Pre-cooked refrigerated pasta products

Abstract

To provide a refrigerated cooked pasta food product intended to inhibit pasta quality deterioration during chilled / refrigerated storage.SOLUTION: A refrigerated cooked pasta food product is one in which a refrigerated pasta with a sauce attached to a surface thereof is accommodated in a container. The sauce contains 5-30 mass% of dextrin whose DE value is less than 5. A moisture content of the cooked pasta is 55-70 mass%. A moisture content of the sauce is preferably 60-75 mass%. The dextrin whose DE value is 5 or less is preferably highly branched-chain cyclic dextrin.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooked refrigerated pasta food that is refrigerated and stored in an edible state.

Background Art

[0002] Pasta such as spaghetti and macaroni has a unique chewy texture among noodles, and is a popular food that pairs well with various sauces. After being boiled, pasta is eaten together with sauce. Generally, boiling requires more than ten minutes in boiling water, which is often energy-wasteful when cooking for a single person. In recent years, there is a growing trend towards individual consumption. To reduce such waste, pasta foods containing pre-cooked pasta together with sauce in a container are commercially available. On the other hand, noodles including pasta undergo the so-called over-softening (overcooking after boiling) over time after cooking, leading to quality degradation. Furthermore, if boiled noodles and sauce are stored in a state of contact, moisture migrates from the sauce to the noodles, which may further degrade the quality of the noodles.

[0003] Examples of cooked pasta foods commercially available with boiled pasta and sauce in contact include retort foods in which cooked pasta and sauce are sealed in a heat-resistant container and sterilized at high temperature, frozen foods in which cooked pasta and sauce are integrally frozen, and chilled / refrigerated foods in which cooked pasta and sauce are sealed in a container such as plastic. Among these, chilled / refrigerated foods are inferior to retort foods and frozen foods in long-term storage stability, but they are sold with pasta and sauce arranged in an attractive manner, which has the advantage that purchasers can directly see and check the food when purchasing, which is convenient. In recent years, distribution channels at refrigeration temperatures and in-store display methods have developed, and opportunities to sell chilled / refrigerated foods have been increasing.

[0004] Regarding the improvement of the quality of pre-cooked refrigerated pasta products, Patent Document 1 describes a refrigerated pasta set that includes semi-fresh pasta noodles, which are dried pasta boiled for 30-50% of the standard boiling time, and a refrigerated pasta sauce with a moisture content of 5-25% by mass more than usual. Patent Document 2 describes a method for producing boiled noodles, characterized by contacting boiled noodles with a coating liquid containing maltooligosaccharides and / or their reducing sugars, and then placing the treated noodles into a container. Patent Document 3 describes a method for producing a ready-cooked retort food product of noodles, characterized by heating and sterilizing pre-boiled noodles in a seasoning liquid containing 30 to 35% by weight of DE4 to 8 dextrin. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-197919 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-17746 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-71838 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] The improvement technologies described in Patent Documents 1 to 3 all aim to improve the quality of pre-cooked noodles, but there is still room for improvement in the quality of pre-cooked refrigerated pasta foods, and higher quality foods are desired.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a pre-cooked refrigerated pasta food in which the deterioration of pasta quality during refrigerated storage is suppressed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention relates to a pre-cooked refrigerated pasta food product in which cooked pasta with sauce attached to its surface is contained in a container, wherein the sauce contains 5 to 30% by mass of dextrin with a DE value of less than 5, and the moisture content of the cooked pasta is 55 to 70% by mass. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a pre-cooked refrigerated pasta food product in which the deterioration of pasta quality during refrigerated storage is suppressed and the good texture of cooked pasta is maintained. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The pre-cooked refrigerated pasta food of the present invention consists of pre-cooked pasta with sauce adhering to its surface, which is then stored in a container and refrigerated for preservation. The container is not particularly limited as long as it is capable of storing this type of pre-cooked food, and examples include plastic, metal, and ceramic containers. Since the present invention deals with food that is stored under refrigeration, it is not necessary to ensure the highest possible level of airtightness or sealing performance, as long as it does not degrade the quality of the food or affect its shelf life. From the viewpoint of container cost, variety of variations, and the ability to preserve the pre-cooked refrigerated pasta food in an appealing manner, it is preferable to use a plastic container.

[0011] The pre-cooked pasta contained in the pre-cooked refrigerated pasta food of the present invention is pasta that has been boiled, and the pasta used for boiling may be fresh pasta or dried pasta. Fresh pasta is made by preparing pasta dough from pasta raw materials by conventional methods and shaping it into various pasta shapes, and is pasta that has not been dried after shaping, and its moisture content in its uncooked state is about 38-46% by mass. Dried pasta is made by drying fresh pasta, and its moisture content in its uncooked state is about 10-15% by mass.

[0012] The types of pasta mentioned above are not particularly limited, and commonly eaten pasta such as long pasta, short pasta, and sheet pasta can be used. Specific examples of long pasta include spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine, and bucatini. Specific examples of short pasta include macaroni, penne, rigatoni, fusilli, conchiglie, farfalle, ravioli, and tortelli. Specific examples of sheet pasta include lasagna.

[0013] The above-mentioned pasta can be cooked by conventional methods, typically by adding the pasta to a large amount of boiling water and heating it. The cooked pasta contained in the pre-cooked refrigerated pasta food of the present invention has a moisture content of 55-70% by mass, preferably 57-67% by mass, and more preferably 59-65% by mass, and the pasta is cooked to achieve this moisture content. If the moisture content is less than 55% by mass, the texture of the cooked pasta may become too hard. Conversely, if the moisture content exceeds 70% by mass, the texture of the cooked pasta may become too soft.

[0014] In this specification, the moisture content of cooked pasta is determined according to the following <Method for determining moisture content>. The moisture content of the sauce, as described later, is also determined according to the following <Method for determining moisture content>. <How to determine the amount of water> First, measure the mass of the sample (cooked pasta or sauce). Next, dry the sample at 80°C for 12 hours according to the oven-drying method, and then measure the mass of the dried sample. The difference in mass before and after drying is taken as the moisture content, and the moisture content is calculated as a percentage of the mass of the sample before drying.

[0015] The sauce used in the pre-cooked refrigerated pasta food of the present invention can be any sauce that can be eaten with the pasta, and its type is not particularly limited. Specific examples of sauces include tomato-based sauces such as tomato sauce, meat sauce, Neapolitan sauce, and arrabiata sauce; white sauces such as white sauce, cheese sauce, and carbonara sauce; and brown sauces such as demi-glace sauce and brown sauce. As for the raw materials of the sauce, any raw materials that can be used for this type of sauce can be used without particular limitations, such as vegetables such as onions, garlic, and leeks; aromatic vegetables such as bay leaves, basil, thyme, oregano, and sage; natural spices such as vegetable extracts, meat extracts, and dried herbs; salt, pepper, dairy ingredients, sugars, starches, flours, various seasonings, solid soup stocks, oils and fats, and water. These can be used in combination depending on the type of sauce.

[0016] The sauce used in this invention contains dextrin with a DE (dextrose equivalent) value of less than 5, preferably between 1 and 4. The dextrin can be any edible type, and commercially available dextrins can be used. Dextrin is made by reducing the molecular weight of starch, and the DE value represents the number of reducing ends per 100 glucose molecules that make up the dextrin, and is a relative measure of the degree of molecular weight reduction. The closer the DE value is to 0, the closer the properties are to starch, and the closer it is to 100, the closer the properties are to glucose. It should be noted that using cyclodextrin, in which linear glucose is cyclic, as dextrin is undesirable because it is difficult to obtain the desired effect and the flavor of the sauce deteriorates.

[0017] It is preferable that the dextrin having a DE value of less than 5 is highly branched cyclic dextrin, because this can prevent stickiness caused by incorporating the dextrin. Highly branched cyclic dextrin is a dextrin obtained by treating starch with branching enzyme (a branching enzyme that causes a glycosyl transfer reaction), in which the dextrin molecule partially forms a cyclic structure (it has a highly branched cyclic structure, which is different from the structure of cyclodextrin). Highly branched cyclic dextrin is commercially available, and for example, Cluster Dextrin (registered trademark) sold by Glico Nutrition Foods Co., Ltd. can be used.

[0018] The content of the dextrin with a DE value of less than 5 contained in the sauce used in the present invention is 5 to 30% by mass, preferably 8 to 25% by mass, more preferably 10 to 21% by mass, relative to the total mass of the sauce. If the content is less than 5% by mass, sufficient effects may not be obtained in some cases, and if it exceeds 30% by mass, the texture of pasta may become hard due to the stickiness of the dextrin in some cases.

[0019] The dextrin with a DE value of less than 5 may be incorporated at any stage of the sauce production process. For example, the dextrin may be appropriately blended in the middle of the sauce production process together with ordinary raw materials for sauce production to obtain the sauce, or the dextrin may be added after producing the sauce in advance using raw materials other than dextrin.

[0020] In the present invention, the water content of the sauce containing the dextrin with a DE value of less than 5 is preferably 60 to 75% by mass, more preferably 63 to 72% by mass. Setting the water content of the sauce to this range can further enhance the effect. In the present specification, the water content of the sauce is a value determined by the aforementioned <Method for determining water content>.

[0021] Furthermore, the sauce referred to in the present invention refers to a substance having fluidity in a liquid or paste form at normal temperature and normal pressure. For example, when solid matter such as ingredients described later is mixed in the sauce like meat sauce, the portion excluding the solid matter is the sauce referred to in the present invention. Therefore, when determining the content of dextrin in the sauce, the moisture content of the sauce, and the mass ratio of cooked pasta to sauce described later, if solid matter is mixed in the sauce, those values are determined for the sauce from which the solid matter has been removed. To remove solid matter from the sauce, specifically, for example, the mixed sauce and solid matter may be passed through a sieve with an opening of 5 mm, the sauce placed on the sieve and left to stand for 5 minutes, and the fraction that falls under the sieve under its own weight can be taken as the sauce.

[0022] The cooked refrigerated pasta food of the present invention can be produced by housing the cooked pasta described above with sauce adhered to the surface thereof in a container. There is no particular limitation on how the sauce is adhered to the surface of the cooked pasta, and the method can be selected according to the desired form of the pasta food. Specifically, the sauce may be adhered to the surface of the cooked pasta by mixing the sauce throughout the cooked pasta as in napolitan spaghetti, or the sauce may be adhered to the surface of the cooked pasta by placing the sauce on top of the cooked pasta as in meat sauce spaghetti.

[0023] In the cooked refrigerated pasta food of the present invention, the mass ratio of the pasta to the sauce is not particularly limited, but as a portion that can sufficiently obtain the effects of the present invention and is suitable for eating, the mass ratio (former:latter) is 5:1 to 1:4, preferably 4:1 to 1:3.

[0024] The cooked refrigerated pasta food of the present invention may further contain other food ingredients in addition to the cooked pasta and the sauce. Examples of other food ingredients include ingredients, toppings and the like. The type of ingredient is not particularly limited, and meats, seafood, vegetables (root vegetables, leaf vegetables, mushrooms, etc.) and the like can be used according to the type of sauce, desired flavor and texture.

[0025] The pre-cooked refrigerated pasta food of the present invention is stored in a container and refrigerated. The container is as described above, and the pre-cooked refrigerated pasta food of the present invention is refrigerated together with the container. The refrigeration temperature is 0°C to 15°C, preferably 1°C to 12°C, and it can be refrigerated using a standard refrigeration device. When consuming, the pasta food may be heated in a microwave oven or the like after being removed from the refrigeration device. [Examples]

[0026] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. In the following examples, "%" refers to mass unless otherwise specified. Examples 24-26 and 29 are for reference only.

[0027] [Examples 1-5, Comparative Examples 1-2] Using commercially available dried spaghetti (long pasta) and commercially available tomato sauce, a pre-cooked refrigerated pasta food product (pre-cooked refrigerated spaghetti with tomato sauce) was manufactured according to the following procedure. A predetermined amount of dried spaghetti was boiled, adjusting the boiling time as needed, to obtain cooked spaghetti with the moisture content shown in Table 1. Separately, according to the sauce formulations listed in Table 1, dextrin was added to commercially available tomato sauce and thoroughly mixed. Then, water was added or the water was evaporated by heating to adjust the moisture content, thereby obtaining dextrin-containing sauces with the moisture content listed in Table 1. Furthermore, the moisture content of the cooked spaghetti and sauce was measured according to the method described above for determining moisture content. The dextrins used are as follows: • Dextrin (DE value 7): Sanwa Starch Sandec #70FN • Dextrin (DE value 4): Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. Pine Index #100 • Dextrin (DE value 3.5): Sanwa Starch Sandec #100 • Cluster Dextrin (registered trademark) (DE value 3): Manufactured by Glico Nutrition Foods, highly branched cyclic dextrin

[0028] Next, 100g of the pre-cooked spaghetti and 100g of the dextrin-containing sauce were placed in a commercially available heat-resistant polypropylene container, and the mixture was stirred to ensure the sauce coated the surface of the spaghetti thoroughly. The container was then covered to create pre-cooked tomato sauce spaghetti. This was then refrigerated at 5°C to obtain a pre-cooked refrigerated pasta food product (pre-cooked refrigerated tomato sauce spaghetti).

[0029] [Test Example 1] After storing the pre-cooked refrigerated pasta foods of each example and comparative example at 5°C for 24 hours, they were removed from the refrigerator and heated in a microwave oven at 600W for 2 minutes. Ten expert panelists tasted the resulting tomato sauce spaghetti and evaluated its texture according to the evaluation criteria below. The results, as the average values ​​of the ten panelists, are shown in Table 1.

[0030] <Criteria for evaluating spaghetti texture> 5 points: It has elasticity and a good bite, comparable to freshly boiled spaghetti, and is very good. 4 points: It has elasticity and chewiness, and while not as good as freshly boiled spaghetti, it's still good. 3 points: Slightly too soft or slightly too hard, but within acceptable limits. 2 points: Slightly too soft, slightly too hard, or defective. 1 point: Too soft or too hard, very poor quality.

[0031] [Table 1]

[0032] [Examples 6-11 and Comparative Examples 3-4] Except for changing the amount of dextrin as shown in Table 2, a pre-cooked refrigerated pasta food product was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 2 and evaluated in the same manner as in Test Example 1. The results are shown in Table 2. Note that the results for Example 2 are also reproduced in Table 2.

[0033] [Table 2]

[0034] [Examples 12-17 and Comparative Examples 5-6] Except for adjusting the boiling time of the dried spaghetti and changing the moisture content of the cooked pasta as shown in Table 3, a cooked refrigerated pasta food product was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 8 and evaluated in the same manner as in Test Example 1. The results are shown in Table 3. Note that the results of Example 8 are also reproduced in Table 3.

[0035] [Table 3]

[0036] [Examples 18-23] Except for changing the amount of water in the sauce as shown in Table 4, a pre-cooked refrigerated pasta food product was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 8 and evaluated in the same manner as in Test Example 1. The results are shown in Table 4. Note that the results for Example 8 are also reproduced in Table 4.

[0037] [Table 4]

[0038] [Examples 24-29] The total mass of cooked pasta and sauce remained at 200g, and the mass ratio of cooked pasta to sauce was changed as shown in Table 5. Except for these changes, a pre-cooked refrigerated pasta product was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 8 and evaluated in the same manner as in Test Example 1. The results are shown in Table 5. Note that the results from Example 8 are also reproduced in Table 5.

[0039] [Table 5]

Claims

1. A pre-cooked refrigerated pasta food product in which cooked pasta with sauce attached to the surface is contained in a container, wherein the sauce contains 5 to 30% by mass of dextrin with a DE value of less than 5, and the moisture content of the cooked pasta is 55 to 70% by mass. A pre-cooked refrigerated pasta food product in which the mass ratio of the pre-cooked pasta to the sauce is 1:1 to 1:4 as the former:the latter.

2. The cooked refrigerated pasta food according to claim 1, wherein the moisture content of the sauce is 60 to 75% by mass.

3. The cooked refrigerated pasta food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dextrin with a DE value of less than 5 is highly branched-chain cyclic dextrin.

Images