Gel-like composition and method for producing same

Abstract

[Problem] To provide: a gel-like composition which has high heat resistance to such an extent that the shape of the composition can be retained even under heating with a microwave oven or under heating in a temperature zone exceeding 100°C; and a method for producing the gel-like composition. [Solution] Provided is a gel-like composition containing curdlan, wherein the curdlan to be used is in the form of a finely pulverized powder having an average particle diameter of 30 μm or less, and native gellan gum and tapioca-derived starch are contained in specified amounts. Further, improved workability and high heat resistance can be imparted by using arginine in an amount within a specified range with respect to the amount of the curdlan and / or by adding a modified arum root powder to the gel-like composition.

Description

Gel composition and method for producing same

[0001] The present invention relates to a gel composition containing curdlan and a method for producing the same.

[0002] Curdlan, a heat-setting gelling agent, is used in many gel compositions because the gel compositions obtained after heat setting have heat resistance.

[0003] For example, the present applicant has disclosed a gel-like food for people with difficulty chewing that uses curdlan and modified starch (Patent Document 1). This gel-like food for people with difficulty chewing is refrigerated and frozen, can be cooked with heat, and forms a gel composition with reduced syneresis. It is also known that a gel-like food containing curdlan and one or more selected from the group consisting of native gellan gum, deacylated gellan gum, psyllium seed gum, agar, tamarind seed gum, carrageenan, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, glucomannan, guar gum, and tara gum, and / or starch, does not melt when cooked with heat and retains its shape (Patent Document 2).

[0004] WO2017 / 017953 JP2017-038530

[0005] In recent years, methods of cooking gel compositions, including gel foods, have come to include not only steaming and boiling in hot water as disclosed in Patent Document 2, but also higher-temperature methods such as microwave heating, which has become common in home cooking, and heating with hot air at approximately 120°C, such as reheating carts used in hospitals and elderly care facilities. When microwave heating is used, temperatures can reach 100°C or higher locally during heating, causing the water contained in the gel composition to rapidly boil and evaporate, making it difficult for the gel composition to maintain its shape. It has also become clear that in reheating carts heated with hot air at approximately 120°C, the surface of the gel composition that comes into contact with the hot air is particularly difficult to maintain its shape.

[0006] To address these issues, Patent Document 2 only confirms heat resistance up to 100°C, and does not indicate whether shape retention is maintained under heating conditions such as microwave heating, a reheating cart that heats with hot air at 120°C, or a combination heating device that heats at 120°C using a combination of hot air and steam. In fact, the inventors' investigation revealed that the gel food of Patent Document 2 may not be able to retain its shape when heated in a microwave oven. For this reason, there has been a demand for technology that further improves the heat resistance of conventionally known gel compositions.

[0007] The inventors conducted research to solve this problem and found that this problem can be solved by using a fine powder of curdlan with an average particle size of 30 μm or less in a curdlan-containing gel composition and by incorporating specific amounts of native gellan gum and tapioca-derived starch into the gel composition. Furthermore, the inventors conducted further research and found that the quality and heat resistance can be further improved by combining curdlan with a certain amount of arginine and / or adding a certain amount of modified konjac flour to the gel composition. Based on these findings, the inventors furthered their research and completed the present invention.

[0008] That is, the present invention is as follows. (1) A gel composition comprising the following components: (a) 0.5 to 3 wt % of finely powdered curdlan having an average particle size of 30 μm or less; (b) 0.02 to 0.5 wt % of native gellan gum; and (c) 1 to 7 wt % of tapioca-derived starch. (2) The composition according to (1) above, further comprising (d) arginine, the arginine content being 0.05 to 0.5 parts by weight per part by weight of curdlan. (3) The composition according to (1) above, further comprising (e) 0.02 to 1.0 wt % of modified konjac flour. (4) The composition according to (1) above, characterized in that the tapioca-derived starch is tapioca-derived esterified starch. (5) The composition according to (4) above, wherein the esterified starch is acetylated phosphate-crosslinked starch. (6) A method for producing a gel composition, comprising mixing (a) to (c) described in (1) above with a food or beverage paste and heating the mixture to 80° C. or higher. (7) The method for producing a gel composition according to (6) above, further comprising mixing (d) arginine described in (2) above, wherein curdlan and arginine are mixed with the food or beverage paste at approximately the same time.

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a gel composition having high heat resistance such that it can retain its shape even when heated in a microwave oven or at temperatures exceeding 100°C, and a method for producing the gel composition.

[0010] (A) Gel compositions of Example 2-1, (B) Example 2-2, and (C) Comparative Example

[0011] The gel composition of the present invention is obtained by mixing finely powdered curdlan having an average particle size of 30 μm or less, native gellan gum, and tapioca-derived starch with water or a liquid or paste-like food or drink, and then heating to 80°C or higher to gel it. The obtained gel composition retains its shape even when heated in a microwave oven or at temperatures above 100°C. Furthermore, depending on the amount of gelling polysaccharides contained in the gel composition of the present invention, such as curdlan or native gellan gum, it can also be used as a soft, non-adhesive food for people with difficulty chewing.

[0012] In the present invention, curdlan is a general term for heat-coagulable polysaccharides primarily composed of β-1,3-glucosidic bonds. Such curdlan can also be produced by microorganisms of the genus Alcaligenes or Acrobacterium. The inventors discovered that using finely powdered curdlan with an average particle size of 30 μm or less provides a gel composition with higher heat resistance. Therefore, in the present invention, it is important to use finely powdered curdlan with an average particle size of 30 μm or less, preferably 10 to 30 μm, in order to maintain its shape after reheating. Such finely powdered curdlan can be commercially available, or it can be obtained by pulverizing commercially available powdered curdlan using conventional methods. The amount of curdlan with an average particle size of 30 μm or less is 0.5 to 3.0 wt %, preferably 0.8 to 2.8 wt %, and more preferably 1.0 to 2.0 wt %, based on the gel composition. Within this range, using 1.0 to 1.5 wt % in particular can produce a gel composition suitable for use as a food for people with dysphagia.

[0013] Furthermore, the native gellan gum of the present invention refers to a polysaccharide produced by microbial culture using Sphingomonas elodia, whose constituent units are two molecules of D-glucose, one molecule of D-gluconic acid, and one molecule of L-rhamnose, and which has not been deacylated. Commercially available products commonly marketed as native gellan gum or HA gellan can be used. The native gellan gum is used in an amount of 0.02 to 0.5 wt %, preferably 0.04 to 0.3 wt %, and more preferably 0.06 to 0.2 wt % in the gel composition. Native gellan gum can impart a softer texture to the gel composition of the present invention than when curdlan alone is used as the gelling polysaccharide. However, the use of native gellan gum in combination with curdlan generally tends to reduce the heat resistance of the curdlan. However, it was surprising that the use of finely powdered curdlan, the amount of native gellan gum within a specific range, and the use of native gellan gum in combination with tapioca-derived starch can suppress the reduction in heat resistance and even impart higher heat resistance than conventional products.

[0014] Furthermore, in the present invention, it is important to use starch derived from tapioca among the starches that can be used in foods. While starches are generally used to suppress syneresis of gel compositions, tapioca-derived starch can suppress syneresis while imparting particularly high heat resistance when used in combination with curdlan and gellan gum. The tapioca-derived starch in the present invention may be raw starch or processed starch as long as it is derived from tapioca, but processed starch derived from tapioca is preferred, and esterified starch derived from tapioca is even more preferred. Examples of esterified starch include phosphated starch, phosphate-crosslinked starch, octenyl succinate starch, acetate starch, acetylated adipate starch, acetylated phosphate-crosslinked starch, and acetylated oxidized starch. A particularly preferred form of esterification is acetylated phosphate crosslinking, meaning that tapioca-derived acetylated phosphate-crosslinked starch is particularly preferred in the present invention. The effects of the present invention can be effectively achieved by using tapioca-derived starch in an amount of 1 to 7% by weight, preferably 2 to 5% by weight, and particularly preferably 2.5 to 4.5% by weight, based on the gel composition.

[0015] The gel composition of the present invention may also contain arginine. Arginine is a type of amino acid, and in the present invention, any arginine, such as L-arginine, D-arginine, or a mixture thereof, may be used, and may be produced by any method, such as fermentation or extraction. For example, commercially available L-arginine may be used.

[0016] Arginine can improve the dispersibility of curdlan when mixed with water or liquid or paste-like foods and beverages, thereby improving the operational efficiency and quality of the gel composition produced in the present invention. Specifically, arginine improves the dispersibility of curdlan, thereby enabling it to be dispersed without the high-speed stirring previously required for dispersing curdlan. It also improves the dispersion of other ingredients coexisting with curdlan, thereby preventing the formation of a non-uniform gel. Furthermore, the use of arginine in combination improves the gel strength of the gel formed by curdlan, thereby improving the overall hardness of the gel composition of the present invention. It also has the economical effect of imparting an appropriate hardness to the gel composition even with small amounts of curdlan and other essential ingredients added. To achieve this effect, arginine is used in an amount of 0.05 to 0.5 parts by weight, preferably 0.07 to 0.2 parts by weight, per 1 part by weight of curdlan.

[0017] Furthermore, the gel composition of the present invention can contain modified konjac flour to further improve heat resistance. While ordinary konjac flour requires alkali dissolution, modified konjac flour has the property of gelling when dispersed in water to form a dispersion and then heated or stirred without the need for alkali. In other words, modified konjac flour refers to konjac flour that has been modified from conventionally known konjac flour to have properties that allow a gel to be easily obtained without the need for pH adjustment. Such modified konjac flour may be, for example, one whose physical properties have been modified by heat-treating the konjac flour with an alkaline solution while suppressing swelling of the konjac grains, or one whose physical properties have been modified by adding konjac flour to an alcohol solution to semi-swell the konjac flour, and then adding an alkaline solution to the alcohol solution containing the konjac flour to cause a reaction. For example, those produced by the methods described in JP 2011-072304 and JP 2021-078448, or other production methods, can be used as long as they have similar water dispersibility and gelling ability without the need for alkali. Commercially available modified konjac flours include "Ultramannan" (Ina Food Industry Co., Ltd.) and "Magic Mannan" (Sansho Co., Ltd.).

[0018] The modified konjac flour can be used in an amount of 0.02 to 1.0% by weight, preferably 0.05 to 0.5% by weight, relative to the gel composition, to further enhance the heat resistance that is an effect of the present invention.

[0019] The food and drink paste of the present invention may be in a liquid or paste form, and includes, for example, liquid foods such as water, soup, miso soup, vegetable juice, fruit juice, diluted or concentrated versions of these, or vegetables, fruits, seafood, meat, eggs, dairy products, and processed products of these, either raw or heated, and then finely divided by conventional methods such as crushing, grinding, or straining to eliminate large lumps, resulting in a soft, palatable paste-like food.

[0020] To the gel composition of the present invention, food ingredients such as seasonings, spices, and sweeteners, thickening polysaccharides, dextrin, oils and fats, food additives, etc. may be added for the purpose of improving flavor and texture, extending shelf life, nutritional supplementation, etc., as long as the effects of the invention are not impaired. For example, animal and vegetable oils and fats, thickening polysaccharides other than curdlan and tapioca-derived starch, water-soluble dietary fiber, sugars such as starch syrup and dextrin, preservatives, flavorings, colorings, vitamins, peptides, etc. may be appropriately added.

[0021] The gel composition of the present invention may be prepared by mixing (a) curdlan, (b) native gellan gum, (c) tapioca-derived starch, and, if necessary, (d) arginine and / or (e) modified konjac flour and other additive ingredients with a food or beverage paste prior to thermal gelation. Two or more of these ingredients may be premixed as a single gelling agent and mixed with water or a food or beverage paste for dispersion, or one or more ingredients may be used separately and mixed at different times. Preferably, (a) curdlan and (d) arginine are mixed with water or a food or beverage paste for dispersion approximately simultaneously. Other ingredients may be added simultaneously or at different times. Here, "approximately simultaneously" refers to adding one ingredient to the water or food or beverage paste simultaneously, or adding the other ingredient to the water or food or beverage paste sequentially without adding the other ingredient therebetween, regardless of the exact time difference. This refers to simultaneous or sequential addition.

[0022] Another example of the preparation method is a method in which a gelling agent containing (a) curdlan and (d) arginine is first dissolved in water for dispersion to form a composition, and then other ingredients such as a food or drink paste, (b) native gellan gum, (c) tapioca-derived starch, and optionally (e) modified konjac flour are mixed with the composition.

[0023] After all the raw materials are mixed in this manner, the gel composition of the present invention is produced by heating the mixture to 80° C. or higher. Any method may be used for heating, as long as the mixture is left to stand and the shape is temporarily fixed. The mixture is filled into a tray, bag, mold, or the like, or layered in an injection molding machine, and then heated to 80° C. or higher using hot air, steam, or a hot water bath to gel it.

[0024] The gel composition of the present invention thus obtained can be allowed to cool to room temperature or can be refrigerated or frozen after gelation. The gel composition thus obtained has heat resistance, allowing it to retain its shape even when once refrigerated or frozen and then heated again at temperatures above 100°C for sterilization, cooking, or to a temperature suitable for eating, or when heated in a microwave oven. For this reason, the gel composition of the present invention is suitable for use as a highly heat-resistant gel composition.

[0025] Furthermore, the gel composition of the present invention, when used in combination with native gellan gum, has a soft texture and is easy to swallow, making it suitable for use as a food for people with difficulty chewing. Specifically, a hardness of 50,000 N / m2 or less, preferably 30,000 N / m2 or less, and more preferably 20,000 N / m2 or less at a product temperature of 20°C is preferred for this purpose, as it is suitable for use as a food for people with difficulty chewing. Here, the hardness of a food for people with difficulty chewing is shown as the result of measurement using a device capable of measuring the compressive stress of a substance, such as a texture analyzer or creep meter, with a cylindrical plunger having a diameter of 20 mm at a speed of 10 mm / s.

[0026] The gel composition of the present invention can be heated before consumption and provided as is to elderly people and the like as a food for people who have difficulty chewing, or can be cooked with other ingredients as an ingredient in a meal for people who have difficulty chewing.In particular, the gel composition can be provided as a food that maintains its shape even when heated at temperatures exceeding 100°C, such as with hot air at 120°C, as in reheating carts used in home care facilities or facilities, or when heated in a microwave oven where temperatures may locally exceed 100°C.

[0027] The present invention will be explained in more detail below by showing examples, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0028] All of the curdlan used in the examples are products of the applicant company, and the fine powder curdlan is available under the product name "Curdlan NS" with an average particle size of 30 μm or less, and the non-fine powder curdlan is available under the product name "Curdlan". Other materials used were also commercially available products.

[0029] [Preparation of Gel Compositions] Gel compositions were prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 1. Specifically, water, finely powdered curdlan, native gellan gum, tapioca-derived starch, and optionally arginine, modified konjac flour, and other ingredients were added, stirred twice for 1 minute using a food processor, packed into a heat-resistant plastic bag, sealed, and heated in a steam convection oven at 95°C for 30 minutes to obtain gel compositions. The resulting gel compositions were cooled to below 10°C in a blast chiller, removed from the bag, and cut into cylindrical shapes measuring 40 mm in diameter and 15 mm in height for microwave heating tests. The microwave heating tests involved heating at 500 W for 1 minute, followed by visual evaluation of deformation.

[0030] The evaluation criteria for shape are as follows: ◯: The molded shape is maintained even after heating in the microwave (jelly corners remain and the bottom does not spread); △: There is some deformation after heating in the microwave, but the molded shape remains and the bottom does not spread much; ×: After heating in the microwave, the gel composition collapses to the point where it cannot stand on its own, or the molded shape is not maintained and there are no corners, and the bottom of the gel composition has completely spread. The results of evaluation based on the above criteria are also shown in Table 1.

[0031]

[0032] [Preparation of Gel Compositions Containing Paste Foods] A food or beverage paste was prepared by uniformly mixing commercially available heated carrot paste and water in a 1:1 weight ratio in a food processor. A gel composition containing this food or beverage paste, i.e., a gel composition with the formulation shown in Table 2, was prepared. Specifically, water, curdlan (either finely powdered or non-finely powdered curdlan), native gellan gum, tapioca-derived starch, arginine, and optionally modified konjac flour were added and stirred in a food processor for 1 minute, after which the food or beverage paste was added and stirred for another 1 minute. This was then packed into a heat-resistant plastic bag, sealed, and heated in a steam convection oven at 95°C for 30 minutes to obtain a gel composition. The resulting gel composition was cooled to below 10°C in a blast chiller, removed from the bag, and cut into cylindrical shapes measuring 40 mm in diameter and 15 mm in height. These were then subjected to a microwave heating test and a hot air heating test. In the microwave heating test, the samples were heated at 500 W for 1 minute, and in the hot air heating test, the samples were stored in a tester into which hot air of 120°C was introduced for 30 minutes, after which the deformation of the shape was evaluated visually. The shape evaluation was the same as above. In addition, the hardness of the molded gels was measured by the following method to evaluate their suitability as a food for people with swallowing and chewing difficulties.

[0033] The hardness of the gel composition was measured at 20°C using a rheometer (RHEONER 2 CREEP METER RE2-3305B) manufactured by Yamaden Co., Ltd. A cylindrical plunger with a diameter of 20 mm was used to measure the hardness (N / m) at a compression rate of 10 mm / sec. ２ The hardness of the obtained measurement was 20,000 N / m ２ The following physical properties were determined to be particularly suitable for use as food for people with difficulty chewing.

[0034]

[0035] From the above, it has become clear that in a gel composition containing curdlan, by using a fine powder of curdlan having an average particle size of 30 μm or less, by incorporating specific amounts of native gellan gum and tapioca-derived starch into the gel composition, and by using arginine or modified konjac flour in combination as needed, it is possible to obtain a gel composition that has heat resistance sufficient to withstand heating in a microwave or with hot air at 120°C and that can also be suitably used as a food for people who have difficulty chewing.

Claims

1. A gel composition comprising the following ingredients: (a) 0.5 to 3% by weight of finely powdered curdlan having an average particle size of 30 μm or less; (b) 0.02 to 0.5% by weight of native gellan gum; and (c) 1 to 7% by weight of tapioca-derived starch.

2. The composition of claim 1, further comprising (d) arginine, the content of which is 0.05 to 0.5 parts by weight per part by weight of curdlan.

3. The composition of claim 1 further comprising (e) 0.02 to 1.0% by weight of modified konjac flour.

4. The composition of claim 1, wherein the tapioca-derived starch is an esterified tapioca-derived starch.

5. The composition of claim 4, wherein said esterified starch is an acetylated phosphate cross-linked starch.

6. A method for producing a gel composition, comprising mixing (a) to (c) according to claim 1 with a food or drink paste and heating the mixture to 80°C or higher.

7. The method for producing a gel composition according to claim 6, further comprising mixing (d) arginine as defined in claim 2, wherein curdlan and arginine are mixed with the food or beverage paste at approximately the same time.

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