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

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of providing: a cheese-like food product that contains a vegetable protein, has a preferable texture, and is suitable for being filled into an object; and a production method for the cheese-like food product.　Said problem can be solved by the cheese-like food product containing starch, moisture, an oily fat, an emulsifier, and a vegetable protein material, wherein an extremely hardened oil is contained as a portion of the oily fat in such an amount that the mass ratio of the extremely hardened oil to the entirety of the oily fat is at least 0.05 and less than 0.30. Said problem can also be solved by the cheese-like food product containing starch, moisture, an oily fat, an emulsifier, agar, and a vegetable protein material, wherein 0.1-3.0 mass% of the agar is contained with respect to the cheese-like food product.

Description

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

[0001] The present invention relates to a cheese-like food product having filling suitability and a pleasant texture, and a method for producing the same.

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

[0003] In this context, interest has been growing in the production of analog cheese, which uses less or no animal-derived cheese. Analog cheese generally refers to a food similar to cheese, and is a cheese-like food made 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, thereby enriching the nutritional profile of analog cheese.

[0004] Typically, analog cheese is made using processed starch derived from potatoes, which gives it a gritty texture derived from potatoes and is far from the elasticity of cheese. Furthermore, if vegetable protein is used in analog cheese, the texture becomes even more gritty and is not desirable. Currently, there are no analog cheeses on the Japanese market that contain more than 3% vegetable protein.

[0005] Patent Document 1 discloses that a cheese-like food product can be obtained that exhibits excellent filling suitability during production, a favorable texture, and cuttable processing suitability, which was not possible with conventional technology, by blending 10 to 60% by weight of raw cheese, 10 to 40% by weight of fats and oils, 1 to 10% by weight of starches, and 0.3 to 3% by weight of thickening polysaccharides in a total amount, and then heating and mixing the mixture while stirring. However, this cheese-like food product contains animal-based raw cheese and does not contain vegetable proteins or extremely hardened oils. Patent Document 1 also discloses that if the starch content in the cheese-like food product is 10% by weight or more, the viscosity during production becomes excessively high and the product has a crumbly texture.

[0006] Patent Document 2 discloses a cheese analogue composition comprising a fat composition containing 20% ​​to 85% by weight of saturated fatty acid residues, 10% to 50% by weight of stearic acid residues (C18:0), and 2% to 35% by weight of lauric acid residues (C12:0), wherein the percentages of fatty acid residues refer to fatty acids bound as acyl groups in glycerides of the fat composition and are expressed relative to the total weight of C4-C24 fatty acid residues bound as acyl groups present in the fat composition. However, although Patent Document 2 describes that the texture of a cheese analogue composition containing the fat composition is improved, it does not consider at all its suitability for filling.

[0007] Patent Document 3 describes a method for producing agar gel having a gel strength of 1.5% at 20°C of 10 to 220 g / cm. ２ It is described that the elasticity and stickiness of cheese can be improved by using agar having a 1.5% agar sol viscosity of 7 to 30 mPa·s at 85°C and a sulfate content of 0.5% by mass or more and 4.0% by mass or less. However, Patent Document 3 does not describe the blending of fats and oils in cheese-like foods, nor does it describe at all about the suitability for filling.

[0008] Patent Document 4 discloses a food composition for preparing a cheese-like food, which contains phosphate-crosslinked hydroxypropylated tapioca starch as a crosslinked starch, hydroxypropylated tapioca starch as a non-crosslinked starch, curdlan as a thermo-irreversible gelling agent, and hardened oil, and has a moisture content of 30% by mass or less. However, Patent Document 4 relates to a technology for a cheese-like food that can maintain the physical properties of melted cheese even when cooled, and does not aim to achieve both filling suitability and the texture of a cheese-like food.

[0009] Patent Document 5 describes a cream cheese-like processed product containing 6 to 17% by mass of soy protein, 0 to 0.9% by mass of starch, 0 to 0.35% by mass of a thickener, and 13 to 45% by mass of an oil or fat having a melting point of 15 to 50°C. The examples describe a cream cheese-like processed product in which agar is used as a thickener. However, Patent Document 5 aims to achieve a smooth texture like cream cheese, and does not consider filling suitability at all.

[0010] Japanese Patent No. 5229999 Special Publication No. 2024-505091 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-25591 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-124123 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-166777

[0011] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a cheese-like food containing vegetable protein that is suitable for filling and has a desirable texture after cooling, and a method for producing the cheese-like food.

[0012] As a result of extensive research, the present inventors have found that a cheese-like food having both filling suitability and a favorable texture after cooling can be provided by adding extremely hardened oil to a cheese-like food containing vegetable protein so that the mass ratio of extremely hardened oil to total fats and oils is 0.05 or more and less than 0.30. Furthermore, as a result of further extensive research, the present inventors have found that adding agar to the cheese-like food can further improve the texture of the cheese-like food without impairing filling suitability. Furthermore, as a result of further extensive research, the present inventors have found that a cheese-like food having both filling suitability and a favorable texture after cooling can be provided by adding 0.1% by mass or more and 3.0% by mass or less of agar to a cheese-like food containing vegetable protein. Based on the above findings, the present inventors have completed the cheese-like food of the present invention and a method for producing the cheese-like food. That is, the present invention includes the following features. [1] A cheese-like food comprising starch, water, fats and oils, an emulsifier, and a vegetable protein material, wherein the fats and oils contain extremely hardened oil as part thereof, and the mass ratio of the extremely hardened oil to the total fats and oils is 0.05 or more and less than 0.30. [2] The cheese-like food according to [1], wherein the melting point of the extremely hardened oil is 50°C or more and 80°C or less. [3] The cheese-like food according to [2], wherein the starch comprises oxidized starch and hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch. [4] The cheese-like food according to [3], wherein the emulsifier is starch sodium octenyl succinate. [5] The cheese-like food according to any one of [1] to [4], further comprising agar. [6] The cheese-like food according to [5], wherein the agar content is 0.1% by mass or more and 3.0% by mass or less. [7] The agar has a 1.5% agar gel strength of 300 g / cm ２The cheese-like food product according to [6], which is above the above range. [8] The cheese-like food product according to [5], which has a vegetable protein material content of 3% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less. [9] The cheese-like food product according to [8], wherein the vegetable protein material is a pea protein material.

[10] The cheese-like food product according to [9], which is an individually packaged portion-type food product.

[11] The cheese-like food product according to [9], which is an individually packaged slice-type food product or an individually packaged small bag-type food product.

[12] A method for producing a cheese-like food product, comprising: a raw material preparation step of preparing starch, water, oils and fats, an emulsifier, and a vegetable protein material as raw materials; and a heating and stirring step of heating and stirring the raw materials, wherein in the raw material preparation step, extremely hardened oil is prepared as part of the oils and fats, such that the mass ratio of the extremely hardened oil to the total oils and fats is 0.05 or more and less than 0.30.

[13] A method for producing a cheese-like food product according to

[12] , wherein agar is further prepared as a raw material in the raw material preparation step.

[14] A method for producing a cheese-like food product according to

[12] or

[13] , further comprising a step of filling the heated and emulsified raw material mixture obtained in the heating and stirring step into individual packaging containers for portioned products.

[15] A method for producing a cheese-like food product according to

[12] or

[13] , further comprising a step of filling the heated and emulsified raw material mixture obtained in the heating and stirring step into individual packaging containers for sliced ​​products or individual packaging containers for small bags.

[16] A cheese-like food product comprising starch, water, oil, an emulsifier, agar, and a vegetable protein material, characterized in that the agar content is 0.1% by mass or more and 3.0% by mass or less.

[17] A cheese-like food product having a 1.5% agar gel strength of 300 g / cm ２The cheese-like food according to

[16] , which is the above.

[18] The cheese-like food according to

[16] or

[17] , which contains oxidized starch and hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch as the starch.

[19] The cheese-like food according to

[18] , which contains starch sodium octenylsuccinate as an emulsifier.

[20] The cheese-like food according to

[19] , wherein the vegetable protein material is a pea protein material.

[21] The cheese-like food according to

[20] , wherein the vegetable protein material content is 3% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less.

[22] The cheese-like food according to

[21] , which is an individually packaged portion-type food.

[23] The cheese-like food according to

[21] , which is an individually packaged slice-type food or an individually packaged small bag-type food.

[24] A method for producing a cheese-like food, comprising: a raw material preparation step of preparing starch, water, oil, an emulsifier, agar, and a vegetable protein material as raw materials; and a heating and stirring step of heating and stirring the raw materials, wherein in the raw material preparation step, the agar is prepared so that its content is 0.1% by mass or more and 3.0% by mass or less relative to the cheese-like food.

[25] A method for producing a cheese-like food according to

[24] , further comprising a step of filling the heated and emulsified raw material mixture obtained in the heating and stirring step into individual packaging containers for portioned servings.

[26] A method for producing a cheese-like food according to

[24] , further comprising a step of filling the heated and emulsified raw material mixture obtained in the heating and stirring step into individual packaging containers for sliced ​​servings or individual packaging containers for small bags.

[0013] According to the present invention, there are provided a cheese-like food product containing vegetable protein that is suitable for filling and has a pleasant cheese-like texture after cooling, and a method for producing the cheese-like food product.

[0014] The cheese-like food of the present invention will be described in further detail below.

[0015] The cheese-like food of the present invention comprises starch, water, fats and oils, an emulsifier, and a vegetable protein material, wherein the fats and oils contain extremely hardened oils as part of the fats and oils, and the mass ratio of the extremely hardened oils to the total fats and oils (hereinafter also referred to as extremely hardened oils / total fats and oils) is 0.05 or more and less than 0.30. By adopting this configuration, a vegetable protein-containing cheese-like food can be produced in which the heated and emulsified raw material mixture is suitable for filling into a packaging container and has a desirable texture even after cooling. The cheese-like food of the present invention may further comprise agar.

[0016] The cheese-like food of the present invention contains starch, water, oil, an emulsifier, agar, and a vegetable protein material, and the agar content is 0.1% by mass or more and 3.0% by mass or less. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to produce a vegetable protein-containing cheese-like food that has a suitable filling property for a heated and emulsified raw material mixture into a packaging container and that has a desirable texture even after cooling.

[0017] [Plant Protein Material] The cheese-like food of the present invention contains a plant protein material. From the viewpoint of nutritional enrichment, the content of the plant protein material is preferably 3% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less, more preferably 4% by mass or more and 12% by mass or less, and even more preferably 4.5% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less. Examples of raw materials for the plant protein material used in the cheese-like food of the present invention include Leguminosae species such as Vigna, Phaseolus, Vicia, Pisum, Chickpea, Lentil, Glycine, and Arachis; nuts and seeds such as sesame, hemp seeds, almonds, peanuts, cashew nuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pistachios, chestnuts, walnuts, and coconuts; algae; and grains such as rice, wheat, corn, barley, rye, millet, foxtail millet, quinoa, oats, and buckwheat. Examples of raw materials for the plant protein material derived from the genus Pisum sativum of the family Leguminosae include green peas, yellow peas, red peas, and white peas. The plant protein material used in the cheese-like food of the present invention is not particularly limited, but examples include dry powdered plant protein isolates, plant protein concentrates, plant protein hydrolysates, ground plants, and whole grain flour, with dry powdered plant protein concentrates being preferred in the present invention. The protein content of the plant protein material used in the cheese-like food of the present invention is preferably 70% or more, more preferably 75% or more, and even more preferably 80% or more.The vegetable protein material used in the present invention may be a commercially available product, such as NATURALYS S85F (manufactured by ROCKET JAPAN), Pisan C9 (manufactured by COSCRA), Profam 580 (manufactured by ADM), VITESSSENCE Pulse 1803 (manufactured by Ingredion), PP-CS (manufactured by Organo), NUTRALYS S85+N (manufactured by ROCKET JAPAN), TURPRO 2000 (manufactured by DuPont), Profam 781 (manufactured by ADM), SUPRO XT55 (manufactured by DuPont), fava bean protein (manufactured by Cargill), chickpea protein (manufactured by Cargill), Oat Extract (manufactured by Dohler), NATURALYS W (manufactured by ROCKET JAPAN), rice protein (manufactured by Cargill), oat protein (WATZMANN Examples of suitable vegetable protein ingredients include corn starch (manufactured by Research), almond protein powder (manufactured by Blue Diamond Growers), etc. One type of vegetable protein ingredient may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination. The cheese-like food of the present invention may also contain animal protein. On the other hand, to maximize the effects of the present invention, the animal protein content is preferably less than 4% by mass, more preferably less than 2% by mass, and even more preferably less than 0.5% by mass. According to the present invention, it is possible to minimize the occurrence of a gritty texture due to the use of a vegetable protein ingredient, without impairing the filling suitability of the heated and emulsified raw material mixture.

[0018] [Starch] The cheese-like food of the present invention contains starch. The starch content (total amount) of the cheese-like food of the present invention is preferably 5% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less, more preferably 7% by mass or more and 25% by mass or less, and even more preferably 10% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less. The cheese-like food of the present invention can use a processed starch as the starch. The processed starch used in the cheese-like food of the present invention is preferably oxidized starch or hydroxypropylated phosphate-crosslinked starch. In this case, the content of oxidized starch in the cheese-like food of the present invention is preferably 5% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less, more preferably 6% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less, and even more preferably 7% by mass or more and 13% by mass or less. Furthermore, the content of hydroxypropylated phosphate-crosslinked starch in the cheese-like food of the present invention is preferably 3% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less, more preferably 5% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less, and even more preferably 5% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less. The amylose content of the starch used in the cheese-like food of the present invention is preferably less than 25% by mass. The cheese-like food of the present invention desirably does not contain hydroxypropylated starch so that the stringiness of the heated and emulsified raw material mixture does not impair its filling suitability. The cheese-like food of the present invention preferably does not contain acetylated starch. The cheese-like food of the present invention preferably does not contain pregelatinized starch. Modified starch can be obtained by processing raw material starch. Examples of raw material starches used in the cheese-like food of the present invention include potato starch, tapioca starch, waxy corn starch, corn starch, sweet potato starch, wheat starch, and rice starch. The raw material starch used in the cheese-like food of the present invention is preferably potato starch, and it may be used alone or in combination with other raw material starches to form a mixture of two or more types.

[0019] [Moisture] The amount of raw material water (blended water) added as moisture to the cheese-like food of the present invention is preferably 30% by mass or more and 52% by mass or less, more preferably 35% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less, and even more preferably 40% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less. The moisture content contained in the cheese-like food of the present invention is preferably 36% by mass or more and 54% by mass or less, more preferably 39% by mass or more and 51% by mass or less, and even more preferably 42% by mass or more and 48% by mass or less. If the moisture content of the cheese-like food exceeds 54% by mass, syneresis and deterioration of flavor may occur.

[0020] The cheese-like food of the present invention may contain, instead of raw material water, a vegetable emulsified liquid such as soy milk, coconut milk, almond milk, or rice milk, a vegetable juice, a fruit juice, etc. By adding the vegetable emulsified liquid, vegetable juice, or fruit juice to the cheese-like food, the flavor of the liquid can be imparted to the cheese-like food.

[0021] [Oils and fats] The oils and fats used in the cheese-like food of the present invention are vegetable oils and fats, 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, and olive oil, as well as processed oils and fats obtained by subjecting these oils to hydrogenation, fractionation, hardening, or the like, but are not limited thereto. These edible oils and fats may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The oil and fat used in the cheese-like food of the present invention is preferably rapeseed oil. The content of the oil and fat contained in the cheese-like food of the present invention is preferably 15% by mass or more and 35% by mass or less, more preferably 17% by mass or more and 33% by mass or less, and even more preferably 20% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less. The cheese-like food of the present invention preferably does not contain interesterified oil.

[0022] [Extremely Hardened Oil] The cheese-like food of the present invention contains extremely hardened oil as part of the fats and oils. Examples of extremely hardened oils used in the cheese-like food of the present invention include extremely hardened oils prepared from oils and fats selected from rapeseed oil, soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, rice bran oil, cottonseed oil, palm oil, fractionated palm oil, mustard oil, lard, beef tallow, etc. The extremely hardened oil used in the cheese-like food of the present invention is preferably extremely hardened oil prepared from rapeseed oil. As used herein, "extremely hardened oil" refers to a solid oil or fat that has been hydrogenated until almost no unsaturated fatty acids are present, i.e., until the iodine value is substantially 0 (usually 2 to 3 or less), and that has a high hardness and a melting point of 50°C or higher and 80°C or lower. The mass ratio of the extremely hardened oil to the total fats and oils in the cheese-like food of the present invention is preferably 0.05 or more and less than 0.30, more preferably 0.07 or more and less than 0.28, and even more preferably 0.10 or more and less than 0.25. The extremely hardened oil used in the cheese-like food of the present invention may be a commercially available product, such as Haier Shinnatane extremely hardened oil (manufactured by Yokoseki Oil & Fats Industry Co., Ltd.), rapeseed extremely hardened oil (manufactured by Yokoseki Oil & Fats Industry Co., Ltd.), Haier Shinnatane extremely hardened oil (manufactured by Nitto Bussan Shoji Co., Ltd.), rapeseed extremely hardened oil (manufactured by Nitto Bussan Shoji Co., Ltd.), and Haiershin rapeseed extremely hardened oil (manufactured by Yamakei Sangyo Co., Ltd.).

[0023] [Agar] The cheese-like food of the present invention contains agar as a stabilizer. The content of agar contained in the cheese-like food of the present invention is preferably 0.1% by mass or more and 3.0% by mass or less, more preferably 0.5% by mass or more and 2.5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 1.0% by mass or more and 1.5% by mass or less. The 1.5% by mass agar gel strength at 20°C of the agar used in the cheese-like food of the present invention is preferably 300 g / cm ２ More preferably, 450 g / cm ２ More preferably, it is 600 g / cm ２ There is no particular upper limit, but for example, 900 g / cm ２The 1.5% agar gel strength at 20°C can be measured using a texture analyzer or the like. The agar used in the cheese-like food of the present invention may be a commercially available product, such as UP-37 (manufactured by Ina Food Industry Co., Ltd.) or JS (manufactured by Asahi Corporation).

[0024] [Emulsifier] The cheese-like food of the present invention contains an emulsifier. Examples of emulsifiers used in the cheese-like food of the present invention 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 octenylsuccinate. The emulsifier used in the cheese-like food of the present invention is preferably starch sodium octenylsuccinate, and its content is preferably 1% by mass or more and 5% by mass or less. In this specification, starch sodium octenylsuccinate is treated as an emulsifier rather than starch. In other words, the total amount of starch in this specification does not include the content of starch sodium octenylsuccinate.

[0025] [Other Components] The cheese-like food product of the present invention may contain other components in addition to the above-mentioned raw materials, as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired. Examples of other components include, but are not limited to, antioxidants, seasonings, polysaccharides, pH adjusters, preservatives, coloring agents, etc.

[0026] The pH of the cheese-like food of the present invention is preferably 5.0 to 6.3, more preferably 5.2 to 6.1, and even more preferably 5.5 to 5.8. If the pH of the cheese-like food is outside the range of 5.0 to 6.3, the flavor of the cheese-like food may be affected.

[0027] The cheese-like food of the present invention may be individually packaged. The packaging material used to individually package the cheese-like food of the present invention may be a packaging material commonly used for food packaging, and examples thereof include aluminum film, plastic film, and wrapping paper. The cheese-like food of the present invention is individually packaged from the viewpoints of preventing deterioration in the quality of the cheese-like food and ease of handling when eating.

[0028] As used herein, "individually packaged" means that each unit of product is individually packaged.

[0029] The cheese-like food of the present invention may be, for example, an individually packaged whole cheese-like food, an individually packaged portion-type cheese-like food, an individually packaged slice-type cheese-like food, an individually packaged small pouch-type cheese-like food, etc. From the viewpoint of ease of handling when eating, the cheese-like food of the present invention is preferably an individually packaged portion-type cheese-like food, an individually packaged slice-type cheese-like food, or an individually packaged small pouch-type cheese-like food.

[0030] As used herein, "portion type" refers to a food form shaped into a bite-sized or single-meal size. Accordingly, "individually packaged portion-type cheese-like food" refers to a cheese-like food shaped into a bite-sized or single-meal size and packaged, typically packaged in aluminum packaging. Furthermore, as used herein, "individually packaged slice-type cheese-like food" refers to a packaged thin cheese-like food shaped into a single-meal size and packaged, typically packaged in transparent film. Furthermore, as used herein, "individually packaged pouch-type cheese-like food" refers to a packaged cheese-like food shaped into a bite-sized or single-meal size and packaged, typically packaged in film sealed on two or three sides. The pouch type also includes products that are eaten by peeling off the film, such as ESP (Easy Smart Pack).

[0031] Next, the method for producing the cheese-like food of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0032] [Method for producing cheese-like food] The cheese-like food of the present invention can be produced by a production method comprising a raw material preparation step of preparing starch, water, fats and oils, an emulsifier, and a vegetable protein material, and a heating and stirring step of heating and stirring the raw materials, wherein in the raw material preparation step, extremely hardened oil is prepared as part of the fats and oils so that the mass ratio of the extremely hardened oil to the total fats and oils is 0.05 or more and less than 0.30.

[0033] [Raw Material Preparation Process] This process involves weighing each raw material to prepare a raw material mixture. The starch, water, oils and fats, emulsifier, and vegetable protein material raw materials are weighed and then mixed. The extremely hardened oil is weighed and mixed so that the mass ratio of the extremely hardened oil to the total oils and fats is 0.05 or more and less than 0.30. Agar may also be weighed and mixed as an ingredient. When mixing the raw materials, the raw materials may be mixed together, or any two raw materials may be mixed in advance and the remaining raw materials may be added and mixed. Furthermore, the raw materials are preferably mixed before being added to the emulsifier. Mixing the raw materials before being added to the emulsifier improves the mixability in the emulsifier.

[0034] In addition, the cheese-like food of the present invention can be produced by a production method comprising a raw material preparation step of preparing starch, water, oil, emulsifier, agar, and vegetable protein material, and a heating and stirring step of heating and stirring the raw materials, in which the agar is prepared in an amount of 0.1% by mass or more and 3.0% by mass or less relative to the cheese-like food in the raw material preparation step.

[0035] In the ingredient preparation process, the starch, water, oil, emulsifier, agar, and vegetable protein material are weighed and then mixed. The agar is weighed and mixed so that its content is 0.1% by mass or more and 3.0% by mass or less relative to the cheese-like food. When mixing the ingredients, 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. Furthermore, the ingredients are preferably mixed before being added to the emulsifier. Mixing the ingredients before being added to the emulsifier improves the mixability in the emulsifier.

[0036] [Heating and Stirring Step] This step refers to a step of stirring the raw material mixture while heating it. Heating and stirring of the raw material mixture can be performed, for example, by stirring the raw material mixture at 500 rpm to 2000 rpm while heating, and after the temperature of the raw material mixture reaches 80°C or higher, further stirring at 500 rpm to 2000 rpm while maintaining the temperature at 80°C or higher. 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 raw materials, as long as the raw material 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.

[0037] [Cooling Step] This step is a step of cooling and solidifying the heated and emulsified raw material mixture. The cooling temperature at this time can be, for example, higher than 0°C and not higher than 10°C. By cooling at a temperature within this range, it is possible to impart an appropriate hardness to the heated and emulsified raw material mixture.

[0038] [Packaging Step] This step is a step of packaging the heated and emulsified raw material mixture. In the method for producing a cheese-like food product of the present invention, the packaging step may be performed before or after the cooling step. That is, in the case of a portion-type cheese-like food product, the heated and emulsified mixture may be cooled and solidified, then cut into portion sizes, and then packaged, or the raw material mixture before cooling and solidifying may be filled into individual packaging containers for portion sizes and then cooled. In addition, in the case of a slice-type cheese-like food product, the heated and emulsified raw material mixture may be cooled and solidified, then cut into slice sizes, and then packaged, or the raw material mixture before cooling and solidifying may be filled into individual packaging containers for slice sizes and then cooled. In the case of a pouch-type cheese-like food product, the heated and emulsified raw material mixture may be cooled and solidified, then cut into pouch sizes, and then packaged, or the raw material mixture before cooling and solidifying may be filled into individual packaging containers for pouch sizes and then cooled. Individual packaging of portion-type, slice-type or small-pouch type cheese-like foods can be carried out under the same conditions as for individual packaging of ordinary processed cheese, and can be carried out using a packaging machine that is used for individual packaging of ordinary portion-type, slice-type or small-pouch type processed cheese.

[0039] [Evaluation Methods] The cheese-like food of the present invention can be evaluated by sensory evaluation of emulsification suitability, filling suitability, and texture. Examples of evaluation methods for these items are given below. 1. Emulsification suitability: The emulsification suitability of the cheese-like food of the present invention can be evaluated by visually observing the raw material mixture after heating and stirring, and from the observed state of the raw material mixture. 2. Filling suitability: The filling suitability of the cheese-like food of the present invention can be evaluated by measuring the viscosity of the raw material mixture at 60°C after heating and stirring, and from the measured viscosity value. 3. Sensory Evaluation of Texture: The texture of the cheese-like food of the present invention can be evaluated by the average score of five trained panelists who taste the cheese-like food blindly.

[0040] 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, "%" is based on the total mass of the cheese-like food.

[0041] [Examples 1-3, Comparative Examples 1-8] Each ingredient except for the raw water was weighed and charged into a vertical shear emulsifier. The raw water was then charged into the vertical shear emulsifier so that the ratio of the charged raw water was 40% to 45% by mass based on the total mass of the cheese-like food. After stirring at 1500 rpm for 120 seconds in the vertical shear emulsifier, the raw mixture was heated and stirred while blowing steam into the jacket until it reached 85°C. After reaching 85°C, the mixture was heated and held for 120 seconds to thoroughly heat and emulsify the raw mixture. The heated and emulsified raw mixture was filled into aluminum foil portion containers, plastic bags, plastic containers, etc., and packaged. The temperature of the raw mixture at the time of filling was 60°C. The packaged raw mixture was then cooled to 10°C or below to produce Examples 1-3 and Comparative Examples 1-8. The blending ratios of each ingredient are shown in Table 1.

[0042] In Example 1, the following amounts of raw materials were charged into a vertical shear emulsifier: 5.1% by mass of pea protein material, 11.4% by mass of oxidized starch (raw material starch was potato starch), 8.3% by mass of hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch (raw material starches were tapioca starch and corn starch), 18.3% by mass of rapeseed oil, 4.6% by mass of extremely hardened rapeseed oil, 4.4% by mass of starch sodium octenylsuccinate (raw material starches were potato starch and waxy corn starch), 4.0% by mass of taste substances, and 44.0% by mass of raw material water, and Example Product 1 was produced by the above-mentioned production method.

[0043] [Test Example 1] Evaluation of emulsification suitability The state of the raw material mixture after heating and stirring was visually observed, and the emulsification suitability was evaluated based on the observed state of the raw material mixture using the following five-level evaluation criteria. The raw material mixture was considered to have a good emulsification state if, when visually observed after heating and stirring, there was no residual raw material, the oil and water were uniformly mixed without separation, and the mixture had a smooth texture. (Evaluation criteria for emulsification suitability) 5 points: Very good emulsification. 4 points: Good emulsification. 3 points: Fairly good emulsification. 2 points: Fairly poor emulsification. 1 point: Oil was removed and the mixture was not emulsified.

[0044] Test Example 2: Evaluation of filling suitability The viscosity of the raw material mixture after heating and stirring was measured at 60°C, and the filling suitability was evaluated based on the viscosity value using the following five-point evaluation criteria. The viscosity of the raw material mixture after heating and stirring was measured using a viscometer VT-06 (Riontec Co., Ltd.). A No. 1 rotor or a No. 2 rotor was used depending on the viscosity. (Evaluation criteria for filling suitability) 5 points: 250 P or more and less than 350 P 4 points: 150 P or more and less than 250 P, 350 P or more and less than 450 P 3 points: less than 150 P, 450 P or more and less than 550 P 2 points: 550 P or more and less than 1000 P 1 point: 1000 P or more

[0045] [Test Example 3] Sensory Evaluation of Texture Sensory evaluation of the texture of the cheese-like food of the present invention was carried out by five trained panelists who blindly tasted the cheese-like food according to the following evaluation criteria. The average of the evaluation scores of the five panelists was used for the overall evaluation described below. A cheese-like texture was defined as one that had just the right amount of elasticity and hardness, and was not extremely sticky. (Evaluation criteria for sensory evaluation) 5 points: Very cheese-like texture 4 points: Cheese-like texture 3 points: Slightly cheese-like texture 2 points: Slightly not cheese-like texture 1 point: Not cheese-like texture

[0046] [Overall evaluation] Cheese-like foods that received a rating of 3 points or more in all items of the sensory evaluation of emulsification suitability, filling suitability, and texture were deemed to pass and were marked with "◯." Cheese-like foods that received a rating of 2 points or less in any item were deemed to fail and were marked with "X."

[0047]

[0048] Table 1 shows the blending ratios of each ingredient and the results of the sensory evaluations of emulsification suitability, filling suitability, texture, and overall evaluation for Example Products 1-3 and Comparative Products 1-8. The cheese-like food product with a mass ratio of extremely hardened oil to total fats and oils of 0.20 exhibited improved texture without compromising emulsification suitability and filling suitability, resulting in a sensory evaluation of texture of 3 points and an overall evaluation of "Good" (Examples 1-3). The cheese-like food product that did not contain extremely hardened oil and the cheese-like food product with a mass ratio of extremely hardened oil to total fats and oils of 1.00 (i.e., the entire amount of fats and oils was extremely hardened oil) had a texture that was unacceptable for a cheese-like food product, such as being sticky and gummy in the mouth when eaten, resulting in a sensory evaluation of texture of 2 points or less and an overall evaluation of "Poor" (Comparative Examples 1-8). This demonstrates that the texture of cheese-like foods can be improved by including a specific amount of extremely hardened oil as part of the fats and oils.

[0049] [Examples 4 to 13] Each raw material was weighed according to the blending ratio in Table 2 and charged into a vertical shear emulsifier, and then Example Products 4 to 13 were produced using the same production method as in Example 1. Sensory evaluation of emulsification suitability, filling suitability, and texture was carried out using the methods described above.

[0050]

[0051] Table 2 shows the blending ratios of each ingredient in Examples 1 and 4 to 13, as well as the results of the sensory evaluations of emulsification suitability, filling suitability, and texture, and the overall evaluation. (1) The cheese-like foods containing extremely hardened oils and improved texture further improved their texture without compromising their emulsification and filling suitability by further including agar. Cheese-like foods containing agar and having a mass ratio of extremely hardened oil to total fats and oils ranging from 0.05 to 0.20 showed no significant changes in emulsification suitability and filling suitability, and the sensory evaluation of texture improved to 5 points, resulting in an overall evaluation of "Good" (Examples 1 and 4 to 9). Cheese-like foods containing agar and having a mass ratio of extremely hardened oil to total fats and oils of 0.02 or 0.30 showed no significant changes in emulsification suitability and filling suitability, and the sensory evaluation of texture was 3 points (Examples 10 and 11). (2) A cheese-like food product in which the content of the pea protein material was increased from 5% by mass to 10% by mass received a sensory evaluation of 4 points for emulsification suitability, filling suitability, and texture, and an overall evaluation of "good" (Example 12). Also, a cheese-like food product in which a soy protein material was used instead of the pea protein material as the vegetable protein material received a sensory evaluation of 5 points for emulsification suitability, filling suitability, and texture, and an overall evaluation of "good" (Example 13).

[0052] [Examples 14 to 19, Comparative Example 9] Each ingredient was weighed according to the blending ratio in Table 3 and charged into a vertical shear emulsifier, and then Example Products 14 to 19 and Comparative Example Product 9 were produced using the same production method as in Example 1. Sensory evaluation of emulsification suitability, filling suitability, and texture was carried out using the methods described above.

[0053]

[0054] Table 3 shows the blending ratios of each ingredient and the results of the emulsification suitability, filling suitability, sensory evaluation of texture, and overall evaluation for Example Products 14 to 19 and Comparative Examples 2 to 9. All of the cheese-like foods containing agar received an overall evaluation of "Good" (Examples 14 to 19). On the other hand, all of the cheese-like foods that did not contain agar but contained other stabilizers (gellan gum, tamarin seed gum, locust bean gum, and carrageenan) received a sensory evaluation of texture of 2 points or less and an overall evaluation of "Poor" (Comparative Examples 2 to 8). The cheese-like foods containing 1.0 mass%, 1.2 mass%, and 1.5 mass% agar received scores of 5 points for emulsification suitability and filling suitability, and a sensory evaluation of texture of 4 points (Examples 14 to 17). The cheese-like foods containing 0.1% and 3.0% agar by mass were rated "good" overall, but tended to be inferior to cheese-like foods containing 1.0%, 1.2%, or 1.5% agar by mass in the sensory evaluations of filling suitability and texture (Examples 18 and 19). The cheese-like food containing 3.6% agar by mass received a score of 2 in the sensory evaluations of filling suitability and texture, and the overall evaluation was "poor" (Comparative Example 9). These results demonstrate that cheese-like foods containing 0.1% to 3.0% agar by mass have filling suitability and a favorable texture.

[0055] [Examples 20 and 21] Each raw material was weighed according to the blending ratio in Table 4 and charged into a vertical shear emulsifier, and then Example Products 20 and 21 were produced by the same manufacturing method as in Example 1. Sensory evaluation of emulsification suitability, filling suitability, and texture was carried out by the same methods as above.

[0056]

[0057] Table 4 shows the blending ratios of each ingredient and the results of the sensory evaluation of emulsification suitability, filling suitability, texture, and overall evaluation for Examples 14, 20, 21, and 4 to 11. The cheese-like foods containing agar and having an improved texture did not have an improved texture due to the inclusion of tamarind seed gum (Examples 14, 20, and 21). The cheese-like foods containing agar and having an improved texture also had an improved texture due to the inclusion of extremely hardened oil without significantly impairing emulsification suitability and filling suitability. The cheese-like foods containing agar and having an extremely hardened oil to total fat mass ratio of 0.05, 0.07, 0.10, and 0.20 did not show significant changes in emulsification suitability and filling suitability, and the sensory evaluation of texture improved to 5 points, with an overall evaluation of "good" (Examples 4 to 9). In cheese-like foods containing agar and having a mass ratio of extremely hardened oil to total fats and oils of 0.30 or 0.02, the emulsification suitability and filling suitability did not change significantly, and the sensory evaluation of texture was 3 points in both cases (Examples 10 and 11). From these results, it was found that the texture of a cheese-like food containing agar can be further improved without impairing the emulsification suitability and filling suitability by including extremely hardened oil in a mass ratio of extremely hardened oil to total fats and oils of 0.05 or more but less than 0.30.

[0058] [Example 22] Each ingredient was weighed according to the blending ratio in Table 5 and charged into a vertical shear emulsifier, and then Example Product 22 was produced by the same production method as in Example 1. Sensory evaluation of emulsification suitability, filling suitability, and texture was carried out by the same methods as above.

[0059]

[0060] Table 5 shows the blending ratios of each ingredient and the results of the sensory evaluations of emulsification suitability, filling suitability, texture, and overall evaluation for Example Products 22, 9, and 13. A cheese-like food product containing an oat protein material as a vegetable protein material, with a mass ratio of hardened oil to total fats and oils of 0.1, and containing agar, received a sensory evaluation score of 5 for emulsification suitability, filling suitability, and texture, and an overall evaluation of "Good" (Example 22).

Claims

1. A cheese-like food comprising starch, water, fats and oils, an emulsifier, and a vegetable protein material, wherein the fats and oils contain extremely hardened oil as part of the fats and oils, and the mass ratio of the extremely hardened oil to the total fats and oils is 0.05 or more and less than 0.

30.

2. The cheese-like food product according to claim 1, wherein the melting point of the hardened oil is 50°C or higher and 80°C or lower.

3. The cheese-like food product according to claim 2, which contains oxidized starch and hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch as starches.

4. The cheese-like food product of claim 3, which contains starch sodium octenyl succinate as an emulsifier.

5. A cheese-like food product according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising agar.

6. A cheese-like food product according to claim 5, wherein the agar content is 0.1% by mass or more and 3.0% by mass or less.

7. The 1.5% agar gel strength of the agar is 300 g / cm ２ The cheese-like food product according to claim 6, wherein the above is selected from the group consisting of:

8. A cheese-like food product according to claim 5, wherein the content of vegetable protein material is 3% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less.

9. The cheese-like food product of claim 8, wherein the vegetable protein material is a pea protein material.

10. The cheese-like food product according to claim 9, which is an individually packaged portion-type food product.

11. The cheese-like food product according to claim 9, which is an individually packaged slice-type food product or an individually packaged small bag-type food product.

12. A method for producing a cheese-like food, comprising: a raw material preparation step of preparing raw materials including starch, water, fats and oils, an emulsifier, and a vegetable protein material; and a heating and stirring step of heating and stirring the raw materials, wherein in the raw material preparation step, extremely hardened oil is prepared as part of the fats and oils so that the mass ratio of the extremely hardened oil to the total fats and oils is 0.05 or more and less than 0.

30.

13. The method for producing a cheese-like food product according to claim 12, wherein agar is further prepared as a raw material in the raw material preparation step.

14. A method for producing a cheese-like food product according to claim 12 or 13, further comprising a step of filling the heated and emulsified raw material mixture obtained in the heating and stirring step into portion-type individual packaging containers.

15. A method for producing a cheese-like food product according to claim 12 or 13, further comprising a step of filling the heated and emulsified raw material mixture obtained in the heating and stirring step into individual packaging containers for slice type or individual packaging containers for small pouch type.

16. A cheese-like food comprising starch, water, oil, an emulsifier, agar, and a vegetable protein material, characterized in that the agar content is 0.1% by mass or more and 3.0% by mass or less.

17. The 1.5% agar gel strength of the agar is 300 g / cm ２ The cheese-like food product according to claim 16, wherein the above is a cheese-like food product.

18. The cheese-like food product according to claim 16 or 17, comprising oxidized starch and hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch as starches.

19. The cheese-like food product of claim 18, which contains starch sodium octenyl succinate as an emulsifier.

20. The cheese-like food product of claim 19, wherein the vegetable protein material is a pea protein material.

21. A cheese-like food product according to claim 20, in which the content of the vegetable protein material is 3% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less.

22. The cheese-like food product of claim 21, which is an individually packaged portion-type food product.

23. The cheese-like food product according to claim 21, which is an individually packaged slice-type food product or an individually packaged small packet-type food product.

24. A method for producing a cheese-like food, comprising: a raw material preparation step of preparing raw materials including starch, water, oil, emulsifier, agar, and a vegetable protein material; and a heating and stirring step of heating and stirring the raw materials, wherein in the raw material preparation step, agar is prepared so that the amount of agar is 0.1% by mass or more and 3.0% by mass or less relative to the cheese-like food.

25. The method for producing a cheese-like food product according to claim 24, further comprising a step of filling the heated and emulsified raw material mixture obtained in the heating and stirring step into portion-type individual packaging containers.

26. A method for producing a cheese-like food product according to claim 24, further comprising a step of filling the heated and emulsified raw material mixture obtained in the heating and stirring step into individual packaging containers for slices or individual packaging containers for small bags.

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