Fat mass composition and method for producing fat mass composition

Abstract

Provided are a fat mass composition and method for producing a fat mass composition. The fat mass composition contains: a granular body containing an oil / fat having a melting point of 0.1°C or greater; and an edible, ion-crosslinkable polymer crosslinked by cations. The granular body has an average particle diameter of 50 μm to 500 μm and demonstrates a degree of swelling of 50% to 110%.

Description

Fat lump composition and method for producing fat lump composition

[0001] The present disclosure relates to fat chunk compositions and methods for making fat chunk compositions.

[0002] Meat is a widely consumed food ingredient worldwide. However, in order to maintain health, people are increasingly refraining from meat intake and instead consuming meat-like foods (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "meat substitutes") made from plant-derived vegetable proteins such as soybeans. In recent years, attempts have been made to make the texture of meat substitutes more similar to that of meat. For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2-41315 proposes a method for producing a meat-like food, comprising: kneading an O / W emulsion having a compression oil separation rate of 15% or more, the emulsion being composed mainly of (a) protein, (b) fats and oils, and (c) water, in a weight ratio of a:b:c = 1:7 to 40:1 to 20, with a vegetable protein-containing substance; orienting the mixture by applying shear stress under heating; and then blending the resulting O / W emulsion with a fibrous protein and a binder so that the O / W emulsion accounts for 5 to 50% by weight of the total meat-like food; and then molding and heating the resulting mixture. In addition, for example, a livestock meat product improver containing oil-processed starch having a heat solubility of 3% to 25% and a heat swelling degree of 8 to 17 times has been disclosed (see JP 2020-162560 A).

[0003] Meat substitutes currently available on the market are either meat substitutes whose pre-cooked appearance does not resemble that of livestock meat, or meat substitutes whose appearance resembles minced livestock meat (livestock meat ground and chopped using a mincer or the like). However, livestock meat is in high demand as chunks of raw meat (chunks of meat; the same applies hereinafter). Therefore, in view of the increasing demand for meat substitutes, meat substitutes having an appearance similar to chunks of meat are required. In particular, for meat substitutes having an appearance similar to chunks of meat, the appearance, texture, and taste of the fat and oil portion are important. Therefore, an object of an embodiment of the present disclosure is to provide a fat chunk composition contained in a meat substitute having an appearance similar to chunks of meat, which has a texture similar to beef tallow, and a method for producing the fat chunk composition.

[0004] The present disclosure includes the following aspects: <1> A fat chunk composition comprising a granular material containing a fat or oil having a melting point of 0.1°C or higher, and an edible ionically cross-linkable polymer cross-linked with a cation, wherein the granular material has an average particle size of 50 μm or more and 500 μm or less, and a swelling degree of 50% or more and 110% or less.

[0005] <2> A fat block composition described in <1>, wherein, in at least one cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the fat block composition, when the length of the line between two points that is the longest is b and the length of the line that is the longest among the lines perpendicular to the line between the two points that is the longest, b / a is 2.00 or more. <3> A fat block composition described in <1> or <2>, which contains 500 ppm or more of divalent cations and 500 ppm or more of monovalent cations.

[0006] <4> A method for producing a fat lump composition, comprising: (1) a step of forming droplets containing fats and oils in an aqueous solution (hereinafter also referred to as the "droplet formation step"); (2) a step of solidifying the fats and oils in the droplets to obtain particles containing the solidified fats and oils (hereinafter also referred to as the "fat solidification step"); (3) a step of adding an aqueous solution containing an edible ionically cross-linkable polymer to the particles to obtain a mixture for forming a crude fat lump (hereinafter also referred to as the "mixing step"); (4) a step of contacting the mixture for forming a crude fat lump with a liquid containing a cation to produce a fat lump composition precursor (hereinafter also referred to as the "precursor production step"); (5) a step of shaping the fat lump composition precursor (hereinafter also referred to as the "shaping step"); and (6) a step of dropping the shaped fat lump composition precursor into a hardening liquid containing a cation to obtain a fat lump composition (hereinafter also referred to as the "cross-linking step"). <5> (7) A method for producing a fat lump composition described in <4>, further comprising a step of immersing the obtained fat lump composition in an aqueous salt solution containing a monovalent cation to adjust the degree of swelling (hereinafter also referred to as the "swelling degree adjustment step").

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a fat chunk composition contained in a meat substitute having an appearance similar to that of a chunk of meat and providing a texture similar to beef tallow, and a method for producing the fat chunk composition are provided.

[0008] Figure 1 is a top view showing one embodiment of the fat chunk composition of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the fat chunk composition shown in Figure 1 along line A-A. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of a manufacturing apparatus that can be used in the method for manufacturing the fat chunk composition of the present disclosure.

[0009] Below, an embodiment that is an example of the fat chunk composition and method for producing a fat chunk composition according to the present disclosure will be described. These descriptions and examples are intended to illustrate the embodiments and do not limit the scope of the invention. In the numerical ranges described in stages in this disclosure, the upper or lower limit value described in one numerical range may be replaced by the upper or lower limit value of another numerical range described in stages. Furthermore, in the numerical ranges described in this disclosure, the upper or lower limit value of that numerical range may be replaced by the value shown in the examples.

[0010] Each component may contain multiple corresponding substances. When referring to the amount of each component in a composition, if multiple substances corresponding to each component are present in the composition, the total amount of those multiple substances present in the composition is referred to unless otherwise specified. In this disclosure, the term "process" includes not only an independent process but also a process that cannot be clearly distinguished from other processes, as long as the intended purpose of the process is achieved. In this disclosure, a combination of two or more preferred aspects is a more preferred aspect. When embodiments are described with reference to drawings in this disclosure, the configuration of the embodiment is not limited to the configuration shown in the drawings. Furthermore, the size of components in each drawing is conceptual, and the relative size relationships between components are not limited thereto. In this disclosure, "a texture similar to beef tallow" means a texture that does not have the crunchy texture that is found in conventional encapsulated oils and fats.

[0011] <Fat lump composition> The fat lump composition (hereinafter also referred to as a specific fat lump composition) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a granular material containing fats and oils having a melting point of 0.1°C or higher, and an edible ionically cross-linkable polymer cross-linked with cations, wherein the average particle size of the granular material is 50 μm or more and 500 μm or less, and the swelling degree is 50% or more and 110% or less.

[0012] The specific fat chunk composition can provide a texture similar to that of beef tallow, and therefore, by using the specific fat chunk composition, it is possible to produce a meat substitute having an appearance and texture similar to that of a chunk of meat. The reason for this is presumed to be as follows. Here, in this disclosure, "chunk of meat" refers to uncooked raw meat cut into any size from livestock for meat production, and meat that has not been ground or chopped after being cut from the livestock. On the surface of the chunk of meat, fat often has an elongated shape.

[0013] The specific fat block composition has an average particle size of 50 μm or more and 500 μm or less of the oil-containing granules, which gives it an appearance similar to the oil content present inside a block of meat and a texture that is moderately close to that of beef tallow. Furthermore, the swelling degree of the specific fat block composition is 50% or more and 110% or less, which gives it a texture more similar to that of beef tallow and prevents it from developing the crunchy texture that is not found in beef tallow, which is found in encapsulated oils and fats as conventionally known fat block compositions. As a result of focusing on the problem that conventional encapsulated oils and fats become too soft or too hard depending on the crosslinking conditions, giving them a crunchy texture that is not found in beef tallow, the inventors have discovered a new finding that by controlling the swelling degree of the specific fat block composition within a predetermined range, it is possible to give the fat block composition a suitable texture.

[0014] (Granules containing fats and oils with a melting point of 0.1°C or higher) The fat lump composition of the present disclosure contains granules containing fats and oils with a melting point of 0.1°C or higher. Granules containing fats and oils with a melting point of 0.1°C or higher will hereinafter also be referred to as granules according to the present disclosure. - Composition of granules according to the present disclosure - The granules according to the present disclosure contain fats and oils with a melting point of 0.1°C or higher, and contain water and other additives as needed. - Fat and oil The fat and oil contained in the granules is not particularly limited as long as it has a melting point of 0.1°C or higher, and examples include vegetable fats and oils, animal fats and oils, and fatty acids. Here, fatty acids are monocarboxylic acids of long-chain hydrocarbons and are represented by the general formula C ｎ H ｍ It can be expressed as COOH (n and m are integers of 1 or more).

[0015] Examples of vegetable oils and fats include rapeseed oil, soybean oil, palm oil, olive oil, coconut oil, rice bran oil, corn oil, coconut oil, canola oil, etc. Examples of animal oils and fats include beef tallow, lard, whale fat, fish oil, etc. Examples of fatty acids include saturated fatty acids such as lauric acid, stearic acid, isostearic acid, palmitic acid, myristic acid, arachidic acid, and behenic acid; and unsaturated fatty acids such as oleic acid, linoleic acid, α-linolenic acid, eicosenoic acid, and erucic acid.

[0016] The oil or fat contained in the granules is preferably at least one selected from coconut oil, olive oil, palm oil, canola oil, and oleic acid, in order to increase the amount of oil released when the fat block composition is chewed.

[0017] The melting point of the fats and oils contained in the granules of the present disclosure is 0.1°C or higher, preferably 1°C to 30°C, more preferably 2°C to 30°C, and even more preferably 5°C to 30°C. When the melting point of the fats and oils is 0.1°C or higher, granules are more easily formed in the production of the fat block composition described below. Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, the melting point of the fats and oils is 1°C or higher, so that the structure of the fat block composition becomes similar to the structure of the fat contained in livestock meat. This makes it easier to release oil from the fat block composition during mastication, similar to the fat in livestock meat. Furthermore, there is no particular upper limit for the melting point of the fats and oils, but it is preferably 30°C or lower. When the fats and oils have a melting point of 30°C or lower, it becomes easier to produce a fat block composition containing water in a granule at room temperature (e.g., 25°C) in the production of the fat block composition described below, making the production process more convenient.

[0018] The melting point of fats and oils is measured in accordance with the "Standard Methods for Analysis of Fats, Oils and Oils 2.2.4.2 (1996) 1996 Edition, Established by the Japan Oil Chemists' Society."

[0019] The fat content is preferably 10% to 98% by mass, more preferably 20% to 95% by mass, and even more preferably 25% to 90% by mass, relative to the total mass of the fat mass composition.

[0020] Water: In some applications, the granules preferably contain water. There are no particular limitations on the water, as long as it is water that can be used in food.

[0021] When the granules contain water, when the fat block composition is chewed, water is released from the fat block composition in addition to the fat, which may make the texture more similar to that of the fat contained in livestock meat. Also, when the granules contain water, it becomes easier to incorporate water-soluble ingredients (e.g., seasonings such as umami components, flavorings, etc.) into the granules, making it easier to create a texture more similar to that of the fat contained in livestock meat.

[0022] When the granules contain water, the water content is preferably 1% by mass to 90% by mass, more preferably 5% by mass to 70% by mass, and even more preferably 10% by mass to 50% by mass, relative to the amount of oil or fat contained in the granules.

[0023] Other additives that may be contained in the granules of the present disclosure include, for example, seasonings, acidulants, bittering agents, spices, sweeteners, antioxidants, colorants, colorants, flavorings, stabilizers, preservatives, etc. Flavorings may include, for example, compounds that impart a beef tallow flavor to the fat or oil contained in the granules. Examples of compounds that impart a beef tallow flavor to fat or oil include tallow oil extracted from beef tallow, non-animal beef tallow-like oils that combine non-animal ingredients to impart a beef tallow flavor, vegetable beef tallow-like oils containing components extracted from plant-derived ingredients, and microbial beef tallow-like oils containing components derived from microorganisms. Because the granules are used as a meat substitute material, non-animal beef tallow-like oils, vegetable beef tallow-like oils, or microbial beef tallow-like oils are preferred as compounds that impart a beef tallow flavor to fat or oil. The content of other additives is preferably 0% to 5% by mass relative to the total mass of the granules.

[0024] -Characteristics of Granules- Average Particle Size of Granules The average particle size of the granules is 50 μm to 500 μm, preferably 50 μm to 400 μm, and more preferably 90 μm to 300 μm.

[0025] By making the average particle size of the granules 50 μm or more, the amount of oil released when the fat chunk composition is chewed is likely to be improved. Furthermore, by making the average particle size of the granules 500 μm or less, the particle size of the granules becomes small, making it difficult to visually recognize that the fat chunk composition contains a large number of granules. Therefore, the appearance of the fat chunk composition is more similar to the fat contained in livestock meat. Furthermore, by making the average particle size of the granules 500 μm or less, the particle size of the granules becomes small, making it easier for the fat chunk composition to feel smoother on the tongue when eaten. Therefore, the texture of the fat chunk composition is also likely to be better.

[0026] The average particle size of the granules is measured by observing the fat chunk composition with a transmission optical microscope. Examples of transmission microscopes that can be used include an inverted microscope Axio Observer. Z1 manufactured by Zeiss. The procedure for measuring the average particle size of the granules is described below. The fat chunk composition is immersed in a 100 mM aqueous solution of sodium ethylenediamine-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetate (manufactured by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) for 1 hour, and the granules floating after 1 hour are recovered from the fat chunk composition by gravity separation and placed on a 60 mm diameter polystyrene petri dish. At this time, the recovered granules are made to not overlap in the depth direction of the petri dish. The granules recovered in the petri dish are then observed with a transmission optical microscope and photographed at an objective magnification of 5x. At least 200 images of granules are selected from the captured image, and the equivalent circle diameter (the diameter of a perfect circle equivalent to the area of ​​the image of the granule) of each granule is calculated using image processing software (e.g., ImageJ). The arithmetic mean value of the calculated equivalent circle diameters of each granule is calculated, and this arithmetic mean value is used as the average particle size of the granules.

[0027] CV Value of Particle Size of Granules The CV value (coefficient of variation) of the particle size of the granules is preferably 30% or less, more preferably 25% or less, and even more preferably 20% or less.

[0028] Granules with a small particle size contain a small amount of fat and oil. Therefore, when granules with a small particle size are contained, the amount of oil released when the fat block composition is chewed is likely to be small. On the other hand, granules with a large particle size are unstable, and therefore oil and fat are likely to leak from the granules when cooked, such as by heating. From the above, in order to obtain a fat block composition that contains a large amount of fat and oil but is stably maintained during storage, and releases a large amount of oil when chewed, it is preferable that there is little variation in particle size due to the presence of granules with a small particle size and granules with a large particle size. In other words, from the viewpoint of achieving a more stable amount of oil release when chewed, it is preferable that the particle size distribution of the granules contained in the fat block composition is narrow. By setting the CV value of the particle size of the granules to 30% or less, the particle size of the granules contained in the fat block composition is likely to be close to uniform. Therefore, the fat block composition is likely to release a large amount of oil when chewed.

[0029] The CV value of particle size is a value calculated by the following formula: CV value of particle size (%) = (standard deviation of equivalent circle diameters of granules / average particle size of granules) x 100, where the average particle size of granules is a value measured by the method described above. The standard deviation of equivalent circle diameters of granules is the standard deviation of the equivalent circle diameters of 200 granules calculated in measuring the average particle size of the granules.

[0030] (Edible ionically cross-linkable polymer cross-linked with cations) The fat mass composition of the present disclosure contains an edible ionically cross-linkable polymer cross-linked with cations. Here, "edible" means the property of not having adverse effects on health when orally ingested by humans. "Ionically cross-linkable polymer" means a polymer that cross-links by reaction with ions.

[0031] The edible ion-crosslinkable polymers include those containing a carboxyl group, a carboxylate anion group (-COO － ), sulfo group, and sulfonic acid anion group (—SO ３ －) Examples of edible ionically cross-linkable polymers include alginic acid, carrageenan, low methoxyl (LM pectin), high methoxyl (HM pectin), deacylated (LA) gellan gum, etc. From the viewpoint of improving the heat resistance of the fat block composition, it is preferable that the edible ionically cross-linkable polymer is at least one selected from the group consisting of alginic acid, LM pectin, and LA gellan gum.

[0032] The viscosity of a 1% by mass aqueous solution of the edible ionically crosslinkable polymer (an aqueous solution containing 1% by mass of the ionically crosslinkable polymer relative to the entire aqueous solution) is preferably 10 mPa·s to 3000 mPa·s, and more preferably 20 mPa·s to 1000 mPa·s.

[0033] The viscosity of a 1% by mass aqueous solution of the edible ionically crosslinkable polymer is a value measured using a tuning fork vibro viscometer at a temperature of 20° C. As the tuning fork vibro viscometer, for example, an SV-10 (manufactured by A&D) can be used.

[0034] The cation is preferably a metal ion having an ionic valence of divalent or higher. Examples of the metal ion include divalent metal ions such as calcium ion, magnesium ion, iron (II), copper (II), zinc ion, and manganese ion; and trivalent metal ions such as aluminum ion and iron (III). From the viewpoint of obtaining a stable crosslinked structure, the metal ion is preferably at least one selected from calcium ion, magnesium ion, and zinc ion, and more preferably calcium ion.

[0035] The content of the edible ionically cross-linked polymer cross-linked with cations is preferably 0.01% by mass to 20% by mass, more preferably 0.1% by mass to 10% by mass, and even more preferably 0.5% by mass to 5% by mass, relative to the total mass of the fat mass composition.

[0036] In particular, the fat chunk composition of the present disclosure preferably contains 100 ppm or more of divalent cations and 200 ppm or more of monovalent cations. It is more preferable that the fat chunk composition contains 500 ppm or more of divalent cations and 500 ppm or more of monovalent cations.

[0037] Examples of divalent cations include at least one selected from calcium ions, magnesium ions, iron ions (II), copper ions (II), zinc ions, and manganese ions, with calcium ions being preferred. The fat block composition of the present disclosure may contain only one type of divalent cation, or may contain two or more types. The content of divalent cations in the fat block composition of the present disclosure is more preferably 500 ppm or more, even more preferably 700 ppm or more, and particularly preferably 1000 ppm or more. There is no particular upper limit to the content of divalent cations, but it can be 10,000 ppm or less from the viewpoint of easily achieving a desirable degree of swelling in terms of the texture described below.

[0038] The monovalent cation may be at least one selected from sodium ions and potassium ions, with sodium ions being preferred. The fat block composition of the present disclosure may contain only one type of monovalent cation, or may contain two or more types. The content of monovalent cations in the fat block composition of the present disclosure is preferably 500 ppm or more, more preferably 700 ppm or more, and even more preferably 900 ppm or more. There is no particular upper limit for the content of monovalent cations, but it can be set to 10,000 ppm or less from the viewpoint of easily achieving a desirable degree of swelling in terms of the texture described below. The content of monovalent cations and divalent cations in the fat block composition of the present disclosure is measured by the following method. Using a single-edged razor, three slices (approximately 100 mg) are prepared by slicing the center of the fat block composition. Each sliced ​​sample is transferred to a Teflon (registered trademark) vial. Add 5 mL of 60% nitric acid solution to each vial containing the sample and incinerate it, then add pure water to make the volume 50 mL. Using the solution thus made to a constant volume, quantify Na and Ca using ICP-OES (absolute calibration method).

[0039] (Swelling degree) The swelling degree of the fat chunk composition of the present disclosure is 50% or more and 110% or less, preferably 50% or more and 105% or less, and more preferably 50% or more and 100% or less.

[0040] When the swelling degree is 50% or more, the fat block composition is less likely to exhibit a crunchy texture unlike beef tallow, and has a texture similar to beef tallow. Also, when the swelling degree is 110% or less, the fat block composition has a moderate hardness, and the shape retention and the retention of the aroma, taste, etc. resulting from the seasonings contained in the fat block composition are good.

[0041] (Method for Measuring Swelling Degree) The swelling degree of the specific fat chunk composition in the present disclosure is measured by the following method. A sample is prepared by freezing the specific fat chunk composition (size: 1 piece: approximately 1.5 cm x 3.0 cm) at -20°C. After thawing the frozen samples at room temperature (25°C), each sample is placed in a vial container (manufacturer: Nichiden Rika Glass, model number: SV-30) and dried for 5 hours in an 80°C oven (manufacturer: AS ONE, model number: DO-450PC) to obtain a dried sample, and its dry mass is measured. 20 mL of ion-exchanged water is then placed in the vial container, and the dried sample is allowed to swell for 24 hours at 5°C. The swollen sample is placed on a Kimtowel (registered trademark: Nippon Paper Crecia Co., Ltd.) at room temperature, and another Kimtowel is placed over the sample to drain the water from the surface of the sample and remove excess moisture. The mass of the drained sample is measured, and the measured value is the mass after water absorption. The swelling degree is calculated from the dry mass of the sample and the mass after water absorption using the following formula: Swelling degree (%) = [[(mass after water absorption) - (dry mass)] / (dry mass)] x 100 The measurement is carried out three times using different samples, and the average value is taken as the swelling degree of the sample.

[0042] The degree of swelling can be controlled, for example, by adjusting the concentration of divalent cations contained in the edible ion-crosslinkable polymer solution, the divalent cation concentration in the hardening liquid used to harden the fat block composition, the contact time between the mixed solution and the hardening liquid, the concentration of monovalent cations in the swelling degree adjustment step, the immersion time, temperature, stirring speed, etc. The concentration of divalent cations contained in the edible ion-crosslinkable polymer solution is preferably 0.01% by mass to 10% by mass, more preferably 0.02% by mass to 9% by mass, and even more preferably 0.03% by mass to 8% by mass. The contact time between the mixed solution and the hardening liquid is preferably 1 minute to 1500 minutes, more preferably 1.5 minutes to 1000 minutes, and even more preferably 2 minutes to 960 minutes. The concentration of monovalent cations in the swelling degree adjustment step is preferably 0.1% by mass to 20% by mass, more preferably 0.2% by mass to 18% by mass, and even more preferably 0.3% by mass to 15% by mass. The immersion time with the monovalent cation in the swelling degree adjustment step is preferably 1 minute to 960 minutes, more preferably 2 minutes to 600 minutes, and even more preferably 5 minutes to 500 minutes. The temperature in the swelling degree adjustment step is preferably 2°C to 25°C, more preferably 3°C to 23°C, and even more preferably 4°C to 20°C. In the swelling degree adjustment step, the liquid may or may not be stirred. Examples of stirring methods when stirring the liquid include stirring with a blade, shaking, perfusion, magnetic stirrer stirring, and the like, and any of these stirring methods can be used. Among the stirring methods when stirring the liquid, stirring with a blade or stirring by shaking is preferred.

[0043] (Preferred shape of fat lump composition) In at least one cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the fat lump composition of the present disclosure, when the length of the line between two points that is the longest is b and the length of the line that is the longest among the lines perpendicular to the line between the two points that is the longest, it is preferable that b / a is 2.00 or more.

[0044] From the viewpoint of making the appearance of the meat substitute more similar to that of a whole piece of meat, b / a is preferably 2.20 or more, more preferably 2.40 or more, and even more preferably 2.60 or more. From the viewpoint of making the appearance of the meat substitute more similar to that of a whole piece of meat, b / a is preferably 50.00 or less, more preferably 30.00 or less, even more preferably 10.00 or less, and particularly preferably 5.00 or less. From the viewpoint of making the appearance of the meat substitute more similar to that of a whole piece of meat, b / a is preferably 2.00 to 50.00.

[0045] From the viewpoint of making the appearance of the meat substitute more similar to that of a whole piece of meat, the length a is preferably 0.5 mm to 8.0 mm, and more preferably 1.0 mm to 6.0 mm. From the viewpoint of making the appearance of the meat substitute more similar to that of a whole piece of meat, the length b is preferably 1.0 mm to 16.0 mm, and more preferably 3.0 mm to 12.0 mm.

[0046] In the longitudinal direction of the fat chunk composition, when the maximum value of length b is b1 and the minimum value of length b is b2, from the viewpoint of making the appearance of the meat substitute more similar to that of a whole piece of meat, b2 / b1 is preferably 0.90 or less, more preferably 0.80 or less, and even more preferably 0.70 or less. From the viewpoint of making the appearance of the meat substitute more similar to that of a whole piece of meat, b2 / b1 is preferably 0.45 or more. From the viewpoint of making the appearance of the meat substitute more similar to that of a whole piece of meat, b2 / b1 is preferably 0.45 to 0.90.

[0047] When the longitudinal length of the fat chunk composition is c, from the viewpoint of making the appearance of the meat substitute more similar to that of a whole piece of meat, c / b is preferably 1.00 or more, more preferably 2.00 or more, and even more preferably 2.50 or more. From the viewpoint of making the appearance of the meat substitute more similar to that of a whole piece of meat, c / b is preferably 25.00 or less. From the viewpoint of making the appearance of the meat substitute more similar to that of a whole piece of meat, c / b is preferably 1.00 to 25.00 or less.

[0048] From the viewpoint of making the appearance of the substitute meat closer to that of a whole piece of meat, the length c is preferably 5.0 mm to 150.0 mm, more preferably 10.0 mm to 100.0 mm, and even more preferably 15.0 mm to 70.0 mm.

[0049] When the length of the line with the shortest length among lines perpendicular to the line where the length between two points is the longest and where the ratio of the length of the line to the line where the length between two points is the longest is 0.10 or more, d / a is preferably 0.80 or less, more preferably 0.70 or less, and even more preferably 0.60 or less, from the viewpoint of making the appearance of the meat substitute closer to that of a whole piece of meat. From the viewpoint of making the appearance of the meat substitute closer to that of a whole piece of meat, d / a is preferably 0.05 or more. From the viewpoint of making the appearance of the meat substitute closer to that of a whole piece of meat, d / a is preferably 0.05 to 0.80.

[0050] From the viewpoint of making the appearance of the substitute meat closer to that of a whole piece of meat, the length d is preferably 0.1 mm to 3.0 mm, more preferably 0.1 mm to 2.5 mm, and even more preferably 0.2 mm to 2.5 mm.

[0051] In the present disclosure, the above-mentioned lengths a, b, c and d are measured by photographing the cross section and longitudinal direction of the fat mass composition using a digital camera and a scale (e.g., Shibuya Engineering, glass reference scale 100 mm, 500 equal division line width 0.005 mm) and using image processing software (e.g., ImageJ).

[0052] Next, referring to Figure 1, the lengths a, b, c, and d will be explained. Note that the fat chunk composition of the present disclosure is not limited to those shown in Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a top view showing one embodiment of a specific fat chunk composition, and Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the specific fat chunk composition shown in Figure 1 along line A-A. As shown in Figure 1, line A-A is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of specific fat chunk composition 10 (the direction of arrow X in Figure 1). In Figure 1, the longitudinal length of specific fat chunk composition 10 is indicated by the symbol c. Figure 2 shows a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of fat chunk composition 10. In a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of fat chunk composition 10 (line A-A cross-section), the length of the line with the longest length between two points is indicated by the symbol b in Figure 2. In a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of fat chunk composition 10 (line A-A cross-section), the length of the line with the longest length among the lines perpendicular to the line with the longest length between two points is indicated by the symbol a in Figure 2. In a cross section (line A-A cross section) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the specific fat mass composition 10, the length of the line with the shortest length among lines perpendicular to the line with the longest length between two points and having a length ratio of 0.10 or more to the line with the longest length between the two points is indicated by the symbol d in Figure 2.

[0053] (Other Components) The specific fat mass composition may further contain other components in addition to the granules containing fats and oils having a melting point of 0.1°C or higher and the edible ionically cross-linked polymer, to the extent that the effects of the present disclosure are not impaired. Examples of other components include surfactants, seasonings, acidulants, bittering agents, spices, sweetening agents, antioxidants, coloring agents, color formers, fragrances, stabilizers, preservatives, etc. Other components such as seasonings, acidulants, bittering agents, spices, sweetening agents, antioxidants, coloring agents, color formers, fragrances, stabilizers, preservatives, etc. may also be contained in a gel containing the edible ionically cross-linked polymer cross-linked with cations described below, which may be contained in the specific fat mass composition.

[0054] -Surfactant- It is preferable that the specific fat lump composition contains a surfactant. When the fat lump composition contains a surfactant, a greater amount of oil and fat is released when the fat lump composition after cooking is chewed. The reason for this is presumed to be as follows. When the granules in the fat lump composition are in contact with each other, oil and fat are more likely to leak from the granules during cooking. As a result, the amount of oil and fat released when the fat lump composition after cooking is more likely to decrease. By containing a surfactant, the granules and the ionically cross-linkable polymer tend to blend well together, making it easier for the ionically cross-linkable polymer to be present in the gaps between the granules. As a result, the granules tend to be spaced apart at an appropriate distance, which prevents oil and fat from leaking from the granules during cooking. As a result, a greater amount of oil and fat is released when the fat lump composition after cooking is chewed.

[0055] The surfactant may be an edible surfactant, such as glycerin fatty acid ester, polyglycerin fatty acid ester, organic acid monoglyceride, sorbitan fatty acid ester, propylene glycol fatty acid ester, sucrose fatty acid ester, polyglycerin condensed ricinoleate, or lecithin.

[0056] The glycerin fatty acid ester preferably contains a monoglyceride as a main component. Here, "main component" means that the content of monoglyceride is 90% by mass or more of the total glycerin fatty acid ester. The monoglyceride is preferably a monoester of glycerin with a saturated or unsaturated fatty acid having from 2 to 24 carbon atoms. Examples of fatty acids include behenic acid, stearic acid, and palmitic acid. The glycerin fatty acid ester may contain a diglyceride. The diglyceride is preferably a diester of glycerin with a saturated or unsaturated fatty acid having from 2 to 24 carbon atoms.

[0057] The polyglycerol fatty acid ester is preferably an esterification product of polyglycerol with a saturated or unsaturated fatty acid having from 2 to 24 carbon atoms. Specific examples of the polyglycerol fatty acid ester include polyglyceryl monomyristate, polyglyceryl dimyristate, polyglyceryl trimyristate, polyglyceryl monopalmitate, polyglyceryl dipalmitate, polyglyceryl tripalmitate, polyglyceryl monostearate, polyglyceryl distearate, polyglyceryl tristearate, polyglyceryl monoisostearate, polyglyceryl diisostearate, polyglyceryl triisostearate, polyglyceryl monooleate, polyglyceryl dimonooleate, and polyglyceryl trimonooleate.

[0058] Organic acid monoglycerides are those in which the hydroxyl groups derived from glycerin in monoglycerides are further esterified with organic acids, such as citric acid, succinic acid, acetic acid, and lactic acid, with citric acid and succinic acid being preferred, and citric acid being more preferred.

[0059] Sorbitan fatty acid ester refers to an esterification product of sorbitan and a fatty acid. The sorbitan fatty acid ester is preferably an esterification product of sorbitan and a saturated or unsaturated fatty acid having from 2 to 18 carbon atoms. Specific examples of the sorbitan fatty acid ester include sorbitan monocaprate, sorbitan monolaurate, sorbitan monopalmitate, sorbitan monostearate, sorbitan distearate, sorbitan sesquistearate, sorbitan tristearate, sorbitan trioleate, sorbitan monoisostearate, sorbitan sesquiisostearate, sorbitan monooleate, sorbitan sesquioleate, and sorbitan coconut oil fatty acid.

[0060] Propylene glycol fatty acid esters are esters of fatty acids and propylene glycol. The fatty acids used in the synthesis of propylene glycol fatty acid esters are preferably saturated or unsaturated fatty acids having from 2 to 24 carbon atoms. Specific examples of propylene glycol fatty acid esters include propylene glycol palmitate, propylene glycol stearate, and propylene glycol behenate.

[0061] Sucrose fatty acid esters are esters of sucrose and fatty acids. Fatty acids used in the synthesis of sucrose fatty acid esters are preferably saturated or unsaturated fatty acids having from 2 to 24 carbon atoms. Preferred sucrose fatty acid esters are esters of sucrose with one or more fatty acids selected from the group consisting of caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, arachidic acid, and behenic acid.

[0062] The polyglycerol condensed ricinoleate is an ester of a polyglycerol fatty acid ester and a ricinoleic acid condensate. Specific examples of the polyglycerol condensed ricinoleate include esters of the compounds described above as specific examples of the polyglycerol fatty acid ester with a ricinoleic acid condensate.

[0063] Lecithin refers to phosphatidylcholine itself or a mixture containing at least phosphatidylcholine. A mixture containing at least phosphatidylcholine is generally a mixture that may contain, in addition to phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidic acid, lysophosphatidylcholine, lysophosphatidic acid, sphingomyelin, sphingoethanolamine, and the like.

[0064] As the lecithin, enzymatically decomposed lecithin (so-called lysolecithin) can be used. Enzymatically decomposed lecithin is a composition containing lysophosphatidylcholine in which one fatty acid contained in the phosphatidylcholine molecule has been lost by an enzyme such as phospholipase. In the fat block composition, the enzymatically decomposed lecithin includes so-called hydrogenated enzymatically decomposed lecithin, which has been subjected to a hydrogenation treatment to convert the bound fatty acid into a saturated fatty acid, thereby improving its oxidative stability.

[0065] The surfactants may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0066] From the viewpoint of emulsification and dispersibility, the HLB value of the surfactant is preferably 8 or more, more preferably 10 or more, and even more preferably 12 or more. There is no particular upper limit to the HLB value of the emulsifier, but it is generally 20 or less, and preferably 18 or less. The HLB value of the emulsifier is preferably 8 to 20. HLB refers to the hydrophilic-hydrophobic balance that is usually used in the field of surfactants. The HLB value is calculated using the Kawakami formula shown below. When a commercially available product is used as the surfactant, priority is given to the data in the commercial catalog.

[0067] HLB = 7 + 11.7 log (Mw / Mo) Here, Mw represents the molecular weight of the hydrophilic group of the surfactant, and Mo represents the molecular weight of the hydrophobic group of the surfactant. The hydrophobic group of a surfactant is an atomic group that has low affinity for water and that the surfactant possesses. Examples of hydrophobic groups include alkyl groups, alkenyl groups, alkylsilyl groups, and perfluoroalkyl groups. Specifically, when the surfactant is the above-mentioned "glycerin fatty acid ester, polyglycerin fatty acid ester, organic acid monoglyceride, sorbitan fatty acid ester, propylene glycol fatty acid ester, sucrose fatty acid ester, polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid ester, or lecithin," the hydrophobic group refers to the alkyl and alkenyl groups derived from fatty acids. The hydrophilic group of a surfactant is an atomic group that has high affinity for water and that the surfactant possesses. Specifically, the hydrophobic group refers to the atomic group other than the hydrophobic group in the surfactant structure.

[0068] The Hansen solubility parameter (HSP) distance between the ionically crosslinkable polymer and the hydrophilic portion of the surfactant is preferably 10 or less, more preferably 9 or less, and even more preferably 8 or less.

[0069] When the granules in the fat block composition are in contact with each other, oils and fats are more likely to leak from the granules during cooking. As a result, the amount of oils and fats released when the fat block composition after cooking is chewed is more likely to decrease. By setting the HSP distance between the ionically cross-linkable polymer and the hydrophilic part of the surfactant within the above numerical range, the ionically cross-linkable polymer is more likely to be present in the gaps between the granules. As a result, the granules are more likely to have an appropriate distance between them, making it less likely for oils and fats to leak from the granules during cooking. As a result, the amount of oils and fats released when the fat block composition after cooking is chewed is greater.

[0070] The HSP distance can be adjusted by changing the structure of the hydrophilic part of the ionically crosslinkable polymer and surfactant. The HSP distance is a combination of three cohesive energy density values ​​(δD: dispersion term, δP: dispersion pole, and δH: hydrogen bond term), each expressed in units of [J / cm ３ ] １／２ is.

[0071] The HSP distance is calculated as follows: The HSP distance can be obtained as a registered value or an estimated value in commercially available software HSPiP4th Edition version 4.0.04.

[0072] This software can be obtained from sites such as http: / / hansen-solubility.com / index.html. Furthermore, in order to obtain HSPs based on such software, references to literature by Hansen et al. (e.g., C. M. Hansen Solubility Parameters: A User's Handbook) ２ｎｄ edition, CEC press, 2007, ISBN-10: 0849372488).

[0073] The content of the surfactant relative to the total mass of the fat chunk composition is preferably 0.05% by mass to 2% by mass, and more preferably 0.10% by mass to 1% by mass.

[0074] (Gel containing an edible ionically cross-linked polymer cross-linked with cations) The fat block composition of the present disclosure preferably contains a gel containing the edible ionically cross-linked polymer cross-linked with cations described above. A gel refers to a substance that contains at least water and an edible ionically cross-linked polymer cross-linked with cations and behaves as an elastic solid. When the fat block composition contains a gel, it becomes easier to maintain a state in which the granules are spaced apart at an appropriate distance. Therefore, oil and fat are less likely to leak from the granules during cooking. As a result, a greater amount of oil and fat is likely to be released when the fat block composition after cooking is chewed.

[0075] The gel preferably contains at least an edible ionically cross-linkable polymer cross-linked with cations and water, and preferably contains other additives other than an edible ionically cross-linkable polymer cross-linked with cations and water as needed.

[0076] The edible ionically cross-linked polymer cross-linked with cations contained in the gel may be the edible ionically cross-linked polymer cross-linked with cations described above. The water contained in the gel is not particularly limited as long as it is water that can be used in food. Other additives that can be contained in the gel include seasonings, acidulants, bittering agents, spices, sweeteners, antioxidants, coloring agents, color formers, fragrances, stabilizers, preservatives, etc.

[0077] The content of the edible ionically cross-linked polymer cross-linked with cations in the gel is preferably 0.1% by mass to 10% by mass, more preferably 0.2% by mass to 5% by mass, and even more preferably 0.5% by mass to 3% by mass, relative to the total mass of the gel. The content of other additives in the gel is preferably 0% by mass to 20% by mass, relative to the total mass of the gel.

[0078] The ratio of the volume of the gel to the volume of the granules is preferably 10% to 300%, more preferably 30% to 200%, and even more preferably 50% to 150%.

[0079] The volume of the gel relative to the volume of the granules is measured as follows. First, the volume of the fat lump composition is measured using a laser volumeter. As a laser volumeter, for example, a VL-300 manufactured by Keyence can be used. Then, the granules are recovered from the fat lump composition using the procedure described in the procedure for measuring the average particle size of the granules, and the recovered granules are allowed to stand at 50°C for 1 hour to coalesce, after which the volume is measured using the volumeter. As a volumeter, for example, a measuring cylinder can be used. The volume of the gel is calculated using the following formula: Formula: Volume of gel = (Volume of fat lump composition (m ３ ) - volume of granular material (m ３ )) / volume of fat mass composition (m ３ ) × 100

[0080] The specific fat chunk composition can be produced by the method for producing a fat chunk composition described below. However, the method for producing the specific fat chunk composition is not limited to this, and may involve contacting a liquid containing granules containing an edible ionically cross-linkable polymer and fats with a liquid containing cations in a stainless steel tray or the like, cross-linking the edible ionically cross-linkable polymer, and then cutting the mixture so that b / a is 2.00 or more.

[0081] The specific fat chunk composition may be a fat chunk mixture containing other fat chunk compositions. Examples of fat chunk mixtures include mixtures in which the content of the above-mentioned specific fat chunk composition relative to the total mass of the fat chunk mixture is 30% by mass or more. When the specific fat chunk composition is used as the fat chunk mixture, from the viewpoint of making the appearance of the meat substitute closer to that of chunk meat and favorably maintaining the texture of the fat chunk composition, the content of the specific fat chunk composition relative to the total mass of the fat chunk mixture is preferably 50% by mass or more, and more preferably 90% to 99% by mass. When preparing the fat chunk mixture, two or more specific fat chunk compositions may be contained.

[0082] From the viewpoint of making the appearance of the substitute meat closer to that of a piece of meat and maintaining the texture of the fat chunk composition in a favorable manner, the content of the fat chunk composition other than the specific fat chunk composition contained in the fat chunk mixture relative to the total mass of the fat chunk mixture is preferably 70% by mass or less, more preferably 50% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.1% by mass to 10% by mass.

[0083] The fat chunk mixture may contain additives such as seasonings, acidulants, bittering agents, spices, sweeteners, antioxidants, coloring agents, color formers, flavoring agents, stabilizers, preservatives, and the like.

[0084] The specific fat chunk composition is suitable for use in meat substitutes. The meat substitute containing the specific fat chunk composition contains a lean meat-like portion containing protein and the specific fat chunk composition described above or a fat chunk mixture containing the specific fat chunk composition.

[0085] The lean meat-like portion refers to a portion of the meat-like meat substitute that appears to be lean. The lean meat-like portion preferably contains protein and, as necessary, fats and oils, binders, and other additives.

[0086] -Protein- The lean meat-like portion contains protein. The protein preferably contains at least one of vegetable protein and animal protein, and more preferably contains vegetable protein.

[0087] Vegetable proteins are proteins extracted from plants. There are no particular limitations on the vegetable proteins, as long as they are extracted from plants. Examples of sources of plant proteins include grains such as wheat, barley, oats, rice, and corn; beans such as soybeans, peas, adzuki beans, chickpeas, lentils, fava beans, mung beans, and lupin beans; nuts and seeds such as almonds, peanuts, cashew nuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, flaxseed, sesame, rapeseed, cottonseed, safflower, and sunflower; potatoes such as potato, sweet potato, mountain yam, Jerusalem artichoke, and cassava; vegetables such as asparagus, artichoke, cauliflower, broccoli, and edamame; fruits such as banana, jackfruit, kiwifruit, coconut, avocado, and olive; mushrooms such as mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, shimeji mushrooms, and maitake mushrooms; and algae such as chlorella, spirulina, euglena, nori seaweed, kelp, wakame seaweed, hijiki seaweed, tengusa seaweed, and mozuku seaweed. Among these, from the viewpoint of obtaining a meat substitute having an appearance and texture similar to that of a whole piece of meat, the origin of the edible protein is preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of wheat, soybean, pea, and rice, and more preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of soybean and wheat. The vegetable protein may contain a protein derived from one type of plant, or may contain proteins derived from two or more types of plants.

[0088] Animal protein is a protein obtained from an animal. The animal protein is not particularly limited as long as it is a protein obtained from an animal. Examples of animal proteins include collagen, gelatin, keratin, fibroin, sericin, casein, conchiolin, elastin, protamine, egg yolk protein, and egg white protein. Only one type of animal protein may be contained, or two or more types may be contained.

[0089] From the viewpoint of obtaining a meat substitute having a texture closer to that of livestock meat, it is preferable that the protein has muscle-like tissue. Here, muscle-like tissue refers to tissue that has a structure similar to a fiber bundle and can be split into fibers in a certain direction. Red meat of livestock meat originates from muscle. And muscle is composed of bundles of muscle fibers. Therefore, red meat of livestock meat has a structure similar to a fiber bundle. When the protein contained in the substitute lean meat-like portion according to this embodiment has muscle-like tissue, it becomes possible to produce the texture brought about by the presence of muscle fibers that is felt when eating livestock meat.

[0090] A method for making a protein have muscle-like texture includes extruding the protein (with water or the like added together with the protein, if necessary) using an extruder. By extruding the protein, the protein has a structure similar to fiber bundles aligned in the extrusion direction of the extruder, and has a texture that can be split into fibers in the extrusion direction of the extruder, i.e., it is possible to obtain a protein having muscle-like texture.

[0091] The protein content is preferably 50% to 100% by mass, more preferably 60% to 95% by mass, and even more preferably 70% to 90% by mass, relative to the total mass of the lean meat-like portion.

[0092] The meat substitute containing the specific fat chunk composition preferably contains a fiber bundle-structured protein. Here, the fiber bundle-structured protein is a protein having a uniform fiber bundle-like structure. Furthermore, fiber bundle-like refers to a structure similar to bundles of fibers extending in one direction. From the standpoint of shape and texture, the fiber bundle-structured protein is preferably a fiber bundle-structured protein having muscle-like tissue. Here, muscle-like tissue refers to tissue that has a structure similar to fiber bundles and can be split in one direction. In particular, the muscle-like tissue is preferably tissue that has a structure similar to fiber bundles and can be split in one direction like fibers. Lean meat of livestock meat is derived from muscle. Muscle is composed of bundles of muscle fibers. Therefore, lean meat of livestock meat has a structure similar to fiber bundles. By applying a fiber bundle-structured protein having muscle-like tissue to the meat substitute according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a meat substitute having a texture more similar to livestock meat can be obtained.

[0093] The fiber bundle-like textured protein is preferably composed of a vegetable protein. The vegetable protein has the same meaning as that described above, and the preferred embodiments are also the same. The vegetable protein may contain a protein derived from one type of plant, or may contain proteins derived from two or more types of plants.

[0094] Examples of fiber bundle-organized proteins having muscle-like tissue include spongy fiber bundle-organized proteins and fibrous fiber bundle-organized proteins. Here, "spongy" refers to an isotropic porous structure in appearance. On the other hand, "fibrous" refers to an anisotropic fibrous structure in appearance. An isotropic porous structure refers to a structure in which the pore shape in a cut surface cut at an arbitrary position is approximately elliptical and is substantially the same regardless of the direction. An anisotropic fibrous structure refers to a structure in which the cut surface cut at an arbitrary position is fibrous. Preferably, the cut surface has a pore shape, and the pore shape varies between approximately elliptical and approximately fibrous depending on the cutting direction. Methods for observing the cut surface include cutting a slice and observing it under a microscope, or observing it with X-ray CT (Computed Tomography).

[0095] Meat alternatives containing specific fat chunk compositions preferably contain fiber bundle-structured proteins in which the fiber axis direction of the fiber bundle-structured proteins is oriented in one direction in the proximal region. Here, the fiber axis direction of the fiber bundle-structured protein refers to the longitudinal direction of the fibers that form the muscle-like tissue. Furthermore, the fiber axis direction of the fiber bundle-structured proteins being oriented in one direction in the proximal region may mean that some of the structured proteins have different fiber axes, or that the fiber axis direction of the structured proteins is oriented in a constant direction overall, or that the structured proteins are oriented in one direction in the proximal region while fluctuating overall. Spongy structured proteins with an isotropic porous structure can also be made into fiber bundle-structured proteins by disintegrating them into fibers or cutting them into fibers. From the standpoint of appearance and texture, the fiber bundle-structured proteins contained in meat alternatives are more preferably fibrous fiber bundle-structured proteins.

[0096] The content of the fiber bundle-textured protein is preferably 5% by mass to 95% by mass, more preferably 7% by mass to 90% by mass, and even more preferably 10% by mass to 85% by mass, relative to the total mass of the meat substitute.

[0097] - Fats and Oils - The lean meat-like portion may contain fats and oils. Examples of fats and oils include vegetable fats and oils, animal fats and oils, etc. Examples of vegetable fats and oils include the same as those described in the description of the fat chunk composition. Examples of animal fats and oils include beef tallow, lard, whale fat, and fish oil.

[0098] - Binder - The lean meat-like portion preferably contains a binder as needed. When the lean meat-like portion contains a binder, the lean meat-like portion can more easily maintain a cohesive shape.

[0099] The binder is not particularly limited as long as it is edible and can maintain the shape of the lean meat-like portion. Examples of binders include proteins, thickening polysaccharides, starch, etc. The protein used as the binder may be the same as or different from the protein contained in the lean meat-like portion.

[0100] Examples of proteins used as binders include vegetable proteins, animal proteins, enzymes, etc. Vegetable proteins used as binders include proteins derived from wheat, soybeans, rice, etc. Animal proteins used as binders include milk proteins, egg whites, etc. Enzymes include transglutaminase, etc.

[0101] Examples of thickening polysaccharides include carrageenan, xanthan gum, pectin, locust bean gum, curdlan, guar gum, tragacanth gum, gum arabic, gellan gum, tamarind seed gum, cassia gum, tara gum, alginic acid, agar, glucomannan, soybean polysaccharides, gelatin, pullulan, psyllium, chitosan, methylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, and dextrin.

[0102] Examples of starches include wheat starch, cassava starch, rice starch, glutinous rice starch, corn starch, waxy corn starch, sago starch, potato starch, kudzu starch, lotus root starch, mung bean starch, sweet potato starch, waxy potato starch, waxy cassava starch, and waxy wheat starch.

[0103] The binder preferably contains a polysaccharide, including a thermo-irreversible gel-forming polysaccharide and a thermo-reversible gel-forming polysaccharide, and a gelation retarder.

[0104] -Thermoreversible Gel-Forming Polysaccharide- Here, a thermoreversible gel is a gel that, once formed (in this paragraph, "gel" refers to a substance that contains at least water and a thermoreversible gel-forming polysaccharide and behaves as an elastic solid), maintains its gel state even when heated. A thermoreversible gel-forming polysaccharide is a polysaccharide that forms a thermoreversible gel.

[0105] The thermally irreversible gel-forming polysaccharide is preferably a polysaccharide that crosslinks by reaction with a cation, from the viewpoint of solubility before gelation. The cation serving as the gelling agent is preferably a metal ion having an ionic valence of divalent or higher. Examples of the metal ion include divalent metal ions such as calcium ion, magnesium ion, iron (II), copper (II), zinc ion, and manganese ion; and trivalent metal ions such as aluminum ion and iron (III). From the viewpoint of obtaining a stable crosslinked structure, the metal ion is preferably at least one selected from calcium ion, magnesium ion, and zinc ion, and more preferably calcium ion.

[0106] The thermally irreversible gel-forming polysaccharides include those having a carboxyl group, a carboxylate anion group (-COO － ), sulfo group, and sulfonic acid anion group (—SO ３ － Examples of the thermo-irreversible gel-forming polysaccharide include alginic acid, LM pectin, and LA gellan gum.

[0107] From the viewpoint of improving moldability and heat resistance of the gel, the thermo-irreversible gel-forming polysaccharide is preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of alginic acid and pectin.

[0108] The viscosity of a 1% by mass aqueous solution of the thermoreversible gel-forming polysaccharide (an aqueous solution containing 1% by mass of the thermoreversible gel-forming polysaccharide relative to the total amount of the aqueous solution) is preferably 10 mPa·s or more and 3000 mPa·s or less, and more preferably 20 mPa·s or more and 1000 mPa·s or less.

[0109] The viscosity of a 1% by mass aqueous solution of the thermo-irreversible gel-forming polysaccharide is a value measured using a tuning fork vibro viscometer at a temperature of 20° C. As the tuning fork vibro viscometer, for example, an SV-10 (manufactured by A&D) can be used.

[0110] The content of the thermally irreversible gel-forming polysaccharide is preferably 10% by mass to 90% by mass, more preferably 20% by mass to 80% by mass, and even more preferably 30% by mass to 70% by mass, relative to the total mass of the binder.

[0111] - Thermoreversible gel-forming polysaccharides - Here, a thermoreversible gel is a gel that maintains a gel state (in this paragraph, "gel" refers to a substance that contains at least water and a thermoreversible gel-forming polysaccharide and behaves as an elastic solid) at room temperature (25°C) and melts and becomes a liquid (sol) when heated. A thermoreversible gel-forming polysaccharide is a polysaccharide that forms a thermoreversible gel.

[0112] Examples of thermoreversible gel-forming polysaccharides include agar, carrageenan, furcellaran, native gellan gum, locust bean gum, xanthan gum, guar gum, psyllium seed gum, glucomannan, tara gum, and tamarind seed gum.

[0113] From the viewpoint of maintaining the shape of the meat substitute after cooking and of texture, the thermoreversible gel-forming polysaccharide is preferably carrageenan.

[0114] The content of the thermoreversible gel-forming polysaccharide is preferably 10% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less, more preferably 20% by mass or more and 80% by mass or less, and even more preferably 30% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less, based on the total amount of the binder.

[0115] --Combination of a thermoreversible gel-forming polysaccharide and a thermoreversible gel-forming polysaccharide-- A preferred combination of a thermoreversible gel-forming polysaccharide and a thermoreversible gel-forming polysaccharide is one in which the thermoreversible gel-forming polysaccharide is at least one selected from the group consisting of alginic acid and pectin, and the thermoreversible gel-forming polysaccharide is carrageenan.

[0116] -Gelling Retardant- The binder preferably contains a gelling retardant, which is a compound that inhibits the gelling of thermo-irreversible gel-forming polysaccharides or thermo-reversible gel-forming polysaccharides.

[0117] From the viewpoints of maintaining the shape of the meat substitute after cooking and of texture, the gelation retarder is preferably a compound that has the function of inhibiting the gelation of the thermo-irreversible gel-forming polysaccharide. From the viewpoints of maintaining the shape of the meat substitute after cooking and of texture, the gelation retarder is preferably a chelating agent.

[0118] As the chelating agent, known chelating agents can be suitably used. Examples of chelating agents include oxycarboxylic acids such as tartaric acid, citric acid, and gluconic acid; aminocarboxylic acids such as iminodiacetic acid (IDA), nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA); condensed phosphoric acids such as pyrophosphoric acid and tripolyphosphoric acid; and salts thereof. Among these, the chelating agent is preferably condensed phosphoric acid or a salt thereof, and more preferably pyrophosphoric acid or a pyrophosphate salt, from the viewpoints of maintaining the shape of the meat substitute after cooking, the texture, and the flavor of the meat substitute.

[0119] The content of the gelation retarder is preferably 0.1% by mass to 20% by mass, more preferably 0.5% by mass to 15% by mass, and even more preferably 0.3% by mass to 10% by mass, relative to the total mass of polysaccharides including thermo-irreversible gel-forming polysaccharides and thermo-reversible gel-forming polysaccharides.

[0120] The content of the binder contained in the lean meat-like portion is preferably 0.01% by mass to 10% by mass relative to the total mass of the lean meat-like portion.

[0121] -Other Additives- The lean meat-like portion preferably contains other additives in addition to proteins, fats and oils, and binders, as necessary. Examples of other additives include water, seasonings, acidulants, bittering agents, spices, sweeteners, antioxidants, coloring agents, color formers, flavorings, stabilizers, preservatives, etc. The content of other additives is preferably 0% by mass to 20% by mass of the total mass of the lean meat-like portion.

[0122] (Fat chunk composition or fat chunk mixture) In order to make the appearance of the meat substitute closer to that of a chunk of meat, the content of the specific fat chunk composition or the fat chunk mixture containing the specific fat chunk composition relative to the total mass of the meat substitute is preferably 3% by mass or more, more preferably 5% by mass or more, and even more preferably 7% by mass to 50% by mass.

[0123] <Method for producing fat chunk composition> There are no particular limitations on the method for producing the specific fat chunk composition described above, but it is preferable that it be produced by the following method for producing a fat chunk composition (also referred to as the production method of the present disclosure).

[0124] The method for producing a fat lump composition disclosed herein comprises: (1) a step of forming droplets containing fats and oils in an aqueous solution (droplet formation step); (2) a step of solidifying the fats and oils in the droplets to obtain particles containing the solidified fats and oils (fat solidification step); (3) a step of adding an aqueous solution containing an edible ionically cross-linkable polymer to the particles to obtain a mixture for forming a crude fat lump (mixing step); (4) a step of contacting the mixture for forming a crude fat lump with a liquid containing a cation to produce a fat lump composition precursor (hereinafter also referred to as the "precursor production step"); (5) a step of shaping the fat lump composition precursor (hereinafter also referred to as the "shaping step"); and (6) a step of dropping the shaped fat lump composition precursor into a hardening liquid containing a cation to obtain a fat lump composition (hereinafter also referred to as the "cross-linking step"). It is preferable that the manufacturing method of the present disclosure further includes (7) a step of immersing the obtained fat chunk composition in an aqueous salt solution containing a monovalent cation to adjust the swelling degree (swelling degree adjustment step). Below, each step in the manufacturing method of the fat chunk composition of the present disclosure is described.

[0125] - (1) Droplet Forming Step - (1) The droplet forming step is a step of forming droplets containing an oil or fat in an aqueous solution, and as the oil or fat, at least the aforementioned oil or fat having a melting point of 0.1°C or higher is used. As the oil or fat having a melting point of 0.1°C or higher has been described above, a description thereof will be omitted here. As the aqueous solution, i.e., the aqueous phase, an aqueous solution containing water as a solvent and a surfactant is preferred. The oil or fat is added dropwise to the aqueous solution to form droplets, i.e., an emulsion, with the aqueous phase as the continuous phase and the oil phase containing the oil or fat as the dispersed phase.

[0126] A method for forming droplets containing an oil or fat in an aqueous solution includes a method for dispersing an oil or fat in an aqueous solution. As a method for dispersing an oil or fat in an aqueous solution, a method for emulsifying the aqueous solution and the oil or fat using an emulsifier is preferred.

[0127] Examples of emulsifiers include rotary mixers equipped with propeller-type, anchor-type, paddle-type, or turbine-type stirring blades, static mixers such as static mixers, rotor-stator emulsifiers such as homogenizers and Clearmix, mill-type emulsifiers equipped with a grinding function, high-pressure emulsifiers such as Manton-Gaulin pressure emulsifiers, high-pressure nozzle-type emulsifiers that generate cavitation under high pressure, high-pressure collision-type emulsifiers such as microfluidizers that apply shear force by causing liquids to collide with each other under high pressure, ultrasonic emulsifiers that generate cavitation using ultrasound, and membrane emulsifiers that perform uniform emulsification through fine pores.

[0128] From the viewpoint of improving the uniformity of the particle size of droplets containing oils and fats, it is preferable to use a membrane emulsifier as the emulsifier. When emulsifying using a membrane emulsifier, the emulsification method may be either direct membrane emulsification or permeable membrane emulsification, but direct membrane emulsification is preferred. As the porous membrane provided in the membrane emulsifier, for example, an SPG (Shirasu Porous Glass) membrane is suitable, and can be purchased from, for example, SPG Techno Co., Ltd.

[0129] A preferred emulsification method using a membrane emulsifier is, for example, a method in which an oil or fat is dispersed in an aqueous solution containing water and a surfactant through a porous membrane. The mass ratio of the aqueous solution to the oil or fat used for emulsification (aqueous solution / oil or fat) is preferably 10 / 1 to 2 / 1.

[0130] - (2) Oil and fat solidification step - The (2) oil and fat solidification step is a step of solidifying the oil and fat in the droplets to obtain particles containing solidified oil and fat. The droplet dispersion obtained in the (1) droplet formation step is allowed to stand to separate into a phase containing droplets containing oil and fat and an aqueous phase, the aqueous phase is discharged from a separatory funnel, and the phase containing droplets containing oil and fat (i.e., the oil phase) is recovered. The recovered oil phase containing droplets containing oil and fat is cooled to a temperature below the melting point of the oil, for example, 5°C, and allowed to stand for, for example, about 12 hours to solidify the oil and fat. Cooling can be performed, for example, in a constant temperature room such as a refrigerator. In this way, an aqueous solution containing solidified particulate oil and fat is obtained. Hereinafter, the aqueous solution containing solidified particulate oil and fat will also be referred to as a particle-containing liquid.

[0131] Methods for solidifying the oil in the droplets and obtaining particles containing the solidified oil include, for example, hardening using an oil hardener and cooling the droplets containing the oil.However, from the viewpoint of obtaining a fat block composition that releases a large amount of oil when chewed, the method of cooling the droplets containing the oil is preferred.

[0132] Examples of methods for cooling droplets containing oil or fat include (1) a method in which an aqueous solution containing droplets containing oil or fat, obtained by a step of forming droplets containing oil or fat in an aqueous solution, is cooled using a refrigerator or the like.

[0133] The cooling temperature is preferably above 0° C. and equal to or lower than the melting point of the oil or fat. The cooling time is not particularly limited, and it is preferable to continue cooling until the oil or fat contained in the droplets is solidified.

[0134] After cooling, particles containing solidified oil or fat may collect in the supernatant of the solution. In this case, it is preferable to recover the supernatant containing the particles. Then, it is preferable to carry out the crosslinking step described below using the recovered supernatant containing the particles. As a method for recovering the supernatant containing the particles, for example, a method of using a separatory funnel to discharge the aqueous solution other than the supernatant containing the particles can be mentioned.

[0135] The content of the oil and fat in the aqueous solution containing the particles obtained by the oil and fat solidification step is preferably 40% by mass to 90% by mass relative to the total mass of the solution.

[0136] - (3) Mixing Step - The (3) mixing step is a step of adding an aqueous solution containing an edible ionically cross-linkable polymer to the particle-containing liquid containing the solidified particulate oil obtained in step (2) to obtain a mixture for forming crude fat blocks. The aqueous solution containing the edible ionically cross-linkable polymer (hereinafter also referred to as the ionically cross-linkable polymer solution) is prepared in advance. The ionically cross-linkable polymer solution, for example, contains at least the edible ionically cross-linkable polymer described above, a surfactant, and water. By adding the particle-containing liquid containing the solidified particulate oil obtained in step (2) to the ionically cross-linkable polymer solution and mixing, a liquid containing granules containing an edible ionically cross-linkable polymer and oil (hereinafter also referred to as specific liquid A) is obtained.

[0137] By mixing the particles obtained by the fat solidification step with an aqueous solution containing an edible ionically cross-linkable polymer, a liquid containing granular materials containing an edible ionically cross-linkable polymer and fats and oils can be obtained.

[0138] From the viewpoint of making the appearance of the meat substitute closer to that of a whole piece of meat, the viscosity of specific liquid A is preferably 30 mPa·s to 3000 mPa·s, and more preferably 50 mPa·s to 2000 mPa·s. The viscosity of specific liquid A is a value measured using a tuning fork vibro viscometer at a temperature of 20°C. As the tuning fork vibro viscometer, for example, an SV-10 (manufactured by A&D) can be used.

[0139] From the viewpoints of food hygiene and liquid properties, the temperature of specific liquid A is preferably 5° C. to 20° C. From the viewpoints of food hygiene and liquid properties, the temperature of specific liquid B is preferably 5° C. to 20° C.

[0140] - (4) Precursor preparation process - The (4) precursor preparation process is a process of contacting a crude fat lump forming mixture with a liquid containing cations to prepare a fat lump composition precursor. The fat lump composition precursor is a composition in which the crosslinkable polymer contained in the crude fat lump forming mixture has reacted with the cations, and crosslinking has progressed to a certain extent.

[0141] - (5) Shaping step - The (5) shaping step is a step of shaping the fat chunk composition precursor obtained in step (4) above into a predetermined shape. Since the fat chunk precursor has a certain degree of hardness in step (4), it can be shaped into the desired shape of the fat chunk composition. Shaping can be carried out using known equipment depending on the purpose.

[0142] The above steps (4) and (5) do not necessarily have to be performed in this order; for example, the preparation of the fat lump composition precursor and the shaping can be performed simultaneously, and the shaped element-forming mixture can be brought into contact with a liquid containing cations while being shaped to obtain a shaped fat lump composition precursor.

[0143] -(6) Crosslinking step- The crosslinking step (6) is a step in which the shaped fat chunk composition precursor obtained in steps (4) and (5) above is dropped into a hardening liquid containing cations to obtain a fat chunk composition. A fat chunk composition precursor is produced by contacting the mixture with a liquid containing cations (hereinafter also referred to as specific liquid B) that promotes crosslinking and solidifies the ionically crosslinkable polymer. Step (6) promotes crosslinking of the components in the fat chunk composition precursor obtained in steps (4) and (5), resulting in more reliable shaping and thus obtaining a fat chunk composition. Note that the edible ionically crosslinkable polymer, granules containing fats and oils with a melting point of 0.1°C or less, and surfactant, which is a preferred additive, used in the manufacturing method of the present disclosure are the same as the respective components in the specific fat chunk composition described above, and the preferred aspects are also the same.

[0144] It is preferable that the manufacturing method of the present disclosure further comprises (7) a step of immersing the obtained fat chunk composition in an aqueous solution of a salt containing a monovalent cation to adjust the degree of swelling (swelling degree adjusting step). - (7) Swelling degree adjusting step - The (7) swelling degree adjusting step is a step of immersing the fat chunk composition obtained through the above steps (1) to (6) in an aqueous solution of a salt containing a monovalent cation (hereinafter also referred to as a swelling degree adjusting liquid) to improve the crosslinkability of the ionically crosslinkable polymer contained in the fat chunk composition, thereby adjusting the swelling degree of the fat chunk composition to a preferred range.

[0145] The swelling degree adjusting liquid is an aqueous solution of a salt capable of forming a monovalent cation, and includes an edible salt capable of forming a monovalent cation. Examples of salts capable of forming a monovalent cation include sodium glutamate, potassium glutamate, trisodium citrate, disodium hydrogen citrate, sodium dihydrogen citrate, sodium L-aspartate, disodium 5'-inosinate, disodium 5'-uridylate, sodium chloride, trisodium phosphate, potassium gluconate, potassium chloride, tripotassium phosphate, dipotassium hydrogen phosphate, sodium lactate, potassium lactate, etc., and sodium glutamate, potassium glutamate, etc. are preferred from the viewpoints of having a good swelling degree adjusting effect and not undesirably affecting the texture, taste, etc. of the fat block composition. The salt content in the swelling degree adjusting liquid is adjusted appropriately depending on the desired swelling degree, but can be 0.5% to 20% by mass, and preferably in the range of 1% to 10% by mass. Generally, the higher the concentration of the swelling degree adjusting liquid, the lower the swelling degree tends to be.

[0146] The time for immersing the fat chunk composition in the swelling degree adjusting liquid is adjusted appropriately depending on the desired swelling degree, but can be 1 minute to 1500 minutes, and is preferably in the range of 5 minutes to 360 minutes. Generally, the longer the time for immersing the fat chunk composition in the swelling degree adjusting liquid, the lower the swelling degree tends to be.

[0147] From the viewpoint of food hygiene and liquid properties, the temperature of the swelling degree adjusting liquid is preferably 5°C to 20°C.

[0148] According to the manufacturing method disclosed herein, it is possible to produce a fat chunk composition that has an appearance similar to beef tallow and suppresses the development of a crunchy texture, making it possible to produce a meat substitute that has an appearance similar to that of a whole piece of meat. The reason for this is presumed to be as follows: In the manufacturing method of the above fat chunk composition, shaping is carried out after contact between specific liquid A and specific liquid B. Upon contact between specific liquid A and specific liquid B, cross-linking of the edible ionically cross-linkable polymer in specific liquid A begins, and by shaping this, the cross-section of the fat chunk composition produced has an elongated shape. Therefore, the meat substitute obtained by using this fat chunk composition has an appearance similar to that of a whole piece of meat.

[0149] By mixing the particles obtained by the fat solidification step with an aqueous solution containing an edible ionically cross-linkable polymer, a liquid containing granular materials containing an edible ionically cross-linkable polymer and fats and oils can be obtained.

[0150] From the viewpoint of making the appearance of the meat substitute closer to that of a whole piece of meat, the viscosity of specific liquid A is preferably 30 mPa·s to 3000 mPa·s, and more preferably 50 mPa·s to 2000 mPa·s. The viscosity of specific liquid A is a value measured using a tuning fork vibro viscometer at a temperature of 20°C. As the tuning fork vibro viscometer, for example, an SV-10 (manufactured by A&D) can be used.

[0151] From the viewpoints of food hygiene and liquid properties, the temperature of specific liquid A is preferably 5° C. to 20° C. From the viewpoints of food hygiene and liquid properties, the temperature of specific liquid B is preferably 5° C. to 20° C.

[0152] (Process for preparing fat chunk composition precursor) In the manufacturing method disclosed herein, fat chunk composition precursor means the fat chunk composition before it is shaped. By contacting specific liquid A with specific liquid B, part or all of the edible ionically cross-linkable polymer can be cross-linked. From the standpoint of ease of shaping, it is preferable that part of the edible ionically cross-linkable polymer is cross-linked at the time when shaping of the fat chunk composition precursor begins.

[0153] The amount of specific liquid B added relative to 100 parts by mass of specific liquid A is preferably 50 parts by mass to 200 parts by mass.

[0154] The specific liquid B may be an aqueous solution in which a salt containing a cation is dissolved. Examples of the salt containing a cation include calcium chloride, calcium gluconate, and calcium lactate. The content of the salt in the aqueous solution in which the salt containing a cation is dissolved is preferably 0.5% by mass to 5% by mass relative to the total mass of the aqueous solution.

[0155] The content of the edible ionically cross-linkable polymer relative to the total mass of specific liquid A is preferably 0.5% by mass to 5.0% by mass. The content of the granular material containing oil or fat relative to the total mass of the liquid containing specific liquid A is preferably 10% by mass to 70% by mass.

[0156] The specific liquid A is prepared by a method including the above-mentioned (1) droplet formation step, the above-mentioned (2) oil solidification step, and the above-mentioned (3) mixing step. Note that the specific liquid A and the specific liquid B are not limited to those prepared by the above-mentioned methods, and commercially available liquids may also be used.

[0157] The time from contact between specific liquid A and specific liquid B to the start of shaping of the fat chunk composition precursor is preferably within 1 minute, and more preferably 0.01 to 10 seconds. This allows shaping to be carried out before the crosslinking of the edible ionically crosslinkable polymer has fully progressed, and the appearance of the meat substitute produced using the fat chunk composition can be made closer to that of a chunk of meat.

[0158] The method for shaping the fat lump composition precursor is not particularly limited, and from the standpoint of productivity, it is preferable that the shaping of the fat lump composition precursor is carried out by pressing the fat lump composition precursor with a shaping member and a support member.The shape of the shaping member and support member is not particularly limited, and they may be roller-shaped or plate-shaped.In addition, plate-shaped shaping members and support members include those equipped with a moving mechanism such as a belt conveyor.The material of the shaping member and support member is not particularly limited, and from the standpoint of food hygiene, examples include stainless steel, silicone rubber, vinylidene fluoride rubber (FKM), etc.

[0159] From the viewpoint of productivity, the shaping member is preferably a shaping roller arranged opposite the support member. The fat chunk composition precursor is shaped when passing between the shaping roller and the support member. The shaping roller can have a shaping portion including a convex portion. This causes the fat chunk composition precursor to be shaped, and the cross section of the specific fat chunk composition produced has an elongated shape. Therefore, the meat substitute obtained by using the specific fat chunk composition has an appearance similar to that of a whole piece of meat. The number of convex portions contained in the shaping portion may be one or two or more, but from the viewpoint of making the appearance of the meat substitute closer to that of a whole piece of meat, it is preferable that there are two or more convex portions per shaping portion, and more preferably 3 to 200. Furthermore, the shaping roller may have one shaping portion or two or more. A specific example of a shaping roller having two or more shaping portions is a shaping roller having alternating individualizing portions and shaping portions, as described below.

[0160] When the shaping member is a shaping roller having a shaping portion including a convex portion, from the viewpoint of making the appearance of the meat substitute more similar to that of a whole piece of meat, the minimum distance between the convex portion and the support member is preferably 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm, and more preferably 0.1 mm to 0.8 mm. The shape of the convex portion in the shaping member is not particularly limited and may, for example, extend in one direction (e.g., a direction perpendicular to the tangent to the outer periphery of the shaping roller). Specifically, the convex portion may be a triangular prism, a semi-cylindrical prism, a columnar shape with a trapezoidal cross section, or the like. When the shaping portion includes two or more convex portions extending in one direction, from the viewpoint of making the appearance of the meat substitute more similar to that of a whole piece of meat, the spacing between adjacent convex portions is preferably 10.0 mm or less, more preferably 8.0 mm or less, and even more preferably 5.0 mm or less. From the viewpoint of improving the strength of the fat chunk composition, the spacing between adjacent convex portions is preferably 0.5 mm or more, more preferably 1.0 mm or more, and even more preferably 3.0 mm or more. From the viewpoint of making the appearance of the meat substitute closer to that of a whole piece of meat and from the viewpoint of improving the strength of the fat chunk composition, the distance between adjacent convex portions is preferably 0.5 mm to 10.0 mm. In the present disclosure, the distance between adjacent convex portions means the distance between the positions of the convex portions at which the distance from the support member is the smallest. In other words, it means the distance between the apexes of the convex portions. In addition, when the apexes of the convex portions are flat, the distance at which the distance between the apexes is the smallest is taken as the distance between adjacent convex portions.

[0161] The shaping roller may be provided with a singulation section. By providing the singulation section to the shaping roller, the shaped fat lump composition precursor or fat lump composition can be cut (singulated) to the desired size. From the viewpoint of ease of cutting, the minimum distance between the singulation section and the support member is preferably 0.5 mm or less, more preferably 0.3 mm or less, even more preferably 0.1 mm or less, and may even be 0 mm. The shape of the singulation section is not particularly limited, and may be a shape extending in the tangential direction of the outer periphery of the shaping roller and in a direction perpendicular to the tangential direction. Specifically, the singulation section may be cubic, semi-cylindrical, or the like. When the singulation section has a cubic shape, from the viewpoint of ease of cutting, the length of the singulation section in the tangential direction of the outer periphery of the shaping roller is preferably 1.0 mm or more, more preferably 5.0 mm or more, and even more preferably 10.0 mm or more. From the viewpoint of making the appearance of the meat substitute more similar to that of a whole piece of meat, the length of the slicing portion in the tangential direction of the outer periphery of the shaping roller is preferably 200.0 mm or less. From the viewpoint of ease of cutting and making the appearance of the meat substitute more similar to that of a whole piece of meat, the length of the slicing portion in the tangential direction of the outer periphery of the shaping roller is preferably 1.0 mm to 200.0 mm. The shaping roller may have two or more slicing portions. When the shaping roller has two or more slicing portions, it is preferable to adjust the spacing between adjacent slicing portions as appropriate, for example, preferably 10.0 mm to 100.0 mm, and more preferably 13.0 mm to 70.0 mm. In the present disclosure, the spacing between adjacent slicing portions means the distance between the positions of the slicing portions where the distance from the support member is smallest. In other words, it means the distance between the vertices of the slicing portions. When the vertices of the singulation portions are flat, the distance at which the vertices are spaced apart from one another is set as the minimum distance between the vertices of the singulation portions.

[0162] When the shaping of the fat chunk composition precursor is carried out by pressurizing the fat chunk composition precursor with a shaping roller and a support member, contact between a liquid (specific liquid A) containing granules containing an edible ionically crosslinkable polymer and fats and oils and a liquid (specific liquid B) containing cations can be carried out by supplying specific liquid A to a shaping roller or support member on the surface of which specific liquid B is present, and then supplying specific liquid B. When contact between specific liquid A and specific liquid B is carried out by the above method, from the viewpoint of making the appearance of the substitute meat closer to that of a chunk of meat, the ratio of the rotation speed (mm / sec) or movement speed (mm / sec) of the shaping roller or support member to the supply speed (mm / sec) of specific liquid A to the shaping roller or support member (rotation speed (mm / sec) or movement speed (mm / sec) of the shaping roller or support member / supply speed of specific liquid A) is preferably 1.00 or more, more preferably 1.50 or more, and even more preferably 2.00 or more. From the viewpoint of making the appearance of the meat substitute more similar to that of whole meat, the above speed ratio is preferably 20.00 or less. From the viewpoint of making the appearance of the meat substitute more similar to that of whole meat, the above speed ratio is preferably 1.00 to 20.00. The supply rate of specific liquid A is calculated by dividing the discharge flow rate of specific liquid A by the tip cross-sectional area of ​​the nozzle discharging specific liquid A. The rotation speed of the shaping roller or support member refers to the speed of the roll surface, and is calculated from the number of rotations measured using a non-contact rotation system (e.g., a hand tachometer, manufactured by Line Seiki) and the value and the roll diameter. The movement speed of the shaping roller or support member is measured using an incremental measuring wheel encoder (e.g., DFV60, manufactured by SICK).

[0163] From the viewpoint of productivity and making the appearance of the meat substitute closer to that of a whole piece of meat, the supply speed of specific liquid A is preferably 40.0 mm / sec to 120.0 mm / sec, and more preferably 60.0 mm / sec to 100.0 mm / sec. From the viewpoint of productivity and making the appearance of the meat substitute closer to that of a whole piece of meat, the rotation speed of the shaping roller is preferably 50.0 mm / sec to 400.0 mm / sec, more preferably 80.0 mm / sec to 360.0 mm / sec, and even more preferably 150.0 mm / sec to 200.0 mm / sec.

[0164] When the shaping of the fat lump composition precursor is performed by pressurizing the fat lump composition precursor with a shaping roller and a support member, contact between specific liquid A and specific liquid B can be achieved by immersing the shaping roller and support member in a tank filled with specific liquid B and supplying specific liquid A to the shaping roller or support member. Specific liquid A may be brought into contact with specific liquid B by being supplied onto specific liquid B present on the surface of the shaping roller or support member. Specific liquid A may also be brought into contact with specific liquid B by being supplied to one surface of the shaping roller and support member where specific liquid B is not present, and then contacting specific liquid B present on the other surface before shaping. It is preferable to immerse the shaping roller and support member so that a portion of them is exposed from specific liquid B, thereby creating an area for supplying specific liquid A.

[0165] The fat block composition obtained by shaping may be washed with tap water, etc. After washing, it may be frozen in a freezer, etc.

[0166] After producing a fat lump composition, the fat lump composition adhering to the shaping roller and support member may be removed before the next fat lump composition is produced. The method for removing the fat lump composition is not particularly limited, and can be performed by washing with water, specific liquid B, gas, etc. By removing the fat lump composition, the fat lump composition precursor can be shaped well, and the fat lump composition can be produced continuously.

[0167] Next, referring to Figure 3, one embodiment of the method for producing a fat chunk composition of the present disclosure will be described. Note that the method for producing a fat chunk composition of the present disclosure is not limited to the following method. Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of a fat chunk composition production apparatus (hereinafter simply referred to as a production apparatus). The production apparatus 100 includes a supply section 101 (hereinafter simply referred to as supply section 101) for a liquid (specific liquid A) containing granules containing an edible ionically cross-linkable polymer and oils and fats, a supply section 102 (hereinafter simply referred to as supply section 102) for a liquid (specific liquid B) containing cations, a roller-shaped shaping member (shaping roller) 103, and a roller-shaped support member (support roller) 104. The production apparatus 100 may also include a bathtub 105. As shown in Figure 3, the shaping roller 103 has three alternating shaping sections 107 each including six convex sections 106 and three alternating individualizing sections 108. Because the shaping roller has a shaping section including a convex portion, the fat chunk composition precursor is shaped, and the cross section of the specific fat chunk composition produced has an elongated shape. Therefore, the meat substitute obtained by using the specific fat chunk composition has an appearance similar to that of a chunk of meat. All of the convex portions 106 extend in a direction perpendicular to the tangent to the outer periphery of the shaping roller 103. All of the individualizing sections 108 extend in a direction tangent to the outer periphery of the shaping roller 103 and perpendicular to the tangent direction. First, specific liquid B is supplied from the supply section 102 to the surface of the shaping roller 103. Next, specific liquid A (indicated by symbol A in Figure 3) is supplied from the supply section 101 to the surface of the shaping roller 103 to which specific liquid B has been supplied. Next, specific liquid B (indicated by symbol B in Figure 3) is supplied from the supply section 102 to the surface of the shaping roller 103 to which specific liquid A has been supplied. On the surface of the shaping roller 103, the edible ionically cross-linkable polymer contained in the supplied specific liquid A is cross-linked by the cations contained in the specific liquid B, producing a fat lump composition precursor. The fat lump composition precursor is then pressed and shaped by the shaping section 107 of the shaping roller 103 and the support roller 104, and then singulated to the desired size by the singulation section 108 of the shaping roller 103, thereby obtaining a fat lump composition 109. The obtained fat lump composition 109 is placed in a bath 105 and washed with water or the like.In one embodiment, the manufacturing apparatus 100 may be equipped with a cleaning unit 110. The cleaning unit 110 can remove fat lump composition adhering to the shaping roller 103 or the support roller 104. While Figure 3 shows a cleaning unit 110 for removing fat lump composition adhering to the support roller 104, this is not limited thereto, and the manufacturing apparatus 100 may also be equipped with a cleaning unit for removing fat lump composition adhering to the shaping roller 103. The cleaning unit is not particularly limited as long as it can supply water, specific liquid B, gas, etc., and examples include nozzles capable of supplying these.

[0168] The supply unit for specific liquid A may have a nozzle. The cross-sectional shape of the nozzle is not particularly limited and can be adjusted as appropriate. From the viewpoint of making the appearance of the meat substitute more similar to that of a whole piece of meat, the cross-sectional shape of the nozzle is preferably elliptical, rectangular, semicircular, or rhombic. When the nozzle shape is rectangular, the aspect ratio (length of long side / length of short side) is preferably 3 to 50, and more preferably 4 to 40.

[0169] The meat substitute containing the specific fat chunk composition preferably contains a lean meat-like portion containing protein and a fat chunk mixture containing a fat chunk composition produced by the above-mentioned method for producing a fat chunk composition or a fat chunk composition other than the fat chunk composition produced by the above-mentioned method for producing a fat chunk composition. As the lean meat-like portion has been described above, further description will be omitted here.

[0170] The alternative meat can be obtained, for example, by a production method including a first step of mixing a lean meat-like portion precursor with a specific fat chunk composition or a fat chunk mixture containing the specific fat chunk composition to obtain a first mixture, and a second step of stretching the first mixture. One embodiment of the production method for the alternative meat is described below, but the production method is not limited to the following description.

[0171] (Step 1) The method for mixing the lean meat-like portion precursor with the specific fat chunk composition or the fat chunk mixture containing the specific fat chunk composition is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a method of mixing by hand, a method using a known mixer, etc. Examples of the mixer include a mixer, and the attachment preferably has a structure that scrapes up any material adhering to the wall surface.

[0172] The lean meat-like portion precursor can be obtained by mixing the fiber bundle textured protein with a binder. The amount of binder added is preferably 1% to 30% by mass, more preferably 3% to 25% by mass, and even more preferably 5% to 20% by mass, relative to the mass of the fiber bundle textured protein swollen with water.

[0173] Before mixing the fiber bundle-structured protein with a binder, it is preferable to adjust the fiber bundle-structured protein to an appropriate size. Methods for adjusting the size of the fiber bundle-structured protein include tearing the fiber bundle-structured protein, cutting it with a blade, or both. The size of the fiber bundle-structured protein can be adjusted by crushing it near the discharge outlet of the extruder in the above-mentioned (preparation step), or by crushing it using a meat disintegrator or the like after recovery from the extruder.

[0174] Before mixing with the vegetable protein binder, the fiber bundle textured protein is preferably adjusted to a width of 2 mm to 35 mm and a vertical width of 35 mm to 500 mm. The thickness of the fiber bundle textured protein is not particularly limited, and is preferably adjusted appropriately depending on the thickness of the fiber bundle textured protein produced by an extruder or the like. The vertical width of the fiber bundle textured protein is preferably, for example, 0.1 to 2 times the vertical width of the meat-like meat substitute to be produced.

[0175] Here, when the substitute meat to be produced contains other additives, it is preferable to mix them together with the lean meat-like portion precursor, etc. in the first step.

[0176] The fiber bundle-structured protein may be a prepared fiber bundle-structured protein or a commercially available fiber bundle-structured protein. When preparing a fiber bundle-structured protein, it is preferable to extrude a raw material containing a plant protein from an extruder. The extrusion conditions are preferably as follows:

[0177] When preparing a texturized protein, it is preferable to extrude a raw material containing a vegetable protein through an extruder under the following extrusion conditions.

[0178] Vegetable protein-containing raw material The vegetable protein-containing raw material contains at least vegetable protein, but from the viewpoint of improving extrusion efficiency, it preferably also contains water. The water content is preferably 2 to 30 parts by mass per 10 parts by mass of protein.

[0179] Extrusion Conditions The extruder is not particularly limited, and known single-screw extruders, non-intermeshing counter-rotating twin-screw extruders, intermeshing counter-rotating twin-screw extruders, and intermeshing co-rotating twin-screw extruders can be used.

[0180] The barrel temperature of the extruder is preferably 60°C or higher and 100°C or lower in the front half of the barrel (the section from the raw material supply section to the center of the barrel), 90°C or higher and 170°C or lower in the center of the barrel (the center of the axial length of the barrel), and 140°C or higher and 180°C or lower in the rear half of the barrel (the section from the center of the barrel to the tip of the barrel).

[0181] The extruder preferably has a die attached to the tip of the barrel. The die is preferably a die that can produce a sheet-like extrudate. The gap (lip clearance) at the die outlet is preferably 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less. The length of the die is preferably 30 mm or more. The die may be a cooling die. Here, the cooling die refers to a die that is cooled, for example, by circulating a cooling liquid (such as water or glycol). The use of a cooling die makes it easier to suppress expansion of the extruded raw material. Therefore, the texturized protein extruded using a cooling die is likely to become fibrous. When a cooling die is used, the temperature of the cooling die outlet is preferably 90°C or more and 120°C or less.

[0182] When using commercially available textured proteins, examples of fiber bundle textured proteins that can be used include What the Cluck manufactured by Vegetarian Butcher and Apex 1000 manufactured by Fuji Oil.

[0183] (Second Step) The second step is a step of stretching the first mixture.

[0184] When the first mixture contains a fiber bundle-like organizing protein, drawing of the first mixture obtained in the first step preferably results in a drawn mixture in which the fiber axis directions of the fiber bundle-like organizing proteins are oriented in one direction. Here, the fiber axis direction of the fiber bundle-like organizing protein refers to the longitudinal direction of the fibers that form the muscle-like tissue. Furthermore, "the fiber axis directions of the fiber bundle-like organizing proteins are oriented in one direction" includes cases in which the fiber axis directions of the fiber bundle-like organizing proteins are completely identical, and cases in which the fiber axis directions of the fiber bundle-like organizing proteins are different but oriented in a consistent direction.

[0185] The second step is preferably a step of stretching the first mixture to obtain a stretched mixture in which the degree of orientation of the fiber direction of the fiber bundle-shaped texturing protein in a cross section along the stretching direction (hereinafter also simply referred to as the "specific orientation degree") is 1.1 or more.

[0186] From the viewpoint of the degree of orientation, the method of stretching the first mixture is preferably any one of the following: (i) a method of passing the mixture through an area surrounded by a set of rollers in a direction perpendicular to a plane including the rotation axes of the set of rollers, and stretching the first mixture in a direction perpendicular to the plane including the rotation axes of the set of rollers by pressing the mixture with the rollers; (ii) a method of sandwiching the mixture between a set of rollers whose rotation axes are parallel and rotating in the same direction, and stretching the first mixture in a direction parallel to the rotation axes of the rollers by compressing the first mixture by reducing the distance between the rollers while rotating the mixture; (iii) a method of stretching the first mixture by gripping and pulling the surface of the first mixture; or (iv) a method of stretching the first mixture by pressing the first mixture with a plate.

[0187] The stretching ratio of the first mixture is preferably 2 or more, more preferably 4 or more, and even more preferably 6 or more. The stretching ratio is the value obtained by dividing the length of the mixture in the stretching direction after stretching by the length of the first mixture in the stretching direction. The stretching direction refers to the direction in which the first mixture is stretched in the second step.

[0188] (Third Step) The method for producing a meat substitute according to an embodiment of the present disclosure preferably includes, after the second step, a third step in which the stretched mixture is shaped to obtain a shaped body, and then the shaped body is heated and hardened. When the binder contains a thermo-irreversible gel-forming polysaccharide, heating the shaped body promotes the formation of a gel containing the thermo-irreversible gel-forming polysaccharide. This hardens the shaped body, making it easier for the shape of the chunk meat-like meat substitute to be maintained.

[0189] The shape of the shaped product is preferably similar to that of steak meat, stewed meat, etc. The method for shaping the stretched mixture is not particularly limited, and examples include a method of cutting the stretched mixture and a method of deforming the stretched mixture by applying an external force. From the viewpoint of texture, a method of cutting the stretched mixture is preferred. When cutting the stretched mixture, it is preferable to cut it in a direction perpendicular to the fiber axis direction of the texturized protein contained in the stretched mixture. When cutting the stretched mixture, it is preferable to cut it using a blade such as a cutter or a kitchen knife.

[0190] The third step, when molding the stretched mixture to obtain a molded body, preferably includes a step of cutting the stretched mixture perpendicular to the fiber orientation direction and a step of bundling a plurality of stretched mixtures before or after cutting. A plurality of cut stretched mixtures may be bundled together with the same fiber direction and molded, or a plurality of stretched mixtures or cut stretched mixtures may be bundled together with the same fiber direction and then cut perpendicular to the fiber direction and molded.

[0191] By molding the stretched mixture so that the fiber direction is in the thickness direction of the steak, it becomes easier to obtain a substitute meat that looks similar to steak meat.

[0192] The third step may include a step of forming a pattern resembling fat (marbling pattern) on the surface of the shaped body after shaping the stretched mixture to obtain a shaped body, in order to make the appearance of the chunk meat-like meat substitute more similar to that of livestock meat (hereinafter also referred to as a fat-like portion forming step). The fat-like portion forming step is preferably a step of forming grooves, for example, with a depth of 100 μm or more, on the surface of the shaped body and attaching oil or fat to the formed grooves to form fat-like portions.

[0193] Methods for forming grooves on the surface of a molded body include, for example, a method of digging the surface with a blade, and a method of forming grooves using a mold, with the method of forming grooves using a mold being preferred.

[0194] Next, the oil or fat is applied to the grooves formed on the surface of the molded body, and the grooves are filled to form a pattern resembling fat. When the oil or fat is applied to the grooves formed on the surface of the molded body, the oil or fat may be in a liquid state, a semi-solid state in which a liquid and a solid are mixed, or a solid state, but is preferably in a liquid state or a semi-solid state. When the oil or fat is applied to the grooves formed on the surface of the molded body, the oil or fat may be applied in an emulsion state.

[0195] When the oil or fat is attached in an emulsion state, it is preferable to attach an emulsion containing a gelling agent, oil or fat, and water (referred to as a "gelling emulsifier") to grooves formed on the surface of the molded body, and then gel the gelling emulsion attached to the grooves. The gelling emulsion is preferably an oil-in-water emulsion. The oil droplet diameter of the oil or fat in the gelling emulsion is preferably 20 μm to 500 μm or less, more preferably 30 μm to 400 μm or less, and even more preferably 50 μm to 300 μm.

[0196] As a method for gelling the gelling emulsion adhered to the grooves, for example, a method in which the molded body with the gelling emulsion adhered to the grooves is placed in an aqueous solution containing a gelation promoter to gel it is mentioned.

[0197] The method for heating the molded body is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include wet heating (a heating method using water as a heat source), dry heating (a heating method using a heat source other than water, such as a metal or gas), and dielectric heating. When producing a raw meat-like appearance, from the viewpoint of the heat resistance of the colorant, the method for heating the molded body is preferably a wet heating method in which the molded body is vacuum-pouched and then uniformly and quickly heated. Examples of wet heating include steaming and boiling in water, and the boiling in water method is preferred because it allows for uniform and rapid treatment.

[0198] The heating temperature of the molded body is preferably adjusted so that the temperature inside the molded body is 70°C or higher and 100°C or lower, for example.

[0199] The temperature inside the molded product is measured using a thermometer. For example, a data logger (TR-W550) manufactured by Keyence Corporation can be used as the thermometer. The temperature inside the molded product can be measured by inserting a thermocouple into the lump meat substitute during vacuum pouching.

[0200] Examples are described below, but the fat chunk composition and method for producing the fat chunk composition according to the present disclosure are not limited to these examples. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, all "parts" and "%" are based on mass.

[0201] Example 1 (I) Droplet Formation Process An aqueous phase and an oil phase were prepared as follows. Aqueous phase: 99.5 parts by mass of tap water and 0.5 parts by mass of Ryoto Sugar Ester M-1695 (manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) as a surfactant were weighed out to a total of 5 kg, and stirred with a Three-One Motor (manufactured by Shinto Scientific Corporation) for 30 minutes to completely dissolve. Oil phase: 1 part by mass of Tallow Oil SV23-3533 (manufactured by San-ei Gen F.F.I.) and 99 parts by mass of coconut oil (manufactured by Alcapia, product name: Pia Cocona) were weighed out to a total of 1 kg, and stirred with a Three-One Motor (manufactured by Shinto Scientific Corporation) for 10 minutes to completely dissolve. The aqueous phase was used as the continuous phase and the oil phase as the dispersed phase, and membrane emulsification was performed using a pipe-shaped SPG membrane (manufactured by SPG Techno, pore size 50 μm). Specifically, a pipe-shaped SPG membrane was inserted into a tubular container, and an aqueous phase was flowed inside the pipe-shaped SPG membrane (inner pipe) from one end of the container to the other at a flow rate of 50 mL / min, while an oil phase was flowed outside the pipe-shaped SPG membrane (outer pipe (flow path between the container and the SPG membrane)) at a flow rate of 10 mL / min ((1) droplet formation process). As a result, a liquid containing droplets containing oil and fat (hereinafter also referred to as a droplet dispersion) was obtained. The particle size of the droplets (granules) containing oil and fat was 190 μm, and the CV value was 19%. Here, the particle size and CV value of the droplets contained in the oil and fat-containing liquid were measured in the same manner as the measurement of the average particle size of the granules and the CV value of the particle size of the granules described above.

[0202] (II) Oil and fat solidification step After the droplet dispersion was added to a separatory funnel, it was left to stand for 30 minutes. Since the droplet dispersion separated into a phase containing droplets containing oil and fat and an aqueous phase, the aqueous phase was discharged from the separatory funnel, and the phase containing droplets containing oil and fat was recovered. The recovered phase containing droplets containing oil and fat was left to stand overnight (12 hours) in a refrigerator with an internal temperature of 5 ° C. to cool and solidify the oil and fat, and a liquid containing particles (hereinafter also referred to as particle-containing liquid) was obtained ((2) Oil and fat solidification step).

[0203] (III) Production of fat chunk composition 1 part by mass of sodium alginate (Kimica Algin I-1, manufactured by Kimica Co., Ltd.) as an edible ionically cross-linkable polymer, 0.5 parts by mass of Ryoto Sugar Ester M-1695 (manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical) as a surfactant, 21.4 parts by mass of Oligotose H-70 (manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical), and 76.1 parts by mass of tap water were mixed to obtain a liquid containing an edible ionically cross-linkable polymer (hereinafter also referred to as an ionically cross-linkable polymer solution). 100 parts by mass of particle-containing liquid was added to 100 parts by mass of the ionically cross-linkable polymer solution, and the mixture was slowly stirred with a mixer (Three-One Motor, manufactured by Yamato Scientific Co., Ltd.) to prepare a liquid containing granules containing an edible ionically cross-linkable polymer and fats (specific liquid A, viscosity 700 mPa s, temperature 10 ° C). Five parts by mass of calcium chloride (Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd., food additive grade) as a cation-containing salt and 21.4 parts by mass of Oligotose H-70 (Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) were dissolved in 73.6 parts by mass of tap water to prepare a cation-containing liquid (specific liquid B, viscosity 10 mPa s, temperature 15°C).

[0204] Specific liquid A was filled into a 50 mL plastic syringe (SS-50LZ, manufactured by Terumo) and set in a syringe pump (PHD2000, manufactured by HARVARD). A 2 mm inner diameter, 3 mm outer diameter PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) tube (Naflon® PTFE tube, manufactured by Nichias) was connected to the tip of the syringe pump, and a 2 mm x 20 mm (rectangular) nozzle was connected to the tip of the tube to prepare a supply unit (indicated by reference numeral 101 in FIG. 3) for a liquid (specific liquid A) containing granular materials including an edible ion-crosslinkable polymer and oil ((3) Mixing Step).

[0205] As shown in Figure 3, a fat lump composition manufacturing apparatus 100 was prepared, comprising a supply section 101 for a liquid (specific liquid A) containing granules containing an edible ion-crosslinkable polymer and fats and oils, a supply section 102 for a liquid (specific liquid B) containing cations, a shaping roller 103, and a support roller 104. As shown in Figure 3, the shaping roller 103 has alternating three shaping sections 107 each containing six convex sections 106 and three singulating sections 108. Each convex section 106 extends perpendicular to the tangent to the outer periphery of the shaping roller 103 (triangular prism shape). Each singulating section 108 extends tangent to the outer periphery of the shaping roller 103 and perpendicular to the tangent direction (cubic shape). The spacing between adjacent convex sections 106 in the shaping section 107 was 5.0 mm. The length of the tangential direction of the outer periphery of the shaping roller 103 of the singulation unit 108 was 10.0 mm, and the interval between adjacent singulation units 108 was 40.0 mm. In addition, the minimum distance between the convex portion 106 and the support roller 104 was 0.5 mm, and the minimum distance between the singulation unit 108 and the support roller 104 was 0.1 mm.

[0206] First, specific liquid B was supplied from supply unit 102 to the surface of shaping roller 103 at a flow rate of 1 L / min. Next, specific liquid A was supplied from supply unit 101 to the surface of shaping roller 103 to which specific liquid B had been supplied at a supply speed of 62.5 mm / sec (when passing through the nozzle cross section). The rotation speed (roll surface) of shaping roller 103 was 178.0 mm / sec. The ratio of the rotation speed of the shaping roller to the supply speed of specific liquid A to shaping roller 103 (rotation speed of shaping roller / supply rate of specific liquid A) was 2.14. Next, specific liquid B was supplied from supply unit 102 to the surface of shaping roller 103 to which specific liquid A had been supplied at a flow rate of 1 L / min. ((4) "Precursor preparation process", (5) "Shaping process"). 0.275 seconds after the supplied specific liquid B came into contact with specific liquid A, the obtained fat lump composition precursor was pressurized (shaped) by the shaping section 107 and support roller 104 of the shaping roller 103, and then the shaped fat lump composition (fat lump composition before adjusting the swelling degree) was individualized by the individualizing section 108 ((6) Crosslinking process). The fat lump composition was placed in the bath 105 and left to stand for 11 minutes after specific liquid A and specific liquid B came into contact, and then the fat lump composition was washed with tap water.

[0207] The fat chunk composition washed with tap water was then immersed in a stainless steel tray filled with specific liquid C, in which sodium glutamate (Himee, Ajinomoto) was dissolved in an amount of 5% by mass and Oligotose H-70 (manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical) was dissolved in an amount of 21.4% by mass, in a refrigerator at 4°C, and allowed to stand for 60 minutes to adjust the swelling degree of the fat chunk composition ((7) Swelling degree adjustment step). The fat chunk composition was then washed with tap water, placed in a Ziploc bag (registered trademark, manufactured by Asahi Kasei) in 50 g of hot water heated to 80°C for 5 minutes, heated, and then frozen in a freezer at -20°C for half a day to obtain a fat chunk composition.

[0208] <Evaluation of fat chunk composition> 1. Evaluation of shape <Size: b / a> The size of the obtained fat chunk composition was measured. That is, in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the fat chunk composition using the method described above, when the length of the line with the longest length between two points is b and the length of the longest line among the lines perpendicular to the line with the longest length between the two points is a, length a was 3.2 mm and length b was 11.8 mm. Therefore, b / a was 3.7. In the examples and comparative examples described below, length a and length b were also measured, and b / a was calculated, and the results are summarized in Tables 1 and 2.

[0209] <Sensory evaluation> The appearance was also sensorily evaluated based on shape and color. The evaluation was based on the following criteria: A: Appearance similar to beef tallow B: Appearance somewhat similar to beef tallow C: Appearance different from beef tallow

[0210] 2. Sensory evaluation of texture and taste Five professional taste judges conducted a sensory evaluation of texture and taste using a 5-taste discrimination test kit (Delico, Taste Kit Pro). The taste judges were blinded to the preparation conditions of the fat block composition, and evaluated the crunchiness, bitterness, and aroma (beef tallow flavor) of the fat block composition using a relative evaluation method with sheet-type capsule oil as the standard. The evaluation criteria were as follows:

[0211] 2-1. Crunchy texture 5: No crunchy texture 4: Almost no crunchy texture 3: Crunchy texture is felt, but at an acceptable level 2: Crunchy texture is felt strongly 1: Crunchy texture is felt very strongly

[0212] 2-2. Bitterness 5: No bitterness 4: Almost no bitterness 3: Slight bitterness, but tolerable 2: Bitterness 1: Strong bitterness

[0213] 2-3. Beef tallow-like aroma 5: Strong aroma 4: Aroma can be detected 3: Aroma can be detected to a certain extent 2: Almost no aroma can be detected 1: No aroma can be detected at all

[0214] The average scores given by the five monitors for each item were rounded to one decimal place and are shown in Table 1. A score of 3.0 or higher for each of the crunchy feeling, bitterness, and aroma was considered to be acceptable.

[0215] 3. Swelling Degree The swelling degree was measured as follows. The obtained fat block composition (size: 1 piece: approximately 1.5 cm x 3 cm) was frozen at -20°C to prepare a sample. After thawing the frozen sample at room temperature (25°C), each sample was placed in a vial container (manufacturer: Nichiden Rika Glass, model number: SV-30) and dried in an 80°C oven (manufacturer: AS ONE, model number: DO-450PC) for 5 hours to obtain a dried sample, and the dry mass was measured. 20 mL of ion-exchanged water was then placed in the vial container and allowed to swell at 5°C for 24 hours. The swollen sample was placed on a Kimtowel (registered trademark) at room temperature, and then another Kimtowel was placed over the sample to remove excess water. The mass of the drained sample was measured, and the measured value was used as the mass after water absorption. The swelling degree was calculated using the dry mass of the sample and the mass after water absorption using the following formula. Formula: Swelling degree (%) = [[(mass after water absorption) - (dry mass)] / (dry mass)]] x 100 Measurement was performed three times with different samples, and the average value was taken as the swelling degree of the sample. The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

[0216] <Examples 2 to 11, Comparative Examples 1 to 3> Fat block compositions of Examples 2 to 11 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 were obtained in the same manner as Example 1, except that the sodium glutamate concentration in specific liquid C (hardening liquid) and the time of immersion in specific liquid C (listed as "hardening time (min)" in the tables) were changed as shown in Table 1 or Table 2, respectively. Evaluations were performed in the same manner as Example 1. The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

[0217]

[0218]

[0219] From the above results, the fat block compositions of the Examples had an appearance and texture similar to beef tallow, and also had a good aroma and taste. On the other hand, the fat block compositions of Comparative Examples 1 and 3, which had too low a swelling degree, had a crunchy texture not found in beef, and the fat block composition of Comparative Example 2, which had too high a swelling degree, did not have a crunchy texture, but had an inferior aroma and an appearance different from beef tallow.

[0220] From the results in Tables 1 and 2 above, it can be seen that the fat block compositions of the Examples all had an appearance and texture similar to beef tallow, and also had a good aroma and taste. On the other hand, the fat block compositions of Comparative Examples 1 and 3, which had too low a degree of swelling, had a crunchy texture not found in beef, while the fat block composition of Comparative Example 2, which had too high a degree of swelling, did not have a crunchy texture but had an inferior aroma and an appearance different from beef tallow.

[0221] (Measurement of cation concentration in fat chunk composition) As a representative example, the content of monovalent cations and divalent cations in the fat chunk composition of Example 3 and the fat chunk composition of Comparative Example 3 was measured using the following method. Three samples (approximately 100 mg) were prepared by slicing the center of the fat chunk composition using a single-edged razor. Each sliced ​​sample was transferred to a Teflon (registered trademark) vial. 60% by mass nitric acid aqueous solution (5 mL) was added to each vial containing the sample and ashed, and then the volume was adjusted to 50 mL with pure water. Using the adjusted solution, Na and Ca were quantified using ICP-OES (absolute calibration curve method). The results are shown in Table 3 below.

[0222]

[0223] As shown in Table 3, the fat block composition of Example 3 achieves the preferred aspect of containing 500 ppm or more of divalent cations and 500 ppm or more of monovalent cations, and the results in Table 1 confirm that it has a good flavor. On the other hand, the fat block composition of Comparative Example 3 has a low concentration of sodium ions, which are monovalent cations. Therefore, the monovalent ion concentration values ​​also confirm that not only the texture but also the flavor is poor.

[0224] [Explanation of symbols] 10: Fat chunk composition 100: Fat chunk composition manufacturing apparatus, 101: Supply unit for specific liquid A, 102: Supply unit for specific liquid B, 103: Shaping roller, 104: Support roller, 105: Bathtub, 106: Convex portion, 107: Shaping portion, 108: Segmentation portion, 109: Fat chunk composition, 110: Washing portion A: Specific liquid A, B: Specific liquid B, X: Longitudinal direction a: Length of the longest line among lines perpendicular to the line with the longest length between two points in a cross section (A-A cross section) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of fat chunk composition 10 b: Length of the longest line between two points in a cross section (A-A cross section) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of fat chunk composition 10 c: Longitudinal length of fat chunk composition d: In a cross section (A-A cross section) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the fat block composition 10, the length of the line perpendicular to the line with the longest length between two points, and among the lines whose length ratio to the line with the longest length between the two points is 0.10 or more, is the length of the line with the shortest length

[0225] The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-174766, filed on October 6, 2023, is incorporated herein by reference. All documents, patent applications, and technical standards mentioned in this disclosure are incorporated herein by reference to the same extent as if each individual document, patent application, and technical standard was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

Claims

1. A fat mass composition comprising a granular material containing an oil or fat having a melting point of 0.1°C or higher, and an edible ionically cross-linked polymer cross-linked with a cation, wherein the average particle size of the granular material is 50 μm or more and 500 μm or less, and the swelling degree is 50% or more and 110% or less.

2. A fat lump composition as described in claim 1, wherein, in at least one cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the fat lump composition, the length of the line between two points that is the longest is b, and the length of the line that is the longest among the lines perpendicular to the line between the two points that is the longest is a, and b / a is 2.00 or more.

3. A fat mass composition according to claim 1 or claim 2, containing 500 ppm or more of divalent cations and 500 ppm or more of monovalent cations.

4. A method for producing a fat lump composition comprising the steps of: forming droplets containing fats and oils in an aqueous solution; solidifying the fats and oils in the droplets to obtain particles containing solidified fats and oils; adding an aqueous solution containing an edible ionically crosslinkable polymer to the particles to obtain a mixture for forming crude fat lump; contacting the mixture for forming crude fat lump with a liquid containing cations to prepare a fat lump composition precursor; shaping the fat lump composition precursor; and dropping the shaped fat lump composition precursor into a hardening liquid containing cations to obtain a fat lump composition.

5. A method for producing a fat lump composition as described in claim 4, further comprising a step of immersing the obtained fat lump composition in an aqueous salt solution containing a monovalent cation to adjust the degree of swelling.

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