Composition for modifying processed cheese

Abstract

The present invention provides a composition for modifying processed cheese, and the like, comprising (A) an exo-protease having no endo-type activity, or (B) an endo-protease that specifically cleaves three or fewer types of amino acid residues.

Description

Composition for modifying processed cheese 【0001】 The present invention relates to a composition for modifying processed cheese and the like. 【0002】 In the food industry, improvements aimed at enhancing the so-called "yield" are constantly being explored from the perspectives of sustainable food resources and cost reduction. Such improvements in yield are no exception in the field of cheese production. For example, for the purpose of improving the yield of the produced cheese, methods for producing cheese characterized by allowing enzymes such as transglutaminase (Patent Document 1) and transglutaminase and protease derived from filamentous fungi (Patent Document 2) to act during the cheese production process have been established. Further, in Patent Document 2, it is stated that cheese with high yield and excellent texture and flavor can be produced. 【0003】 On the other hand, from the perspective of convenience (such as storage stability and ease of quality control), processed cheese is widely consumed in today's market. In processed cheese, there is a problem that the stringiness during heating, which natural cheese has, is lost during processing. As methods for improving the stringiness during heating in processed cheese, methods such as adding a casein protein different from the casein protein derived from raw cheese and modified starch (Patent Document 3), adding a specific amount of casein salt, whey protein, and molten salt (Patent Document 4), and adding stabilizers such as guar gum, carrageenan, xanthan gum, and locust bean gum have been proposed. 【0004】 Also, in the industrial production of processed cheese, when slicing the cheese cooled after heating and stirring and processing it into the product size, a part of it adheres to the cutter. This adhesion not only results in loss (reduction in yield) but also causes cleaning work and directly leads to a deterioration in production efficiency. 【0005】 JP-A-8-173032 International Publication No. 2018 / 151197 JP-A-2023-16138 JP-A-2016-198077 JP-A-62-285755 【0006】The present invention aims to provide a processed cheese modifier composition, etc., for producing processed cheese with improved stringiness during heating and / or improved yield during manufacturing. 【0007】 As a result of diligent research into the above-mentioned problems, the present inventors have found that by adding an exo-type protease that does not have endo-type activity to the processed cheese manufacturing process, the adhesion of the resulting processed cheese to the shredder when it is cut is reduced, and the stringiness when the processed cheese is heated and melted is improved. Based on this finding, further research has led to the completion of the present invention. That is, the present invention is as follows. 【0008】[1] A composition for modifying processed cheese, comprising (A) an exo-type protease that does not have endo-type activity or (B) an endo-type protease that specifically cleaves three or fewer amino acid residues. [2] The composition according to [1], wherein (A) the exo-type protease that does not have endo-type activity or (B) the endo-type protease that specifically cleaves three or fewer amino acid residues is (A) an exo-type protease that does not have endo-type activity. [3] The composition according to [2], wherein (A) the exo-type protease that does not have endo-type activity is added to the processed cheese material such that the number of units of total protease activity measured by the casein-forin method per gram of protein in the entire processed cheese material is 40 U or less. [4] The composition according to any one of [1] to [3], further comprising a phospholipase. [5] The composition according to [4], wherein the phospholipase is phospholipase D. [6] The composition according to any one of [1] to [5] above, wherein the modification is to improve stringiness when heated and melted and / or yield during manufacturing. [7] The composition according to any one of [1] to [6] above, wherein in the process of manufacturing processed cheese, (A) an exo-type protease without endo-type activity (enzyme activity: leucine aminopeptidase activity) or (B) an endo-type protease that specifically cleaves three or fewer amino acid residues (enzyme activity: activity that specifically hydrolyzes three or fewer amino acid residues on the carboxyl side, the amino side, or both sides thereof) is added to the material of the processed cheese so that the number of units of enzyme activity per 100 g of the total weight of the material of the processed cheese is in the range of 0.0000001 U to 10,000 U. [8] A method for manufacturing processed cheese, comprising the step of adding (A) an exo-type protease without endo-type activity or (B) an endo-type protease that specifically cleaves three or fewer amino acid residues to the material of the processed cheese. [9] The method for producing (A) an exo-type protease that does not have endo-type activity or (B) an endo-type protease that specifically cleaves three or fewer amino acid residues, wherein (A) is an exo-type protease that does not have endo-type activity.

[10] The manufacturing method according to [9], wherein (A) an exo-type protease that does not have endo-type activity is added to the processed cheese material in an amount such that the number of units of total protease activity measured by the casein-forin method per gram of protein in the entire processed cheese material is 40 U or less.

[11] The manufacturing method according to any one of [8] to

[10] , further comprising the step of adding a phospholipase.

[12] The manufacturing method according to

[11] , wherein the phospholipase is phospholipase D.

[13] A method for producing processed cheese according to any one of [8] to

[12] above, wherein (A) an exo-type protease without endo-type activity (enzyme activity: leucine aminopeptidase activity) or (B) an endo-type protease that specifically cleaves three or fewer amino acid residues (enzyme activity: activity that specifically hydrolyzes three or fewer amino acid residues on the carboxyl side, the amino side, or both sides thereof) is added so that the number of units of enzyme activity per 100 g of the total weight of the processed cheese material is in the range of 0.0000001 U to 10,000 U.

[14] A method for improving the stringiness of processed cheese when heated and / or the yield of processed cheese when manufactured, comprising the step of adding (A) an exo-type protease without endo-type activity or (B) an endo-type protease that specifically cleaves three or fewer amino acid residues to the material of processed cheese.

[15] The method according to

[14] , wherein (A) an exo-type protease that does not have endo-type activity or (B) an endo-type protease that specifically cleaves three or fewer amino acid residues is (A) an exo-type protease that does not have endo-type activity.

[16] The method according to

[15] , wherein (A) an exo-type protease that does not have endo-type activity is added to the processed cheese material in an amount such that the number of units of total protease activity measured by the casein-forin method per gram of protein in the entire processed cheese material is 40 U or less.

[17] The method according to any one of

[14] to

[16] , further comprising the step of adding a phospholipase.

[18] The method according to

[17] , wherein the phospholipase is phospholipase D.

[19] The method according to any one of

[14] to

[18] above, wherein (A) an exo-type protease without endo-type activity (enzyme activity: leucine aminopeptidase activity) or (B) an endo-type protease that specifically cleaves three or fewer amino acid residues (enzyme activity: activity that specifically hydrolyzes three or fewer amino acid residues on the carboxyl side, the amino side, or both sides thereof) is added to the processed cheese material so that the number of units of enzyme activity per 100 g of the total weight of the processed cheese material is in the range of 0.0000001 U to 10,000 U. 【0009】 The present invention provides a processed cheese modifier composition, etc., for producing processed cheese with improved stringiness during heating and / or improved yield during manufacturing. 【0010】 1. Composition for modifying processed cheese The present invention provides a composition for modifying processed cheese (hereinafter also referred to as "the composition of the present invention") comprising (A) an exo-type protease that does not have endo-type activity or (B) an endo-type protease that specifically cleaves three or fewer amino acid residues. 【0011】 In this specification, an exo-type protease lacking endo-type activity (hereinafter also simply referred to as "exo-type protease") refers to a protease that has the activity to hydrolyze proteins or peptides by acting on the N-terminal amino acid to release the amino acid (hereinafter also referred to as "exo-type degradation activity" or simply "exo-type activity"), but lacks or substantially lacks the activity to hydrolyze peptide bonds within proteins or peptides down to amino acid units (hereinafter also simply referred to as "endo-type activity"). In other words, an exo-type protease is characterized by having sufficiently large exo-type activity and sufficiently small endo-type activity relative to its exo-type activity. In this specification, "exo-type protease" and "endo-type activity" are collectively referred to as "total protease activity." 【0012】The exo-protease used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is an exo-protease that can be used in food. As the exo-protease, plant-derived exo-protease, microorganism-derived exo-protease, animal-derived exo-protease, etc., may be used, and exo-protease prepared by genetic recombination may also be used. The exo-protease used in this specification may be a commercially available product. Specific examples include Sumizyme TDR (obtained from Shin Nippon Chemical Industries, Ltd.), Sumizyme FLAP-G (Shin Nippon Chemical Industries, Ltd.), XPP-002 (Nagase & Co., Ltd.), etc. 【0013】 In this specification, the exo-type activity of an exo-type protease is measured and defined as leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) activity as follows: LAP activity is determined by reacting the enzyme with L-leucyl-p-nitroanilide hydrochloride as a substrate and colorimetrically quantifying the resulting p-nitroaniline (pNA). More specifically, 0.1 mL of enzyme solution is mixed with 4 mL of substrate solution containing L-leucyl-p-nitroanilide hydrochloride and reacted at 40°C for 5 minutes. After the reaction is stopped, the absorbance at a wavelength of 405 nm is measured to determine the amount of pNA produced. The amount of enzyme that produces 1 μmol of pNA per minute using L-leucyl-p-nitroanilide hydrochloride as a substrate is defined as 1 U (unit). 【0014】On the other hand, in this specification, the endo-type activity of an exo-type protease is measured and defined as total protease activity (overall protease activity) by the casein-forin (CFA) method as follows: Using casein as a substrate, 1 mL of enzyme solution is mixed with 5 mL of a pH 6.0 substrate solution containing casein, and the mixture is reacted at 30°C for 10 minutes. After stopping the reaction, the precipitate is filtered off, and phenol is added to a solution adjusted to basicity to produce a color. The absorbance of the colored solution at a wavelength of 660 nm is measured to determine the amount of tyrosine produced. The amount of enzyme that produces 1 μg of tyrosine per minute using casein as a substrate is defined as 1 U. Note that the tyrosine targeted for quantification by the CFA method is produced when the endo-type activity and exo-type activity of the protease work in concert to decompose the protein down to amino acid units. Decomposition by endo-type activity is essential for the production of tyrosine. Therefore, in this specification, the amount of endo-type activity possessed by an exo-type protease and the total number of protease active units are substantially synonymous. 【0015】In this specification, an endo-protease that specifically cleaves three or fewer amino acid residues (hereinafter also simply referred to as "endo-protease that cleaves three or fewer amino acid residues") refers to a protease that has the activity to hydrolyze peptide bonds inside a protein or peptide, and that specifically hydrolyzes (cleaves) three or fewer amino acid residues on the carboxyl side, the amino side, or both sides thereof. The endo-protease that cleaves three or fewer amino acid residues used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is an endo-protease that cleaves three or fewer amino acid residues and is suitable for use in food. As the endo-protease that cleaves three or fewer amino acid residues, you can use plant-derived endo-proteases that cleave three or fewer amino acid residues, microorganism-derived endo-proteases that cleave three or fewer amino acid residues, animal-derived endo-proteases that cleave three or fewer amino acid residues, etc., or you can use an endo-protease that cleaves three or fewer amino acid residues prepared by genetic modification. Endo-type proteases that cleave three or fewer amino acids may be commercially available products. Specific examples include Formea ​​TL 1200 BG (Novonesis) and Formea ​​CTL 300 BG (Novonesis). Formea ​​TL 1200 BG has endo-type trypsin-like activity that specifically hydrolyzes the carboxyl groups of lysine and arginine residues, and its greatest feature is that it does not contain contaminating enzymes and does not degrade amino acids other than its target residues. Formea ​​CTL 300 BG, on the other hand, is a product that primarily contains chymotrypsin (an endo-type protease that specifically hydrolyzes the carboxyl groups of three types of residues: tryptophan, histidine, and tyrosine) but does not contain contaminating activity. 【0016】In this specification, the endo-type activity of a endo-type protease that cleaves three or fewer proteins (hereinafter also referred to as "endo-type activity of three or fewer proteins") is measured and defined as follows. Specifically, the protease activity is determined by reacting the enzyme with acetyl-L-arginyl-p-nitroanilide as a substrate at pH 8.0 and colorimetrically quantifying the produced para-nitroaniline (pNA). More specifically, 2 g or less of enzyme powder is mixed with 20 mL of a substrate solution containing acetyl-L-arginyl-p-nitroanilide and reacted at 37°C for 5 minutes and 20 seconds. After the reaction is complete, the absorbance at a wavelength of 405 nm is measured to determine the amount of pNA produced. The amount of enzyme that produces 1 μmol of pNA per minute with acetyl-L-arginyl-p-nitroanilide as a substrate is defined as 1 U. Note that the substrate and pH in the above activity measurement can be appropriately modified according to the sequence specificity and optimal pH of the target endo-type protease that cleaves three or fewer proteins. For example, in the case of an endo-protease that specifically cleaves three or fewer phenylalanine residues, the pH can be set to 9.0 and the substrate can be N-succinyl-L-alanyl-L-alanyl-L-prolyl-L-phenylalanyl-p-nitroanilide. 【0017】 Furthermore, there are no particular limitations on the content of exo-type protease or endo-type protease that cleaves three or fewer types in the composition of the present invention. However, it is preferable that the amount is such that the number of units of exo-type activity (exo-type protease) or endo-type activity (endo-type protease that cleaves three or fewer types) per gram of the composition of the present invention is in the range of 0.0001 U to 5,000 U, more preferably in the range of 0.001 U to 3,000 U, even more preferably in the range of 0.01 U to 1,000 U, and still more preferably in the range of 0.05 U to 500 U. 【0018】 In this specification, "processed cheese" refers to products that fall under the definition of processed cheese in Article 2, paragraph 19 of the Order Concerning Standards for Ingredients of Milk and Dairy Products (natural cheese that has been crushed, heated and melted, and emulsified), and products equivalent thereto. 【0019】In this specification, natural cheese refers to cheeses that fall under the definition of natural cheese in Article 2, Paragraph 18 of the Order Concerning Standards for Ingredients of Milk and Dairy Products (Item 1: Curd obtained by coagulating almost all or some of the protein in milk, buttermilk (meaning the part other than the fat granules produced when making butter), cream, or a mixture thereof with enzymes or other coagulants, from which a portion of the whey has been removed, or cheeses that have been aged; and Item 2: In addition to those listed in the preceding item, cheeses made from milk, etc., using manufacturing techniques that include the coagulation of protein, and having the same chemical, physical, and sensory characteristics as those listed in the same item) and similar cheeses. More specifically, examples of natural cheeses include cheddar cheese, Gouda cheese, Colby cheese, Comté cheese, raclette cheese, cream cheese, Edam cheese, Emmental cheese, Parmesan cheese, Camembert cheese, blue cheese, quark cheese, etc., with cheddar cheese, Gouda cheese, and Colby cheese being preferred, and cheddar cheese being more preferred. 【0020】 In this specification, "processed cheese modification" means improving the stringiness of processed cheese when heated and / or improving the yield during the production of processed cheese. Stringiness can be evaluated by the tensile energy after heating and melting the processed cheese, as shown in the test examples described later. Yield can be evaluated by the degree of adhesion to the shredder when the processed cheese is cut with a shredder, as shown in the test examples described later. 【0021】 The composition of the present invention may further contain a phospholipase. 【0022】The phospholipase used in this invention is an enzyme that hydrolyzes phospholipids into fatty acids and other lipophilic substances, and is classified into four types, phospholipase A, B, C, and D, depending on the site of hydrolysis. The phospholipase used in this invention is not particularly limited as long as it is a phospholipase that can be used in food. Examples of phospholipases include plant-derived phospholipases, microorganism-derived phospholipases, animal-derived phospholipases, etc., and genetically modified phospholipases can also be used. The phospholipase used in this invention may be a commercially available product. 【0023】 In the present invention, phospholipase D (hereinafter also referred to as "PLD") is preferred as the phospholipase used. PLD is an enzyme that hydrolyzes phospholipids at the phosphate ester bond to produce phosphatidic acid and alcohol, and is not particularly limited as long as it is a PLD that can be used in food. Examples of PLD include plant-derived PLD, such as cabbage-derived PLD, microbial-derived PLD, such as PLD produced by actinomycetes belonging to the genus Streptomyces, and animal-derived PLD. Genetically modified PLD can also be used. The PLD used in the present invention may be a commercially available product. Specific examples include a PLD derived from the genus Streptomyces, commercially available from Nagase & Co., Ltd. under the trade name "Denateam PMD-P1," and a PLD derived from Kitasatospora paracochleata (formerly Actinomadura sp.), commercially available from Meito Sangyo Co., Ltd. under the trade name "Phospholipase D." 【0024】The enzyme activity of phospholipases in this specification can be determined by known measurement methods. For example, in this specification, the enzyme activity of PLD (PLD activity) is measured and defined as follows: 0.1 mL of enzyme solution is mixed with 0.2 mL of substrate solution containing phosphatidylcholine and reacted at 37°C for 30 minutes. After stopping the reaction, 50 μL of the reaction solution is added to 1 mL of a color-developing solution containing choline oxidase, peroxidase, etc., and reacted for 5 minutes. After stopping the reaction, the amount of dye produced from choline is measured. The amount of enzyme that releases 1 μmol of choline per minute using phosphatidylcholine as a substrate is defined as 1 U. 【0025】 When the composition of the present invention contains phospholipase, the amount of phospholipase in the composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, but it is preferably in an amount such that the number of units per gram of the composition of the present invention is in the range of 0.001 U to 50,000 U, more preferably in an amount such that it is in the range of 0.01 U to 45,000 U, even more preferably in an amount such that it is in the range of 0.1 U to 42,000 U, and even more preferably in an amount such that it is in the range of 50 U to 40,000 U. 【0026】 The composition of the present invention may contain other components besides exo-type proteases, three or fewer cleavage endo-type proteases, and phospholipases, as long as they do not impair the effects of the present invention. 【0027】 Other ingredients that are commonly used in processed cheese can be used as appropriate, and there are no particular restrictions on their content, but it is preferable that the total amount be 90% by weight or less, more preferably 70% by weight or less, and even more preferably 50% by weight or less. 【0028】 Specific forms of the composition of the present invention include solid form (tablets, granules, powders, etc.), paste form, liquid form, suspension form, emulsion liquid form, etc., but a solid form is preferred, and a powder form is more preferred. 【0029】 Next, a method for producing the composition of the present invention will be described. 【0030】The compositions of the present invention can be produced by adding phospholipase and / or the other components mentioned above as needed to an exo-type protease or three or fewer cleavage endo-type proteases, and mixing them as is, or by other production methods common in the food industry. The order in which these components are added is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate depending on the intended use. 【0031】 By adding the composition of the present invention to the raw materials of processed cheese, the stringiness of the processed cheese during heating is improved and / or the yield during the production of the processed cheese is improved. 【0032】 In this specification, the ingredients of processed cheese refer to the raw materials for processed cheese (for example, the natural cheese mentioned above, and optionally water, molten salt, emulsifier, etc.), and intermediate compositions made before reaching the final processed cheese. 【0033】 The molten salt is not particularly limited as long as it produces polyvalent anions, and typically phosphates, citrates, etc., are used. More specifically, sodium tripolyphosphate (Taihei Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) is used. 【0034】 When adding the composition of the present invention to the processed cheese material described above, the amount of the composition of the present invention added is not particularly limited as long as the desired effects of the present invention are obtained. Typically, the amount is such that the weight of the exo-type protease or the endo-type protease that cleaves three or fewer types relative to the total weight of the processed cheese material is in the range of 0.000001% to 1% by weight, more preferably in the range of 0.000003% to 0.8% by weight, even more preferably in the range of 0.00001% to 0.5% by weight, even more preferably in the range of 0.00003% to 0.3% by weight, and particularly preferably in the range of 0.0001% to 0.1% by weight. The composition of the present invention may also contain both the exo-type protease and the endo-type protease that cleaves three or fewer types. In the case of containing both, the amount of the composition of the present invention added can be appropriately adjusted so as to obtain substantially the same effect as when each is added to the processed cheese material in the above amounts. 【0035】 When adding the composition of the present invention to the processed cheese material described above, the amount of the composition of the present invention added is not particularly limited as long as the desired effect of the present invention is obtained. If the composition of the present invention contains an exo-type protease, the amount is usually such that the number of exo-type activity units per 100 g of the total weight of the processed cheese material is in the range of 0.0000001 U to 10,000 U, preferably in the range of 0.000001 U to 5,000 U, more preferably in the range of 0.00001 U to 1,000 U, even more preferably in the range of 0.0001 U to 500 U, and particularly preferably in the range of 0.05 U to 0.5 U. Furthermore, in one embodiment, when adding the composition of the present invention to the processed cheese material described above, the amount of the composition of the present invention added is usually such that, if the composition of the present invention contains an exo-type protease, the number of exo-type activity units per gram of protein in the entire processed cheese material is in the range of 0.001 U to 100 U. In this case, the amount of the composition of the present invention added is preferably such that the number of total protease activity units per gram of protein, as measured by the CFA method, is 40 U or less, more preferably 20 U or less, and even more preferably 10 U or less. 【0036】When adding the composition of the present invention to the processed cheese material described above, the amount of the composition of the present invention to be added is, if the composition of the present invention contains three or fewer cleavage endo-type proteases, usually an amount such that the number of units of three or fewer endo-type activity per 100g of the total weight of the processed cheese material is in the range of 0.0000001U to 10,000U, preferably in the range of 0.000001 to 5,000U, more preferably in the range of 0.00001 to 3,000U, even more preferably in the range of 0.0001 to 2,000U, even more preferably in the range of 0.001 to 1,000U, and particularly preferably in the range of 0.1 to 500U. Furthermore, in one embodiment, when adding the composition of the present invention to the processed cheese material described above, the amount of the composition of the present invention added is usually such that the number of units of three or fewer endo-type proteases per gram of protein in the entire processed cheese material is in the range of 0.000000005 U to 1,000 U, and more preferably in the range of 0.0001 to 100 U. In this case, the amount of the composition of the present invention added is preferably such that the number of units of total protease activity per gram of protein, as measured by the CFA method, is 8,000 U or less, more preferably 1,000 U or less, and even more preferably 200 U or less. 【0037】 Conventional methods for measuring the amount of protein in processed cheese include the combustion method and the Kjeldahl method. Furthermore, the composition of the present invention may contain both exo-type proteases and three or fewer cleavage endo-type proteases. When both are included, the amount of the composition of the present invention added can be appropriately adjusted so as to obtain an effect substantially similar to that obtained when each is added to the processed cheese material in an amount corresponding to the above-mentioned range of units. 【0038】In one embodiment, when adding the composition of the present invention containing phospholipase to the processed cheese material described above, the amount of composition of the present invention added is usually such that the number of units of phospholipase enzymatic activity per gram of protein in the entire processed cheese material is in the range of 0.01 U to 8,000 U. 【0039】 2. Method for producing processed cheese and method for improving stringiness during heating of processed cheese and / or yield during the production of said processed cheese The present invention also provides a method for producing processed cheese (hereinafter also referred to as "the method of the present invention") and a method for improving stringiness during heating of said processed cheese and / or yield during the production of said processed cheese (hereinafter also referred to as "the method of the present invention"), which includes the step of adding (A) an exo-type protease that does not have endo-type activity or (B) an endo-type protease that specifically cleaves three or fewer amino acid residues to the raw material of the processed cheese. 【0040】 The "exo-type protease without endo-type activity," the "endo-type protease that specifically cleaves three or fewer amino acid residues," "processed cheese," "material for processed cheese," "stringiness when processed cheese is heated," and "yield when processed cheese is manufactured" are as described above for the composition of the present invention. 【0041】 The amount of exo-type protease or endo-type protease with three or fewer cleavage types added to the processed cheese material is not particularly limited as long as the desired effects of the present invention are obtained. Typically, it is 0.000001% to 1% by weight relative to the total weight of the processed cheese material, more preferably 0.000003% to 0.8% by weight, even more preferably 0.00001% to 0.5% by weight, even more preferably 0.00003% to 0.3% by weight, and particularly preferably 0.0001% to 0.1% by weight. The composition of the present invention may also contain both exo-type protease and endo-type protease with three or fewer cleavage types. In the case of containing both, the amount of the composition of the present invention added can be appropriately adjusted so as to obtain substantially the same effects as when each is added to the processed cheese material in the above amounts. 【0042】 The amount of exo-type protease added to the processed cheese material is not particularly limited as long as the desired effects of the present invention are obtained. Typically, the amount is such that the number of exo-type activity units per 100g of total weight of the processed cheese material is in the range of 0.0000001U to 10,000U, preferably in the range of 0.000001U to 5,000U, more preferably in the range of 0.00001U to 1,000U, even more preferably in the range of 0.0001U to 500U, and particularly preferably in the range of 0.05U to 0.5U. In one embodiment, the amount of exo-type protease added to the processed cheese material is typically such that the number of exo-type activity units per 1g of protein in the total processed cheese material is in the range of 0.001U to 100U. Furthermore, the amount of exo-type protease added to the processed cheese material is preferably such that the number of total protease activity units per gram of protein, as measured by the CFA method, is 40 U or less, more preferably 20 U or less, and even more preferably 10 U or less. 【0043】The addition amount of the endo-type protease with three or less cleavage ends to the raw material of processed cheese is not particularly limited as long as the desired effects of the present invention can be obtained. Usually, the number of units of the endo-type activity with three or less types per 100 g of the total weight of the raw material of the processed cheese is in the range of 0.0000001 U to 10,000 U, preferably in the range of 0.000001 to 5,000 U, more preferably in the range of 0.00001 to 3,000 U, still more preferably in the range of 0.0001 to 2,000 U, even more preferably in the range of 0.001 to 1,000 U, and particularly preferably in the range of 0.1 to 500 U. In one aspect, the addition amount of the endo-type protease with three or less cleavage ends to the raw material of processed cheese is usually such that the number of units of the endo-type activity with three or less types per 1 g of protein in the total raw material of the processed cheese is in the range of 0.000000005 U to 1,000 U, and more preferably in the range of 0.0001 to 100 U. Also, the addition amount of the endo-type protease with three or less cleavage ends to the raw material of processed cheese is preferably such that the number of units of the total protease activity measured by the CFA method per 1 g of the protein is 8,000 U or less, more preferably 1,000 U or less, and still more preferably 200 U or less. 【0044】 In the production method and method of the present invention, both exo-type protease and endo-type protease with three or less cleavage ends can be added. When both are added, the addition amounts of the exo-type protease and the endo-type protease with three or less cleavage ends can be appropriately adjusted so that substantially the same effects can be obtained as when each is added in an amount within the above range of units. 【0045】 In the production method and method of the present invention, phospholipase may be further added. "Phospholipase" is as described above for the composition of the present invention. 【0046】When the production method of the present invention and the method include the step of adding phospholipase, the amount of phospholipase added to the raw material of processed cheese is not particularly limited, but usually, the number of units of phospholipase enzyme activity per 100 g of the total weight of the raw material of the processed cheese is in the range of 0.000001 to 100,000 U, preferably in the range of 0.00001 to 50,000 U, more preferably in the range of 0.0001 to 20,000, still more preferably in the range of 0.001 to 15,000 U, even more preferably in the range of 0.01 to 10,000 U, and particularly preferably in the range of 0.1 to 8,000 U. 【0047】 In one aspect, when the production method of the present invention and the method include the step of adding phospholipase, the amount of phospholipase added to the raw material of processed cheese is usually such that the number of units of phospholipase enzyme activity per 1 g of protein in the total raw material of the processed cheese is in the range of 0.01 U to 8,000 U. 【0048】 In the production method of the present invention and the method of the present invention, components other than exo-type protease, three or less types of cleavage end-type protease and phospholipase may be added as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired. As other components, those generally used in the formulation of processed cheese can be appropriately used. Other components can be added one kind or two or more kinds as necessary. 【0049】 The production method of the present invention and the method of the present invention can be implemented, for example, as follows. 【0050】The manufacturing method and method of the present invention can be carried out by appropriately adding enzymes (exo-type proteases or three or fewer cleavage endo-type proteases, and optionally phospholipases) and optionally other components mentioned above to the raw materials of processed cheese (for example, the natural cheese described above, and optionally water, molten salt, emulsifiers, etc.) or intermediate compositions before reaching the final processed cheese, mixing them as is, and heating and stirring, or by other manufacturing methods common in the field of processed cheese. The order in which these components are added is not particularly limited and can be appropriately set according to the intended use. 【0051】 More specifically, the manufacturing method and the method of the present invention can be carried out, for example, as follows. 【0052】 To the natural cheese, 0% to 50% by weight, preferably 5% to 30% by weight of water, 0.01% to 5% by weight, preferably 0.1% to 3% by weight of molten salt, and enzymes are added to obtain a raw material mixture, and then the obtained raw material mixture is heated and stirred. For the heating and stirring operation, it is preferable to use a mixer equipped with a heating function, for example, a Thermomix (TM21 (VORWERK)) can be used. More specifically, for example, the raw material mixture is heated and stirred for 1 to 10 minutes, preferably 5 minutes, to raise the temperature to between 50°C and 70°C, preferably 60°C. After raising the temperature, it is preferable, but not essential, to let it stand at the same temperature for about 0 to 20 minutes, preferably 0 to 10 minutes, without stirring, as this promotes the enzymatic reaction. Furthermore, it is most preferable to add the enzymes before starting the heating and stirring, but they can be added at any timing as long as it is before the heat sterilization step described later. Next, the raw material mixture is heated and stirred to a temperature between 80°C and 100°C, preferably 90°C, to sterilize it by heat. Then, the melted cheese that has been sterilized by heat is cooled and solidified in a suitable container to obtain processed cheese. The heating time, heating temperature, etc., can be adjusted as needed. 【0053】The manufacturing method and method of the present invention yield processed cheese with improved stringiness during heating and / or improved yield during manufacturing. Stringiness can be evaluated by the tensile energy after heating and melting of the processed cheese, as shown in the test examples described later. Yield can be evaluated by the degree of adhesion to the shredder when the processed cheese is cut with a shredder, as shown in the test examples described later. 【0054】 Next, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited in any way by these examples. 【0055】 In the examples, unless otherwise specified in each example, the following raw materials and enzymes were used.・Cheddar cheese: "Red Cheddar Shredded Cheese" (Sanyu Co., Ltd.) ・Sodium tripolyphosphate: "Sodium tripolyphosphate" (Taihei Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) ・Exo-type protease 1: "Sumizyme TDR" (obtained from Shin Nippon Chemical Industries, Ltd.) (LAP activity 15 U / g, total protease activity 880 U / g measured by CFA method) ・Exo-type protease 2: "Sumizyme FLAP-G" (Shin Nippon Chemical Industries, Ltd.) (LAP activity 1,000 U / g, total protease activity 10 U / g or less measured by CFA method) ・Exo-type protease 3: "Peptidase XPP-002" (Nagase & Co., Ltd.) (LAP activity 1,100 U / g, total protease activity 10 U / g or less measured by CFA method) ・Endo-type protease that cleaves 3 or fewer types: "Formea ​​TL 1200 BG (Novonesis) (Endo-type activity of 3 types or less: 1,200 U / g, total protease activity measured by CFA method: 360,000 U / g) • Phospholipase D: "Denazyme PMD-P1" (Nagase & Co., Ltd.) 【0056】Examples 1-5 and Comparative Example 2 (Preparation of Processed Cheese) Each ingredient, or each ingredient and each enzyme, was placed in a container according to the mixing ratios shown in Table 1 (the amount of each enzyme was calculated from the amount of protein indicated on the product), and mixed using a heating and stirring device "Thermomix TM21" (VORWERK), stirring at speed 2 for 1 minute. Next, the temperature was raised to 60°C over 5 minutes while stirring at speed 0.5, and then left to stand for 10 minutes. Then, the temperature was further raised to 90°C over 5 minutes while stirring at speed 0.5. The resulting mixture was filled into a container and cooled overnight at 4°C to solidify, thereby obtaining each processed cheese. 【0057】 【0058】 Test Example 1 (Evaluation of Shredding Suitability) Each processed cheese obtained in Examples 1 to 5 was cut into a 2 x 2 x 6 cm rectangular parallelepiped, yielding approximately 40 g of cheese pieces. Each cheese piece was shredded using a food shredder (Professional Salad Shooter (PRESTO)), and the weight of the cheese adhering to the shredder (A) and the weight of the shredded cheese (B) were determined. The cheese adhesion rate was calculated as a percentage of A / (A+B) x 100. Next, the cheese adhesion improvement rate was calculated as a percentage of (D-C) / D x 100 from the cheese adhesion rate of each processed cheese obtained in Examples 1 to 5 (C) and the cheese adhesion rate of the processed cheese obtained in Comparative Example 2 (D). A higher adhesion improvement rate indicates a cheese with superior shredding suitability. 【0059】Test Example 2 (Evaluation of Stringiness During Heating) For each processed cheese obtained in Examples 1-5 and Comparative Example 2, as well as unprocessed cheddar cheese (Comparative Example 1), 20g of pre-shredded cheese was weighed out and heated in a 1,800W microwave oven for 10 seconds to approximately 85°C to melt it. The melted cheese was placed in a texture analyzer (TA.XTplusC (Stable Micro Systems)) and a jig (P / CR (Stable Micro Systems)) was submerged to a height of 1 cm below the liquid surface. Next, the jig was raised at a speed of 2 cm / second, and the tensile energy required to raise the jig 10 cm was measured. The greater the tensile energy, the better the stringiness of the cheese is considered to be. 【0060】 The results are shown in Table 1. 【0061】 As shown in Table 1, in the processed cheese produced by adding exo-type proteases (Examples 1, 2, and 4) or three or fewer endo-type cutting proteases (Example 3) to cheddar cheese, the tensile energy was greater than that of cheddar cheese, and the stringiness during heating was improved, or rather, it was considered to have improved. Furthermore, in the processed cheese produced by adding exo-type proteases and PLD to cheddar cheese (Example 5), the tensile energy was even greater, and the stringiness during heating was considered to have improved even further. In addition, in each of the processed cheeses obtained in Examples 1 to 5, the cheese adhesion rate when cut in a shredder was reduced, and it is considered that the shredding suitability, i.e., the yield, was also improved. 【0062】 The present invention provides a processed cheese modifier composition, etc., for producing processed cheese with improved stringiness during heating and / or improved yield during manufacturing. Therefore, the present invention is useful in the food industry. 【0063】 This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-215966 (filing date: December 10, 2024), the contents of which are fully incorporated herein.

Claims

1. A composition for modifying processed cheese, comprising (A) an exo-type protease that does not have endo-type activity, or (B) an endo-type protease that specifically cleaves three or fewer amino acid residues.

2. The composition according to claim 1, wherein (A) an exo-type protease that does not have endo-type activity or (B) an endo-type protease that specifically cleaves three or fewer amino acid residues is (A) an exo-type protease that does not have endo-type activity.

3. The composition according to claim 2, wherein (A) an exo-type protease that does not have endo-type activity is added to the processed cheese material such that the number of units of total protease activity measured by the casein-forin method per gram of protein in the entire processed cheese material is 40 U or less.

4. The composition according to claim 1, further comprising a phospholipase.

5. The composition according to claim 4, wherein the phospholipase is phospholipase D.

6. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the modification is to improve stringiness and / or yield when heated and melted.

7. The composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein in the process of manufacturing processed cheese, (A) an exo-type protease without endo-type activity (enzyme activity: leucine aminopeptidase activity) or (B) an endo-type protease that specifically cleaves three or fewer amino acid residues (enzyme activity: activity that specifically hydrolyzes three or fewer amino acid residues on the carboxyl side, the amino side, or both sides thereof) is added to the processed cheese material so that the number of units of enzyme activity per 100 g of the total weight of the processed cheese material is in the range of 0.0000001 U to 10,000 U.

8. A method for producing processed cheese, comprising the step of adding (A) an exo-type protease that does not have endo-type activity or (B) an endo-type protease that specifically cleaves three or fewer amino acid residues to the raw material of the processed cheese.

9. The method for producing (A) an exo-type protease that does not have endo-type activity or (B) an endo-type protease that specifically cleaves three or fewer amino acid residues, wherein (A) is an exo-type protease that does not have endo-type activity.

10. The manufacturing method according to claim 9, wherein (A) an exo-type protease that does not have endo-type activity is added to the processed cheese material in an amount such that the number of units of total protease activity measured by the casein-forin method per gram of protein in the entire processed cheese material is 40 U or less.

11. The manufacturing method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of adding phospholipase.

12. The manufacturing method according to claim 11, wherein the phospholipase is phospholipase D.

13. A manufacturing method according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein (A) an exo-type protease without endo-type activity (enzyme activity: leucine aminopeptidase activity) or (B) an endo-type protease that specifically cleaves three or fewer amino acid residues (enzyme activity: activity that specifically hydrolyzes three or fewer amino acid residues on the carboxyl side, the amino side, or both sides thereof) is added so that the number of units of enzyme activity per 100 g of the total weight of the processed cheese material is in the range of 0.0000001 U to 10,000 U.

14. A method for improving the stringiness of processed cheese when heated and / or the yield of processed cheese when manufactured, comprising the step of adding (A) an exo-type protease that does not have endo-type activity or (B) an endo-type protease that specifically cleaves three or fewer amino acid residues to the raw material of processed cheese.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein (A) an exo-type protease that does not have endo-type activity or (B) an endo-type protease that specifically cleaves three or fewer amino acid residues is (A) an exo-type protease that does not have endo-type activity.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein (A) an exo-type protease that does not have endo-type activity is added to the processed cheese material in an amount such that the number of units of total protease activity measured by the casein-forin method per gram of protein in the entire processed cheese material is 40 U or less.

17. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of adding phospholipase.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the phospholipase is phospholipase D.

19. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein (A) an exo-type protease without endo-type activity (enzyme activity: leucine aminopeptidase activity) or (B) an endo-type protease that specifically cleaves three or fewer amino acid residues (enzyme activity: activity that specifically hydrolyzes three or fewer amino acid residues on the carboxyl side, the amino side, or both sides thereof) is added to the processed cheese material so that the number of units of enzyme activity per 100 g of the total weight of the processed cheese material is in the range of 0.0000001 U to 10,000 U.

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