Cheese-like food product and production method for cheese-like food product

Abstract

Provided are: a plant-based cheese-like food product that contains plant-based protein and has nutritional value as a food product but also has a cheese-like texture; and a production method for the cheese-like food product.　The present invention provides a cheese-like food product that includes starch, water, an emulsifier, fat, and plant-based protein. The mass ratio of the total of the starch and the plant-based protein to the water is 0.40–0.80, and the mass ratio of the plant-based protein to the fat is 0.10–0.55. The cheese-like food product includes, as the starch, at least one of a hydroxypropylated starch, a hydroxypropylated phosphoric acid–crosslinked starch, and an acetylated adipic acid–crosslinked starch and, as a result, is closer to the texture of a commercially available processed cheese.

Description

Cheese-like food and method for producing cheese-like food

[0001] The present invention relates to a plant-based cheese-like food product having a cheese-like texture and a method for producing the same.

[0002] The demand for cheese has been increasing year by year due to its diverse cooking methods and unique flavor, and even today, a wide variety of cheeses are produced using a variety of ingredients and manufacturing methods to meet this demand. At the same time, there has been a noticeable trend to avoid animal products due to the worsening health problems such as obesity and diabetes, growing health consciousness, reduction of production costs, and veganism.

[0003] In this context, interest has been growing in the production of analog cheese, which uses less or no raw cheese. Analog cheese generally refers to a food similar to cheese, produced using plant-based ingredients such as rice, yeast, vegetable oils and fats, and starch. In recent years, attempts have been made to use plant proteins as substitutes for animal proteins, which can enrich analog cheese nutritionally.

[0004] Typically, potato-derived modified starch is used in the production of analog cheese. Analog cheeses made with potato-derived modified starch have a gritty texture derived from potatoes, far from the elasticity of cheese. Many products on the market use hydroxypropylated starch to give them smoothness and melting properties (stringiness) when heated and melted, but they lack the elasticity typical of cheese. Furthermore, no analog cheeses on the domestic market contain more than 3% vegetable protein, and using vegetable protein results in an even gritty texture.

[0005] Patent Literature 1 discloses that by setting the mass ratio of starch to water to between 0.55 and 0.92 and the mass ratio of fat to starch to between 0.25 and 1.80, it is possible to improve the productivity of cheese-like foods and impart an appropriate texture to the cheese-like foods. However, the cheese-like foods do not contain vegetable protein.

[0006] Patent Document 2 discloses a plant-based cheese-like food that has a melty texture and milky taste similar to natural cheese and is suitable for processing into shreds, etc., by blending a specific soy protein material into the cheese-like food. However, the plant protein content of this plant-based cheese-like food is relatively low, at 1.5 to 2.5% or less. Furthermore, since this plant-based cheese-like food is intended to be eaten after being heated and melted, it is unclear whether it has the sufficient elasticity that cheese intended to be eaten as is should have.

[0007] JP 2022-60294 A International Publication No. 2018 / 173610 Pamphlet

[0008] Thus, conventional technologies have had the problem of difficulty in achieving both nutritional value as a food and a pleasant cheese-like texture when eaten. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a plant-based cheese-like food that contains plant protein, has nutritional value as a food, and has a cheese-like texture, and a method for producing the same.

[0009] As a result of extensive research, the present inventors have discovered that a cheese-like food having a cheese-like texture can be provided even when it contains vegetable protein by adjusting the mass ratio of the total mass of starch and vegetable protein to water to between 0.40 and 0.80, and the mass ratio of vegetable protein to fats and oils to between 0.10 and 0.55, and have thus completed the cheese-like food of the present invention and a method for producing the same. That is, the present invention includes the following features: [1] A cheese-like food comprising starch, water, an emulsifier, fats and oils, characterized in that the mass ratio of the total mass of the starch and vegetable protein to water is between 0.40 and 0.80, and the mass ratio of the vegetable protein to fats and oils is between 0.10 and 0.55. [2] The cheese-like food according to [1], wherein the starch comprises one or more of hydroxypropylated starch, hydroxypropylated phosphate-crosslinked starch, or acetylated adipate-crosslinked starch, and the mass ratio of the total mass of these to the starch is 0.10 or more and 0.60 or less. [3] The cheese-like food according to [1] or [2], wherein the vegetable protein is contained in the cheese-like food at 3 mass% or more. [4] The cheese-like food according to [1] or [2], wherein the emulsifier comprises starch sodium octenylsuccinate. [5] The cheese-like food according to [1] or [2], wherein the vegetable protein is a pea-derived protein. [6] The cheese-like food according to [1] or [2], which is an individually packaged portion-type food. [7] A method for producing a cheese-like food, comprising the steps of preparing a mixture containing starch, water, an emulsifier, oil and vegetable protein, and stirring the mixture while heating, wherein the mass ratio of the total mass of the starch and the vegetable protein to the water is 0.40 or more and 0.80 or less, and the mass ratio of the vegetable protein to the oil and vegetable protein is 0.10 or more and 0.55 or less. [8] A method for producing a cheese-like food according to [7], wherein the starch comprises one or more of hydroxypropylated starch, hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch, or acetylated adipic acid cross-linked starch, and the mass ratio of the total mass of the starch to the starch is 0.10 or more and 0.60 or less.[9] The method for producing a cheese-like food according to [7] or [8], wherein the vegetable protein is contained in the cheese-like food at 3% by mass or more.

[10] The method for producing a cheese-like food according to [7] or [8], wherein the emulsifier comprises starch sodium octenyl succinate.

[11] The method for producing a cheese-like food according to [7] or [8], wherein the vegetable protein is a pea-derived protein.

[0010] According to the present invention, a cheese-like food product containing vegetable protein but having a cheese-like texture, and a method for producing the same are provided.

[0011] The cheese-like food of the present invention will be described in further detail below. Unless otherwise specified, percentages are based on the total mass of the cheese-like food.

[0012] The cheese-like food of the present invention comprises starch, water, an emulsifier, fats and oils, and a vegetable protein, wherein the mass ratio of the total mass of the starch and the vegetable protein to the water is 0.40 or more and 0.80 or less, and the mass ratio of the vegetable protein to the fats and oils is 0.10 or more and 0.55 or less. This configuration allows the vegetable protein-containing cheese-like food to be imparted with a texture resembling that of processed cheese (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as processed cheese) made from milk. Furthermore, the cheese-like food of the present invention can further approximate the texture of processed cheese by including one or more of hydroxypropylated starch, hydroxypropylated phosphate-crosslinked starch, and acetylated adipic acid-crosslinked starch as the starch.

[0013] [Vegetable Protein] The cheese-like food of the present invention contains vegetable protein. From the viewpoint of nutritional enrichment, the vegetable protein content is preferably 3% by mass or more but less than 15% by mass, and even more preferably 5% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less. The cheese-like food has a more crumbly texture as the vegetable protein content increases. By adjusting the blending ratio of each ingredient as described above, the cheese-like food of the present invention can have a cheese-like texture even with a high vegetable protein content (3% or more). Furthermore, the mass ratio of vegetable protein to fats and oils is preferably 0.10 or more and 0.55 or less, more preferably 0.12 or more and 0.50 or less, and even more preferably 0.13 or more and 0.45 or less. When the mass ratio of vegetable protein to fats and oils is greater than 0.55, the oil and solids in the cheese-like food tend to separate, while when it is less than 0.10, the cheese-like food tends to become hard. The vegetable protein used in the present invention may be derived from, for example, peas, soybeans, edamame, etc., but is not limited thereto. The cheese-like food of the present invention may contain animal protein. However, to maximize the effects of the present invention, it is desirable that the cheese-like food does not contain animal protein. This is because the present invention can produce a cheese-like food that minimizes the gritty texture that results from using vegetable protein as a substitute for milk-derived animal protein, and solves all of the problems associated with the use of animal ingredients, nutrition, and texture.

[0014] [Starch] In the cheese-like food of the present invention, the mass ratio of the total mass of the starch and vegetable protein to water is preferably 0.40 or more and 0.80 or less, more preferably 0.45 or more and 0.80 or less, and even more preferably 0.48 or more and 0.77 or less. If the mass ratio of the total mass of the starch and vegetable protein to water is greater than 0.80, the cheese-like food tends to become brittle, and if it is less than 0.40, the cheese-like food tends to become soft.

[0015] The cheese-like food of the present invention preferably contains, as starch, one or more of hydroxypropylated starch, hydroxypropylated phosphate-crosslinked starch, or acetylated adipate-crosslinked starch. More preferably, it contains one or more of hydroxypropylated phosphate-crosslinked starch or acetylated adipate-crosslinked starch. By containing one or more of hydroxypropylated starch, hydroxypropylated phosphate-crosslinked starch, or acetylated adipate-crosslinked starch in the cheese-like food, it is possible to impart cheese-like elasticity and texture to the cheese-like food. The mass ratio of the total mass of hydroxypropylated starch, hydroxypropylated phosphate-crosslinked starch, and acetylated adipate-crosslinked starch to the total mass of starch is preferably 0.10 or more and 0.60 or less, more preferably 0.10 or more and 0.55 or less, and even more preferably 0.13 or more and 0.50 or less.

[0016] Hydroxypropylated starch, hydroxypropylated phosphate-crosslinked starch, and acetylated adipic acid-crosslinked starch can change the texture of cheese-like foods or impart functionality to cheese-like foods. Here, changes in the texture of cheese-like foods include, for example, softening, hardening, smoothness, increased elasticity, etc., and functionality imparted to cheese-like foods includes, for example, aging resistance, water retention, etc. The combination and respective contents of hydroxypropylated starch, hydroxypropylated phosphate-crosslinked starch, and acetylated adipic acid-crosslinked starch contained in a cheese-like food can be appropriately adjusted depending on the texture, functionality, etc. of the desired cheese-like food.

[0017] Hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch can suppress syneresis in cheese-like foods and make the cheese-like foods smooth. Hydroxypropylated starch can also impart functionality such as water retention and anti-aging properties to cheese-like foods.

[0018] Examples of starches other than those mentioned above include, but are not limited to, modified starches such as oxidized starch, acetylated starch, acetylated oxidized starch, and starch acetate. In the cheese-like food product of the present invention, it is preferable to use, for example, oxidized starch, and it is preferable to contain, for example, 10% by mass or more and 23% by mass or less of oxidized starch.

[0019] Processed starch can be obtained by processing raw starch. Examples of raw starch include potato starch, tapioca starch, waxy corn starch, corn starch, high-amylose corn starch, sweet potato starch, wheat starch, rice starch, and sago starch, but the raw starch used for the cheese-like food of the present invention is not limited to these. One type of raw starch may be used, or two or more types may be used in combination. The starch content of the cheese-like food of the present invention can be appropriately adjusted depending on the mass ratio of the total mass of the starch and vegetable protein to water, as described above, but is preferably, for example, 10% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less.

[0020] [Oils and Fats] The oils and fats contained in the cheese-like food of the present invention are vegetable oils, such as palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, rice bran oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, olive oil, and processed oils and fats obtained by subjecting these oils to interesterification, hydrogenation, fractionation, hardening, etc., but are not limited to these. These edible oils and fats may be used alone or in combination of two or more. In the cheese-like food of the present invention, it is preferable to use rapeseed oil, for example, and it is preferable to contain it in an amount of, for example, 15% by mass to 35% by mass.

[0021] [Moisture] In this specification, "moisture" refers to raw material water (blended water) added when producing a cheese-like food, and does not include moisture originally contained in other raw materials such as starch, protein, etc. The amount of "moisture" in the cheese-like food of the present invention can be adjusted appropriately depending on the mass ratio of the total mass of the starch and vegetable protein to the "moisture" as described above, but is preferably, for example, 25% by mass or more and less than 60% by mass.

[0022] In the cheese-like food of the present invention, the moisture may be something other than water. For example, the moisture may be a vegetable emulsion such as soy milk, coconut milk, almond milk, or rice milk, or a vegetable juice or fruit juice. By adding a liquid other than water to the cheese-like food, the flavor of the liquid can be imparted to the cheese-like food.

[0023] [Emulsifier] The cheese-like food of the present invention contains an emulsifier. Examples of emulsifiers include, but are not limited to, lecithin, monoglycerin fatty acid esters, organic acid mono-fatty acid glycerides, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters, and starch sodium octenyl succinate. In the cheese-like food of the present invention, for example, starch sodium octenyl succinate is preferably used, and the content thereof is preferably, for example, 1% by mass or more and 5% by mass or less.

[0024] In this specification, starch sodium octenyl succinate is treated as an emulsifier rather than as starch, i.e., in this specification, starch sodium octenyl succinate is not included in the total amount of starch.

[0025] [Other Ingredients] The cheese-like food product of the present invention may contain other ingredients in addition to the above-mentioned raw materials, provided that the effects of the present invention are not impaired. Examples of other ingredients include, but are not limited to, antioxidants, seasonings, polysaccharides, pH adjusters, preservatives, and coloring agents. Specific examples of antioxidants include L-ascorbic acid, L-ascorbic acid derivatives, tocopherol, tocotrienol, lignans, ubiquinones, xanthines, oryzanol, catechins, and polyphenols. Specific examples of seasonings include flavorings, salt, sugar, and amino acids. Specific examples of polysaccharides include starch, xanthan gum, guar gum, gum arabic, pectin, locust bean gum, carrageenan, alginic acid, dextrin, gellan gum, and cellulose, in addition to those listed above. pH adjusters include acetic acid, phosphoric acid, citric acid, lactic acid, and their sodium salts.

[0026] The cheese-like food of the present invention may be individually packaged. For example, the cheese-like food of the present invention may be an individually packaged whole cheese-like food, or an individually packaged portion-type cheese-like food. Packaging materials commonly used for food packaging, such as aluminum film, plastic film, and packaging paper, can be used for the individual packaging.

[0027] As used herein, "individually packaged" means that each unit of a product is packaged separately. For example, a single piece of candy individually packaged in a packaging material is an "individually packaged" candy. The cheese-like food of the present invention is individually packaged from the viewpoint of preventing deterioration in the quality of the cheese-like food, ease of handling when eating, etc.

[0028] The cheese-like food of the present invention has physical properties and a flavor similar to those of processed cheese that is eaten as is without heating. Therefore, the cheese-like food of the present invention is preferably in the form of, for example, a portioned type or a block type that can be cut and eaten. However, the shape is not limited to these, and any other shape or form, such as a sliced ​​type, a diced type, or a shredded type, is also acceptable.

[0029] Next, the method for producing the cheese-like food of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0030] [Method for producing cheese-like food] The cheese-like food of the present invention can be produced by a production method including the steps of preparing a mixture containing starch, water, an emulsifier, oil and vegetable protein, and stirring the mixture while heating, wherein the mass ratio of the total mass of the starch and the vegetable protein to the water is 0.40 or more and 0.80 or less, and the mass ratio of the vegetable protein to the oil and vegetable protein is 0.10 or more and 0.55 or less.

[0031] [Step of Preparing a Mixture] This step involves preparing a mixture containing starch, water, an emulsifier, oils and fats, and vegetable protein. The mass ratio of the total mass of the starch and vegetable protein to the water is preferably 0.40 or more and 0.80 or less, more preferably 0.45 or more and 0.80 or less, and even more preferably 0.48 or more and 0.77 or less. The mass ratio of the vegetable protein to the oils and fats is preferably 0.10 or more and 0.55 or less, more preferably 0.12 or more and 0.50 or less, and even more preferably 0.13 or more and 0.45 or less. Each ingredient is weighed and placed in an emulsifier. When preparing the mixture, the ingredients may be mixed together, or any two ingredients may be mixed in advance and then the remaining ingredients may be added and mixed.

[0032] [Step of Stirring While Heating] This step involves heating and stirring the mixture of ingredients placed in an emulsifier. In the method for producing a cheese-like food product of the present invention, heating and stirring can be performed, for example, by stirring the mixture at 500 to 1500 rpm while heating, and after the temperature of the mixture reaches 80°C or higher, further stirring at 500 to 1500 rpm while maintaining the temperature at 80°C or higher. Furthermore, conditions such as heating temperature, stirring speed, and stirring time can be appropriately changed depending on the size of the emulsifier and the blending ratio of the ingredients, as long as the mixture is sufficiently heated and emulsified. As the emulsifier, any emulsifier commonly used for emulsifying processed cheese, such as a vertical shear emulsifier, a kettle emulsifier, a Stephan emulsifier, or a scraper emulsifier, can be used.

[0033] [Cooling Step] This step is a step of cooling the emulsified mixture to solidify it. For example, cooling can be performed in an atmosphere of more than 0°C and not more than 10°C. By cooling at a temperature within this range, it is possible to impart an appropriate hardness to the emulsified mixture.

[0034] [Packaging Step] This step is a step of packaging the emulsified mixture. In the present invention, the packaging step may be carried out before or after the cooling step. That is, in the case of a portioned cheese-like food, the mixture may be cooled and solidified, then cut into portion sizes and packaged, or the pre-cooled mixture may be filled into individual portion packages and then cooled. Individual packaging of portioned cheese-like foods may be carried out under the same conditions as individual packaging of regular portioned processed cheese, such as packaging so that the packaging material adheres tightly to the cut surfaces. Furthermore, individual packaging of portioned cheese-like foods can be carried out using a packaging machine used for individual packaging of regular portioned processed cheese.

[0035] [Evaluation Method] The cheese-like food of the present invention can be evaluated by hardness, chewiness, brittleness, surface roughness, and sensory evaluation. Examples of evaluation methods for these items are given below. 1. Hardness and Chewability The "hardness" and "chewability" of a cheese-like food can be evaluated by adjusting the temperature of the cheese-like food to 10°C, cutting it into a 10 x 10 x 10 mm cube, and measuring the cut block using a texture analyzer (product name: TA.XT.plus, manufacturer: Eiko Seiki Co., Ltd.), using evaluation criteria based on the measurements of commercially available processed cheese. Note that "hardness" is defined as the area in the positive direction of the first compression, and the value representing "chewability" is calculated by multiplying the measurements of "hardness," "cohesiveness," and "elasticity." 2. Brittleness The "brittleness" of a cheese-like food can be measured using a texture analyzer (product name: TA-XT2i, manufacturer: Eiko Seiki Co., Ltd.) and evaluated according to evaluation criteria using the measured values ​​of commercially available processed cheese as the standard. A jig is contacted with the center of a fixed test specimen and lowered from contact at a speed of 0.33 mm / s, and the distance the jig descends until the cheese-like food breaks is defined as the brittleness. 3. Surface Roughness The "surface roughness" of a cheese-like food can be evaluated by measuring the arithmetic mean height Ra (the plane at the average height of all data within the observation field is used as the reference plane, and the absolute values ​​of the differences between the height of each point and the height of the reference plane are averaged) using a shape measuring laser microscope (product name: VK-9710, manufacturer: Keyence Corporation) on the cross section of the test specimen broken in the measurement of [2. Brittleness] above, and evaluating according to evaluation criteria using the measured values ​​of commercially available processed cheese as the standard. 4. Sensory Evaluation The "sensory evaluation" of cheese-like foods is carried out by having five trained panelists blindly eat the cheese-like foods and rate them on a 10-point scale, with 10 points being favorable and 1 point being unfavorable, regarding whether the texture is similar to that of commercially available processed cheese, and the evaluation can be carried out by averaging the scores of the five panelists.

[0036] Examples of the present invention will be described in detail below, but the present invention is not limited to these examples and various improvements can be made based on known techniques. Unless otherwise specified, percentages are based on the total mass of the cheese-like food.

[0037] [Examples 1 to 8, Comparative Examples 1 to 3] Cheese-like foods were produced using different blending ratios of ingredients, and their physical properties and flavors were evaluated. Example products 1 to 8 and Comparative products 1 to 3 were produced by the following production method.

[0038] Vegetable protein, starch, oil, emulsifier, water, and seasoning were prepared, and each ingredient was weighed and placed in a tabletop cutter mixer (product name: THERMO MIX, manufacturer: VORWERK) and stirred at 500 rpm for 5 minutes. The temperature of the tabletop cutter mixer was then set to 95°C, and the mixture was emulsified by stirring at 1500 rpm for 20 minutes. At this time, the temperature of the mixture was 85°C or higher. The emulsified mixture was filled into a 0.07 mm thick nylon vacuum bag (400 mm x 280 mm) and cooled at 5°C for 1 day. The mixture was then refrigerated at 10°C for 7 days and evaluated.

[0039] The blending ratio of each ingredient is shown in Table 1. In Example 1, each ingredient was weighed and charged into a tabletop cutter-type mixer so that the pea-derived protein was 3%, potato / oxidized starch 20.3%, rapeseed oil 23.0%, potato / starch sodium octenyl succinate 3.7%, water 49.0%, and seasoning 1.0% relative to the total mass of the cheese-like food, and Example Product 1 was produced by carrying out the same procedure as described above.

[0040] Examples 9 to 12 Cheese-like foods were produced by replacing part or all of the tapioca hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch of Example 8 with tapioca hydroxypropylated starch, waxy hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch, corn hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch, or tapioca acetylated adipate cross-linked starch, and the physical properties and sensory evaluations were carried out. The blending ratios of each ingredient of the cheese-like foods of Examples 9 to 12 are shown in Table 2.

[0041] Test Example 1: Evaluation of Hardness and Chewing Ability The hardness and chewing ability of the cheese-like food products of the present invention were measured as follows. Example Products 1 to 12, Comparative Examples 1 to 3, and a commercially available processed cheese (trade name: "Snow Brand Baby Cheese," manufactured by Megmilk Snow Brand Co., Ltd.; the same applies to the following test examples) were adjusted to 10°C and then cut into 10 x 10 x 10 mm cubic blocks. The cut blocks were measured using a texture analyzer (trade name: TA.XT.plus, manufactured by Eiko Seiki Co., Ltd.). "Hardness" was defined as the area in the positive direction of the first compression, and the value representing "chewing ability" was calculated by multiplying the measured values ​​of "hardness," "cohesiveness," and "elasticity." Measurements were performed using the following parameters. <Texture analyzer parameters> Penetration speed: 0.5 mm / sec Contact confirmation (trigger force): 0.06 N Distortion rate: 80% load Cycles: 2 (Hardness evaluation criteria) The evaluation criteria, based on the measured values ​​of commercially available processed cheese, were as follows, with "x" indicating failure. The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2. ◎: 120 N·sec or more and less than 220 N·sec ◯: 100 N·sec or more and less than 120 N·sec or 220 N·sec or more and less than 300 N·sec ×: Less than 100 N·sec or 300 N·sec or more (Masticatory ease evaluation criteria) The evaluation criteria, based on the measured values ​​of commercially available processed cheese, were as follows, with "x" indicating failure. The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2. ◎: 7 N·sec or more but less than 15 N·sec ◯: 3 N·sec or more but less than 7 N·sec or 15 N·sec or more but less than 25 N·sec ×: Less than 3 N·sec

[0042] Test Example 2: Evaluation of Brittleness The brittleness of the cheese-like food of the present invention was measured as follows. Example Products 1 to 12, Comparative Products 1 to 3, and commercially available processed cheese were held at 10°C for 30 minutes or more before measurement, and the brittleness was measured using a texture analyzer (product name: TA-XT2i, manufacturer: Eiko Seiki Co., Ltd.) according to the following procedure. Example Products 1 to 12, Comparative Products 1 to 3, and commercially available processed cheese were cut into pieces 35 mm wide x 15 mm thick x 10 mm high. The cut specimens were placed horizontally on two supports (90 mm wide, 5 mm thick, 32 mm high) spaced 25 mm apart, without fixing them to the edges. A jig (90 mm wide, 5 mm thick, 13 mm high, with a semicircular tip 5 mm in diameter) was brought into contact with the center of the specimen from above, and the jig was lowered at a speed of 0.33 mm / s. The distance the jig descended until the cheese broke was measured. The distance until the cheese broke was defined as the brittleness. The evaluation criteria, based on the measurements of commercially available processed cheese as the standard, were as follows, with "x" representing failure. The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2. (Evaluation criteria) ⊚: 5 mm or more ◯: 3 mm or more and less than 5 mm x: Less than 3 mm

[0043] Test Example 3: Evaluation of Surface Roughness The surface roughness of the cheese-like food of the present invention was measured as follows. For Example Products 1 to 12, Comparative Examples 1 to 3, and commercially available processed cheese, the cross sections of the test specimens broken in the brittleness measurement in Test Example 2 were measured for arithmetic mean height Ra (the plane of the average height of all data within the observation field was used as the reference plane, and the absolute values ​​of the differences between the height of each point and the height of the reference plane were averaged) using a shape measuring laser microscope (product name: VK-9710, manufacturer: Keyence Corporation). The evaluation criteria, using the measured values ​​of commercially available processed cheese as the standard, were as follows, with "x" representing failure. The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2. (Evaluation criteria) ◎: Less than 50 μm ◯: 50 μm or more and less than 100 μm ×: 100 μm or more

[0044] Test Example 4: Sensory Evaluation Sensory evaluation of the cheese-like food of the present invention was carried out as follows. A blind sensory evaluation was carried out by five trained panelists on Example Products 1 to 12, Comparative Examples 1 to 3, and commercially available processed cheese. Whether the texture was similar to that of commercially available processed cheese and was preferable was scored on a 10-point scale, with 10 points being preferable and 1 point being unfavorable, and the evaluation was based on the average score of the five trained panelists. "X" was considered a failure. The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2. ◎: (8 to 10 points): Similar texture to commercially available processed cheese and preferable ○: (5 to 7 points): Texture different from that of commercially available processed cheese, but acceptable with no problems in flavor or texture ×: (1 to 4 points): Significantly different from commercially available processed cheese, with poor texture such as syneresis and oil-off

[0045]

[0046] [Discussion] Table 1 shows the proportions of each ingredient and the results of the physical property evaluation and sensory evaluation for Example Products 1 to 8 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3. (1) Cheese-like foods in which the mass ratio of the total mass of starch and vegetable protein to water was not between 0.40 and 0.80, or the mass ratio of vegetable protein to fat was not between 0.10 and 0.50, did not meet the evaluation criteria for any of the physical property evaluation items of hardness, chewability, brittleness, or surface roughness (Comparative Examples 1 to 3). Furthermore, these cheese-like foods exhibited poor texture, such as oil-off and syneresis, and in the sensory evaluation, their texture was significantly different from that of processed cheese, and was therefore not acceptable for the texture of processed cheese (Comparative Examples 1 to 3). (2) On the other hand, cheese-like foods having a mass ratio of the total mass of starch and vegetable protein to water of 0.40 to 0.80 and a mass ratio of vegetable protein to fats and oils of 0.10 to 0.50 met the evaluation criteria for all physical property evaluation items, including hardness, chewability, brittleness, and surface roughness, and were found to have acceptable flavor and texture (Example 1). Furthermore, the texture of cheese-like foods was further improved by including tapioca hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch as starch, and the texture was found to be closer to that of commercially available processed cheese (Examples 2 to 8). In particular, Examples 4 to 6 had a pleasant texture almost equivalent to that of commercially available processed cheese (Examples 4 to 6). (3) While cheese-like foods tend to have a crumbly texture as the vegetable protein content increases, Example 6, which contained 10% pea-derived protein, had a pleasant texture almost equivalent to that of commercially available processed cheese.

[0047]

[0048] Table 2 shows the proportions of each ingredient and the results of the physical property evaluation and sensory evaluation for Examples 9 to 12. (1) Even when all of the tapioca hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch in Example 8 was replaced with waxy hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch, corn hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch, or tapioca acetylated adipate cross-linked starch, the cheese-like food still met the evaluation criteria for physical property evaluation items such as hardness, chewiness, brittleness, and surface roughness, and the sensory evaluation showed a favorable texture almost equivalent to that of commercially available processed cheese (Examples 9 to 11). (2) A cheese-like food in which part of the tapioca hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch in Example 8 was replaced with tapioca hydroxypropylated starch had a texture different from that of commercially available processed cheese, but the flavor and texture were acceptable without any problems (Example 12).

[0049] Example 13 Individually packaged portion-type cheese-like food products are produced as follows. Vegetable protein, starch, oil, emulsifier, water, and seasonings are prepared, and each ingredient is weighed and placed in an emulsifier. The mixture is then heated and stirred in the same manner as in Examples 1 to 12 to obtain an emulsified mixture. The emulsified mixture is then filled into aluminum foil portion containers, packaged, and cooled at 5°C for at least 24 hours to produce individually packaged portion-type cheese-like food products.

Claims

1. A cheese-like food comprising starch, moisture, an emulsifier, fats and oils, and vegetable protein, characterized in that the mass ratio of the total mass of the starch and the vegetable protein to the moisture is 0.40 or more and 0.80 or less, and the mass ratio of the vegetable protein to the fats and oils is 0.10 or more and 0.55 or less.

2. The cheese-like food according to claim 1, wherein the starch comprises one or more of hydroxypropylated starch, hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch or acetylated adipic acid cross-linked starch, and the mass ratio of the total mass of the starch to the starch is 0.10 or more and 0.60 or less.

3. A cheese-like food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vegetable protein is contained in the cheese-like food at 3% by mass or more.

4. The cheese-like food product of claim 1 or 2, wherein the emulsifier comprises starch sodium octenyl succinate.

5. A cheese-like food product according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vegetable protein is a pea-derived protein.

6. The cheese-like food product according to claim 1 or 2, which is an individually packaged portion-type food product.

7. A method for producing a cheese-like food, comprising the steps of: preparing a mixture containing starch, moisture, an emulsifier, oil and vegetable protein; and stirring the mixture while heating, wherein the mass ratio of the total mass of the starch and the vegetable protein to the moisture is 0.40 or more and 0.80 or less, and the mass ratio of the vegetable protein to the oil is 0.10 or more and 0.55 or less.

8. A method for producing a cheese-like food product as described in claim 7, wherein the starch contains one or more of hydroxypropylated starch, hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch or acetylated adipic acid cross-linked starch, and the mass ratio of the total mass to the starch is 0.10 or more and 0.60 or less.

9. A method for producing a cheese-like food product according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the cheese-like food product contains 3% by mass or more of the vegetable protein.

10. A method for producing a cheese-like food product according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the emulsifier comprises starch sodium octenyl succinate.

11. A method for producing a cheese-like food product according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the vegetable protein is a pea-derived protein.

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