Method for producing a starch-containing solid composition for cooking.

Abstract

To provide a method for easily producing a starch-containing solid composition for cooking by using general-purpose equipment without using special production equipment resistant to high temperatures and high pressures, which is unlikely to crack even when stored at room temperature for a long time and from which ingredients inside the composition are unlikely to leak out after cooking. [Solution] A solid composition is produced by using an extruder in which the ratio of the length of the flight section 200A to the total length of the screw 300 rotated by a motor is 50% or more, and the ratio of the length of the kneading section 200B to the total length is less than 50%, through the following steps (i) to (iii). (i) Preparing a composition. (ii) conveying the composition of step (i) through the flights of a screw. (iii) kneading the composition conveyed by the flight section in step (ii) in the kneading section of the screw at an average temperature of less than 100°C and under a pressure of 1.0 MPa or more.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a method for producing a solid composition for cooking containing starch. [Background technology]

[0002] Solid compositions such as noodles containing starch for cooking are conventionally known, but they have the problem that when stored at room temperature for a long time, cracks tend to form inside the composition, and components inside the composition tend to leak out after cooking.

[0003] As a technology to solve such problems, Patent Document 1 describes a method for processing raw materials containing legumes under high temperature and high pressure conditions, resulting in a cooking method that is less prone to clumping even after time has passed since cooking. A method for producing a solid composition is disclosed.

[0004] While this method is an excellent technique, it requires vigorous kneading of the composition under high-temperature conditions of 100°C or higher. To prevent expansion of the dough composition during such high-temperature kneading, it requires special manufacturing equipment that has high airtightness and can withstand not only high temperatures but also high pressure conditions, thus leaving room for improvement. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2020 / 166713 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a method for easily producing a starch-containing solid composition for cooking that is less prone to cracking even after time has passed during storage at room temperature, and in which the components inside the composition do not easily leak out after cooking, using general-purpose equipment without using special manufacturing equipment that is resistant to high temperature and high pressure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In view of the above circumstances, the present inventors conducted diligent research and found that by using an extruder having a screw with a flight section and a kneading section extending from the base to the tip, and the ratio of the length of the flight section to the total length being 50% or more, and by preparing a composition having a predetermined composition and a degree of gelatinization and specific surface area of ​​a predetermined value or higher, conveying it in the flight section of the extruder's screw, and then kneading it in the kneading section of the screw at an average temperature of less than 100°C and under a prepressure of a predetermined value or higher, it is possible to form a strong continuous starch structure even when kneading is performed under low temperature conditions of less than 100°C, making it less prone to cracking during storage at room temperature, and preventing the components inside the composition from leaking out after cooking, it is possible to produce a solid starch-containing composition for cooking, and thus the present invention has been completed.

[0008] In other words, the purpose of this invention relates, for example, to the following: [Item 1] A method for producing a starch-containing solid composition for cooking using an extruder, wherein the extruder comprises a screw rotated by a motor, a barrel surrounding the outer circumference of the screw, a feeder attached to the base side of the barrel for feeding food material, and a die attached to the tip side of the barrel for discharging the kneaded food material while forming it, and the screw having at least a flight section and a kneading section from its base side to its tip side, with respect to the entire length of the screw The method is a manufacturing method comprising the following steps (i) to (iii): the ratio of the length of the flight portion is 50% or more, or 55% or more, or 60% or more, with no upper limit, but usually less than 100%, or 99% or less, or 98% or less, and the ratio of the length of the kneading portion is less than 50%, or 45% or less, or 40% or less, with no lower limit, but usually greater than 0%, 1% or more, 2% or more, or 4% or more, or 6% or more, or 8% or more, or 10% or more. (i) A step of preparing a composition that satisfies the following (1) to (6). (1) The dietary fiber content is 3.0% by mass or more, or 4.0% by mass or more, or 5.0% by mass or more, or 6.0% by mass or more, or 7.0% by mass or more, or 8.0% by mass or more, or 9.0% by mass or more, or 10% by mass or more, on a wet mass basis, or not particularly limited, but for example, usually 40% by mass or less, or 30% by mass or less. (2) The starch content is 10.0% by mass or more, or 15% by mass or more, or 20% by mass or more, or 25% by mass or more, or 30% by mass or more, or 35% by mass or more, or 40% by mass or more, or 45% by mass or more, or 50% by mass or more, on a wet mass basis. There is no particular upper limit, but for example, it is usually 80% by mass or less, or 75% by mass or less, or 70% by mass or less. (3) The protein content is 3.0% by mass or more, or 4.0% by mass or more, or 5.0% by mass or more, or 6.0% by mass or more, or 7.0% by mass or more, or 8.0% by mass or more, or 9.0% by mass or more, or 10% by mass or more, or 11% by mass or more, or 12% by mass or more, or 13% by mass or more, or 14% by mass or more, or 15% by mass or more, or 16% by mass or more, or 17% by mass or more, or 18% by mass or more, and there is no particular upper limit, but for example it is usually 40% by mass or less, or 30% by mass or less. (4) The dry weight moisture content is 25% by mass or more, or 30% by mass or more, or 35% by mass or more, or 40% by mass or more, or 45% by mass or more, or 50% by mass or more, or 55% by mass or more, or 60% by mass or more, or 65% by mass or more, or 70% by mass or more, or 75% by mass or more, or 80% by mass or more. There is no particular upper limit, but for example, it is usually 200% by mass or less, or 175% by mass or less, or 150% by mass or less. (5) The degree of gelatinization of the starch is 40% by mass or more, or 50% by mass or more, or 60% by mass or more, or 70% by mass or more, or 80% by mass or more, or 90% by mass or more. There is no particular upper limit, but it is usually 100% by mass or less. (6) The specific surface area per unit volume after ultrasonic treatment is 0.10 m². 2 / mL or more, or 0.15m 2 / mL or more, or 0.20m 2 / mL or more, or 0.25m 2 More than / mL, especially 0.30m 2 The limit is 2.5 ml or more, with no particular upper limit, but it is usually 2.5 ml. 2 Less than / mL, or 2.2m 2 Less than / mL, or 2.0m 2 It is less than / mL. (ii) A step in which the composition of step (i) is conveyed by the flight portion of the screw, wherein the flight portion in step (ii) optionally accounts for 50% or more, 60% or more, 70% or more, 80% or more, or 90% or more of the total length of the flight portion, with no particular upper limit, but usually 100% or less. (iii) A step in which the composition after being transported by the flight section in step (ii) is kneaded in the kneading section of the screw at an average temperature of less than 100°C, or 99°C or less, or 98°C or less, or 97°C or less, or 96°C or less, or 95°C or less, with no particular lower limit, but usually 40°C or higher, especially 45°C or higher, or 50°C or higher, or 55°C or higher, and under a pressurized pressure of 1.0 MPa or higher. [Item 2] The manufacturing method according to item 1, wherein the kneading section is located adjacent to the tip end of the screw. [Item 3] The manufacturing method according to item 1 or 2, wherein the kneading in step (iii) is carried out under conditions of a specific mechanical energy (SME) value of 300 kJ / kg or more, or 320 kJ / kg or more, or 330 kJ / kg or more, or 340 kJ / kg or more, or 350 kJ / kg or more, or 360 kJ / kg or more, or 370 kJ / kg or more, or 380 kJ / kg or more, or 390 kJ / kg or more, or 400 kJ / kg or more, with no particular upper limit, but usually 5000 kJ / kg or less, or 4000 kJ / kg or less, or 3000 kJ / kg or less, or 2000 kJ / kg or less. [Item 4] The manufacturing method according to any one of items 1 to 3, further comprising step (iv) below. (iv) A step in which the degree of gelatinization of the composition after kneading in step (iii) is reduced by 6% by mass or more, or 7% by mass or more, or 8% by mass or more, or 9% by mass or more, in particular by a reduction of 10% by mass or more, or a reduction of 15% by mass or more, or a reduction of 20% by mass or more, with no particular upper limit, but usually 90% by mass or less, or 80% by mass or less, or 70% by mass or less. [Item 5] The decrease in gelatinization degree in stage (iv) is when the dry weight moisture content is 25% by mass or more, and optionally the composition temperature is less than 100°C, or 90°C or less, or 80°C or less, or 70°C or less, or 60°C or less, or 50°C or less, or 40°C or less, or 30°C or less, or 20°C or less, or 10°C or less, although the lower limit of the temperature is not particularly limited, the composition is usually above 0°C or 4°C or more, and the ambient temperature is 80°C or less, or 70°C or less, or 60°C or less, or 50°C or less, or 40°C or less, or 30°C or less, or 20°C or less, or 10°C or less, although the lower limit of the temperature is not particularly limited, The manufacturing method described in item 4, wherein the process is carried out in an environment where the temperature is above 0°C or 4°C and the ambient humidity (RH%) is 60 RH% or higher, or 70 RH% or higher, or 80 RH%, the upper limit of which is not particularly limited, but is usually 100 RH% or lower, and the processing time is 0.1 hours or more, or 0.2 hours or more, or 0.3 hours or more, or 0.4 hours or more, or 0.5 hours or more, or 0.6 hours or more, or 0.7 hours or more, or 0.8 hours or more, or 0.9 hours or more, or 1.0 hour or more, the upper limit of which is not particularly limited, but is usually 20 hours or less, or 15 hours or less, or 10 hours or less. [Item 6] The manufacturing method according to any one of items 1 to 5, further comprising step (v) below. (v) A step in which the kneaded composition from step (iii) is dried until the reduction in dry moisture content before and after the treatment, as defined by "(dry moisture content of the composition before drying - dry moisture content of the composition after drying) / dry moisture content of the composition before drying", is 5% or more, or 10% or more, or 15% or more, or 20% or more, or 25% or more, or 30% or more, or 35% or more, or 40% or more, or 45% or more, especially 50% or more, with no particular upper limit, but for example, usually 100% or less, or 95% or less. [Item 7] The manufacturing method according to any one of items 1 to 6, wherein the starch contained in the composition of step (i) is starch derived from edible plants that have been preheated to a maximum temperature of 100°C or higher, or 110°C or higher, or 120°C or higher, under moisture conditions of a dry weight moisture content of 25% by mass or higher, and the upper limit is not particularly limited, but is usually 200°C or lower, or 180°C or lower. [Item 8] The composition in step (i) is a composition in which the particle size distribution d when ultrasonic treatment is performed after subjecting the composition to the following treatment A is 450 μm or less, or 400 μm or less, or 350 μm or less, or 300 μm or less, or 250 μm or less, or 200 μm or less, or 150 μm or less, or 100 μm or less, or 90 μm or less, or 80 μm or less, or 70 μm or less, or 60 μm or less, or 50 μm or less. The lower limit is not particularly limited, but is usually 1 μm or more, more preferably 3 μm or more. The production method according to any one of Items 1 to 7. 90 is 450 μm or less, or 400 μm or less, or 350 μm or less, or 300 μm or less, or 250 μm or less, or 200 μm or less, or 150 μm or less, or 100 μm or less, or 90 μm or less, or 80 μm or less, or 70 μm or less, or 60 μm or less, or 50 μm or less. The lower limit is not particularly limited, but is usually 1 μm or more, more preferably 3 μm or more. The production method according to any one of Items 1 to 7. [Treatment A] A 6% by mass aqueous suspension of the composition is treated at 20 °C for 3 days with 0.4% by volume of protease and 0.02% by mass of α-amylase. [Item 9] The composition in step (i) is obtained by subjecting the composition to a constant temperature treatment at 90 °C for 15 minutes in 40 times the mass of water and then treating it according to the following [Procedure a], and analyzing the obtained components under the following [Condition A]. The molecular weight distribution curve (hereinafter referred to as "MWDC" 5.0-8.0 ") in the range where the logarithm of the molecular weight is 5.0 or more and less than 8.0. The ratio of the area under the curve in the interval where the logarithm of the molecular weight is 5.0 or more and less than 6.5 to the total area under the curve (hereinafter referred to as "AUC1") is 70% or less, or 65% or less, or less than 65%, or 60% or less. The lower limit is not particularly limited, but is usually 10% or more, or 15% or more. The production method according to any one of Items 1 to 8. [[ID=I2]][Procedure a] A 2.5% by mass aqueous dispersion of the composition is pulverized, subjected to proteolytic enzyme treatment, and then a component that is insoluble in ethanol and soluble in dimethyl sulfoxide is obtained. [Condition A] 0.10% by mass of the component obtained by treating according to Procedure a is dissolved in a 1 M aqueous sodium hydroxide solution, allowed to stand at 37 °C for 30 minutes, and then an equal mass of water and an equal mass of eluent are added. 5 mL of the filtrate filtered through a 5 μm filter is subjected to gel filtration chromatography to measure the molecular weight distribution. [Item 1O] The composition in step (i) is the above-mentioned molecular weight distribution curve (MWDC 5.0-8.0The manufacturing method according to item 9, wherein the composition is such that, in the above, the ratio of the area under the curve in the interval between molecular weight logarithms of 6.5 or more and less than 8.0 (hereinafter referred to as "AUC2") to the total area under the curve is 30% or more, or 35% or more, or 40% or more, or 45% or more, and the upper limit is not particularly limited, but is usually 90% or less, or 85% or less. [Item 11] The composition of step (i) is obtained by analyzing the components obtained by treating the composition according to [Procedure a] under [Condition A], and the molecular weight distribution curve (hereinafter referred to as "MWDC") in the range of molecular weight logarithm 6.5 or more and less than 9.5. 6.5-9.5 The composition according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the ratio of the area under the curve in the interval where the logarithm of the molecular weight is 6.5 or more and less than 8.0 to the total area under the curve (hereinafter referred to as "AUC3") is 30% or more, or 35% or more, and more specifically, 40% or more, or 50% or more, or 60% or more, or 70% or more, or 80% or more, and the upper limit is not particularly limited, but is usually 100% or less, or 98% or less. [Item 12] The composition of step (i) is obtained by analyzing the components obtained by treating the composition according to [Procedure a] under [Condition A], and the molecular weight distribution curve (hereinafter referred to as "MWDC") in the range of molecular weight logarithm 3.5 or more and less than 6.5. 3.5-6.5 A composition according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the ratio of the area under the curve in the interval where the logarithm of the molecular weight is 3.5 or more and less than 5.0 to the total area under the curve (hereinafter referred to as "AUC4") is 10% or more, or 15% or more, or 20% or more, or 25% or more, or 30% or more, or 35% or more, or 40% or more, with no particular upper limit, but for example, usually 70% or less, or 60% or less, or 50% or less, or 45% or less. [Item 13] The manufacturing method according to any one of items 1 to 12, wherein forced exhaust treatment is performed at any stage before extrusion by the die section, and the stage in which such treatment is performed is before the kneading section, or before the flight section, or before the feed section, or before the raw material is introduced. [Clause 14] A method of manufacturing according to any one of Clauses 1 to 13, wherein the composition of step (i) satisfies (a) and / or (b) below. (a) When a 6% by mass suspension of the pulverized material of the composition is observed, the starch granule structure observed is 300 granules / mm³.2 The following, or 250 pieces / mm 2 The following, or 200 pieces / mm 2 The following, or 150 pieces / mm 2 The following, or 100 pieces / mm 2 The following, or 50 pieces / mm 2 The following, or 30 pieces / mm 2 The following, or 10 pieces / mm 2 The following, in particular, 0 pieces / mm 2 That is the case. (b) When a rapid viscometer is used to measure the gelatinization peak temperature of a water slurry of 14% by mass of the composition pulverized material, heated from 50°C to 140°C at a heating rate of 12.5°C / min, the peak temperature is less than 120°C, or 115°C or less, or 110°C or less, or 105°C or less, or 100°C or less, or 95°C or less, or 90°C or less, or 85°C or less, or 80°C or less, with no particular lower limit, but usually greater than 50°C, or 55°C or more, or 60°C or more. [Item 15] The manufacturing method according to any one of items 1 to 14, wherein the degree of starch gelatinization of the composition after the decrease in the degree of gelatinization in step (iv) is 99% by mass or less, or 98% by mass or less, or 95% by mass or less, or 90% by mass or less, or 85% by mass or less, or 80% by mass or less, or 75% by mass or less, or 70% by mass or less, the lower limit is not particularly specified, but is usually 5% by mass or more, more preferably 10% by mass or more, or 15% by mass or more, or 20% by mass or more, or 25% by mass or more, or 30% by mass or more, or 35% by mass or more, or 40% by mass or more, or 45% by mass or more, especially 50% by mass or more. [Item 16] The method for producing the composition according to any one of items 1 to 15, wherein the composition contains an edible plant. [Clause 17] The manufacturing method according to Clause 16, wherein the ratio of the starch content contained in the edible plant to the total starch content in the composition is 30% by mass or more, or 40% by mass or more, or 50% by mass or more, or 60% by mass or more, or 70% by mass or more, or 80% by mass or more, or 90% by mass or more on a dry mass basis, and the upper limit is not particularly limited and is usually 100% by mass or less. [Item 18] The method of manufacture according to item 16 or 17, wherein the edible plant is a legume and / or a cereal. [Item 19] The method of production according to item 18, wherein the legume is one or more legumes selected from the genera of pea, kidney bean, pigeon bean, cowpea, broad bean, chickpea, soybean, and lentil. [Item 20] The method of production according to item 18 or 19, wherein the grains are one or more selected from millet, barnyard millet, foxtail millet, sorghum, rye, oats, adlay, corn, buckwheat, amaranth, and quinoa. [Item 21] A method for producing a composition according to any one of items 18 to 20, wherein the composition produced contains legumes and / or grains in an amount of 10% or more by mass, 15% or more by mass, 20% or more by mass, 25% or more by mass, 30% or more by mass, 35% or more by mass, 40% or more by mass, 45% or more by mass, 50% or more by mass, 55% or more by mass, or 60% or more by mass, with no particular upper limit but not exceeding 100% by mass or not exceeding 95% by mass. [Item 22] The composition produced is not a puffed-up product, and optionally the composition has a density of 1.0 g / cm³. 3 Above, or 1.1 g / cm³ 3 Above, or 1.2 g / cm³ 3 In summary, there is no particular upper limit, but typically it is 3.0 g / cm³. 3 Less than 2.0 g / cm³ 3 A manufacturing method described in any one of items 1 to 21, wherein the amount is less than the specified amount. [Item 23] The manufacturing method according to any one of items 1 to 22, wherein the degree of unevenness in the cross-section of the die channel is 0.1 or greater. [Clause 24] The manufacturing method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 23, further comprising step (vi) below. (vi) A step of grinding the composition obtained at least after step (iii) to obtain a pulverized composition. [Clause 25] The manufacturing method according to Clause 24, further comprising the following step (vii). (vii) After step (vi), the obtained pulverized composition is aggregated to form an aggregate of the pulverized composition. [Section 26] Starch-containing food pulverized materials, particularly legume pulverized materials and / or cereal pulverized materials, satisfying the following (1) to (6), for use in preparing the composition of step (i) in the manufacturing method described in any one of paragraphs 1 to 25. (1) The dietary fiber content is 3.0% by mass or more, or 4.0% by mass or more, or 5.0% by mass or more, or 6.0% by mass or more, or 7.0% by mass or more, or 8.0% by mass or more, or 9.0% by mass or more, or 10% by mass or more, on a wet mass basis, or not particularly limited, but for example, usually 40% by mass or less, or 30% by mass or less. (2) The starch content is 10.0% by mass or more, or 15% by mass or more, or 20% by mass or more, or 25% by mass or more, or 30% by mass or more, or 35% by mass or more, or 40% by mass or more, or 45% by mass or more, or 50% by mass or more, on a wet mass basis. There is no particular upper limit, but for example, it is usually 80% by mass or less, or 75% by mass or less, or 70% by mass or less. (3) The protein content is 3.0% by mass or more, or 4.0% by mass or more, or 5.0% by mass or more, or 6.0% by mass or more, or 7.0% by mass or more, or 8.0% by mass or more, or 9.0% by mass or more, or 10% by mass or more, or 11% by mass or more, or 12% by mass or more, or 13% by mass or more, or 14% by mass or more, or 15% by mass or more, or 16% by mass or more, or 17% by mass or more, or 18% by mass or more, and there is no particular upper limit, but for example it is usually 40% by mass or less, or 30% by mass or less. (4) The dry-weight moisture content is less than 25% by mass, or less than 20% by mass, or less than 15% by mass, or less than 10% by mass. The lower limit is not restricted, but for example, it is 0.5% by mass or more, or 1% by mass or more, or 2% by mass or more. (5) The degree of gelatinization of the starch is 40% by mass or more, or 50% by mass or more, or 60% by mass or more, or 70% by mass or more, or 80% by mass or more, or 90% by mass or more. There is no particular upper limit, but it is usually 100% by mass or less. (6) The specific surface area per unit volume after ultrasonic treatment is 0.10 m². 2 / mL or more, or 0.15m 2 / mL or more, or 0.20m 2 / mL or more, or 0.25m 2 More than / mL, especially 0.30m 2 The limit is 2.5 ml or more, with no particular upper limit, but it is usually 2.5 ml. 2 Less than / mL, or 2.2m 2Less than / mL, or 2.0m 2 It is less than / mL. [Section 27] The legumes are one or more legumes selected from the genera of pea, kidney beans, pigeon peas, cowpeas, broad beans, chickpeas, soybeans, and lentils, and the starch-containing food powders described in item 26, particularly the legume powders and / or grain powders. [Section 28] A starch-containing food product according to item 26 or 27, more particularly a legume product and / or a cereal product, wherein the cereals are one or more cereals selected from millet, barnyard millet, foxtail millet, sorghum, rye, oats, adlay, corn, buckwheat, amaranth, and quinoa. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, a starch-containing solid composition for cooking that is less prone to cracking during storage at room temperature and less likely to leak its internal components after cooking can be easily manufactured using general-purpose equipment without the need for special manufacturing equipment that can withstand high temperatures and pressures. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of an extruder used in the manufacturing method according to embodiment A of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic side view showing an example of the screw configuration used in the extruder according to embodiment A of Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of an extruder used in the manufacturing method according to embodiment B of the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic side view showing an example of the screw configuration used in the extruder according to embodiment B of Figure 3. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and can be implemented in any form without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0012] One aspect of the present invention relates to a method (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "the manufacturing method of the present invention") for producing a starch-containing solid composition for cooking having specific properties (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "the starch-containing solid composition of the present invention," "the starch-containing solid paste composition of the present invention," or "the composition of the present invention") using a specific extruder. Hereinafter, the characteristics of the specific extruder used in the manufacturing method of the present invention (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "the extruder of the present invention") will be described, and then the characteristics of the manufacturing method of the present invention carried out using such an extruder of the present invention will be described.

[0013] [I. Extruder] (Extruder configuration) Extruders typically include single-screw extruders and twin-screw extruders, but in the manufacturing method of the present invention, it is preferable to use a single-screw extruder. Furthermore, devices generally referred to as extruders (especially those referred to as "extruder" or "single screw extruder" in English-speaking countries) include extruders that merely have mixer or kneader functions. Such extruders cannot achieve the strong kneading that is one of the characteristics of the manufacturing method of the present invention, making it difficult to form the characteristic composition structure that should be obtained by the manufacturing method of the present invention, and are therefore undesirable.

[0014] The extruder of the present invention comprises a screw rotated by a motor, a barrel surrounding the outer circumference of the screw, a feeder attached to the base side of the barrel for feeding food material, and a die attached to the tip side of the barrel. Here, the screw has a flight section and a kneading section from the base side to the tip side (i.e., in the direction of extrusion).

[0015] Furthermore, in the prior art described in Patent Document 1 mentioned above, many of the steps using an extruder are carried out under high temperature and / or high pressure, so sufficient temperature and pressure resistance was necessary. However, the manufacturing method of the present invention is carried out at a relatively low temperature of less than 100°C, and it goes without saying that the required pressure conditions, as well as the individual elements constituting the extruder of the present invention described above, must have sufficient temperature and pressure resistance according to their function and the temperature and pressure required for the steps in which they are used.

[0016] The configuration of an extruder used in the manufacturing method of the present invention will be described in detail below using schematic diagrams. However, these diagrams are merely illustrative of extruders that can be used in the manufacturing method of the present invention, from the viewpoint of facilitating understanding of the present invention, and the extruders used in the manufacturing method of the present invention are not limited in any way by these diagrams. Furthermore, the scale and aspect ratio are specified and shown as appropriate for the convenience of explanation and the constraints of written space, and the scale and aspect ratio of the extruder used in the manufacturing method of the present invention are not limited in any way by these diagrams.

[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of an extruder according to one aspect of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "Aspect A" as appropriate). The extruder 100 of Aspect A shown in Figure 1 is an extruder having a configuration for use in the manufacturing method of the present invention, and comprises a long cylindrical barrel 200 and a long, single-screw 300 arranged inside the barrel 200, as well as feeders 400, a die section 500, and a temperature control mechanism (heater and / or cooler) 600 arranged at predetermined positions in the barrel 200.

[0018] Figure 2 is a schematic side view showing an example of the configuration of the screw 300 of the extruder 100 according to embodiment A shown in Figure 1. The screw 300 has a base-side starting point and a tip-side ending point, and the base-side starting point is connected to the rotating shaft of a motor (not shown) and configured to be rotationally driven. From the base side (motor side) to the tip side (opposite side) (i.e., toward the extrusion direction indicated by the white arrow in the figure), it has a flight section 300A and a kneading section 300B in that order. The circumferential side surface of the flight section 300A is provided with spiral protrusions (flights or flight structures), and the circumferential side surface of the kneading section 300B is provided with a known kneading structure (for example, a mixing section having a screw thread with grooves, which will be described later).

[0019] In the extruder 100 according to embodiment A shown in Figure 1, when the screw 300 is placed inside the barrel 200, the barrel 200 can be divided into two corresponding regions 200A and 200B, corresponding to the flight section 300A and the kneading section 300B of the screw 300. In this disclosure, these two regions 200A and 200B of the barrel 200 may be referred to as the flight section 200A and the kneading section 200B, using the names of the corresponding regions of the screw 300. In addition, when referring to the corresponding regions of the barrel 200 and the screw 300 collectively without distinction, they may be called the flight section 200A, 300A and the kneading section 200B, 300B.

[0020] The feeder 400 of the extruder 100 according to embodiment A is attached near the starting point on the base side of the flight section 200A of the barrel 200, and is configured to allow food material to be kneaded to be introduced into the barrel 200 (the space between the barrel 200 and the screw 300) through the feeder 400.

[0021] The die section 500 of the extruder 100 according to embodiment A is attached to the leading end of the barrel 200 and is configured to discharge the composition kneaded by the screw 300 through its flow path while being molded.

[0022] The temperature control mechanism (heater and / or cooler) 600 of the extruder 100 according to embodiment A is an optional component. Such a temperature control mechanism 600 is attached to part or all of the periphery of the flight section 200A and / or the kneading section 200B of the barrel 200, and is configured to adjust the temperature of the composition inside the barrel 200 (the space between the barrel 200 and the screw 300) in each section by heating the barrel 200. As described later, from the viewpoint of achieving the effects of the present invention, the conveying of the composition in the flight section 200A and the kneading of the composition in the kneading section 200B are both carried out at relatively low temperatures of less than 100°C. However, if the composition temperature becomes too high (for example, when using a composition that has been heated to 100°C or higher as a raw material, or when the composition temperature becomes too high due to frictional heat or compression heat generated during kneading), or conversely, if the composition temperature drops too low during conveying, it may be desirable to adjust the temperature to a desired temperature range of less than 100°C by heating and cooling. The temperature control mechanism 600 is used for temperature control in such cases. In particular, in the present invention, when kneading is performed at a temperature of 40°C or higher, or 50°C or higher, or 60°C or higher, or 70°C or higher, or 80°C or higher, or 90°C or higher, in the kneading section 200B, it is preferable to use a heater for the temperature control device 600 installed in 200A and / or 200B, as this prevents a decrease in the temperature of the composition. Furthermore, it is preferable that the range in which the temperature of the composition in the kneading section remains above the predetermined temperature is above a certain level (specifically, 50% or higher, or 60% or higher, or 70% or higher, or 80% or higher, or 90% or higher, or 100% of the length of the kneading section). Among these, it is more preferable that at least the temperature control device 600 installed in 200B is a heater, and it is particularly preferable that both the temperature control devices 600 installed in 200A and 200B are heaters.

[0023] When using the extruder 100 according to embodiment A, each raw material of the composition is fed from the feeder 400 on the base side into the barrel 200 (the space between the barrel 200 and the screw 300), and the screw 300 is rotated in a predetermined direction within the barrel 200. As a result, the dough composition made from the raw materials is kneaded while being conveyed from the base side to the tip side as the screw 300 rotates, and the kneaded composition is molded in the die section 500 and discharged from its flow path.

[0024] Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of an extruder according to another embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "Embodiment B" as appropriate). The extruder 102 of Embodiment B shown in Figure 3 is an extruder that, compared to the extruder 100 of Embodiment A shown in Figure 1, further adds a configuration to the front half of the barrel (204A, 204B) for pre-heating legumes and / or grains (preferably powdered legumes and / or grains as described later) that will be used as raw materials for the composition prepared in step (i) described later, under high temperature and high pressure conditions at a composition temperature of 100°C or higher. The extruder has a long cylindrical barrel 202 and a tandem screw 302 arranged inside the barrel 202, and is equipped with feeders 402, a die section 502, a heater 802, an optional vent section 702, and an optional temperature control device (a heater and / or cooler for adjusting to the composition temperature range described later) 602 arranged at predetermined positions in the barrel 202.

[0025] Figure 4 is a schematic side view showing an example of the configuration of a tandem screw 302 of an extruder according to embodiment B shown in Figure 3. The tandem screw 302 has a base-side starting point and a tip-side ending point, and the base-side starting point is configured to be rotated by being connected to the rotating shaft of a motor (not shown), and a heating screw 304 and a kneading screw 306 are connected in tandem from the base side (motor side) to the tip side (opposite side) (i.e., toward the extrusion direction indicated by the white arrow in the figure). In this invention, a "tandem" type configuration refers to a configuration in which any structure is connected in series from the upstream side to the downstream side of the manufacturing flow. For example, configurations such as the one shown in Figure 3, in which two types of screws with different functions (a heating screw for pre-treatment and a kneading screw having the configuration of the present invention) are connected in series, and the composition processed in the first half is supplied directly to the second half having the configuration of the present invention, or configurations in which two independent extruders (a front extruder that performs heat treatment as pre-treatment and a rear extruder having the configuration of the present invention) are connected in series, and the composition that has been heat-treated in the front extruder is supplied directly to the rear extruder within a certain time interval (for example, between 0 minutes and 60 minutes, with an upper limit of, for example, 60 minutes, more specifically within 30 minutes, or within 10 minutes, particularly within 5 minutes, and with no particular lower limit, but 0 minutes or more, or 0.1 minutes or more) between the completion of the front process and the start of the rear process, are also included in the "tandem" type configuration of the present invention.

[0026] The heating screw 304 has the function of pre-heating the legumes and / or grains that will be used as raw materials for the composition prepared in step (i) described below under high temperature and high pressure conditions. Its configuration is not particularly limited as long as it can achieve this function. Figure 4 shows a screw 304 having a flight section 304A and a heating section 304B in order from the base side (motor side) to the tip side (opposite side) (i.e., toward the extrusion direction), but the configuration is not limited to this.

[0027] The kneading screw 306 has a flight section 306A and a kneading section 306B in order from its base side (motor side) to its tip side (opposite side) (i.e., toward the extrusion direction). The configuration and function of the kneading screw 306 and its flight section 306A and kneading section 306B are the same as those of the screw 300 and its flight section 300A and kneading section 300B according to embodiment A shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0028] In addition, in the case of the extruder of embodiment B shown in Figure 3, with the tandem screw 302 arranged inside the barrel 202, the barrel 202 can also be divided into four corresponding regions 204A, 204B, 206A, and 206B, corresponding to the flight section 304A and heating section 304B of the heating screw 304 and the flight section 306A and kneading section 306B of the kneading screw 306. In this disclosure, these four regions 204A, 204B, 206A, and 206B of the barrel 202 may be referred to as the flight section 204A, heating section 204B, flight section 206A, and kneading section 206B, using the names of the corresponding regions of the tandem screw 302. Furthermore, when referring to the corresponding areas of the barrel 202 and the tandem screw 302 collectively without distinction, they may be called flight sections 204A, 304A, heating sections 204B, 304B, flight sections 206A, 306A, and kneading sections 206A, 206B.

[0029] In embodiment B, the main part of the barrel 202 of the extruder 102 is clearly divided into a front flight section 204A and heating section 204B, and a rear flight section 206A and heating section 206B. The front flight section 204A and heating section 204B work in cooperation with the flight section 304A and heating section 304B of the heating screw 304 to transport raw materials such as beans and / or grains in the flight sections 204A and 304A, and to heat and knead the materials in the heating sections 204B and 304B under high temperature (usually 100°C or higher) and high pressure conditions. In order to carry out such heat and kneading under high temperature (usually 100°C or higher) and high pressure conditions, the front flight section 204A and heating section 204B of the barrel 202 are configured to withstand such high temperature and high pressure conditions, and a temperature control mechanism 602 is optionally arranged around them. The temperature control mechanism 602 is attached to part or all of the periphery of the flight section 202A and / or the kneading section 202B of the barrel 202, and is configured to adjust the temperature of the composition inside the barrel 202 (the space between the barrel 202 and the screw 302) in different parts by heating the barrel 202. On the other hand, the subsequent flight section 206A and kneading section 206B work in cooperation with the flight section 306A and kneading section 306B of the kneading screw 306 to transport the composition of beans and / or grains, etc., that has been heated at high temperature and pressure and supplied from the preceding heating section 204B and 304B, in the flight section 206A and 306A, and knead in the kneading section 206B and 306B. The functions and configurations of the flight section 206A and kneading section 206B of the barrel 202 are basically the same as those of the flight section 200A and kneading section 200B of the extruder barrel 200 in embodiment A. However, in order to rapidly reduce the pressure and temperature of the high-temperature, high-pressure composition of beans and / or grains supplied from the preceding heating sections 204B and 304B, a vent section 702 is optionally provided between the heating section 204B and the flight section 206A, and a temperature control mechanism 602 for adjusting the composition temperature is optionally arranged around part or all of the flight section 206A and / or kneading section 206B. With this configuration, the conveying of the composition in the flight section 206A and the kneading of the composition in the kneading section 206B are performed at relatively low temperatures (below 100°C).The lower limit is not particularly limited, but it is usually above 0°C, or 40°C or above, or 50°C or above, more preferably 60°C or above, or 70°C or above, or 80°C or above, especially 90°C or above) and carried out under low pressure. For example, when using a tandem screw, it is preferable to install a vent section 702 that acts as a temperature control mechanism (cooler) between the first heating section 204B and the second flight section 206A to lower the temperature of the composition, and to suppress the temperature drop of the composition by using the second temperature control mechanism 602 as a heater.

[0030] The feeder 402 of the extruder 102 in embodiment B is attached to the base of the barrel 202, similar to the feeder 400 of the extruder 100 in embodiment A, and is configured to supply raw materials such as beans and / or grains into the barrel 202 (the space between the barrel 202 and the tandem screw 302).

[0031] The die section 502 of the extruder 102 in embodiment B is attached to the leading end of the barrel 202, similar to the die section 500 of the extruder 100 in embodiment A, and is configured to allow the composition kneaded by the tandem screw 302 to be discharged from its flow path while being molded.

[0032] The heater 802 of the extruder 102 in embodiment B is attached to part or all of the periphery of the flight section 204A and heating section 204B of the barrel 202, and is configured to adjust the temperature of the composition in each part within the flight section 204A and heating section 204B of the barrel 202 (the space between the flight section 204A and heating section 204B and the flight section 304A and heating section 304B of the heating screw 304) by heating the flight section 204A and heating section 204B. As a result, after raw materials such as beans and / or grains are conveyed in the flight sections 204A and 304A, they are heat-treated in the heating sections 204B and 304B under high temperature (usually 100°C or higher, or 110°C or higher, or 120°C or higher; there is no particular upper limit, but it is usually less than 300°C or less than 200°C) and high pressure conditions. In particular, in the present invention, it is preferable that the temperature of the composition in the heating section 204B is above a predetermined temperature (specifically, the temperature of the composition in at least the majority of the kneading section is 100°C or higher, or 110°C or higher, or 120°C or higher; the upper limit is not particularly limited, but is usually less than 300°C or less than 200°C), and it is preferable that the range in which the temperature of the composition in the kneading section is above the predetermined temperature is above a certain level (specifically, it can be a range of, for example, 50% or more and 100% or less of the length of the kneading section, and more specifically, the lower limit is 50% or more, or 60% or more, or 70% or more, or 80% or more, or 90% or more, or 100%).

[0033] The vent section 702 of the extruder 102 in embodiment B is optionally installed between the heating section 204B and the flight section 206A of the barrel 202, and is used to forcibly exhaust beans and / or grains supplied from the preceding heating sections 204B and 304B. As a result, the pressure and temperature of the raw materials such as bean powder and / or grain powder, which have been subjected to high-temperature and high-pressure heat treatment at a composition temperature of 100°C or higher in the grinding sections 204B and 304B, are rapidly reduced, making it possible to carry out the processes from the subsequent conveying of the composition in the next flight sections 206A and 306A at relatively low temperatures (composition temperature below 100°C; the lower limit is not particularly limited, but is usually above 0°C, or 40°C or higher, or 50°C or higher, more preferably 60°C or higher, or 70°C or higher, or 80°C or higher, especially 90°C or higher) and low pressure.

[0034] The temperature control mechanism 602 of the extruder 102 in embodiment B is optionally attached to part or all of the periphery of the flight section 206A and the kneading section 206B, and is configured to adjust the temperature of the composition in the flight section 206A and the kneading section 206B of the barrel 202 (the space between the flight section 206A and the kneading section 206B and the flight section 306A and heating section 306B of the kneading screw 306) in each part by adjusting the temperature of the composition in the flight section 206A and the kneading section 206B to a predetermined range. As a result, the raw materials such as beans and / or grains after heating are transported in the flight sections 206A and 306A at a relatively low temperature (less than 100°C; the lower limit is not particularly limited but is usually above 0°C, or 40°C or above, or 50°C or above, more preferably 60°C or above, or 70°C or above, or 80°C or above, especially 90°C or above) and low pressure, and then kneaded in the kneading sections 206B and 306B at a relatively low temperature (less than 100°C; the lower limit is not particularly limited but is usually above 0°C, or 40°C or above, or 50°C or above, more preferably 60°C or above, or 70°C or above, or 80°C or above, especially 90°C or above) and low pressure.

[0035] When using the extruder 102 of embodiment B, each raw material of the composition, including beans and / or grains, before heat treatment, is fed from the feeder 402 on the base side into the barrel 202 (the space between the barrel 202 and the tandem screw 302), and the tandem screw 302 is rotated in a predetermined direction within the barrel 202. As a result, the raw materials such as beans and / or grains fed from the feeder 402 are driven from the base side to the tip side as the screw 300 rotates, and are conveyed in the flight sections 204A, 304A while optionally being heated by the heater 802. After that, they are heat-treated in the heating sections 204B, 304B under high temperature (usually 100°C or higher; there is no particular upper limit, but it is usually less than 300°C or less than 200°C) and high pressure conditions while being heated by the heater 802. Next, in a vent section 702 optionally provided between the heating section 204B and the flight section 206A, the pressure and temperature of the heat-treated raw materials such as beans and / or grains are rapidly reduced. Then, the heat-treated raw materials such as beans and / or grains are transported in the flight sections 206A and 306A at a relatively low temperature (less than 100°C; the lower limit is not particularly limited, but is usually above 0°C, or 40°C or above, or 50°C or above, more preferably 60°C or above, or 70°C or above, or 80°C or above, especially 90°C or above) and low pressure while the temperature of the composition is adjusted by an optionally installed temperature control device 602 so that the composition temperature is within a predetermined range. After that, the raw materials are kneaded in the kneading sections 206B and 306B at a relatively low temperature (less than 100°C; the lower limit is not particularly limited, but is usually above 0°C, or 40°C or above, or 50°C or above, more preferably 60°C or above, or 70°C or above, or 80°C or above, especially 90°C or above) and low pressure. The mixed composition is molded in the die section 500 and discharged from its flow path. At this time, it is preferable to use the temperature control device 602 installed around the flight section 206A as a cooler, as this allows the composition temperature to quickly drop below 100°C.Furthermore, when kneading is performed at a predetermined temperature or higher in the kneading section 206B (specifically, when the composition temperature is 40°C or higher, or 50°C or higher, more preferably 60°C or higher, or 70°C or higher, or 80°C or higher, particularly 90°C or higher in the majority of the kneading section 206B), it is preferable to use a heater for the temperature control device 602 installed in 206A or 206B to prevent a decrease in the composition temperature, and it is more preferable that at least the temperature control device 602 installed in 206A is a heater, and it is particularly preferable that the temperature control devices 602 installed in both 206A and 206B are heaters.

[0036] It should be noted again that the extruder 100 in embodiment A and the extruder 102 in embodiment B are merely examples of extruders of the present invention, and any extruder configuration can be used as long as it is capable of carrying out the manufacturing method of the present invention while satisfying the desired conditions described later. For example, when performing high-temperature and high-pressure heat treatment on beans and / or grains, which are the raw materials for the composition, prior to steps (i) to (iii) described later, an extruder 102 configured as a single unit may be used, employing a tandem screw 302 in which a heating screw and a kneading screw are connected in tandem, as in the extruder 102 in embodiment B shown in Figures 3 and 4. Alternatively, two independent extruders may be connected in tandem, the high-temperature and high-pressure heat treatment of beans and / or grains may be performed in the preceding extruder, and the treated beans and / or grains may be supplied directly to the subsequent extruder to carry out the manufacturing method of the present invention.

[0037] The configuration and operation of the extruder of the present invention will be described in more detail below.

[0038] (screw) As described above, the screw used in the extruder of the present invention is a long screw having a base-side starting point and a tip-side ending point, and the base-side starting point is connected to the rotating shaft of a motor and is configured to be rotationally driven.

[0039] The shape of the screw used in the extruder of the present invention is not limited, but it is preferably a flight screw or a screw based thereon. In this disclosure, "flight screw" means a screw having a structure in which a helical, mountain-shaped projection structure (flight) is formed on part or all of the circumferential surface of a substantially cylindrical base shaft, wherein the mountain-shaped projection structure defines the screw threads, and the parts other than the mountain-shaped projection structure relatively form a valley-shaped structure that defines the screw groove. Furthermore, the groove bottom may have an uneven shape, and specifically, the groove bottom of the flight may be a wave type with unevenness in the groove width direction. In addition, a sub-flight type shape with sub-flights in addition to the main flight can be adopted.

[0040] Specifically, the screw used in the present invention has at least a flight section and a kneading section, in order from the base side (motor side) to the tip side (opposite side). The flight section has a configuration in which a screw flight is formed.

[0041] The diameter (D) of the screw used in this invention is not limited, but can be in the range of, for example, 25 mm or more and 300 mm or less. More specifically, the value of the diameter (D) is usually 25 mm or more, preferably 30 mm or more, or 35 mm or more, or 40 mm or more, or 45 mm or more. There is no particular upper limit, but it is usually 300 mm or less, preferably 200 mm or less, or 150 mm or less. The diameter of the screw refers to the length of the longest line segment obtained by connecting any two points on the outer circumference of the screw in a virtual cross-section obtained by cutting the screw perpendicular to its axis of rotation, and represents the arithmetic mean of the measured value over the entire length of the screw, including the threads. In this invention, the mean value (sometimes simply referred to as the mean or arithmetic mean) refers to the arithmetic mean unless otherwise specified.

[0042] The total length (L) of the screw used in the present invention is not limited, but is generally 1000 mm or more, and more preferably 1100 mm or more, or 1200 mm or more, or 1300 mm or more, or 1400 mm or more. The upper limit is also not particularly limited, but is generally 5000 mm or less, and more preferably 4000 mm or less, or 3000 mm or less. In this specification, "total length of the screw" means the length of the portion of the screw corresponding to the section where the composition temperature inside the extruder remains continuously below 100°C (the lower limit is not particularly limited, but is generally above 0°C), unless otherwise specified. Therefore, if the internal temperature is adjusted to be below 100°C throughout and only each step of the manufacturing method of the present invention is carried out (for example, the extruder 100 of embodiment A shown in Figures 1 and 2), the total length of the extruder (in the case of Figures 1 and 2, the total length of the extruder 100) and the total length of the screw (in the case of Figures 1 and 2, the length of the screw 300, i.e., the total length of the flight section 300A and the kneading section 300B) will be roughly the same. However, if the processing is carried out at a high temperature of 100°C or higher in the preceding stage, the raw materials such as beans and / or grains are heated at high temperature and pressure, and the internal temperature is adjusted to be below 100°C in the subsequent stage, each step of the manufacturing method of the present invention will be carried out. In configurations that implement the method (for example, the extruder 102 of embodiment B shown in Figures 3 and 4, or when two independent extruders are connected in tandem), the screw length in the subsequent section where the internal temperature remains continuously below 100°C after the internal temperature has been adjusted to below 100°C (in the case of Figures 3 and 4, the length of the kneading screw 306 (i.e., the total length of the flight section 306A and the kneading section 306B), or in the case of two independent extruders connected in tandem, the total screw length of the extruder that implements each stage of the manufacturing method of the present invention in the subsequent section) corresponds to the "total screw length" in this specification. Here, "continuous" means that the composition temperature inside the extruder is below 100°C for 90% or more (more preferably 95% or more, and even more substantially 100% or 100%) of the total length of that section, and it is permissible for the composition temperature to be locally 100°C or higher in a part of that section.Of course, even if a screw feeder is used in the feeder, the screw is not continuous with the flight section of the extruder, so the length of the screw feeder is not included in the total length of the screw. Furthermore, in this specification, the "length" of the screw, flight section, and kneading section means the length in the extrusion direction unless otherwise specified.

[0043] The L / D ratio of the screw used in the present invention is not limited, but can be in the range of 5 to 50, for example. More specifically, the L / D ratio is usually preferably 5 or higher, and more preferably 6 or higher, or 7 or higher, or 8 or higher. Setting the L / D ratio of the screw to be above the lower limit tends to improve the powderiness when consumed while stably producing a composition with a smooth surface. On the other hand, there is no particular upper limit for the L / D ratio of the screw, but it is usually preferably 50 or lower, and more preferably 30 or lower, or 26 or lower, or 24 or lower, or 22 or lower, or 20 or lower, or 18 or lower. In particular, using a screw with an L / D ratio within such a preferred range is more preferable because it increases productivity. In this disclosure, the "L / D ratio" of a screw is defined as the ratio of the total length of the screw (i.e., the length of the portion corresponding to the section in the extruder where the composition temperature is continuously below 100°C) (L) to the diameter of the screw (D).

[0044] (Flight Department) In the screw used in the present invention, the flight section refers to a region located on the base side relative to the kneading section, where screw flights are formed on the circumferential surface. In the manufacturing method of the present invention, the flight section has the function of transporting the composition toward the tip side as the screw rotates, while increasing the pressure in the kneading section. In the present invention, a flight structure in which the composition is transported toward the tip side as the screw rotates may be called a "forward flight," and a flight structure in which the composition is transported toward the base side may be called a "reverse flight." Furthermore, within the flight section, the region where forward flights are provided may be called a "forward flight section," and the region where reverse flights are provided may be called a "reverse flight section."

[0045] In this invention, a screw is used in which the length of the flight portion accounts for a certain proportion or more of the total length of the screw. Specifically, the ratio of the length of the flight portion to the total length of the screw has a lower limit, for example, usually 50% or more, and an upper limit, although not limited, can be in the range of less than 100%. More specifically, the lower limit is usually 50% or more, and more preferably 55% or more, or 60% or more, or 65% or more. By setting the ratio of the length of the flight portion to the total length of the screw to the above lower limit or more, the pressure during subsequent kneading is stabilized, and sufficient destruction of the starch granule structure in the composition becomes possible even without kneading at high temperatures, promoting the integration of the starch matrix, and consequently, it is preferable to obtain a composition that is less prone to cracking (cracks occurring inside the composition) even after a certain period of time (for example, 3 days or more, or 10 days or more, or even 30 days or more) has passed during storage at room temperature (in this invention, unless otherwise specified, this refers to 20°C). On the other hand, while there is no upper limit to the ratio of the flight section length to the total length of the screw, it is generally preferable to set it to less than 100%, or 99% or less, or 98% or less, or 95% or less, or 90% or less, in consideration of other parts.

[0046] Furthermore, the flight portion in this invention may be positioned at any position relative to the total length of the screw, and a part of it may be positioned in the middle of the kneading portion or towards the screw tip. However, from the viewpoint of increasing the pressure during kneading, it is preferable that a certain percentage or more of the flight portion is positioned in front of the majority of the kneading portion. Specifically, it is preferable that the total length of the flight portion positioned in front of the majority of the kneading portion (specifically, 50% or more, or 75% or more, or 90% or more, or 100%) (towards the base) is a certain percentage or more of the total length of the flight portion, as this increases the pressure of pressing the dough and stabilizes the pressure in the kneading portion. Specifically, there is no particular lower limit, but the total length of the flight portion positioned in front of the majority of the kneading portion can be in the range of, for example, 50% to 100% of the total length of the flight portion. More specifically, the lower limit may usually be 50% or more, or 60% or more, or 70% or more, or 80% or more, or 90% or more. Also, there is no particular upper limit, but it can usually be 100% or 100% or less. Furthermore, the flight unit used in the transport stage described later in (ii) may be configured to satisfy the above requirements.

[0047] (Mixing section) In the screw used in the present invention, the configuration of the mixing section is not limited and refers to known mixing structures (specific examples include Maddock mixing section, Eagan mixing section, Blisterling mixing section, Pin mixing section, Dalmege mixing section, Saxon mixing section, Pineapple-shaped mixing section, grooved screw mixing section (described later), cavity-moving mixing section, or combinations thereof).

[0048] Furthermore, one or more narrow structures (structures that obstruct the flow of dough on the screw and create an extension flow) that obstruct the flow of dough may be provided on the screw. In this invention, a "narrow structure" is a structure that substantially divides the space between the screw and the inner wall of the barrel into a base side and a tip side space by the structure, and when dough fills the divided base side space, the internal pressure of the dough increases by a predetermined percentage or more, thereby creating an extension flow in the dough passing through the narrow structure. Examples of narrow structures include a relatively raised structure (sometimes called a convex structure) on the screw surface, a structure that relatively reduces the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path from the base side to the tip side in any flow path, and a combination of these. As for the convex structure, it is preferable that, for example, a convex structure is provided on the screw surface in the dough flow path of the kneading section, extending to near the inner wall of the barrel (specifically, 80% or more of the distance from the center of the screw to the inner wall of the barrel), thereby substantially dividing the space between the screw and the inner wall of the barrel into a space at the base and a space at the tip by the convex structure. Furthermore, it is preferable that two or more narrow structures are arranged substantially in series, as this generates a complex extension flow and enhances the effects of the present invention. Specifically, the number of narrow structures arranged substantially in series is usually one or more, or two or more, or three or more, or four or more, or five or more, or ten or more. There is no particular upper limit, but it is usually 50 or less. Furthermore, when two or more narrow structures are arranged substantially in series, it is preferable that one or more convex structures are included. Furthermore, in the screw used in the present invention, the kneading section has the function of interrupting the flow of the composition and kneading it in such a way that the starch granules can be damaged by high-temperature, strong kneading under pressurized conditions by heating the composition using a heater.

[0049] The shape of the kneading section is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that a dalmage screw structure or barrier-type screw structure with numerous grooves is not formed on the circumferential surface of the kneading section, or if it is formed, the proportion of the area of ​​such a structure is limited. Specifically, it is preferable that the ratio of the length of the area in which the dalmage screw structure or barrier-type screw structure is formed to the total length of the kneading section is usually 10% or less, more preferably 5% or less, and especially preferably substantially 0% (i.e., not having such a shape).

[0050] In this invention, a screw is used in which the length of the kneading section accounts for a certain percentage of the total length of the screw. Specifically, the upper limit of the ratio of the length of the kneading section to the total length of the screw is, for example, less than 50%, and the lower limit is not restricted, but is preferably, for example, usually greater than 0%. More specifically, the lower limit is usually less than 50%, and more preferably 45% or less, or 40% or less. Setting this ratio to less than or equal to the upper limit allows the length ratio of the flight section to be relatively increased, and thereby the aforementioned advantages due to the extended transport time in the flight section are obtained, which is preferable. On the other hand, the lower limit of the ratio of the length of the kneading section to the total length of the screw is usually greater than 0%, or 1% or more, or 2% or more, or 4% or more, or 6% or more, or 8% or more, or 10% or more. Setting this ratio to or greater than the lower limit allows for sufficient kneading of the composition and stabilizes the pressure during kneading, which is preferable.

[0051] Furthermore, in the present invention, a separate part of limited length (for example, a second flight section) may be interposed between the kneading section and the tip end of the screw in the range where the kneading pressure in step (iii) described later is above a predetermined value, but it is preferable that the kneading section is located adjacent to the tip end of the screw.

[0052] (barrel) The barrel is a cylindrical structure that surrounds the outer circumference of the screw. The structure of the barrel used in the present invention is not limited, but a barrel in which the inner diameter of the inlet and the inner diameter of the outlet are approximately the same (more preferably the same) is preferable to a tapered barrel in which the inner diameter decreases as the direction of extrusion, because it is easier to clean and produces a product of a quality suitable for food manufacturing.

[0053] Furthermore, in conventional methods that perform high-temperature processing at temperatures above 100°C, using a barrel with a grooved structure on its inner wall makes charring more likely. However, in the present invention, since the composition is processed at temperatures below 100°C, charring of the composition is less likely to occur, and a barrel with a grooved structure on its inner wall can be used, which is preferable. Specifically, the ratio of the barrel groove structure length to the total length of the barrel can be, for example, in the range of more than 30% and 100% or less. More specifically, the ratio of the barrel groove structure length to the total length of the barrel is usually more than 30%, and more preferably more than 35%, 40%, 45%, or 50%. In particular, the ratio of the barrel groove structure length to the total length of the kneading section of the barrel is usually more than 30%, and more preferably more than 35%, 40%, 45%, or 50%. There are no particular upper limits to these, but they are usually 100% or less.

[0054] Furthermore, it is preferable to employ a screw structure with grooves as the mixing section of the screw, and more preferably to employ a screw structure with grooves in which a part of the forward flight section is missing. When employing a screw structure with grooves, it is preferable that the shape of the deformed and / or missing part of the forward flight section in the structure forms a passage-like structure that connects the forward flight section. It is desirable that the cross-section of such a passage-like structure has a U-shape or a V-shape. In addition, it is preferable that the angle formed by the passage-like structure connecting the forward flight section with respect to the rotation axis of the screw (average communication angle) is smaller than the angle formed by the curve connecting the thread vertices of the forward flight structure with respect to the rotation axis of the screw (helical angle), that is, that the passage-like structure connecting the forward flight section is formed at an angle that is closer to parallel (with respect to the rotation axis of the screw) than the helical angle. Specifically, the "helical angle" of the forward flight structure means the arithmetic mean of the acute angles formed by the direction connecting the thread vertices on the screw surface and the rotation axis direction of the screw. The helical angle of such a forward flight structure can be determined, for example, by measuring the angle between the forward flight structure on the screw surface and the axis of rotation every 30° rotation of the screw around the axis of rotation, and calculating the arithmetic mean from all measured values ​​when the screw is rotated 360°. The "average communication angle" of the passage-like structure can be determined as the arithmetic mean of the acute angles formed by the direction connecting the deepest parts of the passage-like structure and the axis of rotation. In particular, it is preferable that the passage-like structure connecting the forward flight section is connected to the forward flight structure at an oblique direction (i.e., at an angle closer to parallel with the axis of rotation of the screw), and more specifically, it is preferable that the passage-like structure is usually 20% or more of the helical angle, more preferably 30% or more, and usually 80% or less, more preferably 70% or less. Furthermore, it is particularly preferable that the ratio of the total length of the deformed and / or missing parts to the total length of the ridges of the forward flight in the grooved screw structure is 50% or less.

[0055] (Flow delay structure) Furthermore, in the present invention, it is preferable that the kneading section has a flow-delaying structure. The reason for this is that by adopting a structure that increases the flow distance of the contents, such as the grooved screw structure described above, the kneading process is carried out sufficiently, resulting in a structure in which the starch in the composition becomes homogenized, and it is thought that the quality will be such that components inside the composition are less likely to leak out after heating. In the present invention, a "flow-delaying structure" is a structure that makes the flow speed of the contents in the kneading section relatively lower than the flow speed of the contents in the flight section immediately before the kneading section. For example, a structure can be adopted that reduces the flow rate by relatively increasing the screw groove depth or pitch width in the flow delay structure, or by relatively increasing the barrel inner diameter near the flow delay structure compared to the preceding area, or by adopting a structure as a flow delay structure in which a hole is made in a part of the forward flight part of the flight structure formation area, or a part of the forward flight part is missing or deformed (sometimes called a grooved screw structure), thereby reducing the flow rate generated by the screw rotation compared to the forward flight structure and lowering the flow rate. However, adopting a grooved screw structure as the flow delay structure is preferable because it combines the kneading function and the flow delay structure function. Furthermore, the entire kneading section may be made a flow delay structure by arranging the flow delay structure as part of the kneading section, and more specifically, the flow delay structure may be arranged adjacent to a known kneading structure near the tip end point or near the base start point of the kneading structure.

[0056] The flow delay ratio in the flow delay structure (i.e., the ratio of the flow flow rate in the flow delay structure to the flow flow rate in the flight section) can be, for example, in the range of 10% or more and less than 100%. More specifically, it should be less than 100%, but is usually 97% or less, and more preferably 95% or less, even more preferably 93% or less, or 90% or less. The lower limit is not particularly limited, but is usually 10% or more, or 20% or more. It is particularly preferable that the flow delay ratio in the kneading section be this ratio, as it results in a structure that combines both kneading function and flow delay structure function.

[0057] (feeder) The feeder is attached to the front half of the barrel's flight section and is configured to allow the food material to be kneaded to be introduced into the barrel (the space between the barrel and the screw) through this feeder. The feeder is not particularly limited, but it may be a forced extrusion type with a screw or the like inside to forcibly discharge the composition raw materials, or a gravity-feed type that supplies the composition raw materials by gravity.

[0058] (Dai section) The die section is a mold attached to the leading end of the barrel in the extrusion direction for continuously shaping the composition at the extrusion outlet, and typically has one or more (the upper limit is not particularly limited, but is usually 1000 or less) flow channels that penetrate from the inside to the outside of the barrel. The structure and shape of the flow channel cross-section of the die section used in the present invention are not particularly limited and are arbitrary. For example, round, square, triangular, star, elliptical, crescent, half-moon, cross, swastika, or combinations thereof (for example, a Celtic cross-shaped die hole that combines a Greek cross shape with a circle whose center point is placed at the intersection of the cross shape, and a circle, where the radius of the circle is 3 / 4 or less of the distance from the center point to the tip of the cross shape), and any of these may be used. For example, a composition with a circular cross-sectional shape will become a cylindrical composition after extrusion, a composition with a square (especially square) cross-sectional shape will become a rectangular prism-shaped composition after extrusion, and a composition with any other cross-sectional shape will become a columnar composition with that shape as its base after extrusion.

[0059] However, it is preferable that the die portion used in the present invention has an average degree of unevenness in each channel cross-section when the die portion is cut perpendicular to the extrusion direction, which is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Here, the degree of unevenness in the channel cross-section is a value that represents the degree of unevenness in the shape of the channel cross-section (corresponding to the outer edge of the cavity) on a virtual cross-section when the die portion is cut perpendicular to the extrusion direction, and is calculated by {(length of the perimeter when connecting the vertices of the convex parts with an angle of less than 180 degrees in the channel cross-section with the shortest distance) / (profile length of the channel cross-section)}, and the value of the degree of unevenness in the cross-section is smaller for cross-sections with greater unevenness. When measuring the average degree of unevenness, for example, multiple perpendicular cross-sections of the die portion with respect to the rotation axis can be assumed at 1 mm intervals along the rotation axis of the screw, the degree of unevenness in the channel at each perpendicular cross-section can be measured, and the average degree of unevenness in each channel cross-section can be calculated by calculating the arithmetic mean of the obtained values.

[0060] Specifically, the degree of unevenness of the flow channel cross-section of the die can be in the range of, for example, 0.1 to 1.0 from the viewpoint of industrial productivity. More specifically, the degree of unevenness is usually 0.1 or higher, and more preferably 0.2 or higher, or 0.3 or higher. More specifically, a cross shape or a modified shape thereof can be adopted as the shape of the flow channel cross-section. Furthermore, since the aging treatment proceeds smoothly when the degree of unevenness is below a predetermined value, there is no particular upper limit, but it is usually preferably 1.0 or lower, or 0.9 or lower, or 0.8 or lower, or 0.7 or lower.

[0061] Furthermore, it is preferable that the average circularity of the channel cross-section of the die portion used in the present invention is less than or equal to a predetermined value. Here, circularity is a value that decreases as the shape of the channel cross-section deviates from a perfect circle, and is calculated by {(perimeter of a perfect circle having an area equal to the area of ​​the channel cross-section) / (profile length of the channel cross-section)}, with a smaller value being obtained for cross-sections with more complex shapes.

[0062] The direction of extrusion of the composition in the die section is not particularly limited and can be arbitrary. For example, it may be horizontal, vertical, or in an intermediate direction.

[0063] (Vent section / forced exhaust mechanism) The extruder used in the present invention may further have a vent section for exhaust. The vent section may be structured to reduce the pressure inside the barrel to atmospheric pressure by being opened to atmospheric pressure, or it may be a mechanism that has a forced exhaust mechanism in the vent section.

[0064] Furthermore, the extruder used in the present invention may also have a forced exhaust mechanism. When a forced exhaust mechanism is provided, its position is not limited as long as it is before extrusion by the die, and it can be provided at any stage. For forced exhaust, a known vacuum pump or the like can be used, but for example, a liquid-sealed pump (water-sealed pump) can be used. Any mechanism can be used for forced exhaust (e.g., a vacuum pump) as long as it has the capacity to remove gas from the composition or raw materials and reduce the number of air bubbles contained in the starch matrix in the dough. For example, the suction capacity (sometimes called suction pressure or suction gas pressure) can be in the range of 0.04 MPa to 1 MPa. More specifically, a mechanism that forces exhaust at 0.04 MPa or higher can be used. Among these, 0.06 MPa or higher, or 0.08 MPa or higher is preferred. There is no particular upper limit, but since using a pump that is too powerful may suck in the dough, it is usually preferable to have a pressure of 1 MPa or less, or 0.1 MPa or less, or 0.09 MPa or less. Furthermore, in an extruder used to manufacture expanded material, it is necessary in principle to extrude the material while maintaining an internal pressure at least above atmospheric pressure and a composition temperature of 100°C or higher. Therefore, it is difficult to adopt a configuration like that of the present invention.

[0065] In the present invention, when using an extruder having a vent section and / or a forced exhaust mechanism, the location of the vent section and / or forced exhaust mechanism is not limited as long as proper exhaust is possible, and it can be provided at any part before extrusion by the die section. Specifically, forced exhaust may be performed in advance by the forced exhaust mechanism before raw material input, or forced exhaust may be performed when the composition material is supplied by providing a forced exhaust mechanism in the feed section. Alternatively, by using an extruder with a vent section at any position in the barrel, for example, in the middle of the flight section, between the flight section and the kneading section, in the middle of the kneading section, or immediately after the kneading section, it becomes possible to exhaust the inside of the barrel at stages such as during the transport of the composition in the flight section, immediately after the transport of the composition by the flight section and immediately before the composition is kneaded by the kneading section, during the kneading of the composition by the kneading section, or immediately after the composition is kneaded by the kneading section and immediately before the composition is extruded by the die section. Since the pressure in the mixing section is reduced, it is preferable to install a forced exhaust mechanism before the mixing section, even more preferable to install a forced exhaust mechanism before the flight section, and particularly preferable to install a forced exhaust mechanism before the feed section or before raw material input to perform forced exhaust.

[0066] (Temperature control mechanism (heater / cooler)) In the present invention, a temperature control mechanism (heater and / or cooler) may be provided in part or all of the barrel to adjust the temperature inside the barrel. For example, a heater (heating equipment) may be provided around the barrel to heat the barrel and adjust the temperature inside the barrel (the space between the barrel and the screw). The configuration and arrangement of the heater are not limited, but as an example, if the internal temperature is adjusted to be below 100°C throughout (the lower limit is not particularly limited, but is usually above 0°C, or 40°C or above, or 50°C or above, more preferably 60°C or above, or 70°C or above, or 80°C or above, particularly 90°C or above) and only each step of the manufacturing method of the present invention is carried out (for example, the extruder 100 of embodiment A shown in Figures 1 and 2 above), then the barrel may be heated in parts by heaters provided in part or all of the barrel, so that the temperature of the composition in the space between the barrel and the screw can be adjusted to a desired temperature of a relatively low temperature (below 100°C) in each part. This makes it possible to transport raw materials such as beans and / or grains in the flight section at a desired temperature of relatively low temperature (less than 100°C, the lower limit is not particularly limited but is usually above 0°C, or 40°C or above, or 50°C or above, more preferably 60°C or above, or 70°C or above, or 80°C or above, especially 90°C or above) and then knead them in the kneading section at a desired temperature of relatively low temperature (less than 100°C, the lower limit is not particularly limited but is usually above 0°C, or 40°C or above, or 50°C or above, more preferably 60°C or above, or 70°C or above, or 80°C or above, especially 90°C or above). In such a configuration example, it is preferable that the heater is configured and arranged to heat the flight section and the kneading section of the barrel individually and adjust them to a predetermined temperature, and it is preferable that the heater is configured and arranged to heat multiple regions along the axial direction of each of the flight section and the kneading section of the barrel individually and adjust them to a predetermined temperature.

[0067] Another example of providing a heater is a configuration in which raw materials such as beans and / or grains are heated at high temperature and pressure by processing them at a high temperature of 100°C or higher in the upstream stage of the extruder, and then the internal temperature is adjusted to below 100°C in the downstream stage to carry out each step of the manufacturing method of the present invention (for example, the extruder 102 of embodiment B shown in Figures 3 and 4, or when two independent extruders are connected in tandem). In the region where the raw materials such as beans and / or grains are heated at high temperature and pressure in the upstream stage, the barrel can be heated in different parts by heaters provided in part or all of the barrel, thereby adjusting the temperature of the composition in the space between the barrel and the screw to a desired temperature including high temperature (100°C or higher) in each part. This makes it possible to heat-treat raw materials such as beans and / or grains at a desired high temperature (100°C or higher) in the upstream stage of the extruder, then transport them at a relatively low temperature (below 100°C, with no particular upper limit but usually below 300°C or below 200°C) in the downstream flight section, and then knead them at a relatively low temperature (below 100°C, with no particular lower limit but usually above 0°C, or above 40°C, or above 50°C, more preferably above 60°C, or above 70°C, or above 80°C, especially above 90°C) in the kneading section. In such a configuration example, it is preferable that the heater is configured and arranged to heat the flight section and kneading section of the barrel individually and adjust them to a predetermined temperature, and it is preferable that the heater is configured and arranged to heat multiple regions along the axial direction of each of the flight section and kneading section of the barrel individually and adjust them to a predetermined temperature.

[0068] Furthermore, in configurations such as the latter, where the raw materials, such as beans and / or grains, are pre-treated at high temperatures of 100°C or higher (the upper limit is not particularly limited, but is usually less than 300°C or less than 200°C) in the upstream stage of the extruder, thereby performing high-temperature, high-pressure heat treatment, and then the internal temperature is adjusted to less than 100°C in the downstream stage to carry out each step of the manufacturing method of the present invention (for example, the extruder 102 of embodiment B shown in Figures 3 and 4, or when two independent extruders are connected in tandem), a cooler (cooling equipment) may be provided in part or all of the downstream barrel to cool the barrel, and the temperature of the composition in the space between the barrel and the screw may be adjusted to a desired temperature that is relatively low (less than 100°C, the lower limit is not particularly limited, but is usually above 0°C) in each part. This allows the composition, such as heat-treated bean powder supplied from the upstream of the extruder, to be rapidly cooled downstream of the extruder, transported at a relatively low temperature (below 100°C) in the downstream flight section, and kneaded at a relatively low temperature (below 100°C) in the kneading section. Alternatively, a vent section or forced exhaust mechanism (vacuum device) that acts as a temperature control mechanism (cooler) may be provided in the barrel after kneading at a high temperature of 100°C or higher, allowing the composition to be opened to atmospheric pressure or negative pressure, thereby rapidly cooling the composition to below 100°C (the lower limit is not particularly limited, but is usually above 0°C) using the heat of vaporization. Furthermore, when using a composition that has been heated to 100°C or higher, a cooler (e.g., a vent) can be installed near the starting point on the base side of the flight section to quickly adjust the composition temperature to below 100°C (the lower limit is not particularly limited, but is usually above 0°C). After that, a heater can be installed in the subsequent flight section (and even the kneading section) to maintain the composition temperature within a certain range (e.g., above 50°C but below 100°C, or above 70°C but below 100°C).

[0069] Various heaters and coolers for extruders are well known to those skilled in the art. Examples of heaters include a jacket system in which heaters such as electric heating wires or steam pipes are installed on the barrel circumferential surface corresponding to the heater installation area described above to act indirectly, and a steam heating system in which heated steam or the like is blown into the composition inside the barrel to act directly. However, from the viewpoint of maintaining the matrix structure in the composition, an indirect method (such as the jacket system) is preferred. Furthermore, when adopting the jacket system, it is preferable to use electric heating wires that allow for quick temperature adjustment and are advantageous for matrix structure formation. Furthermore, examples of coolers include a jacket system that indirectly applies a cooler, such as a cooling water pipe, to the barrel circumferential surface corresponding to the cooler installation area mentioned above; a system that directly applies gas or liquid to the composition inside the barrel or die channel, or to the composition extruded from the die (such as a system that introduces liquid water, a system that introduces mist of water, a system that introduces air at room temperature, a system that introduces cooled air, or a system that introduces an inert gas such as liquid nitrogen); and a system that cools the composition by opening it to atmospheric pressure or negative pressure through a vent or the like and utilizing the heat of vaporization. However, from the viewpoint of maintaining the matrix structure in the composition, an indirect system (such as the jacket system) is preferred. In addition, when adopting the jacket system, it is preferable to use cooling water pipes that allow for rapid temperature adjustment and are advantageous for matrix structure formation.

[0070] The heating capacity and temperature of these optionally provided heaters, and the cooling capacity and temperature of the coolers, are not limited and should be set and adjusted as appropriate so that the desired extruder configuration and the target temperature of the composition in each desired process (each stage of the manufacturing method of the present invention, and optionally the preceding heat treatment of raw materials such as beans and / or grains under high temperature and pressure) can be achieved. The target temperatures in each of these processes will be described later.

[0071] [II. Starch-containing solid composition for cooking] The composition and properties of the starch-containing solid composition for cooking produced by the manufacturing method of the present invention are as follows.

[0072] (1) Summary of composition: • Definition of terms: In the present invention, "heat cooking" generally refers to a cooking method that raises the temperature of food by applying heat directly using fire or microwaves, or indirectly through a medium such as water or air. Generally, it refers to cooking at a heating temperature of about 70°C or higher, typically around 80°C to 180°C, for a period of time of, for example, 1 minute to 60 minutes. Examples of such heat cooking methods include grilling, boiling, stir-frying, and steaming, but the composition in the present invention has the characteristic of not easily losing its shape when heated in a liquid. In the present invention, it is preferable that the heat cooking is performed in a liquid mainly composed of water (majority water content) (for example, heating in water at 90°C or more and optionally 120°C for a period of 1 minute to 60 minutes before consumption), and furthermore, it is particularly preferable that the composition of the present invention is a liquid-heat cooking composition that is consumed after being heated in a liquid.

[0073] Furthermore, in this invention, "solid form" means that the starch supporting structure has a strong continuous structure and possesses shape-retaining properties such that it can maintain its shape even when heated (especially when heated in water at 90°C for 1 minute). The properties may be such that the ingredients are partially or completely integrated with water, and it may be a sol-like composition, a gel-like composition, or a solid composition. It may also be a composition having plastic properties like fresh pasta, or a dried composition having non-plastic properties like dried pasta.

[0074] The solid composition of the present invention may also be a solid paste composition. In the present invention, "paste composition" refers to a food composition made by kneading ingredients derived from edible plants, and is a concept that includes processed foods and pasta (including those that do not use wheat as a raw material).

[0075] • Characteristics of the composition: The composition obtained by the manufacturing method of the present invention can be easily manufactured using general-purpose equipment without the need for special manufacturing equipment that can withstand high temperatures and pressures. Moreover, it is characterized by its resistance to cracking and leakage of internal components after heating, even after a certain period of time has passed during storage at room temperature. In this invention, room temperature refers to 20°C unless otherwise specified.

[0076] Conventional solid compositions containing starch for cooking have the problem that, when stored at room temperature for an extended period, cracks tend to form inside the composition, and components inside the composition tend to leak out after cooking.

[0077] In response to this, the present inventors have developed a method for producing a starch-containing solid composition for cooking that is less prone to shape collapse during cooking by processing a raw material containing finely ground beans under high temperature and high pressure conditions (Patent Document 1). However, this method requires the composition to be kneaded vigorously under high temperature conditions of 100°C or higher. In order to prevent swelling due to water vapor in the dough composition during such high-temperature vigorous kneading, special manufacturing equipment with high airtightness and the ability to withstand not only high temperature but also high pressure conditions is required, and there was room for improvement.

[0078] In contrast, the manufacturing method of the present invention, described later, can be easily implemented using general-purpose equipment without the need for special manufacturing equipment resistant to high temperatures and pressures. Despite this, it is possible to produce a solid composition that is less prone to cracking during storage at room temperature and less likely to leak out of its internal components after cooking. The reason for this is not entirely clear, but it is presumed to be as follows: By using raw materials that have been pre-treated at high temperatures, the processing temperature in subsequent processes can be suppressed. Furthermore, by placing the kneading section near the die at the tip where the pressure in the extruder increases, the matrix formation of starch in the raw materials is promoted, resulting in a desirable quality that is less prone to cracking during storage at room temperature and less likely to leak out of its internal components after cooking.

[0079] • Forms of composition: The compositions of the present invention have properties that suppress the elution of components in water, and therefore are preferably used for cooking in liquid (especially water), which is a cooking environment in which components tend to elute. For example, if the starch-containing solid composition for cooking is a noodle or pasta noodle strip composition, it is preferable that it be a noodle or pasta noodle strip composition because it has properties that allow it to maintain an edible shape even after being cooked in water for consumption (for example, in water at 90°C or higher for 5 minutes or more).

[0080] Examples of compositions of the present invention, though not limited to these, include pasta, Chinese noodles, udon, Inaniwa udon, kishimen, hoto, suito, hiyamugi, somen, soba, sobagaki, rice vermicelli, pho, cold noodle noodles, glass noodles, oatmeal, couscous, kiritanpo, tteok, gyoza wrappers, and the like.

[0081] Examples of pasta include long pasta and short pasta.

[0082] Long pasta is generally a general term for thin, elongated pasta, but in this invention, it is a concept that also includes udon and soba noodles. Specific examples, though not limited to these, include spaghetti (diameter: 1.6mm-1.7mm), spaghettini (diameter: 1.4mm-1.5mm), vermicelli (diameter: 2.0mm-2.2mm), cappellini (diameter: 0.8mm-1.0mm), linguine (short diameter about 1mm, long diameter about 3mm), tagliatelle or fettuccine (flat noodles about 7mm-8mm wide), and pappardelle (flat noodles about 10mm-30mm wide). Long pasta tends to lose its shape easily when heated, so using the composition of this invention is useful and preferable.

[0083] Short pasta is generally a general term for short pasta, but in this invention, it is a concept that also includes fregola (granular pasta) and couscous, which have been further processed into smaller sizes after shaping. Specific examples, though not limited to these, include macaroni (cylindrical with a diameter of approximately 3mm to 5mm), penne (cylindrical with both ends cut diagonally like a pen tip), farfalle (butterfly-shaped), conchiglie (shell-shaped), and orecchiette (dome-shaped with an ear-like form).

[0084] • Composition in dry state: When the composition of the present invention is a dry composition with a dry moisture content of less than 25% by mass, the dry composition is prone to cracking during storage at room temperature. Therefore, it is preferable that the composition of the present invention be a dry composition, as this makes the present invention more useful. In particular, it is preferable to dry the composition while performing the water retention treatment described later, as this makes it less likely for cracks to form inside the composition even after a certain period of time (e.g., 3 days or more) has passed during storage at room temperature, and also makes it less likely for components inside the composition to leak out after cooking.

[0085] In this invention, the term "dry" refers to a state in which the moisture content by dry weight is less than 25%. The moisture content by dry weight in a starch-containing solid composition can be measured by the reduced-pressure heating drying method described later.

[0086] • Long, slender, molded compositions: The composition of the present invention can be a composition that is particularly elongated, such as long pasta, among conventional starch-containing solid compositions for cooking.

[0087] The composition of the present invention in such an elongated form is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, in the range of 0.1 mm to 20 mm. More specifically, the upper limit is usually 20 mm or less, preferably 10 mm or less, more preferably 5 mm or less, even more preferably 3 mm or less, and even more preferably 2 mm or less in diameter. The lower limit is not particularly limited, but can usually be 0.1 mm or more, or 0.3 mm or more. The "diameter" of the starch-containing solid composition refers to the major axis of the cross-section (the maximum length of the line segment connecting any two points in the cross-section) when the starch-containing solid composition is cut perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Here, if the cross-section is circular (sometimes described as circular or circular), its diameter; if it is elliptical (sometimes described as elliptical or elliptical), its major axis; and if it is rectangular (for example, in the case of a composition molded into a plate), its diagonal, each of which corresponds to the "diameter" of the starch-containing solid composition.

[0088] (2) Composition of the composition: The composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to include at least one type of edible plant. The type of edible plant is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to include at least one type of dried edible plant, i.e., an edible plant having a dry weight moisture content of less than 25%, preferably less than 20%, more preferably less than 15%, with no particular lower limit but usually 0% by mass or more, and a water activity value of 0.85 or less, preferably 0.80 or less, more preferably 0.75 or less, with no particular lower limit but usually 0.10 or more. Furthermore, it is preferable to use finely ground or powdered edible plants. Furthermore, it is preferable to include at least one type of legume and / or cereal as specific edible plants. The case in which legumes and / or cereals are used as raw materials will be described in detail later. However, the composition of the present invention is not limited thereto, and edible plants other than legumes or cereals, or other raw materials may be used in combination as long as the various characteristics described later are satisfied. Details of the legumes and / or grains and edible plants that serve as raw materials for the composition of the present invention will be described separately.

[0089] • Dietary fiber: The composition of the present invention contains dietary fiber (particularly, preferably insoluble dietary fiber). In the present invention, "dietary fiber" refers to indigestible components in food that are not digested by human digestive enzymes. Specifically, "insoluble dietary fiber" refers to fiber that is insoluble in water, and "soluble dietary fiber" refers to fiber that is soluble in water. The "dietary fiber content" (the sum of soluble and insoluble dietary fiber content, or "total dietary fiber"), "soluble dietary fiber," and "insoluble dietary fiber" are measured using the Prosky modified method in accordance with the Japanese Food Standard Composition Table 2015 (7th Revised Edition). The composition of the present invention is useful because, even with a high content of dietary fiber (especially insoluble dietary fiber), it does not result in a dry, crumbly texture. The reason for this is not clear, but it is possible that the high temperature, high pressure, and high kneading process causes the dietary fiber in the composition to interact with starch and protein to form a network structure, thereby improving the texture of the dietary fiber (especially insoluble dietary fiber).

[0090] The dietary fiber content in the composition of the present invention (particularly, preferably insoluble dietary fiber content, although not limited thereto) can be in the range of 2.0% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less on a dry mass basis. More specifically, the lower limit is preferably 2.0% by mass or more on a dry mass basis. In particular, it is preferable that it be 3% by mass or more, or 4% by mass or more, or 5% by mass or more, or 6% by mass or more, or 7% by mass or more, or 8% by mass or more, or 9% by mass or more, and especially 10% by mass or more. Furthermore, by setting the content of insoluble dietary fiber, in particular, to be above the above range, the composition of the present invention tends to have a structure in which insoluble dietary fiber is homogeneously dispersed in appropriate sizes within the matrix-like starch, and the shape collapse during cooking is improved. Here, in this invention, "dry mass" refers to the mass of the remainder obtained by subtracting the moisture content (moisture content based on dry weight) calculated from the "moisture content (moisture content based on dry weight)" below from the total mass of the composition, and "dry mass equivalent" refers to the content ratio of each component, calculated with the dry mass of the composition as the denominator and the content of each component or target substance as the numerator. Furthermore, there is no particular upper limit to the content, but from the viewpoint of industrial production efficiency, it is generally preferable that the dry mass equivalent is 50% by mass or less, more preferably 40% by mass or less, or 30% by mass or less.

[0091] Furthermore, it is preferable that the above provisions regarding dietary fiber also satisfy soluble dietary fiber and / or insoluble dietary fiber. That is, the content of soluble dietary fiber and / or insoluble dietary fiber in the composition of the present invention can be in the range of, for example, 2.0% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less on a dry mass basis, and more specifically, the lower limit is usually 2.0% by mass or more, more preferably 3% by mass or more, or 4% by mass or more, or 5% by mass or more, or 6% by mass or more, or 7% by mass or more, or 8% by mass or more, or 9% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 10% by mass or more. The upper limit is not particularly limited, but on a dry mass basis it can usually be 50% by mass or less, more preferably 40% by mass or less, or 30% by mass or less.

[0092] The origin of the dietary fiber (particularly, preferably insoluble dietary fiber) contained in the composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, and may be derived from various natural materials containing the component, or it may be synthesized. When derived from natural materials, the component contained in the various materials may be isolated and purified before use, or the material containing the component may be used as is. For example, those derived from cereals (especially millet), legumes, potatoes, vegetables, nuts, and fruits can be used, but those derived from cereals (especially millet) and legumes are more preferred from the viewpoint of the texture of the composition, and those derived from legumes and / or millet are even more preferred. Among those derived from legumes, those derived from peas are particularly preferred, and those derived from yellow peas are most preferred. Furthermore, when derived from legumes, they may be used with or without the seed coat, but using legumes with the seed coat is preferable because it allows for a higher content of dietary fiber.

[0093] As for dietary fiber derived from grains, oat-derived fiber is preferred. Furthermore, when using grains, it may be used with or without the bran, but using grains with the bran is preferred because it allows for a higher fiber content. In addition, it is preferable that the total amount of dietary fiber derived from legumes and grains satisfies the above requirements.

[0094] Furthermore, raw materials containing both insoluble and soluble dietary fiber, such as oats (about 30% of which are soluble dietary fiber), may be used among grains. Specifically, the dry mass ratio of soluble dietary fiber to the dry mass ratio of dietary fiber in the entire composition may be, for example, in the range of 5% to 70% by mass. More specifically, the lower limit may be 5% or more by mass, or 10% or more by mass, or 15% or more by mass, or 20% or more by mass, or 25% or more by mass, or 30% or more by mass. The upper limit is not particularly limited, but is usually 70% or less by mass, or 65% or less by mass, or 60% or less by mass. In addition, soluble dietary fiber-containing ingredients (specifically grains, more specifically oats) may be used in the composition in a manner that satisfies the above provisions, or they may be used in a manner that satisfies the above provisions at step (i) of food composition manufacturing.

[0095] Furthermore, the dietary fiber (or insoluble dietary fiber) in the composition of the present invention may be incorporated into the composition as an isolated and purified pure product, but it is preferable that it be incorporated into the composition in a state in which it is contained in edible plants (preferably legumes and / or cereals). Specifically, the ratio of the dietary fiber content incorporated in a state in which it is contained in edible plants (preferably legumes and / or cereals) to the total dietary fiber content of the entire composition (or the ratio of the insoluble dietary fiber content incorporated in a state in which it is contained in edible plants (preferably legumes and / or cereals) to the total insoluble dietary fiber content can be in the range of, for example, 50% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less on a dry mass basis. More specifically, it is usually 50% by mass or more, more preferably 60% by mass or more, or 70% by mass or more, or 80% by mass or more, or 90% by mass or more, and especially preferably 100% by mass.

[0096] The composition of dietary fiber (or insoluble dietary fiber) contained in the composition of the present invention is not particularly limited. However, the texture improvement effect is more pronounced when the ratio of lignin (especially acid-soluble lignin) to the total insoluble dietary fiber is above a certain value. Specifically, the ratio of lignin (especially acid-soluble lignin) to the total insoluble dietary fiber can be in the range of 5% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less on a dry weight basis. More specifically, it is usually 5% by mass or more, and more preferably 10% by mass or more, or 30% by mass or more.

[0097] In the composition of the present invention, it is preferable that the particle size of the dietary fiber (especially insoluble dietary fiber) contained therein is below a certain size. If the particle size of the dietary fiber is too large, the composition may have an undesirable crumbly texture. The reason for this is not clear, but it is thought that coarse insoluble dietary fiber inhibits the formation of matrix structures such as starch, making it difficult to achieve the effects of the present invention. Here, the size of insoluble dietary fiber in powdered beans and grains that are usually crushed haphazardly is highly likely to be greater than 450 μm (because the shape of insoluble dietary fiber contained in beans and grains is usually rod-shaped, and a larger value is obtained in the laser diffraction particle size distribution measurement of the present invention). In particular, when using ingredients containing hard tissue, such as beans with seed coats or grains with bran, the insoluble dietary fiber in the seed coat is coarse and more difficult to crush than the edible portion. Therefore, when using such ingredients in the present invention, it is preferable to use those ingredients whose insoluble dietary fiber has been subjected to a specific crushing treatment beforehand so that its size falls within a specific range. There is no particular upper limit, but it is usually 2000 μm or less.

[0098] In the present invention, in order to evaluate the particle size of dietary fiber (especially insoluble dietary fiber) in the composition, a method is used in which an aqueous suspension of the composition is treated with protease and amylase to enzymatically decompose starch and protein, and the particle size distribution of the post-starch and protein decomposition treatment composition is measured after ultrasonic treatment. Specifically, a 6% by mass aqueous suspension of the composition is treated with 0.4% by volume of protease and 0.02% by mass of α-amylase at 20°C for 3 days (this is appropriately referred to as "[Procedure b]") to perform starch and protein decomposition treatment, and then the particle size distribution is measured after ultrasonic treatment of the treated composition.

[0099] Specifically, the composition of the present invention relates to the particle size d of the particle size distribution of dietary fiber (especially insoluble dietary fiber) measured by the above procedure. 90 However, it can be in the range of 1 μm or more and less than 450 μm. More specifically, it is preferable that the upper limit is usually less than 450 μm, and more preferably 400 μm or less, or 350 μm or less, or 300 μm or less, or 250 μm or less, or 200 μm or less, or 150 μm or less, or 100 μm or less, or 80 μm or less, or 60 μm or less, and especially 50 μm or less. On the other hand, the particle size d of such dietary fiber (especially insoluble dietary fiber) 90 The lower limit is not particularly restricted, but it is usually 1 μm or larger, and preferably 3 μm or larger.

[0100] Similarly, the composition of the present invention relates to the particle size d of the particle size distribution of dietary fiber (especially insoluble dietary fiber) measured by the above procedure. 50 However, it can be in the range of 1 μm or more and less than 450 μm. More specifically, it is preferable that the upper limit is usually less than 450 μm, and more preferably 400 μm or less, or 350 μm or less, or 300 μm or less, or 250 μm or less, or 200 μm or less, or 150 μm or less, or 100 μm or less, or 80 μm or less, or 60 μm or less, and especially 50 μm or less. On the other hand, the particle size d of such dietary fiber (especially insoluble dietary fiber) 50 The lower limit is not particularly restricted, but it is usually 1 μm or larger, and preferably 3 μm or larger.

[0101] A more specific procedure for measuring the particle size distribution of dietary fiber (especially insoluble dietary fiber) in a composition is as follows: Place 300 mg of the composition in a plastic tube with 5 mL of water and allow to swell at 20°C for about 1 hour. Then, process it using a small hiscotron (Homogenizer NS-310E3, Microtech Nichion Co., Ltd.) until it reaches a porridge-like consistency (about 15 seconds at 10,000 rpm). After processing, take 2.5 mL of the sample, add 10 μL of protease (Proteinase K, Takara Bio Inc.) and 0.5 mg of α-amylase (α-Amylase from Bacillus subtilis, Sigma Inc.), and react at 20°C for 3 days. After the reaction is complete, sonication can be applied to the resulting protease and amylase-treated composition, and then its particle size distribution can be measured. The particle size distribution of protease and amylase-treated compositions after ultrasonic treatment can be measured using a laser diffraction particle size distribution analyzer in the same manner as the specific surface area per unit volume described later.

[0102] In this invention, "particle size d 90 (or "particle size d 50 ")" is defined as the particle size at which, when the particle size distribution of the object to be measured is measured on a volume basis and divided into two groups from a certain particle size, the ratio of the cumulative value of the particle frequency % of the larger particle to the cumulative value of the particle frequency % of the smaller particle is 10:90 (or 50:50). Furthermore, in this invention, unless otherwise specified, "ultrasonic treatment" means treatment with ultrasound at a frequency of 40 kHz at an output of 40 W for 3 minutes.

[0103] • Starch: The composition of the present invention contains starch. In particular, by containing starch in a predetermined proportion or more, the composition of the present invention is less likely to crack inside the composition even after a certain period of time has passed during storage at room temperature (for example, 3 days or more, more preferably 30 days or more, with no particular upper limit but usually 10 years or less), and the components inside the composition are less likely to leak out after cooking. The reason for this is not clear, but it is possible that the high temperature, high pressure, and high kneading process causes the relatively large molecular weight fraction of the starch in the composition to form a homogenized matrix structure, resulting in the aforementioned effects.

[0104] Specifically, the starch content in the composition of the present invention can be in the range of, for example, 20% by mass or more and 85% by mass or less. More specifically, the lower limit is usually 20% by mass or more on a dry weight basis. In particular, it is preferable to have 25% by mass or more, or 30% by mass or more, or 35% by mass or more, or 40% by mass or more, or 45% by mass or more, and especially 50% by mass or more. On the other hand, the upper limit of the starch content in the composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, but for example, it can be 85% by mass or less on a dry weight basis, in particular 80% by mass or less, or 70% by mass or less, or 60% by mass or less.

[0105] The origin of the starch in the composition of the present invention is not particularly limited. Examples include plant-derived and animal-derived starch, but starch derived from edible plants (preferably legumes and / or cereals) is preferred. Specifically, the ratio of the starch content derived from edible plants (preferably legumes and / or cereals) to the total starch content of the entire composition can be in the range of, for example, 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less on a dry mass basis. More specifically, the ratio is usually 30% by mass or more, more preferably 40% by mass or more, or 50% by mass or more, or 60% by mass or more, or 70% by mass or more, or 80% by mass or more, or 90% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 100% by mass. The upper limit is not particularly limited, and is usually 100% by mass or less. Among legume-derived starches, pea-derived starch is particularly preferred, and yellow pea-derived starch is most preferred. Among cereal-derived starches, oat-derived starch is preferred. Furthermore, it is preferable that the total amount of starch derived from legumes and starch derived from grains satisfies the above requirements. Legumes and grains will be described later.

[0106] The starch in the composition of the present invention may be incorporated into the composition as an isolated pure product, but it is preferable that it be incorporated into the composition in a state in which it is contained in edible plants (preferably legumes and / or cereals). Specifically, the ratio of the starch content incorporated in a state in which it is contained in edible plants (preferably legumes and / or cereals) to the total starch content of the entire composition can be in the range of, for example, 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less on a dry mass basis. More specifically, it is usually 30% by mass or more, and more preferably 40% by mass or more, or 50% by mass or more, or 60% by mass or more, or 70% by mass or more, or 80% by mass or more, or 90% by mass or more. The upper limit is not particularly limited and can be usually 100% by mass or usually 100% by mass or less.

[0107] In this invention, the starch content in the solid composition is measured in accordance with the 2015 edition (seventh revised edition) of the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan, using the method of AOAC996.11, by removing soluble carbohydrates (glucose, maltose, maltodextrin, etc.) that may affect the measurement by 80% ethanol extraction.

[0108] • Starch granule structure: The composition of the present invention, by having a number of starch granule structures observed under specific conditions that is below a predetermined value, is less likely to crack inside the composition even after a certain period of time (e.g., 3 days or more) has passed during storage at room temperature, and is also less likely to leak out of the composition after cooking. The principle is unknown, but it is thought that by processing the composition under the high-pressure, strong kneading conditions described later, with the starch granule structure destroyed, the starch diffuses throughout the composition in a matrix-like manner, and the amylopectin in the starch becomes a structure that easily exhibits elasticity when it retains water.

[0109] Starch granule structures are iodine-stainable structures with a circular shape of approximately 1 to 50 μm in diameter in a planar image. For example, a 6% by mass aqueous suspension can be prepared by suspending the pulverized composition in water and observing it under magnification. Specifically, the pulverized composition is classified using a sieve with a mesh size of 150 μm, and a 6% by mass suspension of the composition powder is prepared by suspending 3 mg of the 150 μm pass composition powder in 50 μL of water. A slide containing this suspension can be prepared and observed under polarized light using a phase-contrast microscope, or an iodine-stained slide can be observed under an optical microscope. The magnification is not limited, but for example, it can be 100x or 200x. If the distribution of starch granules in a slide is uniform, the proportion of starch granules in the entire slide can be estimated by observing a representative field of view. However, if there is a bias in the distribution, the measurement for the entire slide can be obtained by observing a finite number of fields of view (for example, two or more locations, such as five or ten locations) and summing the observation results.

[0110] Specifically, the compositions of the present invention preferably satisfy the following requirements (a) and / or (b) regarding the starch granule structure. (a) When a 6% suspension of the pulverized material of the composition is observed, the starch granule structure observed is 300 granules / mm 2 The results are as follows: (b) When a 14% by mass aqueous slurry of the pulverized composition is heated from 50°C to 140°C at a heating rate of 12.5°C / min using a rapid viscometer, the gelatinization peak temperature is less than 120°C.

[0111] Regarding requirement (a) above, specifically, the composition of the present invention has a number of starch granule structures observed under the above conditions that is, for example, 0 / mm³. 2 More than 300 pieces / mm 2 The following ranges are possible. More specifically, the number of starch granule structures in the composition of the present invention is typically 300 granules / mm³. 2 Among the following, 250 pieces / mm 2 The following, or 200 pieces / mm 2 The following, or 150 pieces / mm 2 The following, or 100 pieces / mm 2 The following, or 50 pieces / mm 2 The following, or 30 pieces / mm 2 The following, or 10 pieces / mm 2 The following, in particular, 0 pieces / mm 2 It is preferable that this be the case.

[0112] Regarding (b) above, the gelatinization peak temperature of the composition of the present invention, as measured by a rapid viscoanalytic analyzer (RVA) under the conditions described later, can be in the range of, for example, 50°C or more and less than 120°C. More specifically, the upper limit is usually less than 120°C, and more preferably 115°C or less, or 110°C or less, or 105°C or less, or 100°C or less, or 95°C or less, or 90°C or less, or 85°C or less, or 80°C or less. On the other hand, the lower limit is not particularly limited, but can usually be 50°C or more, or 55°C or more, or 60°C or more. The rapid viscoanalytic analyzer (RVA) and its measurement conditions will be described later.

[0113] In this invention, unless otherwise specified, "pulverized composition," "pulverized composition," or "pulverized composition" refers to the particle size d after ultrasonic treatment, measured by the same method as the specific surface area per unit volume described later. 50 and / or d 90 (preferably particle size d) 50and d 90 This refers to a composition that has been pulverized so that both of the particles (d) are approximately 1000 μm or less. 50 and / or d 90 (preferably particle size d) 50 and d 90 The lower limit of both is not particularly limited, but is usually preferably 1 μm or larger.

[0114] • Degree of starch gelatinization: The degree of starch gelatinization in the composition of the present invention is preferable if it is above a predetermined value, as this makes it less likely for cracks to occur inside the composition even after a certain period of time (e.g., 3 days or more) has elapsed during storage at room temperature, and also makes it easier to obtain the effect that components inside the composition are less likely to leak out after cooking. Specifically, the degree of starch gelatinization in the composition of the present invention can be in the range of, for example, 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less. More specifically, it is usually 30% by mass or more, more preferably 40% by mass or more, or 50% by mass or more, or 60% by mass or more, and especially preferably 70% by mass or more. There is no particular upper limit to the degree of gelatinization, but if it is too high, the starch may decompose, and the composition may become sticky and have an undesirable quality. Therefore, it is preferable that the upper limit of the degree of gelatinization is usually 100% by mass or less, or 99% by mass or less, or 95% by mass or less, or 90% by mass or less.

[0115] In this invention, the degree of gelatinization of the composition is measured using the Glucoamylase Method II, which is a modified version of the Bulletin of the Central Laboratory for Customs (following the method of Japan Food Research Laboratories: https: / / web.archive.org / web / 20200611054551 / https: / / www.jfrl.or.jp / storage / file / 221.pdf or https: / / www.jfrl.or.jp / storage / file / 221.pdf).

[0116] ·protein: The composition of the present invention contains protein. In particular, by containing a predetermined proportion or more of protein, the composition of the present invention is less likely to crack inside the composition even after a certain period of time (e.g., 3 days or more) has passed during storage at room temperature, and the components inside the composition are less likely to leak out after cooking. The reason for this is not clear, but it is possible that the high temperature, high pressure, and high kneading process causes starch to spread in a matrix-like manner within the composition, and that the aggregated structure, which is thought to be mainly composed of protein within that structure, develops into a desirable shape and size, and that the interaction between this and the dietary fiber assisting in the development of that shape and size forms a structure that is completely different from conventionally known protein networks such as gluten, and as a result, the effects of the present invention are achieved.

[0117] Specifically, the lower limit of the protein content in the composition of the present invention can be in the range of, for example, 3.0% by mass or more and 85% by mass or less on a dry mass basis. More specifically, the lower limit is usually 3.0% by mass or more. In particular, it is preferable that it be 4.0% by mass or more, or 5.0% by mass or more, or 6.0% by mass or more, or 7.0% by mass or more, or 8.0% by mass or more, or 9.0% by mass or more, or 10% by mass or more, or 11% by mass or more, or 12% by mass or more, or 13% by mass or more, or 14% by mass or more, or 15% by mass or more, or 16% by mass or more, or 17% by mass or more, or 18% by mass or more, or 19% by mass or more, or 20% by mass or more, or 21% by mass or more, and especially 22% by mass or more. On the other hand, the upper limit of the protein content in the composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, but it can be, for example, 85% by mass or less, or 80% by mass or less, or 75% by mass or less, or 70% by mass or less, or 65% by mass or less, or 60% by mass or less, or 50% by mass or less, or 40% by mass or less, or 35% by mass or less on a dry mass basis. Furthermore, it is preferable that the protein derived from plants (especially legumes and / or cereals) satisfies the above-mentioned requirements regarding protein.

[0118] The origin of the protein in the composition of the present invention is not particularly limited. Examples include plant-derived and animal-derived proteins, but plant-derived proteins (especially legumes and / or cereals) are preferred. Specifically, the ratio of plant-derived protein content to the total protein content of the entire composition can be in the range of, for example, 50% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less on a dry mass basis. More specifically, this ratio is usually 50% by mass or more, or 60% by mass or more, or 70% by mass or more, or 80% by mass or more, or 90% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 100% by mass. Examples of plant-derived proteins include those derived from cereals (especially cereals), legumes, potatoes, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and fruits, but it is more preferable to use those derived from legumes, particularly those derived from peas, and most preferably those derived from yellow peas. As for cereal-derived proteins, those derived from oats are preferred. It is also preferable that the sum of legume-derived and cereal-derived proteins satisfies the above requirements.

[0119] The protein in the composition of the present invention may be incorporated into the composition as an isolated and purified pure product, but it is preferable that it be incorporated into the composition in the state in which it is contained in edible plants. Specifically, the ratio of the protein content incorporated in the state in which it is contained in edible plants (especially legumes and / or grains) to the total protein content of the entire composition can be in the range of, for example, 50% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less on a dry mass basis. More specifically, it is preferable that this ratio is usually 50% by mass or more, or 60% by mass or more, or 70% by mass or more, or 80% by mass or more, or 90% by mass or more, and particularly 100% by mass.

[0120] Furthermore, the protein and starch in the composition of the present invention can each be in the range of 50% by mass or more and 100% by mass on a dry mass basis. More specifically, it is preferable that 50% by mass or more, or 60% by mass or more, or 70% by mass or more, or 80% by mass or more, or 90% by mass or more, and especially 100% by mass, both originate from legumes and / or cereals, more preferably from the same type of legume and / or cereal, and even more preferably from the same individual legume and / or cereal. In addition, it is preferable that 50% by mass or more, or 60% by mass or more, or 70% by mass or more, or 80% by mass or more, or 90% by mass or more, and especially 100% by mass, of the protein and starch in the composition of the present invention, each on a dry mass basis, both are incorporated in a state in which they are contained in edible plants.

[0121] In this invention, the protein content in the starch-containing solid composition is measured by multiplying the amount of nitrogen quantified using the combustion method (modified Dumas method) specified in the Food Labeling Act ("Regarding Food Labeling Standards" (March 30, 2015, Consumer Affairs Agency Food Labeling Act No. 139)) in accordance with the Japanese Food Standard Composition Table 2015 Edition (7th Revised Edition) by the "nitrogen-protein conversion factor".

[0122] ·Total fat content: The total fat content in the composition of the present invention is not limited, but can be in the range of, for example, 0.01% by mass or more and less than 17% by mass on a dry mass basis. More specifically, the upper limit is usually less than 17% by mass, and more preferably less than 15% by mass, or less than 13% by mass, or less than 10% by mass, or less than 8% by mass, or less than 7% by mass, or less than 6% by mass, or less than 5% by mass, or less than 4% by mass, or less than 3% by mass, or less than 2% by mass, or less than 1% by mass, and especially preferably less than 0.8% by mass. On the other hand, the lower limit of such total fat content is not particularly limited, but is usually 0.01% by mass or more on a dry mass basis. In the present invention, the total fat content in the solid composition is measured by Soxhlet extraction with diethyl ether in accordance with the Japanese Food Standard Composition Table 2015 Edition (7th Revised Edition).

[0123] The origin of the oils and fats in the composition of the present invention is not particularly limited. Examples include plant-derived and animal-derived oils and fats, but plant-derived oils and fats are preferred. Specifically, the ratio of plant-derived (especially legumes and / or cereals) oils and fats to the total oil and fats content of the entire composition can be in the range of 50% to 100% by mass on a dry mass basis. More specifically, the lower limit of this ratio is usually 50% by mass or more, more preferably 60% by mass or more, or 70% by mass or more, or 80% by mass or more, or 90% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 100% by mass. Examples of plant-derived oils and fats include those derived from cereals (especially cereals), legumes, potatoes, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and fruits, but it is more preferable to use those derived from legumes, particularly those derived from peas, and most preferably those derived from yellow peas. As for cereal-derived oils and fats, those derived from oats are preferred. Furthermore, it is preferable that the total amount of oils derived from legumes and grains satisfies the above requirements.

[0124] The oil and fat content in the composition of the present invention may be incorporated into the composition as an isolated pure product, but it is preferable that it be incorporated into the composition in a state in which it is contained in edible plants (especially legumes and / or grains). Specifically, the ratio of the oil and fat content incorporated in a state in which it is contained in edible plants (legumes and / or grains) to the total oil and fat content of the entire composition is usually 50% by mass or more, more preferably 60% by mass or more, or 70% by mass or more, or 80% by mass or more, or 90% by mass or more, and especially preferably 100% by mass, on a dry mass basis.

[0125] Furthermore, it is preferable that, of the dry mass-based oil and fat content in the composition of the present invention, typically 50% by mass or more, more preferably 60% by mass or more, or 70% by mass or more, or 80% by mass or more, or 90% by mass or more, and especially 100% by mass, is derived from legumes and / or cereals, more preferably from the same type of legume and / or cereal, and even more preferably from the same individual legume and / or cereal. In addition, it is preferable that, of the dry mass-based oil and fat content in the composition of the present invention, typically 50% by mass or more, more preferably 60% by mass or more, or 70% by mass or more, or 80% by mass or more, or 90% by mass or more, and especially 100% by mass, is incorporated in a state where it is contained in legumes and / or cereals.

[0126] ·Dry basis moisture content: The composition of the present invention is preferable because, having a dry-weight moisture content below a predetermined value, it is less likely to crack inside the composition even after a certain period of time (e.g., 3 days or more) during storage at room temperature, and it is easier to obtain the effect that components inside the composition are less likely to leak out after cooking. Specifically, the dry-weight moisture content in the composition of the present invention is not limited, but can be in the range of, for example, 0.5% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less. More specifically, it may be, for example, 60% by mass or less, or 55% by mass or less, or 50% by mass or less, or 45% by mass or less, or 40% by mass or less, or 35% by mass or less, or 30% by mass or less, or 25% by mass or less, or 20% by mass or less, or 15% by mass or less. On the other hand, the lower limit of the dry-weight moisture content in the composition of the present invention is not limited, but from the viewpoint of industrial production efficiency, it can be, for example, 0.5% by mass or more, or 1% by mass or more, or 2% by mass or more. Note that the dry-weight moisture content in the composition of the present invention may originate from the various components of the composition, or it may also originate from the water that has been added. Furthermore, if the dry-weight moisture content in the dough composition before processing is high, a process can be employed to adjust it to the aforementioned value by using a drying treatment or the like.

[0127] In this invention, "dry-weight moisture content" refers to the ratio of the total amount of moisture derived from the raw materials of the composition of this invention and the amount of moisture added separately, to the total amount of solids. This value is measured by heating to 90°C using a reduced-pressure heating drying method, in accordance with the Japanese Food Standard Composition Table 2015 Edition (7th Revised Edition). Specifically, an appropriate amount of sample is taken into a weighing container (W0) that has been pre-weighed to a constant weight and weighed (W1). At atmospheric pressure, the weighing container is placed in a reduced-pressure electric constant-temperature drying oven adjusted to a predetermined temperature (more specifically, 90°C) with the lid removed or the opening left open. The door is closed, a vacuum pump is operated, and the sample is dried for a certain period of time at a predetermined reduced pressure. The vacuum pump is stopped, dry air is sent to return to atmospheric pressure, the weighing container is removed, the lid is put on, and after cooling in a desiccator, the mass is measured. This drying, cooling, and weighing process is repeated until a constant weight is reached (W2), and the moisture content (dry-weight moisture content) (mass %) is calculated using the following formula.

[0128]

number

[0129] ·Ingredients: The raw materials for the composition of the present invention are not particularly limited, as long as they can achieve the various component compositions and physical properties defined in the present invention. However, it is preferable to use one or more types of edible plants as raw materials, and it is preferable that the edible plants include at least legumes and / or grains. The form of the edible plants used as raw materials is not limited, but for example, powdered forms can be used.

[0130] ·beans: When using legumes in the composition of the present invention, the type of legume used is not limited, but preferably, it is one or more legumes selected from the genera of pea, kidney bean, pigeon bean, cowpea, broad bean, chickpea, soybean, and lentil. Specific examples, though not limited to these, include peas (especially yellow peas and white peas), kidney beans, red beans, white beans, black beans, pinto beans, tiger beans, lima beans, scarlet beans, pigeon peas, mung beans, cowpeas, adzuki beans, broad beans, soybeans, chickpeas, lentils, flat beans, blue peas, purple kidney beans, lentils, peanuts, lupine beans, grass peas, carob, twisted crowberry, broad crowberry, coffee beans, cocoa beans, Mexican flying beans, etc. The classification of other food ingredients not listed can be naturally understood by those skilled in the art who handle those ingredients or processed food products. Specifically, this can be clearly understood by referring to the food group classification (page 249, Table 1) listed in the 2015 edition (7th revised) of the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan, which is widely used in daily life in ordinary households. These legumes may be used individually or in any combination of two or more types. Furthermore, for ingredients where some edible parts (such as edamame and green peas) are treated as vegetables, it is possible to determine whether they are legumes based on the state of the entire plant (such as soybeans and peas) including the inedible parts (such as pods).

[0131] Furthermore, when using legumes in the composition of the present invention, it is preferable to use mature legumes rather than immature seeds (for example, green peas, which are immature pea seeds, or edamame, which are immature soybean seeds) among the starches contained in the composition. Also, for the same reason, it is preferable to use legumes that have reached a state in which the dry weight moisture content is below a predetermined value due to maturation. Specifically, the dry weight moisture content of the legumes used in the composition of the present invention can be in the range of, for example, 0.01% by mass or more and less than 15% by mass. More specifically, it is usually less than 15% by mass, and more preferably less than 13% by mass, or less than 11% by mass, or less than 10% by mass. On the other hand, there is no particular lower limit to the dry weight moisture content of such legumes, but it is usually preferably 0.01% by mass or more.

[0132] When legumes are used in the composition of the present invention, the legume content in the composition of the present invention is not limited, but can be in the range of, for example, 10% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less on a dry mass basis. More specifically, it is preferable that it is, for example, 10% by mass or more, or 15% by mass or more, or 20% by mass or more, or 25% by mass or more, or 30% by mass or more, or 35% by mass or more, or 40% by mass or more, or 45% by mass or more, or 50% by mass or more, or 55% by mass or more, or 60% by mass or more. There is no particular upper limit, but it is preferable to be 100% by mass or less, and more preferably 95% by mass or less. In addition, the above provisions regarding legumes may be satisfied in step (i).

[0133] When using legumes in the composition of the present invention, it is preferable to use powdered legumes, and specifically, the particle size d after ultrasonic treatment when measured in the same way as the specific surface area per unit volume described later. 90 and / or d 50 It is preferable to use bean powder in which each of the following values ​​is below a predetermined value. That is, the particle size d of the bean powder after ultrasonic treatment. 90For example, it can be in the range of 0.3 μm or more and less than 500 μm. More specifically, less than 500 μm is preferred, and among these, 450 μm or less, or 400 μm or less, or 350 μm or less, or 300 μm or less, or 250 μm or less, or 200 μm or less, or 150 μm or less, or 100 μm or less, or 90 μm or less, or 80 μm or less, or 70 μm or less, or 60 μm or less, or 50 μm or less is more preferred. Similarly, the particle size d of legume powder after ultrasonic treatment. 50 The particle size is preferably less than 500 μm, and more preferably 450 μm or less, or 400 μm or less, or 350 μm or less, or 300 μm or less, or 250 μm or less, or 200 μm or less, or 150 μm or less, or 100 μm or less, or 90 μm or less, or 80 μm or less, or 70 μm or less, or 60 μm or less, or 50 μm or less. 90 and d 50 There is no particular lower limit, but it can usually be 0.3 μm or larger, or 1 μm or larger, or 5 μm or larger, or 10 μm or larger. In particular, if the composition is larger than a certain size during extrusion molding, the composition is more likely to pulsate during molding, which can worsen productivity and may result in an uneven surface of the composition. Therefore, it is preferable to use powdered beans of a certain size or smaller.

[0134] [Grains] In this invention, "miscellaneous grains" refers to grains other than the major grains of rice, wheat, and barley, as described later, and is a concept that also includes pseudo-miscellaneous grains other than so-called grass grains (Amaranthaceae, Amaranthaceae). When using miscellaneous grains in the composition of this invention, the type of miscellaneous grains used is not limited, but preferably it is one or more types of miscellaneous grains selected from the grass family, Amaranthaceae, and Amaranthaceae, and more preferably it is from the grass family. Specific examples, though not limited to these, include, for example, foxtail millet, barnyard millet, proso millet, sorghum, rye, oats, Job's tears, corn, buckwheat, amaranth, and quinoa, and it is particularly preferable to use one or more of oats, amaranth, quinoa, and proso millet. Furthermore, it is preferable that the miscellaneous grains substantially do not contain gluten (specifically, that the gluten content is less than 10 ppm by mass), and more preferably that they do not contain gluten.

[0135] The content of grains in the food composition of the present invention can be in the range of 10% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, on a dry weight basis. More specifically, it is preferably 10% by mass or more, more preferably 15% by mass or more, more preferably 20% by mass or more, more preferably 25% by mass or more, more preferably 30% by mass or more, more preferably 35% by mass or more, more preferably 40% by mass or more, more preferably 45% by mass or more, more preferably 50% by mass or more, more preferably 55% by mass or more, and more preferably 60% by mass or more. There is no particular upper limit, but 100% by mass or less is preferred, and 95% by mass or less is more preferred. In addition, the above provisions regarding grains may be satisfied in step (i).

[0136] Furthermore, in food compositions containing both legumes and grains, it is preferable that their total content satisfies the above-mentioned requirements. That is, the total content ratio of legumes and grains in the food composition of the present invention can be in the range of, for example, 10% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, on a dry mass basis. More specifically, it is preferable that it is, for example, 10% by mass or more, or 15% by mass or more, or 20% by mass or more, or 25% by mass or more, or 30% by mass or more, or 35% by mass or more, or 40% by mass or more, or 45% by mass or more, or 50% by mass or more, or 55% by mass or more, or 60% by mass or more. There is no particular upper limit, but it can be, for example, 100% by mass or less, or 95% by mass or less. In addition, the above-mentioned requirements regarding grains and legumes may be satisfied in step (i).

[0137] Other ingredients: The composition of the present invention may contain any one or more other ingredients. Examples of such ingredients include plant-based ingredients (vegetables, potatoes, mushrooms, fruits, algae, grains (especially major grains not included in coarse grains such as rice, wheat, and barley), nuts and seeds, etc.), animal-based ingredients (fish and shellfish, meat, eggs, dairy products, etc.), and microbial foods. The content of these ingredients can be appropriately set within a range that does not impair the purpose of the present invention.

[0138] ·Seasonings, food additives, etc.: The composition of the present invention may contain any one or more seasonings, food additives, etc. Examples of seasonings, food additives, etc. include soy sauce, miso, alcohols, sugars (e.g., glucose, sucrose, fructose, glucose-fructose syrup, fructose-glucose syrup, etc.), sugar alcohols (e.g., xylitol, erythritol, maltitol, etc.), artificial sweeteners (e.g., sucralose, aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame K, etc.), minerals (e.g., calcium, potassium, sodium, iron, zinc, magnesium, etc., and their salts, etc.), flavorings, pH adjusters (e.g., sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, lactic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, and acetic acid, etc.), cyclodextrin, antioxidants (e.g., vitamins Examples of ingredients include vitamin E, vitamin C, tea extract, green coffee bean extract, chlorogenic acid, spice extract, caffeic acid, rosemary extract, vitamin C palmitate, rutin, quercetin, bayberry extract, sesame extract, etc.), emulsifiers (examples include glycerin fatty acid ester, monoglyceride acetate, monoglyceride lactate, monoglyceride citrate, monoglyceride diacetyl tartaric acid, monoglyceride succinate, polyglycerin fatty acid ester, polyglycerin condensed linosyl ester, quillaja extract, soybean saponin, tea seed saponin, sucrose fatty acid ester, lecithin, etc.), colorants, thickeners and stabilizers.

[0139] However, given the recent rise in interest in natural products, it is preferable that the composition of the present invention does not contain any one of the following: emulsifiers, colorants, and thickening and stabilizing agents (for example, those listed as "colorants," "thickening and stabilizing agents," and "emulsifiers" in the "List of Food Additive Substances for Labeling" in the Food Additive Labeling Pocketbook (2011 edition)); it is more preferable that it does not contain any two of them; and it is even more preferable that it does not contain any three.

[0140] In particular, the composition of the present invention can impart elasticity to the composition without containing a gelling agent, and it is preferable that it does not contain a gelling agent in order to prevent the imparting of excessive elasticity. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of achieving a quality in which the taste of the ingredients can be easily perceived, it is preferable that the composition of the present invention does not contain an emulsifier. Moreover, it is especially desirable that the composition of the present invention does not contain food additives (for example, substances listed in the "List of Food Additive Substances for Labeling" in the Food Additive Labeling Pocketbook (2011 edition) used for food additive purposes). Furthermore, from the viewpoint of making the sweetness of the food itself easier to perceive, it is preferable that the composition of the present invention does not contain sugars (glucose, sucrose, fructose, glucose-fructose syrup, fructose-glucose syrup, etc.).

[0141] Furthermore, it is preferable that the composition of the present invention contains little or no sodium chloride. Conventional starch-containing solid compositions for cooking (particularly compositions containing gluten with a network structure) maintain compositional elasticity by containing sodium chloride, but this has problems in terms of affecting taste and excessive salt intake. In particular, in the case of dry compositions (dried udon, dried hiyamugi, etc.), 3% or more by mass of sodium chloride is usually used to maintain compositional elasticity, so these problems were particularly pronounced. On the other hand, with the composition of the present invention, it is possible to make a composition in which the decrease in elasticity is suppressed even if the amount of sodium chloride used is extremely small or no sodium chloride is added at all, resulting in a composition of good quality, which is preferable. Furthermore, even for starch-containing solid compositions for cooking such as pasta, udon, and bread, which normally have adhesiveness and elasticity due to gluten with a network structure and sodium chloride, it is preferable that the present invention be applied to make a composition of good quality without adding sodium chloride. Specifically, the sodium chloride content in the composition of the present invention can be in the range of 0% to 3% by mass on a dry mass basis. More specifically, it is preferable that the sodium chloride content is usually 3% by mass or less, more preferably 2% by mass or less, or 1% by mass or less, or 0.7% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 0.5% by mass or less. Furthermore, the sodium chloride content in the dough composition can be in the range of 0% by mass or more and 3% by mass or less on a wet mass basis. More specifically, it is preferable that the lower limit is usually 3% by mass or less, more preferably 2% by mass or less, or 1% by mass or less, or 0.7% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 0.5% by mass or less. The lower limit of the sodium chloride content in the composition of the present invention is not particularly limited and may be 0% by mass. In the present invention, as a method for quantifying sodium chloride in the starch-containing solid composition, for example, a method is used in accordance with the "salt equivalent amount" in the Japanese Food Standard Composition Table 2015 Edition (7th Revised Edition), where the amount of sodium measured using atomic absorption spectrometry is multiplied by 2.54.

[0142] • Smooth portion of frozen section of composition: According to one aspect of the present invention, it is also preferable that, when observing the frozen section obtained by freeze-sectioning the composition in the above procedure, a smooth portion having an average thickness of a predetermined value or more is observed along a predetermined proportion of the outer circumference of the composition on the cut surface. When such physical properties are present, the composition of the present invention becomes a composition that is less likely to leak components out during cooking. The reason for this is not clear, but it is thought that if there is a structure near the outer circumference of the composition that has the characteristic of being able to be cut relatively smoothly compared to the inside of the composition, it will be observed as a smooth portion when the composition is freeze-sectioned.

[0143] In this invention, "smooth portion" refers to a layered structure observed on the outer periphery of a frozen section image of the composition, having an average thickness of a predetermined value or greater, and exhibiting a lighter color and less unevenness compared to the non-smooth portion. The "average thickness" of the smooth portion refers to the average value obtained when the width of the smooth portion in the direction perpendicular to the outer periphery of the composition on the cross-section is measured along the outer periphery of the composition.

[0144] Specifically, it is preferable that the composition of the present invention has such smooth portions formed on the outer circumference of the composition at the cross-section, typically 30% or more, 40% or more, or 50% or more, more preferably 60% or more, 70% or more, or 80% or more, or 90% or more, and especially 100% (i.e., the entire outer circumference of the composition at the cross-section). Furthermore, the average thickness of such smooth portions is typically 20 μm or more, more preferably 25 μm or more, or 30 μm or more, with no particular upper limit, but typically 1000 μm or less.

[0145] For measuring the smooth portion, the composition is frozen at -25°C (without treatment in heated water), and frozen sections are prepared by cutting the frozen composition to a thickness of 30 μm along a specific cross-section, and these sections are observed. The preparation and observation of such frozen sections of the composition are not limited, but are preferably carried out by the following procedure, for example. That is, the composition is cut to a thickness of 30 μm at -25°C according to the Kawamoto method described in Kawamoto, "Use of a new adhesive film for the preparation of multi-purpose fresh-frozen sections from hard tissues, whole-animals, insects and plants", Arch. Histol. Cytol., (2003), 66[2]:123-43, thereby preparing frozen sections. The thus obtained frozen sections of the composition are placed under the field of view of a microscope, for example, at a magnification of 200x, and color photographs with, for example, 1360 × 1024 pixels are taken and used for analysis.

[0146] ·Non-swelling (density): The compositions of the present invention are not limited to, but include, expanded foods (especially those with a density of 1.0 g / cm³ due to expansion). 3 It is preferable that the composition is not a puffed food with a density less than a certain value. In other words, it is preferable that the composition of the present invention has a density of a predetermined value or higher when it is in a non-puffed state. Specifically, the density of the composition of the present invention is, for example, 1.0 g / cm³. 3 More than 3.0g / cm 3 It is preferable to keep it in the range of less than 1.0 g / cm³. More specifically, the lower limit is 1.0 g / cm³. 3 The above is preferable, and among them 1.1 g / cm³ 3 In addition, 1.2 g / cm³ 3 It is preferable that the amount be greater than or equal to the above. There is no particular upper limit, but it is usually 3.0 g / cm³. 3 Less than 2.0 g / cm³ 3It is less than [value]. Furthermore, the density of the composition in this invention is determined by dividing the mass of the composition by its apparent volume. That is, it is the value obtained by dividing the weight of the composition by its apparent volume (the sum of the "volume of the composition itself" and the "volume of internal voids"). The density value is calculated using the "specific gravity (the density of water at 4°C under atmospheric pressure: 0.999972 g / cm³)". 3 Since this value is approximately equal to the ratio of the density of a certain substance to the volume of the composition, the numerical value in the above provision may be specified by specific gravity, which is a unitless number. Furthermore, the above provision regarding density may be satisfied by the "bulk density" or "apparent bulk density" calculated from the bulk density, which is obtained by dividing the weight of the composition by the apparent bulk volume of the composition (the sum of "the volume of the composition itself," "the volume of pores on the surface of the composition that communicate with the outside," "the volume of internal voids," and "the voids formed between the composition and the smallest volume of imaginary rectangular parallelepiped inscribed within it outside the composition").

[0147] In the production of the composition of the present invention, the composition can be obtained by kneading at high temperature and high pressure, then cooling while preventing expansion while maintaining the pressure, and finally reducing the pressure to approximately atmospheric pressure.

[0148] [III: Contains starch for cooking] solid form [Method for manufacturing the composition] (1) Overview: The manufacturing method of the present invention involves using the extruder of the present invention described above and performing at least the following steps (i) to (iii). (i) A step of preparing a composition that satisfies specific composition and physical properties. (ii) A step of transporting the composition of step (i) by the flight portion of the screw. (iii) A step in which the composition after being transported by the flight section in step (ii) is kneaded in the kneading section of the screw at an average temperature of less than 100°C and under a pressurized pressure of 1.0 MPa or more.

[0149] (2) Step (i): Preparation of dough composition In this stage (i), a composition that will form the basis of the solid composition of the present invention (this may be appropriately referred to as "paste-dough composition" or simply "dough composition" in the sense of "dough" before processing as a "paste composition") is prepared by mixing the ingredients that will be used as raw materials for the composition of the present invention, for example, beans and / or grains, with other ingredients that may be used optionally and water. The properties of the dough composition (i.e., dough) may be such that the ingredients are partially or completely integrated with water, and it may be liquid, sol, gel, or solid. It may also be plastic, like bread dough, or non-plastic, like crumbly dough. The method for preparing such a dough composition is not particularly limited, but the raw materials for the composition of the present invention described above, for example, one or more types of edible plants (preferably at least one or more types of beans and / or grains, and optionally one or more other types of edible plants), and optionally one or more other ingredients may be mixed and used as the dough composition. Furthermore, the manufacturing method of the present invention also includes, in addition to the embodiment of supplying the composition prepared in step (i) to the extruder, an embodiment of the present invention in which beans and / or grains are put into the feed in powder form, and water is added while conveying in the flight section to form a dough composition (i.e., an embodiment in which steps (i) and (ii) are performed simultaneously).

[0150] • Composition of the dough: Here, it is preferable that the dough composition be prepared to satisfy the various component compositions described below.

[0151] The starch content of the dough composition, on a wet mass basis, has a lower limit of, for example, usually 10.0% by mass or more, and an upper limit that is not limited but can be, for example, 80% by mass or less. More specifically, the lower limit is usually 10.0% by mass or more. In particular, it is preferable to have 15% by mass or more, or 20% by mass or more, or 25% by mass or more, or 30% by mass or more, or 35% by mass or more, or 40% by mass or more, or 45% by mass or more, and especially 50% by mass or more. The upper limit is not particularly limited but can be, for example, usually 80% by mass or less, or 75% by mass or less, or 70% by mass or less. Furthermore, it is preferable that the starch derived from legumes and / or grains satisfies the above requirements.

[0152] The dry-weight moisture content of the dough composition has a lower limit of, for example, usually 25% by mass or more, and an upper limit that is not limited but can be, for example, 200% by mass or less. More specifically, the lower limit is usually 25% by mass or more. In particular, it is preferable to have a moisture content of 30% by mass or more, or 35% by mass or more, or 40% by mass or more, or 45% by mass or more, or 50% by mass or more, or 55% by mass or more, or 60% by mass or more, or 65% by mass or more, or 70% by mass or more, or 75% by mass or more, and especially 80% by mass or more. The upper limit is not particularly limited but can be, for example, usually 200% by mass or less, or 175% by mass or less, or 150% by mass or less.

[0153] Furthermore, the dry-weight moisture content of the extruded composition of the present invention may be the same as the dry-weight moisture content of the dough composition described above. However, it is preferable to dry the processed dough composition, which contains a certain amount of moisture, as this causes some of the starch in the composition to retrograde, resulting in a composition that is less likely to stick to the surface after cooking. Therefore, it is preferable that the dry-weight moisture content of the composition of the present invention is less than or equal to the dry-weight moisture content of the dough composition.

[0154] The wet-mass ratio of dietary fiber (preferably insoluble dietary fiber) in the dough composition can be set to a lower limit of, for example, 3.0% by mass or more, and an upper limit that is not limited but can be set to, for example, 40% by mass or less. More specifically, the lower limit is usually 3.0% by mass or more. Preferably, it is 4.0% by mass or more, or 5.0% by mass or more, or 6.0% by mass or more, or 7.0% by mass or more, or 8.0% by mass or more, or 9.0% by mass or more, and especially 10% by mass or more. The upper limit is not particularly limited but can be, for example, usually 40% by mass or less, or 30% by mass or less. Furthermore, it is preferable that the above provisions regarding dietary fiber are also satisfied for soluble dietary fiber and / or insoluble dietary fiber. In other words, the wet mass ratio of soluble dietary fiber and / or insoluble dietary fiber in the dough composition can be, for example, typically in the range of 3.0% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less. More specifically, the lower limit is usually 3.0% by mass or more, more preferably 4.0% by mass or more, or 5.0% by mass or more, or 6.0% by mass or more, or 7.0% by mass or more, or 8.0% by mass or more, or 9.0% by mass or more, and especially preferably 10% by mass or more. The upper limit is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, typically 40% by mass or less, or 30% by mass or less. Furthermore, it is preferable that the dietary fiber (or insoluble dietary fiber or soluble dietary fiber) derived from legumes and / or grains satisfies the above requirements.

[0155] The wet mass percentage of protein in the dough composition has a lower limit of, for example, usually 3.0% by mass or more, and an upper limit that is not limited, but can be, for example, 40% by mass or less. More specifically, the lower limit is usually 3.0% by mass or more. In particular, it is preferable that it be 4.0% by mass or more, or 5.0% by mass or more, or 6.0% by mass or more, or 7.0% by mass or more, or 8.0% by mass or more, or 9.0% by mass or more, or 10% by mass or more, or 11% by mass or more, or 12% by mass or more, or 13% by mass or more, or 14% by mass or more, or 15% by mass or more, or 16% by mass or more, or 17% by mass or more, or 18% by mass or more. The upper limit is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, usually 40% by mass or less, or 30% by mass or less. It is also preferable that the protein derived from legumes and / or grains satisfies the above requirements.

[0156] Here, the content of dietary fiber (or insoluble dietary fiber), starch, and protein in the dough composition is a wet mass conversion ratio calculated with the total mass of the dough composition including water as the denominator and the content of each component as the numerator. The content of each component derived from the raw material edible plants (e.g., legumes and / or grains) can be adjusted to be equal to or greater than the specified value. In other words, in the present invention, the "wet mass conversion ratio" (sometimes simply referred to as "wet mass standard ratio," "wet mass standard," "wet mass conversion," or "wet weight standard") represents the content ratio of each component, etc., calculated with the wet mass including water in the composition or each fraction as the denominator and the content of each target component or target object as the numerator.

[0157] Furthermore, when edible plants (e.g., legumes and / or grains) are used as raw materials for the dough composition, the wet mass percentage of such edible plants (e.g., legumes and / or grains) can be in the range of, for example, 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less. More specifically, the lower limit is usually 30% by mass or more, and more preferably 40% by mass or more, or 50% by mass or more, or 60% by mass or more, or 70% by mass or more, or 80% by mass or more, or 90% by mass or more, or 100% by mass. The upper limit is not particularly limited, but can usually be 100% by mass or less.

[0158] Furthermore, when edible plants (e.g., legumes and / or grains) are used as raw materials for the dough composition, it is preferable that the ratio of the starch content and / or protein content derived from the edible plants (e.g., legumes and / or grains) to the total starch content and / or total protein content of the dough composition is above a predetermined value. Specifically, the ratio of the starch content derived from the edible plants (e.g., legumes and / or grains) to the total starch content of the dough composition can be in the range of 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less on a dry mass basis. More specifically, it is preferable that it be 30% by mass or more, and more preferably 40% by mass or more, or 50% by mass or more, or 60% by mass or more, or 70% by mass or more, or 80% by mass or more, or 90% by mass or more, or 100% by mass. There is no particular upper limit, but it can usually be 100% by mass or less. Furthermore, the ratio of protein content derived from edible plants (e.g., legumes and / or grains) to the total protein content of the dough composition can be in the range of, for example, 10% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less on a dry mass basis. More specifically, it is usually 10% by mass or more, more preferably 20% by mass or more, or 30% by mass or more, or 40% by mass or more, or 50% by mass or more, or 60% by mass or more, or 70% by mass or more, or 80% by mass or more, or 90% by mass or more, and especially preferably 100% by mass or more. Among the starches and proteins derived from legumes, those derived from peas are particularly preferred, and those derived from yellow peas are most preferred. Among the starches and proteins derived from grains, those derived from oats are preferred. Furthermore, it is preferable that the total amount of starch derived from legumes and grains satisfies the above requirements, and it is preferable that the total amount of protein derived from legumes and grains satisfies the above requirements.

[0159] • Specific surface area per unit volume after ultrasonic treatment of raw materials: One of the characteristics of the manufacturing method of the present invention is that the raw material used as the dough composition has a specific surface area per unit volume adjusted to a predetermined value or higher after ultrasonic treatment. For example, a pulverized product (paste or powder) can be produced by pulverizing an edible plant (legumes or grains) containing starch, protein, dietary fiber, etc., which has been pre-processed as required in step (i), until the specific surface area reaches a certain level or higher, and water can be optionally added to it for use as the raw material in step (i). The micronization treatment may be performed before processing the edible plant, simultaneously with processing using an extruder or the like, or after processing the edible plant. Specifically, one of the characteristics is that the specific surface area per unit volume after ultrasonic treatment is measured using the laser diffraction scattering method on a 2% by mass ethanol dispersion of the object to be measured, as described later, and is at or above a predetermined value. By using raw materials with these characteristics, it is possible to form a strong continuous starch structure by performing the transport (stage (ii)) and kneading (stage (iii)) described below under low temperature conditions below 100°C, without kneading under high temperature conditions above 100°C. This makes it possible to manufacture a solid composition for cooking that is less prone to cracking inside the composition even after a certain period (e.g., 3 days or more) of storage at room temperature, and in which components inside the composition are less likely to leak out after cooking. Specifically, the lower limit of the specific surface area per unit volume of the raw material after ultrasonic treatment is usually 0.10 m². 2 There is no upper limit, but for example, 2.5 ml or more. 2 It can be in the range of / mL. More specifically, its lower limit is usually 0.10m 2 It is 0.15 ml or more. 2 / mL or more, or 0.20m 2 / mL or more, or 0.25m 2 More than / mL, especially 0.30m 2 It is preferable to have a specific surface area per unit volume of 2.5 m² or more. In order to adjust the specific surface area per unit volume after ultrasonic treatment to a predetermined value or more, for example, the raw materials such as legumes and / or grains can be finely ground beforehand. There is no particular upper limit to the specific surface area per unit volume of the dough composition after ultrasonic treatment, but it is usually 2.5 m². 2 Less than / mL, or 2.2m2 Less than / mL, or 2.0m 2 It can be less than / mL.

[0160] Furthermore, the pulverized edible plant material used in step (i) (i.e., the "starch-containing food pulverized material" described later) may be partially or entirely a wet pulverized material (e.g., paste) containing a certain amount of moisture, or partially or entirely a dry pulverized material (e.g., powder) may be used as the raw material for step (i). When using a wet-ground product as a raw material in step (i), it is preferable that the dry-weight moisture content of the starch-containing food pulverized product be 25% by mass or more, or 30% by mass or more, and more preferably 35% by mass or more, or 40% by mass or more, or 45% by mass or more, or 50% by mass or more, or 55% by mass or more, or 60% by mass or more. On the other hand, there is no upper limit to the dry-weight moisture content, but from the viewpoint of industrial production efficiency, it may be, for example, 200% by mass or less, or 150% by mass or less, or 100% by mass or less. Furthermore, when using dried and pulverized material as a raw material in step (i), it is preferable that the dry-weight moisture content be less than 25% by mass, or less than 20% by mass, and more preferably less than 15% by mass, or less than 10% by mass. On the other hand, there is no lower limit to the dry-weight moisture content, but from the viewpoint of industrial production efficiency, it can be, for example, 0.5% by mass or more, or 1% by mass or more, or 2% by mass or more.

[0161] Furthermore, when using dried and / or wet-ground raw materials in step (i), the dough composition of step (i) can be obtained by optionally adding any amount of water with a dry weight moisture content of 0% to 200%. On the other hand, when using dried raw materials for part or all of the raw materials in step (i), it is preferable because the properties of the starch, including the degree of gelatinization, are more easily maintained during storage of the dried raw materials. Furthermore, as the wet-pulverized material, an undried composition that has not been dried after being extruded in step (iii) and beyond can be used. In particular, it is preferable to use the undried composition as the wet-pulverized material in step (i) at a rate of 50% by mass or less (40% by mass or 30% by mass or less; the lower limit is not particularly limited, but is usually 0% by mass or more, or 1% by mass or more) in proportion to 50% by mass or less in terms of wet mass, as this reduces product waste.

[0162] Furthermore, as a dried and pulverized product, it is possible to use a dried composition that has been extruded in step (iii) and later and then subjected to a drying treatment, which has been further crushed. In particular, it is preferable to use the dried and pulverized product in step (i) at a rate of 50% by mass or less (40% by mass or 30% by mass or less; the lower limit is not particularly limited, but is usually 0% by mass or more, or 1% by mass or more) on a wet mass basis, as this reduces product waste.

[0163] Therefore, the present invention includes the following invention A. (Invention A) A starch-containing food powder that satisfies the following (1) to (6) for use in preparing the composition in step (i). (1) The dietary fiber content is 3.0% by mass or more on a wet mass basis. (2) The starch content is 10.0% by mass or more on a wet mass basis. (3) The protein content is 3.0% by mass or more on a wet mass basis. (4) The dry moisture content is less than 25% by mass. (5) The degree of starch gelatinization is 40% by mass or more. (6) The specific surface area per unit volume after ultrasonic treatment is 0.10 m². 2 It is greater than or equal to / mL.

[0164] In this invention, the specific surface area per unit volume after ultrasonic treatment is measured under the following conditions after disturbing the dispersion of the fabric composition. First, ethanol is used as the solvent, as it is less likely to affect the structure of the sample during measurement of the fabric composition. Specifically, 1 g of the sample is immersed in 50 g of ethanol, left to stand for about 5 minutes, then thoroughly stirred and suspended with a spatula, and the solution (2% by mass ethanol dispersion) that has passed through an 8-mesh sieve with a mesh opening of 2.36 mm and a wire diameter of 1.0 mm (corresponding to "No. 8" specified in "Alternative" in "Nominal Dimensions, Permissible Variation for Wire Cloth of Standard Testing Sieves (USA) Standard Series" in USA Standard Testing Sieves ASTM Specifications E 11-04) is used for measurement. More specifically, 100g of the suspension (20°C) is evenly spread onto a sieve, and the sieve is vibrated with a load that does not change the composition size until the fraction mass on the sieve becomes constant. The solution that passes through the sieve is then used as a 2% by mass ethanol dispersion for measurement. The laser diffraction particle size distribution analyzer used for measurement is a laser diffraction particle size distribution analyzer that has a measurement range of at least 0.02 μm to 2000 μm by the laser diffraction scattering method. For example, the Microtrac MT3300 EX2 system from Microtrac-Bell Corporation is used, and the measurement application software is, for example, DMSII (Data Management System version 2, Microtrac-Bell Corporation). When using the above measurement device and software, before measurement, the cleaning button of the software is pressed to perform cleaning, then the Setzero button of the software is pressed to perform zeroing, and then the sample is directly loaded until the sample concentration falls within the appropriate range during sample loading.When measuring a sample after disturbance, i.e., a sample that has undergone sonication, first load the unsonicated sample, adjust the concentration to the appropriate range using sample loading, then press the sonication button in the software to perform sonication (3 minutes of treatment with 40kHz ultrasound at an output of 40W). After that, perform degassing three times, then perform sample loading again to confirm that the concentration is still within the appropriate range, and then quickly measure the result of laser diffraction at a flow rate of 60% for a measurement time of 10 seconds, and this result is taken as the measurement value. The parameters used during measurement are, for example, distribution display: volume, particle refractive index: 1.60, solvent refractive index: 1.36, upper measurement limit (μm) = 2000.00 μm, and lower measurement limit (μm) = 0.021 μm.

[0165] In this invention, the specific surface area per unit volume (m²) 2 Σ(ai) / mL represents the specific surface area per unit volume (1 mL) assuming the particles are spherical, as measured using the aforementioned laser diffraction particle size distribution analyzer. Note that the specific surface area per unit volume assuming the particles are spherical is a value based on a different measurement mechanism than measured values ​​(specific surface area per volume or per mass obtained by methods such as transmission or gas adsorption) that reflect the particle's composition and surface structure. Furthermore, the specific surface area per unit volume assuming the particles are spherical can be calculated by 6 × Σ(ai) ÷ Σ(ai·di), where ai is the surface area of ​​one particle and di is the particle diameter.

[0166] Furthermore, when measuring specific surface area per unit volume, it is preferable to measure the particle size distribution for each channel (CH) and then use the particle size for each measurement channel listed in Table A below as a standard. Specifically, the frequency of particles that are less than or equal to the particle size specified for each channel in Table A below, and that are larger than the particle size specified for the channel with the next larger number (or the lower limit particle size for the largest channel in the measurement range), is measured for each channel in Table A below, and the particle frequency % for each channel can be calculated using the total frequency of all channels within the measurement range as the denominator (this is also referred to as "particle frequency % for channel XX"). For example, the particle frequency % for channel 1 represents the frequency % of particles that are 2000.00 μm or less and larger than 1826.00 μm.

[0167] [Table A]

[0168] • Gelatinization degree of the starch in the raw material: One of the features of the manufacturing method of the present invention is the use of highly gelatinized starch as the starch used as the raw material for the dough composition. This makes it possible to form a strong continuous starch structure (matrix structure) by performing the transport (stage (ii)) and kneading (stage (iii)) described below under low temperature conditions below 100°C (the lower limit is not particularly limited, but is usually above 0°C), without kneading under high temperature conditions of 100°C or higher. This makes it possible to produce a solid composition for cooking that is less prone to cracking inside the composition even after a certain period of time (e.g., 3 days or more) during storage at room temperature, and in which components inside the composition are less likely to leak out after cooking. Specifically, the degree of starch gelatinization in the dough composition in stage (i) can be in the range of, for example, 40% by mass or more at the lower limit and, although not limited, 100% by mass or less at the upper limit. More specifically, the lower limit is usually 40% by mass or more. In particular, it is preferable that the amount be 50% by mass or more, or 60% by mass or more, or 70% by mass or more, or 80% by mass or more, or 90% by mass or more. There is no particular upper limit, but it is usually 100% by mass or less.

[0169] Furthermore, for similar reasons, it is preferable that the starch in the dough composition in step (i) is preheated to a certain temperature or higher. For example, in the present invention, it is preferable that the starch contained in the composition in step (i) is preheated to a maximum temperature of 100°C or higher under moisture conditions of a dry weight moisture content of 25% by mass or more (or 30% by mass or more, or 35% by mass or more, or 40% by mass or more). More specifically, it can be starch that has been preheated to a range of 100°C or more and 200°C or lower. More specifically, it is preferable that the starch has been preheated to a maximum temperature of 100°C or higher, or 110°C or higher, or 120°C or higher. There is no particular upper limit to the preheating temperature of the starch, but it can be 200°C or lower and 180°C or lower. Furthermore, starch that is heated at a high temperature while its dry-weight moisture content is below a certain level during preheating has the characteristic of being less processable due to thermal decomposition. Therefore, it is even more preferable that the starch in the dough composition in step (i) is starch that has been heated under a dry-weight moisture content of a certain level or higher. Specifically, the dry-weight moisture content of the starch during preheating can be in the range of, for example, 40% by mass or more and 200% by mass or less. More specifically, the lower limit is usually 40% by mass or more, more preferably 45% by mass or more, or 50% by mass or more, or 55% by mass or more, or 60% by mass or more, or 65% by mass or more, or 70% by mass or more, or 75% by mass or more, and especially preferably 80% by mass or more. The upper limit is not particularly limited, but can usually be 200% by mass or less, or 175% by mass or less, or 150% by mass or less. Furthermore, it is preferable that the starch is derived from edible plants, and even more preferable that it is starch in the state contained in edible plants. Furthermore, the ratio of the starch content derived from the edible plant (preferably legumes and / or grains) to the total starch content of the entire composition can be in the range of, for example, 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less on a dry mass basis. More specifically, it is preferable that the lower limit is usually 30% by mass or more, more preferably 40% by mass or more, or 50% by mass or more, or 60% by mass or more, or 70% by mass or more, or 80% by mass or more, or 90% by mass or more, and especially preferably 100% by mass or more.

[0170] • Starch-degrading enzyme activity of the raw material: Furthermore, in order to obtain a composition of the present invention in which the starch-degrading enzyme activity is below a predetermined value, it is preferable to use starch or edible plants containing the same (e.g., legumes and / or cereals) processed to have a starch-degrading enzyme activity lower than a predetermined value as the raw material for the dough composition in step (i). Specifically, the starch-degrading enzyme activity of the dough composition containing starch or edible plants containing the same (e.g., legumes and / or cereals) can be in the range of, for example, 0.0 U / g to 60.0 U / g on a dry mass basis. More specifically, these raw materials can be used so that the activity is usually 60.0 U / g or less. In particular, it is preferable to have an activity of 50.0 U / g or less, or 40.0 U / g or less, or 30.0 U / g or less. On the other hand, the lower limit of such a percentage is not particularly limited, but is usually 0.0 U / g or more, or 0.1 U / g or more. Because starch-degrading enzymes in edible plants (e.g., legumes and / or grains) are highly heat-resistant, a processing method to obtain edible plants with low starch-degrading enzyme activity is preferably to perform heat treatment at a predetermined temperature or higher in an environment with a dry moisture content of 50% by mass or more. Specifically, the heating temperature in an environment with a dry moisture content of 50% by mass or more can be, for example, in the range of 100°C to less than 200°C. More specifically, the lower limit is usually 100°C or higher, preferably 110°C or higher, and especially preferably 120°C or higher. On the other hand, there is no particular limit to the upper limit of such a temperature, but it is usually less than 200°C. The heating time can be set arbitrarily until the starch-degrading enzyme activity is adjusted to a predetermined value, but it is usually 0.1 minutes or more.

[0171] • Raw material PDI: Furthermore, as the composition of the present invention, it is preferable to use a protein processed to have a PDI value lower than a predetermined value or an edible plant containing the same (e.g., legumes and / or cereals) as the raw material for the dough composition in step (i). Specifically, the PDI value of the protein or edible plant containing the same (e.g., legumes and / or cereals) used as the raw material for the dough composition can be, for example, in the range of 0% by mass or more and less than 55% by mass. More specifically, it is preferable that the upper limit is less than 55% by mass. In particular, it is desirable that it be less than 50% by mass, more preferably less than 45% by mass, especially less than 40% by mass, or less than 35% by mass, or less than 30% by mass, or less than 25% by mass, or less than 20% by mass, or less than 15% by mass, and especially less than 10% by mass. On the other hand, the lower limit of such a percentage is not particularly limited, but is usually 0% by mass or more, more preferably 2% by mass or more, and especially preferably 4% by mass or more.

[0172] The PDI (protein dispersibility index) value is an indicator of protein solubility and can be calculated according to a standard method as the percentage of water-soluble nitrogen relative to the total nitrogen percentage of the entire composition (water-soluble nitrogen percentage / total nitrogen percentage of the entire composition × 100 (%)). Specifically, 20 times the mass of water is added to the sample to be measured, and the sample is crushed (crushed at 8500 rpm for 10 minutes using a homogenizer NS-310E3 manufactured by Microtech Nichion Co., Ltd.). The total nitrogen percentage of the resulting crushed liquid is multiplied by 20 to measure the total nitrogen percentage of the entire composition. Next, the crushed liquid is centrifuged (at 3000 G for 10 minutes), and the water-soluble nitrogen percentage of the resulting supernatant is multiplied by 20 to measure the PDI value of the composition. The method for measuring the total nitrogen percentage is the combustion method (modified Dumas method) specified in the Food Labeling Act ("Regarding Food Labeling Standards" (Shokuhokuhyo No. 139, March 30, 2015)).

[0173] Furthermore, it is preferable that the ratio of the protein content in the edible plant (e.g., legumes and / or grains) to the total protein content in the aforementioned composition is above a predetermined value, and that the PDI value is below a predetermined value, as this results in a composition that is less likely to leach components into the boiling water. As a processing method for obtaining protein with a low PDI value and protein in the edible plant (e.g., legumes and / or grains), it is preferable to perform heat treatment at a predetermined temperature or higher in an environment with a dry moisture content of 30% by mass or higher. For example, it can be in the range of 100°C to less than 200°C. More specifically, it is preferable that it be 100°C or higher. In particular, it is desirable that it be 105°C or higher, even more preferably 110°C or higher, and especially 120°C or higher. On the other hand, there is no particular limit to the upper limit of such temperature, but it is usually below 200°C. The heating time can be set arbitrarily until the PDI value is adjusted to a predetermined value, but it is usually 0.1 minutes or more, and there is no particular limit to the upper limit, but it is usually 60 minutes.

[0174] • Particle size of insoluble dietary fiber in the raw material: In addition, when using edible plants (such as beans and / or miscellaneous grains) as raw materials for the fabric composition, since the shape of insoluble dietary fiber does not change significantly during the kneading process, it is preferable that the insoluble dietary fiber derived from such edible plants (such as beans and / or miscellaneous grains) has a predetermined size. Here, the probability that the insoluble dietary fiber size in usually casually crushed bean and / or miscellaneous grain powders exceeds 450 μm is high (the shape of the insoluble dietary fiber contained in beans and / or miscellaneous grains is usually rod-shaped, and a relatively large value is obtained in the laser diffraction particle size distribution measurement of the present invention). Therefore, it is preferable to use the insoluble dietary fiber contained in the food materials used in the present invention (especially food materials containing hard tissues such as beans with seed coats and miscellaneous grains with bran parts), which have been subjected to a specific crushing process in advance and whose size is within a specific range. Specifically, similar to that described above for the insoluble dietary fiber contained in the composition, a water suspension of an edible plant (such as beans and / or miscellaneous grains) is treated with protease and amylase to decompose starch and protein by enzymes. For the composition after the starch-protein decomposition treatment, a method of measuring the particle size distribution after applying ultrasonic treatment in the same manner as the specific surface area per unit volume described above using a laser diffraction particle size distribution measuring device is used. Specifically, a 6% by mass water suspension of the powder of the edible plant is treated at 20°C for 3 days with 0.4% by volume of protease and 0.02% by mass of α-amylase (the above [Procedure b]) to perform the starch-protein decomposition treatment. After applying ultrasonic treatment to the obtained treated product, the particle size distribution is measured, and the particle size (d 90 and / or d 50 ) may be used. Through such treatment, starch and protein among the components of the edible plant are decomposed, and the particle size distribution of the obtained decomposition product is considered to reflect the particle size distribution of the structure mainly composed of insoluble dietary fiber.

[0175] Specifically, the particle size d of the insoluble dietary fiber in the edible plant (such as beans and / or miscellaneous grains) obtained by the above procedure 90For example, it can be in the range of 1 μm to 450 μm. More specifically, it is more preferable that the upper limit is usually 450 μm or less, or 400 μm or less, or 350 μm or less, or 300 μm or less, or 250 μm or less, or 200 μm or less, or 150 μm or less, or 100 μm or less, or 90 μm or less, or 80 μm or less, or 70 μm or less, or 60 μm or less, or 50 μm or less. Similarly, the particle size d of insoluble dietary fiber in edible plants (e.g., legumes and / or grains) obtained in the above procedure. 50 For example, it can be in the range of 1 μm to 450 μm. More specifically, it is more preferable that the upper limit is usually 450 μm or less, or 400 μm or less, or 350 μm or less, or 300 μm or less, or 250 μm or less, or 200 μm or less, or 150 μm or less, or 100 μm or less, or 90 μm or less, or 80 μm or less, or 70 μm or less, or 60 μm or less, or 50 μm or less. Particle size d of insoluble dietary fiber contained in edible plants 90 and / or particle size d 50 If the particle size d of the insoluble dietary fiber exceeds the aforementioned range, the effects of the present invention may become less likely to be achieved. The reason for this is not clear, but it is thought that coarse insoluble dietary fiber inhibits the formation of matrix structures such as starch, making it difficult to achieve the effects of the present invention. On the other hand, the particle size d of the insoluble dietary fiber contained in edible plants 90 and / or particle size d 50 The lower limit is not particularly limited, but is usually 1 μm or more, more preferably 3 μm or more.

[0176] • Stained CFW areas of the raw material: Furthermore, when edible plants (e.g., legumes and / or grains) are used as raw materials for the dough composition, the shape of the dietary fiber does not change significantly during the kneading process. Therefore, it is preferable that the insoluble dietary fiber contained in such edible plants (e.g., legumes and / or grains) has a predetermined shape. Specifically, as described above regarding the insoluble dietary fiber contained in the composition, it is preferable that when a starch-protein hydrolyzed product (specifically, a product treated with starch-protein hydrolysis according to [procedure b] above) is stained with CFW (Calcofluor White) and observed under a fluorescence microscope, the average longest diameter and / or average aspect ratio of the CFW-stained area are, in each case, below predetermined values. The CFW-stained area thus obtained is considered to have a structure mainly composed of insoluble dietary fiber. Specifically, the arithmetic mean of the longest diameter of the CFW-stained areas in edible plants (e.g., legumes and / or cereals) measured by the above procedure can be, for example, in the range of 2 μm to 450 μm. More specifically, the upper limit is usually preferably 450 μm or less, or 400 μm or less, or 350 μm or less, or 300 μm or less, or 250 μm or less, or 200 μm or less, or 150 μm or less, or 100 μm or less, or 90 μm or less, or 80 μm or less, or 70 μm or less, or 60 μm or less, or 50 μm or less. If the average value of the longest diameter of the CFW-stained areas exceeds the above range, the effects of the present invention may be less likely to be achieved. The reason for this is not clear, but it is thought that insoluble dietary fiber with a large longest diameter inhibits the formation of matrix structures such as starch, making it difficult to achieve the effects of the present invention. On the other hand, the lower limit of the arithmetic mean of the longest diameter of the CFW-stained area is not particularly limited, but is usually 2 μm or more, more preferably 3 μm or more.

[0177] In addition, in the kneading process of the subsequent step (iii), since the shape of the dietary fiber does not change significantly, as the edible plant containing dietary fiber (particularly insoluble dietary fiber) (for example, legumes and / or coarse grains), it is preferable to use a powdery one processed so that the dietary fiber contained therein has an aspect ratio of a certain value or less. Here, the probability that the aspect ratio of the CFW-dyed portion of the dietary fiber in the powder of an edible plant (for example, legumes and / or coarse grains) that is usually crushed haphazardly is a value exceeding 5.0 is high (particularly, since the shape of the insoluble dietary fiber contained in legumes and / or coarse grains is usually rod-shaped). Also, when performing air classification or the like on the powder of an edible plant (for example, legumes and / or coarse grains), the powder of the edible plant with a specific shape is removed, and the probability that the aspect ratio of the CFW-dyed portion of the dietary fiber is too high or too low is high. Therefore, as the powder of an edible plant (for example, legumes and / or coarse grains), it is preferable to use one that has been subjected to a specific crushing treatment in advance and in which the arithmetic mean value of the aspect ratio of the CFW-dyed portion representing the dietary fiber is within a specific range. Specifically, the arithmetic mean value of the aspect ratio of the CFW-dyed portion in the powder of an edible plant (for example, legumes and / or coarse grains) measured by the above procedure can be, for example, in the range of 1.1 or more and 5.0 or less. More specifically, the lower limit thereof is usually 5.0 or less, particularly preferably 4.5 or less, or 4.0 or less, or 3.5 or less, or 3.0 or less, or 2.5 or less, especially 2.0 or less. When the average value of the aspect ratio of such a CFW-dyed portion exceeds the above range, the effects of the present invention may be difficult to achieve. The reason is not clear, but it is considered that dietary fiber (particularly insoluble dietary fiber) having a large aspect ratio inhibits the formation of a matrix structure such as starch, making it difficult to achieve the effects of the present invention. On the other hand, the lower limit of the arithmetic mean value of the aspect ratio of such a CFW-dyed portion is not particularly limited, but is usually preferably 1.1 or more, and more preferably 1.3 or more.

[0178] In addition, the method for measuring various parameters regarding the dietary fiber in an edible plant (for example, legumes and / or coarse grains) that is a raw material of the fabric composition, that is, treatment with amylase and protease, ultrasonic treatment, particle size distribution (particle size d 90 and d 50The specific conditions and procedures for measurement, CFW staining, fluorescence microscopy observation, etc., shall be measured in accordance with the methods for measuring various parameters related to dietary fiber in the composition described above.

[0179] • Micronization and pulverization of raw materials: In the present invention, when edible plants (e.g., legumes and / or grains) are used as raw materials for the dough composition, it is preferable to use edible plants that have been finely ground and powdered. The means and conditions for the fine grinding and powdering process are not particularly limited. Specifically, the temperature during the fine grinding and powdering process is not particularly limited, but if the powder is exposed to high temperatures, the elasticity of the composition of the present invention tends to decrease, so it is preferable to dry it at a temperature of 200°C or lower (the lower limit is not particularly limited, but usually 40°C or higher). However, when legumes and / or grains are used as edible plants, if the method involves heating the legumes and / or grains before grinding, the heat load is reduced, so the temperature is not particularly limited. Also, the pressure during the fine grinding and powdering process is not limited, and high-pressure grinding, atmospheric pressure grinding, or low-pressure grinding may be used. Examples of equipment for such fine grinding include, but are not limited to, blenders, mixers, mills, kneaders, pulverizers, crushers, and grinders. Specifically, for example, dry bead mills, ball mills (rolling type, vibrating type, etc.) and other media stirring mills, jet mills, high-speed rotating impact mills (pin mills, etc.), roll mills, hammer mills, etc. can be used.

[0180] • Heat treatment of raw materials with water: In the manufacturing method of the present invention, when using edible plants containing starch and / or protein (e.g., legumes and / or grains) as raw materials for the dough composition, it is preferable to use materials that have been preheated under conditions including water as a pretreatment. Since the decomposition of starch into smaller molecules is suppressed when raw materials are preheated and hydrated in this way, it becomes easier to obtain a solid composition that is less prone to surface binding.

[0181] Specifically, the dry-weight moisture content of edible plants during heat-hydration treatment is not limited, but can be in the range of, for example, 25% by mass or 200% by mass or less. More specifically, the lower limit is usually 25% by mass or more, preferably 30% by mass or more, or 40% by mass or more, and especially preferably 50% by mass or more. The upper limit of the dry-weight moisture content is not particularly limited, but can be in the range of, for example, 200% by mass or less, and especially preferably 175% by mass or less. Furthermore, the heating temperature during heat-hydration treatment of edible plants is not limited, but can be in the range of, for example, 100°C to 200°C. More specifically, the lower limit is usually 100°C or more, or preferably 110°C or more, or 120°C or more. The upper limit of the heating temperature is not limited, but can be in the range of, for example, 200°C or less, and especially preferably 190°C or less.

[0182] In this invention, it is more preferable to preheat both the edible plant containing starch and the edible plant containing protein with water before use, and it is even more preferable to preheat the edible plant containing both starch and protein with water before use. The edible plant can be heated with water by, for example, steam heating. For example, it is preferable that the starch contained in the composition of step (i) is derived from edible plants heated to a maximum temperature of 100°C or higher under a moisture content of 25% by mass or more (or 30% by mass or more, or 35% by mass or more, or 40% by mass or more) on a dry basis, and it is even more preferable that the starch is in a state in which it is contained in the edible plant. Furthermore, it is preferable that the ratio of the starch content derived from the edible plant (preferably legumes and / or grains) to the total starch content of the entire composition is usually 30% by mass or more, more preferably 40% by mass or more, or 50% by mass or more, or 60% by mass or more, or 70% by mass or more, or 80% by mass or more, or 90% by mass or more, and especially 100% by mass or more, on a dry mass basis.

[0183] On the other hand, especially powdering (for example d 90 and / or d 50When using pre-heated starch-containing edible plants (such as beans and / or miscellaneous grains) with a size of less than 1000 μm, if those heated (for example, with a maximum reaching temperature of 100 °C or higher) in a dry environment with a moisture content of less than 25% on a dry weight basis are used, the starch will be locally heated and overheated, promoting the thermal decomposition of the starch in its structure, solubilizing the amylose in its structure, and the composition may become sticky and have an unfavorable quality.

[0184] In addition, as the extruder used in the production method of the present invention, when performing a high-temperature and high-pressure heat treatment on raw materials such as beans and / or miscellaneous grains by treating them at a high temperature of 100 °C or higher in the front stage of the extruder and adjusting the internal temperature to less than 100 °C in the rear stage to implement each stage of the production method of the present invention (for example, the extruder 102 in Mode B shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 above, or when using two independent extruders connected in tandem, etc.), after performing the heat and water treatment of the raw materials described in this section in the front stage of the extruder, it is possible to continuously implement the production method of the present invention in the rear stage of the extruder as it is, so this may be preferable from the perspective of efficiency.

[0185] • An embodiment in which a pre-processing treatment is performed at high temperature, high pressure, and strong kneading in the pre-extruder section: Also, as a modification of the mode using two independent extruders, after performing a high-temperature and high-pressure strong kneading treatment on beans and / or miscellaneous grains as raw materials in the front extruder in advance, the composition can be optionally dried and then pulverized to produce a starch-containing pulverized composition, which may be used as part or all of the raw material (edible plant processed product) when producing the composition in step (i) of the extruder in the mode shown in FIG. 1. That is, in the first half of the processing corresponding to the pretreatment in this mode, the production conditions of the starch-containing pulverized composition or the dried and pulverized starch-containing composition described later can be adopted.

[0186] Furthermore, in the configuration of embodiment B shown in Figure 3, the processing of the first half, which corresponds to pretreatment (for example, the first half of an extruder having a tandem screw as shown in Figures 3 and 4, specifically a twin-screw extruder having functions corresponding to 204A and 204B in Figure 3), may be used to produce starch-containing food pulverized material or dried starch-containing food pulverized material. That is, in the processing of the first half, which corresponds to pretreatment in this embodiment, the production conditions for starch-containing food pulverized material or dried starch-containing food pulverized material described later can be adopted.

[0187] Furthermore, when manufacturing the starch-containing food pulverized raw material, it is preferable to add water appropriately in the extruder during high-temperature, high-pressure, and strong kneading so that the dry-weight moisture content of the dough composition (moisture content with the weight of the sample without water as the denominator, where the weight of the sample without water is 100) is at a predetermined ratio. This is preferable because it results in a food pulverized product that satisfies the requirements (a) and / or (b) regarding the starch granule structure described later. For example, the dry-weight moisture content can be in the range of 3% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less. More specifically, it is preferable to set the lower limit of the dry-weight moisture content of the dough composition to 3% by mass or more, more preferably 5% by mass or more, even more preferably 7% by mass or more, and especially preferably 10% by mass or more, as this helps the dough integrate and increases the kneading strength. There is no particular upper limit, but it is generally preferable that the amount is 100% by mass or less, preferably 80% by mass or less, more preferably 60% by mass or less, or 50% by mass or less, or less than 50% by mass, or 40% by mass or less, or less than 40% by mass, or 30% by mass or less, or less than 30% by mass, or 25% by mass or less, or less than 25% by mass, as this facilitates the drying process.

[0188] Furthermore, especially when manufacturing starch-containing food pulverized products as described later, it is preferable to use a relatively small amount of water during high-temperature, high-pressure, and strong kneading. For example, the dry-weight moisture content of the dough composition can be in the range of 3% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less. More specifically, it is preferable that the upper limit of the dry-weight moisture content of the dough composition is 60% by mass or less, or 50% by mass or less, or less than 50% by mass, or 40% by mass or less, or less than 40% by mass, or 30% by mass or less, or less than 30% by mass, or 25% by mass or less, as this results in a quality that is easily expanded. The lower limit is not particularly limited, but it is usually 3% by mass or more, more preferably 5% by mass or more, even more preferably 7% by mass or more, and especially preferably 10% by mass or more.

[0189] Furthermore, it is preferable that, at this stage, 50% to 100% by mass of the total water content to be added during processing is mixed with the raw materials, which are beans and / or grains, beforehand before being fed into the extruder.

[0190] Furthermore, as specific conditions for kneading in the extruder during the production of the starch-containing food pulverized raw material, it is preferable that the SME (specific mechanical energy) value, determined by formula I, is above a predetermined value, so that the starch granules are sufficiently destroyed and the food pulverized material satisfies the requirements (a) and / or (b) regarding the starch granule structure described later. Specifically, it is preferable that the SME value is contained in the range of 300 kJ / kg to 5000 kJ / kg, for example, so that the starch granules are sufficiently destroyed. More specifically, it is preferable to knead under conditions where the lower limit is usually 300 kJ / kg or higher, and more particularly 320 kJ / kg or higher, or 330 kJ / kg or higher, or 340 kJ / kg or higher, or 350 kJ / kg or higher, or 360 kJ / kg or higher, or 370 kJ / kg or higher, or 380 kJ / kg or higher, or 390 kJ / kg or higher, or 400 kJ / kg or higher. There is no particular upper limit, but it can usually be 5000 kJ / kg or less, or 4000 kJ / kg or less, or 3000 kJ / kg or less, or 2000 kJ / kg or less. In addition, it is preferable to set the screw rotation speed of the extruder to more than 150 rpm, and more preferably more than 200 rpm or more than 250 rpm.

[0191] Furthermore, the above-mentioned kneading is carried out under pressurized conditions, that is, under conditions of pressurization relative to atmospheric pressure. It is preferable to carry out the kneading under conditions where a higher pressure than usual is applied. The pressure during kneading can be measured by measuring the outlet pressure of the extruder. The lower limit of the pressure to be applied relative to atmospheric pressure during kneading is usually 0.01 MPa or higher, and it is preferable that it be 0.03 MPa or higher, or 0.05 MPa or higher, or 0.1 MPa or higher, or 0.2 MPa or higher, or 0.3 MPa or higher, or 0.5 MPa or higher, or 1.0 MPa or higher, or 2.0 MPa or higher, or 3.0 MPa or higher. On the other hand, there is no particular limit to the upper limit of the pressure applied relative to atmospheric pressure during kneading, but it can be, for example, 50 MPa or lower, or 30 MPa or lower, or 10 MPa or lower. In addition, it is preferable to install a flow delay structure near the end point on the front side of the kneading section (preferably immediately after the end point on the front side of the kneading section) because this can increase the pressure in the kneading section.

[0192] Furthermore, setting the kneading temperature in the extruder to 100°C or higher is preferable because it destroys the starch granule structure in the beans and / or grains, resulting in a food pulverized product that satisfies the requirements (a) and / or (b) regarding the starch granule structure described later. Specifically, the kneading temperature can be, for example, in the range of 100°C to 300°C. More specifically, the lower limit is usually 100°C or higher, but it is particularly preferable to set it to 105°C or higher, or 110°C or higher, or 115°C or higher. Setting the lower limit temperature during extrusion as described above allows for a composition in an expanded state that is easy to pulverize afterward. On the other hand, the upper limit of the extrusion temperature may usually be 300°C or lower, or 250°C or lower, or 200°C or lower, or 190°C or lower, or 180°C or lower, or 170°C or lower, or 165°C or lower, or 160°C or lower, or 155°C or lower.

[0193] Furthermore, the extrusion temperature of the dough when extruding a composition that has undergone high-temperature, high-pressure, and strong kneading treatment at the said temperature is not limited, but may be 100°C or higher, or less than 100°C. In this case, a composition extruded at less than 100°C will be in a non-expanded state after extrusion (density 1.00 g / cm³). 3 (The above) Compositions extruded at temperatures above 100°C will expand after extrusion (density 1.00 g / cm³) 3 It may be less than a certain temperature. When the outlet temperature in the extruder is set below a predetermined temperature (e.g., less than 100°C) to obtain a composition that is in a non-expanded state after extrusion, the temperature during the extrusion process can be, for example, in the range of 0°C or more and less than 100°C. More specifically, the lower limit is usually less than 100°C, or less than 95°C, or less than 90°C, or less than 85°C, or less than 80°C, or less than 75°C, or less than 70°C, or less than 65°C, or less than 60°C. The lower limit is not particularly limited, but it can usually be 0°C or higher, or 4°C or higher, or 10°C or higher, or 20°C or higher, or 30°C or higher, or 40°C or higher, and especially 50°C or higher.

[0194] Furthermore, it is preferable to extrude a composition that is expanded after being extruded by setting the outlet temperature of the extruder to a predetermined temperature or higher (for example, 100°C or higher), as this makes the starch supporting structure easier to crush and facilitates subsequent grinding. The principle is thought to be that the water in the pressurized dough composition inside the extruder remains in a liquid state despite the temperature being above 100°C, and is then rapidly released to atmospheric pressure. As the pressure decreases, the water in the dough rapidly vaporizes, forming voids within the composition, resulting in an expanded composition after extrusion. However, in the production of an expanded composition, it is necessary to extrude the dough composition vigorously before it cools down, so there is usually no motivation to employ a strong kneading process that reduces the conveying speed. Moreover, if the temperature of the dough composition inside the extruder is lowered, the composition will not expand at all, so there are obstacles to adopting a process that keeps the extrusion temperature below 100°C. Furthermore, in the production of a expanded composition, the outlet temperature of the extruder should be 100°C or higher, but more specifically, the temperature during extrusion can be in the range of 100°C to 300°C. More specifically, the lower limit is usually 100°C or higher, but it is preferable to set it to 105°C or higher, or 110°C or higher, or 115°C or higher. By setting the lower limit temperature during extrusion as described above, an expanded composition that is easy to grind afterward can be produced. On the other hand, the upper limit of the temperature during extrusion may usually be 300°C or lower, or 250°C or lower, or 200°C or lower, or 190°C or lower, or 180°C or lower, or 170°C or lower, or 165°C or lower, or 160°C or lower, or 155°C or lower.

[0195] Furthermore, it is preferable that the "expanded state" composition in the present invention has a density less than a predetermined value. Specifically, the density of the "expanded state" composition in the present invention is, for example, 0.01 g / cm³. 3 More than 1.00g / cm 3 It is preferable to keep it in the range of less than 1.00 g / cm³. More specifically, the upper limit is 1.00 g / cm³. 3 Less than 0.90 g / cm³ is preferable, and more preferably 0.90 g / cm³. 3 Less than 0.80 g / cm³ 3It is preferable that the value be less than 0.01 g / cm³. There is no particular lower limit, but it is usually 0.01 g / cm³. 3 Above, or 0.05 g / cm³ 3 Above, or 0.10 g / cm³ 3 This can be done.

[0196] Furthermore, when grinding the extruded composition, the particle size d after ultrasonic treatment is 50 and / or d 90 (preferably particle size d) 50 and d 90 The particles are ground so that both of them are approximately 1000 μm or less. Note that the particle size d after ultrasonic treatment is also specified. 50 and / or d 90 (preferably particle size d) 50 and d 90 The lower limit of both is not particularly limited, but is usually preferably 1 μm or larger. The known methods described above can be used for such grinding.

[0197] Furthermore, the extruded composition may optionally undergo a drying treatment. The drying treatment may be performed before or after the grinding treatment, but it is preferable to perform the drying treatment before the grinding treatment because it allows for smoother grinding. When a drying treatment is performed, it is preferable that the dry-weight moisture content decreases by 5% or more before and after the drying treatment (i.e., the decrease rate defined by "(the ratio in the composition before drying treatment - the ratio in the composition after drying treatment) / the ratio in the composition before drying treatment" is above a certain value). Such a decrease rate is preferably 10% or more, more preferably 15% or more, particularly 20% or more, or 25% or more, or 30% or more, or 35% or more, or 40% or more, or 45% or more, and especially preferably 50% or more. There is no particular upper limit, but for example, it can usually be 100% or less, or 95% or less. Furthermore, it is preferable that the dry-weight moisture content of the composition after drying is less than 60% by mass, or less than 55% by mass, and more preferably less than 50% by mass, or less than 45% by mass, or less than 40% by mass, or less than 35% by mass, or less than 30% by mass, or less than 25% by mass, or less than 20% by mass, or less than 15% by mass. On the other hand, the lower limit of the dry-weight moisture content in the composition of the present invention is not limited, but from the viewpoint of industrial production efficiency, it can be, for example, 0.5% by mass or more, or 1% by mass or more, or 2% by mass or more. Note that the dry-weight moisture content in the composition of the present invention may originate from the various components of the composition, or it may originate from water further added during processing in the present invention.

[0198] Furthermore, in a configuration where two types of screws with different functions are connected in series, as shown in the configuration of embodiment B in Figure 3, in an embodiment in which a composition that has undergone high-temperature, high-pressure, and strong kneading treatment on the raw materials, legumes and / or grains, in a preceding extruder is used as part or all of the raw materials (edible plant processed products) used in step (i) manufacturing in the extruder of the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the starch-containing food pulverized product can be stored at room temperature (20°C) for a certain period of time (for example, from one day to 10 years). However, in order to suppress starch retrogradation during storage, it is preferable to use a dried pulverized starch-containing composition that has undergone drying treatment either before or after the pulverization treatment.

[0199] Furthermore, it is preferable that the degree of starch gelatinization of the dried pulverized starch-containing composition after drying is above a predetermined value, as this makes it less likely for cracks to form inside the composition even after a certain period of time (e.g., 3 days or more) has passed during storage at room temperature, and also makes it easier to obtain the effect that components inside the composition are less likely to leak out after cooking. Specifically, the degree of starch gelatinization in the dried pulverized starch-containing composition can be in the range of 50% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less. More specifically, it is usually 50% by mass or more, and more preferably 60% by mass or more, or 70% by mass or more, or 80% by mass or more, and especially preferably 85% by mass or more. There is no particular upper limit to the degree of gelatinization, but it is usually 100% by mass or less, or 99% by mass or less, or 95% by mass or less, or 90% by mass or less.

[0200] Therefore, the present invention includes the following inventions B and C. (Invention B) A method for producing a starch-containing food powder for use in step (i) using an extruder, comprising the following steps (I) to (V), for producing a puffed food composition. (I) A step of adding water to the legume powder and / or grain powder to adjust the dry-weight moisture content to 3% by mass or more, or 5% by mass or more, or 7% by mass or more, or 10% by mass or more, with no particular upper limit, but usually 100% by mass or less, or 80% by mass or less, or 60% by mass or less, or 40% by mass or less, or 30% by mass or less. (II) A step in which the composition prepared in step (I) is kneaded under pressurized conditions at a temperature of 100°C to 300°C, with an SME value of 300kJ / kg or more, or 320kJ / kg or more, or 330kJ / kg or more, or 340kJ / kg or more, or 350kJ / kg or more, or 360kJ / kg or more, or 370kJ / kg or more, or 380kJ / kg or more, or 390kJ / kg or more, or 400kJ / kg or more, although the upper limit is not particularly limited, for example, usually 5000kJ / kg or less, or 4000kJ / kg or less, or 3000kJ / kg or less, or 2000kJ / kg or less. (III) A step in which the kneaded composition from step (II) is extruded under atmospheric pressure to expand. (IV) A step in which the composition from step (III) is optionally subjected to a drying treatment. (V) A step of grinding the composition of step (III) or (IV). (Invention C) A method for producing a starch-containing food powder, wherein the composition temperature in step (III) is 100°C or higher, in the present invention B.

[0201] Furthermore, in configurations such as the one shown in Figure 3, which involves two types of screws with different functions connected in series, two independent extruders are connected in series, and the composition heated in the preceding extruder is directly connected, conveyed by a conveyor, or air-conveyed and supplied to the subsequent extruder within a certain time between the completion of the preceding process and the start of the subsequent process. In this configuration, the aforementioned manufacturing conditions can be adopted for the processing in the first half, which corresponds to pretreatment. In particular, to suppress starch aging during the transport process from the preceding extruder to the subsequent extruder, it is preferable to set the outlet temperature of the first half of the extruder, which corresponds to pretreatment, below a predetermined temperature (e.g., below 100°C) to ensure that the composition remains in a non-expanded state after extrusion. The temperature during this extrusion process can be, for example, in the range of 0°C to less than 100°C. More specifically, the lower limit is usually below 100°C, preferably below 95°C, even more preferably below 90°C, or below 85°C, or below 80°C, or below 75°C, or below 70°C, or below 65°C, or below 60°C, or below 55°C, or below 50°C, or below 45°C, and particularly preferably below 40°C. The lower limit is not particularly limited, but can usually be 0°C or higher, or 4°C or higher.

[0202] Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is preferable not to perform a drying treatment on the extruded composition in order to suppress starch retrogradation. That is, it is preferable that the difference in the decrease in dry-weight moisture content before and after the transport process from the preceding extruder to the subsequent extruder is 10% by mass or less (i.e., the difference in decrease defined by "dry-weight moisture content of the composition immediately after being extruded from the preceding extruder - dry-weight moisture content of the composition supplied to the subsequent extruder" is below a certain value). In particular, it is preferable that it be 8% by mass or less, and more preferably 5% by mass or less. The lower limit is not limited, but from the viewpoint of industrial production efficiency, it can be, for example, 0% by mass or more, or 0.5% by mass or more, or 1% by mass or more, or 2% by mass or more. Note that the dry-weight moisture content in the composition of the present invention may originate from the various components of the composition, but may also originate from water further added during processing in the present invention. For example, in order to suppress this difference in decrease, the relative humidity around the composition may be increased compared to the outside environment by partially sealing the transport environment from the outside environment, or mist-like moisture may be sprayed.

[0203] • Particle size of the dough composition The particle size of the whole dough composition is preferably the same as that of the above-mentioned edible plant powder (such as beans and / or miscellaneous grains) preferably used as a raw material. Specifically, when measuring the particle size of the whole dough composition, ethanol, which is difficult to affect the structure of the sample during the measurement of the composition as a solvent, is used. And when measuring, a dispersion liquid in which the sample is diluted and suspended in a solvent in advance is used, and the measurement is carried out in a state where the sample is homogeneously suspended in the solvent. Specifically, 1 g of the sample is immersed in 50 g of ethanol, allowed to stand for about 5 minutes, and then stirred and suspended well with a spatula. The solution (2% by mass ethanol dispersion liquid) that passes through an 8-mesh sieve (corresponding to "No. 8" specified in "Alternative" in "Nominal Dimensions, Permissible Variation for Wire Cloth of Standard Testing Sieves (U.S.A.) Standard Series" in ASTM Specifications E 11-04 of U.S.A. Standard Testing Sieves, with an aperture of 2.36 mm and a wire diameter (Wire Dia.) of 1.0 mm) is used for measurement. More specifically, 100 g of the suspension (20 °C) is evenly sprayed onto the sieve, and the solution that passes through the sieve when processed until the fraction mass on the sieve becomes constant while vibrating with a load that does not change the composition size is used as a 2% by mass ethanol dispersion liquid for measurement. Using a laser diffraction particle size distribution measuring device, the particle size after ultrasonic treatment is measured from the particle size distribution obtained by measuring in the same manner as the specific surface area per unit volume described above.

[0204] The particle size d after ultrasonic treatment of the whole dough composition measured by the above procedure 90 can be, for example, in the range of 0.3 μm or more and less than 500 μm. More specifically, the upper limit is usually preferably less than 500 μm, and among them, 450 μm or less, or 400 μm or less, or 350 μm or less, or 300 μm or less, or 250 μm or less, or 200 μm or less, or 150 μm or less, or 100 μm or less, or 90 μm or less, or 80 μm or less, or 70 μm or less, or 60 μm or less, or 50 μm or less is more preferable. Also, the particle size d after ultrasonic treatment 50In general, a thickness of less than 500 μm is preferred, and more preferably 450 μm or less, or 400 μm or less, or 350 μm or less, or 300 μm or less, or 250 μm or less, or 200 μm or less, or 150 μm or less, or 100 μm or less, or 90 μm or less, or 80 μm or less, or 70 μm or less, or 60 μm or less, or 50 μm or less. 90 and d 50 There is no particular lower limit, but both can usually be 0.3 μm or larger, or 1 μm or larger.

[0205] • Characteristics of the dough composition determined by gel filtration chromatography: In the manufacturing method of the present invention, it is preferable that the dough composition of step (i) satisfies the following characteristics when subjected to gel filtration chromatography measurement by the various methods described below.

[0206] In this invention, "molecular weight distribution" or "molecular weight distribution curve" refers to a distribution diagram obtained by plotting the molecular weight logarithm on the horizontal axis (X-axis) and plotting the percentage (%) of the measured value for each molecular weight logarithm relative to the total RI detector measured value over the entire measurement range on the vertical axis (Y-axis). Furthermore, when calculating the area under the curve from the molecular weight distribution curve obtained by analyzing the purified starch obtained by treating the composition in 40 times the mass volume of water (for example, adding 40 g of water to 1 g of composition) at a constant temperature of 90°C for 15 minutes and then processing it according to [Procedure a] below, the entire curve is numerically corrected so that the lowest value within the measurement range becomes 0, and then the area under the curve is calculated with the molecular weight logarithm on the horizontal axis (X-axis). This allows for appropriate evaluation of low molecular weight fractions (fractions around [value α]) that have a significant impact on quality but are underestimated when converted to molecular weight. Furthermore, since constant temperature treatment at 90°C for 15 minutes can be too harsh if the temperature is too high or if the composition is disturbed by thermal convection, it is preferable to place the composition in a container such as an Eppendorf tube, add 40 times its mass of water adjusted to 90°C, seal the container, and then perform constant temperature treatment by slowly stirring it in a water bath while adjusting the temperature in boiling water to ensure that the internal temperature becomes uniform, thereby preventing the treatment temperature from rising too high.

[0207] • [Procedure a]: The aforementioned [procedure a] is a procedure in which a 2.5% by mass aqueous dispersion of the composition (the composition added to 40 times its mass volume of water) is pulverized along with the composition in the liquid, subjected to proteolytic enzyme treatment, and then the ethanol-insoluble and dimethyl sulfoxide-soluble components are obtained as purified starch. The technical significance of such [procedure a] lies in removing impurities such as proteins with relatively similar molecular sizes, and obtaining purified starch by utilizing the ethanol-insoluble and dimethyl sulfoxide-soluble properties of starch, thereby preventing column clogging during gel filtration chromatography and improving the accuracy and reproducibility of the analysis.

[0208] The pulverization process after the constant temperature treatment in [procedure a] can be carried out by any method that can sufficiently homogenize the composition, but for example, it can be done by using a homogenizer NS52 (manufactured by Microtech Nichion Co., Ltd.) and crushing it at 25,000 rpm for 30 seconds.

[0209] Furthermore, the proteolytic enzyme treatment in [procedure a] may be any treatment that can sufficiently enzymatically degrade the proteins in the composition. For example, this can be done by adding 0.5% by mass of proteolytic enzyme (Proteinase K, product code 9034, manufactured by Takara Bio Inc.) to the pulverized composition and reacting it at 20°C for 16 hours.

[0210] Furthermore, the extraction of the ethanol-insoluble and dimethyl sulfoxide-soluble components in this [procedure a] is not limited, but may be carried out as follows: (i) To the composition that has been subjected to grinding and proteolytic enzyme treatment, 240 times the mass of 99.5% ethanol (manufactured by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) is added based on the composition used initially, mixed, and then centrifuged (e.g., at 10,000 rpm for 5 minutes) to obtain the ethanol-insoluble fraction. Next, (ii) To the obtained ethanol-insoluble fraction, 80 times the mass of dimethyl sulfoxide (CAS 67-68-5, manufactured by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) is added based on the composition used initially, and dissolved by stirring at 90°C for 10 minutes, the solution is centrifuged (10,000 rpm for 5 minutes) and the supernatant is collected to obtain the dimethyl sulfoxide-soluble fraction. Next, (iii) to the obtained dimethyl sulfoxide-soluble fraction, 240 times the mass of 99.5% ethanol relative to the initially used composition is added and mixed, and the precipitate fraction is recovered by centrifugation (10,000 rpm, 5 minutes). Then, (iv) the above (iii) is repeated three times, and the finally obtained precipitate is dried under reduced pressure to obtain the ethanol-insoluble and dimethyl sulfoxide-soluble component as purified starch.

[0211] • [Condition A]: Condition A is a condition in which 0.10% by mass of purified starch is dissolved in a 1M aqueous sodium hydroxide solution, allowed to stand at 37°C for 30 minutes, an equal amount of water and an equal amount of eluent (for example, 0.05M NaOH / 0.2% by mass of NaCl can be used as the eluent), 5 mL of the filtrate filtered through a 5 μm filter is subjected to gel filtration chromatography, and the molecular weight distribution in the range of a molecular weight logarithm between 5.0 and less than 9.5 is measured.

[0212] The technical significance of such [Condition A] is that by removing insoluble, coarse impurities from starch dissolved in water under alkaline conditions through filter filtration, column clogging during gel filtration chromatography is prevented, thereby improving the accuracy and reproducibility of the analysis.

[0213] Specifically, the dough composition from step (i), either in its original state or after constant temperature treatment at 90°C for 15 minutes in a specific 40 times the mass volume of water, is subjected to gel filtration chromatography of the purified starch obtained according to [procedure a], and the filtrate obtained under [condition A] is subjected to the measurement of the mass-average molecular weight distribution in a predetermined interval described later within the logarithmic molecular weight range of 5.0 to less than 9.5. The molecular weight distribution curve thus obtained is analyzed after data correction so that the minimum value is 0, thereby obtaining the logarithmic mass average molecular weight and the ratio of the area under the curve in the predetermined logarithmic molecular weight interval to the total area under the curve obtained from the molecular weight distribution curve in the predetermined logarithmic molecular weight range. Therefore, it is desirable to set the gel filtration chromatography appropriately so that these values ​​can be obtained.

[0214] • Measurement conditions for gel filtration chromatography: In this invention, the gel filtration column used for gel filtration chromatography is a gel filtration column having a common logarithm of the exclusion limit molecular weight (Da) in the intermediate range of molecular weight logarithms (6.5 to less than 8.0) and below (less than 6.5), particularly within the range of molecular weight logarithms between 5.0 and less than 9.5 that are the target of measurement. Furthermore, multiple gel filtration columns with different exclusion limit molecular weights within the aforementioned range are used and connected in series (tandem) from the upstream side of the analysis, from those with the largest exclusion limit molecular weight to those with the smallest. This configuration makes it possible to separate starch with a molecular weight logarithm corresponding to the intermediate range (6.5 to less than 8.0) from starch with a molecular weight logarithm corresponding to a smaller range (5.0 to less than 6.5) and / or starch with a molecular weight logarithm corresponding to a larger range (8.0 to less than 9.5), and to appropriately measure each parameter.

[0215] A concrete example of such a gel filtration column combination is the following combination of four columns connected in series. TOYOPEARL HW-75S (manufactured by Tosoh Corporation, exclusion limit molecular weight (logarithmic scale): 7.7 Da, average pore size 100 nm or larger, Φ2 cm × 30 cm): 2 tubes. TOYOPEARL HW-65S (manufactured by Tosoh Corporation, exclusion limit molecular weight (logarithmic scale): 6.6 Da, average pore size 100 nm, Φ2 cm × 30 cm); 1 tube. TOYOPEARL HW-55S (manufactured by Tosoh Corporation, exclusion limit molecular weight (logarithmic scale): 5.8 Da, average pore size 50 nm, Φ2 cm × 30 cm): 1 tube.

[0216] The eluent for gel filtration chromatography is not limited, but for example, 0.05 M NaOH / 0.2 mass% NaCl can be used. The conditions for gel filtration chromatography are not limited, but for example, an oven temperature of 40°C, a flow rate of 1 mL / min, and analysis can be performed every 0.5 seconds. The detection instrument for gel filtration chromatography is not limited, but for example, an RI detector (Tosoh Corporation RI-8021) can be used. The data analysis method for gel filtration chromatography is not limited, but specific examples include the following. Specifically, among the measurements obtained from the detection instrument, the values ​​within the logarithmic molecular weight range of the target molecule (5.0 or more and less than 9.5) are corrected so that the minimum value is 0. Then, using a calibration curve, the elution times of two linear standard pullulan markers for size exclusion chromatography with peak top molecular weights of 1,660,000 and 380,000 (e.g., Showa Denko's P400 (DP2200, MW380000) and P1600 (DP9650, MW1660000)) are converted to the common logarithm of the molecular weight (molecular weight logarithm). Furthermore, by representing the measured values ​​at each elution time (logarithmic molecular weight) as a percentage, with the sum of the measured values ​​from the detection instrument at each elution time within the logarithmic molecular weight range of the target sample (5.0 or more and less than 9.5) set to 100, the molecular weight distribution of the measured sample (X axis: logarithmic molecular weight, Y axis: percentage of the measured values ​​at each logarithmic molecular weight relative to the total RI detector measured values ​​across the entire measurement range) can be calculated, and a molecular weight distribution curve can be created.

[0217] • Numerical ranges for each parameter measured by gel filtration chromatography: In the manufacturing method of the present invention, the dough composition of step (i) is subjected to constant temperature treatment of the composition in 40 times its mass volume of water at 90°C for 15 minutes, and the components obtained by treatment according to [procedure a] are analyzed under [condition A] to obtain a molecular weight distribution curve (hereinafter referred to as "MWDC") in the range of a molecular weight logarithm of 5.0 or more and less than 8.0. 5.0-8.0 In the above-mentioned test, it is preferable that the composition is such that the ratio of the area under the curve in the interval of molecular weight logarithm 5.0 or more and less than 6.5 to the total area under the curve (hereinafter referred to as "AUC1") is less than or equal to a predetermined value. Specifically, the AUC1 obtained by subjecting the dough composition of step (i) to the above-mentioned test can be in the range of 10% or more and 70% or less. More specifically, the upper limit is usually 70% or less, and more preferably 65% ​​or less, or less than 65%, or 60% or less. A dough composition in which AUC1 is less than or equal to the predetermined value has a high probability that the endogenous enzyme that decomposes the relatively high molecular weight fraction (molecular weight logarithm 6.5 or more and less than 8.0), which is thought to be mainly amylopectin, has been inactivated by the above-mentioned heat and water treatment. The lower limit is not particularly limited, but is usually 10% or more, or 15% or more.

[0218] Furthermore, in the manufacturing method of the present invention, the dough composition of step (i) is obtained by the molecular weight distribution curve (MWDC) 5.0-8.0 In the above, it is preferable that the composition is such that the ratio of the area under the curve in the interval of molecular weight logarithm 6.5 or more and less than 8.0 to the total area under the curve (hereinafter referred to as "AUC2") is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Specifically, the AUC2 obtained by subjecting the dough composition of step (i) to the above measurement can be in the range of, for example, 30% or more and 90% or less. More specifically, the upper limit is usually 30% or more, more preferably 35% or more, and even more preferably 40% or more, or 45% or more. A dough composition in which the AUC2 is equal to or greater than the predetermined value has a high probability that an appropriate amount of amylopectin remains in the starch even after heat treatment. The upper limit is not particularly limited, but is usually 90% or less, or 85% or less.

[0219] In the manufacturing method of the present invention, the dough composition of step (i) is obtained by analyzing the components obtained by treating the composition according to [procedure a] under [condition A], and the molecular weight distribution curve (hereinafter referred to as "MWDC") in the range of molecular weight logarithm 6.5 or more and less than 9.5 is obtained. 6.5-9.5 In the above measurement, it is preferable that the composition has a ratio of the area under the curve in the interval where the molecular weight logarithm is 6.5 or more and less than 8.0 to the total area under the curve (hereinafter referred to as "AUC3") that is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Specifically, the AUC3 obtained by subjecting the dough composition of step (i) to the above measurement can be in the range of, for example, 30% or more and less than 100%. More specifically, the lower limit is usually 30% or more, more preferably 35% or more, even more preferably 40% or more, or 50% or more, or 60% or more, or 70% or more, or 80% or more. A dough composition with an AUC3 equal to or greater than the predetermined value is preferable because it has a quality that does not easily stick together when dried, and thus increases productivity. The principle is unknown, but it is thought that this is because, even among the high molecular weight starch fraction (molecular weight logarithm of 6.5 or more and less than 9.5) which is thought to be mainly amylopectin, it has a large amount of relatively low molecular weight (fraction with molecular weight logarithm of 6.5 or more and less than 8.0) which has the property of not being sticky. There is no particular upper limit, but it is usually 100%, or less than 100%, or less than 98%.

[0220] Furthermore, grains other than coarse grains, such as rice, wheat, and barley, tend to contain a large amount of fractions with a molecular weight logarithm of 8.0 or more and less than 9.5. Therefore, it is preferable that the total content of these grains other than coarse grains (e.g., rice, wheat, and barley) is below a predetermined ratio. Specifically, it is preferable that the total content of grains other than coarse grains (e.g., rice, wheat, and barley) is 0% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less on a dry basis (or 40% by mass or less, or 30% by mass or less, or 20% by mass or less, or 10% by mass or less, or substantially not contained, or not contained). Alternatively, it is preferable that the total starch content derived from grains other than coarse grains (e.g., rice, wheat, and barley) is 0% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less on a dry basis (or 40% by mass or less, or 30% by mass or less, or 20% by mass or less, or 10% by mass or less, or substantially not contained, or not contained). Alternatively, the ratio of the total starch content derived from grains other than millet (e.g., rice, wheat, and barley) to the total starch content of the entire composition may be 0% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less (or 40% by mass or less, or 30% by mass or less, or 20% by mass or less, or 10% by mass or less, or substantially absent, or absent) on a dry mass basis. Unless otherwise specified, in the present invention, "substantially absent" means a state in which the content is less than 10 ppm by mass.

[0221] The composition of the present invention, the molecular weight distribution curve MWDC 3.5-6.5A preferred feature is that the ratio of the area under the curve (hereinafter referred to as AUC4) in the interval of the molecular weight logarithm between 3.5 and less than 5.0 is within a predetermined range. Specifically, the AUC4 of the composition of the present invention can be in the range of, for example, 10% to 70%. More specifically, the lower limit is usually preferably 10% or more. In particular, it is preferable to have 15% or more, even more preferably 20% or more, especially 25% or more, or 30% or more, or 35% or more, or 40% or more. The reason for this is not clear, but it is preferable because a composition with a good texture is obtained when the proportion of amylose contained in the starch (which is thought to be contained in the fraction with a molecular weight logarithm between 5.0 and less than 6.5) that has been further broken down into lower molecular weight dextrin (which is thought to be contained in the fraction with a molecular weight logarithm between 3.5 and less than 5.0) is greater than a predetermined value. The upper limit is not particularly limited, but for example, it can usually be 70% or less, or 60% or less, or 50% or less, or 45% or less.

[0222] (3) Stage (ii): Conveying process In step (ii), the dough composition prepared in step (i) is conveyed by the flight section of the extruder's screw. By using the extruder of the present invention described above, which has a screw whose ratio of the flight section length to the total screw length is adjusted to a predetermined value or higher (at least 50% or more; the upper limit is not particularly limited, but is usually less than 100%), a relatively long conveying time by the flight section of the screw in step (ii) can be secured. This is presumed to be one of the reasons why, even when kneading is performed in the subsequent step (iii) under relatively low temperature conditions of less than 100°C (the lower limit is not particularly limited, but is usually 40°C or higher), a strong continuous starch structure is formed, and a solid composition is obtained that is less prone to cracking inside the composition even after a certain period (e.g., 3 days or more) has passed during storage at room temperature.

[0223] The transport time can be appropriately determined based on the temperature and pressure during transport, the total length of the screw, and the ratio of the flight section length. In particular, since the amount of heat applied to the composition varies greatly depending on the characteristics of the equipment mainly used, it is preferable to process the composition so that its physical properties before and after processing are adjusted to a predetermined range. However, generally, the transport time (the time the composition remains in the flight section) can be in the range of, for example, 0.1 minutes or more and 60 minutes or less. More specifically, the lower limit is usually 0.1 minutes or more, and more preferably 0.2 minutes or more, or 0.3 minutes or more, or 0.4 minutes or more, or 0.5 minutes or more, or 0.8 minutes or more, or 1 minute or more, and especially preferably 2 minutes or more. There is no upper limit to the transport time, but from the viewpoint of efficiency, it is preferable to set it to, for example, 60 minutes or less, and more preferably 30 minutes or less, or 15 minutes or less.

[0224] The temperature during transport can be appropriately determined based on the transport pressure and time, the total length of the screw, and the ratio of the flight section length. In particular, since the amount of heat applied to the composition varies greatly depending on the characteristics of the equipment mainly used, it is preferable to process the composition so that its physical properties before and after processing are adjusted to a predetermined range. However, generally, the average temperature during transport (the average temperature of the composition inside the barrel of the flight section) can be in the range of, for example, 40°C or more and less than 100°C. More specifically, the upper limit is less than 100°C, but it is preferable to set it to 99°C or less, or 98°C or less, or 97°C or less, or 96°C or less, or 95°C or less. However, if the temperature during transport is too low, the breakdown of the starch granule structure in the composition in the next process, the kneading section, may not proceed sufficiently, so it is preferable to set the lower limit of the average temperature during transport to 40°C or more, and more preferably 45°C or more, or 50°C or more, or 55°C or more. The average temperature represents the arithmetic mean of the composition temperature inside the barrel at the relevant point, and can be calculated by measuring the temperature inside the barrel at a finite, even interval (e.g., 1 cm intervals). Furthermore, the maximum temperature reached at the relevant point can be in the range of, for example, 40°C or more and less than 100°C. More specifically, the upper limit is usually less than 100°C, and is preferably 99°C or less, or 98°C or less, or 97°C or less, or 96°C or less, or 95°C or less, and the lower limit is usually 40°C or more, and is preferably 45°C or more, or 50°C or more, or 55°C or more, or 60°C or more, or 65°C or more, or 70°C or more, or 75°C or more, or 80°C or more.

[0225] (4) Stage (iii): Mixing process In step (ii) above, the dough composition transported from the flight section is kneaded under pressurized conditions with a strength of a certain degree or more. By kneading vigorously in this manner, the starch granule structure in the composition is appropriately hydrated and swelled, making it easier to break down, and thus the effects of the present invention are achieved. In particular, it is more preferable to knead under constant pressurized conditions.

[0226] The specific conditions for kneading are that the SME (specific mechanical energy) value, calculated by the following formula I, is above a predetermined value, which is preferable because it sufficiently breaks down the starch granules and allows them to exhibit matrix properties. Specifically, kneading can be performed under conditions where the SME value is, for example, 300 kJ / kg or more, and although there is no particular upper limit, it can be in the range of, for example, 5000 kJ / kg or less. More specifically, it is preferable to knead under conditions where the lower limit is usually 300 kJ / kg or more, and more particularly 320 kJ / kg or more, or 330 kJ / kg or more, or 340 kJ / kg or more, or 350 kJ / kg or more, or 360 kJ / kg or more, or 370 kJ / kg or more, or 380 kJ / kg or more, or 390 kJ / kg or more, or 400 kJ / kg or more. There is no particular upper limit, but it can usually be 5000 kJ / kg or less, or 4000 kJ / kg or less, or 3000 kJ / kg or less, or 2000 kJ / kg or less. Also, the screw rotation speed of the extruder can be in the range of, for example, more than 150 rpm and 2500 rpm or less. More specifically, it is usually more than 150 rpm, and more preferably more than 200 rpm or more than 250 rpm. There is no particular upper limit, but it can usually be 2500 rpm or less, or 1500 rpm or less.

[0227]

number

[0228] One of the characteristics of the manufacturing method of the present invention is that the kneading in step (iii) is carried out at a low temperature of less than 100°C (the lower limit is not particularly limited, but is usually above 0°C). According to the manufacturing method of the present invention, by satisfying the above requirements, even if the kneading in step (iii) is carried out at a low temperature of less than 100°C, it is possible to obtain a solid composition in which cracks are less likely to occur inside the composition even after a certain period of time (e.g., 3 days or more) has elapsed during storage at room temperature, and in which components inside the composition are less likely to leak out after cooking. Furthermore, because the kneading can be carried out at a low temperature in this way, it becomes possible to easily manufacture the above solid composition using a general-purpose extruder without using special manufacturing equipment that has resistance to high temperature and high pressure. Specifically, the average temperature during kneading (the average temperature of the composition inside the barrel of the kneading section) has an upper limit of less than 100°C, and although there is no lower limit, it can be, for example, 40°C or higher. More specifically, the upper limit is usually less than 100°C, but it is preferable to set it to 99°C or lower, or 98°C or lower, or 97°C or lower, or 96°C or lower, or 95°C or lower. However, if the temperature during kneading is too low, the breakdown of the starch granule structure in the composition by kneading may not proceed sufficiently. Therefore, the lower limit of the average temperature during kneading is usually 40°C or higher, and more preferably 45°C or higher, or 50°C or higher, or 55°C or higher, or 60°C or higher, or 65°C or higher, or 70°C or higher, or 75°C or higher, or 80°C or higher. Here, the processing at the above average temperature, particularly above the lower limit, and at the aforementioned high SME value can be carried out in a range of, for example, 3% to 100% of the length of the kneading section in the screw. More specifically, it is usually 3% or higher, more preferably 5% or higher, or 8% or higher, or 10% or higher, or 15% or higher, and especially preferably 20% or higher. In particular, the starch granule structure derived from legumes, grains, and nuts has a stronger structure, so the above-mentioned processing at relatively high temperatures and high SME values ​​is more useful. The average temperature represents the arithmetic mean of the composition temperature inside the barrel of the relevant section, and can be calculated by measuring the temperature inside the barrel of that section at finite, even intervals (e.g., 1 cm intervals). Furthermore, the maximum temperature reached in that section can be, for example, in the range of 40°C or more and less than 100°C.More specifically, the upper limit is usually less than 100°C, preferably 99°C or lower, or 98°C or lower, or 97°C or lower, or 96°C or lower, and the lower limit is usually 40°C or higher, preferably 45°C or higher, or 50°C or higher, or 55°C or higher.

[0229] The pressure conditions during kneading are not limited and may be carried out under atmospheric pressure, but it is preferable to carry out the kneading under conditions of pressurization relative to atmospheric pressure. It is more preferable to carry out the kneading under conditions of applying a higher pressure than usual because this facilitates the breakdown of the starch granule structure and the development of the structure of the dyed areas in the present invention. The pressure during kneading can be measured by measuring the outlet pressure of the extruder. The pressure to be applied relative to atmospheric pressure during kneading has a lower limit of, for example, 1.0 MPa or more, and an upper limit that is not limited, but can be, for example, 50 MPa or less. More specifically, the lower limit is usually 1.0 MPa or more, and more particularly 1.3 MPa or more, or 1.5 MPa or more, or 1.8 MPa or more, or 2.0 MPa or more, or 2.5 MPa or more, or 3.0 MPa or more. On the other hand, there is no particular limit to the upper limit of the pressure applied relative to atmospheric pressure during kneading, but can be, for example, 50 MPa or less, or 40 MPa or less, or 30 MPa or less, or 20 MPa or less.

[0230] The mixing time can be appropriately determined based on the mixing temperature and pressure, the size of the mixing container, etc. In particular, since the amount of heat applied to the composition varies greatly depending on the characteristics of the equipment mainly used, it is preferable to process the composition so that its physical properties before and after processing are adjusted to a predetermined range. However, generally, the mixing time can be in the range of, for example, 0.1 minutes to 60 minutes. More specifically, the lower limit is usually 0.1 minutes or more, and more preferably 0.2 minutes or more, or 0.3 minutes or more, or 0.4 minutes or more, or 0.5 minutes or more, or 0.8 minutes or more, or 1 minute or more, and especially preferably 2 minutes or more. There is no upper limit to the mixing time, but from the viewpoint of efficiency, it is preferable to set it to, for example, 60 minutes or less, and more preferably 30 minutes or less, or 15 minutes or less.

[0231] By kneading the dough composition under such harsh high-pressure conditions, it is possible to form a complex structure of proteins, starch, dietary fiber, etc., without processing at temperatures above 100°C. Furthermore, cracking becomes less likely to occur even after time has passed during storage at room temperature, and components within the composition are less likely to leak out after cooking. These are astonishing findings that were previously completely unknown.

[0232] In step (i), it is preferable to use a dough composition and / or edible plant processed product (the aforementioned starch-containing pulverized composition) having a number of starch granule structures less than or equal to a predetermined value, as this makes it easier to obtain the effects in steps (ii) and (iii). Although the principle is unknown, it is thought that by processing a dough composition in which the starch granule structure has been destroyed under the high-pressure, strong kneading conditions described later, the starch diffuses throughout the composition in a matrix-like manner, forming a continuous structure, without the need for special processing at high temperatures of 100°C or higher. Specifically, it is preferable that the dough composition in step (i) satisfies the following requirements (a) and / or (b) regarding the starch granule structure, and it is even more preferable that both requirements (a) and (b) are satisfied.

[0233] Furthermore, raw materials (especially the aforementioned starch-containing pulverized composition) in which starch granules have been destroyed to the extent that requirements (a) and / or (b) below regarding the structure of starch granules may be used, or edible plant products (especially the aforementioned starch-containing pulverized composition) that have been subjected to high-temperature strong kneading treatment until both requirements (a) and (b) are satisfied may be used as raw materials. (a) When a 6% suspension of the pulverized material of the composition is observed, the starch granule structure observed is 300 granules / mm 2 The results are as follows: (b) When a 14% by mass aqueous slurry of the pulverized composition is heated from 50°C to 140°C at a heating rate of 12.5°C / min using a rapid viscometer, the gelatinization peak temperature is less than 120°C.

[0234] With respect to (a) above, for the dough composition of step (i) and / or the edible plant processed product used in the dough composition (particularly the aforementioned starch-containing pulverized composition), the number of starch granule structures in the composition observed under the above conditions is typically 300 granules / mm³. 2 Among the following, 250 pieces / mm 2 Furthermore, 200 pieces / mm 2 Below, in particular, 150 pieces / mm 2 The following, or 100 pieces / mm 2 The following, or 50 pieces / mm 2 The following, or 30 pieces / mm 2 The following, or 10 pieces / mm 2 The following, in particular, 0 pieces / mm 2 This is preferable. The details of the starch granule structure are as previously described in relation to the composition of the present invention.

[0235] With respect to (b) above, the gelatinization peak temperature of the dough composition of step (i) and / or the edible plant processed product used in the dough composition (particularly the aforementioned starch-containing pulverized composition) measured under the following conditions can be, for example, in the range of 50°C or more and less than 120°C. More specifically, the upper limit is usually less than 120°C, and more preferably 115°C or less, or 110°C or less, or 105°C or less, or 100°C or less, or 95°C or less, or 90°C or less, or 85°C or less, or 80°C or less. On the other hand, even in compositions in which starch granules have been destroyed, the constituent components may swell with water and show a pseudo-gelatinization peak temperature, so the lower limit is not particularly limited, but it can usually be 50°C or more, or 55°C or more, or 60°C or more.

[0236] In (b) above, any rapid viscoanalytic analyzer (RVA) capable of heating the sample to be measured up to 140°C can be used, but for example, the Perten RVA4800 can be used. The gelatinization peak temperature measured with the RVA at a heating rate of 12.5°C / min is specifically measured by the following procedure. That is, a 3.5 g dry mass composition sample is pulverized (for example, until it becomes 100 mesh pass (mesh opening 150 μm) or 120 mesh on (mesh opening 125 μm)), weighed into an aluminum cup for RVA measurement, and distilled water is added to prepare a 14% by mass sample aqueous slurry (sometimes simply called "pulverized composition aqueous slurry" or "sample aqueous slurry") with a total volume of 28.5 g, which is then subjected to the above RVA viscosity measurement. For a 14% by mass composition pulverized aqueous slurry, the measurement was started at 50°C. The rotation speed was set to 960 rpm from the start of measurement to 10 seconds after the start of measurement, and to 160 rpm from 10 seconds after the start of measurement to the end of measurement. After holding at 50°C for 1 minute, the heating process was started from 50°C to 140°C at a heating rate of 12.5°C / min, and the gelatinization peak temperature (°C) was measured.

[0237] In this invention, the gelatinization peak temperature represents the temperature (°C) at which the viscosity begins to decrease after exhibiting the highest viscosity (cP) within a predetermined temperature range during the RVA heating process, and is an index that reflects the heat resistance of the starch granules. For example, for a composition where the viscosity is highest at the 50°C holding stage immediately after the start of measurement and then decreases, the gelatinization peak temperature will be 50°C. For a composition where the viscosity is highest at any temperature T°C (50 ≤ T ≤ 140) during the heating stages from 50°C to 140°C and then decreases in subsequent heating stages, the gelatinization peak temperature will be T°C. For a composition where the viscosity is highest at the 140°C holding stage, the gelatinization peak temperature will be 140°C.

[0238] From the viewpoint of suppressing shape collapse during cooking, it is preferable that the degree of starch gelatinization in the composition after kneading in step (iii) be above a predetermined value. Specifically, the degree of starch gelatinization in the composition after kneading in step (iii) can be in the range of, for example, 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less. More specifically, it is usually 30% by mass or more, more preferably 40% by mass or more, or 50% by mass or more, or 60% by mass or more, and especially preferably 70% by mass or more. There is no particular upper limit to the degree of gelatinization, but if it is too high, the starch will decompose, and the composition may become sticky and of undesirable quality. Therefore, it is preferable that the upper limit of the degree of gelatinization be 100% by mass or less, or 99% by mass or less, or 95% by mass or less, or 90% by mass or less.

[0239] (5) Stage (iv): Aging treatment Furthermore, having a step to reduce the degree of gelatinization of the composition after kneading in step (iii) to a certain level or higher makes it possible to locally retrograde the starch near the surface of the composition, which is preferable because it prevents the composition from sticking together after heating. In the present invention, this step is sometimes referred to as the "retrogradation treatment" step. Specifically, in step (iv), it is preferable to treat the composition for 0.1 hours or more in an environment with a dry weight moisture content of 25% or more, an ambient temperature of 80°C or lower, and an ambient humidity (RH%) of 60RH% or higher.

[0240] During the aging process, it is preferable to treat the composition in an environment where the ambient humidity (RH%) is above a certain percentage, as this extends the time it takes for the dry-weight moisture content to fall below 25% by mass, and prevents the composition from bonding with other components after heating. Specifically, the ambient humidity (RH%) can be in the range of, for example, 60 RH% to 100 RH%. More specifically, the lower limit is usually 60 RH% or higher, and it is preferable to treat the composition in an environment of 70 RH% or higher, or even 80 RH%. The upper limit is not particularly limited, but is usually 100 RH% or lower. The reason why quality improves with aging treatment is thought to be that when the dry-weight moisture content is 25% by mass or higher, moisture is usually lost quickly, and the starch near the surface of the composition, which is less prone to aging compared to the inside of the composition, undergoes localized aging. Furthermore, in order to maintain an environment with an ambient humidity (RH%) above a certain percentage, methods can be employed to achieve the desired ambient humidity by storing the composition after it has been extruded from the die in a high-humidity environment, increasing the relative humidity by retaining the water vapor evaporating from the composition around the composition, or by spraying water in a mist form (also referred to as wetting treatment).

[0241] Furthermore, the aging treatment may be carried out in a sealed device with constant humidity, or in a device that supplies an atmosphere with constant humidity, or a wetting treatment method may be used in which relative humidity is maintained by retaining the water vapor evaporating from the composition around the composition, or a combination of these methods may be used.

[0242] Furthermore, from the viewpoint of promoting the aging of the composition, it is preferable that the ambient temperature during the aging treatment be below a predetermined temperature. Specifically, the ambient temperature during the aging treatment can be, for example, in the range of greater than 0°C and 80°C or less. More specifically, the upper limit is usually preferably 80°C or less, or 70°C or less, or 60°C or less, or 50°C or less, or 40°C or less, or 30°C or less, or 20°C or less, or 10°C or less. The lower limit of the temperature is not particularly limited, but it is usually preferable to perform the treatment above 0°C or at 4°C or higher.

[0243] Furthermore, from the viewpoint of promoting the aging of the composition, it is preferable to carry out the aging treatment when the dry-weight moisture content of the composition is above a certain percentage. Specifically, the dry-weight moisture content of the composition at the time of aging treatment can be in the range of, for example, 25% by mass or more and 200% by mass or less. More specifically, it is preferable to carry out the aging treatment when the lower limit is usually 25% by mass or more, and more preferably 30% by mass or more. The upper limit is not particularly limited, but is usually 200% by mass or less, or 175% by mass or less, or 150% by mass or less, or 125% by mass or less, or 100% by mass or less.

[0244] Furthermore, when performing the drying treatment in step (v) described later, the aging treatment may be performed before the drying treatment or after the drying treatment, but it is preferable to perform the aging treatment before the drying treatment because the effects of the present invention are more pronounced.

[0245] Furthermore, it is preferable to perform the aging treatment in a state where the dry-weight moisture content of the composition is 25% by mass or more under conditions such that the parameter A × T (RH%·hr) is equal to or greater than a predetermined lower limit. Here, A represents the average relative humidity of the atmosphere (RH%), and T represents the wetting treatment time (hour, sometimes abbreviated as "hr"). However, A ≥ 60 RH%. For example, if the wetting treatment is performed with an average relative humidity of 95 RH% (A) and a wetting treatment time of 1 hour (T), the parameter A × T = 95 (RH%·hr). Such a parameter A × T (RH%·hr) can be in the range of, for example, 6 to 1000. More specifically, it is usually 6 or more, more preferably 8 or more, or 10 or more, or 12 or more, or 14 or more, or 16 or more, or 18 or more, or 24 or more, or 30 or more, or 36 or more, or 42 or more, or 48 or more, or 54 or more, and especially preferably 60 or more. There is no particular upper limit, but it is usually 1000 or less.

[0246] Furthermore, the composition temperature during the processing can be, for example, in the range of greater than 0°C and less than 100°C. More specifically, it is preferable that the upper limit be less than 100°C, or 90°C or less, or 80°C or less, or 70°C or less, or 60°C or less, or 50°C or less, or 40°C or less, or 30°C or less, or 20°C or less, or 10°C or less. The lower limit of the temperature is not particularly limited, but the processing can usually be carried out at temperatures greater than 0°C or 4°C or higher.

[0247] In this stage (iv), it is preferable that the rate of decrease in the degree of gelatinization (mass%) after the kneading stage is above a certain level, as this improves the binding properties after cooking. Specifically, the rate of decrease in the degree of gelatinization of the composition after the kneading stage can be, for example, in the range of 6% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less, relative to the degree of gelatinization of the composition after kneading in stage (iii). More specifically, it is preferable to carry out the aging treatment until the rate of decrease in the degree of gelatinization of the composition after the kneading stage is usually 6% by mass or more relative to the degree of gelatinization of the composition immediately after kneading in stage (iii) (i.e., the degree of gelatinization decreases by 6% by mass or more), as this improves the binding properties after cooking. In particular, it is preferable that the rate of decrease be 7% by mass or more, or 8% by mass or more, or 9% by mass or more, especially 10% by mass or more, or 15% by mass or more, and particularly 20% by mass or more. On the other hand, there is no particular upper limit to the rate of decrease in the degree of gelatinization of the composition in this stage (iv), but it is usually 90% by mass or less, or 80% by mass or less, or 70% by mass or less.

[0248] The degree of starch gelatinization in the composition after the gelatinization reduction in step (iv) is preferably below a predetermined value, as this improves the binding properties after cooking. Specifically, the degree of starch gelatinization in the composition after the gelatinization reduction in step (iv) is not limited to a lower limit, but can be, for example, 5% by mass or more, while the upper limit can be, for example, 99% by mass or less. More specifically, it is usually 99% by mass or less, and more preferably 98% by mass or less, or 95% by mass or less, or 90% by mass or less, or 85% by mass or less, or 80% by mass or less, or 75% by mass or less, or 70% by mass or less. The lower limit is not particularly defined, but it is usually 5% by mass or more, and more preferably 10% by mass or more, or 15% by mass or more, or 20% by mass or more, or 25% by mass or more, or 30% by mass or more, or 35% by mass or more, or 40% by mass or more, or 45% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 50% by mass or more.

[0249] The means for achieving the aging in stage (iv) are not particularly limited, but for example, by performing a water retention treatment as a post-treatment after the completion of the kneading process by extruder, the starch near the surface of the composition can be aged, thereby achieving the aging in stage (iv). Specifically, from stage (iii) onward, the composition temperature can drop to below 90°C (the lower limit of this temperature is not particularly limited, but is usually above 0°C or above 4°C), and then be aged for, for example, 0.1 hours or more and 20 hours or less while maintaining a dry weight moisture content of 25% by mass or more. More specifically, this time can be adjusted to 0.1 hours or more, particularly 0.2 hours or more, or 0.3 hours or more, or 0.4 hours or more, or 0.5 hours or more, or 0.6 hours or more, or 0.7 hours or more, or 0.8 hours or more, or 0.9 hours or more, and especially 1.0 hour or more. The upper limit of this time is not particularly limited, but for example, it can be 20 hours or less, or 15 hours or less, or 10 hours or less.

[0250] The temperature of the composition in step (iv) is not limited, but can be, for example, in the range of greater than 0°C and less than 90°C. More specifically, it is usually less than 90°C, more preferably 80°C or less, or 70°C or less, and especially preferably 60°C or less. The lower limit is not particularly limited, but is greater than 0°C or greater than 4°C. The pressure in step (iv) is also not particularly limited, but can be carried out, for example, under atmospheric pressure.

[0251] (6) Adjustment of the dry-weight moisture content of the composition As an example of a means to accelerate the aging process, a method can be used in which water is added at any of the stages (i) to (iii) above to adjust the dry-weight moisture content of the dough composition before processing to a predetermined percentage or higher. More specifically, a method of adding water at stage (i) or (ii) is preferred, and more preferably, a method of adding water to a dough composition that has reached a certain dry-weight moisture content or higher in stage (i) at a later stage, more specifically in stage (ii) and / or stage (iii), is preferred, and a method of adding water to a dough composition that has reached a certain dry-weight moisture content or higher in stage (i) at a later stage in stage (ii) is particularly preferred. The water can be added in the form of water or steam, but it is preferred to add it in the form of water. Specifically, the dry-weight moisture content of the composition can be set to, for example, a range of more than 25% by mass and 200% by mass or less. More specifically, the lower limit of the dry-weight moisture content of the composition is usually more than 25% by mass, more preferably more than 30% by mass, or more than 35% by mass, or more than 40% by mass, or more than 45% by mass, or more than 50% by mass, or more than 55% by mass, or more than 60% by mass, or more than 65% by mass, or more than 70% by mass, or more than 75% by mass, and especially preferably more than 80% by mass. On the other hand, the upper limit of the dry-weight moisture content of the composition is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, usually 200% by mass or less, or 175% by mass or less, or 150% by mass or less.

[0252] Generally, if the sole purpose is to gelatinize starch, a dry-weight moisture content of less than 40% by mass in the dough composition is sufficient. Considering the subsequent drying process, adding more water would not only be unmotivating, but would actually be detrimental. Therefore, without the idea of ​​retrograding the gelatinized starch, as in this stage (iv), it is difficult to conceive of increasing the dry-weight moisture content in the dough composition. Furthermore, even if the dry-weight moisture content of the dough composition is increased, without the idea of ​​retaining moisture for a certain period of time, as in this stage (iv), which is the opposite of drying the moisture in the composition afterward, it is considered impossible to adopt the configuration described above, particularly from stage (iii) onward, which involves processing for a certain period of time in an environment below a predetermined ambient temperature and above a predetermined ambient humidity ratio to ensure that the time required for the dry-weight moisture content of the composition to fall below 25% is ensured to promote retrogradation.

[0253] As such, there are no specific means for adjusting the dry-weight moisture content of the composition, but a preferred method is to add water when preparing the dough composition in step (i). When adding water, the water may be added in liquid form or in gaseous form, but it is preferable to add it in liquid form. Furthermore, when using an extruder that heats the composition temperature using a heater, it is preferable to mix a predetermined proportion or more of the water to be added during production with other raw materials before the composition temperature in the extruder is heated by 20°C or more from the initial temperature, as this can suppress changes in the properties of the starch due to overheating. Specifically, before the composition temperature in the extruder is heated by 20°C or more from the initial temperature, the proportion of water to be mixed in advance of the water to be added during production (especially the total amount of water added in steps (i) to (iii)) can be set to, for example, a range of 50% to 100%. More specifically, it is preferable to pre-mix the water content with other raw materials at a lower limit of 50% or more, more preferably 60% or more, or 70% or more, or 80% or more, or 90% or more, and especially 100%. When mixing water with other raw materials, it is preferable to pre-mix the water content at the above proportions before feeding the raw materials into the extruder.

[0254] Furthermore, the dry-weight moisture content of the dough composition when some or all of the water has been added in advance can be, for example, in the range of more than 5% by mass and 200% by mass or less. More specifically, it is usually more than 5% by mass, or more than 10% by mass, or more than 15% by mass, or more than 20% by mass, or more than 25% by mass, or more than 30% by mass, or more than 35% by mass, or more than 40% by mass, or more than 45% by mass, or more than 50% by mass, or more than 55% by mass, or more than 60% by mass, or more than 65% by mass, or more than 70% by mass, or more than 75% by mass, and it is particularly preferable to have more than 80% by mass. The upper limit of the dry-weight moisture content of the composition is not particularly limited, but for example, it can usually be 200% by mass or less, or 175% by mass or less, or 150% by mass or less, or 100% by mass or less.

[0255] Furthermore, in the stages from step (iii) onward, a method can also be used in which water is added to the composition after extrusion by the extruder, and the time until the composition reaches a dry moisture content of less than 25% by mass is extended beyond the predetermined time. Water can be added in the form of water or steam, but it is preferable to add it in the form of water. Alternatively, the composition can be directly immersed in water, and water can be added by the composition absorbing water. Furthermore, even if the dry moisture content of the composition falls below 25% by mass, water retention treatment can be performed by re-watering the dry composition to increase the dry moisture content, so that the total holding time at a dry moisture content of 25% or more is longer than the predetermined time. When re-watering the dry composition, it is preferable that the temperature for the majority of the subsequent holding time is 60°C or lower, more preferably 50°C or lower, and even more preferably 40°C or lower. The lower limit is not particularly limited, but is usually above 0°C.

[0256] (7) Stage (v): Drying treatment Furthermore, it is preferable to include a step (v) after step (iii) or (iv) in which the dry-weight moisture content of the composition is reduced to a certain level or lower, as this suppresses changes in quality within the composition and results in a composition with maintained quality. In the present invention, this step is sometimes referred to as the "drying treatment" step. Specifically, in step (v), it is preferable that the dry-weight moisture content decreases by 5% or more before and after the drying treatment (i.e., the decrease rate defined by "(the ratio in the composition before drying treatment - the ratio in the composition after drying treatment) / the ratio in the composition before drying treatment" is a certain value or higher). For example, the decrease rate can be in the range of 5% to 100%. More specifically, the lower limit is usually 5% or more, or 10% or more, or 15% or more, or 20% or more, or 25% or more, or 30% or more, or 35% or more, or 40% or more, or 45% or more, and it is particularly preferable to set it to 50% or more. The upper limit is not particularly limited, but for example, it can usually be 100% or less, or 95% or less. In particular, it is preferable to further include the drying treatment step (v) after the aging treatment step (iv), because this suppresses the bonding of the aged starch near the surface formed in step (iv) with other components during the drying treatment, resulting in a composition with high productivity.

[0257] Furthermore, the dry-weight moisture content in the final composition after drying can be, for example, in the range of 0.5% by mass or more and less than 60% by mass. More specifically, it is preferable that the lower limit be less than 60% by mass, or less than 55% by mass, and among these, less than 50% by mass, or less than 45% by mass, or less than 40% by mass, or less than 35% by mass, or less than 30% by mass, or less than 25% by mass, or less than 20% by mass, or less than 15% by mass. On the other hand, the lower limit of the dry-weight moisture content in the composition of the present invention is not limited, but from the viewpoint of industrial production efficiency, it can be, for example, 0.5% by mass or more, or 1% by mass or more, or 2% by mass or more. Note that the dry-weight moisture content in the composition of the present invention may originate from the various components of the composition, or it may originate from water further added during processing in the present invention.

[0258] The temperature of the composition during the drying process in step (v) is not limited, but when processing under normal pressure, it can be in the range of over 50°C and under 100°C. More specifically, it is usually preferred to be over 50°C, more preferably over 60°C or 70°C, and especially preferably over 80°C. The upper limit is not particularly limited, but is below 100°C or 98°C.

[0259] Furthermore, the pressure in step (v) is not particularly limited, but may be carried out under normal pressure or under reduced pressure. When processing under reduced pressure (e.g., less than 0.1 MPa), the temperature of the composition can be in the range of greater than 0°C and 80°C or less. More specifically, it is preferable to set it to 80°C or less, especially 70°C or less, or 60°C or less, and particularly 50°C or less. The lower limit is not particularly limited, but is usually greater than 0°C or greater than 4°C.

[0260] As for the drying method, any method commonly used for drying food can be used. Examples include freeze-drying, air-drying (e.g., forced-air drying (hot air drying), fluidized bed drying, spray drying, drum drying, low-temperature drying, sun drying, and air drying), pressure drying, reduced-pressure drying, microwave drying, and oil-heat drying. Among these, microwave drying is preferred because it minimizes the degree of change in the original color and flavor of the food ingredients and allows control of non-food odors (such as burnt smells), and microwave drying under reduced pressure is even more preferred. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of processing large quantities of composition, air-drying (e.g., hot air drying, fluidized bed drying, spray drying, drum drying, low-temperature drying, sun drying, and air drying) is preferred, and forced-air drying (especially hot air drying with an ambient temperature above a certain level) is particularly preferred.

[0261] Furthermore, in this step (v), it is preferable to treat the composition for a certain period of time or longer in an environment where the ambient temperature (especially the average ambient temperature) is above a certain level, because this shortens the time it takes for the dry-weight-based moisture content to decrease by a predetermined percentage or more. Specifically, the ambient temperature (especially the average ambient temperature in step (v)) can be, for example, in the range of over 50°C and 100°C or less. More specifically, it is preferable to treat the composition in an environment where the lower limit is usually above 50°C, more preferably above 60°C, and even more preferably above 70°C or 80°C. The upper limit is not particularly limited, but is usually 100°C or less. In order to maintain an environment where the ambient temperature is above a certain level, methods can be employed to achieve the predetermined ambient temperature, such as storing the composition after it has been extruded from the die in a high-temperature environment, raising the ambient temperature by maintaining the temperature of the composition extruded at a high temperature, or air-drying with high-temperature air. The average ambient temperature can be calculated by dividing the cumulative temperature during the drying process by the drying time, for example, by dividing the sum of the ambient temperatures every minute by the drying process time.

[0262] Furthermore, the processing time at the predetermined ambient temperature in step (v) should be at least a certain amount of time, but can be in the range of, for example, 0.1 hours or more and 20 hours or less. More specifically, it can be adjusted to 0.1 hours or more, in particular to 0.2 hours or more, or 0.3 hours or more, or 0.4 hours or more, or 0.5 hours or more, or 0.6 hours or more, or 0.7 hours or more, or 0.8 hours or more, or 0.9 hours or more, especially 1.0 hour or more. There is no particular upper limit to such time, but can be, for example, 20 hours or less, or 15 hours or less.

[0263] Furthermore, when processing at a predetermined ambient temperature in stage (v), it is preferable that the ambient humidity (RH%) is below a certain level, as this shortens the time it takes for the dry-weight-based moisture content to decrease by a predetermined percentage or more. Specifically, the ambient humidity (especially the average ambient humidity in stage (v)) can be in the range of 0 RH% or more and less than 60 RH%. More specifically, it is preferable to process in an environment where the upper limit is usually less than 60 RH%, or less than 50 RH%, or less than 40 RH%, or less than 30 RH%. The lower limit is not particularly limited, but is usually 0 RH% or higher. The average ambient humidity can be calculated by dividing the cumulative humidity during the drying process by the drying time, for example, by dividing the sum of the ambient humidity every minute by the drying process time. Also, when stage (v) is performed following stage (iv), it is preferable to set the humidity lower than the ambient humidity in stage (iv). For example, if the ambient humidity in stage (iv) is 60 RH% or higher, setting the ambient humidity in stage (v) to less than 60 RH% allows for the determination of stage (iv) and stage (v) based on the ambient humidity.

[0264] (8) Extruder In the manufacturing method of the present invention, it is preferable to perform at least steps (ii) and (iii), and optionally part or all of step (i) and / or step (iv), using the specific extruder of the present invention described above (more preferably a single-screw extruder).

[0265] That is, by supplying the raw materials for the composition of the present invention to the extruder of the present invention via a feeder and mixing them, a composition is prepared in which the content of dietary fiber (or insoluble dietary fiber), starch, protein, and dry-weight moisture content each satisfy the predetermined range (step (i)). However, the preparation of the composition by mixing the raw materials may be carried out outside the extruder of the present invention, and the prepared composition may be supplied to the extruder of the present invention via a feeder, and only steps (ii) and (iii) may be carried out by the manufacturing method of the present invention. Next, the composition is transported from the flight section to the kneading section by rotating the screw (step (ii)), then kneaded in the kneading section (step (iii)), and then discharged from the die section while being molded.

[0266] (9) Other conditions In the manufacturing method of the present invention, gelatinization of the composition is promoted by lowering the outlet temperature setting of the extruder die while maintaining the total mass flow rate of the extruder above a certain level, which is therefore more preferable. These conditions can be adjusted as appropriate so that the outlet pressure of the extruder is above a certain level, but specific examples are as follows.

[0267] The total mass flow rate (sometimes also called flow rate) is not limited, but can be in the range of, for example, 0.5 kg / hour or more and 100 kg / hour or less. More specifically, it is preferable to maintain it at or above 0.5 kg / hour, and more preferably at or above 0.7 kg / hour, or 1.0 kg / hour. There is no particular upper limit to the total mass flow rate, but it is usually 100 kg / hour or less, or 50 kg / hour or less.

[0268] The outlet temperature setting of the extruder is not limited, but can be, for example, in the range of 0°C to less than 100°C. More specifically, it is usually less than 100°C, or less than 95°C, or less than 90°C, or less than 85°C, or less than 80°C, and in particular less than 75°C, or less than 70°C, or less than 65°C, or less than 60°C, or less than 55°C, or less than 50°C, or less than 45°C, and especially less than 40°C. The lower limit is not particularly limited, but can usually be 0°C or higher, or 4°C or higher.

[0269] While extruders have traditionally been used to produce puffs and other expanded materials, the manufacturing conditions for these materials are usually set so that the extrusion temperature of the composition discharged from the die exceeds the expansion temperature of the composition. Therefore, they could not be applied to the method of producing a non-expanding solid composition that is kneaded at a temperature below 100°C, as in the present invention. Furthermore, in the production of puffs and other expanded materials, it is common technical knowledge to those skilled in the art to keep the proportion of water in the total mass flow rate low in order to allow for rapid expansion under reduced pressure. Thus, there was no motivation to increase the water content in the total mass flow rate, as is the case with non-expanding solid compositions such as the present invention.

[0270] (10) Post-processing The composition of the present invention can be obtained by following the above steps, but further post-treatments may be added in addition to the drying and aging treatments described above. Examples of post-treatments include molding.

[0271] Examples of molding processes include shaping a starch-containing solid composition into a desired form (for example, pasta, Chinese noodles, udon, Inaniwa udon, kishimen, hoto, suito, hiyamugi, somen, soba, sobagaki, vermicelli, pho, cold noodle noodles, glass noodles, oatmeal, couscous, kiritanpo, tteok, gyoza wrappers, etc.). Such molding processes can appropriately employ methods commonly known in the art. For example, to obtain an elongated composition such as noodles like pasta or Chinese noodles, the composition can be extruded into an elongated shape using the aforementioned extruder or other equipment, or a flat composition can be cut. On the other hand, to obtain a flat composition, the composition can be shaped into a flat form. Furthermore, compositions of any shape, such as elongated, granular, or flaky, can be obtained by press molding the composition or by cutting or die-cutting a flat composition. Furthermore, after kneading, a composition with a cross-sectional roughness of a predetermined value or higher may be formed by extrusion molding using a die section having a channel whose average roughness of the channel cross-section is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. Specifically, the shape of the composition cross-section may be circular, square, triangular, star-shaped, elliptical, crescent-shaped, half-moon-shaped, cross-shaped, swastika-shaped, or a combination thereof (for example, a Celtic cross shape which combines a Greek cross shape with a circle, with the center point of the circle placed at the intersection of the cross shape, and a shape in which the radius of the circle is less than or equal to 3 / 4 of the distance from the center point to the tip of the cross shape). For example, a composition with a circular cross-sectional shape will become a cylindrical composition after extrusion, a composition with a square (especially square) cross-sectional shape will become a rectangular prism-shaped composition after extrusion, and a composition with any other cross-sectional shape will become a columnar composition with that shape as its base after extrusion.

[0272] [IV: Crushed starch-containing solid compositions for cooking and aggregates thereof] Furthermore, the composition of the present invention may be used after being pulverized. That is, in the manufacturing method of the present invention described above, after kneading in step (iii), or after aging in step (iv), or after drying in step (v), a further step (vi) may be added in which the composition is pulverized to obtain a pulverized composition. The pulverized product of the composition of the present invention obtained in this way (referred to as "the pulverized composition of the present invention") is also subject to the present invention. When the composition of the present invention is pulverized to obtain the pulverized composition of the present invention, the pulverization conditions are not particularly limited and are arbitrary, but for example, particle size d 50 and / or d 90 It is preferable to grind the material to a size of approximately 50 μm to 1000 μm. In particular, it is preferable to grind the material after drying in step (v).

[0273] Furthermore, the dough composition from step (i) can be prepared again by using a portion of the pulverized composition obtained in this way and adding water as appropriate.

[0274] Furthermore, aggregates may be formed by repeating the high-temperature strong kneading treatment according to the manufacturing method of the present invention, using the pulverized composition of the present invention as a raw material. That is, in the manufacturing method of the present invention described above, after pulverization in step (vi), a further step (vii) may be added to aggregate the pulverized composition to form an aggregate of the pulverized composition. The aggregate of the pulverized composition of the present invention thus obtained (referred to as "aggregate of the pulverized composition of the present invention" as appropriate) can be suitably used as the composition of the present invention. Such aggregate ...

Claims

1. A method for producing a starch-containing solid composition for cooking using an extruder, The extruder, A screw that rotates with a motor, A barrel surrounding the outer circumference of the screw, A feeder for loading food materials is attached to the base side of the barrel, The barrel is equipped with a die section attached to the tip side for discharging the mixed food material while shaping it, The screw is a scale-shaped screw having a base-side starting point and a tip-side ending point, and the base-side starting point is connected to the rotating shaft of a motor and is configured to be rotationally driven. The above method is a manufacturing method comprising the following steps (i) to (iii). (i) A step of preparing a composition that satisfies the following (1) to (6). (1) The dietary fiber content is 3.0% by mass or more on a wet mass basis. (2) The starch content is 10.0% by mass or more on a wet mass basis. (3) The protein content is 3.0% by mass or more on a wet mass basis. (4) The dry weight moisture content is 25% by mass or more. (5) The degree of starch gelatinization is 40% by mass or more. (6) The specific surface area per unit volume after ultrasonic treatment is 0.10 m². 2 It is 1 mL or more. (ii) A step in which the composition of step (i) is conveyed by the screw. (iii) A step of kneading the composition from step (ii) at an average temperature of less than 100°C and under a prepressure of 1.0 MPa or more.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the screw comprises a flight section, and the transport in step (ii) is performed by the flight section.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the screw has one or more narrow structures that have the function of obstructing the flow of dough in the dough channel and generating an extension flow, and the ratio of the length of the narrow structures is more than 0% and less than 50%.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the kneading in step (iii) is carried out by generating an extension flow in the dough passing through the narrow structure.

5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the narrow structure substantially divides the space between the screw and the inner wall of the barrel into a base-side space and a tip-side space, and the base-side space is filled with fabric, increasing the internal pressure of the fabric and generating an extension flow.

6. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the narrow structure includes a passage-like structure that communicates with the forward flight structure in an oblique direction.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that the average communication angle of the passage-like structure, which is communicated diagonally with respect to the forward flight structure, is smaller than the helical angle formed by the curve connecting the thread vertices of the forward flight structure with respect to the rotation axis of the screw.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the average communication angle of the passage-like structures connecting the forward flight sections is 20% or more and 80% or less of the helical angle.

9. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 8, wherein the narrow structure has a convex structure on the screw surface in the material flow path that rises to 80% or more of the distance from the center of the screw to the inner wall of the barrel, and is a structure that generates extensional flow.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the convex structure substantially divides the space between the screw and the inner wall of the barrel into a space on the base side and a space on the tip side by the convex structure.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, comprising two or more of the convex structures.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the two or more convex structures are arranged substantially in series.

13. A method for producing a starch-containing solid composition for cooking using an extruder, The extruder, A screw that rotates with a motor, A barrel surrounding the outer circumference of the screw, A feeder for loading food materials is attached to the base side of the barrel, The barrel is equipped with a die section attached to the tip side for discharging the mixed food material while shaping it, The screw has one or more narrow structures extending from its base to its tip that have the function of blocking the flow of dough in at least the flight portion and the dough flow path, thereby generating an extension flow. The ratio of the length of the flight section to the total length of the screw is 50% or more and less than 100%, and the ratio of the length of the narrow structure is more than 0% and less than 50%. The above method is a manufacturing method comprising the following steps (i) to (iii). (i) A step of preparing a composition that satisfies the following (1) to (6). (1) The dietary fiber content is 3.0% by mass or more on a wet mass basis. (2) The starch content is 10.0% by mass or more on a wet mass basis. (3) The protein content is 3.0% by mass or more on a wet mass basis. (4) The dry weight moisture content is 25% by mass or more. (5) The degree of starch gelatinization is 40% by mass or more. (6) The specific surface area per unit volume after ultrasonic treatment is 0.10 m². 2 It is 1 mL or more. (ii) A step of transporting the composition of step (i) by the flight portion of the screw. (iii) A step in which the composition after being transported by the flight section in step (ii) is subjected to a step in which an extension flow is generated in the narrow structure of the screw under an average temperature of less than 100°C and a prepressurized pressure of 1.0 MPa or more as the material passes through the narrow structure.

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