Oil-in-water type emulsified food

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an oil-in-water type emulsified food which gives the richness of egg yolk and also can suppress the off-flavor of same. [Solution] The present invention is an oil-in-water type emulsified food that contains at least egg yolk, and is characterized in that: with respect to the total amount of the oil-in-water type emulsified food, the egg yolk content is 10-35 mass%; phospholipid that is included in the oil-in-water type emulsified food contains at least one of phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine; the total content of the phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine is 2.0-4.0 mass% with respect to the total amount of the oil-in-water type emulsified food; and the total content of the phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine is 65 mass% or more with respect to the total amount of the phospholipid.

Description

Oil-in-water emulsified food

[0001] The present invention relates to an oil-in-water emulsified food product, and more particularly to an oil-in-water emulsified food product containing at least egg yolk.

[0002] Conventionally, oil-in-water emulsified foods such as mayonnaise have been formulated with egg yolk, edible oils and fats, vinegar, etc. From the perspective of health considerations, oil-in-water emulsified foods with low edible oil content and reduced calories have been developed. However, reducing the edible oil content in oil-in-water emulsified foods has led to problems such as changes in the physical properties of the oil-in-water emulsified foods, a decrease in richness, and a deterioration in flavor.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 proposes adjusting the content of phosphatidic acid and / or phosphatidate salt in an acidic oil-in-water composition to obtain an acidic oil-in-water composition that is excellent in stability even when the content of edible oil or fat is reduced while maintaining physical properties. In particular, it describes reducing phosphatidylcholine in order to increase phosphatidic acid.

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 proposes that egg-flavored foods contain a phospholipid mixture containing 20% ​​by mass or more of egg yolk, isothiocyanate esters, and phosphatidylinositol, in order to obtain an egg-flavored food that further enhances the flavor of eggs and makes use of the unique flavor of eggs without increasing the amount of egg yolk added as usual. Furthermore, it is described that the content of other components in the phospholipid mixture, such as phosphatidylcholine, is preferably 25% by mass or less.

[0005] JP-A No. 3-91460 JP-A No. 6-296474

[0006] Furthermore, when a large amount of egg yolk is added to mayonnaise in order to enhance its rich flavor, the richness of the egg yolk increases, but the fishy smell of the egg yolk is also felt strongly, which has an adverse effect on the flavor of the oil-in-water emulsified food.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an oil-in-water emulsified food that allows the rich flavor of egg yolk to be felt and that can suppress the fishy smell of egg yolk.

[0008] As a result of extensive research to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present inventors have surprisingly found that the above-mentioned problems can be solved by adjusting the total content of phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine relative to the total amount of the oil-in-water emulsified food containing at least egg yolk, and also adjusting the total content of phospholipids. Based on this finding, the present inventors have completed the present invention.

[0009] That is, according to one aspect of the present invention, the following inventions are provided. [1] An oil-in-water emulsified food containing at least egg yolk, wherein the egg yolk content is 10% by mass or more and 35% by mass or less, based on the total amount of the oil-in-water emulsified food, the phospholipids in the oil-in-water emulsified food include at least one of phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine, the total content of the phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine is 2.0% by mass or more and 4.0% by mass or less, based on the total amount of the oil-in-water emulsified food, and the total content of the phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine is 65.0% by mass or more, based on the total amount of the phospholipids. [2] The oil-in-water emulsified food according to [1], wherein the phospholipid content is 2.5% by mass or more and 5.0% by mass or less, based on the total amount of the oil-in-water emulsified food. [3] The oil-in-water emulsified food according to [1] or [2], characterized in that the oil-in-water emulsified food contains egg yolk lecithin. [4] The oil-in-water emulsified food according to [3], characterized in that the egg yolk lecithin is unrefined egg yolk lecithin extracted from egg yolk. [5] The oil-in-water emulsified food according to [4], characterized in that the content of the unrefined egg yolk lecithin is 1% by mass or more and 9% by mass or less, based on the total amount of the oil-in-water emulsified food. [6] The oil-in-water emulsified food according to any of [1] to [5], characterized in that the content of the egg yolk is 15% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less, based on the total amount of the oil-in-water emulsified food. [7] The oil-in-water emulsified food according to any of [1] to [6], characterized in that the oil-in-water emulsified food contains edible fats and oils. [8] The oil-in-water emulsified food according to [7], wherein the content of the edible oil or fat is 10% by mass or more and 80% by mass or less, based on the total amount of the oil-in-water emulsified food. [9] The oil-in-water emulsified food according to any one of [1] to [8], wherein the oil-in-water emulsified food contains an acidulant.

[10] The oil-in-water emulsified food according to any one of [1] to [9], wherein the oil-in-water emulsified food is a mayonnaise-like seasoning.

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an oil-in-water emulsified food that allows the richness of egg yolk to be felt while suppressing the fishy smell of egg yolk. Furthermore, it is also possible to provide an oil-in-water emulsified food with a suppressed sour taste. Such oil-in-water emulsified foods can stimulate consumer appetite, and further market expansion of oil-in-water emulsified foods can be expected.

[0011] <Oil-in-water emulsified food> The oil-in-water emulsified food of the present invention contains at least egg yolk, and may further contain an emulsifier, edible oil or fat, water, an acidulant, a thickener, other raw materials, ingredients, and the like.

[0012] The oil-in-water emulsified food is a food in which oils and fats are substantially uniformly dispersed as oil droplets in an aqueous phase and emulsified into an oil-in-water type, and is preferably an acidic oil-in-water emulsified food. The oil-in-water emulsified food of the present invention is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include mayonnaise-like seasonings, dressings, sauces, and other foods similar thereto. Among these, mayonnaise-like seasonings are preferred. The mayonnaise-like seasoning of the present invention includes a group of similar products that have similar properties (e.g., taste, appearance, main ingredients, etc.) to mayonnaise (water content: 30% by mass or less, edible oil content: 65% by mass or more) as defined in the Food Labeling Standards, but whose ingredient composition does not conform to the Food Labeling Standards.

[0013] (Moisture content of oil-in-water emulsified food) The moisture content of the oil-in-water emulsified food is not particularly limited, but the lower limit is preferably 5% by mass or more, more preferably 10% by mass or more, and even more preferably 15% by mass or more, and the upper limit is preferably 40% by mass or less, more preferably 35% by mass or less, and even more preferably 30% by mass or less.

[0014] (pH of oil-in-water emulsified food) The pH of the oil-in-water emulsified food is not particularly limited, but the lower limit is preferably 3.0 or higher, more preferably 3.5 or higher, and even more preferably 4.0 or higher, and the upper limit is preferably 6.0 or lower, more preferably 5.5 or lower, and even more preferably 5.0 or lower. If the pH of the oil-in-water emulsified food is within the above range, it is possible to control microbial growth in the oil-in-water emulsified food, thereby improving the shelf life, while also achieving a good balance in the flavor of the oil-in-water emulsified food. In the present invention, the pH of the oil-in-water emulsified food can be adjusted to the above-mentioned preferred numerical range by adjusting the type and amount of acidifying agent. The pH value of the oil-in-water emulsified food is a value measured using a pH meter (tabletop pH meter F-72 manufactured by Horiba, Ltd.) at 1 atmosphere and a product temperature of 20°C.

[0015] (Choline and phospholipids in oil-in-water emulsified foods) The oil-in-water emulsified foods contain phospholipids. The phospholipids may be derived from, for example, egg yolk and lecithin, or may be separately added as phospholipids. The oil-in-water emulsified foods contain at least one of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) as phospholipids. The oil-in-water emulsified foods may further contain other phospholipids other than those mentioned above. Examples of other phospholipids include phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, and phosphatidylserine.

[0016] (PC and LPC Content and Method for Measuring Them) The total content of phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine is 2.0% by mass or more and 4.0% by mass or less, based on the total amount of the oil-in-water emulsified food, with the lower limit being preferably 2.2% by mass or more, more preferably 2.4% by mass or more, and the upper limit being preferably 3.8% by mass or less, more preferably 3.5% by mass or less. Furthermore, the respective contents of phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine relative to the total content of phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine in the oil-in-water emulsified food are not particularly limited, but the lower limit of the phosphatidylcholine content may be 20% by mass or more, 40% by mass or more, or 50% by mass or more, and the upper limit may be 98% by mass or less, 96% by mass or less, or 94% by mass or less, and the lower limit of the lysophosphatidylcholine content may be 2% by mass or more, 4% by mass or more, or 6% by mass or more, and the upper limit may be 80% by mass or less, 60% by mass or less, or 40% by mass or less. Furthermore, the total content of phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine in the oil-in-water emulsified food, relative to the total amount of phospholipids, has a lower limit of 65.0% by mass or more, preferably 67.0% by mass or more, more preferably 70.0% by mass or more, and even more preferably 72.0% by mass or more, and the upper limit may be 90.0% by mass or less, 85.0% by mass or less, or 82.0% by mass or less. In the present invention, the total content of phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine can be adjusted within the desired range by appropriately adjusting the types and amounts of egg yolk, lecithin, and phospholipids incorporated into the oil-in-water emulsified food. By adjusting the total content of phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine within the above numerical range relative to the total amount of oil-in-water emulsified food and the above numerical range relative to the total amount of phospholipids, an oil-in-water emulsified food can be provided that has a rich egg yolk flavor and suppresses the fishy odor of egg yolk.Furthermore, by adjusting the total content of phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine relative to the total amount of the oil-in-water emulsified food within the above numerical range, and adjusting the total amount of phospholipids within the above numerical range, when the oil-in-water emulsified food is an acidic oil-in-water emulsified food, the sourness can be suppressed. In the present invention, the contents of phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine can be determined by creating a calibration curve from the analysis results of each standard sample (phosphatidylcholine: Product No. P3556 L-α-phosphatidylcholine, manufactured by Sigma-Aldrich; lysophosphatidylcholine: Product No. L4129 L-α-lysophosphatidylcholine, manufactured by Sigma-Aldrich) using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and calculating the respective contents from the peak areas of the target raw material or oil-in-water emulsified food. The content of egg yolk-derived lysophosphatidylcholine is a value obtained by converting the content calculated from the HPLC analysis results into a phosphatidylcholine content using the following formula based on the molecular weights (phosphatidylcholine: 772 g / mol, lysophosphatidylcholine: 504 g / mol): Lysophosphatidylcholine content (phosphatidylcholine equivalent value) = content calculated from the HPLC analysis results × 772 ÷ 504 Furthermore, the content of soybean-derived lysophosphatidylcholine is a value obtained by converting the content calculated from the HPLC analysis results into a phosphatidylcholine content using the following formula based on the molecular weights (phosphatidylcholine: 773 g / mol, lysophosphatidylcholine: 512 g / mol). Lysophosphatidylcholine content (phosphatidylcholine equivalent value) = content calculated from HPLC analysis results × 773 ÷ 512 In calculating the content of phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine derived from raw materials other than egg yolk and soybean, numerical values ​​used in literature for the molecular weight values ​​of phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine contained in the raw materials may be used, or values ​​calculated from the results of analyzing the fatty acid composition of phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine for each raw material using gas chromatography or the like may be used.

[0017] The phospholipid content, relative to the total amount of the oil-in-water emulsified food, has a lower limit of preferably 2.5% by mass or more, more preferably 3.0% by mass or more, and even more preferably 3.4% by mass or more, and an upper limit of preferably 5.0% by mass or less, more preferably 4.8% by mass or less, and even more preferably 4.5% by mass or less. By adjusting the phospholipid content relative to the total amount of the oil-in-water emulsified food within the above numerical range, the richness of the egg yolk can be easily felt and the fishy odor of the egg yolk can be suppressed. In the present invention, the phospholipid content is a value measured in accordance with the analytical method for lecithin in the Japanese Standards of Food Additives.

[0018] (Lecithin) In the present invention, "lecithin" does not refer to lecithin contained in natural products (such as egg yolk) (before extraction), but rather to lecithin extracted from natural products and containing 15% or more phospholipids. The origin of lecithin is not particularly limited, and examples include egg yolk lecithin, soybean lecithin, rapeseed lecithin, sunflower lecithin, and rice lecithin. Among these, egg yolk lecithin is preferably used. In the present invention, "raw material name + lecithin" refers to lecithin extracted from the raw material. The lecithin may be unpurified lecithin derived from natural products, or may be purified lecithin obtained by removing impurities such as neutral lipids, proteins, sterols, and pigments from unpurified lecithin using conventional methods.

[0019] In the present invention, it is preferable to use unpurified egg yolk lecithin extracted from egg yolk. Incidentally, the egg yolk includes egg yolk that has been subjected to treatment such as enzyme treatment described below. The lower limit of the content of unpurified egg yolk lecithin relative to the total amount of the oil-in-water emulsified food is preferably 1% by mass or more, more preferably 2% by mass or more, and even more preferably 3% by mass or more, and the upper limit is preferably 9% by mass or less, more preferably 8% by mass or less, and even more preferably 7% by mass or less. When the content of unpurified egg yolk lecithin is within the above range, the oil-in-water emulsified food can easily maintain an emulsified state, the richness of the egg yolk can be easily perceived, and the fishy odor of the egg yolk can be suppressed.

[0020] (Egg Yolk) The egg yolk is not particularly limited, and any conventionally known egg yolk can be used. Examples of egg yolk include liquid egg yolk, raw egg yolk, and liquid egg yolk or raw egg yolk that has been subjected to one or more treatments such as sterilization, freezing, drying such as spray drying or freeze drying, enzyme treatment with phospholipase A1 or phospholipase A2 such as phospholipase A-treated egg yolk, desugaring with yeast or glucose oxidase, decholesterolization such as supercritical carbon dioxide treatment, and mixing with salt or carbohydrates.

[0021] The egg yolk content (fresh equivalent) relative to the total amount of the oil-in-water emulsified food has a lower limit of 10% by mass or more, preferably 15% by mass or more, more preferably 17% by mass or more, and even more preferably 20% by mass or more, and an upper limit of 35% by mass or less, preferably 30% by mass or less, more preferably 27% by mass or less, and even more preferably 25% by mass or less. When the egg yolk content is within the above range, the oil-in-water emulsified food can easily maintain an emulsified state, the richness of the egg yolk can be easily felt, and the fishy smell of the egg yolk can be suppressed.

[0022] (Edible oils and fats) The edible oils and fats used in oil-in-water emulsified foods are not particularly limited, and conventionally known edible oils and fats can be used. Examples of edible oils and fats include vegetable oils such as rapeseed oil, soybean oil, palm oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, olive oil, linseed oil, rice bran oil, camellia oil, perilla oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, almond oil, and avocado oil, as well as fish oil, beef tallow, lard, chicken fat, and oils obtained by chemical or enzymatic treatment, such as MCT (medium-chain triglyceride), diglyceride, hardened oil, and interesterified oil. Among these, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, corn oil, palm oil, or a mixture thereof is preferably used.

[0023] The lower limit of the edible oil content relative to the total amount of the oil-in-water emulsified food is preferably 10% by mass or more, more preferably 20% by mass or more, even more preferably 30% by mass or more, and even more preferably 40% by mass or more, and the upper limit is preferably 80% by mass or less, more preferably 70% by mass or less, even more preferably 65% ​​by mass or less, and even more preferably 60% by mass or less. If the edible oil content is within the above range, it is easy to maintain the emulsified state of the oil-in-water emulsified food.

[0024] (Acid Material) The acid material used in the oil-in-water emulsified food is not particularly limited, and conventionally known food acid materials can be used. Examples of acid materials that can be used include organic acids such as vinegar (acetic acid), citric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, sorbic acid, benzoic acid, adipic acid, fumaric acid, and succinic acid, as well as their salts; inorganic acids such as phosphoric acid and hydrochloric acid, as well as their salts; lemon juice, apple juice, orange juice, and lactic acid-fermented milk. These may be used alone or in combination. Adding these acid materials can adjust the pH of the oil-in-water emulsified food to a desired range and improve the flavor balance of the oil-in-water emulsified food.

[0025] The content of the acidifying agent in the oil-in-water emulsified food can be adjusted appropriately depending on the type of acidifying agent and the desired pH. For example, when vinegar (acidity 9%) is used as the acidifying agent, the lower limit of the content of vinegar (acidity 9%) relative to the total amount of the oil-in-water emulsified food is preferably 1% by mass or more, more preferably 3% by mass or more, even more preferably 4% by mass or more, and even more preferably 5% by mass or more, and the upper limit is preferably 20% by mass or less, more preferably 15% by mass or less, even more preferably 12% by mass or less, and even more preferably 10% by mass or less. If the content of vinegar (acidity 9%) is within the above range, it is possible to control microbial growth in the oil-in-water emulsified food, thereby improving its shelf life, while making it easier to maintain the original flavor of the oil-in-water emulsified food.

[0026] (Other Ingredients) In addition to the ingredients described above, the oil-in-water emulsified food may contain various ingredients that are normally used in oil-in-water emulsified foods, appropriately selected within the scope that does not impair the effects of the present invention. Examples include the following thickeners, emulsifiers such as sucrose fatty acid esters, polyglycerol fatty acid esters, glycerol fatty acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, glycerol fatty acid esters, and sorbitan fatty acid esters, seasonings such as soy sauce, mirin, salt, white sesame, brown sesame, sesame, sodium glutamate, bouillon, glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, oligosaccharides, trehalose, mustard powder, and pepper, antioxidants such as ascorbic acid and vitamin E, and bacteriostatic agents.

[0027] (Thickener) The thickener is not particularly limited, and conventionally known food thickeners can be used. Examples of the thickener include processed starch and / or gums. Examples of processed starches include acetylated adipic acid cross-linked starch, acetylated phosphate cross-linked starch, acetylated oxidized starch, sodium octenyl succinate starch, starch acetate, oxidized starch, hydroxypropyl starch, hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch, phosphate monoesterified phosphate cross-linked starch, phosphate cross-linked starch, and phosphated starch. Among these processed starches, hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch and sodium octenyl succinate starch are preferred. Examples of gums include xanthan gum, konjac gum, guar gum, tamarind seed gum, locust bean gum, gellan gum, and gum arabic. Among these gums, xanthan gum is preferred. However, it is preferred not to use welan gum. These thickeners may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0028] The lower limit of the content of the thickener relative to the total amount of the oil-in-water emulsified food is preferably 0.1% by mass or more, more preferably 0.3% by mass or more, and even more preferably 0.5% by mass or more, and the upper limit is preferably 5% by mass or less, more preferably 4% by mass or less, and even more preferably 3% by mass or less. If the content of the thickener is within the above range, it becomes easier to maintain the emulsified state of the oil-in-water emulsified food.

[0029] (Ingredients) Both plant-based ingredients and animal-based ingredients can be used as ingredients. Examples of plant-based ingredients include vegetables such as radish, carrot, burdock, bamboo shoots, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, celery, asparagus, spinach, Japanese mustard spinach, bok choy, and tomatoes, potatoes such as potato, sweet potato, and taro, beans such as soybean, adzuki bean, broad bean, and pea, grains such as rice, wheat, barnyard millet, and foxtail millet, fruits such as apple, peach, and pineapple, mushrooms such as shiitake mushroom, shimeji mushroom, enoki mushroom, nameko mushroom, and matsutake mushroom, and seaweed such as wakame seaweed, kelp, and hijiki seaweed. Examples of animal ingredients include meats such as beef, pork, chicken, lamb, horse, venison, wild boar, goat, rabbit, whale, and their organs; fish such as horse mackerel, sweetfish, sardines, bonito, salmon, mackerel, and tuna; shellfish such as abalone, oysters, scallops, and clams; and seafood such as shrimp, crab, squid, octopus, and sea cucumber. Other examples include egg products such as boiled eggs, omelets, and omelets; fish paste products such as kamaboko (fish paste), meat products such as ham and sausage; and processed foods such as noodles and pickles. The ingredients are not limited to these, as long as they are edible food manufacturing raw materials or ingredients. These ingredients may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0030] These ingredients may be used raw, or may be heated or cooked by boiling, simmering, baking, steaming, frying, or the like. These ingredients may also be frozen or frozen and thawed. Furthermore, the shape of these ingredients may be either chunks or bite-sized, and the size of the ingredients can be selected appropriately.

[0031] <Method for producing oil-in-water emulsified food> An example of a method for producing an oil-in-water emulsified food of the present invention will be described. For example, first, fresh water, egg yolk, an acidulant, and other aqueous phase ingredients such as seasonings are mixed to prepare an aqueous phase. Next, edible oils and fats, which are oil phase ingredients, are added to the aqueous phase prepared above to roughly emulsify, and then the mixture is homogenized using a processor with excellent shear force, etc., to obtain an oil-in-water emulsified food in which the oil phase is emulsified and dispersed in the aqueous phase.

[0032] The oil-in-water emulsified food of the present invention can be produced using equipment commonly used in the production of oil-in-water emulsified foods. Examples of such equipment include general mixers, stick mixers, stand mixers, homomixers, etc. Examples of the shape of the mixer blades include propeller blades, turbine blades, paddle blades, anchor blades, etc.

[0033] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples and comparative examples, but the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the contents of the following examples.

[0034] <Production Examples of Oil-in-Water Emulsified Foods> [Example 1] Oil-in-water emulsified foods were produced according to the blending ratios listed in Table 1. Specifically, first, egg yolk (phosphatidylcholine (hereinafter "PC") content: 6.3% by mass, lysophosphatidylcholine (hereinafter "LPC") content: 0.5% by mass, phospholipid content: 9.4% by mass), salt, brewed vinegar (acidity 9%), seasoning, egg yolk lecithin (unrefined, PC content: 21.3% by mass, LPC content: 2.2% by mass, phospholipid content: 27.9% by mass), and fresh water were mixed uniformly in a stirring tank to prepare an aqueous phase. Then, edible oil (rapeseed oil) was added to the prepared aqueous phase, and emulsification was performed to prepare an oil-in-water emulsified food. The PC and LPC contents were measured using the methods described in detail in the above section (PC and LPC content and measurement method).

[0035] Example 2 An oil-in-water emulsified food was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the blending amount of egg yolk lecithin was changed to 4% by mass and the blending amount of edible oil and fat was changed to 46% by mass.

[0036] Example 3 An oil-in-water emulsified food was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the blending amount of egg yolk lecithin was changed to 6% by mass and the blending amount of edible oil and fat was changed to 44% by mass.

[0037] Example 4 An oil-in-water emulsified food was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the blending amount of egg yolk lecithin was changed to 8% by mass and the blending amount of edible oil and fat was changed to 42% by mass.

[0038] Example 5 An oil-in-water emulsified food was prepared in the same manner as in Example 3, except that the blending amount of egg yolk was changed to 15% by mass and the blending amount of fresh water was changed to 22% by mass.

[0039] Example 6 An oil-in-water emulsified food was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the amount of egg yolk was changed to 5% by mass, enzyme-treated egg yolk (PC content: 0.9% by mass, LPC content: 6.0% by mass, phospholipid content: 7.3% by mass) was added at 20% by mass, egg yolk lecithin was not added, and enzyme-treated lecithin (unpurified, PC content: 0.9% by mass, LPC content: 22.8% by mass, phospholipid content: 22.2% by mass) was added at 2% by mass.

[0040] Example 7 An oil-in-water emulsified food was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the amount of egg yolk was changed to 5% by mass, the amount of enzyme-treated egg yolk was changed to 20% by mass, the amount of edible oil and fat was changed to 47% by mass, and the amount of egg yolk lecithin was changed to 3% by mass.

[0041] Example 8 An oil-in-water emulsified food was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the amount of egg yolk was changed to 12.5% ​​by mass, the amount of enzyme-treated egg yolk was changed to 12.5% ​​by mass, the amount of edible oil and fat was changed to 46% by mass, and the amount of egg yolk lecithin was changed to 4% by mass.

[0042] Example 9 An oil-in-water emulsified food was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the amount of egg yolk was changed to 20% by mass, the amount of enzyme-treated egg yolk was changed to 5% by mass, the amount of edible oil and fat was changed to 45% by mass, and the amount of egg yolk lecithin was changed to 5% by mass.

[0043] Comparative Example 1 An oil-in-water emulsified food was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the blending amount of egg yolk lecithin was changed to 10% by mass and the blending amount of edible oil and fat was changed to 40% by mass.

[0044] Comparative Example 2 An oil-in-water emulsified food was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that egg yolk lecithin was not added and the amount of edible oil and fat added was changed to 50% by mass.

[0045] Comparative Example 3 An oil-in-water emulsified food was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that egg yolk lecithin was not added and instead 2% by mass of soybean lecithin (PC amount: 17.3% by mass, LPC amount: 0.8% by mass, phospholipid amount: 61.0% by mass) was added. For soybean lecithin, the molecular weight of PC was 773 g / mol and the molecular weight of LPC was 512 g / mol, and the values ​​obtained by HPLC analysis were converted to PC equivalents.

[0046] (pH Measurement) The pH of each of the oil-in-water emulsified foods prepared above was measured using a pH meter (tabletop pH meter F-72 manufactured by Horiba, Ltd.) at 1 atmosphere and a product temperature of 20° C. The pH of each oil-in-water emulsified food was within the range of 4.04 to 4.33.

[0047] (Sensory evaluation) For each of the oil-in-water emulsified foods prepared above, multiple trained panels evaluated the items of "richness of egg yolk" and "fishy odor of egg yolk" using the following 5-point evaluation scale. The average scores of each panel is shown in Table 1 as the evaluation score. A score of 2.0 or higher for both "richness of egg yolk" and "fishy odor of egg yolk" can be said to be a good result. [Evaluation criteria] (Richness of egg yolk) 5 points: The richness of egg yolk was very good. 4 points: The richness of egg yolk was sufficiently good. 3 points: The richness of egg yolk was good. 2 points: The richness of egg yolk was slightly good. 1 point: The richness of egg yolk was weak. (Fishy odor of egg yolk) 5 points: The fishy odor of egg yolk was very suppressed. 4 points: The fishy odor of egg yolk was sufficiently suppressed. 3 points: The fishy odor of egg yolk was suppressed. 2 points: The fishy odor of egg yolk was slightly suppressed. 1 point: The fishy smell of the egg yolk was not suppressed.

[0048] The oil-in-water emulsified foods of Examples 1 to 9 all had a rich egg yolk flavor and were able to suppress the fishy smell of the egg yolk. The oil-in-water emulsified food of Comparative Example 1 had a high amount of PC+LPC, so the fishy smell of the egg yolk was not suppressed. The oil-in-water emulsified food of Comparative Example 2 had a low amount of PC+LPC, so the richness of the egg yolk was weak. The oil-in-water emulsified food of Comparative Example 3 had a low amount of PC+LPC relative to the amount of phospholipids, so the richness of the egg yolk was weak.

[0049]

Claims

1. An oil-in-water emulsified food containing at least egg yolk, characterized in that the content of the egg yolk is 10% by mass or more and 35% by mass or less, based on the total amount of the oil-in-water emulsified food, the phospholipids in the oil-in-water emulsified food include at least one of phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine, the total content of the phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine is 2.0% by mass or more and 4.0% by mass or less, based on the total amount of the oil-in-water emulsified food, and the total content of the phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine is 65.0% by mass or more, based on the total amount of the phospholipids.

2. The oil-in-water emulsified food according to claim 1, characterized in that the phospholipid content is from 2.5% by mass to 5.0% by mass based on the total amount of the oil-in-water emulsified food.

3. The oil-in-water emulsified food according to claim 1, characterized in that the oil-in-water emulsified food contains egg yolk lecithin.

4. The oil-in-water emulsified food according to claim 3, wherein the egg yolk lecithin is unrefined egg yolk lecithin extracted from egg yolk.

5. The oil-in-water emulsified food according to claim 4, wherein the content of the unrefined egg yolk lecithin is from 1% by mass to 9% by mass based on the total amount of the oil-in-water emulsified food.

6. The oil-in-water emulsified food according to claim 1, wherein the egg yolk content is from 15% by mass to 30% by mass based on the total amount of the oil-in-water emulsified food.

7. The oil-in-water emulsified food according to claim 1, characterized in that the oil-in-water emulsified food contains edible oils and fats.

8. The oil-in-water emulsified food according to claim 7, wherein the content of the edible oil or fat is 10% by mass or more and 80% by mass or less based on the total amount of the oil-in-water emulsified food.

9. The oil-in-water emulsified food according to claim 1, characterized in that the oil-in-water emulsified food contains an acidulant.

10. The oil-in-water emulsified food according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which is a mayonnaise-like seasoning.

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