Freeze-dried egg food product and method for producing the same

Abstract

To provide a freeze-dried egg food which, when having been restored, more strongly gives smooth texture and a volume feel of an egg.SOLUTION: A freeze-dried egg food which is to be restored by pouring water or hot water thereon in order to be eaten includes: a scrambled egg obtained by putting a liquid egg into heated liquid and solidifying the liquid egg; and a solid egg, the freeze-dried egg food having a block shape. A production method of a freeze-dried egg food includes the steps of: preparing a first liquid mixture containing a liquid egg; putting the first liquid mixture into a second liquid mixture being heated, to solidify the liquid egg, thereby producing scrambled egg liquid; putting a solid egg into the scrambled egg liquid to produce pre-freezing liquid; and freeze-drying the pre-freezing liquid in such a state where the pre-freezing liquid is placed in a container having an appropriate shape and size.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0004] ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a block-shaped freeze-dried egg food that is restored by pouring water or hot water and then eaten.

Background Art

[0002] As ingredients for soups, ramen, etc., freeze-dried oyster eggs obtained by freeze-drying oyster eggs are used. For example, in Patent Document 1, whole egg liquid or adjusted egg liquid is put into a heated solution of a seasoning soup containing starch or starch degradation product or hot water, the egg liquid is coagulated into a thin film shape, and the whole solution is contained in a container of an appropriate shape and size and freeze-dried. A method for producing a block-shaped instant oyster egg is described. Further, in Patent Document 2, a method for producing a freeze-dried oyster egg that can obtain a better texture by pouring a mixed liquid 1 in which an emulsifier, modified starch, and oil and fat are mixed into an egg liquid into a heated mixed liquid 2 containing potato starch, etc. to produce oyster eggs and then freeze-drying them is described.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Conventional freeze-dried egg production methods achieve a smooth texture after reconstitution by adding liquid egg to heated soup or hot water (boiling solution). However, in recent years, there has been a growing demand for freeze-dried egg products that offer a greater sense of volume and a larger egg content. Simply increasing the size of freeze-dried egg blocks used as ingredients in instant soups and other products would reduce freeze-drying productivity and increase manufacturing costs. Furthermore, even if the proportion of liquid egg added to the boiling solution during egg production is increased, there is a limit to the amount of liquid egg that can be added relative to the amount of boiling solution in order to maintain a stable flaky shape and a smooth texture after reconstitution.

[0005] This invention was made with the above in mind, and aims to provide a freeze-dried egg food product that has a stable thin slice shape and a smooth texture after reconstitution, and that gives a stronger sense of egg volume. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The freeze-dried egg food of the present invention is a freeze-dried egg food that is restored and eaten by adding water or hot water, and includes scrambled eggs and solid eggs obtained by adding liquid eggs to a heated liquid and letting them coagulate, and has a block shape. Here, the water or hot water used for restoration may also include those containing seasonings, etc.

[0007] The present invention provides a method for producing freeze-dried egg food, comprising the steps of: preparing a first mixed liquid containing liquid egg; adding the first mixed liquid to a heated second mixed liquid to coagulate the liquid egg and produce scrambled egg liquid; adding solid egg to the scrambled egg liquid to produce a pre-freezing liquid; and freeze-drying the pre-freezing liquid in a container of an appropriate shape and size. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The freeze-dried egg food of the present invention includes scrambled eggs, which are obtained by adding liquid eggs to a heated liquid and allowing them to coagulate. This provides a smooth texture after reconstitution, similar to conventional freeze-dried scrambled eggs. Furthermore, the inclusion of solid eggs provides a stronger sense of egg volume when consumed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a production flow chart for freeze-dried egg food according to one embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The freeze-dried egg food of this embodiment contains scrambled eggs and solid eggs, which are obtained by adding liquid eggs to a heated liquid and allowing them to coagulate, and is formed into a block shape. The shape of the block is not particularly limited and may be a rectangular prism, a cylinder, or the like. The size of the block can be determined according to the application, and if the block has a roughly rectangular prism shape, it can be made to be about 1-15cm x 1-15cm x 0.5-10cm in length x width x thickness, and usually about 2-9cm x 2-9cm x 1-5cm, with a preferred size of 3-8cm x 3-8cm x 1-4cm for freeze-dried egg food. This is because if the block is too small, it will not give the impression of egg volume.

[0011] In this specification, "scrambled egg" refers to egg that has been coagulated by adding liquid egg to heated soup or hot water. This method provides a smooth texture when freeze-dried egg food is restored. As will be explained later in the description of the manufacturing method, when scrambled egg is made by adding a solution containing liquid egg (first mixture) to a boiling solution (second mixture), the modified starch and other additives contained in the first mixture are incorporated into the scrambled egg. Therefore, the scrambled egg contained in freeze-dried egg food is the result of the first mixture coagulating and losing water from the liquid egg through freeze-drying. Hereafter, when "scrambled egg" is referred to in the context of freeze-dried egg food, it means the scrambled egg contained in the freeze-dried egg food, and its weight is equal to the weight of the first mixture after freeze-drying.

[0012] The liquid egg may be a yolk liquid consisting only of egg yolk, or a whole egg liquid containing a mixture of egg white and yolk. As for the egg, eggs from birds such as chickens, quail, and ducks can be used, but from a cost standpoint, chicken eggs are preferred.

[0013] Solid eggs refer to eggs that have been made solid through freezing, heating, drying, etc. The inclusion of solid eggs enhances the scrambled egg texture and volume of freeze-dried egg products.

[0014] As solid eggs, for example, eggs from birds such as chickens, quail, and ducks can be used, and from a cost standpoint, chicken eggs are preferred. The method for producing solid eggs is not particularly limited, but in order to give a sense of volume, dried eggs are preferred, and microwave-dried eggs, hot-air-dried eggs, or freeze-dried eggs are even more preferred, with microwave-dried eggs being particularly preferred. Dried products have a low moisture content and a small volume, so more eggs can be added per unit volume, and microwave-dried eggs swell into a spongy shape when processed with microwaves, so they rehydrate well and give a stronger sense of egg volume. The shape of the solid eggs can be crumbly, flake-like, or strip-like, and is preferably in the form of thin flakes or strips. This makes it easy to integrate with scrambled eggs without any sense of incongruity. The thickness of the thin flakes is preferably 0.1 to 2 mm.

[0015] The ratio of scrambled eggs to solid eggs in freeze-dried egg food is not particularly limited as long as both are included. The mass ratio of scrambled eggs to solid eggs is usually 1:99 to 99:1, and preferably 50:50 to 90:10 when considering productivity. Furthermore, the amount of solid eggs in freeze-dried egg food is 1 to 98 parts by weight, preferably 5 to 90 parts by weight, and more preferably 25 to 80 parts by weight, out of 100 parts by weight of the freeze-dried egg food after removing the other ingredients other than eggs described later.

[0016] The egg content, including both scrambled and solid eggs, in freeze-dried egg food is 10 parts by weight or more, preferably 30 parts by weight or more, and more preferably 50 parts by weight or more, per 100 parts by weight of the freeze-dried egg food excluding other ingredients. The higher the egg content, the greater the egg-like volume. However, in order to obtain a smoother texture, it is preferable to add an appropriate amount of modified starch, etc., as described later, so the egg content is 99 parts by weight or less, preferably 97 parts by weight or less, and more preferably 96 parts by weight or less, per 100 parts by weight of the freeze-dried egg food excluding other ingredients.

[0017] Freeze-dried egg products may contain modified starch. The inclusion of modified starch improves moisture retention and dispersibility, i.e., ease of spreading after reconstitution. There are no particular limitations on the type of modified starch, but examples include various cross-linked starches, starch acetate, hydroxypropyl starch, sodium octenyl succinate starch, phosphorylated starch, etc. The origin of the starch used as the raw material for the modified starch is not particularly limited, and examples include corn, potato, tapioca, sweet potato, and sago palm. Modified starch may be used alone or in combination of two or more types.

[0018] From the viewpoint of smoothing the texture after restoration and improving dispersibility, freeze-dried egg food preferably contains 0.2 parts by weight or more of modified starch per 100 parts by weight of scrambled egg, more preferably 0.3 parts by weight or more, and even more preferably 0.4 parts by weight or more. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of making the scrambled egg fluffy after restoration, it is preferable that the freeze-dried egg food contains 10.5 parts by weight or less of modified starch per 100 parts by weight of scrambled egg, more preferably 10.1 parts by weight or less, and even more preferably 9.7 parts by weight or less. When freeze-dried egg food is restored with a soup containing salt, the addition of modified starch suppresses dehydration (tightening of the texture) of the scrambled egg.

[0019] The freeze-dried egg food may contain an emulsifier. By containing an emulsifier, the floating property, that is, the difficulty of sedimentation in soup, and the dispersibility become good. The emulsifier is not particularly limited as long as it is an edible emulsifier. For example, glycerin fatty acid ester, sorbitan fatty acid ester, sucrose fatty acid ester, propylene glycol fatty acid ester, lecithin, etc. can be used. These emulsifiers may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Also, as the emulsifier, an emulsifier preparation or emulsified oil and fat containing one or more of the above emulsifiers may be used.

[0020] From the viewpoint of softening the texture after reconstitution and enhancing the floating property and dispersibility, the freeze-dried egg food preferably contains 1.1 parts by weight or more of an emulsifier, more preferably 1.3 parts by weight or more, and even more preferably 1.5 parts by weight or more, based on 100 parts by weight of the whipped egg. Also, from the viewpoint of making the whipped egg fluffy after reconstitution, it preferably contains 5.2 parts by weight or less of an emulsifier, more preferably 5.0 parts by weight or less, and even more preferably 4.8 parts by weight or less, based on 100 parts by weight of the whipped egg.

[0021] The freeze-dried egg food may contain oil and fat. By containing oil and fat, the texture tends to become smooth. The oil and fat is not particularly limited as long as it is edible oil and fat, and for example, animal oil or vegetable oil can be used. Examples of vegetable oil include corn oil, sesame oil, rapeseed oil, cottonseed oil, etc., and examples of animal oil include lard, head, butter, etc. The oil and fat may be used alone or in combination of two or more. From the viewpoint of excellent miscibility with the egg liquid, the oil and fat is preferably emulsified oil and fat emulsified with an emulsifier.

[0022] From the viewpoint of smoothing the texture after reconstitution and enhancing the reconstitution property, the freeze-dried egg food preferably contains 6.3 to 21 parts by weight of oil and fat, more preferably 7.4 to 20 parts by weight, and even more preferably 8.4 to 19 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of the whipped egg.

[0023] The freeze-dried egg food may contain saccharides. By containing saccharides, denaturation during freezing is suppressed and the texture becomes good. Examples of the saccharides include monosaccharides such as glucose, tagatose, and arabinose, oligosaccharides such as sugar and fructose, non-reducing saccharides such as trehalose, sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, reduced starch syrup, oligosaccharides, and the like. The saccharides may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0024] From the viewpoint of improving the texture after reconstitution and enhancing the reconstitution property, it is preferable that the freeze-dried egg food contains 8.4 to 42 parts by weight of saccharides, more preferably 10.5 to 40 parts by weight, and even more preferably 12.6 to 38 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of the scrambled eggs.

[0025] The freeze-dried egg food may contain a thickener. By containing a thickener, the size of the freeze-dried egg food can be adjusted to an appropriate range. From the viewpoint of improving the texture while adjusting the size to an appropriate range, it is preferable that the freeze-dried egg food contains 0.11 to 1.3 parts by weight of the thickener, more preferably 0.17 to 1.2 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of the scrambled eggs. The thickener is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include carrageenan, tamarind gum, gum arabic, xanthan gum, guar gum, pectin, locust bean gum, gellan gum, alginic acid, and the like. The thickener may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0026] The freeze-dried egg food may further contain binders such as dextrin, starch, and gelatin, pigments such as paprika pigment, various seasonings, and antioxidants such as vitamin E.

[0027] Freeze-dried egg food may contain ingredients other than eggs. Examples of ingredients other than eggs include various animal meats such as beef, pork, chicken, fish, shrimp, and crab, tofu, and plant-based protein foods that can be used as a main dish along with eggs, and vegetables such as green onions, tomatoes, onions, and bitter melon, various mushrooms, and various legumes that can be used as side dishes. The proportion of ingredients other than eggs contained in freeze-dried egg food is not particularly limited. Since the freeze-dried egg food of this embodiment aims to improve the volume of the egg, it is preferable that the egg is the main ingredient overall. From this point of view, even if the freeze-dried egg food contains ingredients other than eggs, it is preferable that the amount of ingredients other than eggs be about 1 to 100 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of egg components, which is the total of scrambled eggs and solid eggs.

[0028] Next, the method for producing the freeze-dried egg food according to this embodiment will be explained following the flowchart in Figure 1.

[0029] A first mixture is prepared by mixing liquid egg with various additives. The various additives may be dissolved in water beforehand before mixing with the liquid egg. A second mixture is prepared by mixing water with the various additives. Here, the various additives are the modified starch, emulsifiers, oils and fats, sugars, thickeners, binders, colorants, seasonings, antioxidants, etc. The various additives are added to either the first mixture or the second mixture, or both as needed. The preferred range of amounts of additives to be added to the first mixture and / or the second mixture is as follows.

[0030] The amount of modified starch added is preferably 0.1 parts by weight or more, more preferably 0.15 parts by weight or more, even more preferably 0.2 parts by weight or more, and preferably 5 parts by weight or less, more preferably 4.8 parts by weight or less, and even more preferably 4.6 parts by weight or less, per 100 parts by weight of the first mixed liquid.

[0031] The amount of emulsifier added is preferably 0.5 parts by weight or more, more preferably 0.6 parts by weight or more, even more preferably 0.7 parts by weight or more, and preferably 2.5 parts by weight or less, more preferably 2.4 parts by weight or less, and even more preferably 2.3 parts by weight or less, per 100 parts by weight of the first mixture.

[0032] The amount of oil and fat added is preferably 3 to 10 parts by weight, more preferably 3.5 to 9.5 parts by weight, and even more preferably 4 to 9 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of the first mixture.

[0033] The amount of sugars added is preferably 4 to 20 parts by weight, more preferably 5 to 19 parts by weight, and even more preferably 6 to 18 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of the first mixture.

[0034] The amount of thickener added is preferably 0.05 to 0.6 parts by weight, more preferably 0.08 to 0.55 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of the first mixture.

[0035] The second mixture is heated to a high temperature, preferably 95°C or higher, and the first mixture is poured into it while stirring to coagulate the liquid egg and prepare scrambled egg. At this time, the various additives contained in the first mixture are incorporated into the scrambled egg and become components of the scrambled egg. If other ingredients are used, the other ingredients are added to the cooled scrambled egg mixture.

[0036] Solid eggs are then added to the egg mixture to prepare the pre-freezing solution. As mentioned above, microwave-dried eggs are preferably used as the solid eggs, but the method of production is not particularly limited. Furthermore, it is also possible to separate the liquid portion from the egg mixture prepared separately from the first and second mixtures, extract only the egg mixture, and add the separated egg mixture as solid eggs to the egg mixture. However, it goes without saying that this would increase the number of steps.

[0037] The amount of solid egg added is 1 to 80 parts by weight, preferably 2 to 60 parts by weight, and particularly preferably 5 to 40 parts by weight, of the total liquid before freezing, excluding other ingredients. It is also preferable that the first mixed liquid and solid egg together account for 30 to 60 parts by weight of the total liquid before freezing, excluding other ingredients.

[0038] The pre-freezing liquid is placed in a container, pre-frozen at -15 to -30°C, and then freeze-dried in a vacuum freeze-dryer to remove water, alcohol, and volatile components from the pre-freezing liquid. From scrambled eggs, water, which accounts for approximately 3 / 4 of the weight of the liquid egg, is removed. For solid eggs, if the solid eggs used have been solidified by freezing or heating, the water contained in them is removed by freeze-drying. If the solid eggs are dried eggs, they remain as they are after freeze-drying. Thus, the freeze-dried egg food product of this embodiment is completed.

[0039] The freeze-dried egg food of this embodiment can be rehydrated and eaten by adding water or hot water. Here, the water or hot water may contain a mixture of seasonings, etc. As a result, the freeze-dried egg food of this embodiment can be used as an ingredient in instant foods that are eaten by rehydrating with hot water, such as instant soup and instant noodles. [Examples]

[0040] The freeze-dried egg food product of this embodiment will be described in more detail below with reference to examples.

[0041] The materials used in the examples and comparative examples are as follows: • Egg mixture: Whole chicken egg mixture • Microwave-dried eggs: "Ukitama No. 1" manufactured by Kewpie Egg Co., Ltd. • Modified starch: "Matsutani Sakura 2" (starch acetate) manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. • Emulsifier formulation: "Monoace SP-GA" manufactured by Daiichi Kogyo Seiyaku Co., Ltd. (8% by mass of sucrose fatty acid ester, 3% by mass of sorbitan fatty acid ester, 11% by mass of glycerin fatty acid ester, 21% by mass of D-sorbitol, 6% by mass of ethanol, 51% by mass of water) • Emulsified fats and oils: Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd. "Ematec S-500" (rapeseed oil 89.79% by mass, glycerin fatty acid ester 10.00% by mass, lecithin 0.18% by mass, vitamin E 0.03% by mass) • Reduced starch syrup: "Amamiru" manufactured by Mitsubishi Corporation Life Sciences Co., Ltd. • Trehalose: Manufactured by Hayashibara Co., Ltd. • Thickening agent: CP Kelco's "Echogum T" (xanthan gum) • Dextrin: "Pinex #2" manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. • Gelatin: Gelatin G manufactured by Nitta Gelatin Co., Ltd. • Paprika pigment: "Paprika Base 70N" manufactured by San-Ei Gen FFI Co., Ltd. • Vitamin E: Eisai Co., Ltd.'s "E-mix P-20" • Side ingredient: Green onions

[0042] (Example 1) A first mixture was prepared by mixing liquid egg with emulsified oil containing a thickener, emulsifier, vitamin E, and paprika pigment. Reduced starch syrup and trehalose were then added and mixed, followed by the addition of water-dissolved modified starch. Next, a second mixture was prepared by mixing water with dextrin, gelatin, and potato starch. The second mixture was heated to over 95°C, and the first mixture was poured into the heated second mixture while stirring to prepare scrambled egg liquid. The scrambled egg liquid was cooled to below 70°C, and then the auxiliary ingredients and microwave-dried egg (solid egg) were added and lightly stirred to prepare the pre-freezing liquid. The pre-freezing liquid was pre-frozen in a freezer below -25°C, and then freeze-dried in a vacuum freeze-dryer at a vacuum of 133 Pa or less for 24 hours to produce the freeze-dried egg food of Example 1. The proportions of each ingredient were as shown in Table 1. The mass of the solution before freezing was approximately 100 g, and its volume was approximately 100 mL. The volume remained almost unchanged after freeze-drying.

[0043] (Examples 2-4) The freeze-dried egg food was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the proportions of each ingredient were as shown in Table 1. Similarly to Example 1, Examples 2-4 also had a pre-freezing liquid mass of approximately 100g and a volume of approximately 100mL, and the volume remained almost unchanged after freeze-drying.

[0044] (Comparative Examples 1-3) A freeze-dried egg food product was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that solid eggs were not used and the proportions of each ingredient were as shown in Table 1.

[0045] Approximately 25g of freeze-dried egg food from Examples 1-4 and Comparative Examples 1-3 was rehydrated by stirring 500mL of 95°C hot water in a 15cm diameter container for 5 minutes. After rehydration, the egg pieces were separated into three sizes: less than 1cm on the longest side, 1cm to less than 4cm, and 4cm or longer. Each size was spread out on a kitchen towel without overlapping, another kitchen towel was placed on top, and the moisture was thoroughly removed by pressing with hands for 30 seconds. After removing the moisture, the weight of each size was measured. The rehydration properties, volume, and shape after rehydration were evaluated as follows, and the results are shown in Table 1 below. Regarding the perceived volume of the egg, the amount of scrambled egg and solid egg per piece of freeze-dried egg food is important.

[0046] (Restorability) 4. Return instantly. Return in 3:15 to less than 30 seconds. Return in between 2 minutes 30 seconds and less than 60 seconds. Return after 1 minute 60 seconds to less than 180 seconds.

[0047] (Voluminous feel) 4. One block of freeze-dried egg food contains 20g or more of scrambled egg + solid egg. 3: The amount of scrambled egg + solid egg in one block of freeze-dried egg food is 15g or more but less than 20g. 2: The amount of scrambled egg + solid egg in one block of freeze-dried egg food is between 12g and 15g. 1: The amount of scrambled egg + solid egg in one block of freeze-dried egg food is less than 12g.

[0048] (Shape after restoration) 4. More than 90% of the egg cells have a long side length of 1-4 cm. 3. 70% to less than 90% of the egg cells have a longest side length of 1 to 4 cm. 2: 50% to less than 70% of the egg cells have a longest side length of 1 to 4 cm. 1: Less than 50% of the egg segments have a long side length of 1-4 cm.

[0049] [Table 1]

[0050] In all of Examples 1-4, a large proportion of egg pieces of appropriate size were obtained after reconstitution, and the amount of egg components per block of freeze-dried egg food could be increased by increasing the amount of solid egg included.

[0051] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various other forms within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the invention.

Claims

1. A freeze-dried egg food that is restored and eaten by adding water or hot water, This includes scrambled eggs made by adding liquid eggs to a heated liquid and allowing them to coagulate, and microwave-dried eggs. Having a block shape, The content of the microwave-dried eggs is between 29 parts by weight and 67 parts by weight, based on a total of 100 parts by weight of other ingredients excluding eggs. Freeze-dried egg food.

2. The combined content of the scrambled eggs and microwave-dried eggs is between 61 parts by weight and 82 parts by weight, with the total of other ingredients excluding eggs being 100 parts by weight. The freeze-dried egg food according to claim 1.

3. The microwave-dried egg is in the form of crumbs, flakes, or strips. The freeze-dried egg food according to claim 1.

4. A step of preparing a first mixed solution containing liquid egg, A step of preparing scrambled egg by adding the first mixed liquid to the heated second mixed liquid to coagulate the liquid egg, The process involves adding microwave-dried eggs to the aforementioned egg mixture to prepare a pre-freezing solution, The process includes placing the pre-freezing liquid into a container of an appropriate shape and size and freeze-drying it. The microwave-dried eggs added to the egg mixture are in an amount of 5 parts by weight or more and 21 parts by weight or less, based on a total of 100 parts by weight of the pre-freezing liquid excluding other ingredients. A method for producing freeze-dried egg food products.

5. The combined amount of the first mixed liquid and the microwave-dried eggs added is 34 parts by weight or more and 45 parts by weight or less, where 100 parts by weight is the total of the pre-freezing liquid excluding other ingredients other than eggs. A method for producing freeze-dried egg food according to claim 4.

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