Roughness reduction material and reduction method

Abstract

To provide a technique for efficiently reducing roughness by suppressing the influence of a beverage or a jelly beverage food product having roughness derived from protein particles on flavor or physical property as much as possible.SOLUTION: Roughness derived from protein particles can be reduced by using a roughness reducing material containing succinoglycan as an active component. This technique can be used for a beverage, a powder beverage, a jelly beverage, a jelly food product, or the like.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for reducing the roughness caused by protein particles in beverages or jelly foods and drinks. [Background technology]

[0002] Beverages and jellies containing proteins from soybeans, peas, mung beans, etc. may have a rough texture due to the particles. Typically, homogenization equipment such as a homogenizer is used during the manufacturing process to break down the protein particles and reduce the rough texture. However, this can be a major problem in production facilities that do not have a homogenization equipment or in powdered beverages that can only be gently stirred during dissolution in water. The same is true for jellies. In the case of jelly foods and drinks such as jelly drinks drunk through a straw or jelly foods filled in a cup, jelly foods and drinks containing protein may become grainy if not homogenized sufficiently. To reduce roughness, the particles that cause the roughness are generally physically crushed, and methods such as crushing rice bran (Patent Document 1) and further crushing soy protein powder (Patent Document 2) have been disclosed. Also, a method of adding tri- or tetrasaccharides with a branched structure has been disclosed (Patent Document 3).

[0003] Succinoglycan is an anionic biopolymer produced by Agrobacterium tumefaciens, and is a material that can effectively impart viscosity at low concentrations. In recent years, its use in food has been increasing, and its properties are said to be similar to xanthan gum (Non-Patent Document 1), and it is used as a stabilizer that utilizes its viscosity. A method has also been disclosed in which succinoglycan is used in smoothie-like drinks to achieve a gritty texture due to the fiber (Patent Document 4). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2014-064561 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2000-270783 [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication No. 2006-280310 [Patent Document 4] Patent Publication No. 2021-158951 [Non-patent literature]

[0005] [Non-Patent Document 1] Monthly Food Chemical (Food Chemical Newspaper) 31-32, No. 3, 2020 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Physically crushing particles requires materials that have been sufficiently crushed in advance or dedicated crushing equipment during production. Furthermore, reducing roughness using conventional additives requires the use of large amounts of additives, which affects taste and physical properties. The object of the present invention is to provide a technology for efficiently reducing roughness in beverages or jelly foods and drinks that have roughness due to protein particles, including powdered beverages, which are considered particularly difficult to reduce roughness due to the difficulty of strong stirring, while minimizing the impact on flavor and physical properties. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] As a result of extensive research into the above-mentioned problems, the present inventors discovered that the roughness caused by these protein particles can be efficiently reduced by using succinoglycan, and thus completed the present invention.

[0008] That is, the present invention (1) A roughness-reducing agent containing succinoglycan as an active ingredient, used in beverages or jelly foods and drinks that have roughness due to protein particles. (2) A method for reducing roughness by adding succinoglycan to beverages or jelly foods and drinks that have roughness due to protein particles. (3) A beverage or jelly food or drink containing protein particles that exhibit roughness in the absence of succinoglycan and succinoglycan. (4) A beverage or jelly food or drink according to (3), which contains 1 to 30 parts by mass of succinoglycan per 100 parts by mass of protein. (5) A beverage or jelly food or drink according to (3), which contains 0.05 to 1 part by mass of succinoglycan per 100 parts by mass of the food or drink. (6) A beverage or jelly food or drink according to any one of (3) to (5), in which particles of 20 μm or larger in size among protein particles account for 5% by volume or more as measured by a laser particle size distribution analyzer. It is related to. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the roughness of beverages and jelly foods and drinks. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a graph showing the volumetric particle size distribution of various protein particles measured by a laser particle size distribution analyzer. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a process for preparing a jelly drink. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] (protein particles) The protein particles of the present invention are water-insoluble particles containing a large amount of protein. By "insoluble," we mean particles whose particle size can be measured using a laser particle size distribution analyzer, as described below. Preferably, the dry sedimentation rate, as measured by the sedimentation rate measurement described below, is 30% by mass or more, and more preferably 50% by mass or more. Protein particles with little sedimentation and a large amount of soluble components increase the viscosity of the solution, resulting in a poor texture and poor dispersibility, making them unsuitable for beverages. Furthermore, "high in protein" means that the crude protein content, i.e., CP (Crude Protein), is preferably 25% by mass or more, more preferably 50% by mass or more, and most preferably 70% by mass or more. The higher the CP, the stronger the effect of reducing roughness according to the present invention. The crude protein content is calculated by multiplying the nitrogen content analyzed by the Kjeldahl method by a nitrogen conversion factor of 6.25. (protein) The type of protein constituting the protein particles in the present invention is preferably vegetable protein, and examples thereof include proteins from grains such as barley, oats, wheat, and corn, and legumes such as soybeans, peas, mung beans, chickpeas, adzuki beans, and lupin, as well as seeds and tea leaves. Legume proteins are preferred, and soybean proteins are most preferred. Animal proteins, including dairy proteins, have small particle sizes and may not be perceived as rough.

[0012] These proteins can be used as raw materials or after fractionation or concentration of protein-rich components. "As raw materials" means that the raw materials have been crushed to the extent that they can be dispersed in water. Fractionation and concentration are the physical or chemical separation of a fraction mainly consisting of fats, carbohydrates, and / or fiber from a fraction mainly consisting of protein. In the case of grains, for example, wheat can be used as a protein component, such as gluten. In the case of beans, for example, soybeans can be used as a protein component, such as soy flour made from crushed soybeans, soybean flour made from crushed roasted soybeans, defatted soybeans, concentrated soybean protein, and isolated soybean protein.

[0013] These proteins are preferably those with reduced solubility in the environment in which they are used. Reducing solubility reduces the viscosity of the solution, improving the texture of the beverage and, for example, increasing the dispersibility of the powder in water. Methods for reducing solubility include heating, adding metal salts, changing the pH, and combinations thereof, and should be selected appropriately depending on the environment in which they are used. An example of the application of the present invention in the case of isolated soy protein is an isolated soy protein powder obtained by reducing the solubility of an aqueous solution of isolated soy protein in a neutral range of about pH 6 to 8 by adding a divalent metal or by heating, or by reducing the solubility of isolated soy protein by making the solution weakly acidic at pH 3 to 6, preferably 3.5 to 5.5, and then adding shear to the isolated soy protein, followed by heat sterilization and spray drying.

[0014] (Rough) Roughness refers to the unpleasant, gritty texture experienced when an aqueous dispersion of the protein particles described above is ingested in the absence of succinoglycan, as described below. The roughness caused by protein particles is largely dependent on the particle size. In the present invention, in the pH environment in which the product is used as a beverage or jelly food or drink, measurements taken with a particle size distribution analyzer described below show that if 20 μm particles account for 5% or more by volume, the product is likely to be perceived as rough, and if the volume is 10% or more, the roughness is even more noticeable. Furthermore, if particles of 100 μm or larger are present in an amount of 10% or more by volume, the effect of reducing roughness according to the present invention will be weaker, and if they are present in an amount of 50% or more, the effect will tend to be even weaker. The particle size distribution is measured by dispersing the sample protein particles in water, adjusting the pH to the actual use level if necessary, using a laser particle size distribution analyzer (Shimadzu Corporation, SALD-2300), and counting the frequency of particles of each diameter on a volume basis.

[0015] (viscosity) The viscosity of the sample solution is measured at 20°C using a B-type rotational viscometer (manufactured by Toki Sangyo Co., Ltd.).

[0016] (Protein particle sedimentation rate) The precipitation rate was determined by dispersing each sample protein particle in cold water to a concentration of 5% by mass and stirring with a DC stirrer at 350 rpm for 15 minutes, then dispensing 20 g into a 50 ml centrifuge tube and centrifuging at 2,000 rpm for 20 minutes. The supernatant was discarded, and the centrifuge tube was placed upside down on filter paper and weighed after 20 minutes to measure the amount of precipitate as hydrated matter. The precipitate was then collected and dried at 105°C to measure the dry amount. The ratio of the sample solution to the hydrated precipitate was taken as the wet precipitation rate, and the ratio of the solid content in the sample solution to the dry precipitate was taken as the dry precipitation rate.

[0017] (succinoglycan) Succinoglycan is a type of polysaccharide derived from microorganisms that contains sugar residues derived from galactose and glucose, as well as succinic acid and pyruvic acid, and optionally acetic acid or residues derived from salts of these acids. More specifically, succinoglycan is a water-soluble polymer with an average molecular weight of approximately 6 million and the following structural formula: 1 galactose residue, 7 glucose residues, 0.8 succinic acid residues, 1 pyruvic acid residue, and an optional acetic acid residue. In the present invention, succinoglycan is preferably present in an amount of 1 part by mass or more, more preferably 2 parts by mass or more, even more preferably 4 parts by mass or more, and most preferably 6 parts by mass or more, per 100 parts by mass of protein, including the aforementioned protein particles. It is also preferably present in an amount of 30 parts by mass or less, more preferably 20 parts by mass or less, and most preferably 10 parts by mass or less. This allows for efficient reduction of roughness. The concentration in the beverage or jelly food or drink varies depending on the relative amount to the protein particles, but it is preferable that it is not too high. It is preferably present in an amount of 0.05 to 1 part by mass, more preferably 0.1 to 0.5 parts by mass, and most preferably 0.2 to 0.4 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the beverage or jelly food or drink. This allows for appropriate beverage viscosity and effects to be achieved.

[0018] (beverage) The beverages referred to in the present invention are beverages containing protein particles, and examples thereof include protein beverages, kinako beverages, teas including powdered tea, almond beverages, brown rice beverages, euglena beverages, miso soup, etc. Weakly acidic to neutral beverages containing 1 to 10 parts by weight of protein particles per 100 parts by weight of the beverage are preferred as the subject of the present invention. If the amount is less than 1 part by weight, there will be little roughness even without using the present invention. However, if the amount is more than 10 parts by weight, it may be difficult to reduce roughness even with the present invention, and the viscosity will also increase. The present invention is particularly effective in a manufacturing process in which homogenization using a homogenizer is not performed after mixing the raw materials with water.

[0019] (powder drink) The beverage in the present invention includes a powdered beverage. A powdered beverage is a powder composition that can be made into a beverage simply by dispersing and dissolving it in water, and is in a form that can be distributed as a dry powder. The beverage can be prepared by drying the preceding beverage using methods such as freeze-drying or spray-drying. Alternatively, the beverage can be prepared by directly powder-mixing the individual dry ingredients without preparing it as a beverage. Powder mixing does not involve a drying step, and therefore can maintain flavor and improve energy efficiency. These powdered beverages are dispersed in a predetermined amount of water using relatively weak shear forces, such as by manual stirring, which makes it difficult for the protein particles to disperse and makes the beverage feel more gritty.However, by implementing this invention, a powdered beverage with reduced grittiness can be obtained. The powdered beverage of the present invention preferably contains 1 to 30 parts by mass, more preferably 5 to 20 parts by mass, of protein per 100 parts by mass of the powder composition.

[0020] (jelly food and drink) The jelly food and drink of the present invention is a product that has been given shape retention by adding a gelling agent to the aforementioned beverage or an equivalent composition. Examples of gelling agents include agar, carrageenan, gellan gum, gelatin, starches, egg white, whole egg, pectin, xanthan gum, and locust bean gum. Gelling agents derived from plants or fungi are preferred, with agar being particularly preferred. Depending on the concentration and type of gelling agent, it is possible to form a weak gel with fluidity. In the present invention, a jelly that has fluidity at eating temperature and can be ingested with a straw or the like is defined as a jelly drink, and a jelly that does not have fluidity is defined as a jelly food, and both are embodiments of the present invention. The addition of succinoglycan can effectively reduce the roughness of jelly foods and beverages that have a rough texture due to protein particles.The present invention is particularly effective when the manufacturing process does not involve homogenization using a homogenizer. The jelly food or drink of the present invention can be exemplified by a weakly acidic to neutral jelly food or drink containing 1 to 10 parts by mass of protein particles as protein per 100 parts by mass of the jelly food or drink. If the amount is less than 1 part by mass, there will be little roughness even without using the present invention, but if the amount is more than 10 parts by mass, it may be difficult to reduce roughness even with the present invention.

[0021] All of the beverages and jelly foods and drinks described above contain granular protein particles and succinoglycan, but other ingredients may also be added, such as peptides, amino acids, other proteins, oligosaccharides such as sugar, fructose, and lactose, dextrin, various starches, sugar alcohols and other sweeteners, oils and fats, stabilizers such as high molecular weight polysaccharides, emulsifiers, pH adjusters, seasonings, fragrances, colorings, and other substances with nutritional health benefits. [Example]

[0022] The present invention will be described below by way of examples. Unless otherwise specified, the notation % and parts mean % by mass and parts by mass, respectively.

[0023] Example 1 (Amount of succinoglycan added to beverage) The effect of the amount of succinoglycan added on reducing roughness was confirmed. The following study was conducted using acidic soy protein obtained by spray-drying isolated soy protein (Fuji Oil Co., Ltd., Fujipro R) in an acidic environment. Specifically, succinoglycan (DSP Gokyo Food & Chemical Co., Ltd., Succinoglycan J) was added to 6.5 parts by mass of acidic soy protein and 5.0 parts by mass of granulated sugar at concentrations of no additive (T1), 0.1 parts by mass (T2), 0.2 parts by mass (T3), and 0.3 parts by mass (T4), respectively. The total amount was adjusted to 100 parts by mass with ion-exchanged water and then shaken in a protein shaker to dissolve. The acidic soy protein and succinoglycan used in the following Examples 2 and onward were the same as those used in Example 1. After measuring the viscosity and pH, the beverages were evaluated for roughness. Evaluations were made by five panelists, and the average was determined. The roughness level was rated on a five-point scale from 0 to 4, with 0 being no roughness, 1 being slightly rough, 2 being rough but acceptable, 3 being rough, and 4 being so rough that the beverage was undrinkable.

[0024] Table 1 (Amount of succinoglycan added in beverages) TIFF0007800120000001.tif81169 *In the table, the amount of succinoglycan (parts by mass) per 100 parts by mass of protein is shown as (succinoglycan / protein).

[0025] The results are shown in Table 1. T2, which contained 1.5 parts by mass of acidic soy protein per 100 parts by mass, and T3, which contained 3.1 parts by mass, were within the acceptable range, while T4, which contained 4.6 parts by mass of succinoglycan, was only slightly rough. On the other hand, T4, which contained 0.3 parts by mass of succinoglycan in an aqueous solution, had a slightly higher viscosity.

[0026] Example 2 (Amount of added protein in beverage) The effect of succinoglycan on reducing graininess relative to the amount of protein was examined. 3.9 parts by mass (T5), 6.5 parts by mass (T6), and 9.1 parts by mass (T7) of acidic soy protein were added to 5.0 parts by mass of granulated sugar and 0.3 parts by mass of succinoglycan, respectively, and the total amount was adjusted to 100 parts by mass with ion-exchanged water. Preparation and evaluation were carried out in the same manner as in Example 1.

[0027] Table 2 (Amount of added protein in beverages) TIFF0007800120000002.tif81146

[0028] The results are shown in Table 2. T5, in which 7.7 parts by mass of succinoglycan was added to 100 parts by mass of acidic soy protein, was almost free of roughness, T6, in which 4.6 parts by mass was added, was slightly rough, and T7, in which 3.3% by mass was added, was within the acceptable range. On the other hand, T6 and T7, which had higher protein contents, tended to thicken slightly. Examples 1 and 2 showed that adding 1.5 parts by mass of succinoglycan to 100 parts by mass of protein was effective, and adding 4.6 parts by mass or more was particularly effective.

[0029] Example 3 (Amount of other polysaccharides added) The effect of polysaccharides similar to succinoglycan on reducing roughness was confirmed. To 6.5 parts by mass of acidic soy protein and 5.0 parts by mass of granulated sugar, succinoglycan was added (T8), 0.2 parts by mass (T9), 0.2 parts by mass (T10) of xanthan gum (DSP Monart Gum HP, manufactured by Gokyo Food & Chemical Co., Ltd.), 0.5 parts by mass (T11) of pullulan (manufactured by Hayashibara Co., Ltd.), 0.2 parts by mass (T12) of carrageenan (Carrageenan CSL-2(F), manufactured by San-Ei Gen F.F.I. Co., Ltd.), and 0.5 parts by mass (T13) of indigestible dextrin (Fibersol 2, manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.), and the total amount was adjusted to 100 parts by mass with ion-exchanged water. Evaluation was performed as in Example 1.

[0030] Table 3 (Additional amount of other polysaccharides) TIFF0007800120000003.tif72150

[0031] The results are shown in Table 3. The effects of the various polysaccharides T10 to T13 on reducing the roughness of acidic soybean protein were inferior to succinoglycan (T9).

[0032] Example 4 (Confirmation of physical properties of various protein particles) The sedimentation rate, particle size, and viscosity of various vegetable protein particles were measured using the methods described above. The samples used were matcha (Matcha FJ-CA, manufactured by AIYA Co., Ltd.), acidic soy protein (manufactured by Fuji Oil), mung bean protein (Glucodia, manufactured by Tianjin Fuji Protein Co., Ltd.), pea protein (Empro E86F30, manufactured by Emsland), neutral soy protein, and soybean flour (manufactured by Koda Shoten). In addition, a beverage was prepared using the same samples according to the formulation shown in Table 5, and the roughness was confirmed. The neutral soy protein was prepared by spray-drying isolated soy protein (Fuji Oil Fujipro R), which had been treated to reduce its solubility in the neutral range. For yogurt, Meiji Bulgaria Yogurt LB81 Plain was used to measure particle size under the same conditions. Furthermore, when the yogurt was consumed as is, no roughness was noticeable.

[0033] Table 4 (Physical properties of various protein particles) TIFF0007800120000004.tif51150

[0034] Table 5 (Roughness of various protein particles) TIFF0007800120000005.tif54150

[0035] Looking at the samples in Table 5 where succinoglycan was not added, only T14 (matcha) was not found to be rough. The other samples, T15 to T19, were found to be rough. From the particle size distribution shown in Figure 1 and the results in Table 5, it was inferred that roughness would be found when particles with a diameter exceeding 20 μm exceeded 5% by volume, or in some cases 10%. On the other hand, reduction in roughness due to the addition of succinoglycan was confirmed for all protein particles T15 to T19 in Table 5. The effect varied depending on the protein particle size, and it was confirmed that the effect of succinoglycan in reducing roughness was slightly reduced when particles with a diameter exceeding 100 μm exceeded 10%, or in some cases 20%, or even 50% by volume.

[0036] Example 5 (Preparation of powdered beverage) 3.9 parts by mass of acidic soy protein, 5 parts by mass of granulated sugar, and 0.3 parts by mass of succinoglycan were mixed in powder form to prepare powdered drink A. 15 g of powdered drink A was placed in a cup, and 150 g of water was poured in and stirred with a spoon, resulting in a drink that did not feel gritty.

[0037] Example 6 (Effects on jelly drinks) A jelly drink was prepared using acidic soy protein (Fuji Oil) and agar (Ina Agar Foods Co., Ltd., Kalicorican) according to the formula in Table 6 and the flow chart in Figure 2. The additive-free T20 had a rough texture, but adding succinoglucan effectively reduced this.

[0038] Table 6 (Formulation and evaluation of jelly drinks) TIFF0007800120000006.tif85154

[0039] Example 7 (Preparation of jelly food) Five parts by mass of acidic soy protein, five parts by mass of granulated sugar, and 0.3 parts by mass of succinoglycan were dissolved in 45 parts by mass of water. 0.3 parts by mass of agar was dissolved in 15 parts by mass of water. The two liquids were dispersed by stirring, and the total amount was adjusted to 100 parts by mass with ion-exchanged water. The mixture was poured into a 100 ml cup and cooled to prepare a jelly food. The texture was confirmed to be smooth and not grainy. [Industrial Applicability]

[0040] According to the present invention, the roughness of beverages and jelly foods and drinks containing protein particles can be effectively reduced, which can contribute to the further popularization of these foods and drinks.

Claims

1. A roughness-reducing material containing succinoglycan as an active ingredient, for use in beverages or jelly foods and drinks that have roughness derived from bean protein particles.

2. A method for reducing roughness by adding succinoglycan to beverages or jelly food and drink products that have roughness derived from bean protein particles.

3. A method for reducing roughness as described in claim 2, wherein the beverage or jelly food or drink is not homogenized using a homogenizing device during production.

4. A beverage or jelly food or drink containing legume protein particles that exhibit roughness in the absence of succinoglycan and succinoglycan.

5. A beverage or jelly food or drink as described in claim 4, which contains 1 to 30 parts by mass of succinoglycan per 100 parts by mass of protein in the beverage or jelly food or drink.

6. A beverage or jelly food or drink as described in claim 4, which contains 0.05 to 1 mass part of succinoglycan per 100 mass parts of the beverage or jelly food or drink.

7. A beverage or jelly food or drink described in any one of claims 4 to 6, in which, in an environment in which the sample protein particles described in claim 4 are dispersed in water and, if necessary, adjusted to the pH actually used and measured, particles of 20 μm or larger in size among the protein particles are found to account for 5% or more by volume using a laser particle size distribution analyzer.

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