Preheated food in sealed containers

Abstract

To reduce vegetable protein odor in a heated food product in a sealed container that comprises a granular or fibrous vegetable protein material.SOLUTION: A heated food product in a sealed container comprises a granular or fibrous vegetable protein material, the food product comprising a sparingly water-soluble calcium salt externally added to the granular or fibrous vegetable protein material and dispersed in the food product, wherein the amount of the sparingly water-soluble calcium salt is 3 pts.mass or more per 100 pts.mass of the granular or fibrous vegetable protein material.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to food in a heated sealed container.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a technique of applying a calcium agent to vegetable protein has been known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a method for producing a protein food in which a soy protein raw material, calcium, and water are reacted under heating and pressure by an extruder and extruded through a die. The same document describes that the protein food obtained by the production method described in the same document has a good flavor, is white in color, dense and has directionality, and is rich in chewiness (hard and rich in elasticity, with a feeling of chewing). Patent Document 2 describes a quality improver for protein food ingredients containing (a) methyl cellulose and (b) an alkaline agent. The same document describes that the alkaline agent can improve the dispersibility of methyl cellulose in a solvent and improve the binding property of the food ingredients when used together with methyl cellulose (paragraph

[0044] ).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In foods in sealed containers such as canned foods (aquatic products, agricultural products, livestock meats, cooked foods, etc.), bottled foods, and retort foods, heat sterilization is usually performed. In particular, some canned foods, bottled foods, and retort foods are subjected to high-temperature and high-pressure treatment at 120°C or higher for 4 minutes or longer. In recent years, the use of granular or fibrous plant protein materials such as soy meat has been expanding in sealed food products, either from a health perspective or from the perspective of reducing raw material costs. However, it has been found that when granular or fibrous plant protein materials such as soy meat are subjected to heat treatment such as high temperature and high pressure processing, a distinctive odor derived from the plant protein is produced.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention aims to reduce the vegetable protein odor in preheated, sealed food products containing granular or fibrous vegetable protein materials. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention relates to a preheated, sealed food product containing granular or fibrous plant protein material, wherein the plant protein material contains a water-insoluble calcium salt that is externally added and dispersed in the food product. The present invention provides a preheated, sealed food product containing 3 parts by mass or more of a water-insoluble calcium salt per 100 parts by mass of the aforementioned plant protein material (on a dry matter basis). [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The present invention provides a preheated, sealed food product that contains granular or fibrous plant protein material while reducing the plant protein odor. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below. The present invention relates to a preheated, sealed food product containing granular or fibrous plant protein material.

[0009] Granular vegetable protein material corresponds to "granular vegetable protein" in agricultural and forestry standards. It is a vegetable protein that is formed into granular or flake form and has a meat-like texture. Examples of granular vegetable protein material include a product in which water is added to vegetable protein raw materials, and the mixture is kneaded, heated, and pressurized using an extrusion machine such as an extruder, and then released through a nozzle called a die under atmospheric pressure while simultaneously undergoing puffing. In addition, there are also high-moisture types of granular vegetable protein material that are manufactured in the same way as above, but without puffing the texture, by extruding with a cooling die. The puffed type is generally dried to become the final product, while the non-puffed type is generally frozen and packaged without drying to become the final product. Furthermore, fibrous plant protein material corresponds to "fibrous plant protein" in agricultural and forestry standards. It is a plant protein that has been formed into fibers and has a meat-like texture. Fibrous plant protein material is obtained by releasing an aqueous slurry or paste of plant protein raw material through a small-diameter back-pressure orifice while it is flowing under heat, and then fibrousizing it, resulting in a fine, thread-like shape. It is distinguished from the granular plant protein material mentioned above in terms of manufacturing method and shape. Granular or fibrous plant protein materials have a protein content of 50% by mass or more. Furthermore, granular or fibrous plant protein materials are sometimes collectively referred to as "textured plant protein."

[0010] The type of plant protein in granular or fibrous plant protein materials depends on the plant protein raw materials used in the manufacturing process of these materials. Examples of plant proteins in granular or fibrous plant protein materials include legume-derived proteins and grain-derived proteins. Examples of legumes include soybeans, mung beans, kidney beans, peas, and purple kidney beans. Examples of grains include rice, wheat, barley, oats, millet, and buckwheat. For the reason that the effects of the present invention are easily exhibited due to the strong odor of plant protein, legume-derived proteins are preferred as plant proteins in granular or fibrous plant protein materials, and soybean-derived proteins are particularly preferred. When the plant protein in granular or fibrous plant protein materials is soybean-derived protein, granular soybean protein and fibrous soybean protein can be used as granular or fibrous plant protein materials.

[0011] Specifically, examples of plant protein sources include, for instance, defatted soybeans, soy flour, or powdered (isolated or concentrated) soy protein if derived from soybeans. Other examples of legume-derived protein sources include defatted soybeans, soy flour, or powdered (isolated or concentrated) soy protein, but with the legume type changed from soybeans to mung beans, kidney beans, peas, or purple kidney beans. Cereal-derived protein sources include gluten derived from grains.

[0012] In granular or fibrous plant protein materials, ingredients other than protein generally include, but are not limited to, at least one selected from starch, dietary fiber, edible oils and fats, seasonings, and colorings.

[0013] Granular vegetable protein materials come in various shapes and textures depending on the application, such as minced, meat, and puff types. Minced types are divided into flake and granular products and are used as a substitute for ground meat. These are used after rehydrating with water. Meat types are divided into sliced ​​and block products, which can be manufactured by modifying the die shape at the exit of an extruder. Puff types are used as a material for cereals. Granular vegetable protein materials may be unflavored or they may be flavored and processed. Some granular soy protein products are sold as "soy meat," meaning a meat substitute or meat-like product.

[0014] Examples of sparingly soluble calcium salts in this invention include those with a solubility of 0.02 g or less in 100 ml of water at 25°C. Calcium carbonate is preferred as the sparingly soluble calcium salt due to its excellent effects in reducing the odor of plant proteins and improving the color of food, as well as from a health perspective. Any edible calcium salt is acceptable as the sparingly soluble calcium salt, and its origin is not limited to minerals, seashells, eggshells, etc. In this invention, the sparingly water-soluble calcium salt is added externally to a granular or fibrous vegetable protein material and dispersed in the food. In this invention, the sparingly water-soluble calcium salt exists outside the granular or fibrous vegetable protein material, rather than inside the material, in a mixed state with the material. In this invention, due to this state, the sparingly water-soluble calcium salt can fully exert its effect of reducing the odor components of vegetable protein odor, thus effectively reducing the vegetable protein odor after pressurized heating. Although the reason for this is not clear, it is thought that the sparingly water-soluble calcium salt adsorbs the odor components of vegetable protein odor on its surface. Since the sparingly water-soluble calcium salt is added externally to the granular or fibrous vegetable protein material and dispersed in the food, it coats the surface of the granular or fibrous vegetable protein material and comes into contact with the odor components derived from the vegetable protein, thus providing an easier opportunity for the odor components to be adsorbed. Furthermore, it is thought that the above configuration also makes it easier to obtain the effect of improving the color by the sparingly water-soluble calcium salt.

[0015] In contrast, when a poorly water-soluble calcium salt is included in the raw material used in the extrusion process of an extruder for producing granular or fibrous plant protein material, as described in Patent Document 1, the poorly water-soluble calcium salt is unevenly distributed within the produced granular or fibrous plant protein material. Therefore, the effect of reducing odors derived from plant protein is low, and the effect of improving color is also considered to be low.

[0016] Furthermore, in the present invention, granular or fibrous vegetable protein material and a water-insoluble calcium salt can be dispersed in a food product in a separable manner. In a food product in which granular or fibrous vegetable protein material and a water-insoluble calcium salt are dispersed in a separable manner, it is believed that by adding water and performing a separation operation such as specific gravity separation, it is possible to separate, for example, 20% or more by mass, or 30% or more by mass, of the externally added water-insoluble calcium salt from the granular or fibrous vegetable protein material without performing a crushing operation.

[0017] In the food of the present invention, the amount of water-insoluble calcium salt is 3 parts by mass or more per 100 parts by mass of granular or fibrous vegetable protein material. By setting the content of water-insoluble calcium salt to above the lower limit, the vegetable protein odor caused by subjecting the granular or fibrous vegetable protein material to pressurized heat treatment can be reduced. From the above viewpoint, it is preferable that the amount of water-insoluble calcium salt is 4 parts by mass or more per 100 parts by mass of granular or fibrous vegetable protein material, more preferably 5 parts by mass or more, even more preferably 6 parts by mass or more, even more preferably 7 parts by mass or more, even more preferably 8 parts by mass or more, particularly preferably 9 parts by mass or more, especially preferably 10 parts by mass or more, even more preferably 11 parts by mass or more, and most preferably 12 parts by mass or more. Furthermore, the amount of the water-insoluble calcium salt per 100 parts by mass of granular or fibrous vegetable protein material is preferably 90 parts by mass or less, more preferably 80 parts by mass or less, and even more preferably 70 parts by mass or less, because increasing the amount further does not provide a significant effect in reducing the vegetable protein odor or improving whiteness. Also, from the viewpoint of obtaining a good texture, the amount of the water-insoluble calcium salt per 100 parts by mass of granular or fibrous vegetable protein material is more preferably less than 50 parts by mass, particularly preferably 40 parts by mass or less, especially preferably 30 parts by mass or less, and particularly preferably 20 parts by mass or less. Furthermore, the amount of water-insoluble calcium salts mentioned above does not include the amount of water-insoluble calcium salts used in the manufacturing process of granular or fibrous plant protein materials.

[0018] As the granular or fibrous plant protein material, either a dried product or a non-dried product may be used, but it is preferable to use a dried product, that is, a product that is dried and used after rehydration. This is because dried products generally have a strong plant protein odor, and the effect of reducing the plant protein odor by using water-insoluble calcium salts is high. In addition, since dried products are generally more versatile than frozen products, the economic value of the present invention is high. However, in the present invention, as the granular or fibrous plant protein material, it is preferable not to use the rehydrated liquid-impregnated tissue-like plant protein obtained by immersing the dried tissue-like plant protein in a rehydrated liquid containing a water-insoluble calcium salt and an insoluble dietary fiber, from the viewpoint of obtaining the preferable texture after rehydration inherent in the tissue-like plant protein itself.

[0019] It is preferable that the food of the present invention contains 2% by mass or more of the granular or fibrous plant protein material from the viewpoints of health and bulk increase. From this point, it is more preferable that it is 3% by mass or more. Also, in the food, it is preferable that the amount of the granular or fibrous plant protein material is 40% by mass or less, and more preferably 30% by mass or less. The amount of the granular or fibrous plant protein material referred to in this specification refers to the dry mass (the amount in terms of dry matter).

[0020] Particularly, when the food of the present invention does not contain meat, it is more preferable that the content of the granular or fibrous plant protein material in the food is 4% by mass or more, still more preferable that it is 5% by mass or more, and even more preferable that it is 6% by mass or more. Also, in the food, it is more preferable that the content of the granular or fibrous plant protein material is 40% by mass or less, still more preferable that it is 30% by mass or less, and even more preferable that it is 20% by mass or less.

[0021] Particularly, when the food of the present invention contains meat, it is more preferable that the content of the granular or fibrous plant protein material in the food is 2% by mass or more, still more preferably 3% by mass or more, and even more preferably 3.5% by mass or more. Also, it is more preferable that the content of the granular or fibrous plant protein material in the food is 20% by mass or less, still more preferably 15% by mass or less, and even more preferably 10% by mass or less.

[0022] It is preferable from the viewpoint of reducing the plant protein odor that the food of the present invention contains 0.1% by mass or more of a water-insoluble calcium salt. From this point, it is more preferable to contain 0.15% by mass or more, and still more preferably 0.2% by mass or more. Also, it is preferable from the viewpoint of making the texture of the food good that the content of the water-insoluble calcium salt in the food is 12% by mass or less, more preferably 10% by mass or less, and still more preferably 9% by mass or less.

[0023] When the food of the present invention does not contain meat, it is preferable from the viewpoint of reducing the plant protein odor that it contains 0.3% by mass or more of a water-insoluble calcium salt. From this point, it is more preferable to be 0.5% by mass or more, still more preferably 1.0% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 1.2% by mass or more. Also, from the viewpoint of further improving the texture of the food, it is preferable that the content of calcium carbonate in the food is 10% by mass or less, more preferably 8% by mass or less, still more preferably 7% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 5% by mass or less.

[0024] Furthermore, when the food of the present invention contains meat, it is preferable from the viewpoint of reducing the odor of plant protein to contain 0.2% by mass or more of poorly water-soluble calcium salt, and from this viewpoint, it is more preferable to have 0.3% by mass or more, even more preferable to have 0.4% by mass or more, and particularly preferable to have 0.5% by mass or more. From the viewpoint of texture, in particular from the viewpoint of easily obtaining a moist and soft texture, it is preferable that the amount of calcium carbonate in the food be 5% by mass or less, more preferable to have 4% by mass or less, even more preferable to have 3% by mass or less, and even more preferable to have 2% by mass or less.

[0025] In the food of the present invention, the inclusion of meat is preferable because it can reduce the vegetable protein odor caused by granular or fibrous vegetable protein material. Examples of meat include livestock meat such as chicken, beef, and pork, as well as the flesh of seafood such as fish, shellfish, squid, and octopus.

[0026] In the food of the present invention, if meat is contained, it is preferable that the meat is separated from the water-insoluble calcium salt in the food. Separable mixing of meat and water-insoluble calcium salt means that the meat and water-insoluble calcium salt are mixed in the food, and that the meat and water-insoluble calcium salt can be separated by separation operations such as specific gravity separation without crushing operations. By mixing the water-insoluble calcium salt and meat in this state, the effect of reducing the vegetable protein odor caused by granular or fibrous vegetable protein material due to the inclusion of meat and the effect of reducing the vegetable protein odor due to the inclusion of water-insoluble calcium salt are effectively exhibited.

[0027] In the food of the present invention, if meat is included, the shape of the meat is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that it be in the form of flakes or minced meat, in terms of the balance of texture and appearance with granular or fibrous vegetable protein material.

[0028] When the food of the present invention contains meat, the meat content in the food is preferably 20 to 80% by mass, more preferably 30 to 70% by mass, and even more preferably 40 to 60% by mass.

[0029] The food of the present invention is preferable to contain sugar alcohols in order to further enhance the effect of reducing the odor of plant protein. Known sugar alcohols include reduced maltose, reduced starch syrup, xylitol, erythritol, sorbitol, mannitol, lactitol, and xylobiitol, but it is preferable to use reduced maltose and reduced starch syrup, and most preferably to use reduced starch syrup.

[0030] Reduced starch syrup is a mixture of sugar alcohols ranging from monosaccharides to polysaccharides. It is produced by reducing the glucose terminology of monosaccharide and polysaccharide sugar alcohols using starch syrup, which is obtained by hydrolyzing starch with acid or enzymes, as a raw material, and then reducing the glucose terminology of the starch syrup through hydrogenation. Generally, reduced starch syrup is classified according to the degree of saccharification of the raw material starch syrup. High-saccharification reduced starch syrup is made from starch syrup with a high degree of saccharification, low-saccharification reduced starch syrup is made from starch syrup with a low degree of saccharification, and medium-saccharification reduced starch syrup is in between. In the present invention, any type of reduced starch syrup can be used and is not particularly limited.

[0031] When the food of the present invention contains a sugar alcohol, the sugar alcohol content in the food is preferably 0.5 to 20% by mass, more preferably 1 to 10% by mass, and even more preferably 2 to 8% by mass.

[0032] Furthermore, when the food of the present invention contains sugar alcohols, it is preferable that the sugar alcohol content is 10 to 200 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of granular or fibrous vegetable protein material, in terms of having a high effect in reducing the odor of vegetable protein. From this point of view, it is more preferable that the sugar alcohol content is 30 to 100 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of granular or fibrous vegetable protein material, even more preferable that it is 40 to 80 parts by mass, and particularly preferable that it is 50 to 70 parts by mass.

[0033] The food of the present invention preferably contains edible oils and fats in order to improve its moist texture. As edible oils and fats, liquid oils at 25°C such as soybean oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, olive oil, peanut oil, rice oil, safflower oil, and sunflower oil may be used, or solid oils at room temperature such as palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, monkey fat, mango fat, and milk fat may be used. Furthermore, oils and fats that have been physically or chemically treated, such as hydrogenated oils, fractionated oils, and transesterified oils, may also be used.

[0034] When the food of the present invention contains edible oils and fats, from the viewpoint of improving texture, the content of edible oils and fats in the food is preferably 100 to 1000 parts by mass, more preferably 150 to 600 parts by mass, and even more preferably 250 to 450 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of granular or fibrous vegetable protein material. Furthermore, the edible oil content in the food is preferably 3 to 70% by mass, and more preferably 5 to 60% by mass. The amount of edible oils and fats referred to here includes the amount of oils and fats in other components that contain oils and fats.

[0035] The food of the present invention preferably contains 100 to 700 parts by mass, more preferably 150 to 600 parts by mass, and even more preferably 200 to 500 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of granular or fibrous plant protein material, in order to improve texture and reduce the odor of plant protein. The amount of moisture referred to herein includes not only water but also the amount of moisture in other water-containing components (excluding the amount of moisture in meat).

[0036] The food of the present invention may contain granular or fibrous vegetable protein material and water-insoluble calcium salt, as well as meat, sugar alcohol, edible oil and water, which may be added as needed, and other components. Other components include seasonings such as salt, sugars, and high-intensity sweeteners; colorants such as pigments; preservatives; antioxidants; emulsifiers; inorganic salts; pH adjusters; spices, flavors; and various other food materials and food additives, and one or more of these may be selected and used.

[0037] The food of the present invention can be obtained by mixing granular or fibrous vegetable protein material, a water-insoluble calcium salt, and optionally containing meat, sugar alcohol, edible oil and fat, and water, sealing the resulting mixture in a container, and then heating it.

[0038] The food of the present invention is a preheated food packaged in a sealed container. Examples of sealed containers for food packaged in a sealed container include bottles; cans; packaging such as trays and bags (pouches) made of plastic film; packaging such as trays and bags (pouches) made of laminated film of metal foil and plastic film; and packaging such as trays and bags (pouches) made of metal vapor-deposited film. The aforementioned plastic film is formed from a synthetic resin into a film. Examples of synthetic resins used as materials for the plastic film include VDC / VC (vinylidene chloride / vinyl chloride copolymer), VDC / MA (vinylidene chloride / methyl acrylate copolymer), HIPS (high-impact polystyrene), PVDC (polyvinylidene chloride), PVC (polyvinyl chloride), PA (polyamide), PE (polyethylene), PP (polypropylene), EVOH (ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer), PET (polyethylene terephthalate resin), and composite materials of one or more of these. Examples of the metal-deposited film include those obtained by depositing metal onto a plastic film. Examples of the plastic film in a laminated film of metal foil and plastic film, and in a metal-deposited film, include those similar to the plastic film that constitutes the packaging for the plastic film described above. Examples of metals in the metal-deposited film include aluminum, magnesium, palladium, zinc, nickel, silver, copper, gold, platinum, indium, tin, stainless steel, chromium, and titanium. Similar metals can also be used in the metal foil. When the packaging includes a plastic film, it is preferable to place the thermoplastic resin layer on the inner side because it facilitates sealing by fusing the resin layer.

[0039] Food products filled into containers are heated after being sealed. The heated sealed container food products of the present invention may be those that have been heated under no pressure, but it is preferable that they have been subjected to pressurized heating treatment, i.e., that they are pressurized heated food products, because the plant protein odor caused by granular or fibrous plant protein materials tends to become stronger, thus increasing the importance of the plant protein odor reduction effect of the present invention. Pressurized heating treatment can be carried out using a retort device. Specific examples of retort devices include steam type, hot water type (static type, rotary type), hot water shower type, hydrostatic pressure type, water seal type, and continuous type.

[0040] The food of the present invention is preferably a flake food or a minced food. Both flake foods and minced foods are foods that contain meat that has been shredded into flakes or mince and heated, or granular or fibrous vegetable protein material that imitates meat, and is seasoned. Shredding and heating may be done in any order. Shredding may be done using a knife, or by machine or by hand. Flake foods and minced foods can be used, for example, as an ingredient in omelets or as a topping for rice. Specific examples of flake foods include fish flakes such as salmon flakes. Specific examples of minced foods include minced meat.

[0041] Although the present invention has been described above based on its preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to what is described above. [Examples]

[0042] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples. Unless otherwise specified, "%" means "mass %" and "parts" means "parts by mass".

[0043] <Evaluation 1: Comparative Example 1, Examples 1-13> The ingredients shown in Tables 1 and 2 were mixed, and 50 g of the mixture was sealed in a heat-sealable container (retort pouch) and heat-sealed. After pressurizing and heating at 116°C for 75 minutes, it was cooled to room temperature to obtain a heated, sealed food product (flake food or minced food). In Tables 1 and 2, soybean oil was used as the edible oil. Furthermore, as the granular vegetable protein material, we used New Soyme N20WAC (shape: granular) manufactured by Nisshin Oillio Co., Ltd. The granular vegetable protein material was manufactured through a swelling process. The amounts of granular plant protein materials listed in Tables 1 and 2 are in their dry state. The "fish flakes" listed in Table 2 were made from chum salmon, with the inedible parts removed, heated, and then flaked. Furthermore, the ingredients listed under "Other" included seasonings, colorings, and yeast extract. Thirteen panelists were asked to open pre-heated, sealed food containers and evaluate the intensity of the vegetable protein odor at the time of opening according to the following criteria. The average values ​​from the 13 participants are shown in Tables 1 and 2. (Evaluation Criteria) 1: I hardly feel anything. 2: I don't really feel it. 3: I can't say either way. 4: I feel it's a little strong. 5: I feel it very strongly.

[0044] [Table 1]

[0045] [Table 2]

[0046] As shown in Tables 1 and 2, it can be seen that the plant-based protein odor can be reduced by adding calcium carbonate. Furthermore, as can be seen from the comparison between Examples 1, 5, and 6 in Table 1 and Examples 11, 12, and 13 in Table 2, it is clear that including meat can further reduce the vegetable protein odor after pressurized heating.

[0047] <Evaluation 2: Examples 12-15> The ingredients shown in Table 3 were mixed, and 50g of the mixture was sealed in a heat-sealable container (retort pouch) and heat-sealed. After pressurizing and heating at 116°C for 75 minutes, it was cooled to room temperature to obtain a heated, sealed food product (flake food or minced food).

[0048] The preheated, sealed food products were opened and consumed, and their texture—including moistness, roughness, and softness—was evaluated. The results are shown in Table 3.

[0049] [Table 3]

[0050] As shown in Table 3, it is preferable that the mass ratio of calcium carbonate to granular vegetable protein (%) is below a certain level in terms of improving texture.

[0051] (Evaluation 3: Examples 2, 16, and 17) In Example 16, a preheated, sealed food product was obtained in the same manner as in Example 2, except that the granular vegetable protein material was replaced with a fibrous vegetable protein material (LORY TEXFIBRES manufactured by Unitech Foods). In Example 17, a preheated, sealed food product was obtained in the same manner as in Example 2, except that the granular granular vegetable protein material was changed to a flake-shaped granular vegetable protein material (LORYTEXFLAKES manufactured by Unitech Foods). When the heated, sealed container foods from Examples 2, 16, and 17 were opened and the vegetable protein odor was compared, the degree of vegetable protein odor in the foods from Examples 16 and 17 was equivalent to that of Example 2.

[0052] (Evaluation 4: Comparative Example 1, Examples 1-3, 18, 19) Examples 18 and 19 were prepared in the same manner as Example 1, except that the formulation amounts shown in Table 4 were used, to obtain preheated, sealed food products. Twenty-three adult monitors consumed the preheated, sealed food products of Comparative Example 1, Examples 1-3, 18, and 19, and were asked to select the one where they felt the greatest difference between Comparative Example 1 and Example 18 (Calcium carbonate / vegetable protein material (%) 0% and 5%), between Example 18 and Example 19 (5% and 10%), between Example 19 and Example 1 (10% and 15%), between Example 1 and Example 2 (15% and 20%), and between Example 2 and Example 3 (20% and 25%). The results are shown in Table 4.

[0053] [Table 4]

[0054] (Rating 5: Comparative Example 2, Examples 11, 14, 20-22) Examples 20-22 were prepared in the same manner as Example 11, except that the formulation amounts shown in Table 5 were used, to obtain preheated, sealed food products. Twenty adult monitors consumed the preheated, sealed food products of Comparative Example 2 and Examples 20, 21, 11, 14, and 22, and were asked to select the one where they felt the greatest difference between Comparative Example 2 and Example 20 (calcium carbonate / vegetable protein material (%) 0% and 5%), between Example 20 and Example 21 (5% and 10%), between Example 21 and Example 11 (10% and 15%), between Example 11 and Example 14 (15% and 20%), and between Example 14 and Example 22 (20% and 25%). The results are shown in Table 5.

[0055] [Table 5]

[0056] As shown in the evaluation results in Tables 4 and 5, the greatest difference in color was perceived when the ratio of calcium carbonate to plant protein material was between 5% and 10% by mass. Therefore, it is thought that a ratio of 6% or more by mass would have a high effect on improving the whiteness of food.

Claims

1. A food product containing granular or fibrous vegetable protein material, wherein calcium carbonate is added externally to the granular or fibrous vegetable protein material and dispersed in the food product, and the granular or fibrous vegetable protein material and calcium carbonate are separated and dispersed in the food product, and the food product is in the form of flakes or minced meat. A preheated, sealed food product containing 8 parts by mass or more of calcium carbonate per 100 parts by mass of the granular or fibrous plant protein material.

2. The heated, sealed food product according to claim 1, wherein the amount of calcium carbonate is 90 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the granular or fibrous plant protein material.

3. The preheated, sealed food product according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the amount of calcium carbonate is 40 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the granular or fibrous plant protein material.

4. A preheated, sealed food product according to claim 1 or 2, containing a sugar alcohol.

5. A preheated, sealed food product according to claim 1 or 2, containing meat.

6. A preheated food in a sealed container according to claim 1 or 2, which is a food product heated under pressure.

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