JP3179865B2 - Instant pasta and method for producing the same - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to instant pasta which can be eaten simply by pouring water or hot water and a method for producing the same. This pasta is particularly excellent in restoring power upon addition of water and has high instantaneous properties, and is useful in the field of instant foods.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Freeze-dried food is a drying method that does not require excessive heat, so there is no change in the flavor or color of the food.
Moreover, since it is porous, it can be quickly restored with water or hot water, and it is an excellent food with many advantages, such as being lightweight, convenient to carry, and excellent in storability. Instant foods, which are applied to many foods, particularly freeze-dried cooked foods, have been widely used with the simplification of eating habits.

[0003] Freeze-dried instant food is thus hot-air dried,
It is a processed food that is much more resilient than instant food prepared by other drying means such as frying but is not suitable for instant processing by drying depending on the material used. One of them is pasta. The technology for improvising Chinese noodles and udon noodles is already well known and has achieved good resilience, but at present it has not been successful with pastas. The reason is that gluten network in wheat flour is formed by pressure extrusion in pasta, so the direction of the network is relatively random and the structure is dense and strong (usually degassed). At one point. That is, the unique smooth mouthfeel and chewy texture of pasta is caused by the above-mentioned dense and firm tissue. It is technically extremely difficult to satisfy both at the same time because the characteristics to be achieved are essentially contradictory characteristics. If the texture of the pasta is to be maintained, the reversibility during hydration is inferior. On the other hand, if the resilience during the hydration is to be improved, the specific texture is impaired.

[0004] As a method for freeze-drying noodles having excellent resilience, for example, a method of increasing the yield of noodles, that is, increasing the water content of the noodles and freeze-drying them is known.
In order to increase the yield, a method of producing multi-hydrated noodles, a method of extending the boiling time of the noodles, a method of immersing the noodles in water or hot water after the boiling treatment, and the like can be mentioned. All aim at increasing the water content in the noodles and freeze-drying them to make the noodles tissue more porous.

[0005] However, if measures are taken to extend the boiling time of pasta, it is necessary to simmer for a long time in order to restore it in a short time. In this case, the resulting freeze-dried product loses its shape or has elasticity like pasta. Sex is completely lost.
On the other hand, if the boil time is shortened so as not to lose the pasta quality, restoration will be insufficient or it will take too much time,
There is a problem that instantaneousness cannot be obtained.

In the case of udon and the like, a method of producing large ice crystals by slow freezing and making the crystals more porous (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-240)
Further, a method is known in which boiled noodles are immersed in a dilute saline solution for a short time, frozen at 0 to 5 ° C. for 3 hours or more, and then freeze-dried (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-157350). However, although they can be applied to udon, they have little effect on pasta covered with wheat gluten network.

[0007] In order to improve the resilience of freeze-dried pasta, egg white, yam and the like are added to flour and molded.
There is a method of shortening the drying time and the restoring time by performing a specific surface treatment after boiling in a saline solution (Japanese Patent Publication No. 56-39616). However, this method is a special pasta different from conventional pastas, and causes a significant complication of the process.

[0008] Methods for improving the physical properties of noodles by enzymatic treatment have been studied so far, but the purpose is to suppress the hardening phenomenon during storage of raw noodles and the aging of starch. It is not intended to enhance the resilience of the freeze-dried product, and the enzyme is present in the noodles as an additive, which is different from the process treatment with the enzyme (Japan Food Science 29 (6), 35). -41,199
0).

[0009] There is also known a method in which an enzyme is attached to the surface of bulk potatoes or the like to prevent aging of starch under chilled storage (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-133355). In addition, the purpose is not related to the instantaneousness and the resilience upon addition.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned situation of the prior art, and has been described. It is an object of the present invention to obtain freeze-dried pasta which does not collapse and has a good texture.

[0011]

The present invention for achieving the above object is a freeze-dried product of pre-gelatinized pasta, which is characterized by being subjected to an enzyme solution immersion treatment before the freeze-drying treatment. Instant pasta with improved water resilience. The present invention also relates to a method for producing the instant pasta, wherein the pre-gelatinized pasta is immersed in an enzyme solution, and then freeze-dried, wherein the instant pasta has an improved resilience during water addition. Production method. To describe the present invention more clearly, it is a freeze-dried product of pre-gelatinized pasta, which has been subjected to an immersion treatment using an enzyme solution containing a protease or amylase in addition to the protease before the freeze-drying treatment. Instant pasta with improved resilience during hydration. The present invention also relates to a method for producing the instant pasta, wherein the pre-gelatinized pasta is immersed in an enzyme solution containing a protease or an amylase in addition thereto, and then freeze-dried. This is a method for producing instant pasta with improved resilience during hydration.

[0012] Compared with udon, pasta has a stronger gluten network structure and a dense starchy structure contained in the structure, so that simply adjusting the boiling time does not provide the desired resilience. . That is, as mentioned above, boiling too much will cause the dish to collapse and spoil the form of the pasta. On the other hand, if it is short, it takes a long time to restore, and instantaneousness cannot be obtained.

According to the present invention, by restoring a part of the gluten network structure and / or a part of the starchy tissue with an enzyme, the restorability of the pasta is greatly improved while maintaining the texture unique to the pasta. Becomes possible. There is no loss in flavor. In the instant pasta of the present invention, when the hot water is added, the eating state is restored within one minute at most. The freeze-drying of a simply boiled product is extremely excellent in resilience as compared with 5 minutes or more, and sometimes 10 minutes or more.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail.

First, "pasta", which is the subject of the present invention, is also called macaroni, and water is added to semolina or ordinary flour of durum wheat or farina or ordinary flour of strong wheat, to which eggs, Kneaded with or without added vegetables, extruded at high pressure from a macaroni molding machine, cut, and if necessary, aged and dried. In addition, those to which nutrients such as vitamins are added as needed are also included. In terms of shape, macaroni molded into a tube or the like, spaghetti molded into a rod having a diameter of 1.2 mm or more, vermicelli molded into a rod having a diameter less than 1.2 mm, noodles molded into a band, and the like are included. You. Further, in the present invention, "immediate pasta" refers to the above-mentioned pasta being boiled, steamed, etc., and then pre-gelatinized, freeze-dried and dried while maintaining the pre-gelatinized state of the component starch, and seasonings and condiments. And the like, with or without the addition of water or hot water, which can be easily consumed for food.

If instantaneousness is emphasized, the thickness of the pasta should be relatively thin, but if it is too thin, a good texture cannot be obtained. Therefore, the thickness of the pasta is usually about 0.09 to 3 mm. It can be said that.

In the present invention, first, pasta is converted into α.
The means for the pregelatinization treatment can be employed without any particular limitation, such as a boiling treatment and a steaming treatment. The pasta before the gelatinization treatment may be dried, semi-dried, or raw. In normal boiling treatment, it is preferable to boil until the water absorption yield becomes about 350 to 450%.
The water absorption yield is based on the weight of the pasta as a dry matter, and is expressed as a percentage of the weight immediately after draining after boiling. Water absorption yield of pasta at the time of eating is 300
Since it is about 350%, the water absorption yield at the time of the pregelatinization treatment is larger than this, and it is preferable to perform the treatment under the condition that the water is slightly over-boiled. This is based on the finding that the larger the water content of pasta, the easier it becomes to become porous by drying. However, if the water absorption yield exceeds 450%, starch is eluted from the surface of the pasta, causing rough skin, weakening the tissue, and lowering the elasticity after rehydration. Preferably 400
% Or less. Further, in the present invention, the enzyme solution immersion treatment is performed before the freeze-drying treatment. However, a water absorption phenomenon also occurs during this immersion treatment, so it is necessary to take into account the increase in the water absorption yield during the enzyme solution immersion treatment.

[0018] On the other hand, it is possible to pregelatinize pasta in the same manner as in the case of boiling, even in the case of steaming or frying, but the yield of water absorption is not as high as in the case of boiling. As long as it is pre-gelatinized, it can be eaten,
There is little water absorption, so there is no boil and fat. Therefore, the pasta remains thin even after freeze-drying, water reversion is likely to be insufficient, and the resilience may be inferior. Therefore, the effects of the present invention can be obtained as long as the object is achieved.

After the pregelatinization treatment, the pastas are preferably cooled to about room temperature, and then subjected to an enzyme solution immersion treatment. Cooling is preferable because water cooling can be performed in a short time. By cooling, the shape retention of pasta after the gelatinization treatment can be secured.

The enzyme solution immersion treatment is a characteristic treatment of the present invention, and by this treatment, excellent restorability during water addition is obtained for the first time. Suitable enzymes are starch-degrading enzymes such as amylase and protease, and protein or peptide-degrading enzymes. These enzymes act on the strong gluten network structure, which is a characteristic of pasta, and the dense starchy tissue contained therein, and can relax the structure and tissue.

The protease or the amylase can be used alone or in combination. However, since the skeleton of the pasta tissue has a gluten network structure, the protease alone or the combination of the protease and the amylase is preferable to the use of the amylase alone. The enzyme is not particularly limited as long as it is a protease, but it is desirable that the enzyme has a high activity against plant proteins. In particular, papinases and the like that are effective for decomposing wheat proteins are preferred. The purity may be a crude enzyme. As the amylase, both α-amylase and β-amylase can be used regardless of their origin. The purity may be a crude enzyme. In any case, it is necessary that the decomposition product has a good flavor. For example, Aspergillu
An enzyme derived from S. oryzae is preferred.

In order to effectively utilize the action of these enzymes in order to improve the resilience of pasta, it is necessary to simply attach the enzyme to the surface of pregelatinized pasta,
The means used in the raw materials is not effective. It is necessary to have a means in which the gelatinized pasta is immersed in a solution.

When the protease and / or amylase is used, the concentration of the enzyme solution is preferably about 120 to 750 U / l. Here, when the protease acts on casein lactate at 37 ° C., the amount of the enzyme that causes an increase in the coloring substance of the non-protein folin test solution corresponding to 1 μg of tyrosine in the first minute of the reaction is measured. Expressed as digestive units, and amylase is defined as the amount of enzyme that produces an increase in reducing power equivalent to 1 mg of glucose in the first minute of the reaction when amylase acts on potato starch at 37 ° C. However, in the present invention, both are displayed in a common unit U for convenience. The activity of proteases that are normally available is 48000-62000 U /
g and amylase are about 8680 to 10600 U / g. Therefore, for convenience, the concentration may be simply expressed by weight, and the concentration of the enzyme solution is expressed by adding weight to about 2.5 to 12.0 ppm. Concentrations of protease and amylase were respectively 2.5 to 8.0 ppm for protease and 0.5 to 4.0 for amylase.
Pppm is good. The ratio of protease to amylase used is preferably protease: amylase = 3: 1 to 1: 0 in order to effectively relax a dense tissue consisting of gluten and starch of gelatinized pasta.

The effect is small when the enzyme concentration is low,
If the enzyme concentration is too high, the desired effect cannot be obtained. This is because the treatment with the enzyme is not a treatment of only the surface of the pasta, but the action of the enzyme solution permeating into the inside of the pasta during immersion is important. In other words, if the concentration is high, the enzyme treatment of the pasta surface or very surface layer can be performed,
The effect is so rapid that the surface is overworked before penetrating into the interior. Because the resilience after freeze-drying is not simply due to the surface phenomena of the pasta but to the degree of permeation of water into the inside, the enzyme treatment is carried out while maintaining the equilibrium between the surface of the pasta and the internal tissue relaxation This is very important. Therefore, the concentration of the enzyme solution is determined by the relationship with the degree of permeation of the enzyme solution into the pasta, in other words, the degree of water absorption of the pasta. The degree of liquid penetration is determined by the thickness and shape of the pasta, the temperature of the liquid, the immersion time, and the like. The pH of the enzyme solution may be within a range effective for the enzymatic reaction, and is preferably, for example, about 4 to 8.

The reaction may be carried out at an optimum temperature of the enzyme for a short time or at a low temperature for a long time. For example, the reaction may be carried out at 50 to 60 ° C. for about 45 to 90 minutes or the reaction may be carried out at 15 to 20 ° C. for 12 to 20 hours even with the same amount of enzyme.
Of course, processing may be performed under intermediate conditions. The higher the temperature, the more the reaction is activated and the reaction is completed in a short time, which is preferable in terms of efficiency.
On the other hand, a low temperature requires a long time. However, from the relationship between the enzyme concentration and the degree of penetration into the interior (degree of water absorption),
It is difficult to obtain a sufficient effect in less than 45 minutes irrespective of the enzyme concentration, etc., and in the time exceeding 20 hours, excessive relaxation of the tissue and collapse of the shape regardless of the enzyme concentration etc. Easy to occur. If the time is too long, the starch becomes beta. On the other hand, if the enzyme concentration is not sufficient, the effect is not sufficient regardless of the immersion time, etc.
When the enzyme concentration is large, excessive relaxation of the tissue and collapse of the shape are likely to occur regardless of the immersion time.

The enzyme solution may contain, in addition to the enzyme, if necessary, salt, sugar, various hydrophilic substances, and the like.
As a result, the conditions for the appropriate enzyme solution immersion treatment can be determined by the relationship among the four factors of the yield of the pasta, the enzyme solution temperature, the concentration, and the immersion time. If an empirical formula is required in the process control, it can be obtained by regression analysis using the immersion time as the objective variable and the others as dependent variables. The suitability condition may be set empirically from the relationship between the four factors. The Brix of the liquid may be taken as an index for setting conditions, for example, B at the end of the reaction.
An immersion treatment may be performed so that rix becomes 3.0 to 3.5. The amount of the enzyme solution used in the enzyme solution immersion treatment is not particularly limited as long as the pasta (boiled) is sufficiently immersed as a whole. From the viewpoint of the convenience of work and the like, the amount is preferably about 1.25 to 2 times the amount of pasta.

Next, after the enzyme solution immersion treatment, water removal is performed, and other ingredients which have been previously heat-treated, such as carrots, potatoes, onions, etc., are mixed with seasonings and the enzyme is deactivated by heating. , Filling a desired amount into a container of a predetermined shape,
Thereafter, a usual freeze-drying step is performed. The treatment conditions for enzyme inactivation vary depending on the type of enzyme used and the like, but usually may be about 90 ° C. The filling of the container is not necessary, and is appropriately performed according to the state of use.

The freeze-drying treatment can be performed based on a known technique. For example, the product temperature is frozen to about -20 to -25 ° C,
Under reduced pressure of about 0.01 to 1.0 Torr, if necessary,
Drying while heating to about 5 to 75 ° C. may be performed so that the water content is about 4 to 1%. Additional operations such as pre-freezing to improve shape retention and slowing freezing to increase the time elapsed during the maximum ice crystal formation temperature to increase ice crystal size and promote porosity. May be appropriately adopted.

The enzyme solution immersion treatment in the present invention is extremely important in relation to the freeze-drying treatment, and greatly contributes to quality improvement. For example, even if a plate subjected to an enzyme solution immersion treatment is served as a chilled product, the elasticity peculiar to pasta is impaired, and the pasta requirement is not satisfied.
In addition, if drying is performed by hot air drying or the like after the enzyme solution immersion treatment, shrinkage and densification during drying occur, and the structure relaxed by the enzyme solution does not contribute to restorability during cooking. In other words, if this is cooked by boiling, etc., the surface of pasta will become remarkably rough before eating, and part of the surface layer will lose its shape, and it will be eaten while maintaining the balance between the central part and the surface part. It becomes difficult to make it into a state. Therefore, by combining the enzyme solution immersion treatment with the freeze-drying treatment, instantaneousness and extremely good resilience can be imparted to the pasta.

[0030]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

Durum semolina (13% moisture) 10k
g, and 2.6 kg of water were dried, extruded, and dried in a conventional manner to obtain dried macaroni (9.9 kg) having a thickness of 1.2 mm. This was boiled in boiling water for a predetermined time to obtain a predetermined yield. After boiling this, drain it, and use tap water for 20
C. and cooled to an enzyme solution (49.5
1) was immersed for a predetermined time to carry out a treatment.

The enzymes used for the enzyme solution immersion treatment are amylase (0.015 g, activity 9640 U / g) and protease (0.045 g, activity 5500 U / g).

After the treatment, the macaroni is drained, and 23 g each is stored in an individual container (100 ml) together with 50 g of the sauce, frozen at -20 ° C and dried at 70 ° C under a vacuum of 0.01 to 1.0 Torr. Lyophilized macaroni having a water content of 4 to 0.5%. Table 1 shows the results. As is clear from the table, all of the examples in which the enzyme solution immersion treatment was performed showed good restorability and excellent instantaneousness. The resilience was measured by sensory evaluation 1 minute after 45 ml of reconstituted water (97 ° C.) was poured. Ten specialized panelists had smooth mouthfeel, elasticity like macaroni, and a core left in the center. Those that did not exist were rated good.

[0034]

[Table 1] * Sensory evaluation was performed one minute after pouring the reconstituted water (97 ° C).

The appropriate enzyme solution treatment conditions are determined based on the yield, reaction temperature, reaction time, and enzyme solution concentration. The above Examples 1 to 3 are carried out within the appropriate range. However, if any of the factors is excessive or insufficient, the effect of improving the restorability will be insufficient. Table 2 shows a reference example in which the processing conditions were set outside the appropriate range. Both of these are inadequate results, but these are not essential defects and can be clearly solved according to the common technical knowledge. For example, in Reference Example 1, the reaction time was too short due to excessive treatment, Good resilience can be obtained by lowering the temperature.
In Reference Example 2, it is sufficient to increase the reaction time, and in Reference Example 3, it is sufficient to increase the reaction temperature. Table 2 also shows comparative examples. This comparative example was treated under the same conditions as in the reference example except that the enzyme concentration was set to 0. As is clear from the results, the effect of the enzyme in each of the reference examples was significantly and better than that in the comparative example. This clearly shows the effect of the enzyme solution immersion treatment under the same conditions.

[0036]

[Table 2] * Sensory evaluation was performed one minute after pouring the reconstituted water (97 ° C).

Table 3 shows the values of the reaction liquid Brix at the end of the immersion liquid reaction under the above conditions. From this table, Bri
When x exceeds 3.5, the reaction proceeds too much, causing a shape collapse,
When Brix is less than 3.0, the reaction does not proceed, and the restoration takes a long time. On the other hand, when Brix is 3.0 to 3.5, it is understood that the eating state is restored within 1 minute.

[0038]

[Table 3] * 1 part by weight of boiled noodles (400% yield) is 1.25 reaction solution
When using parts by weight

[0039]

As described above, the enzyme solution immersion treatment according to the present invention enables instantization of pasta such as spaghetti and the like, and the present invention is a highly useful technique in the field of instant foods. Further, not only pasta but also products such as instant noodles and Chinese noodles can be improved by applying the present technology.

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-56-75073 (JP, A) JP-A-4-75564 (JP, A) JP-A-62-294054 (JP, A) JP-A-59-500398 (JP, A) , A) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A23L 1/16-1/162

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. A freeze-dried product of pre-gelatinized pasta, which has been subjected to an immersion treatment using an enzyme solution containing a protease before the freeze-drying treatment, and characterized in that it has a restoring power during water addition. Improved instant pasta. 2. The instant pasta according to claim 1, wherein the enzyme solution further contains amylase. 3. The enzyme solution has a concentration of 120 on an active basis.
The instant pasta according to claim 1, wherein the amount is from パ ス 750 U / l. 4. A method for producing instant pasta with improved resilience during hydration, comprising immersing the pre-gelatinized pasta in an enzyme solution containing a protease, followed by freeze-drying. 5. The method for producing instant pasta according to claim 4, wherein the enzyme solution further contains amylase. 6. The enzyme solution has a concentration of 120 on an active basis.
The method for producing instant pasta according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the amount is from 750 U / l to 6.