Method for producing flavored textured protein material

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a textured protein material that can be used as a meat substitute in a raw material for the production of processed foods, or as a meat substitute product as is, and has improved flavor in comparison with conventional meat substitutes.　Provided is a production method for a flavored textured protein material in which a texturized raw material containing a protein raw material is texturized by means of introducing said texturized raw material into an extruder, and subjecting the same to kneading, pressing, and heating, said textured protein material production method being characterized in that a powdered protein raw material flavored by being brought into contact with a flavoring gas in advance is added so as to be least 3 wt% of the protein raw material.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing a textured protein material, and more particularly to a method for producing a textured protein material in which the original flavor of the textured protein material is reduced. [Background technology]

[0002] In one embodiment, a textured protein material can be obtained by kneading raw materials primarily derived from plant proteins such as soybeans and wheat under pressure in an extruder, extruding the mixture under normal pressure, expanding the texture of the kneaded raw material, and then drying the resulting mixture. This expanded type of textured protein material has been improved to have a texture similar to that of livestock meat, and is widely used as a raw material for producing processed foods that use livestock meat, such as hamburgers, meatballs, gyoza (dumplings), meat buns, shumai (meat buns), minced meat cutlets, croquettes, and minced meat. The textured protein material itself has also increasingly been cooked directly and used as a meat substitute, such as in fried chicken or roasted pork. In recent years, soybean puffs, which have a light texture, have also been increasingly used in cereal bars and granola. In recent years, patent applications have been filed for the creation of textured protein materials that combine protein ingredients with secondary ingredients. The applicant also patented a technology that adds oat fiber as a secondary ingredient to create a textured protein material with a meat-like texture that has a more moderate hardness and a meat-like flaking texture (Patent Document 1).

[0003] Meanwhile, as another embodiment of a textured protein material, a non-expanded, high-moisture textured protein material has been developed in which a protein raw material is kneaded under pressure in an extruder, and then a jacket-cooling die called a "cooling die" is attached to the outlet of the extruder, which extrudes the raw material mixture under normal pressure, thereby processing the tissue into a membrane-like or fibrous form and resulting in a texture and texture similar to that of meat or scallops. This is also available on the market as a meat substitute food. In an extruder equipped with a cooling die, the raw material mixture is cooled to below 100°C after pressure kneading, so swelling due to pressure does not occur. This results in a dense texture with a high moisture content, similar to the texture of meat such as steak. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5794373 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-66157 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 5164949 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-31434 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] As the recent trend to replace animal foods with plant-based ingredients continues to grow, there is a demand for textured protein materials that are closer to meat in texture. Another important issue is that customers are increasingly demanding products with excellent flavor, free of the distinctive odor that comes from protein ingredients. The present inventors have attempted to add various flavorings to the extruder raw material in order to impart a desired flavor to a textured protein material. However, in texturing using an extruder, the temperature at the outlet, known as the die, is usually 140 to 180°C, so the flavor of the masking flavor or seasoning is lost due to evaporation. Furthermore, if a subsequent drying process is performed, the flavor evaporates further, making it difficult to reduce the undesirable flavor originally present in the protein raw material using conventional methods for textured protein materials.

[0006] Furthermore, when protein raw materials are textured using an extruder equipped with a cooling die, the temperature after pressure kneading is low, so the texture does not expand, resulting in a dense texture. The product is then frozen after molding without a drying process. This makes it difficult for the off-flavors unique to grains to volatilize, leaving the unpleasant flavor inherent in the protein raw material in the textured protein material, which can be perceived strongly when eaten (Patent Document 2).

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a textured protein material that has an excellent flavor and is less likely to have the unpleasant odor inherent in protein raw materials than conventional materials, and that can be used as a meat substitute material in the production of processed foods or can be used as a meat substitute food by itself. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] As a result of extensive research into the above-mentioned problems, the present inventors have completed the following invention. (1) In the production of a textured protein material, a textured raw material containing a protein raw material is introduced into an extruder, kneaded, pressurized and heated, and textured, A method for producing a flavored textured protein material, comprising mixing a powdery or granular protein material flavored by contacting it in advance with a gaseous flavoring substance in an amount of 3% by weight or more of the total protein material; (2) The method for producing a textured protein material according to (1) above, wherein the moisture content of the powdery or granular protein raw material before flavoring is 1 to 50% by weight. (3) The method for producing a textured protein material according to (1) above, wherein the gaseous flavoring substance is generated by a smoke generator. (4) The method for producing a textured protein material according to (2) above, wherein the gaseous flavoring substance is generated by a smoke generator. (5) The method for producing a textured protein material according to (3) or (4) above, wherein the smoke generator is an electronic smoke generator. (6) The method for producing a textured protein material according to any one of (1) to (5) above, wherein the protein raw material is a vegetable protein raw material. (7) The method for producing a textured protein material according to any one of (1) to (6) above, wherein the protein content in the solid content of the protein raw material is 20 to 95% by weight. (8) A method for producing a textured protein material according to any one of (1) to (7) above, wherein the gaseous flavoring substance is smoke, a flavor component of a spice, a flavor component of a natural food, a flavor component generated during the production of a processed food, or a flavor component generated during the preparation of a seasoning. (9) The method for producing a textured protein material according to any one of (1) to (8) above, wherein the textured protein material is an expanded type. (10) The method for producing a textured protein material according to any one of (1) to (8) above, wherein the textured protein material is an unswollen type. (11) A method for producing a textured protein material according to any one of (5) to (10) above, wherein the electronic smoke generating device has an electrode plate disposed in the processing chamber, a smoke generator disposed near the processing chamber for generating smoke containing a flavoring substance, the smoke generator and the processing chamber are connected by a cooling pipe, and a low DC or AC voltage is applied from one of the electrodes to cause the ionized gaseous flavoring substance to adhere to the raw material.

[0009] Patent Document 3 reports that smoking powdered soy protein reduces the flavor of the material, but it is limited to powders and does not report on textured protein materials processed with an extruder. Furthermore, even if a textured protein material is smoked, only a limited portion of the entire texture of the material is flavored, and while some flavor is imparted to the surface, it is difficult to change the flavor of the interior of the texture. Therefore, this method was unable to sufficiently reduce the undesirable flavor of the textured protein material. Furthermore, in Patent Document 3, the food powder needs to be smoked at 10 to 120°C for 20 minutes to 3 hours for the smoking treatment, but considering the continuous production of food, it is not realistic and not very practical to allocate a long time to the smoking treatment process. Patent Document 4 reports a method for imparting the flavor of natural ingredients to solid foods by adding flavor components to the solid foods, but there is no report on a textured protein material processed with an extruder. The addition of liquid smoke as a masking agent for odorous substances is also known, but when liquid smoke is mixed with a textured protein material, the bitterness becomes pronounced, and it is not possible to obtain a product that combines good taste and flavor. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, a textured protein material can be provided which can be used as a meat substitute material in the production of processed foods, or which can be used as a meat substitute food by itself, and which has an excellent flavor and is less prone to the unpleasant odor derived from protein raw materials than conventional materials. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] This graph shows a comparison of the peak area ratios of T-3 and T-5, calculated from chromatograms obtained by GC-MS analysis of the textured protein materials T-1, T-3, and T-5 obtained in Example 2, when the peak area of ​​hexanal in T-1 is set to 1. [Figure 2] This is a graph comparing the peak area ratio of T-7 calculated from the chromatograms obtained by GC-MS analysis of the textured protein materials T-6 and T-7 obtained in Example 5, where the peak area of ​​hexanal in T-6 is set to 1. [Figure 3] This is a chromatogram of approximately 5 mm diameter samples taken from the surface portion of the flavored textured protein material obtained in Comparative Example 1, extending from the surface to a thickness of approximately 2 mm, and from the center, and subjected to GC-MS. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0013] (textured protein material) In one embodiment, the term "textured protein material" in the present invention includes a material obtained by introducing a protein material such as defatted soybeans as the main manufacturing raw material (textured raw material) into an extruder together with water and other appropriate raw materials such as starch and oils, kneading the raw materials with a screw inside the extruder under conditions where the inside of the extruder is pressurized and heated, extruding the resulting kneaded material under normal pressure through a hole in a part called a "die" at the outlet of the extruder and expanding the extruded material, which can then be cut and dried as necessary. This is the so-called expanded-type textured protein material. In another embodiment, the term "textured protein material" in the present invention also encompasses a material obtained by introducing a protein material such as defatted soybeans as the main manufacturing material (textured material) into an extruder together with water and other appropriate materials such as starch and oils, kneading the materials with a screw inside the extruder under conditions where the inside of the device is pressurized and heated, gradually cooling the dough formed from the kneaded material through a jacketed cooling tube called a "cooling die" from the outlet of the device, and then extruding the extruded material after cutting it as necessary and refrigerating or freezing it. This is the so-called unexpanded type of textured protein material. Unexpanded types contain a lot of water and are usually distributed frozen as products. In the former puffed type, when the kneaded material is extruded through a die under normal pressure, it changes into an extrudate with a puffed texture. For example, textured protein materials produced using defatted soybeans or powdered soy protein as the main raw material are also called "granular soy protein" or "soybean puffs." The protein content in the textured protein material is suitably at least 30% by weight of the dry weight of the material, and may be 40% or more, or 50% or more. In the latter non-swollen type, when the kneaded material is extruded through a die under normal pressure, the texture does not swell but becomes membranous and fibrous, and changes into an extrudate with a texture and texture similar to that of meat, adductor muscle, etc. For example, a non-swollen type textured protein material produced using defatted soybeans or powdered soybean protein as the main raw material is sometimes called "fibrous soybean protein."

[0014] (Protein raw material) In the present invention, the term "protein raw material" refers to a protein-containing textured raw material that is introduced into an extruder to produce a textured protein material. Specifically, in one embodiment, a vegetable protein raw material is preferably used. "Vegetable protein raw materials" refer to protein materials derived from plants, such as protein materials derived from oilseeds such as soybeans, peas, mung beans, chickpeas, rapeseed, cottonseed, peanuts, sesame, safflower, sunflower, corn, safflower, and coconut, or protein materials derived from grain seeds such as rice, barley, and wheat. Protein materials include ground products, extracted proteins, concentrated proteins, and isolated proteins from the above plants. Examples include rice glutelin, barley prolamin, wheat prolamin, wheat gluten, full-fat soy flour, defatted soy flour, concentrated soy protein, isolated soy protein, isolated pea protein, and isolated mung bean protein. As vegetable protein raw materials, soybean-derived protein materials and protein materials derived from oilseeds that can be substituted therefor, as described in the Examples, are particularly preferred, and among oilseeds, protein materials derived from beans are even more preferred.

[0015] The protein raw material used in the present invention is in a powder or granular form. That is, it can be in a powder or granular form. However, if it is in a granular form, it is preferable that the particle size is as small as possible. Preferably, the particle size is 2 mm or less, more preferably 1 mm or less.

[0016] The protein content of the solids in the protein raw material is preferably as high as possible to meet the protein content requirement of the textured protein material. Specifically, the protein content can be 20% by weight or more, 30% by weight or more, or even 50% by weight or more. The protein content can also be 95% by weight or less.

[0017] (Other texturized materials) Various other auxiliary ingredients can be added to the textured raw material of the present invention. For example, fats and oils, alkali metal salts such as salt, divalent metal salts such as calcium chloride, animal proteins such as egg white and casein, carbohydrates such as starch and polysaccharides, dietary fiber, emulsifiers, flavorings, and other known additives can be added as appropriate within a range that does not impair the effects of the present invention. However, if the product is intended to be a plant-based textured protein material, it is preferable not to include animal proteins.

[0018] (Flavoring of protein ingredients) In the present invention, it is essential to flavor the protein raw material by contacting it with a gaseous flavoring substance before introducing a portion or all of the textured raw material containing the protein raw material into an extruder. By flavoring the protein raw material in advance at this stage, the textured protein material obtained in the subsequent texturing step using the extruder has a significantly reduced unpleasant odor originally derived from the protein raw material, and the aroma of the flavoring substance itself is sufficiently fixed. Incidentally, if a gaseous flavoring substance is flavored to the textured protein material after production, the reduction of the odor derived from the protein raw material is insufficient.

[0019] The moisture content of the protein raw material before flavoring is preferably 1 to 50% by weight, more preferably 3 to 30% by weight. By containing an appropriate amount of moisture, flavoring substances can more easily adhere to the protein raw material.

[0020] (Flavoring substance) It is important that the flavoring substance used in the present invention is a "gaseous substance." Examples of gaseous flavoring substances include smoke (smoke components), flavoring components of various fragrances, flavoring components of various natural foods, flavoring components generated during the production of various processed foods, and flavoring components generated during the preparation of various seasonings. The source of the flavoring substance is not particularly limited; a smoke component, flavoring, food, or the like having the desired flavor to be imparted to the textured protein material may be selected. For example, smoke components include smoke generated by burning wood chips such as cherry or oak. Furthermore, flavoring components generated during the production of processed foods may include aromas fermented or generated during the production of processed foods such as chocolate and cheese, and aromas generated during the preparation of seasonings. Flavorings include masking flavors, fruit flavors, vegetable flavors, chocolate flavors, cocoa flavors, meat flavors, dairy flavors, egg flavors, meat-like plant-based flavors, dairy-like plant-based flavors, egg-like plant-based flavors, nut and almond flavors, cheese-flavored flavors, plant-based flavors with a meat-like aroma (reaction flavor), etc. Foods include fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, nuts, almonds, cheese, etc.

[0021] (Flavoring substance generator) The method and device for generating a gaseous flavoring substance used in the present invention are not particularly limited, and may be physically separated from or connected to the extruder device. One preferred embodiment is a method using a smoke generating device. The smoke generating device generates the flavoring substance by placing a source of the gaseous flavoring substance in the device and heating it. Although there are no particular limitations on the type of smoke generator, taking a long time to generate a gaseous flavoring substance will lengthen the preparation time for the textured raw material, reducing production efficiency, and excessive heat applied to the protein raw material will cause protein denaturation, which may result in the texture of the resulting textured protein material becoming softer and reducing water absorption. Therefore, in consideration of actual production, a device that generates a gaseous flavoring substance in a shorter time, preferably within 60 minutes, and more preferably within 30 minutes, is preferred. From this perspective, an even more preferred embodiment of the smoke generator is an electronic smoke generator. The electronic smoke device is not limited in structure as long as it can generate gaseous flavoring substances in a shorter time, but in a more preferred embodiment, the structure includes a smoke generator that generates smoke and a processing chamber. An electrode plate is disposed in the processing chamber, and the smoke generator is disposed near the processing chamber, and these are connected by a cooling pipe. By applying a low DC or AC voltage to one of the electrodes in the processing chamber, the gaseous flavoring components are ionized and can be electrically attached to the target to be flavored in a short time.

[0022] Generally, the blending ratio of the protein raw material in the raw material (anhydrous) for producing the textured protein material can be appropriately set in accordance with the desired quality and the balance with other raw materials, but it is preferable that it is as high as possible to satisfy the protein content of the textured protein material. Specifically, the lower limit is 50% by weight or more, and can also be 60% by weight or more or 70% by weight or more. The upper limit can be 95% by weight or less, 90% by weight or less, or 80% by weight or less.

[0023] In one embodiment of the pre-flavored protein raw material of the present invention, the entire amount of the protein raw material may be flavored. Alternatively, in another embodiment, a portion of the protein raw material may be flavored. The amount is not particularly limited, but in a more preferred embodiment, the flavored protein raw material may be used in an amount of 3 wt. % or more, 5 wt. % or more, or 10 wt. % or more of the total protein raw material. Even if only a portion of the total protein raw material is flavored, the resulting textured protein material has a sufficiently improved flavor. Alternatively, using a flavored protein raw material in its entirety significantly improves flavor, but is disadvantageous in terms of production costs.

[0024] (Extruder) The textured protein material of the present invention is produced using an extruder. Extruders generally have mechanisms for feeding raw materials from a raw material supply port into a barrel using a screw disposed within the barrel, kneading, pressurizing (compressing), and heating the raw materials, and a die with holes of various shapes is attached to the tip (exit) of the barrel. An extruder having three or more screws disposed in a barrel, that is, an extruder with three or more screws, preferably four or more screws, may be used.

[0025] (Operating conditions) The operating conditions for supplying the raw materials for producing the textured protein material to an extruder and extruding them through a die under heat and pressure can be appropriately selected and adjusted based on known conditions. As a non-limiting example, the heating conditions include a temperature at the tip of the barrel of preferably 120 to 220°C, more preferably 140 to 180°C.

[0026] In the present invention, when the textured protein material is of the expanded type, the kneaded raw material mixture is extruded through a die and expanded, and the expanded textured material can be cut into appropriate sizes using a cutter or the like, as necessary, and dried under conditions that can be appropriately selected and adjusted based on known conditions. As a non-limiting example, drying is preferably performed using a fluidized bed dryer, exposing the expanded material to hot air at 60°C to 100°C for 10 to 30 minutes. From the standpoint of shelf life, the moisture content of the textured protein material obtained after drying is preferably 15% by weight or less, more preferably 1 to 12% by weight, and even more preferably 1 to 10% by weight. In the present invention, when the textured protein material is of the unswollen type, the textured material extruded from the kneaded raw material through a cooling die may be cut into pieces of an appropriate size with a cutter or the like, if necessary, and refrigerated or frozen.

[0027] (Application) In the textured protein material obtained by the present invention, the gaseous flavoring substance adheres throughout the entire structure, masking any undesirable flavor inherent to the protein raw material and imparting the flavor of the flavoring substance itself, so that when the material is used in various foods, a textured protein material with a desired flavor that is suitable for the food can be selected. For example, when the textured protein material is added as a meat-like ingredient such as minced meat to processed foods such as hamburger steaks, meatballs, gyoza dumplings, meat buns, shumai, minced meat cutlets, croquettes, and minced meat, or when it is directly cooked and used as a meat-like ingredient such as thinly sliced ​​meat like roasted pork or fried chicken, the textured protein material having an aroma of smoke, meat flavor, or the like attached thereto can be used. Furthermore, when the puffed type textured protein material is used as a puffing material for various confectioneries, desserts, cereal foods such as granola, etc., it is possible to use a textured protein material that has been imparted with a flavor such as fruit flavor, vegetable flavor, cheese flavor, nut flavor, meat flavor, almond flavor, or chocolate flavor. Furthermore, meat substitute foods such as steak meat made from vegetable protein ingredients have been actively developed in recent years, but by using the flavored, unexpanded textured protein material produced by this technology, meat substitute foods with good flavor and texture can be obtained. [Example]

[0028] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples, etc. In the following, "%" and "parts" mean "% by weight" and "parts by weight" unless otherwise specified.

[0029] Example 1 Five kg of defatted soybean powder (particle diameter 2 mm or less) was scented with smoke using a drum-type electronic smoke generator "RT-D1" (Hokuyo Co., Ltd.) by rotating the drum at 25 Hz for 15 minutes. The smoke was generated by burning cherry wood chips. The temperature of the heat source plate of the device was set at 400-450°C. The moisture content, protein content in the solids, nitrogen solubility index (NSI), and product temperature of the resulting flavored defatted soybeans and the defatted soybeans before flavoring were measured and compared (Table 1).

[0030] (Table 1) TIFF0007798021000001.tif32132

[0031] The results in Table 1 show that the NSI did not decrease significantly after 15 minutes of flavoring, and the water solubility of the protein was maintained at a high level. The product temperature also increased by about 8°C. High water solubility of the protein is advantageous in terms of realizing a chewy texture and a highly water-absorbent structure.

[0032] Example 2 Using the above-mentioned raw material "flavored defatted soybeans," a kneaded raw material mixture was extruded through a die at the end of the barrel according to the formulations T-1 to T-5 in Table 2 to obtain a textured protein material. The extrudate was cut with a cutter immediately after exiting the die to a length of approximately 3 to 5 mm, and then dried with hot air in a dryer at 80°C for approximately 4 hours to a moisture content of 8% by weight, thereby obtaining the textured protein material of the present invention. A twin-screw extruder (manufactured by Kowa Kogyo Co., Ltd.) was used under the following conditions. Die: Circular opening (diameter 2.5 mm x 10 holes) ·Powder raw material flow rate: 30kg / hour ·Amount of water added: 12kg / hour Screw rotation speed: 200 rpm Barrel temperature: Inlet: 80℃, Center: 120℃, Outlet: 150℃

[0033] Each sample was tasted by five panelists skilled in the sensory evaluation of the flavor of textured protein materials. Sensory evaluation was then conducted using the following criteria for the three items of odor, bitterness, and astringency derived from defatted soybeans. The panelists' consensus was used to determine the evaluation results. The results are shown in Table 2. <Evaluation criteria> Odor and taste evaluation ○: The least noticeable odor △: Hardly detectable odor, but slightly more noticeable than ○ ×: The strongest odor Bitterness evaluation ○: The least bitter taste △: Hardly noticeable bitterness, but slightly more noticeable than ○ ×: The bitterness is the strongest Astringency evaluation ○: The least bitter taste △: Hardly astringent, but slightly more astringent than ○ ×: The most astringent taste

[0034] (Table 2) TIFF0007798021000002.tif39132

[0035] As shown in Table 2, the flavor of the textured protein material made from flavored defatted soybeans was very good, with a smoky aroma and no unpleasant odor inherent to defatted soybeans. On the other hand, the textured protein material made from regular defatted soybeans and liquid smoke added to the ingredients had a strong smoky flavor, a bitter taste, and an unpleasant flavor. A slight odor also remained.

[0036] Example 3 Each of the textured protein materials prepared in Example 2 was subjected to taste analysis using a taste sensor. 90 g of room temperature water was added to 10 g of the textured protein material, pulverized in a homogenizer, centrifuged, and the supernatant was subjected to analysis. A "Taste Recognition Device TS-5000Z" (Intelligent Sensor Technology Co., Ltd.) was used as the taste sensor to measure three tastes: sourness, bitterness, and astringency. The results are shown in Table 3. Note that the values ​​are relative to T-1 as the control; a lower value than the control indicates a less sensitive taste.

[0037] (Table 3) TIFF0007798021000003.tif34132

[0038] Compared to the control T-1, the textured protein ingredients T-2 and T-3, which used flavored defatted soybeans, did not have a perceived sour, bitter, off-flavor, or astringent taste. On the other hand, the textured protein ingredients containing liquid smoke, especially T-5, had all of these flavors. This result was consistent with the sensory evaluation, and it was found that while the use of liquid smoke resulted in a stronger sense of bitter, off-flavor, and astringent taste, these flavors were suppressed by using flavored defatted soybeans as the raw material.

[0039] Example 4 Furthermore, GC-MS analysis was performed on each of the textured protein materials obtained in Example 2, and the peak areas of hexanal, a typical indicator of the grassy smell of soybean, were compared from the obtained chromatograms. The peak area ratios of T-3 and T-5 were calculated, with the peak area of ​​T-1 being set to 1. The results are shown in Figure 1.

[0040] Compared to T-1, a textured protein material made from regular defatted soybeans, the peak area of ​​hexanal in T-5, which contained liquid smoke, was about 60%. Furthermore, in T-3, which was made from flavored defatted soybeans, the peak area was further reduced. From the above, it was thought that the grassy smell, which is thought to be one of the causes of unpleasant odors, could be most effectively reduced by using flavored defatted soybeans as a raw material.

[0041] The results of GC-MS and taste sensor analysis and sensory evaluation by panelists showed that by preparing a textured protein material using a protein material that has been flavored in advance with a gaseous flavoring substance as part or all of the protein material, it is possible to reduce the unpleasant aroma that the protein material originally has, without imparting an unpleasant flavor such as bitterness, as in liquid smoke, and to obtain a textured protein material that retains the good flavor of the flavoring substance itself.

[0042] Example 5 Furthermore, using the above-mentioned raw material "flavored defatted soybeans," a kneaded raw material mixture was extruded through a cooling die attached to the end of the barrel of a twin-screw extruder according to the formulations T-6 and T-7 in Table 4 to obtain an unexpanded type textured protein material. The extrudate was frozen at -20°C immediately after being extruded through the cooling die to obtain the textured protein material of the present invention. The twin-screw extruder (manufactured by Kowa Kogyo Co., Ltd.) was used under the following conditions. Cooling die: circular opening (diameter 20 mm x 1 hole), jacket type cooling ·Powder raw material flow rate: 5kg / hour ·Amount of water added: 8.4kg / hour Screw rotation speed: 200 rpm Barrel temperature: Inlet: 80℃, Center: 100℃, Outlet: 130℃

[0043] Each sample was tasted by five panelists skilled in the sensory evaluation of the flavor of textured protein materials. Sensory evaluation of the odor and taste derived from defatted soybeans was then conducted using the following evaluation criteria. The panelists' consensus was reached. The results are shown in Table 4. <Evaluation criteria> Odor and taste evaluation ○: The least noticeable odor △: Hardly detectable odor, but slightly more noticeable than ○ ×: The strongest odor

[0044] (Table 4) TIFF0007798021000004.tif24132

[0045] Example 6 Furthermore, GC-MS analysis was performed on each of the textured protein materials T-6 and T-7 obtained in Example 5, and the peak areas of hexanal, a typical indicator of the grassy flavor of soybeans, were compared from the resulting chromatograms. The peak area ratio of T-7 was calculated relative to the peak area of ​​T-6, which was set to 1. The results are shown in Figure 2.

[0046] Compared to T-6, a textured protein material made from regular defatted soybeans, T-7, which was made from flavored defatted soybeans, had a reduced peak area. From the above, it was thought that the grassy smell, which is thought to be one of the causes of unpleasant odors, could be most effectively reduced by using flavored defatted soybeans as a raw material.

[0047] The results of GC-MS and sensory evaluation by panelists showed that by using a protein raw material that has been flavored in advance with a gaseous flavoring substance as part or all of the protein raw material and preparing a structured protein material using a cooling die, it is possible to reduce the unpleasant aroma that the protein raw material originally has and obtain a structured protein material that retains the good flavor of the flavoring substance itself.

[0048] (Comparative Example 1) On the other hand, it is thought that flavor can also be improved by flavoring the textured protein material itself. However, textured protein materials have a lighter specific volume than powders, and only a small amount can be flavored at one time. As a result, it is not possible to increase the processing volume per hour, making this method unsuitable for practical production. Thereafter, the expanded textured protein material having a length of about 5 cm and a diameter of about 2 cm was flavored in the same manner as in Example 1.

[0049] The resulting flavored expanded textured protein material was reconstituted with water, and a panel of experts evaluated the flavor in the same manner as in Example 2. Although a slight smoky aroma of cherry chips was detected and the material was flavored, the aroma disappeared as the material was chewed, and the original aroma of the textured protein material reappeared.

[0050] Furthermore, samples of approximately 5 mm in diameter were taken from the surface portion of the flavored textured protein material obtained in Comparative Example 1, extending from the surface to a thickness of approximately 2 mm, and from the center, and subjected to GC-MS, resulting in the chromatogram shown in Figure 3.

[0051] 3, it can be seen that the flavored textured protein material of Comparative Example 1 was flavored on the surface and various peaks appeared, but the peaks were significantly lower in the center, indicating that flavoring had not progressed sufficiently to the interior of the texture. Thus, even if a gaseous flavoring substance was attached directly to the textured protein material, it was impossible to completely mask the original undesirable flavor of the textured protein material. In other words, in order to obtain a textured protein material in which the original undesirable flavor of the textured protein material is sufficiently masked, it was essential to produce the material using a protein material to which a gaseous flavoring substance had previously been attached as the textured material.

[0052] Example 5 It is contemplated that the gaseous flavoring material produced in the smoke generator need not be smoke produced by burning wood chips. In this study, defatted soybeans were flavored in the same manner as in Example 1 using the aroma of a commercially available yeast extract (RYE B: DSM) having a beef-like flavor. To generate the flavoring substance, the yeast extract was mixed with 20% water to form a paste, which was then heated in a smoke generator, and the flavoring gas generated during the process was attached to the defatted soybeans.

[0053] Using the above beef-like flavored defatted soybeans, a beef-like flavored expanded textured protein material (T-8) was obtained in the same manner as in Example 2. The sample obtained in T-8 was subjected to a sensory evaluation in comparison with T-1 in the same manner as in Example 2, according to the following evaluation criteria. The results are shown in Table 5. <Evaluation criteria> Odor and taste evaluation ○: The least noticeable odor △: Hardly detectable odor, but slightly more noticeable than ○ ×: The strongest odor Beef flavor evaluation ○: The beef flavor is most pronounced △: The beef flavor is hard to detect, but it is slightly stronger than ×. ×: No beefy flavor

[0054] (Table 5) TIFF0007798021000005.tif29132

[0055] As shown in Table 5, T-8, which uses defatted soybeans flavored with beef-like flavor, had no odor or flavor derived from soybeans, and also had a sufficiently strong beef-like flavor. From the above, it was shown that there are no particular limitations on the flavoring substances in the gas generated by the smoke generator.

[0056] Example 6 Similar studies were also conducted using general smoke generators, rather than electronic smoke generators. 200 g of defatted soybean powder was flavored using a smoke generator "NB-RDX100" (Panasonic Corporation). Cherry chips were heated in smoking mode for 15 minutes, and then the heating was stopped and the mixture was left for 2 hours. Using the flavored defatted soybeans thus obtained as a raw material, a textured protein material of the present invention (T-9) was obtained in the same manner as in Example 2.

[0057] The sample obtained in T-9 was subjected to a sensory evaluation in comparison with T-1 and T-3 in the same manner as in Example 2. The results are shown in Table 6.

[0058] (Table 6) TIFF0007798021000006.tif40132

[0059] The results in Table 6 show that changing the smoke generator and the aroma principle had the same effect of reducing the odor of textured protein materials. This demonstrates that the means of attaching gaseous aroma substances to protein raw materials is not limited to a specific device. However, when using a general smoke generator, the aroma took time to be applied, and the defatted soybeans used as raw materials were overheated, resulting in a slightly softer texture. Therefore, an electronic smoke generator, which can aromatize more efficiently in a shorter time, was considered more desirable for practical production.

Claims

1. In the production of a textured protein material, a textured raw material containing a vegetable protein raw material is introduced into an extruder, kneaded, pressurized and heated to texture the material, A method for producing a flavored textured protein material, comprising mixing a powdery vegetable protein material flavored by contacting it in advance with a gaseous flavoring substance in an amount of 3% by weight or more of the total protein material.

2. A method for producing a textured protein material as described in claim 1, wherein the vegetable protein raw material is derived from oilseeds.

3. A method for producing a textured protein material as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the flavored powdered vegetable protein raw material is mixed in an amount of 5% by weight or more of the total protein raw material.

4. 4. The method for producing a textured protein material according to claim 1, wherein the moisture content of the particulate vegetable protein material before flavoring is 3 to 30% by weight.

5. 5. The method for producing a textured protein material according to claim 1, wherein the protein content of the solid matter of said vegetable protein raw material is 30 to 95% by weight.

6. 6. The method for producing a textured protein material according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the gaseous flavoring substance is generated by a smoke generator.

7. 7. The method for producing a textured protein material according to claim 6, wherein the smoke generator is an electronic smoke generator.

8. 8. A method for producing a textured protein material according to claim 7, wherein the electronic smoke generating device has an electrode plate disposed in the processing chamber, a smoke generator disposed near the processing chamber for generating smoke containing a flavoring substance, the smoke generator and the processing chamber connected by a cooling pipe, and a low DC or AC voltage is applied to one of the electrodes to cause the ionized gaseous flavoring substance to adhere to the raw material.

9. 9. The method for producing a textured protein material according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the gaseous flavoring substance is smoke, a flavor component of a spice, a flavor component of a natural food, a flavor component generated during the production of a processed food, or a flavor component generated during the preparation of a seasoning.

10. 10. The method for producing a textured protein material according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the textured protein material is of an expanded type.

11. 10. The method for producing a textured protein material according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the textured protein material is of an unswollen type.

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