the measurement sample. Neutral running water is applied to the entire surface of the measurement sample. By this washing process with running water, the ungelled portion of the composition present on the surface of the measurement sample is washed away, leaving only the gelled portion. Thereafter, the total area of ​​the composition remaining on the surface of the measurement sample (gelled portion) is measured, and the non-gelling rate is calculated using the following formula. Non-gelling rate (%) = {(surface area of ​​measurement sample - total area of ​​gelled portion) ÷ surface area of ​​measurement sample} × 100 The "surface area of ​​the measurement sample" is determined by measuring the maximum diameter of the measurement sample in each of the three dimensions, and finding the minimum surface area of ​​a rectangular parallelepiped (in other words, the smallest rectangular parallelepiped that can accommodate the measurement sample) whose three-dimensional length is the same as the measured value. The "three-dimensional directions" referred to here refer to three mutually perpendicular directions, such as the vertical, horizontal, and height directions. The "total area of ​​the gelled portion" is determined by measuring the maximum diameter of each of the two dimensions of the gelled portion, and dividing the area by a rectangle whose length in the two dimensions is the same as the measured value (in other words, Gelled part The minimum area of ​​the smallest rectangle that can be accommodated inside the container is the minimum area of ​​the smallest rectangle that can be accommodated inside the container.

[0043] The present invention is applicable to all heated foods (foods produced by cooking ingredients), such as hamburgers, dumplings, croquettes, fried chicken, nuggets, and tempura, but is particularly useful for heated foods where there is a significant concern about moisture loss during cooking. Examples of such heated foods include those produced using the granular animal or plant ingredients described above, and using deep-frying or baking as the cooking method. The present invention is particularly useful for producing deep fries, fritters, tempura, nuggets, and fried chicken, and is particularly suitable for producing fries. [Example]

[0044] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0045] [Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 4: Production of Chicken Nuggets] The ingredients were mixed according to the formulation in Table 2 to prepare powdered compositions at room temperature and normal pressure. 200 parts by mass of water was mixed with 100 parts by mass of the prepared compositions of each Example and Comparative Example to prepare batter A (liquid composition). 150 parts by mass of water was mixed with 100 parts by mass of wheat flour to prepare batter B. Chicken nuggets, a type of cooked food, were produced by the following production methods A to C using batters A and B and chicken breast meat (unground animal food) as the food ingredient.

[0046] (Method A: Pretreatment process using a liquid composition → Cooking) Chicken breast meat was minced with potato starch in a mixer, seasoned with salt, pepper, and mayonnaise, and then formed into 50g oval shapes to produce nugget fillings. The nugget fillings were dipped in batter A at a temperature of 25°C, and 10g (3g in terms of solids) of batter A was applied to each nugget filling (pre-treatment step). Next, the nugget fillings were dusted with wheat flour and dipped in batter B. The nugget fillings were then immediately placed in a 170°C oil bath and cooked for 1.5 minutes (heating step) to produce chicken nuggets. In Process A, the temperature of the ingredients (nugget ingredients) immediately before the batter is applied in the pretreatment process is 25°C, the time it takes for the temperature of the ingredients after the pretreatment process to reach 40°C or higher is zero, and the time it takes for the temperature of the ingredients after the pretreatment process to fall between 10°C and 20°C is zero. This process involves implementing the measures A to C described above. Note that "zero time" here includes the time that inevitably passes due to the treatment process, and typically refers to 3 minutes (0.05 hours) or less. Furthermore, in Process A, the "product temperature (°C) of the ingredients immediately after the pretreatment process at less than 40°C x the standing time (h)" was 0.25 (= 25°C x 0.01 hours).

[0047] (Method B: Pretreatment process using a liquid composition → refrigerated or frozen storage → cooking) Dip the nugget ingredients in batter A in the same way as in the above-mentioned manufacturing method A. (Pretreatment process) The nugget ingredients were coated with flour and dipped in batter B. rear,The nugget ingredients were placed on a plate, wrapped in plastic wrap, and stored for 24 hours in a refrigerator with an internal temperature of 4° C. or a freezer with an internal temperature of −18° C. The refrigerated or frozen nugget ingredients were then placed in an oil bath at 170° C. and heated for 2 to 2.5 minutes (heating step) to produce chicken nuggets. In manufacturing method B, the temperature of the ingredients (nugget ingredients) immediately before the batter is applied in the pre-treatment process is 25°C, the time it takes for the temperature of the ingredients after the pre-treatment process to reach 40°C or higher is zero, and the time it takes for the temperature of the ingredients after the pre-treatment process to reach 10°C or higher and 20°C or lower is zero, and this is a manufacturing method for heated food that involves implementing the measures A to C. In addition, in manufacturing method B, "the temperature of the ingredients immediately after the pre-treatment process at less than 40°C (°C) x the leaving time (h)" is 96 (4℃ x 24 hours) or The temperature was -432 (=-18℃ x 24 hours).

[0048] (Method C: Freezing ingredients → Pre-treatment process using a liquid composition → Freezing and storage → Cooking) Nugget fillings were prepared in the same manner as in the above-described Manufacturing Method A, and the nugget fillings were stored in a freezer at an internal temperature of -18°C for 24 hours. Next, 10 g of batter A per nugget filling (frozen food material) was applied to the frozen nugget fillings (frozen food material) (pre-treatment step), and the nugget fillings were then coated with wheat flour, placed on a plate, wrapped in plastic wrap, and stored in a freezer at an internal temperature of -18°C for 24 hours. Next, the frozen nugget fillings were dipped in batter B, and then placed in a 170°C oil bath and cooked for 2 to 2.5 minutes (heating step) to produce chicken nuggets. In manufacturing method C, the temperature of the ingredients (nugget ingredients) immediately before the batter was applied in the pre-treatment step was -18°C, the time during which the temperature of the ingredients after the pre-treatment step reached 40°C or higher was zero hours, and the time during which the temperature of the ingredients after the pre-treatment step reached 10°C or higher but not exceeding 20°C was zero hours, and this was a method of manufacturing heated food that involved implementing the measures A to C. Furthermore, in manufacturing method C, the "product temperature of the ingredients immediately after the pre-treatment step at below 40°C (°C) x leaving time (h)" was -432 (= -18°C x 24 hours).

[0049] [Examples 4 to 5 and Comparative Examples 5 to 7: Production of Chicken Nuggets] Powdered compositions were prepared at room temperature and pressure by mixing the ingredients according to the formulations in Table 3. Chicken nuggets were produced by any one of the following production methods D to G using the prepared compositions of each example and comparative example and chicken breast as the food ingredient.

[0050] (Method D: Pretreatment process using powdered composition → Cooking) Nugget fillings were prepared in the same manner as in the above-mentioned Manufacturing Method A, and the powdered composition was sprinkled directly onto the nugget fillings to adhere 5 g of the composition per nugget filling (pretreatment step). The nugget fillings were then quickly placed in an oil bath at 170°C and cooked for 1.5 minutes (heating step) to produce chicken nuggets. In manufacturing method D, the temperature of the food material (nugget filling) immediately before the powdered composition was applied in the pretreatment step was 25°C, the time during which the temperature of the food material after the pretreatment step reached 40°C or higher was zero hours, and the time during which the temperature of the food material after the pretreatment step reached 10°C or higher and 20°C or lower was zero hours, and this was a method for manufacturing heated food that involved implementing the measures A to C. In addition, in manufacturing method D, the "food material temperature (°C) immediately after the pretreatment step at less than 40°C x standing time (h)" was 0.24 (= 24°C x 0.01 hours).

[0051] (Method E: Pretreatment process using powdered composition → Cooking) Nugget fillings were prepared in the same manner as in the above-mentioned Manufacturing Method A, and the nugget fillings were heated to a temperature of 60°C. The nugget fillings were then coated with the powdered composition so that 5 g of the composition was attached to each nugget filling (pretreatment step). The nugget fillings were then dipped in batter B and immediately placed in a 170°C oil bath and cooked for 1.5 minutes (heating step) to produce chicken nuggets. In manufacturing method E, the temperature of the food material (nugget filling) immediately before the powdered composition was applied in the pretreatment step was 60°C, the time during which the temperature of the food material after the pretreatment step reached 40°C or higher was zero hours, and the time during which the temperature of the food material after the pretreatment step reached 10°C or higher but not exceeding 20°C was zero hours, and this was a method of manufacturing a heated food product that did not involve the implementation of measure A. In addition, in manufacturing method E, the "food material temperature (°C) immediately after the pretreatment step at less than 40°C x standing time (h)" was 0.6 (= 60°C x 0.01 hours).

[0052] (Method F: Pretreatment step using powdered composition → Cooking) Nugget fillings were prepared in the same manner as in Production Method A, and the powdered composition was directly applied to the nugget fillings to adhere 5 g of the composition per nugget filling (pretreatment step). The nugget fillings were then heated to a product temperature of 40°C and maintained for 2 hours. The nugget fillings were then dipped in batter B and placed in a 170°C oil bath for 1.5 minutes (heating step) to produce chicken nuggets. In manufacturing method F, the temperature of the food material (nugget filling) immediately before the powdered composition was applied in the pretreatment step was 25°C, the time period during which the temperature of the food material after the pretreatment step reached 40°C or higher was 2 hours, and the time period during which the temperature of the food material after the pretreatment step reached 10°C or higher and 20°C or lower was zero hours, and this was a method for manufacturing heated food that did not involve the implementation of measure B. In addition, in manufacturing method F, the "food material temperature (°C) immediately after the pretreatment step at below 40°C x standing time (h)" was 80 (= 40°C x 2 hours).

[0053] (Process G: Pretreatment process using powdered composition → Cooking) Nugget fillings were prepared in the same manner as in Production Method A, and the powdered composition was directly applied to the nugget fillings to adhere 5 g of the composition per nugget filling (pretreatment step), after which the nugget fillings were left in an environment with an ambient temperature of 20° C. for 12 hours. Thereafter, the nugget fillings were dipped in batter B and then placed in an oil bath at 170° C. and cooked for 1.5 minutes (heating step) to produce chicken nuggets. In manufacturing method G, the temperature of the food material (nugget filling) immediately before the powdered composition was applied in the pretreatment step was 25°C, the time during which the temperature of the food material after the pretreatment step reached 40°C or higher was zero hours, and the time during which the temperature of the food material after the pretreatment step reached 10°C or higher and 20°C or lower was 12 hours, and this was a method of manufacturing a heated food product that did not involve the implementation of measure C. Furthermore, in manufacturing method G, the "food material temperature (°C) immediately after the pretreatment step at below 40°C x standing time (h)" was 240 (= 20°C x 12 hours).

[0054] [Evaluation Test 1] The chicken nuggets of each Example and Comparative Example were visually inspected and eaten by 10 trained expert panelists immediately after production (immediately after frying), and the appearance and texture were evaluated according to the following evaluation criteria. The arithmetic mean scores of the 10 panelists are shown in Tables 2 and 3. Furthermore, for some of the Examples and Comparative Examples, the non-gelling rate was measured by the above-mentioned method using measurement samples that had undergone the pretreatment step but not been subjected to the heating step. The results are shown in Table 3.

[0055] <Appearance of chicken nuggets> A: The batter is not peeling off. B: There is a gap between the batter and the ingredients, or the batter is cracked. C: The clothing is peeling off. <Evaluation criteria for chicken nugget texture> 5 points: The meat (ingredients) is very tender and juicy, and extremely good. 4 points: The meat (ingredients) is soft and juicy, and is good. 3 points: The meat (ingredients) is soft but a little dry. 2 points: The meat (ingredients) is a little hard and dry, poor quality. 1 point: The meat (ingredients) is hard and dry, extremely poor quality.

[0056] [Table 2]

[0057] The Examples and Comparative Examples shown in Table 2 are all manufacturing methods for heated foods (chicken nuggets) in which the gelling prevention measures (all of Measures A to C) were implemented. As shown in Table 2, in each Example, the composition adhered to the food material (nugget filling) in the pretreatment step contained a monovalent metal salt of alginic acid and a poorly water-soluble divalent metal salt, and therefore the appearance and texture of the chicken nuggets were superior to those of the Comparative Examples that did not meet these requirements. Furthermore, a common trend among the examples listed in Table 2 was that even though the composition was the same, in the case of manufacturing method B (refrigerated storage), i.e., "pre-processing step → refrigerated storage → cooking by heating," the texture was rated lower than in the case of manufacturing method A, in which the heating step was carried out immediately after the pre-processing step, whereas in the case of manufacturing method B (frozen storage), i.e., "pre-processing step → frozen storage → cooking by heating," the texture was rated higher than in the case of manufacturing method A.

[0058] [Table 3]

[0059] As shown in Table 3, each example implemented the above-mentioned gelation prevention measures (all of measures A to C), and therefore had a higher non-gelling rate and better appearance and texture of the chicken nuggets compared to each comparison example in which these measures were not implemented.

[0060] In an attempt to produce chicken nuggets using the same method as above, except that the temperature of batter A was set to 40°C, some of the batter A gelled and solidified during the process of dipping the nugget ingredients in batter A at 40°C, preventing sufficient adhesion of batter A to the nugget ingredients and making it impossible to produce chicken nuggets. This suggests that the temperature of the liquid composition to be applied to the ingredients in the pretreatment step should be set to preferably 30°C or below, more preferably 20°C or below, and even more preferably 10°C or below, just before application. This clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of Measure A.

[0061] [Examples 6 to 8 and Comparative Examples 8 to 11: Production of Hamburger Steak] The ingredients were mixed according to the formulations in Table 4, and powder compositions were prepared at room temperature and pressure. The prepared compositions of each Example and Comparative Example were used with ground beef and pork (crushed animal ingredients) and fried chopped onion (crushed vegetable ingredients) as ingredients. Hamburg steak, a type of heated food, was produced by the following production method H or I.

[0062] (Method H: Pretreatment process using powdered composition → Cooking) Hamburger steaks were prepared by a conventional method by mixing ground beef and pork, fried chopped onion, breadcrumbs, milk, and seasonings. 100 parts by mass of the hamburger steak mixture was mixed with 10 parts by mass of the powdered composition, and the mixture was formed into an oval shape to prepare a hamburger steak material (pre-treatment step). The hamburger steak material was then quickly placed in a heated, oiled frying pan and heated on one side for 4 minutes, then turned over and heated for 5 minutes (heating step) to prepare hamburger steaks. In the manufacturing method H, the food material (hamburger steak) is pre-treated just before the powdered composition is applied. seed ) was 25°C, the time during which the temperature of the food material after the pretreatment process reached 40°C or higher was zero hours, and the time during which the temperature of the food material after the pretreatment process reached 10°C or higher and 20°C or lower was zero hours, and this was a method of manufacturing heated food that involved implementing the measures A to C. Furthermore, in method H, the "food material temperature (°C) immediately after the pretreatment process at less than 40°C × standing time (h)" was 0.25 (= 25°C × 0.01 hour).

[0063] (Method I: Pretreatment step using a powdered composition → refrigerated or frozen storage → cooking) A hamburger steak ingredient was produced through a pretreatment step in the same manner as in Production Method H, and the hamburger steak ingredient was placed on a plate, wrapped in plastic wrap, and stored for 24 hours in a refrigerator at an internal temperature of 4° C. or in a freezer at an internal temperature of −18° C. The refrigerated or frozen hamburger steak ingredient was then quickly placed in a heated and oiled frying pan, and one side of the hamburger steak ingredient was cooked for 4 minutes, then flipped over and cooked for the other side for 5 minutes (heating step) to produce a hamburger steak. In the manufacturing method I, the food material (hamburger steak) is pre-treated immediately before the powdered composition is applied thereto. seed ) was 25°C, the time during which the temperature of the food material after the pretreatment process reached 40°C or higher was zero hours, and the time during which the temperature of the food material after the pretreatment process reached 10°C or higher but not higher than 20°C was zero hours, and this was a method of manufacturing heated food that involved implementing the measures A to C. Furthermore, in method I, the "product temperature of the food material immediately after the pretreatment process at less than 40°C (°C) × standing time (h)" was 96 (= 4°C × 24 hours) or -432 (= -18°C × 24 hours).

[0064] [Evaluation Test 2] The hamburger steaks of each Example and Comparative Example were eaten by 10 trained expert panelists immediately after production (immediately after baking), and the texture was evaluated according to the following evaluation criteria. The arithmetic mean values ​​of the evaluation scores of the 10 panelists are shown in Table 4.

[0065] <Evaluation criteria for hamburger steak texture> 5 points: When you cut into it, the juices flow out and it is soft and fluffy, extremely good. 4 points: When you cut into it, the juices flow out and it is soft and fluffy, good quality. 3 points: Juicy and somewhat soft. 2 points: Not very juicy and a slightly hard texture, poor quality. 1 point: Almost no juice, hard texture, extremely poor quality.

[0066] [Table 4]

[0067] The Examples and Comparative Examples shown in Table 4 are all manufacturing methods for heated foods (hamburger steaks) in which the gelling prevention measures (all of Measures A to C) were implemented. As shown in Table 4, in each Example, the composition attached to the food material (hamburger steak filling) in the pretreatment step contained a monovalent metal salt of alginic acid and a poorly water-soluble divalent metal salt, and therefore the texture of the hamburger steak was superior to that of each Comparative Example that did not meet these requirements. Furthermore, a common trend among the examples listed in Table 4 was that even though the composition was the same, in the case of Manufacturing Method I (refrigerated storage), i.e., "pre-processing step → refrigerated storage → cooking by heating," the texture was rated lower than in Manufacturing Method H, in which the heating step was carried out immediately after the pre-processing step, whereas in the case of Manufacturing Method I (frozen storage), i.e., "pre-processing step → frozen storage → cooking by heating," the texture was rated higher than in Manufacturing Method H. [Industrial Applicability]

[0068] According to the present invention, a technique is provided that can suppress moisture loss during cooking of ingredients and easily produce heated foods that have a juicy texture.

Claims

1. A pretreatment step of adhering a composition containing a monovalent metal salt of alginic acid and a poorly water-soluble divalent metal salt to a food material that exudes moisture when heated; A heating step of cooking the food material that has been subjected to the pretreatment step, a gelling prevention measure is taken to prevent gelling of the alginic acid contained in the composition during the period from after the pretreatment step to before the heating step, thereby causing the alginic acid to gel during the cooking step; The phrase "preventing alginic acid from gelling" means that the non-gelling rate measured by the following method is 50% or more after the pretreatment step and before the heating step, The gelation prevention measure is The temperature of the food material immediately before the composition is applied in the pretreatment step is set to 30 ° C. or less; The time during which the temperature of the food material that has undergone the pretreatment process reaches 40°C or higher is not more than 2 hours; The time during which the temperature of the food material that has undergone the pretreatment step remains between 10°C and 20°C is not longer than 12 hours. A method for producing a heated food product, comprising: <Method for measuring non-gelling rate> The food material that has undergone the pretreatment step, i.e., "food material with the composition attached but not cooked with heat," is used as the measurement sample. Neutral running water is applied to the entire surface of the measurement sample. By this washing process with running water, the ungelled portion of the composition present on the surface of the measurement sample is washed away, leaving only the gelled portion. Thereafter, the total area of ​​the composition (gelled portion) remaining on the surface of the measurement sample is measured, and the non-gelling rate is calculated using the following formula. Non-gelling rate (%) = {(surface area of ​​measurement sample - total area of ​​gelled parts) ÷ surface area of ​​measurement sample} × 100

2. 2. The method for producing a heated food product according to claim 1, wherein the gelling prevention measure comprises freezing and storing the food material that has been subjected to the pretreatment step until the heating step is carried out.

3. The method for producing a heated food product according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the gelling prevention measure includes using frozen ingredients as the ingredients in the pretreatment step.

4. A method for producing a heated food product described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the gelling prevention measures include ensuring that when the product temperature of the food material that has undergone the pretreatment process is less than 40°C, the product of the product temperature and the time from after the pretreatment process is performed to before the heating process is performed is less than 220.

5. The method for producing a heated food product according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the composition is in a powder or liquid form when applied to the food material.

6. 6. The method for producing a heated food according to claim 1, wherein the divalent metal salt has a solubility in water at pH 7.0 and 20°C of 0.1 (g / 100 g water) or less.

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