Sauce-like seasoning

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a sauce-like seasoning in which stickiness is suppressed and to provide a composite food on the surface of which the sauce-like seasoning is applied, coated, or drawn in a line.　Provided is a sauce-like seasoning that satisfies all of conditions (1) to (7).　(1) An oil component is 20-70 mass%. (2) Water is 0.01-5 mass%. (3) The sauce-like seasoning comprises at least a vegetable oil / fat and a flavor ingredient. (4) The solid fat content (SFC) of contained oil / fat at 20°C is not less than 20%. (5) The solid fat content (SFC) of contained oil / fat at 25°C is not less than 12%. (6) The solid fat content (SFC) of contained oil / fat at 40°C is not more than 7%. (7) The degree of sweetness of the sauce-like seasoning is not more than 30, where degree of sweetness refers to the relative intensity of sweetness of various sweeteners and sugars when the degree of sweetness of sucrose is defined as 1, and the degree of sweetness of the sauce-like seasoning refers to the total of each value calculated as "sweetener mixing ratio × degree of sweetness".

Description

Sauce-like seasoning

[0001] RELATED ART This application claims the benefit of priority from Application No. 2024-023385, filed with the Japan Patent Office on February 20, 2024. The priority application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0002] The present invention relates to a sauce-like seasoning.

[0003] Liquid condiments such as sauces are added to other foods to impart flavor, texture, color, and the like to the food. They are widely used in foods for their flavor and other effects. When sauces are applied to the surface of a food, coated on the surface, or used to decorate the surface of a food, for example, by drawing lines on the surface, touching the sauce on the surface of the food can result in the sauce adhering to other items. With the recent development of the ready-meal food industry, there are increasing opportunities to package purchased processed foods and eat them at home or elsewhere. When using conventional sauces, the sauce on the surface of the food can easily adhere to the container during transportation. Furthermore, when eating foods coated with sauce while out and about, problems arise, such as the sauce adhering to unintended areas or becoming sticky. Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose inventions aimed at improving the stickiness of sauces.

[0004] JP 2023-038055 A JP 2011-120522 A

[0005] The inventors considered the issues that arise from the increased need to carry processed foods. They wanted to eliminate the problems of sauces on the surface of food sticking to containers or sticking to fingers when eating on the go, resulting in stickiness. Patent Document 1 is an invention for providing a sauce with body and a natural, non-sticky melt-in-the-mouth texture, but does not describe how to deal with stickiness caused by sauce sticking to the surface of food. Patent Document 2 is an invention for preventing stickiness of pasta combined with sauce, but does not describe stickiness of the sauce itself. Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a sauce-like seasoning with reduced stickiness, and to provide a composite food in which the sauce-like seasoning is applied, coated, or drawn on the surface.

[0006] As a result of extensive research, the inventors have discovered that a sauce-like seasoning with reduced stickiness can be provided by adjusting the oil content and water content and appropriately adjusting the solid fat content of the oil content.

[0007] That is, the present invention provides: [1] a sauce-like seasoning that satisfies all of the requirements of (1) to (4) below; (1) an oil content of 20% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less; (2) a moisture content of 0.01% by mass or more and 5% by mass or less; (3) at least containing vegetable oil and a flavoring material; (4) a solid fat content (SFC) at 20°C of 20% or more; [2] the sauce-like seasoning according to [1] that further satisfies the requirement of (5) below; (5) a solid fat content (SFC) at 25°C of 12% or more; [3] a composite food in which the sauce-like seasoning according to [1] or [2] is applied to or coated on a flour-containing food; [4] a method for producing a sauce-like seasoning that satisfies all of the requirements of (1) to (4) below; (1) an oil content of 20% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less; (2) a moisture content of 0.01% by mass or more and 5% by mass or less; (3) At least vegetable oil and flavoring material are blended, and (4) the solid fat content (SFC) at 20°C is 20% or more. In other words, the present invention provides:

[21] a sauce-like seasoning that satisfies all of the following requirements (1) to (7): (1) an oil content of 20% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less; (2) a moisture content of 0.01% by mass or more and 5% by mass or less; (3) containing at least vegetable oil and a flavoring material; (4) the solid fat content (SFC) of the contained oil and fat at 20°C is 20% or more; (5) the solid fat content (SFC) of the contained oil and fat at 25°C is 12% or more; (6) the solid fat content (SFC) of the contained oil and fat at 40°C is 7% or less; and (7) the sweetness of the sauce-like seasoning is 30 or less, where sweetness refers to the relative sweetness of various sweeteners or carbohydrates when the sweetness of sucrose is set to 1, and the sweetness of the sauce-like seasoning refers to the sum of the respective values ​​calculated by "sweetener blending ratio x sweetness",

[22] The sauce-like seasoning according to

[21] , which further satisfies the requirement (8) below: (8) The sodium content is 300 mg / 100 g or more and 3000 mg / 100 g or less.

[23] The sauce-like seasoning according to

[21] or

[22] , which further satisfies the requirement (9) below: (9) The content of saturated fatty acids with 12 carbon atoms in the total constituent fatty acids in the oil contained in the sauce-like seasoning is 5% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less.

[24] The sauce-like seasoning according to

[21] or

[22] , which has a water activity (AW) at 25°C of 0.

[25] A composite food in which the sauce-like seasoning according to

[23] is applied to or coated on a food containing grain flour having a water activity (AW) of 0.85 or more at 25°C.

[26] A method for producing a sauce-like seasoning that satisfies all of the requirements (1) to (7) below: (1) An oil content of 20% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less (2) A moisture content of 0.01% by mass or more and 5% by mass or less (3) At least vegetable oil and a flavoring material are blended (4) The solid fat content (SFC) of the contained oil at 20°C is 20% or more (5) The solid fat content (SFC) of the contained oil at 25°C is 12% or more (6) The solid fat content (SFC) of the contained oil at 40°C is 7% or less (7) The sweetness of the sauce-like seasoning is 30 or less. where sweetness refers to the relative intensity of sweetness of various sweeteners or carbohydrates when the sweetness of sucrose is set to 1, and the sweetness of a sauce-like seasoning refers to the sum of each value calculated by "sweetener blending ratio x sweetness".

[27] The sauce-like seasoning according to

[21] or

[22] , which has fluidity when the product temperature of the sauce-like seasoning is 50°C and is in a solid state when the product temperature of the sauce-like seasoning is 20°C.

[28] The sauce-like seasoning according to

[23] , which has fluidity when the product temperature of the sauce-like seasoning is 50°C and is in a solid state when the product temperature of the sauce-like seasoning is 20°C.

[29] A method for suppressing stickiness of the surface of a composite food, which comprises applying or covering the sauce-like seasoning according to

[21] or

[22] to a cereal flour-containing food having a water activity (AW) of 0.85 or more at 25°C.

[30] This can also be described as a method for inhibiting softening of a composite food, which comprises applying or coating the sauce-like seasoning according to

[21] or

[22] to a flour-containing food having a water activity (AW) of 0.5 or less at 25°C.

[0008] The present invention makes it possible to provide a sauce-like seasoning with reduced stickiness, and to provide a composite food product whose surface is coated, covered, or decorated with the sauce-like seasoning.

[0009] As used herein, sauce refers to a liquid food that is primarily used by spreading, coating, adding, or drawing on other foods. Sauces include those that contain no ingredients and are composed only of a liquid portion, as well as those that contain solid ingredients. Sauces also include those that are used by adding water to solid or powdered sauce ingredients. These are used not only to impart flavor to other foods, but also to adjust the texture and appearance of the food. In the present invention, the type of sauce is not particularly limited, and examples include white sauce, cream sauce, brown sauce, oil sauce, tomato sauce, butter sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, pork cutlet sauce, medium-thick sauce, cheese sauce, curry sauce, mayonnaise-based sauce, gastrique sauce, and vinegar sauce.

[0010] The sauce-like seasoning of the present invention is a seasoning that can be spread, coated, added to, or drawn on other foods, similar to a sauce, and is eaten, and contains oils and fats and a flavoring material as essential ingredients. The sauce-like seasoning of the present invention is a food in which oils and fats are the continuous phase. The sauce-like seasoning contains oils and fats as an essential ingredient, and hard butter containing vegetable oils and fats can be used. In addition, powdered foods such as whole milk powder, cheese powder, powdered sauce, dried fruit juice powder, and dried vegetable powder can be blended as flavoring agents. For example, cheese powder or powdered sauce can be mixed.

[0011] The oils and fats used in the sauce-like seasoning of the present invention are not particularly limited, and examples of usable oils and fats include vegetable oils such as soybean oil, sunflower seed oil, high oleic sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, rapeseed oil, high erucic acid rapeseed oil, peanut oil, rice oil, rice bran oil, corn oil, safflower oil, olive oil, kapok oil, sesame oil, evening primrose oil, linseed oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), shea butter, and monkey fat, as well as animal oils and fats such as milk fat, beef tallow, lard, and fish oil, algae oil, and oils and fats derived from microbial fermentation, as well as their hardened oils, fractionated oils, hardened fractionated oils, fractionated hardened oils, processed oils and fats that have been subjected to interesterification, and further mixed oils and fats thereof.

[0012] In the present invention, the oil content of the sauce-like seasoning is 20% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less, based on the total amount of the sauce-like seasoning. The lower limit of the oil content is preferably 22% by mass or 24% by mass, more preferably 25% by mass or 27% by mass, and even more preferably 30% by mass. The upper limit of the oil content is preferably 68% by mass or 65% by mass, more preferably 64% by mass or 62% by mass, and even more preferably 60% by mass. By adjusting the oil content within an appropriate range, the stickiness of the sauce-like seasoning can be suppressed. Therefore, the stickiness of the surface of food coated or coated with the sauce-like seasoning can be suppressed. If the oil content is less than 20% by mass, the fluidity may be reduced, making application difficult. If the oil content exceeds 70% by mass, the sauce-like seasoning may have a strong oily feel. The oil content of the sauce-like seasoning refers to the mass % including all oils and fats derived from the raw materials contained in the sauce-like seasoning, such as whole milk powder.

[0013] In one embodiment, the sauce-like seasoning of the present invention contains 0.01 to 5% by mass of water. This is not due to the addition of water, but rather to the small amount of water contained in the ingredients, such as sugar or powdered milk, that are blended together. The water content of the sauce-like seasoning is preferably 0.05 to 4% by mass, 0.1 to 3% by mass, and more preferably 0.1% by mass or more and less than 3% by mass. The water content of the sauce-like seasoning can be measured using the sea sand method.

[0014] In one embodiment, the sauce-like seasoning of the present invention contains an oil or fat with a solid fat content (SFC) of 20% or more at 20°C. This is preferably 20-99%. The lower limit of the solid fat content at 20°C is more preferably 22%, 24%, even more preferably 26%, 27%, and most preferably 28%. Meanwhile, the upper limit is more preferably 98%, even more preferably 97%, and most preferably 96%. When this range is appropriate, the stickiness of the sauce-like seasoning can be suppressed, thereby suppressing the stickiness of the surface of food coated with the sauce-like seasoning, making the sauce-like seasoning excellent. Furthermore, the sauce-like seasoning melts easily in the mouth even when cooled, allowing for delicious consumption. The solid fat content is measured in accordance with IUPAC2.150a (Solid Content Determination in Fats by NMR). The analyzer used is a Bruker "minispec mq20," and the measurement is performed under the following measurement conditions. 1. 1. Melt the oil sample at 80°C. 2. Dispense 2.7 to 3.3 g of oil into a measurement test tube 180 mm long and 10 mm in diameter. 3. Hold in a 0°C water bath for 60 minutes. 4. Hold in a water bath set to each temperature for 30 minutes. 5. Measure using an SFC measurement device.

[0015] In one embodiment of the sauce-like seasoning of the present invention, the solid fat content (SFC) of the oil or fat contained therein at 25°C is 12% or more, preferably 12 to 95%. The lower limit of the solid fat content at 25°C is more preferably 13%, and even more preferably 14%. Meanwhile, the upper limit is preferably 92%, and more preferably 91%. When this range is appropriate, the stickiness of the sauce-like seasoning can be suppressed, and therefore the sauce-like seasoning is excellent in that the stickiness of the surface of food coated with the sauce-like seasoning is suppressed. Furthermore, the sauce-like seasoning melts easily in the mouth even when cooled, making it delicious to eat.

[0016] In one embodiment of the sauce-like seasoning of the present invention, the solid fat content (SFC) of the oil or fat contained therein at 40°C is preferably 7% or less, more preferably 0 to 6%. The upper limit of the solid fat content at 40°C is even more preferably 5%, 4%, and most preferably 3%. When this range is appropriate, the sauce-like seasoning melts easily in the mouth even when the food has cooled to 25°C or below, allowing it to be eaten deliciously. In one embodiment of the sauce-like seasoning of the present invention, the solid fat content (SFC) of the oil or fat contained therein at 45°C is 5% or less, preferably 0 to 4%. The upper limit of the solid fat content at 45°C is more preferably 3%, and even more preferably 2%. When this range is appropriate, the sauce-like seasoning melts easily in the mouth even when the food has cooled to 25°C or below, allowing it to be eaten deliciously.

[0017] In the sauce-like seasoning of the present invention, the saturated fatty acids having 12 carbon atoms preferably account for 5% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less of all constituent fatty acids in the oil contained in the sauce-like seasoning. More preferably, the lower limit of the saturated fatty acids having 12 carbon atoms in all constituent fatty acids is 6% by mass, 7% by mass, and even more preferably 8% by mass or 9% by mass. Furthermore, the upper limit of this content is more preferably 55% by mass, and even more preferably 50% by mass. If the amount of saturated fatty acids having 12 carbon atoms contained in the oil is appropriate, a sauce-like seasoning with even less stickiness can be prepared. Furthermore, solidification after application or coating is rapid, and improved productivity can be expected. The fatty acid composition of fats and oils is measured by preparing fatty acid methyl esters in accordance with the method specified in the Japan Oil Chemists' Society Standard Methods for Analysis of Fats and Oils, Section 2.4.1.2, Methyl Esterification Method (Boron Trifluoride Methanol Method), and measuring the fatty acid composition in accordance with the Japan Oil Chemists' Society Standard Methods for Analysis of Fats and Oils, Section 2.4.2.3, Fatty Acid Composition (Capillary Gas Chromatography Method).

[0018] The sauce-like seasoning of the present invention preferably has a CN36 triglyceride content (referring to triglycerides in fats and oils with a total fatty acid carbon number of 36) of 4% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less of total triglycerides. The lower limit is more preferably 5% by mass, and even more preferably 6% by mass. The upper limit is more preferably 35% by mass, 30% by mass, and even more preferably 25% by mass. If the amount of 36-carbon triglycerides contained in the triglycerides is appropriate, a sauce-like seasoning with reduced stickiness can be prepared. Furthermore, solidification after application or coating can be accelerated, and improved productivity can be expected. The triglyceride composition (total carbon number) of fats and oils is measured in accordance with Standard Methods for Analysis of Fats, Oils, and Related Materials, Section 2.4.6, Triacylglycerol Composition (Gas Chromatography), established by the Japan Oil Chemists' Society.

[0019] The flavoring material in the present invention refers to a material contained in a sauce-like seasoning and generally refers to a material capable of imparting flavor. The flavoring material is not limited to so-called seasonings, but may be any material capable of imparting flavor, including foods such as cheese, sauce, soy sauce, and dried powders thereof. In order to maintain the physical properties and characteristics of the sauce-like seasoning, the flavoring material is preferably in the form of a dry powder or dispersed or dissolved in an oil-soluble base material.

[0020] The method of combining the sauce-like seasoning of the present invention with a cereal flour-containing food can be selected from a combination of coating, spreading, drawing, kneading, and filling. Coating, spreading, or drawing is preferred as a method for achieving the effects of the present invention. Examples of coating methods include heating the sauce-like seasoning until it becomes fluid, and then immersing the cereal flour-containing food to be coated completely or partially in the sauce-like seasoning, thereby covering the surface of the cereal flour-containing food. Examples of application methods include methods using a brush, etc. Examples of drawing methods include placing the sauce-like seasoning in a container, such as a sauce bottle, from which the contents come out little by little from the tip, and applying the sauce-like seasoning in a straight or curved line on the surface of the cereal flour-containing food.

[0021] The flour-containing food to be coated with the sauce-like seasoning of the present invention refers to a baked food containing wheat flour, rice flour, soy flour, etc. Examples include bakery products and baked confectionery products, but are not particularly limited to these. Examples of bakery products include bread, buns, fruit bread, cornbread, butter rolls, hamburger buns, donuts, French bread, rolls, sweet rolls, okonomiyaki, takoyaki, sweet dough, hardtack, muffins, bagels, croissants, Danish pastries, and naan. Examples of confectioneries include baked goods such as rice crackers, manju, steamed yokan, castella cake, dorayaki, imagawayaki, taiyaki, kintsuba, waffles, chestnut manju, moon cakes, boro, yatsuhashi, karinto, pancakes, sponge cakes, roll cakes, angel cakes, pound cakes, baumkuchen, fruit cakes, madeleines, cream puffs, mille-feuille, apple pie, tarts, biscuits, cookies, crackers, steamed bread, pretzels, wafers, snacks, pizza pie, crepes, soufflés, beignets, etc. Preferred examples of the flour-containing foods used in the present invention include bakery products such as okonomiyaki, takoyaki, bread, donuts, buns, and rolls, as well as confectionery products such as rice crackers, crackers, pancakes, waffles, and crepes. When the surface of the exemplified grain flour-containing food is coated, covered, or drawn with a sauce-like seasoning, the stickiness of the food surface is suppressed, unlike conventional sauces, and therefore the appearance is less likely to deteriorate when the food is carried.

[0022] Among cereal flour-containing foods, those that are most likely to exhibit the stickiness-suppressing effect of the sauce-like seasoning of the present invention are those with a water activity (AW) at 25°C of 0.85 or more. Among these, cereal flour-containing foods with a water activity (AW) at 25°C of 0.88 or more, or 0.90 or more, are more preferred. Even more preferred are cereal flour-containing foods with a water activity (AW) at 25°C of 0.92 or more, or 0.95 or more. Preferred cereal flour-containing foods include bakery products such as okonomiyaki, takoyaki, bread, donuts, rolls, and bread rolls, as well as confectioneries such as pancakes, waffles, and crepes. Specific examples of the measured water activity (AW) at 25°C of these cereal flour-containing foods include 0.97 for okonomiyaki, 0.99 for takoyaki, 0.96 for bread, 0.92 for yeast donuts, and 0.93 for bread rolls.

[0023] As used herein, carbohydrates refer to carbohydrate ingredients excluding dietary fiber. Examples include monosaccharides such as glucose and fructose, disaccharides such as sugar, lactose, and maltose, sugar alcohols such as maltitol and erythritol, polysaccharides such as oligosaccharides and dextrin, and starch. The carbohydrate content can be appropriately selected depending on the flavor desired for the sauce-like seasoning. For a flavor with a sweet taste, such as ketchup or medium-thick sauce, sugar with a high sweetness may be blended. For a flavor with a relatively weak sweetness, such as cheese sauce, lactose or dextrin with a low sweetness may be blended in large amounts. In some embodiments, the sauce-like seasoning of the present invention preferably has a carbohydrate content of 15 to 75% by mass. More preferred lower limits of the carbohydrate content are 20% by mass, 25% by mass, and even more preferred are 30% by mass. More preferred upper limits of the carbohydrate content are 70% by mass, 65% by mass, and even more preferred are 60% by mass.

[0024] As used herein, sweetness refers to the relative sweetness of various sweeteners or carbohydrates, with the sweetness of sucrose being set at 1. The sweetness intensities of various sweeteners or carbohydrates are known, and examples include sucrose (1), glucose (0.7), lactose (0.3), fructose (1.4), powdered starch syrup (0.4), xylitol (0.8), and sorbitol (0.6). The numbers in parentheses indicate the sweetness of the various sweeteners or carbohydrates. When using a new sweetener, the sweetness indicated by the manufacturer or distributor of the sweetener or the sweetness obtained by sensory evaluation can be used. The sweetness of the sauce-like seasoning of the present invention is 30 or less. Preferably, the upper limit of the sweetness is 28, more preferably 27, and even more preferably 26. By adjusting the sweetness of the sauce-like seasoning, a sauce-like seasoning with reduced stickiness and a pleasant flavor can be prepared. The sweetness of a sauce-like seasoning represents the relative ratio of sweeteners converted to sucrose as the standard, and when two or more types of sweeteners are contained, the value of "sweetener blending ratio x sweetness" is calculated for each type of sweetener, and the sum of the calculated values ​​is the sweetness of the sauce-like seasoning of the present invention. In this case, the sweetness of lactose in dairy products and sucrose and glucose contained in processed foods can also be calculated from the blending ratio and sweetness.

[0025] The sodium content of the sauce-like seasoning of the present invention is preferably 300 mg / 100 g or more and 3000 mg / 100 g or less. More preferably, the upper limit of the sodium content is 2800 mg / 100 g or 2500 mg / 100 g, even more preferably 2300 mg / 100 g or 2000 mg / 100 g. The lower limit of the sodium content is 330 mg / 100 g, 350 mg / 100 g, 380 mg / 100 g, even more preferably 400 mg / 100 g. By adjusting the sodium content of the sauce-like seasoning, it is possible to prepare a sauce-like seasoning with a good flavor and further reduced stickiness.

[0026] In one embodiment, the sauce-like seasoning of the present invention can be produced by mixing an appropriate selection of ingredients, such as flavoring ingredients, carbohydrate ingredients, various powdered foods such as powdered milk, emulsifiers, flavorings, and colorings, with fats and oils, optionally conducting a grinding process to micronize the powdered foods, and then further mixing. Alternatively, it can be produced in a manner similar to the production of general chocolates. Specifically, it can be obtained by mixing an appropriate selection of ingredients, such as flavoring ingredients, sugars, various powdered foods such as powdered milk, emulsifiers, flavorings, and colorings, with fats and oils, followed by rolling as a grinding process, adding the remaining ingredients as appropriate, and then performing a conching process or a mixing process. Alternatively, a production method in which the mixing and grinding processes are performed in parallel using a ball mill, bead mill, etc. can also be used.

[0027] The raw materials used in the sauce-like seasoning of the present invention are not particularly limited, except for flavoring materials. For example, dairy products and other edible materials can be appropriately combined. Other additives include emulsifiers, antioxidants, coloring agents, flavoring agents, etc., but the types and amounts of these additives are not limited, and they may not be added at all.

[0028] The non-fat cocoa solids content of the sauce-like seasoning of the present invention is preferably 3% by mass or less, more preferably 2% by mass or less, even more preferably 1% by mass or less, and most preferably 0% by mass, i.e., substantially no non-fat cocoa solids are contained. If the content of non-fat cocoa solids is appropriate, a sauce-like seasoning with a good flavor can be prepared. Note that non-fat cocoa solids refers to the portion of cocoa-derived raw materials such as cocoa mass and cocoa powder excluding cocoa butter and water.

[0029] In one embodiment, the sauce-like seasoning of the present invention has the advantage that after being applied to the surface of a flour-containing food, the oil solidifies when the food is left at room temperature (approximately 20° C. to 25° C.), and the sauce-like seasoning does not adhere to anything that comes into contact with the surface. This advantage eliminates the problems of sauces sticking to the container when carrying a composite food in a container, or spilling out of the container if the container is tipped over.

[0030] In one embodiment, the sauce-like seasoning of the present invention, even if solidified at room temperature (approximately 20° C. to 25° C.), can be reheated to 45° C. or higher to restore the fluidity, texture, and melt-in-the-mouth properties equivalent to those of conventional sauces. This effect allows a composite food coated with the sauce-like seasoning to be carried around without worrying about stains, and by reheating it before eating, the appearance, texture, and flavor of the composite food can be enjoyed as if it were freshly made.

[0031] The sauce-like seasoning of the present invention reduces stickiness on the surface of food coated with the sauce-like seasoning. Therefore, unlike conventional sauces, a composite food product with reduced stickiness can be provided. Note that stickiness in this specification refers to the adhesion of the sauce-like seasoning to packaging materials or fingers at room temperature (approximately 20°C to 25°C).

[0032] When the sauce-like seasoning of the present invention is used, it is possible to prevent the texture of the coated or coated food from changing due to moisture and humidity. Therefore, unlike conventional sauces, the texture of the composite food can be maintained when combined. In other words, it is possible to prevent changes in texture over time. For example, when the sauce-like seasoning of the present invention is applied to the surface of a flour-containing food such as rice crackers or crackers, which has a relatively low moisture content and a water activity (AW) of 0.5 or less at 25°C, it has the advantage of preventing the rice crackers or crackers from becoming damp and soft, compared to when a conventional sauce containing a high moisture content is combined. For example, the texture of the rice crackers or crackers coated with the sauce-like seasoning of the present invention can be maintained even if more than one day has passed since application. The effect of maintaining this texture is more pronounced when the water activity (AW) at 25°C is 0.4 or less.

[0033] In one embodiment, the sauce-like seasoning of the present invention has a lower water content than conventional sauces, and therefore has the advantage that the borders do not bleed easily when decorating the surface of bakery products such as bread, pancakes, etc. Because the borders do not bleed easily, when the sauce-like seasoning of the present invention is used to draw lines on flour-containing foods, the drawn lines of the sauce-like seasoning can be finished with a distinctive appearance.

[0034] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples.

[0035] According to the formulations in Table 1, powdered sauce was used as the flavoring ingredient, and powdered ingredients such as the powdered sauce and lactose were mixed in a mixer with a portion of melted vegetable oil. In Example 1 and Comparative Example 2, the mixed dough was pulverized in a roll refiner, and then the remaining vegetable oil, lecithin, and flavoring were added and mixed to prepare a sauce-like seasoning. In Example 2, after mixing in the mixer, the remaining vegetable oil, lecithin, and flavoring were added and mixed without pulverization to prepare a sauce-like seasoning. In Comparative Example 1, a commercially available sauce, "Kagome Sauce Chuko Joju" (manufactured by Kagome Co., Ltd.), was used. The particle size of each was measured five times using a micrometer (manufactured by Mitutoyo Corporation), and the average value is shown. The ingredients used in the sauce-like seasonings were as follows: Powder sauce: "Powder Sauce E" (Sato Foods Industry Co., Ltd.) Vegetable oil A: soft palm fractionated oil with an iodine value of 67 Vegetable oil B: oil obtained by heavily hardening the hard part of palm kernel oil fractionated, and then refining it in the usual way Vegetable oil C: oil obtained by heavily hardening a 95:5 mixture of palm kernel oil and palm oil, and then refining it in the usual way Vegetable oil D: refined palm oil Vegetable oil E: hardened palm oil with an iodine value of 1 Caramel sugar powder: "Bitter Sugar Powder No. 1307A" (Ikeda Tohka Kogyo Co., Ltd.) Other ingredients were commercially available.

[0036]

[0037] In addition, for the fats and oils of the Examples and Comparative Examples shown in Table 1, the fatty acid composition and triglyceride composition (total carbon number) of each vegetable oil and milk fat contained in the formulation were measured, and the component values ​​were calculated from the results. The results are shown in Table 2. The fatty acid composition of the fats and oils was measured by preparing fatty acid methyl esters in accordance with the standard method for analysis of fats and oils 2.4.1.2, methyl esterification method (boron trifluoride methanol method), established by the Japan Oil Chemists' Society, and measuring them in accordance with the standard method for analysis of fats and oils 2.4.2.3, fatty acid composition (capillary gas chromatography method) established by the Japan Oil Chemists' Society. The triglyceride composition (total carbon number) of the fats and oils was measured in accordance with the standard method for analysis of fats and oils 2.4.6, triacylglycerol composition (gas chromatography method) established by the Japan Oil Chemists' Society. In the tables, the number following C in the notation of fatty acids indicates the number of carbon atoms, the number to the right of the ":" indicates the number of double bonds, and when the fatty acid has a double bond, the letter t following it indicates the trans form, and the letter c indicates the cis form. For saturated fatty acids without double bonds, the text following the ":" is omitted. In the tables, the number following CN in the notation of triglycerides indicates the number of carbon atoms.

[0038]

[0039] Each sauce and sauce-like seasoning was evaluated as follows: ● Stickiness evaluation by solidification test Frozen takoyaki was thawed and adjusted to the same temperature as room temperature (approximately 20°C to 25°C). After melting in a hot water bath at 50°C, 1g of each of the fluid sauces or sauce-like seasonings from the Examples and Comparative Examples was applied to the surface of the takoyaki. The takoyaki was then left to stand at room temperature (approximately 20°C to 25°C). After 5 minutes, the degree of adhesion of the sauce-like seasoning to the surface was confirmed when touched with a finger, and the stickiness was evaluated based on the following criteria: 3 points: No adhesion to fingers; 2 points: Slight adhesion to fingers; 1 point: Significant adhesion to fingers. The frozen takoyaki used were "Top Value Takoyaki with the Umami of Kelp Stock and Bonito Flakes Flavor, Dashi Fragrant" (sold by AEON Co., Ltd.), and thawed in a microwave oven at 600W for 5 minutes. The water activity (AW) of the frozen takoyaki at 25°C after thawing was 0.99. An AQUA LAB 4TEV (Meter Japan Co., Ltd.) was used to measure water activity. Evaluation by microwave reheating: The takoyaki coated with the sauce or sauce-like seasoning were reheated in a microwave oven at 600W for 2 minutes, and the temperature of the takoyaki coated with the sauce or sauce-like seasoning was adjusted to 50°C or higher. The fluidity and flavor of the samples were evaluated according to the following criteria. The flavor evaluation was confirmed by sensory evaluation of the sauces and sauce-like seasonings, as well as the takoyaki coated with them, by five expert taste panelists in the processed food field. The panelists unanimously assigned a score of 1 to 3 according to the following criteria: Fluidity rating: 3 points: The sauce-like, thick appearance and gloss are fluid. 2 points: Has a thick, sauce-like appearance and gloss, but has low fluidity and does not flow even when tilted. 1 point: Solidified and has no fluidity. Flavor evaluation 3 points: Smooth and melts easily in the mouth. 2 points: Slightly less smooth and leaves a slight residue in the mouth, but within the acceptable range. 1 point: Solidified overall and does not melt easily in the mouth. Texture maintenance evaluation 7 g of each of the sauces or sauce-like seasonings of the Examples and Comparative Examples, which had been melted in a hot water bath at 50°C, was applied to the surface of shrimp crackers.The rice crackers were then left to stand at room temperature (approximately 20-25°C), and the texture was checked after one day. The degree of moisture and texture of the rice crackers were evaluated based on the following criteria: 3 points: A firm, crisp texture is maintained. 2 points: A slightly firm, crisp texture, but has softened slightly. 1 point: A limp texture, which has softened due to moisture. The shrimp crackers used were "Ebi Mirin Yaki" (manufactured by Mikawaya Seika Co., Ltd.). The water activity (AW) of the shrimp crackers at 25°C was 0.30. In the above evaluation, all items scored 2 or higher were rated as passing, while all others were rated as failing. The above evaluation results, component values ​​such as moisture, and solid fat content (SFC) are shown in Table 3. Note that moisture was measured using the sea sand method, oil content was calculated by adding up the oil content of each ingredient based on the blending ratio, and solid fat content was measured according to IUPAC2.150a under the following conditions. 1. 1. The fat sample was melted at 80°C. 2. 2.7 to 3.3 g of fat was dispensed into a measurement test tube measuring 180 mm in length and 10 mm in diameter. 3. The sample was kept in a water bath at 0°C for 60 minutes. 4. The sample was kept in a water bath set at each temperature for 30 minutes. 5. Measurements were taken using a Bruker SFC measurement device, the "minispec mq20 SFC measurement device."

[0040]

[0041] The sauce-like seasoning of the example, which has an oil content of 20% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less, a water content of 0.01% by mass or more and 5% by mass or less, and contains at least vegetable oil and a flavoring material, wherein the contained oil and fat has a solid fat content (SFC) of 20% or more at 20°C, a solid fat content (SFC) of 12% or more at 25°C, and a solid fat content (SFC) of 7% or less at 40°C, and a sweetness of 30 or less, obtained good results in the evaluation of stickiness, fluidity and flavor upon reheating, and texture maintenance evaluation. When takoyaki, which is a composite food coated with the sauce-like seasoning, was at 25°C or below, the surface of the composite food was not sticky and melted in the mouth well when eaten.

[0042] Evaluation of bleeding when drawing lines Using the Examples and Comparative Examples listed in Table 1, the sauces or sauce-like seasonings were melted at 50°C. 7 g of each sauce or sauce-like seasoning was used to draw lines on the surface of sliced ​​bread. The bread was left to stand at room temperature (approximately 20°C to 25°C), and after one day the bleeding of the drawn lines was checked and evaluated according to the following criteria. The results are shown in Table 4. The water activity (AW) of the bread at 25°C was 0.96. 3 points: Little bleeding and the outline of the line was clear. 2 points: Some bleeding, but the outline of the line was visible. 1 point: Significant bleeding and the outline of the line was unclear.

[0043]

[0044] The sauce-like seasonings of the Examples showed little bleeding when lines were drawn, which was good.

[0045] According to the formulations in Table 5, cheese powder or butter powder was used as the flavoring ingredient. Powdered ingredients such as cheese powder, butter powder, and lactose were mixed in a mixer with a portion of melted vegetable oil. The mixed dough was pulverized in a roll refiner, and the remaining oil, lecithin, and flavoring were added and mixed to prepare a sauce-like seasoning. The following ingredients were newly used in the sauce-like seasoning: Cream cheese powder: "Cream Cheese Powder Type 183204" (manufactured by LACTOSAN); Camembert cheese powder: "Camembert Cheese Powder Type 160203" (manufactured by LACTOSAN); Butter powder: "Butter powder (using fermented butter)" (manufactured by Tsukuba Dairy Products Co., Ltd.); Carotene pigment was used as the coloring agent. Commercially available ingredients were used for the other ingredients. The fatty acid composition and triglyceride composition (total carbon number) of the vegetable oils and milk fats included in the examples were measured, and the component values ​​were calculated from the results. The results are shown in Table 6. The prepared sauce-like seasonings were evaluated using the same criteria as above for stickiness evaluation by solidification test, evaluation by reheating in the microwave, and evaluation of texture maintenance, and the overall evaluation was judged as pass or fail. The above evaluation results, component values ​​such as moisture, and solid fat content (SFC) are shown in Table 7.

[0046]

[0047]

[0048]

[0049] Even when the types of flavoring ingredients and carbohydrates were changed, good sauce-like seasonings could be prepared. When the composite food coated with the sauce-like seasoning, takoyaki, was kept at 25°C or below, the surface of the composite food was not sticky and it melted easily in the mouth when eaten.

[0050] The present invention makes it possible to provide a sauce-like seasoning that is less sticky, and to provide a composite food product having the sauce-like seasoning applied, coated, or lined on the surface thereof.

Claims

1. A sauce-like seasoning that satisfies all of the following requirements (1) to (7), is fluid at a product temperature of 50°C, and is a food product in which oil and fat are the continuous phase. (1) Oil content 20% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less (2) Moisture 0.01% by mass or more and 5% by mass or less (3) Contains at least vegetable oil and flavoring ingredients (4) The solid fat content (SFC) of the contained oils and fats at 20°C is 20% or more. (5) The solid fat content (SFC) of the contained oils and fats at 25°C is 12% or more. (6) The solid fat content (SFC) of the contained oils and fats at 40°C is 7% or less. (7) The sweetness level of the sauce-like seasoning is 30 or less. However, sweetness level refers to the relative sweetness of various sweeteners or sugars, with sucrose being set as 1. The sweetness level of sauce-like seasonings refers to the sum of the values ​​calculated by "sweetener content × sweetness level".

2. Furthermore, the sauce-like seasoning according to claim 1, which satisfies the following requirement (8). (8) Sodium content of 300 mg / 100g or more and 3000 mg / 100g or less

3. Furthermore, the sauce-like seasoning according to claim 1 or 2 satisfies the following requirement (9). (9) The content of saturated fatty acids with 12 carbon atoms in the total constituent fatty acids of the oil contained in the sauce-like seasoning is 5% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less.

4. A composite food in which the sauce-like seasoning according to claim 1 or 2 is applied to or coated on a grain flour-containing food having a water activity (AW) of 0.85 or higher at 25°C.

5. A composite food in which the sauce-like seasoning described in claim 3 is applied to or coated on a grain flour-containing food having a water activity (AW) of 0.85 or higher at 25°C.

6. A method for producing a sauce-like seasoning that satisfies all of the following requirements (1) to (7), is fluid at a product temperature of 50°C, and is a food product in which oil and fat are the continuous phase. (1) Oil content 20% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less (2) Moisture 0.01% by mass or more and 5% by mass or less (3) Contains at least vegetable oil and flavoring ingredients. (4) The solid fat content (SFC) of the contained oils and fats at 20°C is 20% or more. (5) The solid fat content (SFC) of the contained oils and fats at 25°C is 12% or more. (6) The solid fat content (SFC) of the contained oils and fats at 40°C is 7% or less. (7) The sweetness level of the sauce-like seasoning is 30 or less. However, sweetness level refers to the relative sweetness of various sweeteners or sugars, with sucrose being set as 1. The sweetness level of sauce-like seasonings refers to the sum of the values ​​calculated by "sweetener content × sweetness level".

7. A sauce-like seasoning according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sauce-like seasoning is fluid when the product temperature is 50°C and is in a solid state when the product temperature is 20°C.

8. The sauce-like seasoning according to claim 3, wherein the sauce-like seasoning is fluid when the product temperature is 50°C and is in a solid state when the product temperature is 20°C.

9. A method for suppressing stickiness on the surface of a composite food, comprising applying or coating a food containing cereal flour with a water activity (AW) of 0.85 or higher at 25°C with the sauce-like seasoning described in claim 1 or 2.

10. A method for suppressing the softening of a composite food, comprising applying or coating a grain flour-containing food with a water activity (AW) of 0.5 or less at 25°C with the sauce-like seasoning described in claim 1 or 2.