Composition for cheese-like food products, extensibility enhancer for cheese-like food products, cheese-like food product, method for producing cheese-like food products, and method for improving the extensibility of cheese-like food products.

Abstract

Provided is a composition for a cheese-like food that is to be used in a cheese-like food and can improve the stretchability of the cheese-like food over a wide temperature range.　This composition for a cheese-like food contains the following components (a), (b), and (c).　Component (a): an edible starch composition containing a starch-lipid complex obtained by heat-treating potato starch and a polyglycerol fatty acid ester under a pressurized condition of 0-20 MPa inclusive. Component (b): an etherified starch. Component (c): a polysaccharide thickener.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a composition for a cheese-like food, an extender for improving the stretchability of a cheese-like food, a cheese-like food, a method for producing a cheese-like food, and a method for improving the stretchability of a cheese-like food.

Background Art

[0002] Recently, the prices of dairy products have been continuously rising globally, and the price of natural cheese has also been rising at a rare rate in recent years. Most of the imported cheese is shredded as it is and is often used in home-delivered pizza, frozen gratins, etc., and there is concern that it will be strongly affected by the soaring price of imported cheese. Under such circumstances, the demand for cheese-like foods of the standard such as cheese sauce and cheese food that reduce the blending amount of natural cheese and use milk or dairy products as the main raw material (hereinafter also referred to as milk-based source) has been extremely increasing. However, in cheese-like foods of the milk-based source standard, the texture and stretchability like natural cheese cannot be sufficiently reproduced. Therefore, as an alternative to cheese-standard foods, the development of cheese-like foods that are lower in price and still have stretchability like natural cheese has become an urgent issue.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes cheeses that, even when used as materials for confectionery or bread-making, do not eject cheese during baking and have a cheese-like stretchability after being made into products. These cheeses are obtained by adding tapioca starch, dextrin, molten salt, and water to cream cheese and heating and emulsifying them.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, the cheeses described in Patent Document 1 stretch at temperatures of around 10-25°C, but their stretchiness rapidly decreases at around 60°C, thus limiting the types of products that can be used. The present invention provides a composition for cheese-like foods that can give cheese-like foods excellent extensibility over a wide temperature range. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The inventors of the present invention have discovered that a specific starch composition, a specific starch, and a thickening polysaccharide composition for cheese-like foods can give cheese-like foods excellent extensibility over a wide temperature range, and have completed the present invention.

[0007] In other words, the present invention is as follows: [1] A cheese-like food composition comprising the following components (a), (b), and (c). Component (a): A food starch composition containing a starch-lipid complex obtained by heat-treating potato starch and polyglycerin fatty acid ester under pressure conditions of 0 MPa to 20 MPa. Ingredient (b): Etherified starch Ingredients (c): Thickening polysaccharides [2] The cheese-like food composition according to [1], wherein the cheese-like food contains cheese, and the cheese content in the cheese-like food is 5% by mass or more and less than 51% by mass. [3] The cheese-like food composition according to [1] or [2], wherein the content of component (b) in the cheese-like food composition is 100 parts by mass or more and 1000 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of component (a). [4] The cheese-like food composition according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the content of component (c) is 1 part by mass or more and 20 parts by mass or less relative to 100 parts by mass of the total content of component (a) and component (b) in the cheese-like food composition. [5] The cheese-like food composition according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein component (c) is one or two selected from the group consisting of xanthan gum and guar gum. [6] An agent for improving the extensibility of cheese-like foods, comprising a cheese-like food composition described in any one of items [1] to [5] as an active ingredient. [7] A cheese-like food containing the following ingredients (a), (b), and (c). Component (a): A food starch composition containing a starch-lipid complex obtained by heat-treating potato starch and polyglycerin fatty acid ester under pressure conditions of 0 MPa to 20 MPa. Ingredient (b): Etherified starch Ingredients (c): Thickening polysaccharides Cheese-like foods, including cheese. [8] A method for producing a cheese-like food, comprising the step of adding the following components (a), (b), and (c) to a cheese-like food ingredient. Component (a): A food starch composition containing a starch-lipid complex obtained by heat-treating potato starch and polyglycerin fatty acid ester under pressure conditions of 0 MPa to 20 MPa. Ingredient (b): Etherified starch Ingredients (c): Thickening polysaccharides [9] A method for improving the stretchability of a cheese-like food, comprising incorporating the following ingredients (a), (b), and (c) into the cheese-like food. Component (a): A food starch composition containing a starch-lipid complex obtained by heat-treating potato starch and polyglycerin fatty acid ester under pressure conditions of 0 MPa to 20 MPa. Ingredient (b): Etherified starch Ingredients (c): Thickening polysaccharides [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The cheese-like food composition of the present invention can make cheese-like foods have excellent extensibility over a wide temperature range. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Specific embodiments of the composition for cheese-like foods, the extensibility improver for cheese-like foods, the cheese-like foods, the method for producing cheese-like foods, and the method for improving the extensibility of cheese-like foods of the present invention will be described below. When the upper limit value and the lower limit value of a numerical range are shown in this specification, the upper limit value and the lower limit value can be appropriately combined, and the numerical range obtained thereby is also disclosed.

[0010] The composition for cheese-like foods of the present invention contains the above components (a), (b) and (c), and when applied to cheese-like foods, it shows excellent extensibility not only at high temperatures immediately after heating but also at low temperatures after cooling, and can impart a cheesy texture when stretched further. In this specification, high temperature means above 50°C and below 100°C, and low temperature means 1°C or more and 50°C or less. Here, "cheese-like food" refers to a food having properties similar to cheese, which is produced without using any cheese as a raw material or by reducing the cheese content such as cheese sauce or cheese food defined as the main milk source.

[0011] In the present invention, the composition for cheese-like foods contains the following components (a), (b) and (c). Component (a): A food starch composition containing a starch-lipid complex obtained by heat-treating potato starch and polyglycerol fatty acid ester under a pressure condition of 0 MPa or more and 20 MPa or less Component (b): Etherified starch Component (c): Thickening polysaccharide

[0012] (Component (a)) The potato starch is one or more selected from the group consisting of raw potato starch and chemically modified starch of the raw potato starch. Examples of the chemically modified starch of the raw potato starch include chemically modified starch obtained by subjecting the raw potato starch to one or more chemical modification treatments selected from the group consisting of crosslinking, etherification, and monoesterification. Examples of the chemical modification treatment include one or more of, for example, crosslinking such as phosphoric acid crosslinking and adipic acid crosslinking; etherification such as hydroxypropylation; monoesterification such as phosphoric acid monoesterification; etc. The potato starch is preferably raw potato starch.

[0013] The constituent fatty acid of the polyglycerol fatty acid ester is not particularly limited, but is preferably a saturated fatty acid, more preferably one or more selected from the group consisting of myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, and behenic acid, and even more preferably one or two selected from the group consisting of palmitic acid and stearic acid.

[0014] The polyglycerol fatty acid ester preferably has an HLB value of 1 or more and 13 or less and an average degree of polymerization of 2 or more and 9 or less. Here, the HLB value is more preferably 1 or more and 11 or less, and even more preferably 3 or more and 10 or less. The average degree of polymerization of polyglycerol is more preferably 2 or more and 7 or less, and even more preferably 2 or more and 5 or less. In the present specification, the average degree of polymerization of polyglycerol is measured by a method calculated from the hydroxyl value or a method of determining the composition of polyglycerol by gas chromatography, liquid chromatography, thin layer chromatography, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, or liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and calculating the average degree of polymerization.

[0015] The component (a) contains a starch-lipid complex obtained by heat-treating the potato starch and the polyglycerol fatty acid ester under a pressure condition of 0 MPa or more and 20 MPa or less. In the present specification, the pressure means gauge pressure.

[0016] Here, "starch-lipid complex" refers to a complex formed by the interaction of starch and polyglycerol fatty acid ester. It is not easy to specifically identify its structure, and many aspects remain unclear. However, for example, it is thought that the polyglycerol fatty acid ester is encapsulated within the helical structure of the amylose molecule in the raw potato starch. Alternatively, the glycerol fatty acid ester may be attached to the surface of the helical structure of the amylose molecule. Furthermore, it is possible that the polyglycerol fatty acid ester interacts with parts other than the amylose molecule. In the starch-lipid complex, the potato starch may be in a low-molecular-weight form due to cleavage of the starch chain, or it may be in a high-molecular-weight form due to polymerization of the starch chain, or it may contain both.

[0017] The amount of polyglycerin fatty acid ester in the starch-lipid complex is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.1 parts by mass or more and 5 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of potato starch, more preferably 0.2 parts by mass or more and 4 parts by mass or less, even more preferably 0.3 parts by mass or more and 2 parts by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.5 parts by mass or more and 1 part by mass or less.

[0018] The total content of potato starch and polyglycerol fatty acid ester in the starch-lipid complex is preferably 90% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, more preferably 95% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, and even more preferably 98% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.

[0019] The content of the particles below the sieve of the starch-lipid complex using a sieve with a mesh size of 0.25 mm according to JIS-Z8801-1 is preferably 70% by mass or more, more preferably 80% by mass or more, even more preferably 90% by mass or more, and even more preferably 95% by mass or more, relative to the entire starch-lipid complex. There is no upper limit on the content of the particles below the sieve using a sieve with a mesh size of 0.25 mm, and it is 100% by mass or less relative to the entire starch-lipid complex.

[0020] The content of the starch-lipid complex on a sieve with a mesh size of 0.075 mm in a JIS-Z8801-1 standard sieve is 50% by mass or more of the total starch-lipid complex, preferably 60% by mass or more, more preferably 65% ​​by mass or more, and even more preferably 70% by mass or more. The content of the particles on a sieve with a mesh size of 0.075 mm is 100% by mass or less of the total starch-lipid complex, preferably 90% by mass or less.

[0021] It is preferable that the starch-lipid complex is contained in 60% to 100% by mass of the total component (a), more preferably 70% to 100% by mass, even more preferably 80% to 100% by mass, and even more preferably 90% to 100% by mass.

[0022] (ingredient (b)) The etherified starch is starch that has undergone etherification treatment, and is preferably hydroxypropylated starch. The etherified starch may undergo chemical treatments other than etherification treatment as long as it has undergone etherification treatment, but it is preferable that only etherification treatment is performed as the chemical treatment.

[0023] The raw starch for the etherified starch is not particularly limited, but for example, plant-derived starch is preferred, and starch derived from regular corn, waxy corn, high-amylose corn, non-glutinous rice, glutinous rice, wheat, potato, and cassava is more preferred, with cassava-derived starch being even more preferred. The etherified starch may also be obtained by subjecting a mixed starch, which is a mixture of one or more of these raw starches, to an etherification treatment. If the etherified starch corresponds to component (a), it shall be considered as component (a) and not as component (b).

[0024] (component (c)) The aforementioned thickening polysaccharides are not particularly limited as long as they are commonly used in food. Examples of such thickening polysaccharides include xanthan gum, carrageenan (e.g., kappa-carrageenan, iota-carrageenan, lambda-carrageenan, etc.), alginic acids (e.g., alginic acid, alginate, etc.), gellan gum (e.g., deacyl gellan gum, native gellan gum, etc.), pectin (e.g., LM pectin, HM pectin, etc.), galactomannan (e.g., guar gum, locust bean gum, tara gum, etc.), tamarind seed gum, psyllium seed gum, wormwood seed gum, etc. Examples of suitable materials include rucomannan, ramzan gum, welan gum, curdlan, pullulan, karaya gum, tragacanth gum, ghati gum, gum arabic, cassia gum, macrophomopsis gum, agar, gelatin, microcrystalline cellulose, microfibrous cellulose, fermented cellulose, cellulose derivatives (e.g., methylcellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, etc.), soybean polysaccharides, chitin, and chitosan. These may be used individually or in combination of two or more. Among these, one or two selected from the group consisting of xanthan gum and guar gum are preferred.

[0025] Preferably, the content of component (b) in the cheese-like food composition is 100 parts by mass or more and 1000 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of component (a), more preferably 200 parts by mass or more and 800 parts by mass or less, and even more preferably 300 parts by mass or more and 500 parts by mass. By setting the content within the above range, a cheese-like food with improved cheese-like stretchiness can be obtained.

[0026] Preferably, the content of component (c) in the cheese-like food composition is 1 part by mass or more and 20 parts by mass or less, more preferably 2 parts by mass or more and 10 parts by mass or less, and even more preferably 3 parts by mass or more and 8 parts by mass or less, relative to the total content of component (a) and component (b) in 100 parts by mass. By setting it within the above range, a cheese-like food with improved cheese-like stretchiness can be obtained.

[0027] Since the cheese-like food composition can improve the spreadability of cheese-like foods, it can be used as an active ingredient in a cheese-like food spreadability enhancer. The content of the cheese-like food composition in the cheese-like food spreadability enhancer is, for example, 50% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.

[0028] The cheese-like food of the present invention comprises component (a), component (b), and component (c). The cheese-like food may be made by adding the cheese-like food composition comprising component (a), component (b), and component (c) to the cheese-like food raw material, or by adding each of them to the cheese-like food raw material, but it is preferable to add the cheese-like food composition to the cheese-like food raw material. By comprising component (a), component (b), and component (c) in the cheese-like food, it is possible to make a cheese-like food with improved cheese-like stretchiness.

[0029] The total content of component (a), component (b), and component (c) in the cheese-like food is preferably 1% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less, more preferably 2% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less, and even more preferably 4% by mass or more and 7% by mass or less, based on the total amount of the cheese-like food.

[0030] The cheese-like food contains cheese-like food ingredients in addition to the components (a), (b), and (c) mentioned above. The cheese-like food ingredients preferably include cheese, edible oils and fats, and water, and may further include, if necessary, emulsifiers, antioxidants, pH adjusters, seasonings, flavorings, etc., which are commonly used in the food industry.

[0031] The cheese-like food product does not necessarily contain cheese, but preferably does. The cheese content in the cheese-like food product is preferably 1% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less, more preferably 5% by mass or more and less than 51% by mass, and even more preferably 10% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less.

[0032] The water that the cheese-like food product may contain is not particularly limited as long as it is suitable for use in food products, and may include natural water or tap water. In addition, water-containing liquids such as animal milk such as cow's milk, plant-based milk such as soy milk and almond milk, and plant juices such as fruit juice and vegetable juice may also be used. In the cheese-like food of the present invention, the water content is preferably 30% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less, and preferably 40% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less. When a water-containing liquid is used, it is sufficient that the amount of water contained in the liquid satisfies the above content.

[0033] The edible oils and fats that the cheese-like food product may contain are not particularly limited as long as they are suitable for food use. For example, they include vegetable oils such as soybean oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, rice oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, olive oil, peanut oil, kapok oil, evening primrose oil, linseed oil, perilla oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, and coconut oil; animal oils such as fish oil, lard, beef tallow, and milk fat; medium-chain triglyceride fatty acids; and processed oils and fats obtained by performing one or more of these processes selected from the group consisting of transesterification, hydrogenation, and fractionation. Among these, it is preferable that the edible oils and fats include one or more selected from the group consisting of palm oil and processed palm oils, and it is more preferable that they include palm oil. The edible oils and fats can be appropriately selected according to the purpose and use. In the cheese-like food of the present invention, the content of edible oils and fats is preferably 0.1% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less on a total basis of the cheese-like food, more preferably 1% by mass or more and 35% by mass or less, even more preferably 5% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 10% by mass or more and 25% by mass or less.

[0034] The cheese-like food may be manufactured by a step (mixing step) in which components (a), (b), and (c) are mixed with the cheese-like food raw materials to obtain a mixture. Furthermore, if necessary, a step (heating and stirring step) may be performed to heat and stir the obtained mixture. In the mixing step, all components may be mixed simultaneously, or any two or more components may be mixed beforehand before being mixed with the other components.

[0035] In the heating and stirring step, it is preferable to heat and stir the mixture until it becomes uniform, and it is preferable to heat the mixture to, for example, 60°C or more and less than 100°C, more preferably 65°C or more and 95°C or less, and even more preferably 70°C or more and 90°C or less. By heating and stirring the mixture, the mixture becomes a paste, which can give it a cheese-like stretch. The mixture contains an excess amount of water compared to the composition of the cheese-like food, and it is preferable to evaporate the excess water in the heating and stirring step. The amount of excess water is preferably, for example, 5 parts by mass or more and 20 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the cheese-like food.

[0036] The stirring method in the heating and stirring step can be any method that allows for uniform mixing, and may include manual stirring, or it may be stirred using a stirrer such as a propeller-type stirrer, cutter mixer, homomixer, cooker-type emulsifier, kettle-type emulsifier, Stephan-type emulsifier, or surface-scraping emulsifier, or different stirring methods may be combined. After the heating and stirring step, the product can be stored stably for a long period of time by cooling as needed. The cooling temperature is preferably, for example, greater than 0°C and 10°C or less. The cheese-like food product of the present invention maintains its quality stability even after cooling and storage, without losing its cheese-like stretchiness within the temperature range at which it is consumed.

[0037] The cheese-like food product obtained in this way retains its cheese-like stretchiness not only immediately after heating but also after the temperature has decreased, making it suitable for use in take-out bento boxes, prepared foods, and other food products.

[0038] The aforementioned cheese-like food can be suitably used as a substitute for cheese. The cheese-like food of the present invention can be used in combination with other ingredients and is suitable as a topping or filling for cooked foods. Specific examples of such foods include toast, pizza, gratin, doria, lasagna, hamburgers, risotto, and the like. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, when used as a topping or filling for cooked foods, the cheese-like food not only exhibits a stretchiness and pliability or softness similar to cheese upon heating, but also retains cheese-like stretchiness and pliability or softness even after the temperature has decreased, making it particularly useful as a substitute for cheese for cooking. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a cheese-like food with cheese-like stretchiness can be provided without using or with reduced amounts of dairy-derived ingredients such as cheese. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to respond to the increasing health consciousness and diversification of dietary needs due to allergies, and raw material costs can also be reduced. [Examples]

[0039] The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited in any way to these examples.

[0040] (1) Raw materials The following ingredients were used in the preparation of the cheese-like food product.

[0041] <Food grade starch composition (component (a))> Food starch composition 1 was prepared according to the method shown below. Production example 1 (food grade starch composition 1) A raw material mixture was prepared by mixing 2 kg of unprocessed potato starch with 15 g of polyglycerin fatty acid ester (DuPont Specialty Products "GRINDSTED PGE55-M" (HLB: approximately 7, average degree of polymerization of polyglycerin: 3 or less, constituent fatty acids: stearic acid, several percent palmitic acid)). This mixture was then heat-treated using a twin-screw extruder (Kowa Kogyo Co., Ltd. "KEI-45-15") while adding water at a rate of 11.5% by mass (50 g / min) relative to the flour. The resulting heat-treated material was dried in a constant temperature bath set to 110°C for 30 minutes. The dried heat-treated material was pulverized using a benchtop pulverizer, and the fraction below the sieve, passed through a sieve with a mesh size of 0.25 mm according to JIS-Z8801-1 standards, was collected to obtain food starch composition 1. The conditions for the twin-screw extruder were as follows: barrel temperature 30°C to 170°C, outlet temperature 100°C to 170°C, maximum barrel pressure 5 MPa, and screw rotation speed 230 rpm.

[0042] <Etherified starch (component (b))> Etherified starch: "POT-05" (hydroxypropylated tapioca starch) manufactured by J-Oil Mills Co., Ltd.

[0043] <Thickening polysaccharides (component (c))> Xanthan gum: "Echo Gum" manufactured by Sumitomo Pharma Food & Chemical Co., Ltd. Guar gum: "Guar gum D" manufactured by Takaragen Co., Ltd.

[0044] <Cheese-like food ingredient> (cheese) Cheddar cheese: Made by Fonterra Gouda cheese: Made by Fonterra Mozzarella cheese: Made by Fonterra (Other ingredients) Refined palm oil: Manufactured by J-Oil Mills Co., Ltd. Trisodium citrate: Manufactured by Fuso Chemical Industries Co., Ltd. 90% Lactic Acid: "Fermented Lactic Acid 90" manufactured by Fuso Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.

[0045] (2) Formulation and manufacturing of cheese-like food products (2-1) Production of cheese-like food composition (Examples 1-2, Comparative Examples 1-2) The cheese-like food composition was prepared by mixing the ingredients shown in Table 1.

[0046] [Table 1]

[0047] (2-2) Production of cheese-like food products (Example 1-1, Examples 2-1 to 2-2, Comparative Examples 1-1, 2-1 to 2-2) The product was manufactured according to the formulation shown in Table 2 using the following method. 1. Put all the ingredients into the pot. 2.1 The pot was placed on an induction heater (MR-Z30J, manufactured by Toshiba Lifestyle Corporation) and heated over medium heat, stirring with a spatula, until it reached 50°C. 3. The heated ingredients were placed in a hand-held food processor (M300, manufactured by Bamix) and mixed for 1 minute at a rotation speed of 17,000 rpm. 4. Remove the handheld food processor and continue heating until the temperature reaches 80°C, cooking until 10 parts by mass of the water evaporates to prepare the cheese-like food. 5. The prepared cheese-like food was placed in 400g portions in plastic bags and rapidly cooled at -35°C for 2 minutes in a shock freezer (HBC-6B3, manufactured by Hoshizaki Corporation). 6. The rapidly cooled cheese-like food was stored in a refrigerator set to 4°C.

[0048] [Table 2]

[0049] (3) Evaluation of cheese-like foods (3-1) Tensile test The cheese-like food was heated to 60°C or 20°C using a water bath. However, the cheese-like food in Comparative Example 1-1 was heated only to 60°C. The heated cheese-like food was filled to the brim into an Azunol Petri dish (40 mm in diameter, 13.5 mm thick, manufactured by AS ONE Corporation). The filled cheese-like food was placed on the stage of a texture analyzer (TA.Xtplus, manufactured by Stable Microsystems) configured as described below, and the jig was lowered at 1.0 mm / sec. Once the load reached 1.0 g, the jig was further lowered at 1.0 mm / sec until it had descended 4 mm, burying it in the cheese-like food. Next, measurements were taken using the Test Mode described below to measure the distance at which the cheese-like food attached to the jig broke (breaking distance), and the results were evaluated according to the evaluation criteria described below.

[0050] [Texture Analyzer Test Mode Settings] Jig, 20mm diameter disc Test Mode: Tensile Test Target Mode Distance Trigger Type: Auto (Force) Trigger Force 1.0g Test Speed ​​0.5mm / sec

[0051] [Evaluation criteria for fracture distance at 60°C] 3: 50.0 mm or more 2: 40.0mm or more and less than 50.0mm 1: Less than 40.0 mm [Evaluation criteria for fracture distance at 20°C] 3: 50.0 mm or more 2: 36.0 mm or more and less than 50.0 mm 1: Less than 36.0 mm A score of 2 or higher was considered a passing grade for both of the above evaluation criteria.

[0052] (3-2) Cheesy texture 200g of cheese-like food was dispensed into a 200mL tall beaker and heated to 20°C or 60°C. The cheese-like texture of the heated cheese-like food, when scooped up with a spatula, was evaluated according to the following evaluation criteria.

[0053] [Criteria for evaluating the texture of cheese] 4: It has a supple texture, typical of cheese. 3: It has a soft texture, typical of cheese. 2: It has a soft, loose texture and doesn't taste like cheese. 1: It has a hard and brittle texture, unlike typical cheese. A cheese-like texture was considered acceptable if it received a score of 3 or higher.

[0054] [Table 3]

[0055] The cheese-like foods of Examples 1-1 and 2-1 to 2-2 had long fracture distances at both 60°C and 20°C, and possessed a soft or pliable texture characteristic of cheese. In particular, the cheese-like food of Example 2-1 had a particularly long fracture distance at both 60°C and 20°C, and possessed a pliable texture characteristic of cheese. On the other hand, the cheese-like food of Comparative Example 1-1 had a short fracture distance at 60°C, and had a soft and loose texture that was not characteristic of cheese. The cheese-like food of Comparative Example 2-1 had a long fracture distance at 60°C and possessed a pliable texture characteristic of cheese, but at 20°C it had a short fracture distance and a hard and brittle texture that was not characteristic of cheese. The cheese-like food of Comparative Example 2-2 had a long fracture distance at 60°C, but had a hard and brittle texture that was not characteristic of cheese. At 20°C it had a short fracture distance and a soft and loose texture that was not characteristic of cheese.

Claims

1. A method for producing a cheese-like food composition, comprising the step of mixing the following components (a), (b), and (c), A method for producing a cheese-like food composition, wherein the cheese-like food contains cheese, and the cheese content in the cheese-like food is 1% by mass or more and less than 70% by mass. Component (a): A food starch composition containing a starch-lipid complex obtained by heat-treating unprocessed potato starch and polyglycerin fatty acid ester under pressure conditions of 0 MPa to 20 MPa. Ingredient (b): Modified starch derived from cassava that has undergone etherification treatment. Ingredient (c): One or two thickening polysaccharides selected from the group consisting of xanthan gum and guar gum.

2. A method for producing a cheese-like food composition according to claim 1, wherein the cheese content in the cheese-like food is 5% by mass or more and less than 51% by mass.

3. A method for producing the cheese-like food composition according to claim 1, wherein the content of component (b) in the cheese-like food composition is 100 parts by mass or more and 1000 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of component (a).

4. A method for producing the cheese-like food composition according to claim 1, wherein the content of component (c) in the cheese-like food composition is 1 part by mass or more and 20 parts by mass or less, relative to the total content of component (a) and component (b) in 100 parts by mass.

5. A cheese-like food composition is produced by the manufacturing method described in any one of claims 1 to 4. A method for producing an agent that improves the extensibility of cheese-like foods, comprising the aforementioned cheese-like food composition as an active ingredient.

6. A method for producing a cheese-like food, comprising the step of adding the following components (a), (b), and (c) to a cheese-like food ingredient, A method for producing a cheese-like food, wherein the cheese-like food contains cheese, and the cheese content in the cheese-like food is 1% by mass or more and less than 70% by mass. Component (a): A food starch composition containing a starch-lipid complex obtained by heat-treating unprocessed potato starch and polyglycerin fatty acid ester under pressure conditions of 0 MPa to 20 MPa. Ingredient (b): Modified starch derived from cassava that has undergone etherification treatment. Ingredient (c): One or two thickening polysaccharides selected from the group consisting of xanthan gum and guar gum.

7. A method for improving the stretchability of a cheese-like food, comprising incorporating the following components (a), (b), and (c) into the cheese-like food, A method for improving the stretchability of a cheese-like food, wherein the cheese-like food contains cheese, and the cheese content in the cheese-like food is 1% by mass or more and less than 70% by mass. Component (a): A food starch composition containing a starch-lipid complex obtained by heat-treating unprocessed potato starch and polyglycerin fatty acid ester under pressure conditions of 0 MPa to 20 MPa. Ingredient (b): Modified starch derived from cassava that has undergone etherification treatment. Ingredient (c): One or two thickening polysaccharides selected from the group consisting of xanthan gum and guar gum.

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