Retort pouch molded food product and method for manufacturing same

Abstract

This retort pouch molded food product contains 25-60 wt% of maize grains and 5-35 wt% of corn grits, and is molded into a single lump. The retort pouch molded food product may further contain at least one thickener selected from the group consisting of glucomannan, psyllium, xanthan gum, and guar gum.

Description

Retort pouch molded food and its manufacturing method

[0001] The present invention relates to a retort-pouched food product made primarily from corn and a method for producing the same, and more particularly to a retort-pouched food product made primarily from corn and molded into a loaf that can be eaten as is at room temperature.

[0002] Corn, along with rice and wheat, is one of the world's three major grains and is eaten by people of all ages and genders around the world. To make it easy to eat, sweet corn is sold in granular form packed in cans or retort pouches. However, these sweet corn kernels are sold submerged in liquid, which requires either discarding the liquid or eating the liquid, and also requires eating utensils such as a spoon, making it somewhat difficult to eat outside of the dinner table.

[0003] On the other hand, foods that can be stored for a long time in a retort pouch and can be eaten without becoming sticky have been proposed (Patent Documents 1 and 2). However, these foods are in the form of loose granules, still requiring utensils such as a spoon, and because they are adjusted to be non-sticky, they lack a fresh taste. Also, molded products have been proposed in which corn kernels are coated with a binder and then shaped into a mass (Patent Documents 3 and 4), but these do not have a long-term shelf life.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-89044 Japanese Patent No. 3615495 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-100168 Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 6-31488

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a retort pouch-shaped corn food product which has excellent long-term storage properties and can be easily eaten at room temperature without using tableware, and a method for producing the same.

[0006] As a result of extensive research to solve the above problems, the inventors of the present invention have found that filling a pouch with a liquid containing corn kernels and corn grits and sterilizing it by retort heating causes the corn kernels and corn grits to be formed into a single mass that can be taken out of the retort pouch and eaten as is without directly touching it with hands, and that the formed food has the texture of boiled corn kernels falling apart and the moist, crunchy texture characteristic of boiled corn, providing a texture that is just like eating boiled corn as is, thereby completing the present invention.

[0007] That is, the gist of the present invention relates to: (1) a retort-pouch-shaped food product containing 25 to 60% by weight of corn grains and 5 to 35% by weight of corn grits and formed into a lump; (2) the retort-pouch-shaped food product according to (1) above, further containing one or more thickeners selected from the group consisting of glucomannan, psyllium, xanthan gum, and guar gum; and (3) a method for producing a retort-pouch-shaped food product, comprising: a first step of dispersing corn grains and corn grits in water; a second step of filling a pouch with the dispersion obtained in the first step; and a third step of retort-heat sterilizing the pouch and cooling it to solidify it into a lump.

[0008] The retort pouch-molded food product of the present invention is a molded food product that contains corn as a main ingredient, can be stored for a long period of time, and can be eaten immediately at room temperature without heating, making it highly portable and convenient, and highly nutritious, so that it can be easily eaten anytime, anywhere.Furthermore, the retort pouch-molded food product of the present invention has the texture of the loose kernels of boiled corn and the fresh, crunchy texture unique to boiled corn, so that it can be enjoyed as if it were boiled corn itself.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the retort pouch-shaped food product obtained in Example 1.

[0010] The retort pouch-shaped food product of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0011] The retort pouch-shaped food of the present invention refers to a retort pouch food defined in the "Retort Pouch Food Quality Labeling Standards (Notification of the Consumer Affairs Agency)" 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 pressure and heat." 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 pressure and heat.

[0012] The retort pouch-shaped food product of the present invention is a shaped product formed by retort processing as described above. In the present invention, the term "shaped product" specifically refers to a mass of corn kernels and corn grits bound together. The strength of the shaped product in the mass state is sufficient if the corn kernels and corn grits are bound together to such an extent that the mass does not deform significantly or crumble when the retort pouch-shaped food product is pushed out by finger pressure from the outside of the pouch. Therefore, products with low strength, such that the corn kernels easily separate, are excluded.

[0013] The retort pouch-shaped food product of the present invention contains (a) corn kernels and (b) corn grits.

[0014] (a) Corn kernels Corn is a grain of the genus Corn in the family Poaceae, and includes dent corn, flint corn, sweet corn, soft corn, popcorn, waxy corn, pod corn, etc. There are no particular limitations on the variety of corn used in the present invention, but sweet corn is preferred in terms of palatability.

[0015] In the present invention, corn kernels refer to granular raw materials separated from the cob, and can be used without any particular restrictions whether they are raw, heat-treated, or dried.

[0016] In the retort pouch-formed food product of the present invention, the corn kernel content (content as a raw material including moisture) is in the range of 25 to 60% by weight, preferably 30 to 55% by weight. If the content exceeds 60% by weight, it becomes difficult to solidify the corn into a lump, and manufacturability tends to deteriorate. On the other hand, if the content is less than 25% by weight, the texture of the corn kernels tends to be unsatisfactory.

[0017] (b) Corn Grits Corn grits are made by grinding the endosperm of corn. In the present invention, it is believed that components such as starch flow out of the corn grits during heat molding into a retort pouch, binding the corn kernels and corn grits together, thereby enabling the corn kernels and corn grits in the pouch to be integrated into a single mass. Corn grits are available in raw materials with various particle sizes depending on the degree of grinding, but in the present invention, any particle size can be used.

[0018] The variety of corn used as the raw material for the corn grits is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include dent corn, flint corn, sweet corn, soft corn, popcorn, waxy corn, and pod corn.

[0019] In the retort pouch-formed food product of the present invention, corn grits are used for the purposes of imparting shape retention and texture, and the content (content as a raw material including moisture) is in the range of 5 to 35% by weight, preferably 10 to 35% by weight. If the content exceeds 35% by weight, the texture tends to be crumbly and powdery, and if it is below 5% by weight, the shape retention tends to be poor and it tends to be difficult to remove the food product from the pouch in one piece.

[0020] (c) Optional Components In addition to the components described in (a) and (b), the retort-pouch-shaped food product of the present invention may contain optional components such as other grains, beans, nuts, seeds, potatoes, meat, seafood, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, plant- or animal-derived extracts, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, oils and fats, salt, spices, herbs, thickeners, seasonings, acidulants, flavorings, colorings, sweeteners, etc. By using a combination of two or more of these optional components, it is possible to adjust the appearance, taste, odor, etc. of the retort-pouch-shaped food product of the present invention.

[0021] The state of the optional ingredients is not particularly limited as long as it does not adversely affect the effects of the retort-pouch-formed food. For example, dried ingredients may be used, or ingredients processed into a powder may be used. By appropriately selecting these optional ingredients to adjust the physical properties and flavor, a wide range of preferences can be imparted to the retort-pouch-formed food.

[0022] The optional ingredients may be used within a range that does not adversely affect the palatability or physicochemical stability of the retort pouch-formed food product, and the total content of the optional ingredients (content as raw materials including moisture) is not particularly limited, but may be 40% by weight or less, or may be 10% by weight or less.

[0023] Among the optional ingredients, the use of a thickener in particular can disperse the corn kernels and corn grits uniformly, prevent sedimentation during the production process, and improve the texture of the final product, the retort pouch-shaped food product.

[0024] The thickener used in the present invention is not limited to thickeners used as food additives, and may be any thickener that imparts viscosity to an aqueous solution, such as konjac flour (glucomannan), psyllium, xanthan gum, guar gum, etc. The thickener may be used alone or in combination of two or more types.

[0025] In the retort-pouch-formed food product of the present invention, the content of the thickener is not particularly limited as long as it exhibits an appropriate thickening effect to prevent the settling of corn kernels and allows the contents of the retort-pouch-formed food product to be solidified into a lump in the final product without impairing its texture; for example, the content is preferably 0.1 to 3 wt %, and more preferably 0.1 to 2 wt %.

[0026] (d) Moisture The moisture content of the retort-pouch-molded food product of the present invention is adjusted to achieve a desired texture. For example, by having a moisture content of 55 to 75% by weight, the retort-pouch-molded food product of the present invention exhibits the moist, crisp texture characteristic of boiled corn. The moisture content refers to the total moisture content, including not only the amount of water added but also the water derived from the corn kernels and the optional ingredients. The moisture content can be determined by a calculation method based on the moisture content of each ingredient, a vacuum drying method, a Karl Fischer method, an infrared absorption method, or the like.

[0027] The retort pouch-shaped food product of the present invention is formed by sealing corn kernels, corn grits, and optional ingredients in a pouch and heating under pressure. The formed product may be in any state in which the corn kernels, corn grits, and optional ingredients are bound together, and the contents of the pouch are in the form of a single mass. The shape of the formed product is not particularly limited, and may be a plate, rod, approximately spherical, approximately oval spherical, approximately cylindrical, approximately triangular pyramidal, approximately prismatic, etc., depending on the internal shape of the pouch.

[0028] The retort pouch-shaped food product of the present invention is produced by mixing and dispersing corn kernels and corn grits, and, if necessary, optional ingredients, in water (first step), filling the obtained dispersion into a pouch (second step), sterilizing the pouch by retort heating, and cooling. For example, the production method includes the following steps: first step: dispersing corn kernels and corn grits in water; second step: filling a pouch with the dispersion obtained in the first step; and third step: sterilizing the pouch by retort heating and cooling to solidify it into a mass. Known methods may be used for the dispersion means, filling means, cooling means, etc.

[0029] 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.

[0030] The retort heat sterilization may be performed using a pressurized heat treatment method known in the production of retort foods, such as a method in which a pouch filled with the dispersion and sealed therein is placed in a pressurized heating oven and heated with steam or pressurized hot water at 100°C or higher. The heating temperature and time may be, for example, 110 to 130°C for 10 to 60 minutes. The corn kernels and corn grits, and any optional ingredients, contained in the pouch are then cooled to room temperature, solidifying them into a single mass.

[0031] The retort pouch-shaped food obtained in the above manner has excellent long-term storage properties due to retort heat sterilization, and can be taken out of the retort pouch in a lump and eaten as is at room temperature. It is a highly nutritious food with excellent portability and convenience, and has an appearance and texture that is just like eating boiled corn.

[0032] Incidentally, "ready to eat" means that the retort pouch-shaped food product of the present invention can be safely eaten after being taken out of the pouch without cooking such as heating, and without using tableware.

[0033] 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.

[0034] Example 1: Water was placed in a tank equipped with a stirring blade, and a thickener, vegetable oil (corn oil), salt, seasoning (monosodium glutamate), and sugar were added and mixed to prepare a mixture. Next, frozen granular sweet corn and corn grits (Corn Grits Yellow No. 1, manufactured by Sunny Maize Co., Ltd.) were added to the tank and mixed at room temperature to prepare a dispersion. 55 g of this dispersion was filled into an 80 mm x 140 mm flat pouch, sealed, and then pressurized and heated at 120°C for 20 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 2, the corn kernels 3 and corn grits 4 were solidified into a plate-like mass that could be eaten immediately. The final ingredient composition and moisture content of the retort pouch-shaped food product were as shown in Table 1.

[0035] Examples 2 to 7, Comparative Examples 1 and 2 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.

[0036]

[0037] The retort-pouched foods obtained in Examples 1 to 7 all maintained the shape of the corn kernels and formed a single mass of bound corn kernels and corn grits, etc., which could be removed neatly from the pouch as a single mass and easily eaten at room temperature without cooking or using tableware. Furthermore, when the retort-pouched foods obtained in Examples 1 to 7 were eaten at room temperature, the corn kernels loosened in the mouth and had the fresh, crunchy texture characteristic of boiled corn, giving the impression of eating boiled corn as is. The retort-pouched foods obtained in Examples 1 to 7 all had excellent shelf life due to retort heat sterilization, and exhibited excellent long-term storage stability without deterioration in quality even when stored at room temperature for long periods of time. Furthermore, in Examples 1 to 6, the use of a thickener resulted in good dispersibility of the corn grains and corn grits when mixed in a tank, and the texture of the resulting retort pouch-shaped food was also good, demonstrating that these are suitable for industrial production.

[0038] On the other hand, the retort pouch-molded food product obtained in Comparative Example 1 did not form a neat lump because corn grits were not used. In Comparative Example 2, corn starch was used and the product formed a lump, but when eaten, it was powdery and lacked the freshness of boiled corn. The texture was evaluated comprehensively by three panelists.

[0039] 1. Retort pouch molded food 2. Corn kernels 3. Corn grits 4. Retort pouch

Claims

1. Contains 25 to 60% by weight of corn grains and 5 to 35% by weight of corn grits; Further, it contains one or more thickeners selected from the group consisting of glucomannan, psyllium, xanthan gum and guar gum. A retort pouch food product formed into a single mass.

2. (delete)

3. A first step of mixing and dispersing corn grains, corn grits, and one or more thickeners selected from the group consisting of glucomannan, psyllium, xanthan gum, and guar gum in water; a second step of filling the dispersion obtained in the first step into a pouch; a third step of retorting the pouch and cooling it to solidify it into a mass; A method for producing a retort pouch-shaped food product, comprising the steps of: