Shaped meat-like food and method for producing same

Abstract

Provided is a shaped meat-like food that has texture similar to those of livestock meats and is adaptable to a wide variety of applications. A shaped meat-like food according to the present invention contains: an ingredient a that includes a meat-like food containing a vegetable protein and having a water content of 40 mass% or more; and an ingredient b that includes a meat-like food containing a vegetable protein and having a water content of 40 mass% or more. The ingredient a and the ingredient b have different compositions. At least one of the ingredient a and the ingredient b contains a line-shaped meat-like food as the meat-like food. The ingredient b is wrapped with the ingredient a, or the ingredient b is sandwiched by the ingredient a.

Description

Formed meat-like food and method for producing the same

[0001] The present invention relates to a formed meat-like food containing vegetable protein and useful as a substitute for meat.

[0002] Conventionally, vegetable proteins, which are plant-derived proteins such as soybeans and wheat, have been used as raw materials for processed foods. In particular, in recent years, problems such as the increase in the world population and the environmental burden associated with livestock production have been spotlighted, and as a solution, processed foods that can substitute for livestock meat have attracted attention. As such processed foods, meat-like foods mainly composed of vegetable proteins have been proposed.

[0003] One of the problems of the meat-like food is that the taste and / or texture of the meat-like food is different from the taste and / or texture of livestock meat. To solve this problem, various proposals have been made.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a beef / pork-like food containing a vegetable protein material having organized vegetable protein, a moisture-retaining gel, and a film coating these. Patent Document 1 describes using, as the film, one containing carbohydrates, one containing a gelling agent, etc. (paragraphs

[0065] and

[0066] of Patent Document 1). According to Patent Document 1, the beef / pork-like food described in the same document has a juicy feeling similar to that of beef / pork.

[0005] Patent Document 2 describes a meat-like food containing an oil and fat composition for meat-like food having a solid fat content of 15 to 50% at 10°C and less than 10% at 35°C and a vegetable protein material. According to Patent Document 2, the meat-like food described in the same document is excellent in juicy feeling and texture.

[0006] Patent Document 3 describes a method for producing a food composition including a step of absorbing a solution in a sol state of a gelling agent having heat resistance but no freeze resistance into organized vegetable protein, a step of heating a food raw material mixture containing the organized vegetable protein obtained in step (A), and a step of freezing the food raw material mixture obtained in step (B). According to Patent Document 3, the food composition produced by the production method described in the same document is excellent in juicy feeling.

[0007] Patent Document 4 describes a method for producing a processed meat-like food product, which includes a step of mixing textured plant protein with a frozen emulsion gel containing plant protein, water, and oil to obtain a mixture. According to Patent Document 4, the processed meat-like food product produced by the method described in the document has excellent juiciness.

[0008] Patent Document 5 describes a method for producing food, which includes a step of thawing a non-expanded extruded product of plant protein in a frozen state by immersing it in a liquid. Patent Document 5 states that it is preferable for the moisture content of the non-expanded extruded product of plant protein in a frozen state to be 50 to 70% by mass. According to Patent Document 5, food produced by the production method described in the document will have excellent juiciness and / or texture.

[0009] Patent Document 6 describes a meat-like food product comprising a low-fat protein sheet made of a first textured soy protein material containing 40% or more by weight of water and less than 10% by weight of oil in terms of solid content relative to the total weight, and a high-fat protein sheet made of a second textured soy protein material containing 40% or more by weight of water and 10% or more by weight of oil in terms of solid content relative to the total weight, laminated together. According to Patent Document 6, the meat-like food product described in the document has a variety of textures that natural meat has when chewed.

[0010] Patent Document 7 describes a protein nutritional food in which grooves are formed on at least one main surface of protein sheets made of a textured soy protein material containing 40% by weight or more of water relative to the total weight, and these protein sheets are stacked on top of each other. According to Patent Document 7, the protein nutritional food described in the document has a variety of textures when chewed, similar to the meat of natural livestock or seafood.

[0011] Patent Document 8 describes a plant-based schnitzel product comprising a plant-protein-based extruder containing at least two different plant proteins, and a breadcrumb coating covering the plant-protein-based extruder. The plant-protein-based extruder contains fibers aligned substantially in the same direction and exists as a single extruded slab or as a layer of two or more extruded slabs. According to Patent Document 8, the schnitzel product described in the document has a texture and mouthfeel equivalent to that of a meat-based schnitzel product.

[0012] Patent Document 9 describes a meat-like processed food containing textured plant materials such as textured plant protein materials, methylcellulose, insoluble dietary fiber, and citrus fiber. This meat-like processed food contains an oil-in-water emulsion gel containing methylcellulose in its base. According to Patent Document 9, the meat-like processed food described in the document has a rich meat-like texture.

[0013] Patent document 10 describes a plant-based product containing plant extracts and / or vegetables, grains, and legumes, and an emulsion gel binder. The emulsion gel binder includes low-temperature gelling dietary fiber, heat-gelling plant-based raw materials, lipids, water, and calcium salts. According to patent document 10, the plant-based product described in the document has excellent shape retention.

[0014] Patent document 11 describes an eel-like food product that does not use animal-derived ingredients and has a flesh layer, an intermediate layer, and a skin layer. The flesh layer is a layer containing textured plant protein, methylcellulose, isolated soy protein powder, and oil. The intermediate layer is a layer containing oil and gelled with a thickener containing xanthan gum and HA gellan gum. The skin layer is a layer gelled with sodium alginate with a calcium salt or gelled methylcellulose. According to patent document 11, the eel-like food product described in the document has a texture similar to eel and excellent flavor.

[0015] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-032495, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-135065, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-157534, International Publication No. 2023 / 199758, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-135407, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-146657, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-109629, US2024 / 188587A1, US2024 / 032573A1, US2024 / 090530A1, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-159076

[0016] Meat-like foods have a wide variety of uses corresponding to the uses of livestock meat. However, the quality required for meat-like foods when consumed (taste, texture, flavor, etc.) differs depending on the use, so design modifications are necessary according to the application. The meat-like foods described in Patent Documents 1 to 11 are not designed to accommodate a wide variety of uses and are not configured to allow for design modifications according to the application.

[0017] The objective of this invention is to provide a processed meat-like food product that uses plant-based protein while having a texture similar to that of livestock meat, and that can be used for a wide variety of applications.

[0018] The inventors of this invention conducted various studies with the aim of developing a meat-like food product that can be redesigned according to its intended use and can accommodate a wide variety of applications. As a result, they found that this objective can be achieved by using two types of meat-like food products with different compositions, and by using these two types of meat-like food products in combination without mixing them.

[0019] The present invention is based on the above findings and is a molded meat-like food containing ingredient a which contains plant protein and a meat-like food with a water content of 40% by mass or more, and ingredient b which contains plant protein and a meat-like food with a water content of 40% by mass or more, wherein at least one of ingredient a and ingredient b contains linear meat-like food as the meat-like food, ingredient a and ingredient b have different compositions, and ingredient b is wrapped in ingredient a or ingredient b is sandwiched between ingredient a.

[0020] Furthermore, the present invention has been made based on the above findings, and is a method for manufacturing a molded meat-like food according to the present invention, comprising a manufacturing step for the linear meat-like food, wherein the manufacturing step uses an extruder that extrudes a raw material containing plant protein as an extruded product, and a cooling die that is located downstream of the extruder in the extrusion direction and has a flow path inside through which the extruded product moves, and cools the extruded product as it moves through the flow path, wherein a loosening section is located at the downstream end of the flow path of the cooling die in the direction of movement of the extruded product, the loosening section occupies at least a part of the cross section in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the flow path, and has a plurality of through holes that penetrate the loosening section in the direction of movement, and the extruded product is loosened as it passes through the plurality of through holes, the method for manufacturing a molded meat-like food.

[0021] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a cross-section along the extrusion direction of one embodiment of a manufacturing apparatus that can be used to manufacture linear meat-like food products. Figure 2 is a schematic view of a cross-section perpendicular to the extrusion direction of the loosening section of the manufacturing apparatus shown in Figure 1.

[0022] The molded meat-like food of the present invention contains ingredient a and ingredient b. Both ingredient a and ingredient b contain a meat-like food containing plant protein (hereinafter also referred to as "specific meat-like food"). In the present invention, "plant protein" refers to protein obtained from plants. Examples of sources of plant protein include legumes (soybeans, adzuki beans, etc.), grains (wheat, barley, rice, corn, buckwheat, etc.), potatoes (potatoes, etc.), nuts and seeds (peanuts, almonds, etc.), and algae. The plant protein may be treated with enzymes or the like. In the present invention, one type of plant protein can be used alone or in combination of two or more types.

[0023] Suitable plant proteins for the present invention include legume proteins, which are sourced from legumes, and cereal proteins, which are sourced from cereals (flours). Specific examples of legume proteins include soy protein (e.g., defatted soy flour, concentrated soy protein, isolated soy protein, extracted soy protein), pea protein, broad bean protein, chickpea protein, and mung bean protein. Specific examples of cereal proteins include wheat protein such as gluten, rice protein, oat protein, rapeseed protein, and potato protein.

[0024] The content of plant protein in a specific meat-like food is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of more reliably fulfilling the objective of providing a meat-like food that is useful as a meat substitute, it is preferably 20% by mass or more, more preferably 60% by mass or more, relative to the total mass of the specific meat-like food, and the specific meat-like food may contain only 100% by mass, i.e., plant protein.

[0025] The specified meat-like food may contain other components besides plant protein, to the extent that they do not inhibit the expression of the predetermined effect of the present invention (providing a molded meat-like food that has a texture similar to livestock meat while using plant protein and can be used for a wide variety of purposes). Examples of such other components include animal protein, starches, polysaccharides, dietary fiber, edible oils and fats, seasonings, colorants, flavorings, and emulsifiers, and one of these may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Here, "animal protein" refers to protein obtained from animals. Examples of sources of animal protein include livestock meat, poultry, fish and shellfish, insects, eggs, and dairy products. The animal protein may be treated with enzymes or the like. The specified meat-like food may also contain binding agents, which will be described later, as other components. The content of other components besides plant protein in the specified meat-like food is preferably 50% by mass or less, more preferably 30% by mass or less, based on the total mass of the specified meat-like food.

[0026] The specified meat-like food product must have a moisture content of 40% by mass or more. If the moisture content of the specified meat-like food product is less than 40% by mass, the processed meat-like food product may not have a taste and texture similar to livestock meat, and may also have poor shape retention. In this invention, "moisture content" is a value measured according to the oven-drying method (a method in which the object to be measured is heated to a temperature of 130°C and the weight change before and after heating is measured). From the viewpoint of more reliably achieving the predetermined effects of this invention, the moisture content of the specified meat-like food product is preferably 40 to 60% by mass, more preferably 40 to 50% by mass. The moisture content of the specified meat-like food product can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of water added to the raw materials containing plant protein during the manufacturing of the specified meat-like food product.

[0027] The molded meat-like food of the present invention requires that at least one of ingredient a and ingredient b contains a linear meat-like food as a specific meat-like food. A linear meat-like food is a specific meat-like food (meat-like food containing plant protein) with a water content of 40% by mass or more, and whose shape is linear, elongated in one direction. For example, spherical or sheet-like shapes are not considered "linear" in this context. In a linear meat-like food, the ratio of the length in the longitudinal direction to the length in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (longitudinal orthogonal direction) is preferably 300 or less, and more preferably 12 to 180, as the length in the longitudinal direction / length in the longitudinal orthogonal direction.

[0028] If the specified meat-like food does not contain linear meat-like food, the molded meat-like food may not have a taste and texture similar to livestock meat, and may have poor shape retention. From the viewpoint of more reliably achieving the predetermined effects of the present invention, it is preferable that both the specified meat-like food contained in ingredient a and the specified meat-like food contained in ingredient b contain linear meat-like food. A particularly preferred form is one in which both ingredient a and ingredient b contain only linear meat-like food as the specified meat-like food. When using meat-like food other than linear meat-like food, taking into consideration manufacturing costs, etc., the content of linear meat-like food in the specified meat-like food contained in ingredient a and the specified meat-like food contained in ingredient b is preferably 50 to 90% by mass, more preferably 70 to 90% by mass, based on the total mass of the specified meat-like food.

[0029] In the present invention, the linear meat-like food has a linear shape that is long in one direction, and the thickness of the linear meat-like food is preferably 0.1 to 2.5 mm. Here, "thickness" refers to the maximum length in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the linear meat-like food (hereinafter also referred to as the "width direction"). For example, if the cross-sectional shape along the width direction of the linear meat-like food is circular, the diameter of that circle is the thickness of the linear meat-like food. Also, for example, if the cross-sectional shape along the width direction of the linear meat-like food is square, the length of the diagonal of that square is the thickness of the linear meat-like food. It is preferable to make the thickness of the linear meat-like food 0.1 mm or more because it suppresses the decrease in shape retention, so that the suitability for processing is not impaired and it becomes easy to manufacture molded meat-like food using it. It is preferable to make the thickness of the linear meat-like food 2.5 mm or less because it further improves the juiciness of the molded meat-like food using it. From the viewpoint of ensuring that the predetermined effects of the present invention are achieved more reliably, the thickness of the linear meat-like food product is more preferably 0.2 to 2 mm, and even more preferably 0.3 to 1 mm.

[0030] The cross-sectional shape along the width direction of the linear meat-like food product is not particularly limited and may be, for example, circular, elliptical, triangular, quadrilateral, or a polygon with pentagons or more sides. If the linear meat-like food product has two or more different lengths in cross-sectional view along the width direction (for example, if the cross-sectional shape along the width direction of the linear meat-like food product is quadrilateral), the minimum length of the linear meat-like food product is preferably 0.1 to 2.5 mm, more preferably 0.1 to 1 mm, from the viewpoint of more reliably achieving the predetermined effects of the present invention.

[0031] The linear meat-like food that constitutes ingredient a and / or ingredient b may be one type or two or more types. If the linear meat-like food being compared has the same composition and thickness, they are of the same type; if they have different compositions or thicknesses, they are of different types. A preferred example of ingredient a and / or ingredient b consisting of linear meat-like food is one that includes one or more linear meat-like food selected from 1) to 3) below (hereinafter also referred to as "meat-like food A"). Meat-like food A is particularly useful as a substitute for chicken breast meat. 1) A linear meat-like food with a thickness of 0.10 to 0.50 mm, preferably 0.10 to 0.30 mm, more preferably 0.10 to 0.20 mm (hereinafter also referred to as "thin linear meat-like food"). 2) A linear meat-like food product having a thickness of 0.51 to 0.74 mm, preferably 0.45 to 0.70 mm, more preferably 0.50 to 0.65 mm (hereinafter also referred to as "medium-thick linear meat-like food product"). 3) A linear meat-like food product having a thickness of 0.75 to 1.00 mm, preferably 0.80 to 0.95 mm, more preferably 0.70 to 0.90 mm (hereinafter also referred to as "thick linear meat-like food product"). The linear meat-like food product can be suitably manufactured, for example, by the method described later.

[0032] The linear meat-like food used in this invention is preferably made by extruding a raw material containing plant protein. While methods for producing linear meat-like food include sheet cutting and 3D printing, linear meat-like food produced by extrusion molding is preferred because it more closely replicates the fibrous texture of livestock meat. Details of the production of linear meat-like food by extrusion molding will be described later.

[0033] In the present invention, ingredient a and ingredient b include a densely integrated product of specific meat-like foods, preferably linear meat-like foods, and typically consist of such densely integrated product. The densely integrated product may contain other components other than plant protein, including moisturizing gels and binders described later. The densely integrated product is formed by the close contact of specific meat-like foods, preferably linear meat-like foods, and is typically a mass formed by the close contact of multiple linear meat-like foods, but it can also be in the form of a single linear meat-like food folded and densely integrated.

[0034] The specific meat-like food ingredients a and b each include a form in which the linear meat-like food ingredients constituting the densely integrated material are randomly in close contact with each other and the longitudinal direction of the linear meat-like food ingredients is irregular (hereinafter also referred to as "first form"), and a form in which the longitudinal direction of the linear meat-like food ingredients constituting the densely integrated material is aligned (hereinafter also referred to as "second form"). These can be appropriately selected depending on the intended use of the molded meat-like food. From the viewpoint of making the juiciness of the molded meat-like food even closer to that of livestock meat, the second form is preferred.

[0035] With respect to the first embodiment of the specific meat-like food, the linear meat-like food constituting the densely integrated mass may or may not maintain its linear shape. If the linear shape of the linear meat-like food in the densely integrated mass is maintained, the appearance of the densely integrated mass may resemble that of a normal noodle mass, which is a mass of noodle strands. If the linear shape of the linear meat-like food in the densely integrated mass is not maintained, the appearance of the densely integrated mass may resemble that of a normal minced meat mass made from livestock meat. The first embodiment of the specific meat-like food can be obtained, for example, by stirring the linear meat-like food or other ingredients such as a moisturizing gel or binder, which will be described later, thereto. In the first embodiment of the specific meat-like food thus obtained, the degree to which the linear shape of the linear meat-like food is maintained can be adjusted by the degree of stirring.

[0036] With respect to the second form of the specific meat-like food, the phrase "aligned longitudinal directions" means that the angle between the longitudinal directions of any two linear meat-like foods constituting the specific meat-like food (including two pieces consisting of one part and the other part of a folded linear meat-like food; the same applies hereinafter unless otherwise specified) is 45 degrees or less. By aligning the longitudinal directions of the linear meat-like foods constituting the specific meat-like food, the constituent fibers of the fibrous tissue contained in the linear meat-like food become substantially oriented in one direction (the longitudinal direction of the linear meat-like food), making it possible to more reliably impart a texture (fibrous texture, crumbly texture, etc.) that is closer to the texture of livestock meat to the specific meat-like food. The second form of the specific meat-like food can be obtained, for example, by aligning the longitudinal directions of the linear meat-like foods when densely integrating them (making the angle between the longitudinal directions of any two linear meat-like foods 45 degrees or less).

[0037] One example of meat-like food A is a product that includes two types of linear meat-like food: thick linear meat-like food and medium linear meat-like food. In this example of meat-like food A, the proportion of thick linear meat-like food in the total linear meat-like food is preferably 5 to 95% by mass, more preferably 10 to 90% by mass, and the remaining linear meat-like food is medium linear meat-like food. Another example of meat-like food A is a product that includes two types of linear meat-like food: thick linear meat-like food and thin linear meat-like food. In this example of meat-like food A, the proportion of thick linear meat-like food in the total linear meat-like food is preferably 5 to 95% by mass, more preferably 10 to 90% by mass, and the remaining linear meat-like food is thin linear meat-like food. Yet another example of meat-like food A is a product that includes three types of linear meat-like food: thick linear meat-like food, medium linear meat-like food, and thin linear meat-like food. In one example of such meat-like food A, the proportion of thick-lined meat-like food to the total linear meat-like food is preferably 10 to 90% by mass, more preferably 20 to 80% by mass, the proportion of medium-lined meat-like food to the total linear meat-like food is preferably 10 to 90% by mass, more preferably 20 to 80% by mass, and the remaining linear meat-like food is thin-lined meat-like food.

[0038] From the viewpoint of ensuring that the predetermined effects of the present invention are achieved more reliably, the content of the specific meat-like food in ingredient a is preferably 70 to 99% by mass, and more preferably 80 to 95% by mass, based on the total mass of ingredient a. Similarly, from the viewpoint of ensuring that the content of the specific meat-like food in ingredient b is preferably 30 to 99% by mass, and more preferably 40 to 70% by mass, based on the total mass of ingredient b.

[0039] In the present invention, it is preferable that ingredient b and / or ingredient a contain a moisturizing gel. In the present invention, "moisturizing gel" refers to a gel-like substance containing a gelling agent and a liquid. Typically, the gel-like substance has a network structure formed by the entanglement of gelling agents and the bonding of molecules, with the space within the network structure filled with liquid. By containing a moisturizing gel, the taste and / or texture of the molded meat-like food, particularly its juiciness, can be further improved, and the shape retention of the molded meat-like food can be improved. In the present invention, it is preferable that at least ingredient b contains a moisturizing gel because it further improves shape retention.

[0040] In the present invention, it is preferable that the moisturizing gel contains polysaccharides or gelatin. Polysaccharides and gelatin function as gelling agents. Using polysaccharides or gelatin as gelling agents is preferable because it can impart a meat-like juiciness to the processed meat-like food. Examples of polysaccharides include agar, mannan, pectin, alginate preparations such as sodium alginate, potassium alginate and alginate esters, carrageenan, xanthan gum, tamarind seed gum, gellan gum, curdlan, seaweed, and methylcellulose. In the present invention, one type of polysaccharide can be used alone or in combination of two or more types. There are no particular restrictions on the type of gelatin, and it may be appropriately selected from those used in the art to which the present invention belongs, depending on the purpose. Specific examples of gelatin include, for example, gelatin derived from animal collagen contained in cowhide, pigskin, and bovine bones, and gelatin derived from fish. In the present invention, one type of gelatin can be used alone or in combination of two or more types. In the present invention, from the viewpoint of imparting a meat-like juiciness to the processed meat-like food product, it is preferable to use a combination of two or more substances selected from polysaccharides and gelatin.

[0041] In the present invention, the content of the gelling agent in the moisturizing gel (total content of polysaccharides and gelatin) is preferably 0.1 to 10% by mass, and more preferably 1 to 5% by mass, relative to the total mass of the moisturizing gel.

[0042] In the present invention, it is preferable that the moisturizing gel contains water as the liquid in addition to the gelling agent. The water content in the moisturizing gel is preferably 50% by mass or more, more preferably 70% by mass or more, based on the total mass of the moisturizing gel.

[0043] Within a range that does not inhibit the manifestation of the predetermined effects of the present invention, the moisturizing gel may contain other components in addition to the gelling agent and water. Examples of other components include fats and oils, seasonings (such as salt, amino acids, acidulants, flavors, etc.). The content of other components in the moisturizing gel, other than the gelling agent and water, is preferably 50% by mass or less, more preferably 30% by mass or less, based on the total mass of the moisturizing gel.

[0044] In the present invention, from the viewpoint of further improving the taste and / or texture, particularly the juicy feeling, of the formed meat-like food, and good shape retention of the formed meat-like food, the content of the moisturizing gel is preferably 5% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less, more preferably 5% by mass or more and 18% by mass or less, and even more preferably 7% by mass or more and 13% by mass or less, based on the total mass of the formed meat-like food. When ingredient a contains the moisturizing gel, from the viewpoint of further improving the shape retention and juicy feeling of the formed meat-like food, the content of the moisturizing gel relative to the total mass of ingredient a is preferably 2% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less, more preferably 2% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less, and even more preferably 2% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less. When ingredient b contains the moisturizing gel, from the viewpoint of further improving the shape retention and juicy feeling of the formed meat-like food, the content of the moisturizing gel relative to the total mass of ingredient b is preferably 5% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less, more preferably 25% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less, and even more preferably 30% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less.

[0045] The molded meat-like food of the present invention may contain a binder in ingredient a and / or ingredient b. If a binder is included, it is more preferable that ingredient a and ingredient b contain the binder. The binder binds the specific meat-like food contained in ingredient a and ingredient b together, and ingredient a and ingredient b together. By including a binder, the degree of integration between the specific meat-like food constituting ingredient a and ingredient b, and the degree of integration between ingredient a and ingredient b, can be strengthened, and the processing suitability of the specific meat-like food can be further improved. Examples of binders include vegetable protein, starch, thickening polysaccharides, egg white powder, whole egg powder, milk protein, gelatin, agar, methylcellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, and enzymes, and one of these binders can be used alone or in combination of two or more. Examples of plant-based proteins (binding agents) include isolated soy protein, concentrated soy protein, soy milk powder, defatted soy flour, fat-containing soy flour, and wheat protein (gluten). Examples of starches (binding agents) include unprocessed starches such as potato starch, corn starch, tapioca starch, sago starch, and wheat starch; and processed starches obtained by subjecting unprocessed starch to one or more treatments such as oil processing, etherification, esterification, acetylation, cross-linking, and oxidation. Examples of thickening polysaccharides (binding agents) include xanthan gum, guar gum, locust bean gum, carrageenan, and alginic acid. Examples of enzymes (binding agents) include transglutaminase and laccase. Among these binding agents, enzymes, methylcellulose, or egg white powder are particularly preferred, and transglutaminase is preferred as the enzyme. The binding agents may be heat-treated. The heat treatment is typically carried out in the ingredient manufacturing process described later. Details of the aforementioned heat treatment will be described later.

[0046] The formed meat-like food of the present invention contains a binder in ingredient a and ingredient b, preferably 0.5 to 50 parts by mass, more preferably 1 to 30 parts by mass, based on 100 parts by mass of vegetable protein in ingredient a or ingredient b.

[0047] In the formed meat-like food of the present invention, the ingredients a and b may contain other components other than the specific meat-like food, the moisture retention gel, and the binder, as long as the expression of the predetermined effects of the present invention is not inhibited. Examples of the other components include starches, dietary fibers, edible oils and fats, seasonings, pigments, flavors, and emulsifiers, and one of these can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The content of the other components in the formed meat-like food of the present invention is preferably 10% by mass or less, more preferably 5% by mass or less, based on the total mass of the formed meat-like food.

[0048] As one of the main features of the formed meat-like food of the present invention, the compositions of the ingredients a and b are different, and the ingredients a and b do not become an integral whole, but exist in the formed meat-like food in individual and independent forms. Specifically, the point is that the ingredient b is wrapped by the ingredient a or the ingredient b is sandwiched by the ingredient a. Due to the above characteristics, the formed meat-like food of the present invention can achieve the effect of being applicable to a variety of uses. That is, in the formed meat-like food of the present invention, since two types of ingredients a and b with different compositions exist in individual and independent forms, compared with the case of being composed of a single ingredient like conventional meat-like foods, the design range is wide, design changes can be made according to the use, and the quality (taste, texture, flavor, etc.) at the time of eating can be made suitable for the use.

[0049] In the formed meat-like food of the present invention, as described above, the compositions of the ingredients a and b are different. Here, the "composition" referred to includes the types of the constituent components of the ingredient and the content of the constituent components of the ingredient, and does not include the characteristics related to the shape of the ingredient (for example, the dimensions and shape of each part of the ingredient). Therefore, for example, if either the types or the contents of the constituent components are different between the ingredients a and b, the compositions of the ingredients a and b are different. Also, for example, if both the types and the contents of the constituent components are the same between the ingredients a and b, even if the ingredients a and b are linear meat-like foods with different thicknesses from each other, the compositions of the ingredients a and b are the same.

[0050] The phrase "ingredient b is wrapped in ingredient a" refers to a state in which the entire surface of ingredient b is covered with ingredient a. Therefore, in the case of the molded meat-like food of the present invention, if ingredient b is wrapped in ingredient a, the presence of ingredient b cannot usually be confirmed by visual inspection of the molded meat-like food.

[0051] The phrase "ingredient b is sandwiched between ingredients a" refers to a state in which ingredients a are located on both sides of ingredient b in one direction (for example, the thickness direction). A molded meat-like food in this state has at least a three-layer structure, consisting of a first layer made of ingredient b and a pair of second layers made of ingredient a located on both sides of the first layer in one direction. When ingredient b is wrapped by ingredient a, ingredient b is not exposed, but when ingredient b is sandwiched between ingredients a, a part of ingredient b is exposed.

[0052] A preferred example of the aforementioned "different composition between ingredient a and ingredient b" is a configuration in which the moisture content of the specific meat-like food contained in ingredient b is higher than that of the specific meat-like food contained in ingredient a (hereinafter referred to as "Configuration A"). The fact that ingredient a and ingredient b have different moisture contents of the specific meat-like food contained in them corresponds to the aforementioned "different types of constituent components (specific meat-like food)". In the molded meat-like food of the present invention employing Configuration A, ingredient b containing the specific meat-like food with a relatively high moisture content is located on the inside, and ingredient a containing the specific meat-like food with a relatively low moisture content is located on the outside, thus achieving a high level of both juiciness and shape retention. In the case of Configuration A, from the viewpoint of further enhancing shape retention and juiciness, the moisture content of the specific meat-like food contained in ingredient a is preferably 25% by mass or more and 65% by mass or less, more preferably 30% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less, and even more preferably 35% by mass or more and 55% by mass or less. From a similar viewpoint, in the case of embodiment A, the water content of the specific meat-like food contained in ingredient b is preferably 30% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less, more preferably 35% by mass or more and 65% by mass or less, and even more preferably 40% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less.

[0053] Another preferred example of the aforementioned "different composition of ingredient a and ingredient b" is an embodiment in which the moisture content of ingredient b is higher than that of ingredient a (hereinafter referred to as "embodiment B"). In the molded meat-like food of the present invention employing embodiment B, ingredient b, which has a relatively high moisture content, is located on the inside, and ingredient a, which has a relatively low moisture content, is located on the outside, thus achieving a high level of both juiciness and shape retention. In the case of embodiment B, from the viewpoint of further enhancing shape retention and juiciness, the moisture content of ingredient a is preferably 45% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less, more preferably 47% by mass or more and 65% by mass or less, and even more preferably 50% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less. From a similar viewpoint, in the case of embodiment B, the moisture content of ingredient b is preferably 60% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less, more preferably 65% ​​by mass or more and 85% by mass or less, and even more preferably 70% by mass or more and 80% by mass or less. The moisture content of ingredients a and b can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of water added to the raw materials of ingredients a and b, including meat-like food products, during their manufacture.

[0054] From the viewpoint of ensuring that the predetermined effects of the present invention are more reliably achieved, the content of ingredient a in the molded meat-like food of the present invention is preferably 60% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less, more preferably 65% ​​by mass or more and 85% by mass or less, and even more preferably 70% by mass or more and 80% by mass or less, based on the total mass of the molded meat-like food of the present invention. From a similar viewpoint, the content of ingredient b in the molded meat-like food of the present invention is preferably 10% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less, more preferably 15% by mass or more and 35% by mass or less, and even more preferably 20% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less, based on the total mass of the molded meat-like food of the present invention.

[0055] The shape of the molded meat-like food product of the present invention is not particularly limited, provided that ingredient b is wrapped by ingredient a, or ingredient b is sandwiched between ingredient a. It can be appropriately determined according to the intended use of the molded meat-like food product.

[0056] The method for producing the molded meat-like food of the present invention will now be described. The method for producing the molded meat-like food of the present invention comprises at least a manufacturing step for linear meat-like food. As described above, linear meat-like food is a specific meat-like food (meat-like food containing plant protein) with a water content of 40% by mass or more, which has a linear shape that is long in one direction, and is an ingredient contained in at least one of ingredient a and ingredient b that constitute the molded meat-like food.

[0057] In the manufacturing process of the aforementioned linear meat-like food, the linear meat-like food is produced by extruding a raw material containing plant protein. That is, the linear meat-like food used in ingredient a and / or ingredient b may be made by extruding a raw material containing plant protein. In the manufacturing process of the aforementioned linear meat-like food, a known extruder is used and extrusion molding is performed according to a conventional method. The extruder may be single-screw or twin-screw, and may also be equipped with a cooling die for cooling the extruded material.

[0058] Figure 1 shows a manufacturing apparatus 10, which is one embodiment of a manufacturing apparatus that can be used to carry out the manufacturing process of the linear meat-like food product. The manufacturing apparatus 10 includes an extruder 20 that extrudes a raw material containing plant protein as an extruded product 1, and a cooling die 30 which is located downstream of the extrusion direction X from the extruder 20 and has a flow path 31 in which the extruded product 1 moves, and cools the extruded product 1 as it moves through the flow path 31.

[0059] The extruder 20 is basically configured similarly to a known extruder and includes a hollow cylindrical cylinder 22 having a raw material passage 21 inside, a screw 23 positioned in the passage 21 and rotated by a drive source such as a motor, and a feeder 24 that supplies raw material to the passage 21. The passage 21 extends in the same direction along the entire length of the extrusion direction X of the cylinder 22. The extruder 20 may have heating means (not shown), such as a heater, around the cylinder 22, so as to be able to heat the extruded material 1 in the passage 21. The extruder 20 may also be able to introduce steam into the passage 21. The extruder 20 may be a single-screw extruder with one screw 23, or a twin-screw extruder with two screws 23.

[0060] The cooling die 30 has a hollow cylindrical cylinder 32 with a flow path 31 inside. The flow path 31 extends in the same direction along the entire length of the cylinder 32 in the extrusion direction X. The flow path 21 of the extruder 20 and the flow path 31 of the cooling die 30 are connected, and the extruded material 1 in the flow path 21 is pushed by the screw 23 and flows into the flow path 31. In the illustrated configuration, the direction of movement of the extruded material 1 in the flow path 31 is the same as the extrusion direction X. In the cooling die 30, the extruded material 1 is cooled as it moves through the flow path 31. The method of cooling the extruded material 1 in the cooling die 30 is not particularly limited; for example, it may be forced cooling using a cooling means, or it may be natural cooling by simply moving the extruded material 1 in the flow path 31 in the direction of movement X without using a cooling means. The cooling die 30 may have a refrigerant flow path, such as a water jacket, arranged around the cylinder 32 as the cooling means.

[0061] A loosening section 33 is positioned at the downstream end of the flow path 31 of the cooling die 30 in the direction of movement of the extruded material 1 (extrusion direction X). The loosening section 33 occupies at least a portion of the cross-section of the flow path 31 in the direction perpendicular to the extrusion direction X, and in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, it is plate-shaped and occupies the entire cross-section of the flow path 31 in the direction perpendicular to the extrusion direction X. As shown in Figure 2, the loosening section 33 has a plurality of through holes 34 that penetrate the loosening section 33 in the extrusion direction X. In this embodiment, the loosening section 33 has a direction Y perpendicular to the extrusion direction X and a direction Z perpendicular to both directions X and Y, and a plurality of through holes 34 are intermittently arranged in both directions Y and Z. The plurality of through holes 34 are the same shape and dimensions as each other, and in a plan view as shown in Figure 2, they form a quadrilateral shape (rectangular shape). In the present invention, the arrangement pattern of the through holes 34 in the loosening section 34 (shape and dimensions of the through holes 34 in plan view, arrangement position, spacing between two adjacent through holes 34, and number of holes per unit area) is not limited to the form shown in Figure 2, and can be appropriately set within a range that does not hinder the manifestation of the predetermined effects of the present invention.

[0062] In the cooling die 30, the extruded material 1 in the flow channel 31 is pushed by the screw 23 and introduced into the loosening section 33, where it is loosened by passing through a plurality of through holes 34. That is, the extruded material 1, which is a mass with a shape corresponding to the internal shape of the flow channel 31, is pressed toward the loosening section 33 by the screw 23 and is extruded linearly from each of the plurality of through holes 34. Each of the plurality of linear extruded materials 1 that have passed through the through holes 34 of the loosening section 33 is the linear meat-like food of the present invention. Such linear meat-like food, which is formed by extruding a raw material containing plant protein, contains an oriented fibrous structure, and the constituent fibers of the fibrous structure are oriented in the extrusion direction during extrusion molding.

[0063] The dimensions of the through-holes 34 in a plan view of the shredding section 33, as shown in Figure 2, are closely related to the thickness of the linear meat-like food produced by passing through the shredding section 33. Typically, the shape and dimensions of the through-holes 34 in a plan view directly reflect the shape and dimensions of the linear meat-like food. Therefore, it is preferable that the shape and dimensions of the through-holes 34 in a plan view substantially match the shape and dimensions of the linear meat-like food in a cross-sectional view along the width direction. Accordingly, from the viewpoint of adjusting the thickness of the linear meat-like food (the maximum span length in the width direction of the linear meat-like food) to 0.1 to 2.5 mm as described above, it is preferable that the maximum span length of the through-holes 34 in a plan view also be 0.1 to 2.5 mm.

[0064] The loosening portion 33 may be a porous structure formed by drilling through holes 34 in a plate-shaped member, as shown in Figure 2, or a mesh structure formed by processing wire into a mesh shape, such as by plain weaving. The material of the loosening portion 33 is not particularly limited and may be a metal such as iron, copper, titanium, or stainless steel, or a ceramic or resin. The thickness D of the loosening portion 33 (see Figure 1), that is, the length X in the extrusion direction of the loosening portion 33, is preferably 0.1 to 10 mm, more preferably 1 to 5 mm, from the viewpoint of balancing the strength and extrudeability of the loosening portion 33.

[0065] In the manufacturing process of the aforementioned linear meat-like food, typically, a raw material containing plant protein is extruded after adding water. That is, the extruded product 1 shown in Figure 1 is typically a mixture of a raw material containing plant protein and water. The amount of water added to the raw material is preferably 50 to 350 parts by mass, more preferably 100 to 250 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the raw material (raw material other than water), from the viewpoint of ensuring that the moisture content of the linear meat-like food is 40% by mass or more as described above, and that the predetermined effects of the present invention are more reliably achieved. If the moisture content of the linear meat-like food of ingredient b is greater than that of the linear meat-like food of ingredient a, the amount of water added to the linear meat-like food of ingredient b should be greater than the amount of water added to the linear meat-like food of ingredient a.

[0066] In the manufacturing process of the linear meat-like food product, there are no particular restrictions on the heating temperature during the extrusion molding of the raw material containing plant protein. However, from the viewpoint of more reliably achieving the predetermined effects of the present invention, it is preferable to adjust the temperature of the raw material at the downstream end in the extrusion direction of the extruder used for extrusion molding to preferably be 100 to 200°C, more preferably 120 to 180°C. In the manufacturing apparatus 10, the temperature of the extruded product 1 located at the downstream end in the extrusion direction X of the flow path 21 of the extruder 20 (the temperature of the extruded product 1 immediately before it flows into the flow path 31 of the cooling die 30).

[0067] In the manufacturing process of the linear meat-like food product, the extrusion pressure during the extrusion molding of the raw material containing plant protein is not particularly limited. However, from the viewpoint of more reliably achieving the predetermined effects of the present invention, it is preferable to adjust the extrusion pressure at the downstream end of the extrusion direction of the extruder used for extrusion molding to preferably be 0.5 to 10.0 MPa, more preferably 1.0 to 5.0 MPa. In the manufacturing apparatus 10, the extrusion pressure is the extrusion pressure at the downstream end of the flow path 21 of the extruder 20 in the extrusion direction X (near the connection with the cooling die 30).

[0068] The cooling temperature of the extruded product 1 by the cooling die 30 is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of preventing the extruded product from expanding, it is preferable to adjust the product temperature of the extruded product 1 immediately after being extruded from the cooling die 30, i.e., the linear meat-like food product immediately after manufacturing, to be preferably 20 to 90°C, more preferably 40 to 70°C. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of efficiently and reliably achieving such a cooling temperature, the length of the flow path 31 of the cooling die 30 is preferably 300 to 2000 mm, more preferably 50 to 1500 mm.

[0069] The manufactured linear meat-like food product may be subjected to heat treatment such as retort sterilization for sterilization purposes. Furthermore, the linear meat-like food product can be stored refrigerated or frozen. Frozen linear meat-like food product is usually thawed before use.

[0070] The method for producing the molded meat-like food of the present invention typically includes, in addition to the manufacturing process of the linear meat-like food described above, a step of manufacturing ingredient a and / or ingredient b using a specific meat-like food including the linear meat food (ingredient manufacturing step), and a step of manufacturing the molded meat-like food by molding the manufactured ingredient a and ingredient b (molding step). Each step will be described below.

[0071] In the ingredient manufacturing process described above, ingredient a and ingredient b are manufactured by densely integrating raw materials containing a specific meat-like food product. The "raw materials containing a meat-like food product" may contain only the specific meat-like food product, or it may contain the specific meat-like food product and other components (e.g., water, moisturizing gel, binder). If the water content of ingredient b is to be higher than that of ingredient a, the amount of water added to ingredient b should be greater than the amount of water added to ingredient a. The ingredient manufacturing process described above can be carried out by densely integrating the raw materials containing the specific meat-like food product and molding them into a desired shape as needed. When a linear meat-like food product is used as the specific meat-like food product, the integrating of the raw materials can be carried out, for example, by assembling multiple linear meat-like food products so that they are in contact with each other, or by folding one linear meat-like food product one or more times.

[0072] In the ingredient manufacturing process described above, it is preferable to compress and mold the raw materials containing the specific meat-like food. This can further improve the shape retention of the final molded meat-like food. One example of the compression molding is a method of stirring the raw materials containing the specific meat-like food. Such stirring of the raw materials can typically be carried out by hand or by using tools such as a stirring device to mix the entire contents of the raw materials containing the specific meat-like food. Another example of the compression molding is a method of compressing the raw materials containing the specific meat-like food using known compression means such as a press.

[0073] The aforementioned compression molding may be carried out in an environment of normal pressure (1 atmosphere) or in a reduced pressure environment (including a vacuum). A specific example of the latter is a method of vacuum packaging raw materials containing a specific meat-like food product. The raw materials to be vacuum packaged may be raw materials containing a specific meat-like food product that have been compressed and molded by stirring or compression using a press, i.e., already densely packed and integrated. Vacuum packaging can be carried out according to conventional methods, and typically, after placing the raw materials containing the specific meat-like food product inside a packaging container, the air inside the packaging container is sucked out to create a vacuum inside the packaging container, and the packaging container is then sealed. By vacuum packaging raw materials containing a specific meat-like food product, the entire raw material is appropriately compressed by the packaging container, so the raw material becomes densely packed and integrated, and if the raw material has already been densely packed and integrated by stirring or the like, the degree of dense packing and integration increases. When vacuum packaging raw materials containing a specific meat-like food product, it is possible to obtain a molded meat-like food product with excellent shape retention even without including a binder in the raw material.

[0074] In vacuum packaging, the degree of vacuum is preferably 50-100%, more preferably 80-98%, when absolute vacuum is 100% and atmospheric pressure is 0%, from the viewpoint of balancing the processing suitability and texture of the specific meat-like food product. The packaging container can be made of any material having gas barrier properties that can be used for vacuum packaging, for example, a bag-shaped container made of synthetic resin. From the viewpoint of making the shape of the specific meat-like food product a desired shape in vacuum packaging, the raw material to be placed inside the packaging container may be packed into a mold corresponding to the desired shape, and the mold may be placed inside the packaging container to create a vacuum inside.

[0075] When a moisturizing gel is used as a raw material for ingredient a and / or ingredient b, it is preferable to add the moisturizing gel to the specific meat-like food and stir it in the ingredient manufacturing process. For example, when manufacturing the first form of the specific meat-like food, a process can be adopted in which the linear meat-like food, to which the moisturizing gel has been added and stirred, is compressed and molded by stirring and / or compression using a press. Furthermore, when manufacturing the second form of the specific meat-like food, a process can be adopted in which the specific meat-like food is immersed in the moisturizing gel so as not to collapse in the longitudinal direction.

[0076] When a binder is used as a raw material for ingredient a and / or ingredient b, it is preferable in the ingredient manufacturing process to first attach the binder to the surface of the specific meat-like food product and then densely integrate the specific meat-like food product. In this case, the binder attached to the surface of the specific meat-like food product is preferably in powder form at room temperature and pressure (ambient temperature 20°C, 1 atm) from the viewpoint of handling and other factors. For example, when manufacturing the first form of the specific meat-like food product, a process can be adopted in which powder binder is sprinkled on the surface of the linear meat-like food product, and then the linear meat-like food product is compressed and molded by stirring and / or compression with a press. Furthermore, when manufacturing the second form of the specific meat-like food product, a process can be adopted in which multiple linear meat-like food products or a single linear meat-like food product folded is arranged so that their longitudinal directions are aligned (the angle between the longitudinal directions of any two linear meat-like food products is 45 degrees or less), and then powder binder is sprinkled on the surface of the linear meat-like food products after they have been aligned.

[0077] In the ingredient manufacturing process, the raw materials containing the specific meat-like food may be heat-treated as necessary. In particular, if the raw materials contain one or more selected from enzymes (such as transglutaminase), thickening polysaccharides (such as xanthan gum), and starch (such as various modified starches) as binders (hereinafter also referred to as "specific binder A"), it is preferable to perform the heat treatment. The heat treatment deactivates the enzyme as a binder, increases the viscosity of the thickening polysaccharide as a binder, and gelatinizes the starch as a binder, thereby further improving the shape retention and texture of the final molded meat-like food. Furthermore, the heat treatment can prevent the inconvenience of specific binder A being deactivated during the heating of the molded meat-like food, which is carried out after the ingredient manufacturing process. On the other hand, if the raw materials contain one or more selected from egg white powder, milk protein, animal protein, isolated soy protein, concentrated soy protein, soy milk powder, defatted soy flour, fat-containing soy flour, and plant proteins such as wheat protein (gluten), and methylcellulose (hereinafter also referred to as "specific binding agent B") as a binder, the heat treatment is not essential because specific binding agent B will coagulate during the heat cooking of the molded meat-like food product, which is carried out after the ingredient manufacturing process. If the raw materials contain both specific binding agent A and specific binding agent B as binders, it is preferable to carry out the heat treatment from the viewpoint of further improving the shape retention and texture of the final molded meat-like food product. The timing of carrying out the heat treatment is not particularly limited. Typically, the raw materials containing the specific meat-like food product are compressed and molded to make them dense and integrated, and then the heat treatment is carried out. However, the heat treatment may be carried out before making the raw materials dense and integrated, or the heat treatment may be carried out while making the raw materials dense and integrated.

[0078] The conditions for the heat treatment (heating temperature, heating time) are not particularly limited and can be adjusted as appropriate depending on the type of binder used. For example, if the binder contains one or more selected from enzymes, thickening polysaccharides, and starch, the heating temperature (temperature of the raw materials including the linear meat-like food) is preferably 4 to 100°C, more preferably 20 to 100°C, and the heating time (time to maintain the temperature) is preferably 1 to 120 minutes, more preferably 1 to 60 minutes.

[0079] In the molding process, ingredients a and b manufactured in the ingredient manufacturing process are molded, specifically by wrapping ingredient b with ingredient a or sandwiching ingredient b with ingredient a to produce the desired molded meat-like food product. Wrapping ingredient b with ingredient a and sandwiching ingredient b with ingredient a can both be done in accordance with conventional methods.

[0080] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples. Unless otherwise specified, "parts" refers to "parts by mass" and "%" refers to "percentage by mass".

[0081] (Manufacturing of linear meat-like food products) Linear meat-like food products A to C were manufactured by extruding a mixture of raw materials containing plant protein and water. The manufacturing conditions and characteristics of linear meat-like food products A to C are shown in Table 1 below. The manufacturing apparatus used to produce linear meat-like food products A to C had the same basic configuration as the aforementioned manufacturing apparatus 10 (see Figure 1), and consisted of a twin-screw extruder and a cooling die connected thereto. When manufacturing linear meat-like food products A to C, the following loosening section a was installed at the downstream end of the flow path in the extrusion direction of the cooling die. The following loosening section a is a mesh structure (thickness 1 mm) made by plain weaving metal wire into a mesh shape. Details of the raw materials and extrusion molding conditions are as follows.

[0082] (Raw materials) ・Wheat protein (vegetable protein): "WEIPRO" manufactured by Jackering Muhlen-und-Nahrmittelwerke GmbH, protein content 72% by mass or more on an anhydrous basis ・Soybean protein (vegetable protein): "Fujipro CA" manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd., protein content 90% by mass or more on an anhydrous basis ・Pea protein (vegetable protein): "NUTRALYS S85F" manufactured by Rocket Japan Co., Ltd., protein content 85% by mass or more on an anhydrous basis (Extrusion molding conditions) ・Heating temperature (temperature of raw materials at the downstream end of the extrusion direction of the extruder): 100 to 160°C ・Extrusion pressure (extrusion pressure at the downstream end of the extrusion direction of the extruder): 5 to 10 MPa - Cooling temperature: Adjusted so that the temperature of the extruded product (linear meat-like food) immediately after being extruded from the cooling die reaches 60°C. - Loosening section a: 40 mesh, wire diameter 0.15 mm, mesh opening 0.60 mm

[0083]

[0084] (Manufacturing of moisturizing gels) A mixture containing one or two of the gelling agents listed below and water was mixed at room temperature (25°C) or while heating to dissolve the gelling agents in water. The mixture was then cooled to produce moisturizing gels A to J. The types of gelling agents used in the manufacturing process, the gelling agent content in the moisturizing gels, the temperature of the mixture during mixing, and the cooling temperature are shown in Table 2 below. • Gelling agent A: Agar ("Ultra-fast dissolving agar UX-100" manufactured by Ina Foods Industry Co., Ltd.) • Gelling agent B: Mannan ("Ultra Mannan G2" manufactured by Ina Foods Industry Co., Ltd.) • Gelling agent C: Seaweed ("Wave Pure ADG8250" manufactured by Unitech Foods Co., Ltd.) • Gelling agent D: Pectin ("Unigum QS-2011" manufactured by Unitech Foods Co., Ltd.) • Gelling agent E: Pectin, alginate preparation ("Unet GL-2032" manufactured by Unitech Foods Co., Ltd.) • Gelling agent F: Carrageenan ("SATIAGEL CG30" manufactured by Unitech Foods Co., Ltd.) • Gelling agent G: Xanthan gum ("Gel-Up SA-3" manufactured by San-Ei Gen F.F.I. Co., Ltd.) • Gelling agent H: Gelatin ("Gelatin APH-100" manufactured by Nitta Gelatin Co., Ltd.)

[0085]

[0086] [Examples 1-27 and Comparative Examples 1-3] (Production of molded meat-like food) A molded meat-like food was produced as a substitute for chicken breast meat using linear meat-like foods A-C. Specifically, one of the linear meat-like foods A-C, the following binding agent, and, if necessary, water and / or moisturizing gel were densely integrated using the following integration method to produce ingredients a and b of the molded meat-like food (ingredients production process). Next, the produced ingredients a and b were molded (molding process) to produce the target molded meat-like food. The mass of the produced molded meat-like food was 55-60 g. The types of linear meat-like foods A-C used in the production of ingredients a and b, the types of binding agents and their content in ingredients a and b, and the water content of ingredients a and b are shown in Tables 3 and 4. In the molding process described above, one of the molding methods A to C below was used to mold ingredient a and ingredient b.

[0087] • Binding agent A: Transglutaminase (Ajinomoto Co., Inc.'s "Activa TG-K Elasticity Plus") • Binding agent B: Methylcellulose (Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.'s "Metholose MCE-100TS") • Binding agent C: Dried egg white powder (Kewpie Egg Co., Ltd.'s "Dried Egg White K-Type No. 200") • Binding agent D: Milk protein (TATUA Japan Co., Ltd.'s "TATUA 400")

[0088] - Integration method: After mixing the entire mixture of ingredients, including the linear meat-like food, by hand, the mixture is packed into a mold, the mold is placed in a resealable bag, and the product is vacuum-packed to a vacuum level of 90% or higher using a vacuum packaging machine (Fujimac Co., Ltd. "Z3000"). After that, if binders A and B are used, the vacuum-packed product is heat-treated at 40°C for 60 minutes. If binders C and D are used, no heat treatment is performed.

[0089] (Molding Method A) Molding Method A is a molding method that achieves the state described above where "ingredient b is wrapped in ingredient a". Specifically, first, a portion of ingredient a to be used is filled into the inside of the mold so that the entire inner surface of the mold is covered with ingredient b. Next, all of ingredient b to be used is placed in the center of the inside of the mold. Then, the remaining ingredient a to be used is filled into the mold so that the entire surface of ingredient b placed inside the mold is covered with ingredient a. Molding Method A was carried out by this method. The molded meat-like food produced by Molding Method A had an elliptical shape in plan view, with an inner layer made of ingredient b and an outer layer made of ingredient a, with a maximum span in plan view of 75 mm, a thickness of 6 mm for the inner layer and a thickness of 18 mm for the outer layer.

[0090] (Molding Method B) Molding Method B is a molding method that realizes the state described above where "ingredient b is sandwiched between ingredients a". Specifically, a flattened ingredient a is placed on each of the two sides in the thickness direction of a flattened ingredient b to obtain a three-layer laminate, and Molding Method B is carried out by lightly pressing the laminate in the thickness direction. The molded meat-like food produced by Molding Method B has an elliptical shape in plan view and has a three-layer structure consisting of a first layer made of ingredient b and a pair of second layers made of ingredient a, with a maximum span length of 75 mm in plan view, a thickness of the first layer of 6 mm and a thickness of the second layer of 6 mm.

[0091] (Forming Method C) Forming Method C is a forming method for obtaining a formed meat-like food product with a two-layer structure consisting of a layer made of ingredient a and a layer made of ingredient b. Forming Method C does not achieve the aforementioned states of "ingredient b being wrapped in ingredient a" and "ingredient b being sandwiched between ingredients a". Formed meat-like food products manufactured by Forming Method C are the same as those manufactured by Forming Method B, except that they have a two-layer structure.

[0092] [Evaluation Test] Ten expert panelists cooked the processed meat-like food product to be evaluated. The processed meat-like food product was cooked (fried) using the following procedure: the surface of the processed meat-like food product was coated with flour and batter, and then fried in oil at 180°C for 5 minutes to produce fried processed meat-like food product. The shape retention and juiciness of the resulting cooked processed meat-like food product (fried processed meat-like food product) were evaluated by the ten expert panelists according to the evaluation criteria below. The results (arithmetic mean of the evaluation scores from the ten people) are shown in Tables 3 and 4 below.

[0093] <Criteria for evaluating shape retention> ・5 points: When the heated molded meat-like food is picked up with fingers, the shape is maintained very stably from before it was picked up, which is extremely good. ・4 points: Although the stability of the shape when picked up with fingers is slightly inferior to the case of 5 points above, it does not fall apart, which is good. ・3 points: A small part of the heated molded meat-like food falls apart when picked up with fingers, but this is at an acceptable level. ・2 points: A part of the heated molded meat-like food falls apart when picked up with fingers, which is poor. ・1 point: The heated molded meat-like food falls apart when picked up with fingers, which is extremely poor.

[0094] <Juicy Evaluation Criteria> The juiciness of the pre-cooked processed meat-like food was evaluated according to the following criteria: ・5 points: Very juicy and excellent. ・4 points: Juicy and good. ・3 points: Neither juicy nor dry, acceptable level. ・2 points: Dry and poor. ・1 point: Extremely dry and very poor.

[0095]

[0096]

[0097] As shown in Tables 3 and 4, the molded meat-like food products of each example contained ingredients a and b, which are meat-like food products with a moisture content of 40% by mass or more, and ingredient b was either wrapped in ingredient a or ingredient b was sandwiched between ingredient a. Therefore, they were superior in juiciness and shape retention compared to the molded meat-like food products of the comparative examples that did not meet these criteria. The molded meat-like food product of Comparative Example 1 was manufactured using only ingredient a without ingredient b, the molded meat-like food product of Comparative Example 2 had an ingredient a moisture content of less than 40% by mass, and the molded meat-like food product of Comparative Example 3 had a two-layer structure of ingredient a and ingredient b, and ingredient b was neither wrapped in ingredient a nor sandwiched between ingredient a. Therefore, all of them received lower evaluations compared to the examples. Examples 24 to 26 received particularly high evaluations. In Example 24, gelatin was used as the moisturizing gel for ingredient b; in Example 25, a combination of two polysaccharides (agar and xanthan gum) was used as the moisturizing gel for ingredient b; and in Example 26, egg-derived protein was used as a binder for ingredients a and b. This demonstrates that using these methods is particularly effective in obtaining a molded meat-like food product with excellent juiciness and shape retention.

[0098] According to the present invention, a processed meat-like food product can be obtained that has a texture similar to that of livestock meat, even though it uses plant-based protein, and can be used for a wide variety of applications.

[0099] A preferred embodiment of the molded meat-like food of the present invention satisfies the relationship "moisture content of ingredient b > moisture content of ingredient a" or "moisture content of the specific meat-like food contained in ingredient b > moisture content of the specific meat-like food contained in ingredient a," thus having a texture similar to that of livestock meat, being adaptable to a wide variety of uses, and further possessing the characteristics of good juiciness and high shape retention. Generally, processed products of specific meat-like foods (meat-like foods containing plant-based protein) tend to lack juiciness and have a dry texture. One possible solution to this problem is to increase the moisture content of the specific meat-like food, but even if the moisture content of the specific meat-like food is increased, the moisture contained within will be released when the specific meat-like food is heated, which may result in a lack of juiciness when eaten. In addition, increasing the moisture content of the specific meat-like food may reduce its shape retention and make it difficult to handle. In the aforementioned preferred embodiment, it is possible to achieve a high level of both juiciness and shape retention.

Claims

1. A molded meat-like food comprising ingredient a, which contains plant protein and a meat-like food with a water content of 40% by mass or more, and ingredient b, which contains plant protein and a meat-like food with a water content of 40% by mass or more, wherein at least one of ingredient a and ingredient b contains linear meat-like food as the meat-like food, ingredient a and ingredient b have different compositions, and ingredient b is wrapped in ingredient a, or ingredient b is sandwiched between ingredient a.

2. The molded meat-like food according to claim 1, wherein the moisture content of ingredient b is higher than the moisture content of ingredient a, or the moisture content of the meat-like food contained in ingredient b is higher than the moisture content of the meat-like food contained in ingredient a.

3. The molded meat-like food according to claim 2, wherein the moisture content of ingredient b is higher than the moisture content of ingredient a, and ingredient a has a moisture content of 45% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less, and ingredient b has a moisture content of 60% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less.

4. The molded meat-like food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the content of ingredient b is 10% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less.

5. The molded meat-like food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein ingredient b and / or ingredient a contains a moisturizing gel.

6. The molded meat-like food according to claim 5, which contains 5% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less of the moisturizing gel.

7. The molded meat-like food according to claim 5, wherein the moisturizing gel comprises polysaccharides or gelatin.

8. The molded meat-like food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the linear meat-like food is made by extruding a raw material containing plant protein.

9. A method for manufacturing a molded meat-like food according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a step for manufacturing the linear meat-like food, wherein the manufacturing step uses an extruder that extrudes a raw material containing plant protein as an extruded product, and a cooling die positioned downstream of the extruder in the extrusion direction, having a flow path inside through which the extruded product moves, and cooling the extruded product as it moves through the flow path, wherein a loosening portion is positioned at the downstream end of the flow path of the cooling die in the direction of movement of the extruded product, the loosening portion occupies at least a portion of the cross-section of the flow path in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement, and has a plurality of through holes that penetrate the loosening portion in the direction of movement, and the extruded product is loosened as it passes through the plurality of through holes.

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