Coating material for fried foods and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

The coating material for fried foods of the present invention contains a grain flour composition containing a grain flour and a fat or oil. The grain flour composition has a heat swelling degree of 5-40 and a batter viscosity of 4,000-14,000 mPa·s. The grain flour is preferably wheat flour or starch. The manufacturing method of the coating material for fried foods of the present invention includes: a step for mixing an unprocessed grain flour, a fat or oil and water to obtain a mixture; and a step for heat treating the mixture to obtain the grain flour composition. The heat treatment is preferably a treatment for lowering the heat swelling degree of the unprocessed grain flour.

Description

Coating material for fried foods and method for producing the same

[0001] The present invention relates to a coating material for deep-fried foods, which contains a cereal flour composition containing cereal flour and fats and oils.

[0002] Deep-fried foods are foods obtained by cooking ingredients made from various ingredients in oil or other heat sources. While some deep-fried foods are obtained by frying the ingredients directly without coating them with a coating, most deep-fried foods are obtained by cooking ingredients with a coating on the surface, with the coating made from the coating material adhering to the surface of the ingredients. By heating the ingredients with a coating on the surface in high-temperature oil, the coating that comes into direct contact with the oil has a unique crispy texture and flavor, while the ingredients inside are cooked as if steamed inside the coating, resulting in concentrated umami. The coating materials used in the production of deep-fried foods are usually in powder form at room temperature and pressure, but are classified into several types depending on the form in which they are applied to the ingredients. Typical types include blender types, in which the powder is applied to the surface of the ingredients, and batter types, in which the powder is mixed with liquid to form a liquid coating batter and then applied to the surface of the ingredients.

[0003] Conventionally, oil- or fat-processed starch has been blended into coating materials for deep-fried foods with the aim of improving the texture of the coating and the adhesion between the ingredients and the coating. Oil- or fat-processed starch is starch particles whose surfaces are coated with oil and fat, and is generally produced by mixing starch with oil and fat and heating the mixture. Patent Document 1 describes a method for producing oil- or fat-processed starch that does not deteriorate even after long-term storage and exhibits little change in viscosity when used in batter, which includes a step of mixing starch with oil and fat, heat-treating the mixture, and then adding an organic acid or the like. Regarding the heat treatment, Patent Document 1 recommends that the heating temperature be 40 to 160°C and the heating time be 0.2 to 24 hours, and that heating times longer than 24 hours are undesirable due to damage to the starch and the generation of an oxidized odor from the oil and fat.

[0004] Patent Document 2 describes a coating material for deep-fried foods containing oil-treated legume starch with a swelling index of 2.5 to 8.5 ml. The oil-treated legume starch is prepared by mixing oil with legume starch that has been subjected to a swelling-inhibiting treatment, such as chemical cross-linking, and then heat-aging the mixture at room temperature or higher. Patent Document 3 describes that the use of a decomposed cross-linked starch, which is prepared by adding oil to a cross-linked starch having a specific sedimentation volume range, mixing the mixture with oil, and then heat-decomposing the resulting cross-linked starch, as a coating material for deep-fried foods results in deep-fried foods with low oil absorption, a non-greasy texture, and a good texture. Patent Document 4 describes a deep-fried food coating material containing oil-treated acetylated tapioca starch, which can produce deep-fried foods with an excellent batter texture and a juicy texture for the ingredients. Patent Document 5 describes that the use of an oil-treated flour obtained by mixing a specific edible oil with flour that has been subjected to a swelling-inhibiting treatment and then heat-aging the resulting flour as a coating material for deep-fried foods improves the adhesion between the ingredients and the batter. The techniques described in Patent Documents 2 to 5 are all common in that starch that has been subjected to a processing treatment such as swelling-inhibiting treatment is used as the raw starch for the oil- or fat-processed starch.

[0005] JP 2019-106969 A US 2014 / 0037827A1 JP 2013-110997 A JP 2012-165724 A JP 2004-113236 A

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a coating material for deep-fried foods that allows the production of deep-fried foods with excellent binding between the ingredients and the coating.

[0007] The present invention provides a coating material for deep-fried foods, which contains a flour composition containing flour and fats and oils, and the flour composition has a heat swelling degree of 5 to 40 and a batter viscosity of 4000 to 14000 mPa·s.

[0008] The present invention also relates to a method for producing the coating material for deep-fried foods of the present invention, which comprises a mixing step of mixing raw cereal flour, oil and water to obtain a mixture, and a step of heat-treating the mixture to obtain the cereal flour composition.

[0009] The coating material for deep-fried foods of the present invention contains at least a flour composition, which contains at least flour and fat. The flour composition typically has a configuration in which fat or oil is attached to the surface of flour particles, and can be referred to as oil-coated flour.

[0010] As used herein, "flours" refers to grain-derived powdery substances at room temperature and normal pressure, and is a concept that includes cereal flour and starch. Unless otherwise specified, "starch" here refers to "pure starch" isolated from plants such as wheat, and is distinguished from starch that is inherently present in cereal flour. Examples of cereal flour include wheat flour (strong flour, semi-strong flour, medium-strength flour, weak flour, durum wheat flour, whole wheat flour), buckwheat flour, rice flour, corn flour, barley flour, rye flour, adlay flour, barnyard millet flour, and foxtail millet flour. The cereal flour may be one that has been subjected to heat treatment such as dry heat treatment or moist heat treatment. Examples of starch include unprocessed starches (raw starches) such as tapioca starch, potato starch, corn starch, waxy corn starch, wheat starch, and rice starch; and processed starches obtained by subjecting unprocessed starch to one or more treatments such as etherification, esterification, acetylation, dry heat treatment, moist heat treatment, crosslinking treatment, and oxidation treatment.

[0011] As the cereal flour, wheat flour or starch is preferred from the viewpoint of improving the texture of the coating of deep-fried foods. The type of starch in terms of origin is not particularly limited, but wheat starch and tapioca starch are preferred from the viewpoint of improving the texture of the coating of deep-fried foods.

[0012] From the viewpoint of improving the adhesion between ingredients and coating in fried foods, the grain flour may be unprocessed grain flour that has not been subjected to any processing, or may be processed grain flour that has been subjected to cross-linking treatment, etc. However, from the viewpoint of obtaining a coating material for fried foods that meets the health-conscious needs of consumers by reducing the use of food additives, unprocessed grain flour is preferred.

[0013] The type of oil or fat constituting the cereal flour composition is not particularly limited, as long as it is usable in foods and can be mixed with cereal flour. For example, it may be a solid oil or fat that is solid at room temperature and normal pressure, a liquid oil or fat that is liquid at room temperature and normal pressure, or an emulsified oil or fat, or it may be a vegetable oil or an animal oil. In the present invention, one type of oil or fat may be used alone, or two or more types of oil or fat may be used in combination. Examples of solid oils or fats include shortening, lard, and fat. Examples of liquid oils or fats include perilla oil, sesame oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, sesame oil, safflower oil, olive oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, rice oil, palm oil, sunflower oil, and safflower oil. Examples of emulsified oils or fats include emulsions obtained by mixing solid or liquid oils or fats with an emulsifier or an emulsifying protein, fat spreads, butter, and margarine. Examples of vegetable oils include salad oil, corn oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, rapeseed oil, palm oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, rice bran oil, sesame oil, perilla oil, and olive oil. Examples of animal oils include beef tallow, lard, and fish oil. As the oils and fats constituting the cereal flour composition, liquid vegetable oils such as perilla oil, safflower oil, and soybean oil are preferred from the viewpoints of improving workability when preparing the cereal flour composition and improving the binding between ingredients and batter in deep-fried foods.

[0014] The fat / oil content in the flour composition is preferably 0.05 to 0.5% by mass, more preferably 0.15 to 0.2% by mass, relative to the total mass of the flour composition. If the fat / oil content in the flour composition is too low, the effect of improving the binding between the ingredients and the coating will be poor, and if the content is too high, the flour composition will become clay-like and will not be able to be handled as a powder, which may reduce workability. The fat / oil content in the flour composition can be measured by the following method.

[0015] [Method for measuring the fat and oil content in a cereal flour composition] 10 g of the measurement target (cereal flour composition) was mixed with 100 ml of hexane, and the mixture was shaken using a shaker at room temperature (25°C) for 30 minutes, then placed in a centrifuge and centrifuged at 3000 rpm to separate the mixture into an upper layer (supernatant) and a lower layer (sediment). The upper layer was collected, the hexane in the upper layer was removed under reduced pressure, the mass of the residue was measured, and the proportion of this measured value to 10 g of the measurement target was calculated to represent the fat and oil content.

[0016] The cereal flour composition may contain other ingredients in addition to cereal flour and fats and oils. The other ingredients are typically mixed with fats and oils, and the mixture adheres to the surface of the cereal flour particles. Assuming that the other ingredients are suitable for use in foods, examples of such ingredients include emulsifiers, proteins, thickeners such as various polysaccharides, sweeteners, flavorings, etc., and these can be used alone or in combination of two or more. Examples of emulsifiers include fatty acid esters such as monoglycerin fatty acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, and sucrose fatty acid esters; and lecithins such as lecithin and lysolecithin. Examples of proteins include liquid proteins such as milk, eggs, and egg whites; and powdered proteins such as milk powder, whole egg powder, egg white powder, wheat protein, and soy protein.

[0017] However, from the perspective of obtaining a coating material for fried foods that responds to consumer health consciousness by reducing the use of food additives, it is preferable that the cereal flour composition does not contain any other components than cereal flour, oils and water, and the content of such other components is preferably 0.5% by mass or less, more preferably 0.1% by mass or less, relative to the total mass of the cereal flour composition.

[0018] The cereal flour composition is typically obtained by mixing cereal flour and fats and oils, and optionally other ingredients (mixing step), optionally carrying out a drying step to adjust the moisture content, and then subjecting the mixture to a heat treatment. The conditions for the heat treatment (heating temperature, heating time, etc.) are preferably set so that the heat swelling degree and batter viscosity of the cereal flour composition, which is the product to be produced, fall within the specific ranges described below. The method for producing a coating material for deep-fried foods of the present invention, which will be described below, employs the preferred conditions for the heat treatment.

[0019] The coating material for deep-fried foods of the present invention is characterized in that the cereal flour composition has a thermal swelling degree of 5 to 40, preferably 5 to 30, and more preferably 10 to 25, and a batter viscosity of 4,000 to 14,000 mPa·s, and preferably 6,000 to 9,000 mPa·s. By using a cereal flour composition whose thermal swelling degree and batter viscosity are both within the above-mentioned specific ranges for the coating material for deep-fried foods, the binding strength between the ingredients and the coating in the deep-fried foods can be improved.

[0020] The thermal swelling degree is an index showing the degree of swelling inhibition of a flour composition, more specifically, the flour particles that make up the flour composition; the smaller the value of the thermal swelling degree, the higher the degree of swelling inhibition and the less likely the flour composition is to swell. If the thermal swelling degree of a flour composition is less than 5, the starch contained in the flour will be decomposed into smaller molecules, which may reduce the adhesive strength between the ingredients and the coating in fried foods, and if it exceeds 40, the adhesive strength of the flour particles will be reduced due to high moisture content, which may reduce the adhesive strength. The thermal swelling degree is measured by the following method.

[0021] <Method for measuring heat swelling> 500 mg of the test object (flour composition) (dry weight equivalent) was mixed with 0.5 mL of ethanol and 24.5 mL of water, and the mixture was heated in boiling water at a temperature of 95°C or higher for 30 minutes with occasional stirring. The mixture was then centrifuged at 4500 rpm for 30 minutes to separate an upper layer (supernatant) and a lower layer (sediment). The upper layer was collected and dried by leaving it to stand in an ambient temperature of 110°C for 3 hours. The dry weight (A) of the upper layer (unit: mg) was measured, and the solubility (S) of the test object (unit: %) was calculated using the following formula (1). The weight (B) of the lower layer (unit: mg) was also measured, and the heat swelling of the test object was calculated using the solubility (S) using the following formula (2). Solubility (S) = (A / 500) x 100 (1) Heat swelling = B / {500 x (100 - S / 100)} (2)

[0022] The degree of thermal swelling is related to the water retention of flour particles when the flour composition is heated. Generally, the degree of thermal swelling of a flour composition is reduced by treatments such as imparting a strong cross-linked structure to the flour particles, treatments such as moist heat treatment or hot water treatment to change the crystalline structure of the flour particles, and treatments to reduce the molecular weight of the flour particles. The degree of thermal swelling of a flour composition can be increased by treatments such as imparting a slight cross-linked structure or acetyl groups to the flour particles. The degree of thermal swelling is also affected by the fat and oil content in the flour composition (the amount of fat and oil attached to the flour), the heating conditions (heating temperature, heating time, etc.) during the production of the flour composition, etc. Therefore, the degree of thermal swelling of a flour composition can be adjusted by appropriately adjusting the type of raw material flour, the production conditions of the flour composition, etc.

[0023] Batter viscosity is an index of the hydrophobicity of the surface of flour composition particles; the higher the batter viscosity, the higher the hydrophobicity of the surface of the flour composition particles. According to the inventor's findings, when the surface hydrophobicity of flour composition particles is relatively high, favorable hydrophobic interactions occur between the flour composition particles in an environment where moisture is present, such as in a batter, resulting in the aggregation of the flour composition particles and the formation of a network structure consisting of these aggregates. The formation of such a network structure is presumably one of the factors that increases the batter viscosity and can also improve the binding strength between the ingredients and the coating in fried foods. If the batter viscosity of the flour composition is less than 4,000 mPa·s, the hydrophobicity of the surface of the flour composition particles may be insufficient, resulting in a decrease in binding strength. If the batter viscosity exceeds 14,000 mPa·s, moisture evaporation during frying in the production of fried foods is suppressed, and the high moisture content of the flour composition particles may reduce the adhesive strength, resulting in a decrease in binding strength. Batter viscosity is measured by the following method.

[0024] <Method for measuring batter viscosity> 30 g of the measurement target (cereal flour composition) in dry matter equivalent, 0.3 g of guar gum, and 60 g of water at a liquid temperature of 0 to 4°C are mixed, and the mixture (batter) is stirred for 1.5 to 2 minutes. After allowing to stand for 10 minutes in an environment with an ambient temperature of 20 to 30°C, the viscosity of the mixture is measured using a Brookfield viscometer at a rotation speed of 30 rpm. The viscosity measured one minute after the start of rotation of the mixture using the Brookfield viscometer is taken as the viscosity of the batter to be measured. Viscosity measurement using a Brookfield viscometer can be performed, for example, using a "TVB-25" manufactured by Toki Sangyo Co., Ltd., using an M3 or M4 rotor.

[0025] As mentioned above, the batter viscosity of the flour composition is closely related to the hydrophobicity of the surface of the flour composition particles, so by adjusting the hydrophobicity, the batter viscosity can be adjusted to a desired range.In addition, the hydrophobicity of the surface of the flour composition particles is largely influenced by the oil and fat attached to the surface of the flour particles.Therefore, the batter viscosity of the flour composition can be adjusted by appropriately adjusting the type of oil and fat, the content of oil and fat in the flour composition (the amount of oil and fat attached to the flour), the heating treatment conditions (heating temperature, heating time, etc.) during the production of the flour composition, etc.

[0026] The amount of fat and oil polymer in the flour composition is preferably 0.1 to 15, more preferably 0.5 to 10. Having the amount of fat and oil polymer within the above-mentioned specific range makes it easier to adjust the batter viscosity of the flour composition to within the above-mentioned specific range. The amount of fat and oil polymer is an indicator of the amount of polymer generated by the heat treatment during preparation of the flour composition, and is closely related to the hydrophobic interaction between the grain flour composition particles described above. The greater the value of the amount of fat and oil polymer, the more likely it is that the grain flour composition particles will aggregate due to the hydrophobic interaction, and improved adhesion between the ingredients and the coating in deep-fried foods can be expected. If the amount of fat and oil polymer in the flour composition is too low, the effect of improving the adhesion between the ingredients and the coating in deep-fried foods will be poor, and if the amount of fat and oil polymer is too high, the batter viscosity of the flour composition will increase, which may reduce workability. The amount of polymer in fats and oils is determined by quantifying the polymer contained in the fat and oil by gel permeation chromatography in accordance with "Standard Methods for the Analysis of Fats, Oils, and Related Materials 2.5.7-2013, Polymers of Fat and Oil (Gel Permeation Chromatography)" compiled by the Japan Oil Chemists' Society, and calculating the percentage of the mass of the polymer relative to the total mass of the fat and oil. The "polymer" referred to here refers to all substances that elute before triacylglycerols in gel permeation chromatography.

[0027] The amount of fat and oil polymer in the above-mentioned cereal flour composition can be adjusted, for example, by adjusting the conditions of the heat treatment during preparation of the cereal flour composition (heating temperature, heating time, degree of contact of the heated material with air, etc.).

[0028] The iodine value of the fat or oil in the flour composition is preferably 120 to 220, more preferably 140 to 200. The iodine value of fat or oil is the mass (g) of iodine that can be added to 100 g of fat or oil, and is an index of the susceptibility of the fat or oil to oxidation. A flour composition with a higher iodine value of fat or oil is evaluated as being more susceptible to oxidation. If the iodine value of the fat or oil in the flour composition is too low, it may take a long time to improve the hydrophobicity of the surface of the flour composition particles, and if the iodine value is too high, the rate of improvement of the hydrophobicity may be too rapid, making it difficult to control the production of the flour composition. The iodine value of fat or oil can be determined by adding excess iodine to the fat or oil in the measurement sample, allowing it to react completely, and quantifying the amount of remaining iodine by oxidation-reduction titration. Since the iodine value of fats and oils is specific to the fats and oils, it is preferable to select fats and oils so that the iodine value of the fats and oils in the flour composition falls within the above-mentioned preferred range.

[0029] The content of the cereal flour composition in the coating material for deep-fried foods of the present invention is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of more reliably achieving the specified effects of the present invention, it is preferably 50% by mass or more, more preferably 80% by mass or more, relative to the total mass of the cereal flour composition; it may even be 100% by mass, i.e. the coating material for deep-fried foods of the present invention may be composed solely of the cereal flour composition.

[0030] The deep-fried food coating material of the present invention may contain other ingredients in addition to the above-mentioned cereal flour composition, as necessary. These other ingredients can be any of the ingredients typically incorporated into this type of deep-fried food coating material, without any particular limitations. Examples include cereal flours other than the cereal flour composition, leavening agents such as baking powder, salt, sugars, egg powder, powdered soy sauce, fermented products such as fermented fruit products, powdered miso paste, amino acids and other seasonings, spices, flavorings, nutritional components such as vitamins, coloring agents, and powdered oils and fats. These ingredients can be used alone or in combination of two or more, depending on the type of fried food to be produced (e.g., Chinese, Japanese, Western, etc.). The content of other ingredients than the cereal flour composition in the deep-fried food coating material of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 20% by mass or less of the total mass of the deep-fried food coating material.

[0031] The deep-fried food coating material of the present invention can be used in the production of fried foods in the same manner as other deep-fried food coating materials of this type. The deep-fried food coating material of the present invention is typically in the form of a powder at room temperature and normal pressure, and can be mixed with a liquid to form a liquid or paste-like batter, which can then be applied to the surface of the ingredients, or the powder can be applied directly to the ingredients. That is, the deep-fried food coating material of the present invention can be used as a batter mix or blender mix. Another example of a method for using the deep-fried food coating material of the present invention is to apply a large amount of liquid to the surface of the ingredients, and then apply the deep-fried food coating material to the surface. Yet another example of a method for using the deep-fried food coating material of the present invention is to apply the deep-fried food coating material to the surface of the ingredients, and then spray the surface with liquid using a spray bottle or the like to thoroughly moisten the surface. Alternatively, the deep-fried food may be produced by applying the deep-fried food coating material of the present invention to the surface of an ingredient and then subjecting the ingredient to heat cooking such as deep frying, or by applying the deep-fried food coating material of the present invention to the surface of an ingredient and then further applying breadcrumbs to the ingredient before subjecting the ingredient to heat cooking.

[0032] The coating material for deep-fried foods of the present invention can be used to produce a variety of deep-fried foods, including, for example, karaage (fried chicken), tatsuta-age (deep-fried sausage), tempura, kakiage (mixed tempura), agedama (fried tempura crust), deep fries, fritters, and corn hot dogs. Specific examples of fried foods include pork cutlets, croquettes, minced meat cutlets, fried shrimp, fried fish, fried oysters, fried chicken, and French fries. The ingredients for deep-fried foods are not particularly limited, and various types of meats can be used, including meats such as chicken, pork, beef, lamb, and goat; seafood such as squid, octopus, shrimp, horse mackerel, salmon, mackerel, and flounder; grains such as soybeans, rice, carrots, onions, potatoes, and sweet potatoes; vegetables; and root vegetables; and processed products thereof. Before applying the coating material for deep-fried foods of the present invention, the ingredients may be seasoned, or coated with flour, beaten egg, or the like, as needed.

[0033] Next, a method for producing a coating material for deep-fried foods of the present invention will be described. This production method will be described mainly focusing on the differences from the coating material for deep-fried foods of the present invention described above. For aspects of this production method that are not specifically described, the same explanation as for the coating material for deep-fried foods described above will be applied as appropriate.

[0034] The method for producing a coating material for deep-fried foods of the present invention comprises a mixing step of mixing raw cereal flour, oil and water to obtain a mixture, and a heat treatment step of the mixture to obtain the cereal flour composition.

[0035] The unprocessed cereal flour used in the mixing step is raw cereal flour that has not been subjected to a cross-linking treatment or the like. One of the reasons for using unprocessed cereal flour in the production method of the present invention is to obtain a coating material for fried foods that meets consumer health-conscious needs by reducing the use of food additives such as emulsifiers. The mixing step may be performed by any method that can adhere oil or fat to at least a portion of the surface of the cereal flour particles. Examples include a method in which oil or fat and water are added to and mixed with powdered cereal flour, or a method in which cereal flour and water are mixed to obtain a slurry, and then oil or fat is added to and mixed with the slurry. Mixing can also be performed using various stirring devices such as mixers. From the viewpoint of improving the workability of the mixing step, the amount of water added in the mixing step is preferably 5 to 30 parts by mass, more preferably 10 to 20 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the total mass of the cereal flour and oil or fat.

[0036] The heat treatment is a treatment that promotes hydrophobic interactions between the above-mentioned cereal flour composition particles and can improve the binding strength between the ingredients and the batter in deep-fried foods. The heat treatment method is not particularly limited, and examples include a method in which the treatment target (the cereal flour composition) is left standing in an environment (e.g., a thermostatic bath) where the ambient temperature is set within a predetermined range. Warm or hot air may be blown onto the treatment target. Furthermore, the heating conditions (heating temperature, heating time, etc.) in the heat treatment are set so that the thermal swelling degree and batter viscosity of the cereal flour composition to be produced fall within the above-mentioned specific ranges. Typically, the heating temperature in the heat treatment is set so that the product temperature of the mixture obtained in the mixing step is 30 to 90°C. If the heating temperature (the product temperature of the mixture) is too low, the heat treatment will take an impractical long time, while if the heating temperature is too high, undesirable phenomena such as thermal decomposition of the cereal flour may occur. The higher the heating temperature, the shorter the heating time (the time during which the product temperature is maintained), but it is typically about 24 to 72 hours (1 to 3 days).

[0037] The heat treatment is preferably a treatment that reduces the thermal swelling degree of the raw material, unprocessed cereal flour. That is, since the cereal flour composition in the coating material for deep-fried foods, which is the target product of the present invention, has a thermal swelling degree of 5 to 40, the unprocessed cereal flour before the heat treatment preferably has a thermal swelling degree of greater than 40. This more reliably achieves the desired effects of the present invention. There are no particular restrictions on the degree to which the heat swelling degree of the cereal flour is reduced by the heat treatment, but, for example, when the unprocessed cereal flour subjected to the heat treatment is tapioca starch, it is preferable that the value obtained by subtracting the thermal swelling degree of the cereal flour (tapioca starch) before the heat treatment from the thermal swelling degree after the heat treatment be 30 or more. Examples 1 to 3 described below satisfy this requirement (see Table 1 below).

[0038] The heat swelling degree of the unprocessed cereal flour before the heat treatment is preferably not less than 50. Examples of unprocessed cereal flour having a heat swelling degree of not less than 50 include wheat flour, wheat starch, tapioca starch, and potato starch.

[0039] A preferred example of the heat treatment is a treatment in which the mixture obtained in the mixing step is allowed to stand in an environment where the ambient temperature is preferably 30 to 95°C, more preferably 30 to 85°C, and even more preferably 65 to 80°C, preferably for 24 hours or more, more preferably 30 to 70 hours.

[0040] The fats and oils used in the mixing step are typically those having a product temperature of about room temperature (25°C), but pre-heated fats and oils can also be used. This further improves the adhesion between the ingredients and the coating in fried foods and shortens the time required for the heat treatment, enabling efficient production of high-quality coating materials for fried foods. For example, only the fats and oils can be heat-treated under the same conditions (heating temperature, heating time) as the preferred example of heat treatment described above (fat and oil heating step), and the heat-treated fats and oils can be mixed with raw flour and water to obtain a mixture (mixing step), which can then be heat-treated to obtain a flour composition. More specifically, for example, when the production step of a flour composition is carried out multiple times, the first production step produces the flour composition using unheated fats and oils as usual, but in the heat treatment of the mixture, the fats and oils to be used in the second and subsequent production steps are also heat-treated at the same time. Then, in the mixing step of the second production step, the fats and oils heat-treated in the previous production step are used. In this way, when the manufacturing process for a cereal flour composition is carried out multiple times, in the heating process of the mixture in the preceding manufacturing process, only the oil and fat is heat-treated separately from the mixture under the same conditions as the mixture, and in the mixing process in the subsequent manufacturing process, the oil and fat heat-treated in the preceding manufacturing process is used, thereby making it possible to efficiently manufacture high-quality coating materials for fried foods.

[0041] When the coating material for deep-fried foods that is the target of production contains ingredients other than the cereal flour composition, the method for producing a coating material for deep-fried foods of the present invention includes a step of mixing the cereal flour composition obtained through the above steps with the other ingredients. The coating material for deep-fried foods obtained through the above steps is typically in the form of a dry powder.

[0042] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0043] Examples 1-3, Comparative Examples 1-5: Using cereal flour and oil as the main ingredients, water was added and mixed to obtain a mixture (mixing step), which was then heat-treated under specified conditions to obtain a cereal flour composition. The resulting cereal flour composition was used as is, without adding any other ingredients, to produce coating materials for fried foods in each Example and Comparative Example. The heat treatment of the mixture was carried out by leaving the mixture to be treated for a specified period of time in a drying chamber maintained at a specified temperature. Unprocessed cereal flour (tapioca starch) was used. The resulting cereal flour compositions were measured for their degree of heat swelling, batter viscosity, amount of polymerized oil, and iodine value using the methods described above. The results are shown in Table 1, along with the composition of each ingredient and the heat-treatment conditions used in the production process of the cereal flour composition. The tapioca starch used as the cereal flour in each Example and Comparative Example was unprocessed starch, and its degree of heat swelling was 70.

[0044] [Evaluation Test: Production and Evaluation of Pork Cutlets] A batter was prepared by mixing 100 g of the coating material to be evaluated with 200 cc of water. 85 g of pork shoulder loin meat as the filling was dusted with an appropriate amount of flour, and the prepared batter was applied, followed by fresh breadcrumbs. Salad oil was added to an oil bath and heated to 175°C. The meat with the fresh breadcrumbs was immersed in the salad oil and deep-fried for 5 minutes to produce pork cutlets. The produced pork cutlets were allowed to cool and stored in a refrigerator for 6 hours, followed by storage at room temperature (ambient temperature 25°C) for 1 hour. After storage, the pork cutlets were cut with a knife, and the adhesion of the coating (ease of peeling from the filling) was evaluated. The texture of the coating was also evaluated when the pork cutlets were eaten after storage. These evaluations were performed by 10 expert panelists according to the following evaluation criteria, and the arithmetic mean of the 10 panelists' evaluations was calculated. The binding rate of the batter was also measured for the pork cutlets after storage. Specifically, it was calculated as the ratio (%) of the total length of the portion of the cut surface where the ingredients and the batter were attached to the periphery of the cut surface when the pork cutlet was cut. The higher the binding rate, the better the binding between the ingredients and the batter in the fried food, and the higher the evaluation. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0045] <Evaluation criteria for batter binding properties> 10 points: The binding rate is 90% or more, and the batter binds firmly to the ingredients, so that the batter does not come off at all when cutting the fried food or when eating it, which is extremely good when evaluating the binding rate. 9 points: The binding rate is 90% or more, and the batter binds to the ingredients fairly strongly, so that the batter does not come off easily when cutting or eating the fried food. 8 points: The binding rate is 90% or more, but the batter binds to the ingredients somewhat weakly, so that the batter comes off more easily when cutting or eating the fried food than in the case of the 9 point rating. 7 points: The binding rate is 85% or more but less than 90%, and the batter binds to the ingredients fairly strongly, so that the batter does not come off easily when cutting or eating the fried food. 6 points: The binding rate is 85% or more but less than 90%, but the binding strength of the batter to the ingredients is slightly weak, and the batter comes off more easily when cutting or eating the fried food than in the case of the 7 point rating. 5 points: The binding rate is 85% or more but less than 90%, but the binding strength of the batter to the ingredients is weak, and the batter comes off more easily when cutting or eating the fried food than in the case of the 6 point rating. 4 points: The binding rate is 70% or more but less than 85%, and the binding strength of the batter to the ingredients is weak, and the batter comes off more easily when cutting or eating the fried food. 3 points: The binding rate is 60% or more but less than 70%, and the binding strength of the batter to the ingredients is weak, and the batter comes off more easily when cutting or eating the fried food. 2 points: The binding rate is 10% or more but less than 60%, and the batter comes off in most of the peripheral area of ​​the cut surface of the fried food, poor. Score 1: The binding rate is less than 10% and the coating peels off from most of the periphery of the cut surface of the fried food, which is extremely poor. <Evaluation criteria for coating texture> Score 5: Crispy and very brittle, very good. Score 4: Crispy and good. Score 3: Slightly lacking in crispness, but not problematic. Score 2: Slightly soft or hard, brittle and lacking in crispness, poor. Score 1: Very soft or hard, not brittle, extremely poor.

[0046]

[0047] The deep-fried food coating material of the present invention allows for the production of deep-fried food coating materials that exhibit excellent adhesion between the ingredients and the coating. The deep-fried food coating material of the present invention can be produced efficiently by the deep-fried food coating material production method. Furthermore, the deep-fried food coating material production method of the present invention uses unprocessed starches as the raw material starch for the cereal flour composition contained in the deep-fried food coating material, which is the final product, and therefore reduces the use of food additives such as synthetic emulsifiers compared to conventional techniques that use starches that have been subjected to processing such as swelling-inhibiting treatment, making it possible to provide a deep-fried food coating material that fully meets the growing health consciousness of consumers in recent years.

Claims

1. The present invention relates to a cereal flour composition containing cereal flour and fats and oils, The cereal flour composition is a coating material for deep-fried foods, having a heat swelling degree of 5 to 40 and a batter viscosity of 4000 to 14000 mPa·s.

2. The coating material for fried foods according to claim 1, wherein the cereal flour is wheat flour or starch.

3. A method for producing the coating material for deep-fried foods according to claim 1 or 2, A method for producing a coating material for deep-fried foods, comprising a mixing step of mixing raw cereal flour, oil and water to obtain a mixture, and a heat treatment step of the mixture to obtain the cereal flour composition.

4. The method for producing a coating material for deep-fried foods according to claim 3, wherein the heat treatment is a treatment for reducing the degree of thermal swelling of the unprocessed grain flour.

5. The method for producing a coating material for deep-fried foods according to claim 4, wherein the unprocessed grain flour has a thermal swelling degree of 50 or more.

6. 4. The method for producing a coating material for deep-fried foods according to claim 3, wherein the heat treatment comprises leaving the mixture to stand in an environment at an ambient temperature of 30 to 95°C for 24 hours or more.

7. The method for producing a coating material for deep-fried foods according to claim 3, wherein pre-heated oil is used as the oil in the mixing step.

8. The method for producing a coating material for deep-fried foods according to claim 3, wherein the amount of the polymerized oil or fat is 0.1 to 15%.

9. The method for producing a coating material for deep-fried foods according to claim 3, wherein the oil or fat has an iodine value of 120 to 220.