Retort-pouch molded food product and method for manufacturing same

Abstract

The present invention is a retort-pouch molded food product that contains glutinous brown rice and a gelling agent. The gelling agent may be one or more selected from glucomannan, agar, and psyllium. The retort-pouch molded food product can be manufactured with a method for manufacturing that includes a first step for producing a viscous liquid containing glutinous brown rice and a gelling agent, a second step for filling a pouch with the viscous liquid, and a third step for performing retort thermal sterilization on the pouch and solidifying the contents of the pouch into one lump by cooling the contents.

Description

Retort pouch molded food and its manufacturing method

[0001] The present invention relates to a retort-pouched food product made primarily from glutinous brown rice and a method for producing the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to a retort-pouched food product made primarily from glutinous brown rice, molded into a lump, which can be eaten as is at room temperature.

[0002] Although brown rice is highly nutritious and is in demand among health-conscious consumers, it has not yet been widely adopted in ordinary households due to factors such as the difficulty of eating due to the hardness of the outer skin and the time-consuming process of cooking. To simplify the cooking process, several retort pouch brown rice porridges and cooked rice products have been proposed that can be eaten simply by heating them in a hot water bath or microwave oven (Patent Documents 1 and 2). However, only products that require heating or that can be eaten in a bowl with a spoon or the like have been available to date, and no products that can be eaten anytime, anywhere without using tableware have been known.

[0003] Patent No. 4098576 Patent No. 5952696

[0004] To provide a retort pouch-shaped food product in which nutritious glutinous brown rice is shaped so as to be immediately edible as is, such as rice balls or ohagi, and which has excellent preservability, and a method for producing the same.

[0005] As a result of intensive research into solving the above problems, the inventors of the present invention discovered that by dispersing glutinous brown rice in a viscous liquid containing a gelling agent and subjecting the resulting mixture to retort heat sterilization in a pouch, the glutinous brown rice can be formed into a lump that can be removed from the retort pouch and eaten as is, and surprisingly, the formed food has a pleasant texture similar to that of rice balls or ohagi, thereby completing the present invention.

[0006] That is, the gist of the present invention is: (1) a retort pouch-shaped food containing glutinous brown rice and a gelling agent; (2) the retort pouch-shaped food according to (1) above, in which the contents of the pouch are bound together in a single mass and can be eaten as is at room temperature; (3) the retort pouch-shaped food according to (1) or (2) above, in which the gelling agent is one or more selected from glucomannan, agar, and psyllium; (4) the retort pouch-shaped food according to any of (1) to (3) above, in which the glutinous brown rice content is 10 to 49% by weight, the gelling agent content is 0.1 to 3% by weight, and the water content is 50 to 70% by weight; (5) a method for producing the retort pouch-shaped food according to any of (1) to (4) above, comprising: a first step of preparing a viscous liquid containing glutinous brown rice and a gelling agent; a second step of filling a pouch with the viscous liquid; and a third step of subjecting the pouch to retort heat sterilization and cooling to solidify the contents of the pouch into a single mass.

[0007] The retort pouch-shaped food of the present invention is a food formed into a lump that can be taken out of the retort pouch and eaten immediately without heating, has the texture of rice grains like rice balls or ohagi balls, and crumbles in the mouth, and is a food with excellent preservability.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the retort pouch-shaped food product obtained in Example 1.

[0009] The retort pouch-shaped food product of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0010] The retort pouch-shaped food of the present invention refers to a retort pouch food defined in the "Retort Pouch Food Quality Labeling Standard (Notice of the Consumer Affairs Agency of Japan)" as "a container (limited to those that are airtight and light-blocking) made of plastic film, metal foil, or a combination of these in multiple layers, molded into a bag or other shape, filled with prepared food, sealed by thermal fusion, and sterilized by heat under pressure." In addition, in the present invention, the term "pouch" refers to the container, and the term "retort pouch" refers to a pouch that can be sterilized by heat under pressure.

[0011] The retort pouch-shaped food product of the present invention is a molded product obtained by filling the prepared food product into the container, sealing it by thermal fusion, and shaping it by pressure heat sterilization (also referred to as retort heat sterilization). The retort pouch-shaped food product of the present invention is one in which the contents of the pouch are in the form of a single lump. More specifically, it is a lump of glutinous brown rice in the form of rice grains that maintain the shape of the brown rice grains and are bound together. The strength of the lump is sufficient if the glutinous brown rice grains are bound together to such an extent that they do not deform or crumble significantly when the retort pouch-shaped food product is pushed out from the outside of the pouch with a finger. Therefore, for example, this does not include rice with low strength, such as cooked rice, where the grains easily separate when lightly pressed with chopsticks or the like.

[0012] The retort pouch-shaped food product of the present invention contains (a) glutinous brown rice and (b) a gelling agent.

[0013] (a) Glutinous Brown Rice Japanese rice is broadly classified into two types: non-glutinous and glutinous, and glutinous brown rice refers to glutinous brown rice. While non-glutinous rice is composed of approximately 80% amylopectin and approximately 20% amylose, glutinous rice is rice in which almost 100% of the starch is amylopectin. Examples of glutinous varieties include, but are not limited to, short-grain Japonica rice, medium-grain Javanica rice, and long-grain Indica rice. Among these, it is preferable to use japonica glutinous rice, as it provides a texture similar to that of foods popular in Japan, such as rice balls and ohagi.

[0014] Brown rice refers to rice grains from which the husk has been removed, and is composed of a central part consisting of the endosperm and germ, surrounded by a bran layer. Brown rice can also be so-called "partially polished rice," such as 30-minute polished rice, 50-minute polished rice, or 70-minute polished rice, from which some of the bran has been removed. Also, so-called "germinated brown rice," which is obtained by germinating the brown rice, can be used as brown rice.

[0015] The present invention is characterized by the use of glutinous brown rice. When non-glutinous brown rice is used, the starch retrogrades immediately after production by retort heat sterilization, resulting in an undesirable texture. Furthermore, when polished rice or germ rice from which the bran layer has been removed is used instead of brown rice, the starch leaks out, resulting in an undesirable texture. Therefore, the content of rice other than glutinous brown rice in the retort pouch-formed food product of the present invention is preferably 10% by weight or less. More preferably, it is 5% by weight or less, and may even be 0% by weight.

[0016] In the retort-pouch-molded food of the present invention, the content of glutinous brown rice is preferably 10 to 49% by weight from the viewpoint of the physical properties of the resulting retort-pouch-molded food being in the form of a single lump and from the viewpoint of obtaining a desired texture, and more preferably 25 to 45% by weight, particularly from the viewpoint of obtaining a retort-pouch-molded food having a texture similar to that of rice balls.

[0017] (b) Gelling Agent The gelling agent is used to disperse the glutinous brown rice in the viscous liquid produced in the manufacturing process of the manufacturing method of the present invention, to prevent sedimentation, to obtain the desired texture in the final product, a retort pouch-shaped food product, and to impart binding properties between the glutinous brown rice grains. If a gelling agent is not used, the effect of preventing sedimentation in the manufacturing process and the binding properties of the final product will be insufficient.

[0018] The gelling agent used in the present invention is not limited to gelling agents used as food additives, and may be any agent that gels an aqueous solution upon heating, such as glucomannan (also known as konjac flour), agar, psyllium, pectin, gellan gum, carrageenan, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, and other polysaccharides, gelatin, and modified starch. Of these, glucomannan, agar, and psyllium are preferred in terms of manufacturability. The gelling agent may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0019] In the retort-pouch-molded food product of the present invention, the content of the gelling agent is not particularly limited as long as it exhibits a moderate thickening effect that prevents the glutinous brown rice from settling, and is within a range that allows the contents of the retort-pouch-molded food product to be solidified into a lump in the final product without impairing its texture; for example, 0.1 to 3% by weight is preferred, and 0.3 to 2% by weight is more preferred, particularly from the viewpoint of obtaining a retort-pouch-molded food product with a texture similar to that of rice balls.

[0020] (c) Other Optional Components In addition to the components described in (a) and (b), the retort-pouch-formed food product of the present invention may contain optional components such as other grains (wheat, corn, and miscellaneous grains), beans, nuts, potatoes, meat, seafood, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, plant- or animal-derived extracts, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, oils and fats, salt, spices, herbs, seasonings, acidulants, flavorings, colorings, and sweeteners. The state of each component is not particularly limited as long as it does not adversely affect the effects of the retort-pouch-formed food product. For example, dried or powdered components may be used. By appropriately selecting these optional components to adjust the physical properties and flavor, a wide range of preferences can be imparted to the retort-pouch-formed food product. The optional components may be used within a range that does not adversely affect the palatability or physicochemical stability of the retort-pouch-formed food product. The content of the optional components is not particularly limited, but may be 39% by weight or less, and may be 5% by weight or less.

[0021] (d) Water: The amount of water in the retort-pouch-shaped food product of the present invention is adjusted to achieve the desired texture. For example, by containing 50 to 70% by weight of water as a whole, the retort-pouch-shaped food product of the present invention exhibits a moderate softness and chewy texture. The water content refers to the total amount of water, including not only the amount of water added but also water derived from other optional ingredients. The water content can be determined by a calculation method based on the water content of each ingredient, a vacuum drying method, a Karl Fischer method, an infrared absorption method, or the like.

[0022] The retort pouch-shaped food product of the present invention is sealed in a pouch and subjected to retort heat sterilization to become a lump-shaped product mainly composed of glutinous brown rice. The product may be in a state in which the glutinous brown rice and other optional ingredients are bound together and the contents of the pouch are in a lump as a whole. The shape of the product is not particularly limited, and examples include a plate, rod, approximate sphere, approximate oval sphere, approximate cylinder, approximate triangular pyramid, approximate prism, etc., depending on the internal shape of the pouch.

[0023] The retort pouch-shaped food product of the present invention is produced by mixing and dispersing glutinous brown rice and a gelling agent in water, filling the resulting viscous liquid into a pouch, and subjecting it to retort heat sterilization.

[0024] The pouch used in the present invention may be a container made of a plastic film, a metal foil, or a combination of these in multiple layers, molded into a bag or other shape, such as a flat bag or a standing pouch.

[0025] The retort heat sterilization treatment may be performed using a pressurized heat treatment method known in the manufacture of retort foods, such as a method in which a pouch filled with the viscous liquid and sealed is placed in a pressurized heating oven and heated with steam or pressurized hot water at 100°C or higher. The heating temperature may be, for example, 110 to 130°C for 10 to 60 minutes. The contents of the pouch are then allowed to cool at room temperature, thereby binding the contents together; more specifically, the glutinous brown rice grains are bound together and solidified into a single lump.

[0026] The retort pouch-shaped food product of the present invention obtained as described above is a highly nutritious food product with excellent portability and convenience, in which the contents of the pouch are bound together in a single mass and can be taken out of the retort pouch and eaten as is at room temperature, and has a moderate softness and chewy texture similar to foods containing rice processed into a single mass, such as rice balls and ohagi. "Eatable as is" means that the retort pouch-shaped food product of the present invention taken out of the pouch can be safely eaten without cooking, such as heating, and without using tableware.

[0027] The retort pouch-shaped food product of the present invention is heat-sterilized and sealed in a pouch, and therefore has good shelf life, maintaining its quality even when stored for a long period at room temperature. The room temperature refers to a temperature not exceeding the ambient temperature, and may be, for example, in the range of 15 to 30°C.

[0028] The present invention will be specifically explained below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples in any way.

[0029] Example 1: Water was placed in a 10 L tank equipped with a stirring blade, and a gelling agent, vegetable oil, salt, and seasoning (monosodium glutamate) were added and mixed to prepare a mixed solution. Next, glutinous brown rice was added to the mixed solution and mixed at room temperature to prepare a viscous liquid. This viscous liquid was filled into 80 mm x 140 mm flat pouches (55 g each), sealed, and then pressurized and heated at 120°C for 40 minutes for retort sterilization, yielding a retort pouch-shaped food product. As shown in Figure 1, when the resulting retort pouch-shaped food product 1 was removed from the pouch 3, the glutinous brown rice 2 was bonded together to form a plate-like mass, and it was edible at room temperature. The final composition ratio of each ingredient in the retort pouch-shaped food product was as shown in Table 1. The amounts of each component other than water listed in Table 1 indicate the solid weight.

[0030] Examples 2 to 5, Comparative Examples 1 to 3 As shown in Table 1, the types and amounts of raw materials were changed, and retort pouch foods were obtained in the same manner as in Example 1.

[0031]

[0032] [Test Example] Sensory Evaluation Test The retort pouch foods obtained in Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 were subjected to a sensory evaluation two weeks after production to ensure consistency of texture. The sensory evaluation was performed by three expert panelists, and the evaluations were summarized. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0033] The results in Table 1 show that the retort pouch-molded foods obtained in Examples 1 to 4 were all formed into a single lump of glutinous brown rice grains that maintained their shape and were in the form of rice grains, allowing them to be removed from the pouches as a neat lump. The texture was also pleasant, with the distinct grains of glutinous brown rice resembling those of rice balls, and the texture was like that of a rice ball, with a pleasant crumb-like texture that fell apart when placed in the mouth. The retort pouch-molded food obtained in Example 5 was formed into a single lump of glutinous brown rice grains that maintained their shape and were in the form of rice grains that were removed from the pouches as a neat lump. The amount of glutinous brown rice was small, and although it did not have the distinct grain texture of rice balls, it had the chewy texture of glutinous brown rice grains resembling that of ohagi. On the other hand, when no gelling agent was used, as in Comparative Example 1, it was difficult to uniformly disperse the glutinous brown rice in the viscous liquid during production, resulting in precipitation, making the product unsuitable for manufacturing, and the final product after retort heat sterilization did not form a single lump. When non-glutinous brown rice was used as the main ingredient as in Comparative Example 2, the starch retrograded, resulting in a crumbly texture. When polished glutinous rice was used as the main ingredient as in Comparative Example 3, the food was difficult to remove from the pouch and the texture of the rice grains was lost, resulting in an undesirable texture. Furthermore, all of the retort pouch-shaped foods obtained in Examples 1 to 4 had excellent storage stability due to the retort heat sterilization treatment, and their quality was well maintained even when stored at room temperature for long periods without deterioration.

[0034] 1. Retort pouch molded food 2. Glutinous brown rice 3. Retort pouch

Claims

1. A retort pouch-shaped food product containing glutinous brown rice and a gelling agent, The glutinous brown rice content is 10 to 49% by weight, the gelling agent content is 0.1 to 3% by weight, and the water content is 50 to 70% by weight, The content of rice other than glutinous brown rice is 10% by weight or less, The gelling agent is one or more selected from glucomannan, agar, and psyllium, A retort pouch-shaped food product characterized in that the contents of the pouch are bound together in a single mass and have a shape that matches the internal shape of the pouch.

2. 2. The retort pouch-shaped food product according to claim 1, which can be eaten as is at room temperature.

3. (delete)

4. (delete)

5. A method for producing the retort pouch-shaped food according to claim 1 or 2, A first step of preparing a viscous liquid containing glutinous brown rice and a gelling agent; a second step of filling the viscous liquid into a pouch; a third step of subjecting the pouch to retort heat sterilization and cooling to solidify the contents of the pouch into a single mass; A method for producing a retort pouch-shaped food product, comprising the steps of:

6. 3. The retort pouch-shaped food product according to claim 1, which contains 5% by weight or less of fats and oils.