Method for manufacturing high-performance loosening agent for processed cereal food

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a loosening agent that suppresses foaming during dissolution and improves the loosening properties of a processed cereal food. The present inventors found that a loosening agent that shows suppressed foaming during dissolution and improves the loosening properties of a processed cereal food can be manufactured by using, as starting materials, water-soluble soybean polysaccharides containing a fraction with a molecular weight of 3000-15000 in an amount not more than a preset level, (A) a phospholipid-containing composition having a phospholipid content of 0.1-50% by weight per solid content and (B) an edible fat or oil in which 33-100% by weight of triglyceride-constituting fatty acids are medium chain fatty acids having 6-10 carbon atoms, and granulating the same.

Description

Manufacturing method of loosening agent for processed grain foods with excellent workability

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing a loosening agent with good workability.

[0002] In recent years, demand for ready-to-eat foods has expanded. Starch foods, such as noodles and rice, are especially popular. They are mass-prepared in specialized factories and sold through convenience stores, supermarkets, and other channels, making them accessible to many consumers. The main problems with these commercially available processed foods are the inconvenience of processing and deterioration in quality over time. When processing and cooking starch-containing foods such as noodles and rice, starch leaches onto the surface of the food, causing the food to stick together. As a result, in noodle products, the adhesion of noodles makes it difficult to portion them into individual servings or mix them with soup or sauce before eating. In the case of instant noodles, the stuck noodles make it difficult to rehydrate in hot water. Furthermore, in the case of rice products, fried rice may not be evenly fried, and rice grains may be crushed in rice ball-making machines. These problems result in reduced production efficiency and increased costs, and also result in finished foods that are difficult to eat and unappetizing. Conventional techniques for eliminating the adhesion between foods and improving the loosening properties include the use of water-soluble hemicellulose. Specific examples include a food that is primarily composed of one or more of cereal flour, starch, and natural polysaccharides with gelling ability, and is coated with a solution containing one or more of gum arabic, pullulan, and water-soluble soybean polysaccharides as its main ingredient (Patent Document 1), and a loosening improver obtained by emulsifying a mixture containing fats and oils, thickening polysaccharides, and water-soluble hemicellulose (Patent Document 2).

[0003] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-51764 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-013135 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-063402

[0004] Such water-soluble hemicellulose-containing loosening improvers are effective when dispersed in water or other liquids for surface treatment of food, or when incorporated directly into food tissue or dispersed in water or other liquids. However, distribution in the form of a solution containing a large amount of water increases transportation costs and poses the risk of spoilage, making a dried powder product preferable. However, because water-soluble hemicellulose has thickening and surfactant properties, adding it to water and dissolving it easily generates bubbles. In excess, the bubbles can exceed the volume of the aqueous solution, leading to problems such as the need for large dissolution equipment. Furthermore, if "mamako" remains in the generated bubbles, it is extremely difficult to dissolve the "mamako." Thus, to efficiently dissolve poorly soluble water-soluble hemicellulose powder in water, conventional methods include stirring under reduced pressure, increasing the water temperature or heating during dissolution, and using a centrifugal degassing dissolver. However, all of these methods require appropriate equipment. Furthermore, there is a technique for granulating water-soluble soybean polysaccharides to improve foaming and solubility (Patent Document 3), but there is room for further improvement. As described above, in order to demonstrate the functions and properties of water-soluble hemicellulose, it is essential to dissolve or disperse water-soluble hemicellulose in water. However, water-soluble hemicellulose powder is not necessarily sufficient in terms of solubility in water and suppression of foaming, and there is room for further improvement, so that at present, it is not necessarily completely satisfactory in terms of workability. The object of the present invention is to provide a loosening agent that suppresses foaming during dissolution and improves the loosening properties of processed grain foods.

[0005] As a result of intensive research conducted by the inventors to solve the above-mentioned problems, they discovered that a loosening agent can be produced that suppresses foaming during dissolution and improves the loosening properties of processed grain foods by granulating water-soluble soybean polysaccharides having a molecular weight fraction of 3,000 to 15,000 of not more than a certain amount using (A) a phospholipid-containing composition containing 0.1 to 50% by weight of phospholipids per solid content and (B) a binder liquid containing an edible oil or fat in which 33 to 100% by weight of the constituent fatty acids of triglycerides are medium-chain fatty acids having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, thereby solving the problems of the present invention.

[0006] That is, the present invention provides: (1) a method for producing a loosening agent for processed grain foods having excellent workability, which comprises treating a solution containing water-soluble soybean polysaccharides containing protein with a protease to produce water-soluble soybean polysaccharides in which the ratio of the peak area of ​​a fraction having a molecular weight of 3,000 to 15,000 to the total peak area detected at a wavelength of 220 nm when analyzed by gel filtration is 30% or less, and then granulating the water-soluble soybean polysaccharide powder and the following (A) and (B) as raw materials: (A) a phospholipid-containing composition containing 0.1 to 50% by weight of phospholipids based on the solid content; (B) edible oils and fats in which 33 to 100% by weight of constituent fatty acids of triglycerides are medium-chain fatty acids having 6 to 10 carbon atoms; (2) a method for producing a loosening agent for processed grain foods having excellent workability according to (1), in which the phospholipid-containing composition in (A) contains 0.1 to 45% by weight of phospholipids based on the solid content; (3) A method for producing a loosening agent for processed grain foods having excellent workability as described in (1), wherein the amount of water-soluble soybean polysaccharide added is 20 to 99.6% by weight per solid content of the loosening agent, the amount of phospholipid-containing composition added is 0.002 to 1.0% by weight per solid content of the loosening agent as phospholipid content, and the amount of edible oils and fats added is 0.1 to 10% by weight per solid content of the loosening agent. (4) A method for producing a loosening agent for processed grain foods having excellent workability according to (2), wherein the amount of water-soluble soybean polysaccharides added is 20 to 99.6% by weight per solid content in the loosening agent, the amount of phospholipid-containing composition added is 0.002 to 1.0% by weight per solid content in the loosening agent as phospholipid content, and the amount of edible oils and fats added is 0.1 to 10% by weight per solid content in the loosening agent; (5) A method for producing processed grain foods, wherein the loosening agent produced by the production method according to (1) is added to processed grain foods; (6) A method for producing processed grain foods, wherein the loosening agent produced by the production method according to (2) is added to processed grain foods; (7) A method for producing processed grain foods, wherein the loosening agent produced by the production method according to (3) is added to processed grain foods; (8) A method for producing processed grain foods, wherein the loosening agent produced by the production method according to (4) is added to processed grain foods; (9) A method for improving the loosening properties of processed grain foods, which comprises adding a loosening agent produced by the method described in (1) to the processed grain foods.(10) A method for improving the loosening property of processed grain foods, which comprises adding a loosening agent produced by the production method described in (2) to processed grain foods; (11) A method for improving the loosening property of processed grain foods, which comprises adding a loosening agent produced by the production method described in (3) to processed grain foods; (12) A method for improving the loosening property of processed grain foods, which comprises adding a loosening agent produced by the production method described in (4) to processed grain foods; (13) A loosening agent for processed grain foods, which has excellent workability, and is made of a granulated product containing the following (a) to (c): (a) a water-soluble soybean polysaccharide in which the ratio of the peak area of ​​a fraction with a molecular weight of 3,000 to 15,000 to the total peak area detected at a wavelength of 220 nm when analyzed by gel filtration is 30% or less; (b) a phospholipid-containing composition containing 0.1 to 50% by weight of phospholipids based on the solid content; (c) Edible fats and oils, in which 33 to 100% by weight of the constituent fatty acids of the triglycerides are medium-chain fatty acids having 6 to 10 carbon atoms. (14) The loosening agent for processed grain foods, having excellent workability, according to (13), in which the blending amount of the water-soluble soybean polysaccharide of (a) in the loosening agent is 20 to 99.6% by weight per solid content, the blending amount of the phospholipid-containing composition of (b) in the loosening agent is 0.002 to 1.0% by weight per solid content as phospholipid content, and the blending amount of the edible fats and oils of (c) in the loosening agent is 0.1 to 10% by weight per solid content.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to produce a loosening agent that suppresses foaming when dissolved and improves the loosening properties of processed grain foods.

[0008] (Method for Producing the Loosening Agent) The loosening agent of the present invention is produced as follows. A solution containing water-soluble soybean polysaccharides containing protein is treated with a protease to produce a water-soluble soybean polysaccharide in which, when analyzed by gel filtration, the peak area of ​​a fraction with a molecular weight of 3,000 to 15,000 accounts for 30% or less of the total peak area detected at a wavelength of 220 nm. The loosening agent can then be produced by granulating the water-soluble soybean polysaccharide using the following ingredients: (A) a phospholipid-containing composition containing 0.1 to 50% by weight of phospholipids per solid content as acetone-insoluble matter; and (B) an edible oil or fat in which 33 to 100% by weight of the constituent fatty acids of triglycerides are medium-chain fatty acids having 6 to 10 carbon atoms. The loosening agent of the present invention suppresses foaming upon dissolution and can improve the loosening properties of processed grain foods such as noodles and cooked rice.

[0009] (Phospholipid-Containing Composition) In the present invention, the phospholipid-containing composition contains 0.1 to 50 wt. % phospholipids per solid content. Preferably, it is 1.0 to 45 wt. % per solid content, more preferably 2.0 to 40 wt. % per solid content, and even more preferably 3.0 to 40 wt. % per solid content. In the present invention, the phospholipid content is a value measured by a colorimetric method. That is, phosphorus is colorimetrically quantified using molybdenum blue absorptiometry, and the result is expressed as a percentage of phospholipids calculated as stearoleolecithin. In the present invention, the phospholipid-containing composition includes phospholipids themselves and materials containing such phospholipids. Phospholipid-containing compositions can be of animal or plant origin. The phospholipid-containing composition used in the present invention can be derived from animal sources such as egg yolk and beef tallow, or from plant sources such as soybean, sunflower, cottonseed, rice, corn, safflower, olive, palm, coconut, and rapeseed, but is not limited to a specific phospholipid composition. Examples of phospholipid-containing materials of plant origin include soybean emulsion compositions, oat emulsion compositions, and sunflower oil and fat compositions. A specific example of a soybean emulsion composition is Nokurimu manufactured by Fuji Oil. Examples of animal-derived materials include egg yolk oil. The content of the phospholipid-containing composition in the loosening agent is preferably 0.002 to 1.0 wt. % of the phospholipid content, based on the solid content, more preferably 0.003 to 1.0 wt. %, even more preferably 0.003 to 0.9 wt. %, and even more preferably 0.003 to 0.8 wt. %.

[0010] (Edible fats and oils) In the present invention, the edible fats and oils must be triglycerides in which 33 to 100% by weight of the constituent fatty acids are medium-chain fatty acids having 6 to 10 carbon atoms. Of the constituent fatty acids of the triglycerides, fatty acids having 6 to 10 carbon atoms are preferably 50 to 100% by weight, more preferably 75 to 100% by weight. An example of an edible fat and oil in which 33 to 100% by weight of the constituent fatty acids of the triglycerides are medium-chain fatty acids having 6 to 10 carbon atoms is MCT. The content of the edible fat and oil in the loosening agent is preferably 0.1 to 10% by weight, and more preferably 0.4 to 9% by weight, based on the solid content.

[0011] (Water-soluble soybean polysaccharide in which the peak area of ​​a fraction having a molecular weight of 3,000 to 15,000 is 30% or less of the total peak area detected at a wavelength of 220 nm when analyzed by gel filtration) By using the water-soluble soybean polysaccharide of the present invention in which the peak area of ​​a fraction having a molecular weight of 3,000 to 15,000 is 30% or less of the total peak area when analyzed by gel filtration, foaming during dissolution can be suppressed when producing a loosening agent. The ratio of the peak area of ​​the fraction having a molecular weight of 3,000 to 15,000 to the total peak area when analyzed by gel filtration is preferably 28% or less.

[0012] (Gel filtration analysis conditions) In the present invention, the analysis conditions for gel filtration are as follows. The gel filtration chromatography conditions are not particularly limited, but for example, the molecular weight distribution can be measured by the following method. HPLC is preferably used for gel filtration chromatography. Typical measurement conditions are shown below, but conditions that allow molecular weight distribution to be measured with similar precision and accuracy to the conditions shown below can also be used. Measurement conditions Column: HPLC columns TSK gel G3000PWXL (φ7.2 mm × 30 cm) and TSK gel G2000PWXL (φ7.2 mm × 30 cm) manufactured by Tosoh Corporation were used in conjunction. Eluent: 1% SDS, 1.17% NaCl, 50 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) Test sample: Dissolve in the eluent to a concentration of 1% by weight, filter through a 0.45 μm filter, and then apply to the column. Column temperature: 40°C Flow rate: 0.4 ml / min Detection: Wavelength 220 nm Molecular weight markers: Thyroglobulin, γ-globulin, albumin, peroxidase, myoglobin, cytchrome C, insulin, reduced glutathione, and p-aminobenzoic acid.

[0013] (Method for producing water-soluble soybean polysaccharides in which the ratio of the peak area of ​​the fraction having a molecular weight of 3,000 to 15,000 to the total peak area detected at a wavelength of 220 nm when analyzed by gel filtration is 30% or less) The water-soluble soybean polysaccharide of the present invention is sufficient as long as the ratio of the peak area of ​​the fraction having a molecular weight of 3,000 to 15,000 to the total peak area detected at a wavelength of 220 nm when analyzed by gel filtration is 30% or less. A water-soluble soybean polysaccharide that has been treated with a protease in its production process may be used as is, or it may be obtained by mixing a water-soluble soybean polysaccharide that has been treated with a protease in its production process with a water-soluble soybean polysaccharide that has not been treated with a protease, so long as the ratio of the peak area of ​​the fraction having a molecular weight of 3,000 to 15,000 to the total peak area detected at a wavelength of 220 nm when analyzed by gel filtration is 30% or less.

[0014] (Method for Producing Water-Soluble Soybean Polysaccharides) Soybean-derived raw materials for water-soluble soybean polysaccharides include okara (soybean refuse) and defatted soybeans, which are by-products of the production of tofu and soy protein isolates. When using okara as a raw material, it is preferable to use okara (soybean refuse) generated as a by-product in the process of producing soy protein isolates. Raw materials such as okara and defatted soybeans can be used alone or in combination. A preferred example of a method for producing water-soluble soybean polysaccharides is as follows. Okara (soybean refuse) or other raw materials are subjected to thermal decomposition using an acid such as hydrochloric acid at a pH of preferably 3 to 7, more preferably above pH 4 and below pH 6.5, at a temperature of preferably 80°C to 130°C, more preferably above 100°C and below 130°C, for approximately 30 to 240 minutes, preferably 60 to 210 minutes, to obtain a slurry. The slurry is subjected to solid-liquid separation by centrifugation or other means to obtain a solution containing water-soluble soybean polysaccharides. The water-soluble soybean polysaccharides contain approximately 0.1 to 13% by weight of protein. A solution containing this protein-containing water-soluble soybean polysaccharide is treated with a protease to reduce the ratio of the peak area of ​​the fraction with a molecular weight of 3,000 to 15,000 to the total peak area detected at a wavelength of 220 nm when analyzed by gel filtration to 30% or less, and the solution is dried as is, or treated with, for example, activated carbon, resin adsorption, or ethanol precipitation to remove hydrophobic substances or low-molecular-weight substances, followed by drying, to obtain water-soluble soybean polysaccharide. In the production process of water-soluble soybean polysaccharide, heat sterilization using VTIS or the like can be performed if necessary.

[0015] (Protease Treatment) Protein-degrading enzymes include proteases and peptidases. Specifically, either endo- or exo-type enzymes such as pepsin, trypsin, papain, subtilisin, and bromelain can be used, either alone or in combination. Examples include FoodProAlkalineProtease (manufactured by Danisco Japan Co., Ltd.), Alcalase (manufactured by Novozymes), and Protease P "Amano" 3G (manufactured by Amano Enzyme Inc.). Therefore, protein degradation can be achieved using these enzymes under optimal conditions (temperature, pH, and time). The pH during the enzymatic reaction is preferably 6 to 10, more preferably 7 to 9. The reaction temperature is preferably 30 to 80°C, more preferably 40 to 70°C. The reaction time is preferably 10 to 120 minutes, more preferably 20 to 90 minutes.

[0016] (Granulation) The raveling improver of the present invention can be produced by granulating a water-soluble soybean polysaccharide having a peak area of ​​3,000 to 15,000 molecular weight fraction of 30% or less relative to the total peak area detected at a wavelength of 220 nm when analyzed by gel filtration, together with the following (A) and (B): (A) a phospholipid-containing composition containing 0.1 to 50 wt. % phospholipids per solid content; and (B) an edible oil or fat in which 33 to 100 wt. % of the constituent fatty acids of triglycerides are medium-chain fatty acids having 6 to 10 carbon atoms. Granulation methods include fluidized-bed granulation, fluidized-bed multifunctional granulation, spray-drying granulation, tumbling granulation, and agitation granulation, which spray a binder liquid onto water-soluble soybean polysaccharide powder to coat the powder with the binder liquid component. Among these, fluidized-bed granulation, which sprays a binder liquid to form granules, is preferred. An example of a fluidized bed granulator is the "Flowcoater" manufactured by Freund Corporation. In addition to the water-soluble soybean polysaccharides used in the present invention, excipients such as dextrin can be used as powder raw materials during granulation. When an excipient is used, the blending ratio is not particularly limited, but preferably the ratio of water-soluble soybean polysaccharides used in the present invention to excipient is in the range of 5:95 to 95:5, more preferably 10:90 to 90:10, and even more preferably 20:80 to 80:20.

[0017] Examples of fluidized bed granulation methods in which a binder liquid is sprayed to form granules include the following: (1) a method in which a binder liquid is sprayed onto water-soluble soybean polysaccharides to form granules, the binder liquid being prepared by dissolving or suspending a raw material containing a phospholipid-containing composition containing 0.1 to 50% by weight of phospholipids per solid content in a solvent such as water, and an edible oil or fat in which 33 to 100% by weight of the constituent fatty acids of triglycerides are medium-chain fatty acids having 6 to 10 carbon atoms; and (2) a method in which a binder liquid is sprayed onto a mixture of water-soluble soybean polysaccharides and an edible oil or fat in which 33 to 100% by weight of the constituent fatty acids of triglycerides are medium-chain fatty acids having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, the binder liquid being prepared by dissolving or suspending a raw material containing a phospholipid-containing composition containing 0.1 to 50% by weight of phospholipids per solid content in a solvent such as water ... sprayed onto a mixture of water-soluble soybean polysaccharides and an edible oil or fat in which 33 to 100% by weight of the constituent fatty acids of triglycerides are medium-chain fatty acids having 6 to 10 carbon atoms. (3) a method of granulating by spraying a binder liquid prepared by dissolving or suspending a raw material containing edible oils and fats in which 33 to 100% by weight of the constituent fatty acids of triglycerides are medium-chain fatty acids having 6 to 10 carbon atoms in a solvent such as water onto a mixture of water-soluble soybean polysaccharides and a phospholipid-containing composition containing 0.1 to 50% by weight of phospholipids per solid content; and (4) a method of granulating by spraying a solvent such as water onto a mixture of water-soluble soybean polysaccharides, a phospholipid-containing composition containing 0.1 to 50% by weight of phospholipids per solid content, and edible oils and fats in which 33 to 100% by weight of the constituent fatty acids of triglycerides are medium-chain fatty acids having 6 to 10 carbon atoms. Among these, (1) a method of granulating water-soluble soybean polysaccharides by spraying a binder liquid prepared by dissolving or suspending a raw material containing a phospholipid-containing composition containing 0.1 to 50% by weight of phospholipids in a solvent such as water, and an edible oil or fat in which 33 to 100% by weight of the constituent fatty acids of triglycerides are medium-chain fatty acids having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, is preferred.

[0018] In the present invention, the particle size of the powder of the loosening agent obtained is not particularly limited as long as it is coated with the binder liquid, but it is preferable that the average particle size is in the range of 150 to 500 μm. Even if particles that have been once granulated and broken down into fine particles by friction or the like are mixed together, the effect of improving workability can be obtained. However, conversely, if fine ungranulated powder remains in the granulated product, the improving effect is inferior. Therefore, the granulation conditions in the production method of the present invention are preferably such that the components contained in the water-soluble polysaccharide and the binder liquid are evenly adhered to the water-soluble polysaccharide powder, which is the material to be granulated.

[0019] The binder liquid may contain emulsifiers, dextrins, starches, thickening stabilizers, acidulants, etc., as needed, within the range that does not affect the effects of the present invention.

[0020] The loosening agent of the present invention is characterized by comprising (a) a water-soluble soybean polysaccharide in which the peak area of ​​a fraction with a molecular weight of 3,000 to 15,000 is 30% or less of the total peak area detected at a wavelength of 220 nm when analyzed by gel filtration; (b) a phospholipid-containing composition containing 0.1 to 50 wt% phospholipids per solid content; and (c) a granulated product containing an edible oil or fat in which 33 to 100 wt% of the constituent fatty acids of the triglycerides are medium-chain fatty acids having 6 to 10 carbon atoms. The amount of water-soluble soybean polysaccharide (a) in the loosening agent is preferably 20 to 99.6 wt% per solid content, more preferably 40 to 99.5 wt%. The amount of phospholipid-containing composition (b) in the loosening agent is preferably 0.002 to 1.0 wt% per solid content, more preferably 0.003 to 1.0 wt%. The amount of edible oil or fat (c) in the loosening agent is preferably 0.1 to 10% by weight, more preferably 0.4 to 9% by weight, based on the solid content.

[0021] The loosening agent of the present invention can improve the loosening properties of processed grain foods by adding it to or surface-treating them. Processed grain foods refer to foods obtained by primary or secondary processing of grain foods (rice, wheat, barley, barnyard millet, foxtail millet, etc.). Primary processed foods include cooked rice, barley rice, millet rice cakes, dried noodles, fresh noodles, pasta, etc. Secondary processed foods include foods obtained by re-cooking primary processed foods, such as rice balls, sushi, pilaf, fried rice, takikomi gohan (seasoned rice), maze gohan (mixed rice), soba, udon, Chinese noodles, pasta, somen (thin noodles), and instant noodles. The amount of the loosening agent to be added to processed grain foods varies depending on the type and composition of the processed grain food, but is preferably 0.1 to 5 wt. %, more preferably 0.5 to 3 wt. %, based on the weight of flour, such as wheat flour.

[0022] (Method of Addition and Surface Treatment) There are no particular limitations on the method of adding the present loosening improver to processed grain foods or the method of surface treating processed grain foods with the present loosening improver, but the following methods are available. Examples of methods for adding the present loosening improver to processed grain foods include: (1) when making processed cooked rice, adding the present loosening improver to rice and cooking it; or further processing the cooked rice. (2) adding the present loosening agent to the water or hot water used to boil noodles or pasta and then boiling them. Examples of methods for surface treating processed grain foods with the present loosening agent include: (1) treating the surface of cooked or steamed cooked rice or boiled noodles or pasta by incorporating an aqueous solution of the present loosening agent into the rice. (2) spraying the aqueous solution of the present loosening agent onto steamed cooked rice or boiled noodles or pasta. (3) dissolving the present loosening agent in a seasoning liquid beforehand, and then sprinkling the liquid on pasta, noodles, or cooked rice for surface treatment. (4) The loosening agent is mixed with a powdered seasoning and sprinkled on cooked rice, pasta, or noodles for surface treatment. These methods are selected depending on the characteristics of individual foods, such as the production line and sales format.

[0023] Examples are described below, in which parts and percentages are by weight unless otherwise specified.

[0024] (Production Example 1) Production of water-soluble soybean polysaccharides in which the peak area of ​​the fraction with a molecular weight of 3,000 to 15,000 is 30% or less of the total peak area detected at a wavelength of 220 nm when analyzed by gel filtration. Okara (soybean refuse) obtained in the production process of isolated soybean protein was used as the raw material. Water was added to the raw material to a solids content of 6%, the pH was adjusted to 6 with hydrochloric acid, and the mixture was extracted by heating at 120°C for 90 minutes. The pH of the extracted solution was 5. The solution was then centrifuged (8,000 rpm, 30 minutes) to obtain a solution containing water-soluble soybean polysaccharides containing protein. The pH of the solution containing the water-soluble soybean polysaccharides was adjusted to 8 with sodium hydroxide, and protease (FoodProAlkalineProtease, manufactured by Danisco Japan Co., Ltd.) was added at 0.1% of the solids of the solution containing the water-soluble soybean polysaccharides. The reaction was carried out at 50°C for 30 minutes to obtain an enzyme-treated solution. The enzyme-treated solution was desalted by electrodialysis and then freeze-dried to obtain water-soluble soybean polysaccharides. When this water-soluble soybean polysaccharide was analyzed by gel filtration, the ratio of the peak area of ​​the fraction with a molecular weight of 3,000 to 15,000 to the total peak area detected at a wavelength of 220 nm was measured and found to be 16.7%.

[0025] (Examples 1 to 9, Comparative Examples 1 to 10) According to the formulations shown in Tables 2 and 3, the water-soluble soybean polysaccharide obtained in Production Example 1 was sprayed with a binder liquid and subjected to fluidized bed granulation (Flowcoater FLO-5, Freund Corporation) at an intake air temperature of 70°C and a binder liquid spray pressure of 3.0 kg / cm. 2The mixture was granulated to obtain a loosening agent. As the phospholipid-containing composition containing 0.1 to 50% phospholipids per solid content, a soybean emulsion composition (manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd., product name: Nokurimu, solid content = 19%, phospholipid content = 0.78% in the product solution, 4.1% per solid content) and egg yolk oil (egg yolk lecithin PL-30S, manufactured by Kewpie Corporation, phospholipid content = 38% per solid content) were used. Furthermore, as the edible oil in which 33 to 100% of the constituent fatty acids of triglycerides are medium-chain fatty acids having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, MCT (MCT-64C, manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd., 100% of the constituent fatty acids of triglycerides are medium-chain fatty acids having 6 to 10 carbon atoms) was used. Also, SOYAFIVE-S-LA200 and fractionated palm oil manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd. were used. Dextrin (manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., product name: TK-16) was used as an excipient. The loosening agents obtained in each Example and Comparative Example were evaluated for foaming when dissolved in water based on the "Foaming Evaluation Method" shown below. The evaluation results for Examples 1 to 9 are shown in Table 2, and the evaluation results for Comparative Examples 1 to 10 are shown in Table 3.

[0026] (Foaming evaluation method) 1. Put 95g of ion-exchanged water and 5g of each loosening agent into a 200ml beaker. 2. Evaluate the foaming state immediately after stirring for 10 minutes at 1500rpm using an octagonal rotor 38mm x φ8mm. (Evaluation) ×: Almost the entire solution becomes foam. △: The volume of the solution and foam are about the same. ○: Almost no foaming occurs. A rating of ○ was deemed to be acceptable.

[0027] (Evaluation of Loosening Properties) For each loosening agent, noodles were used as a processed grain food to evaluate their loosening properties. First, 600 g of semi-hard wheat flour, 400 g of buckwheat flour, 10 g of salt, and 350 g of water were blended and kneaded in a mixer for 15 minutes. The noodles were rolled and cut (cutting edge #22, noodle thickness 1.3 mm) according to conventional methods. The resulting noodles were boiled in boiling water for 2 minutes and washed with running water for 30 seconds to obtain boiled noodles. Next, a 10% aqueous solution of each loosening agent was prepared, and 10 g of the solution was sprayed evenly onto 200 g of boiled noodles. The noodles were then filled into containers, sealed, and refrigerated for 1 day. Ten panelists evaluated the loosening properties after refrigerated storage for 1 day. Each panelist scored the noodles on a scale of 1 to 5 based on the criteria in Table 1, and the average score was used as the loosening property evaluation. A mean score of 4.0 or higher was considered to be good loosening properties. The evaluation results of Examples 1 to 9 are shown in Table 2, and the evaluation results of Comparative Examples 1 to 10 are shown in Table 3.

[0028] (Table 1) Evaluation criteria for loosening properties

[0029] (Table 2)

[0030] (Table 3)

[0031] The loosening agents of Examples 1 to 9 exhibited good foaming suppression during dissolution. They also exhibited good loosening properties. On the other hand, when a phospholipid-containing composition containing 0.1 to 50% by weight of phospholipids per solid content and an edible oil or fat in which 33 to 100% by weight of the constituent fatty acids of triglycerides are medium-chain fatty acids with 6 to 10 carbon atoms were not blended, foaming occurred during dissolution, resulting in failure.

[0032] (Examples 10-11, Comparative Examples 11-13) Effect of differences in the content of the fraction with a molecular weight of 3,000 to 15,000 in water-soluble soybean polysaccharides SOYAFIVE-S-LA200 was mixed with the water-soluble soybean polysaccharide obtained in Production Example 1 to obtain water-soluble soybean polysaccharides with contents of the fraction with a molecular weight of 3,000 to 15,000 of 57.7%, 47.4%, 37.2%, 26.9%, and 16.7%. According to the formulations shown in Table 4, a binder liquid was sprayed onto each water-soluble soybean polysaccharide, and the mixture was subjected to fluidized bed granulation (Flow Coater FLO-5, Freund Corporation) at an intake air temperature of 70°C and a binder liquid spray pressure of 3.0 kg / cm. 2These loosening agents were evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1. The results are shown in Table 4.

[0033] (Table 4)

[0034] As shown in the results in Table 4, in Examples 10 and 11, which used water-soluble soybean polysaccharides in which the ratio of the peak area of ​​the fraction having a molecular weight of 3,000 to 15,000 to the total peak area detected at a wavelength of 220 nm in gel filtration analysis was 30% or less, foaming during dissolution was suppressed and the evaluation of disintegration properties was also good, which was favorable.

Claims

1. The present invention relates to a method for producing a loosening agent for processed grain foods, which comprises treating a solution containing water-soluble soybean polysaccharides containing protein with a protease to produce water-soluble soybean polysaccharides in which the ratio of the peak area of ​​a fraction having a molecular weight of 3,000 to 15,000 to the total peak area detected at a wavelength of 220 nm when analyzed by gel filtration is 30% or less, and then using a powder of the water-soluble soybean polysaccharide and the following (A) and (B) as raw materials to granulate the resulting product. (A) A phospholipid-containing composition containing 0.1 to 50% by weight of phospholipids based on the solid content. (B) Edible fats and oils in which 33 to 100% by weight of the constituent fatty acids of the triglycerides are medium-chain fatty acids having 6 to 10 carbon atoms.

2. 2. A method for producing a loosening agent for processed grain foods having excellent workability as described in claim 1, wherein in (A), the phospholipid-containing composition contains 0.1 to 45% by weight of phospholipid based on the solid content.

3. 2. The method for producing a loosening agent for processed grain foods having excellent workability according to claim 1, wherein the amount of water-soluble soybean polysaccharide added is 20 to 99.6% by weight per solid content in the loosening agent, the amount of phospholipid-containing composition added is 0.002 to 1.0% by weight per solid content in the loosening agent as phospholipid content, and the amount of edible oils and fats added is 0.1 to 10% by weight per solid content in the loosening agent.

4. 3. The method for producing a loosening agent for processed grain foods having excellent workability according to claim 2, wherein the amount of water-soluble soybean polysaccharide added is 20 to 99.6% by weight per solid content in the loosening agent, the amount of phospholipid-containing composition added is 0.002 to 1.0% by weight per solid content in the loosening agent as phospholipid content, and the amount of edible oil or fat added is 0.1 to 10% by weight per solid content in the loosening agent.

5. A method for producing a processed grain food, comprising adding a loosening agent produced by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 to the processed grain food.

6. A method for improving the loosening of processed grain foods, comprising adding a loosening agent produced by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 to the processed grain foods.

7. A loosening agent for processed grain foods having excellent workability, comprising a granulated material containing the following (a) to (c): (a) A water-soluble soybean polysaccharide in which the ratio of the peak area of ​​the fraction having a molecular weight of 3,000 to 15,000 to the total peak area detected at a wavelength of 220 nm when analyzed by gel filtration is 30% or less. (b) A phospholipid-containing composition containing 0.1 to 50% by weight of phospholipids based on the solid content. (c) Edible fats and oils in which 33 to 100% by weight of the constituent fatty acids of the triglycerides are medium-chain fatty acids having 6 to 10 carbon atoms.

8. The loosening agent for processed grain foods having excellent workability according to claim 7, wherein the blending amount of the water-soluble soybean polysaccharide (a) in the loosening agent is 20 to 99.6% by weight per solid content, the blending amount of the phospholipid-containing composition (b) in the loosening agent is 0.002 to 1.0% by weight per solid content as phospholipid content, and the blending amount of the edible oil (c) in the loosening agent is 0.1 to 10% by weight per solid content.