JP7000877B2 - Manufacturing method of foods containing amino acids - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for producing a food containing an amino acid, and more particularly to a method suitable for producing a food containing a high concentration of hydrophobic amino acids that are difficult to dissolve in water.

Amino acids are important nutrients that make up proteins. In recent years, as various functions of amino acids have been clarified, foods containing amino acids have been put on the market, and nutritional supplementation during physical fatigue, illness, post-illness, loss of appetite, etc. It is preferably ingested for the purpose of supplementing the energy consumed by exercise.
In particular, since branched-chain amino acids are effective in improving muscle pain caused by muscle damage and inflammation and muscle fatigue associated with protein consumption, amino acid-containing foods that can be easily ingested during and after exercise. Amino acid-containing beverages, and jelly-like foods containing amino acids have been provided because they are difficult to swallow and easy to ingest, and have a unique texture with a smooth throat.
It contains a high concentration of amino acids so that it can be easily taken during or immediately after exercise, and it is possible to take an amount of amino acids that is effective in preventing, improving, and improving exercise performance of muscle pain and fatigue. It is required to be a food that is light and convenient to carry.

However, in the case of hydrophobic amino acids such as branched-chain amino acids, the solubility in water is low, and high-concentration amino acids cannot be sufficiently dissolved by means such as heating or high shearing, and crystal precipitation or precipitation occurs. There was a problem that it caused generation and significantly impaired the product value. Further, when the amino acid is contained in a high concentration, there is a problem that it foams when stirred with a high shearing force, which makes production difficult.
In order to solve this problem, a production method has been proposed in which amino acids are dissolved in warm water having a pH adjusted to 3.0 to 6.0, and then other raw materials such as thickening polysaccharides and sweeteners are added (the production method). Patent Document 1).
In Patent Document 1, the effect of the above-mentioned production method has been confirmed only in the case of a jelly-like beverage containing 1.5% by weight of an amino acid mixture, and a higher concentration of hydrophobic amino acids such as branched-chain amino acids has been confirmed. It cannot be said that this method can be applied to the foods contained in the above without any problem.
Therefore, it is desired to develop a method for producing a food having good product stability by containing a high concentration of hydrophobic amino acids and suppressing the precipitation of crystals and the formation of precipitates.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-000145

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a food product having excellent product stability by suppressing precipitation of amino acid crystals and formation of precipitates while containing amino acids, particularly hydrophobic amino acids at a high concentration. And said.

As a result of diligent studies to solve the above problems, the present inventors have improved the solubility of amino acids by adding and dissolving amino acids to a solution having a pH of less than 3, and foods containing high concentrations of amino acids. We have found that it can be easily produced in a short time, and have completed the present invention.

That is, the present invention relates to the following.
[1] A method for producing a food containing an amino acid, which comprises a step of adding and dissolving the amino acid in a solution having a pH of less than 3.
[2] The production method according to [1], wherein the pH of the solution is 2 or more and less than 3.
[3] The production method according to [1] or [2], wherein the solution is a solution containing an acidulant.
[4] The production method according to [3], wherein the acidulant is citric acid.
[5] The production method according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the pH of the food containing the amino acid is 3.6 or more and 4 or less.
[6] The production method according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the pH of the food containing the amino acid is 3.8 or more and 4 or less.
[7] The production method according to any one of [1] to [6], which contains one or more hydrophobic amino acids as amino acids.
[8] The production method according to any one of [1] to [6], which contains at least one branched-chain amino acid as an amino acid.
[9] The production method according to any one of [1] to [6], which contains one or more essential amino acids as amino acids.
[10] The production method according to any one of [1] to [9], which contains arginine as an amino acid.
[11] The production method according to any one of [1] to [10], which contains at least one selected from the group consisting of glutamine, alanine and proline as an amino acid.
[12] The production method according to any one of [1] to [11], wherein the amino acid content of the food containing amino acids is 4% by weight or more.
[13] The production method according to any one of [1] to [12], wherein the food containing an amino acid is a jelly-like food.
[14] The production method according to [13], wherein the jelly-like food is a jelly beverage.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY According to the present invention, a food containing a high concentration of amino acids can be easily produced in a short time.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is suitably used for producing foods containing a high concentration of hydrophobic amino acids including branched-chain amino acids, particularly jelly-like foods.
The food product produced according to the present invention exhibits good product stability by suppressing the precipitation of amino acid crystals and the formation of precipitates over time, and suppressing changes in the state such as a decrease in viscosity.

The present invention provides a method for producing a food containing an amino acid (hereinafter, also referred to as "the method of the present invention" in the present specification).
In the present invention, the "food containing amino acids" refers to foods containing amino acids in a dissolved state, and refers to liquid to semi-solid foods such as beverages and jelly-like foods. Here, the "jelly-like food" refers to a food that contains a large amount of water and exhibits a gel state that is in a uniformly dispersed state, and includes jelly confectionery, jelly beverages, and the like.
The method of the present invention is suitably used for producing jelly-like foods, particularly jelly beverages. Here, the "jelly beverage" refers to a jelly-like beverage formed by using a gelling agent such as gelatin, agar, or konjac alone or in combination of a plurality of types.

In the present invention, the amino acid contained in the food is not particularly limited as long as it is an edible amino acid, and a neutral amino acid having an alkyl group (glycine, alanine, valine, leucine, isoleucine) and an amino acid having a hydroxy group (glycine, alanine, valine, leucine, isoleucine). Serine, treonine), sulfur-containing amino acids (methionine, cysteine), amino acids with amide groups (asparagin, glutamine), amino acids with imino groups (proline), amino acids with aromatic groups (phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan), Amino acids that make up proteins such as acidic amino acids (aspartic acid, glutamic acid) and basic amino acids (arginine, lysine, histidine), and amino acids that do not make up proteins such as cystine, hydroxyproline, hydroxylysine, ornithine, citrulin, and γ-aminobutyric acid. And so on.

For the purpose of recovery from muscle fatigue after exercise, it is preferable to contain branched chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine and valine) as amino acids, and from the viewpoint of more effective recovery from muscle fatigue, essential amino acids (leucine). , Isoleucine, valine, tryptophan, methionine, threonine, histidine, phenylalanine and lysine) are more preferred.
Branched-chain amino acids or essential amino acids can contain one or more of them, respectively, but for the purpose of more effective recovery from muscle fatigue, all types of branched-chain amino acids or all types of essential amino acids may be used. It is preferable to include it.
When all kinds of branched chain amino acids are contained, the composition thereof is 1 to 5: 0.5 to 2: 1 in terms of weight ratio of leucine, isoleucine and valine (leucine: isoleucine: valine). It is preferable to add it, and it is more preferable to add it so as to have a ratio of 1 to 4: 0.5 to 1.5: 1.
When all kinds of essential amino acids are contained, the composition thereof is leucine: 10 to 50, isoleucine: 5 to 20, valine: 5 to 20, tryptophan: as the molar ratio (%) to the total content of essential amino acids. It is preferably 0.1 to 2, methionine: 2 to 10, threonine: 7 to 14, histidine: 0.1 to 6, phenylalanine: 0.1 to 8, and lysine: 3 to 20.

In addition, among the non-essential amino acids, arginine, which is involved in the secretion of growth hormone essential for muscle strengthening and repair of muscle damage, tends to be deficient due to strenuous exercise, suppresses the decrease in immunity, promotes muscle synthesis and suppresses decomposition. Glutamine having an action, alanine and proline, which are glycogenic amino acids and are involved in the production of sugar as an energy source, can also be suitably contained.

As the amino acid, any of L-form, D-form and DL-form can be used, but L-form and DL-form are preferable, and L-form is more preferable.
Moreover, the above-mentioned amino acid can be used not only in the form of a free form but also in the form of a salt. In the present specification, each amino acid such as "leucine" and the terms "amino acid", "branched chain amino acid", "essential amino acid" and "non-essential amino acid" are concepts including salts. Examples of the salt form include acid addition salts, salts with bases, and the like, and it is preferable to select a pharmacologically acceptable salt.

Specific examples of the salt of the amino acid include an inorganic base, an organic base, an inorganic acid, a salt with an organic acid, a salt with an amino acid, and the like.
Examples of the salt with an inorganic base include salts with alkali metals such as lithium, sodium and potassium, salts with alkaline earth metals such as magnesium and calcium, and ammonium salts.
Examples of the salt with an organic base include salts with alkanolamines such as monoethanolamine, diethanolamine and triethanolamine, and salts with heterocyclic amines such as morpholine and piperidine.
Examples of the salt with the inorganic acid include salts with hydrohalogen acid (hydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid, hydroiodide, etc.), sulfuric acid, nitric acid, phosphoric acid, and the like.
Examples of the salt with the organic acid include salts with monocarboxylic acids such as formic acid, acetic acid and propanoic acid; salts with saturated dicarboxylic acids such as oxalic acid, malonic acid, malic acid and succinic acid; maleic acid and fumaric acid. Salts with unsaturated dicarboxylic acids such as; salts with tricarboxylic acids such as citric acid; salts with ketoic acids such as α-ketoglutaric acid and the like.
Salts with amino acids include salts with aliphatic amino acids such as glycine and alanin; salts with aromatic amino acids such as phenylalanine; salts with basic amino acids such as lysine; salts with acidic amino acids such as aspartic acid and glutamic acid. Examples thereof include salts with amino acids forming lactam such as pyroglutamic acid.

For the purpose of improving muscle fatigue and the like, free substances, sodium salts and hydrochlorides are preferably used as the amino acids.

In the present invention, the amino acids in the form of free form and salt are either those extracted and purified from naturally occurring animals and plants, or those obtained by a chemical synthesis method, a fermentation method, an enzymatic method, a gene recombination method, or the like. However, commercially available products provided by each company may be used.

The method of the present invention is suitably used for producing foods containing high concentrations of amino acids, for example, the concentration of all amino acids is 3.5% by weight or more, preferably 4% by weight or more, more preferably 6% by weight or more. , More preferably used in the production of 8% by weight or more of food.
On the other hand, from the viewpoint of amino acid solubility, product stability and the like, the concentration of all amino acids in the food produced by the method of the present invention is usually 20% by weight or less.
The method of the present invention is particularly advantageous for producing foods containing high concentrations of hydrophobic amino acids having low solubility in water.
Examples of such hydrophobic amino acids include aliphatic amino acids such as alanine, leucine, isoleucine and valine; aromatic amino acids such as tryptophan, phenylalanine, tyrosine and histidine; methionine; proline and the like.

As described above, it is preferable to contain branched chain amino acids as amino acids for the purpose of recovering from muscle fatigue.
The method of the present invention is also suitable for producing foods containing a high concentration of branched chain amino acids. The method of the present invention is used, for example, for producing foods having a branched chain amino acid concentration of 2.5% by weight or more, preferably 3% by weight or more, more preferably 4% by weight or more.
On the other hand, from the viewpoint of solubility of branched-chain amino acids, product stability, etc., the concentration of branched-chain amino acids in the food produced by the method of the present invention is usually 10% by weight or less.

In the present invention, when an amino acid contained in the form of a salt is present among the amino acids contained in food, the content of the above-mentioned amino acid is calculated by the content converted into a free form for the amino acid. Will be done.

The method of the present invention comprises the step of adding and dissolving an amino acid in a solution having a pH of less than 3.

In the method of the present invention, the pH of the solution is preferably 2.5 or less, more preferably 2.2 or less.
On the other hand, in consideration of the strength of edible acids and acidulants that can be used in the production of foods, the pH of the solution is usually 2 or more in the method of the present invention.

In the method of the present invention, the pH of the solution is measured at 20 ° C. by a conventional glass electrode method.

In the present invention, the above solution can be prepared by adding an edible acid or an acidulant to water and dissolving it, and preferably by using an acidulant.

In the method of the present invention, as water, purified water such as distilled water, ion-exchanged water, tap water, and other water suitable for food production are used.

In the present invention, the acidulant can be used as a food additive and can be used without particular limitation as long as it can lower the pH to a target value. For example, an inorganic acid such as phosphoric acid can be used. Includes organic acids such as citric acid, gluconic acid, succinic acid, acetic acid, tartrate acid, lactic acid, fumaric acid, and malic acid.
The acidulant may be used alone or in combination of two or more.
From the viewpoint of pH lowering ability and influence on food quality, citric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, phosphoric acid, acetic acid and the like are preferable, and citric acid is more preferably used.

In the present invention, the above-mentioned amino acids are added to the solution prepared as described above and having a pH of less than 3 so that the final concentration becomes the above-mentioned concentration, and the solution is dissolved.
The temperature of the solution for dissolving the amino acid is not particularly limited, but it is preferably heated or heated, and more preferably 60 ° C to 90 ° C.
Further, in order to dissolve amino acids more efficiently, it is preferable to stir with a stirrer. Stirring is preferably performed at a stirring speed of about 30 rpm to 6,000 rpm for about 3 to 30 minutes.
Since foaming may occur when amino acids are added and stirred, it is preferable to add a defoaming agent such as a silicone-based defoaming agent in this step.

The pH of the amino acid-containing food prepared by the method of the present invention is usually 3.0 or higher, preferably 3.6 or higher, and more preferably 3.8 or higher.
When the pH of a food containing amino acids falls below 3.0, it affects the functions of food additives such as gelling agents, thickeners, and sweeteners that can be contained in the food, resulting in a decrease in viscosity and presentation over time. Changes in the condition of food such as changes in taste may be seen.

In the present invention, when the amino acids contained in the food contain basic amino acids such as arginine, lysine, and histidine, the basic amino acids raise the pH of the food containing the amino acids, and thus finally. The pH of the food can be 3.0 or higher as described above. When the pH of the food becomes 3.0 or more due to the basic amino acids contained in the amino acids, the addition of the basic additives described later does not have a possibility of affecting the taste of the foods, which is preferable.
As described above, arginine is involved in the secretion of growth hormone, which is indispensable for strengthening muscles and repairing muscle damage. Therefore, it is preferable that arginine is contained as an amino acid contained in foods.
Considering the effect on the secretion of growth hormone and the effect of raising the pH of foods containing amino acids, the content of arginine is preferably 1% by weight to 5% by weight based on the total amount of foods. It is more preferably 5% by weight to 2.5% by weight.

When the pH of the food containing the amino acid does not finally reach the desired pH described above, a basic additive such as a basic pH adjuster can be added.
Examples of the basic pH adjuster include trisodium citrate, calcium acetate, sodium malate and the like.
As the basic additive, one kind or two or more kinds can be used.

In the amino acid-containing food, the pH of the amino acid-containing food is preferably 4 or less from the viewpoint of suppressing the growth of microorganisms.

The final pH of the amino acid-containing food produced by the method of the present invention is measured at 20 ° C. by a conventional glass electrode method.

In the method of the present invention, when a jelly-like food is produced as a food containing an amino acid, the amino acid is added and dissolved, and then a gelling agent is added and dissolved.
In the method of the present invention, since the final pH of the food containing amino acids is 3.0 or more, the influence on the function of the gelling agent is small as described above, and the decrease in viscosity of the food over time is suppressed. Will be done.

The gelling agent can be used without particular limitation as long as it has gelling ability, is edible and can be used as a food additive, and for example, it contains a protein such as gelatin as a main component. Gelling agents: Plant polysaccharides such as agar, guar gum, gellan gum, locust bean gum, pectin, glucomannan, carrageenan and the like, and agar, locust bean gum, xanthan gum and the like are preferably used.
In the present invention, one type of gelling agent may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination.
The content of the gelling agent with respect to the total amount of the jelly-like food varies depending on the type of the gelling agent used, the form of the jelly-like food to be produced, and the like, but in the case of a jelly beverage, for example, it is usually 0.2% by weight to 2% by weight. It is% by weight, preferably 0.5% by weight to 0.8% by weight.

The temperature at which the gelling agent is added and dissolved is not particularly limited, but it is preferably heated or heated, and more preferably 80 ° C to 90 ° C.
Further, in order to efficiently dissolve the gelling agent, it is preferable to stir with a stirrer. Stirring is preferably performed at a stirring speed of about 30 rpm to 6,000 rpm for about 3 to 30 minutes.

When foods contain additives such as nutritional components other than amino acids and food additives other than acidulants and gelling agents, they are usually added after adding and dissolving amino acids in the method of the present invention. It is dissolved.

Nutritional components other than amino acids include fats such as vegetable fats and oils (soybean oil, etc.) and animal fats and oils (egg yolk lecithin, etc.); ), Aldohexose (glucose, mannose, galactose, etc.), ketotetroth (elittlerose, etc.), ketopentose (ribrose, etc.), ketohexose (fructose, etc.), oligosaccharides (for example, disaccharides (scrose, maltose, lactose, trehalose, etc.)) , Trisaccharides (rafinose, maltotriose, etc.), polysaccharides (dextran, dextrin, starch, glycogen, etc.); Vitamin A (retinol, retinal, retinoic acid, etc.), Vitamin B group (vitamin B ₁ (vitamin B 1) Thiamine), Vitamin B ₂ (riboflavin), Vitamin B ₆ (pyridoxal, pyridoxamine, pyridoxin), Vitamin B ₁₂ (cyanocobalamine, hydroxocobalamine), niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, folic acid, etc.), Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), vitamins Vitamin such as D (ergocalciferol, cholecalciferol), vitamin E (tocopherol, tocotrienol), vitamin K (phylloquinone, menaquinone); minerals such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, sulfur, chlorine, zinc, etc. Can be mentioned.

Additives other than the above include fruit juice (citrus juice such as orange and grapefruit, apple juice, grape juice, etc.), coffee, cocoa, tea (green tea, tea, Chinese tea, roasted tea, wheat tea, etc.), milk, soy milk, etc. Can be mentioned.

Food additives other than acidulants and gelling agents include thickening stabilizers (xanthan gum, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, etc.), emulsifiers (glycerin fatty acid ester, sucrose fatty acid ester, saponin, lecithin, etc.), preservatives (benzoic acid, etc.). Sodium benzoate, sorbic acid, potassium sorbate, ε-polylysine, etc.), antioxidants (ascorbic acid, erythorbic acid, catechin, etc.), sweeteners (aspartame, acesulfame potassium, kanzo extract, etc.), bitterness (caffeine, etc.) , Naringin, Nigayomogi extract, etc.), Seasoning (salt, sodium L-glutamate, etc.), Coloring agent (Anato pigment, Ukon pigment, Kuchinashi pigment, etc.), Fragrance (Synthetic fragrance such as ethyl acetoacetate, Anisaldehyde, Orange, Natural fragrances such as lavender) and the like.

As the additive component such as the above nutritional component and the food additive, one kind or two or more kinds can be used as needed.
Additives having low heat stability such as water-soluble vitamins, fruit juices, and flavors are preferably added and dissolved at a temperature of 60 ° C. to 75 ° C. or lower after the gelling agent is added and dissolved.

In the method of the present invention, since the final pH of the food containing amino acids is 3.0 or more, the influence of acid denaturation on the above-mentioned nutritional components and other additive components and food additives is suppressed.

The method of the present invention may include a sterilization step, a filling step, and the like, in addition to the step of adding and dissolving the amino acid to the above-mentioned solution having a pH of less than 3.
When the pH of a food containing an amino acid is 4 or less, hot pack filling (hot filling) in which the food is sterilized at a high temperature and filled at the same temperature can be adopted.
Filling can be performed using a plastic bottle such as polyethylene terephthalate, a glass bottle, a glass bottle, a pouch container made of an aluminum laminated film, or the like, depending on the form of the food.
In particular, when the jelly-like food is provided as a jelly beverage, it is preferably filled in a pouch container or a glass bottle with a plastic spout.

According to the method of the present invention, high-concentration amino acids can be easily dissolved in a short time, precipitation of amino acid crystals over time and formation of precipitates are suppressed, and the viscosity is lowered over time. Amino acid-containing foods with good product stability can be provided by suppressing changes.
Therefore, according to the method of the present invention, it is possible to provide a jelly-like food or the like suitable for quickly replenishing an amount of amino acids necessary for preventing or improving muscle fatigue and damage caused by exercise during or immediately after exercise. can.

The present invention also provides a food containing a high concentration of amino acids and in which the precipitation and precipitation of amino acid crystals over time are suppressed (hereinafter, also referred to as "food of the present invention" in the present invention).
The food product of the present invention has a total amino acid content of preferably 4% by weight or more, more preferably 6% by weight or more, still more preferably 8% by weight or more.
Further, the food product of the present invention preferably contains a branched chain amino acid, and the content of the branched chain amino acid is preferably 3% by weight or more, more preferably 4% by weight or more.
The amino acids contained in the food of the present invention are as described above.
The food product of the present invention contains an acidulant, preferably 3.6 or more and 4 or less, more preferably 3.8 or more and 4 or less, together with amino acids. The acidulant contained in the food product of the present invention is as described above.
The pH of the food product of the present invention is measured at 20 ° C. by a normal glass electrode method.
Furthermore, the food of the present invention may contain nutritional components other than amino acids, general food additives. These nutritional components and food additives are also as described above.

The food product of the present invention preferably further contains a gelling agent and is provided as a jelly-like food product. The jelly-like food is preferably provided as a jelly beverage.

In the food of the present invention, the amino acids are completely dissolved and contained, and exhibit a good appearance.
In particular, when the food product of the present invention is provided as a jelly-like food product, a jelly-like food product having a transparent appearance is obtained, and the food product exhibits good storage stability, and amino acid crystals precipitate or precipitate over time. Production and decrease in viscosity over time are suppressed.
The jelly-like food is convenient to carry and is suitable for quickly replenishing the amount of amino acids necessary for preventing and improving muscle fatigue and damage caused by exercise during and immediately after exercise.

Further, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Examples.

[Example 1] Production of jelly beverage A jelly beverage having the composition shown in Table 1 was produced as follows. As the raw materials of (1) to (11) shown in Table 1, products commercially available for food use were used.
[1] (12) was heated to 80 ° C. to 90 ° C., and (11) and (8) were added and dissolved with stirring (500 rpm) to prepare a solution having a pH of 2.2.
[2] (1) to (3) were added, and the amino acids were completely dissolved with stirring (1,000 rpm). The pH of the amino acid solution obtained in this step was 3.6.
[3] (4) and (5) were added, stirred (1,000 rpm), mixed and dissolved, and (6), (7) and (9) were further added and dissolved.
[4] While stirring the above solution (1,000 rpm), (10) was added and dissolved at 60 ° C to 75 ° C, and the total amount was adjusted to 100% by weight in (12).
[5] After filtering the above solution, it was sterilized at 93 ° C. ± 3 ° C. and filled in a pouch container with a spout to obtain a jelly beverage.

The produced jelly beverage showed a yellow gel-like appearance, and the pH was measured and found to be 3.77 at 20 ° C.
The product stability of the jelly beverage produced in Example 1 was evaluated when it was stored at 24 ° C. for 1 year. As a result, no precipitation of crystals or formation of precipitates was observed, and no decomposition or deterioration of amino acids contained in the beverage was observed. In addition, the taste, aroma, and texture of the beverage were only slightly changed.

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, a food containing a high concentration of amino acids can be easily produced in a short time.
According to the production method of the present invention, the precipitation of amino acid crystals and the formation of precipitates over time are suppressed, and changes in the state such as a decrease in viscosity of the food over time are also suppressed, so that the food has good product stability. Can be provided.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be particularly preferably used as a method for producing a jelly-like food suitable for rapidly replenishing a required amount of amino acids during or immediately after exercise.

Claims (11)

A step of adding and dissolving amino acids to a solution containing an acidulant and having a pH of 2 or more and less than 3 so that the total amino acid content in food is 4% by weight or more and 20% by weight or less . A method for producing a food containing an amino acid. The production method according to claim 1 , wherein the acidulant is citric acid. The production method according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the pH of the food containing the amino acid is 3.6 or more and 4 or less. The production method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the pH of the food containing an amino acid is 3.8 or more and 4 or less. The production method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , which contains at least one hydrophobic amino acid as an amino acid. The production method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , which contains at least one branched-chain amino acid as an amino acid. The production method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , which contains at least one essential amino acid as an amino acid. The production method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , which contains arginine as an amino acid. The production method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , which contains at least one selected from the group consisting of glutamine, alanine and proline as an amino acid. The production method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , wherein the food containing an amino acid is a jelly-like food. The production method according to claim 10, wherein the jelly -like food is a jelly beverage.