Quality-improving composition for processed meat food

Abstract

[Problem] The present invention addresses the problem of providing: a quality-improving composition that contains a phosphoric acid-containing yeast extract having a prescribed arginine content or less and having an excellent quality-improving effect on processed meat foods; and a method for producing a processed meat food and a method for improving the quality of a processed meat food, in each of which the quality-improving composition is used. [Solution] The yeast extract contains at least 18 wt% of phosphoric acids and also contains orthophosphoric acid, wherein the total amount of orthophosphoric acid, pyrophosphoric acid, tripolyphosphoric acid and trimetaphosphoric acid among the phosphoric acids is 75 wt%. The use of this yeast extract makes it possible to impart binding properties and elasticity to a processed meat food and also impart a smooth appearance to a cross-section of a processed meat product.

Description

Quality-improving composition for processed meat foods

[0001] The present invention relates to a quality improving composition for processed meat products and a method for producing processed meat products using the same.

[0002] Phosphates have been widely used as quality improvers for binding meat in the production of processed meat products. However, due to the recent increase in preference for phosphates, there has been a demand for quality improvers that can further improve binding properties and impart a good appearance and texture to processed foods.

[0003] As a quality improver for processed meat foods containing phosphate, an edible extract that has a food quality improving effect, characterized by solubilizing insoluble phosphate using a chelating agent, has been reported (Patent Document 1). However, the edible extract described in Patent Document 1 requires an organic acid as a chelating agent, which has the problem of affecting the taste quality due to the chelating agent, and requires a complicated process such as solubilizing the insoluble phosphate contained in the edible extract. Furthermore, since yeast extracts with a high phosphate content mainly consist of insoluble salts of orthophosphoric acid such as calcium phosphate and magnesium phosphate, dispersibility issues have sometimes prevented them from sufficiently improving the physical properties of foods.

[0004] Also, Patent Document 2 discloses a food property improver using a yeast extract containing a predetermined amount or more of arginine and phosphate. However, the food property improver described in Patent Document 2 is thought to disperse the phosphate of orthophosphoric acid due to the effect of arginine as a dispersant, but it is desirable to reduce the amount of orthophosphoric acid as much as possible, and since it contains orthophosphoric acid, it is necessary to contain a predetermined amount or more of arginine. Furthermore, since the arginine contains a predetermined amount or more, it affects the flavor of the food, so there is also the problem that the amount of arginine added is limited.

[0005] On the other hand, a method for softening and binding meat materials using a collagenase preparation and a transglutaminase preparation has been reported to impart a soft texture to processed meat foods (Patent Document 3). However, since the use of two types of enzyme preparations increases costs, a cheaper method for binding meat materials and imparting elasticity to processed meat products has been desired.

[0006] JP 2007-222022 A JP 2015-065858 A JP 2014-207887 A

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a quality-improving composition containing a phosphoric acid-containing yeast extract, which has an arginine content of not more than a predetermined amount and which exhibits excellent quality-improving effects on processed meat foods in terms of not only texture but also appearance, as well as a method for producing processed meat foods using the quality-improving composition and a method for improving the quality of processed meat foods.

[0008] As a result of intensive research into solving the above problems, the inventors discovered that by using a yeast extract containing phosphoric acids in the production of processed meat foods, the adhesive properties of the processed meat foods can be improved, giving the cross-section of the processed meat foods a smooth appearance and imparting elasticity to the processed meat foods, and thus completed the present invention.

[0009] That is, the present invention relates to the following first to seventh aspects. First, a quality improving composition for processed meat foods, containing as an active ingredient a yeast extract containing 18 parts by weight or more of phosphoric acids per 100 parts by weight of yeast extract. Second, the quality improving composition for processed meat foods as described in first, wherein the phosphoric acids include orthophosphoric acid, and the total amount of orthophosphoric acid, pyrophosphoric acid, tripolyphosphate, and trimetaphosphoric acid in the phosphoric acids is 75% by weight or more. Third, the quality improving composition as described in either first or second, wherein the arginine content of the quality improving composition is less than 2% by weight. Fourth, a method for improving the quality of processed meat foods, characterized by using the quality improving composition as described in either first or second. Fifth, a method for improving the quality of processed meat foods, characterized by using the quality improving composition as described in third. Sixth, a method for producing processed meat foods, comprising the step of adding the quality improving composition as described in either first or second. Seventh, a method for producing processed meat foods, comprising the step of adding the quality improving composition as described in third.

[0010] According to the present invention, by adding a phosphoric acid-containing yeast extract during the production of processed meat foods, not only can the binding properties of the meat be improved, but also elasticity can be imparted to the processed meat foods, giving the cross-sections of the processed meat foods a smooth appearance.

[0011] Differences in cross sections of sausages in Reference Example 1, Example 1, and Comparative Example 1 Differences in cross sections of sausages in Examples 3 to 5, and Comparative Examples 2 and 3

[0012] Explanation of symbols A: Reference Example 1, B: Example 1, C: Comparative Example 1 1: Example 3, 2: Example 4, 3: Example 5, 4: Comparative Example 2, 5: Comparative Example 3

[0013] The composition of the present invention contains, as an active ingredient, a yeast extract containing 18 parts by weight or more of phosphoric acid, calculated as phosphate ions, per 100 parts by weight of yeast extract. The phosphoric acid contained in the composition of the present invention, including orthophosphoric acid, pyrophosphate having two phosphate groups, and polyphosphate having three phosphate groups, may be 75% by weight or more, preferably 80% by weight or more, and more preferably 85% by weight or more, based on the total phosphoric acid calculated as phosphate ions. Furthermore, the polyphosphate having three phosphate groups may have either a linear (tripolyphosphate) or cyclic (trimegaphosphate) structure. The phosphoric acid may be contained in the yeast extract as a salt. The content of phosphoric acid in the yeast extract is not particularly limited, but is preferably 50 parts by weight or less per 100 parts by weight of yeast extract. The arginine in the composition of the present invention refers to arginine as a free amino acid, and is preferably less than 2% by dry weight in the yeast extract.

[0014] As long as the composition is this, the manufacturing method is not particularly limited, and it can be prepared by adding phosphoric acid to commonly available yeast extract, or by culturing yeast.When preparing by adding phosphoric acid to yeast extract, it can be added to yeast extract with a low arginine content, and phosphoric acid or a salt of phosphoric acid can be added to powdered or liquid yeast extract.When adding phosphoric acid to liquid yeast extract, if powdering is required, it can be dried by using an appropriate excipient.

[0015] When the yeast extract contained in the composition of the present invention is prepared by culturing yeast, it can be obtained by a method in which yeast is cultured in a medium and inorganic phosphate is added under conditions in which inorganic phosphate in the medium is depleted (for example, the method described in FEMS YEAST RESEARCH No. 8, pp. 877-882, 2008).

[0016] Examples of yeast include those generally known as budding yeast and torula yeast. Examples include Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces pastorianus, torula yeast (Cyberlindnera jadinii, also known as Candida utilis), Candida sake, Yarrowia lipolytica (also known as Candida lipolytica), and Candida tropicalis, which are used in the preparation of beer yeast and baker's yeast. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, torula yeast, or a combination thereof can be used.

[0017] The medium for culturing the yeast may be either a solid medium or a liquid medium as long as it is a conventional nutrient medium containing a carbon source, inorganic salts, and, if necessary, organic trace nutrients such as amino acids and vitamins, but a liquid medium is preferably used because it is easy to add inorganic phosphate during the culture. The medium for culturing the yeast cells of the present invention may be either a synthetic medium or a natural medium.

[0018] Carbon sources that can be contained in the medium for culturing yeast include glucose, glycerol, mannitol, ethanol, n-paraffin, etc. Organic acids such as lactic acid and citric acid can also be used alone or in combination with other carbon sources.

[0019] Urea, ammonia, ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate, ammonium chloride, ammonium phosphate, ammonium acetate, etc. may be used as a nitrogen source contained in the medium for culturing yeast.

[0020] Examples of organic trace nutrients that can be contained in the culture medium for culturing yeast include amino acids, vitamins, fatty acids, nucleic acids, and further, peptones containing these, casamino acids, yeast extracts, soy protein hydrolysates, and the like.

[0021] Examples of inorganic salts that can be contained in the culture medium for culturing yeast include phosphates, magnesium salts, iron salts, zinc salts, and calcium salts.

[0022] The yeast is cultured at a culture temperature of 20 to 37° C., with the pH controlled at 3 to 8, and aeration culture is performed as necessary. During culture, the pH may be adjusted with an alkali such as calcium carbonate, ammonia water, ammonia gas, or an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide.

[0023] The yeast is cultured under the above conditions for about 10 hours to 4 days, and during the culture, an appropriate amount of inorganic phosphate is added under conditions in which inorganic phosphate in the medium is depleted, thereby accumulating phosphates within the cells. The content of phosphates within the cells can be quantified by subjecting the cells obtained after the culture to the method described below.

[0024] The method for producing a yeast extract using the yeast cells after the completion of the culture is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, any of water extraction, warm water extraction, hot water extraction, acid hydrolysis, enzymatic hydrolysis, or autolysis, with hot water extraction, enzymatic hydrolysis, or autolysis being preferred. Alternatively, a combination of these methods may be used for production.

[0025] An example of a hot water extraction method is to add distilled water in an amount equal to the mass of wet yeast cells recovered by centrifugation of a yeast culture, mix well, and then heat-treat the resulting heat-treated product. The resulting heat-treated product may be used as the yeast extract of the present invention as is, or may be centrifuged as needed, and the resulting supernatant may be used as the yeast extract of the present invention.

[0026] Further, examples of enzymatic degradation methods include adding enzymes such as proteases, amylases, cell wall-digesting enzymes, deaminases, and nucleases to yeast cultures and allowing the enzymes to react. The enzymes used in enzymatic degradation methods may be used alone or in combination. The amount of enzyme added, the temperature, pH, and reaction time of the enzymatic reaction vary depending on the enzyme, but it is preferable to carry out the reaction at the optimal temperature and pH for each enzyme. After enzymatic degradation, the resulting treated product may be used as the yeast extract of the present invention as is, or may be subjected to solid-liquid separation procedures such as centrifugation and filtration to remove insoluble solids, and the resulting product may be used as the yeast extract of the present invention.

[0027] An example of an autolysis treatment method is a method in which a yeast culture is heated at 35 to 50° C. for 6 to 72 hours. After the autolysis treatment, the treated product may be used as is as the yeast extract of the present invention, or may be subjected to solid-liquid separation such as centrifugation or filtration to remove insoluble solids, and then used as the yeast extract of the present invention.

[0028] The yeast extract of the present invention may be in the form of either a liquid or a solid (including powder, granules, powdery particles, etc.). The content of each component of the yeast extract of the present invention can also be appropriately adjusted by adding excipients such as starches and dextrins.

[0029] The total solid content of the yeast extract of the present invention can be determined by dry heating a certain amount of yeast extract, for example 1 mL, at 105°C for 3 hours or more to dryness, cooling it in a desiccator, and then weighing it.

[0030] The amount of arginine contained in the yeast extract can be determined by a conventional method, for example, using an amino acid analyzer.

[0031] The content of orthophosphate in yeast extract can be determined by spectrophotometrically reducing the molybdenum complex formed by reacting phosphate ions with molybdate ions and antimony ions in an acidic solution with ascorbic acid to produce a blue-colored phosphomolybdenum blue. Total phosphates can be determined by subjecting the sample to thermal decomposition and then subjecting it to the above reaction. The molybdenum blue method can be performed using a photolab 7600 absorbance water quality analyzer (Central Scientific Co., Ltd.). Orthophosphate, pyrophosphate with two phosphate groups, and polyphosphate with three phosphate groups can be determined by ion chromatography.

[0032] If the arginine content in the yeast extract obtained by the above method exceeds the predetermined amount in the present invention, the arginine content may be adjusted by a commonly used method such as resin purification. Also, if the phosphoric acid content is less than the predetermined amount, phosphoric acids may be added separately to prepare the yeast extract.

[0033] The yeast extract thus obtained can be used as the composition of the present invention.

[0034] The composition of the present invention can be suitably used as a food property improver, such as a binding agent for meat or fish meat, either as is or, if necessary, by adding various additives that can be used in foods, such as inorganic salts such as sodium chloride and potassium chloride, amino acids such as sodium glutamate, glycine and alanine, protein materials such as soy protein and milk protein, nucleic acids such as sodium inosinate and sodium guanylate, sugars such as sucrose, glucose and lactose, natural seasonings such as soy sauce, miso, meat extract, seafood extract and protein hydrolysate, spices and herbs, excipients such as dextrin and starch, and dietary fiber.

[0035] By using the composition of the present invention in processed meat products such as livestock meat or fish meat, the binding properties of the meat material can be increased, elasticity can be imparted to the processed meat food, and a smooth appearance can be given to the cross-section of the processed meat food.

[0036] Foods whose physical properties can be improved by incorporating the composition of the present invention are not particularly limited, but examples include processed meat products and processed seafood products, and preferred examples include ham, sausage, hamburger steak, meatballs, kamaboko, chikuwa, and satsumaage.

[0037] The composition of the present invention can be added during the production of processed meat foods to obtain a quality improving effect, and may be added simultaneously with other ingredients or when the raw materials for the processed meat foods are mixed. When the composition of the present invention is used in the production of processed meat foods, the amount added can be adjusted appropriately depending on the type of food to which it is added and the degree of effect, but it is preferable to add 0.005 to 0.03 parts by weight, and more preferably 0.006 to 0.02 parts by weight, per 1 part by weight of the raw materials for the processed meat foods.

[0038] The method for improving the quality of processed meat foods of the present invention involves adding the composition described above. The amount and method of addition are as described above. The effects of quality improvement include improving the adhesiveness between meat ingredients, thereby imparting a smooth appearance to the cross-section of the processed meat food and imparting a desirable texture to the processed meat food.

[0039] The present invention will be specifically described below using examples, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[0040] Sample Preparation: Torula yeast (ATCC9226) was inoculated into a liquid medium containing molasses as the sugar source and ammonia as the nitrogen source and cultured in a 5 L jar. During culture, the phosphate content in the culture was quantified using a phosphorus measurement kit (LCK350, manufactured by HACH LANGE) at appropriate intervals. The culture was continued until sufficient bacterial cells had grown, confirming depletion of the phosphates in the culture. An appropriate amount of inorganic phosphate was then added to accumulate the phosphates, and the culture was terminated after an additional 2 hours of culture. The resulting culture was centrifuged to collect the cells, and water was added to adjust the solids content to 10% to obtain a bacterial cell suspension. This bacterial cell suspension was autoclaved at 90°C for 30 minutes, then centrifuged at 5000 G for 5 minutes to obtain the supernatant. An equal amount of distilled water to the precipitate was added, mixed thoroughly, and centrifuged again under the same conditions. The resulting supernatant was added to the previous supernatant to obtain a hot water extract from the yeast, which was then concentrated to a solids content of 10% to obtain a yeast extract. This process was repeated twice to obtain a yeast extract (sample 1) as the sample of Example 1 and a yeast extract (sample 2) as the sample of Example 2.

[0041] The free amino acid arginine in the yeast extracts of Samples 1 and 2 was quantified using an amino acid analyzer, resulting in 0.53 wt% and 0.72 wt% of the solids, respectively. Furthermore, the yeast extracts of Samples 1 and 2 were subjected to heat decomposition using a commercially available phosphorus content measurement kit. The total phosphate content in the yeast extracts was 36.13 wt% and 30.77 wt% of the phosphate ion, respectively. Furthermore, quantitative analysis of orthophosphate, pyrophosphate, tripolyphosphate, and trimetaphosphate in the yeast extracts was performed using ion chromatography. The ion chromatography analysis was performed using a Dionex Integrion RFIC, AS-AP (Thermo Fisher Scientific) column, a Dionex IonPac AS16, 2x250 mm (Thermo Fisher Scientific) column, 100 mM KOH as the mobile phase, and a conductance meter (Thermo Fisher Scientific) as the detector, at a flow rate of 0.25 mL / min and a column temperature of 30°C. The quantitative results of orthophosphate, pyrophosphate, and tripolyphosphate contained in Samples 1 and 2 are shown in Table 1 as the percentage of solids in the yeast extract. Note that trimetaphosphate was below the limit of quantification.

[0042]

[0043] <Comparative test with polyphosphate preparation> Polyrinsan 2-B (Organo Food Tech Co., Ltd.) was used as the sample of Comparative Example 1 (Sample 3). Sample 3 did not contain orthophosphoric acid, and contained 3 wt% pyrophosphate, 85 wt% tripolyphosphate, and 12 wt% trimetaphosphoric acid.

[0044] Sausages were prepared according to the composition shown in Table 2, using the following process. After mixing the minced pork for 20 seconds, the pickle solution (each sample, water, and salt) was added in three portions, followed by mixing for 20 seconds after addition. The mixture was then packed into a vinylidene chloride casing with an inner diameter of 30 mm and heat-treated at 75°C for 1 hour to obtain sausages. Of the samples, samples 1 to 3 were added so that the phosphorus content in the sausages of Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Example 1 was the same. The texture of the obtained sausages was evaluated by sensory evaluation.

[0045]

[0046] <Results of Comparative Test: Sensory Evaluation> The average values ​​of the sensory evaluation by nine panelists are shown in Table 3. The sensory evaluation score was 1 point for Reference Example 1 and 4 points for Comparative Example 1, with higher scores indicating better evaluation. It was revealed that Examples 1 and 2 showed higher values ​​in each item than Comparative Example 1, which contained an equivalent amount of phosphoric acid. A significant difference was observed in all Examples compared to Comparative Example 1 (t-test; two-tailed; p<0.001). Furthermore, it was shown that Examples 1 and 2 did not feel rough when eaten, and could impart a moist and fine texture compared to Reference Example 1 and Comparative Example 1, and it was revealed that they had a preferable texture.

[0047]

[0048] <Results of Comparative Test: Cross Section> Furthermore, the cross section of the sausage of Example 1, which is representative of Reference Example 1, Comparative Example 1, and the Examples, is shown in Figure 1. The cross section of Example 1 was moist and smooth without any collapse compared to the cross section of Reference Example 1. The cross section of Comparative Example 1 was partially collapsed and had a crumbly appearance compared to the cross section of Example 1. The above results demonstrate that Examples 1 and 2 have a superior quality improvement effect compared to Comparative Example 1, which contains an equivalent amount of phosphoric acid.

[0049] <Test on Addition Amount> As in the previous test, sausages were prepared according to the formulations in Table 4. The sample added in Examples 3 to 5 and Comparative Example 3 was the yeast extract (Sample 1) used in Example 1 in the previous section. Furthermore, in Comparative Example 2, Polyrinsan 2-B (Organo Food Tech Co., Ltd.), which was used as Sample 3 in Comparative Example 1 in the previous section, was used. The amount of each sample added was 1.24 wt % for Example 3, 0.92 wt % for Example 4, 0.61 wt % for Example 5, 0.61 wt % for Comparative Example 2, and 0.3 wt % for Comparative Example 3, in terms of the amount of phosphoric acid relative to the meat raw material. The cut surfaces of the obtained sausages were observed to evaluate the quality improvement effect.

[0050]

[0051] <Results of investigation into the amount of added phosphoric acid: cross section> The results are shown in Figure 2. In Examples 3 to 5, the cross section had a smooth appearance, but Comparative Example 2, in which the amount of added phosphoric acid was 0.3% relative to the meat raw material, had a rough, granular appearance. Furthermore, when Example 4 and Comparative Example 3, in which the amount of added phosphoric acid was the same, had a rough cross section, suggesting that orthophosphoric acid was required.

[0052] From the above results, it was revealed that yeast extract containing phosphoric acids can improve the quality of processed meat foods.

Claims

1. A quality improving composition for processed meat foods, comprising as an active ingredient a yeast extract containing 18 parts by weight or more of phosphoric acids per 100 parts by weight of yeast extract.

2. A quality improving composition for processed meat foods as described in claim 1, wherein the phosphoric acids include orthophosphoric acid and the total content of orthophosphoric acid, pyrophosphoric acid, tripolyphosphoric acid and trimetaphosphoric acid in the phosphoric acids is 75% by weight or more.

3. A quality improving composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the arginine content of said quality improving composition is less than 2% by weight.

4. A method for improving the quality of processed meat foods, comprising using the quality improving composition according to claim 1 or 2.

5. A method for improving the quality of processed meat foods, comprising using the quality improving composition according to claim 3.

6. A method for producing processed meat foods, comprising the step of adding a quality improving composition according to claim 1 or 2.

7. A method for producing processed meat foods, comprising the step of adding the quality improving composition according to claim 3.

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