JP7545367B2 - Powdered brown algae - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to powdered brown algae.

Brown algae such as wakame and kombu are familiar ingredients for the Japanese people, and are used in a wide variety of processed foods, such as miso soup, vinegared dishes, salads, udon, soba, and tsukudani. Recently, research on the nutritional components contained in brown algae has progressed, and attention has been focused on the nutritional components abundant in brown algae, such as dietary fiber, which is involved in intestinal regulation and cholesterol-lowering effects, fucoidan, which contributes to improving immune function, and peptides that have the ability to lower blood pressure. On the other hand, brown algae have a unique shape, stickiness, and sea odor, so products that have been salted, dried, cut, powdered, etc. have been developed to make them easier to incorporate into a wide variety of processed foods. Powdered brown algae in particular has excellent storage and handling properties, and can be mixed with other powdered ingredients used in processed foods, so attempts are being made to use them in a wide range of applications.

However, powdered brown algae has the problem that the parts that come into contact with water rapidly absorb water and thicken due to the high water absorbency of the sodium alginate contained in the brown algae, making it difficult for the parts that do not come into contact with water to disperse in water, resulting in the formation of so-called lumps. The formation of lumps not only affects the manufacturing process of processed foods, but also affects the homogeneity of the powdered brown algae in processed foods and the water dispersibility of processed foods such as powdered drinks and powdered soups that are intended to be mixed with water, which may lead to a decrease in quality. Therefore, as consumer preferences become more diverse, technology related to powdered brown algae that is less likely to form lumps and has excellent water dispersibility is required in order to expand the range of applications of brown algae in processed foods.

Technologies relating to powdered brown algae include, for example, a powdered wakame food product (Patent Document 1) in which the food is washed with water to remove salt until the salt content is 5% or less, then dried and homogenized by passing through a 60-800 mesh screen, and pulverized to a diameter of about 20-140 microns; a wakame powder that contains wakame, an alkali metal salt, and sake lees (Patent Document 2); and a composite food product in which 10 parts of a water-soluble material powder that has the property of retaining moisture on its surface are mixed with 0.5 to 5 parts of a fine powder food with a smaller particle size than the water-soluble material powder, and the fine powder food is attached to the surface of the water-soluble material powder (Patent Document 3).

However, the technologies of Patent Documents 1 and 2 may improve the flavor of the powdered wakame, but are not expected to improve its water dispersibility. Furthermore, the technology of Patent Document 3 does not necessarily improve the water dispersibility of the powdered wakame, and there are concerns about the labor required to separately mix the water-soluble material and the impact on the flavor of the wakame. Therefore, there is a demand for a technology related to powdered brown algae that is more practical and has excellent water dispersibility.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-54670 JP 2010-110263 A JP 2003-259818 A

The present invention aims to provide powdered brown algae with excellent water dispersibility that can be easily dispersed in water while suppressing the generation of clumps when it comes into contact with water. Note that clumps refer to a clump-like form in which, when the powder is poured into water, the surface area that comes into contact with the water rapidly absorbs water and thickens, making the powder less likely to disperse in water.

As a result of intensive research into the above-mentioned problem, the inventors discovered that the above-mentioned problem could be solved by substituting the sodium contained in the brown algae with a polyvalent metal, thereby adjusting the polyvalent metal content and sodium content in the powdered brown algae to a predetermined amount, and developed the present invention based on this finding.

That is, the present invention provides
(1) Powdered brown algae, characterized in that the polyvalent metal content in the powdered brown algae is 2% by mass or more and the sodium content is 1.5% by mass or less;
(2) A method for producing powdered brown algae according to (1), comprising the steps of contacting brown algae with polyvalent metal ions, washing the brown algae that has been contacted with the polyvalent metal ions, and drying the washed brown algae.
(3) A food or drink containing the powdered brown algae according to (1).
It consists of:

The powdered brown algae of the present invention has excellent water dispersibility because the generation of splices when it comes into contact with water is suppressed. In addition, because the powdered brown algae of the present invention has excellent water dispersibility, the powdered brown algae can be uniformly contained in food and beverages, and the quality of food and beverages containing the powdered brown algae can be improved.

The brown algae used in the powdered brown algae of the present invention are not particularly limited, but examples thereof include wakame, konbu, mozuku, and akameku, among which wakame and konbu are preferred, with wakame being more preferred. Examples of wakame include wakame, hirome, and aowakame. Examples of konbu include makonbu, ri-siliconbu, and naga-kombu. There are no particular limitations on the parts of brown algae used as the raw material for the powdered brown algae of the present invention, but for example, in the case of wakame, examples include leaves, stems, and sprouts, among which leaves are preferred. There are no particular limitations on the place of origin of the brown algae used as the raw material for the powdered brown algae of the present invention, but examples include Japan, Korea, and China.

The brown algae used in the powdered brown algae of the present invention can be raw brown algae (original algae), raw boiled brown algae, or those that have been processed by refrigeration, freezing, salting, drying, cutting, etc., and among these, raw algae and those that have been cut are preferred. Examples of processed algae include salted wakame, boiled salted wakame, dried wakame, cut wakame, boiled salted kelp, dried kelp, cut kelp, etc.

Boiled wakame and boiled kombu can be obtained, for example, by boiling the raw seaweed in heated seawater, and boiled salted wakame or boiled salted kombu can be obtained by adding salt to the raw seaweed and dehydrating it. Dried wakame and dried kombu can be obtained, for example, by washing boiled salted wakame or boiled salted kombu with water, subjecting it to a desalting process, and then subjecting it to a drying process known per se.

The size of the brown algae used in the powdered brown algae of the present invention is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of increasing the contact area with the polyvalent metal ions described below, it is preferably 50 mm or less in both length and width, and more preferably 20 mm or less in both length and width. The shape of the brown algae used in the powdered brown algae of the present invention is not particularly limited, and may be polygonal, irregular, powdery, etc. In the present invention, only one type of brown algae can be used, or any two or more types can be used in combination.

The powdered brown algae of the present invention contains polyvalent metals in an amount of 2% by mass or more, preferably 4% by mass or more, more preferably 5% by mass or more, and even more preferably 6% by mass or more. Examples of polyvalent metals include metals that generate divalent to trivalent metal ions, and specifically, metals of Group 2 elements such as calcium and magnesium, preferably calcium.

The powdered brown algae of the present invention contains sodium in the powdered brown algae of 1.5% by mass or less, preferably 1% by mass or less, more preferably 0.4% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.1% by mass or less.

The mass ratio of polyvalent metal to sodium (polyvalent metal/sodium) contained in the powdered brown algae of the present invention is preferably 7 or more, more preferably 12 or more, and even more preferably 25 or more. The mass ratio of calcium to sodium (calcium/sodium) contained in the powdered brown algae of the present invention is preferably 5 or more, more preferably 10 or more, and even more preferably 20 or more.

The polyvalent metal content and sodium content contained in the powdered brown algae of the present invention can be measured, for example, by adding nitric acid to the powdered brown algae of the present invention, wet-decomposing the algae using a microwave sample pretreatment device (model: ETHOS TC; manufactured by Milestone General), and then using an ICP optical emission analyzer (model: VISTA-MPX; manufactured by VARIAN). When measuring the content of these elements contained in the powdered brown algae, if other ingredients such as food materials are mixed or attached to the powdered brown algae, these can be removed by washing or the like before measurement.

The moisture content of the powdered brown algae of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 10% by mass or less, and more preferably 5% by mass or less. The moisture content can be measured, for example, by a normal pressure heat drying method (105°C, drying for 3 to 5 hours).

There are no particular limitations on the particle size of the powdered brown algae of the present invention, so long as it is in powder form, but for example, a size that passes through a sieve with a mesh size of 0.5 mm is preferred, a size that passes through a sieve with a mesh size of 0.3 mm is more preferred, and a size that passes through a sieve with a mesh size of 0.2 mm is even more preferred.

The powdered brown algae of the present invention can be produced by at least the steps of contacting the brown algae with polyvalent metal ions, washing the brown algae that has been contacted with the polyvalent metal ions, and drying the washed brown algae.

The polyvalent metal ions used in the step of contacting brown algae with polyvalent metal ions include, for example, divalent to trivalent metal ions, of which ions of group 2 elements are preferred, calcium ions and magnesium ions are more preferred, and calcium ions are even more preferred. The polyvalent metal ion source that generates the polyvalent metal ions is not particularly limited as long as it can be used in food products from the viewpoint of safety and hygiene and dissolves in a solvent such as water, and examples of the polyvalent metal salts include calcium salts and magnesium salts. Examples of calcium salts include calcium acetate, calcium lactate, calcium nitrate, calcium dihydrogen phosphate, calcium gluconate, calcium chloride, and hydrates thereof. Examples of magnesium salts include magnesium sulfate, magnesium chloride, and hydrates thereof. Among these polyvalent metal ion sources, calcium chloride, hydrates of calcium chloride, calcium acetate, hydrates of calcium acetate, magnesium chloride, and hydrates of magnesium chloride are preferred, and calcium chloride, hydrates of calcium chloride, calcium acetate, and hydrates of calcium acetate are more preferred. In the present invention, the polyvalent metal ion and the polyvalent metal ion source can be used alone or in combination of any two or more kinds.

The step of contacting brown algae with polyvalent metal ions, which is one of the steps in the method for producing powdered brown algae of the present invention, is not particularly limited as long as it is a method that can replace sodium in the brown algae with calcium, but examples of the method include a method in which brown algae are placed in a solution in which a polyvalent metal ion source is dissolved in a solvent such as water and immersed, a method in which a polyvalent metal ion source is added to a mixture of brown algae and a solvent such as water and immersed, a method in which a solution in which a polyvalent metal ion source is dissolved in a solvent such as water is passed through a container filled with brown algae and immersed, and a method in which a polyvalent metal ion source is directly added to brown algae with a high water content such as raw algae. When performing the above-mentioned methods, operations such as shaking, stirring, and mixing may be performed.
In the present invention, it is preferable to contact the brown algae with polyvalent metal ions multiple times by contacting the brown algae with polyvalent metal ions, removing the solution containing the polyvalent metal ions by filtration, dehydration, etc., and then further contacting the brown algae with polyvalent metal ions.

When polyvalent metal ions are contacted with brown algae through a solvent such as water, the polyvalent metal ion concentration in the solution of the polyvalent metal ion source and the solvent such as water is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.05 mass% or more, more preferably 0.1 mass% or more, and even more preferably 0.3 mass% or more. The mass ratio of the polyvalent metal ions to the brown algae (polyvalent metal ions/brown algae) when the polyvalent metal ions are contacted with the brown algae is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.005 or more, more preferably 0.01 or more, and even more preferably 0.05 or more. The polyvalent metal ion concentration in the solution of the polyvalent metal ion source and the solvent such as water can be calculated by the following formula, where A is the mass of the solvent, B is the mass of the polyvalent metal ion source, M is the mass per mole of the polyvalent metal ion source, and m is the mass of the polyvalent metal in 1 mole of the polyvalent metal ion source.

Polyvalent metal ion concentration (mass%) = B x (m/M) x 100/(A + B)

There is no particular limit to the time for contacting the brown algae with the polyvalent metal ions, but 10 minutes or more is preferable, 30 minutes or more is more preferable, and 60 minutes or more is even more preferable. There is no particular limit to the temperature for contacting the brown algae with the polyvalent metal ions, but it is preferably room temperature (25±5°C) or higher, more preferably 50°C or higher, and even more preferably 70°C or higher.

The step of washing the brown algae that has been contact-treated with polyvalent metal ions, which is one of the steps in the method for producing powdered brown algae of the present invention, is not particularly limited as long as the excess polyvalent metal ions and salt attached to the brown algae (hereinafter also referred to as treated brown algae) from which the solution containing polyvalent metal ions used in the step of contact-treating the brown algae with polyvalent metal ions has been removed by filtration, dehydration, etc., and the sodium salts generated in the step of contact-treating the brown algae with polyvalent metal ions can be sufficiently washed away with the washing solution. For example, the treated brown algae can be placed in a washing solution and immersed therein, or the washing solution can be passed through a container filled with the treated brown algae and immersed therein. During immersion, operations such as shaking, stirring, and mixing may be performed. In the present invention, after washing the treated brown algae, the washing solution is removed by filtration, dehydration, etc., and then a washing step is preferably performed to wash the treated brown algae multiple times. In addition, the sodium concentration in the final washing solution removed by filtration, dehydration, etc. may be measured as a measure of sufficient washing. In this case, the sodium concentration is preferably less than 0.005% by mass. The cleaning liquid is not particularly limited, but examples include water and alcohols such as ethanol, with water being preferred.

The mass ratio of the washing solution to the treated brown algae (washing solution/treated brown algae) when washing the brown algae that have been contact-treated with polyvalent metal ions is not particularly limited, but is preferably 4 or more, and more preferably 10 or more. The time for washing the brown algae that have been contact-treated with polyvalent metal ions is not particularly limited, but is preferably 1 minute or more, more preferably 5 minutes or more, and even more preferably 10 minutes or more.

The step of drying the washed brown algae, which is one of the steps in the method for producing powdered brown algae of the present invention, is not particularly limited as long as it is possible to dry the treated brown algae that have been subjected to the washing step. Examples of the method include natural drying, hot air drying, freeze drying, and vacuum drying, and one or any combination of two or more of these may be used. The conditions for the drying step are, for example, preferably 80 to 100°C and 1 to 5 hours for hot air drying, and 60 to 80°C and 3 to 20 hours for vacuum drying.

The method for producing powdered brown algae of the present invention may also include a powdering step. The powdering step is not particularly limited, but examples include pin mill grinding, airflow grinding, shear friction grinding, impact grinding, roll grinding, freeze grinding, ultrasonic grinding, and ultracentrifugal grinding, and may be used alone or in combination of any two or more of them.

The powdered brown algae of the present invention obtained in this manner has a predetermined polyvalent metal content and sodium content, and thus can be easily dispersed in water without the need for additional blending of materials that contribute to water dispersibility, suppressing the generation of powdering when it comes into contact with water. One factor that is thought to be involved in this is that sodium alginate, which is abundantly contained in brown algae and has excellent water absorption properties, is replaced by polyvalent metals and excreted, generating polyvalent metal salts of alginic acid with a cross-linked structure that is difficult to dissolve in water, thereby suppressing the rapid water absorption of the surface of the powdered brown algae.

The powdered brown algae of the present invention obtained in this manner can also be used in food and beverages. By using the powdered brown algae of the present invention in food and beverages, the powdered brown algae can be uniformly contained in the food and beverage, thereby improving the quality of the food and beverage.

There are no particular limitations on the amount of powdered brown algae of the present invention that may be used in foods and beverages, but it is preferable to add 0.01 to 100% by mass, and more preferably 0.1 to 100% by mass, to the foods and beverages.

There are no particular limitations on the method of using the powdered brown algae of the present invention, but examples include adding it directly to the manufacturing process of food and beverages, or adding it in advance to other powdered raw materials.

The food and drink containing the powdered brown algae of the present invention is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include general foods such as bread, confectionery, noodles, cooked rice, tofu, fish paste products, beverages, dairy products, soups, seasonings, premixes, nursing care foods, and baby foods, as well as health foods. Examples of bread include white bread, sweet bread, Danish pastry, pastry, croissant, brioche, and French bread. Examples of confectionery include gum, candy, gummy, chocolate, cookies, biscuits, cakes, pancakes, castella, Baumkuchen, donuts, snacks, rice crackers, ice cream, and ice cream. Examples of noodles include Chinese noodles, udon, soba, pasta, and gyoza wrappers, and include raw noodles as well as cooked noodles such as boiled noodles, steamed noodles, instant noodles, refrigerated noodles, and frozen noodles. Examples of cooked rice include seasoned rice, pilaf, dry curry, and risotto. Examples of fish paste products include kamaboko, chikuwa, hanpen, tsumire, satsumaage, etc. Examples of beverages include tea, coffee, instant coffee, fruit juice drinks, vegetable drinks, carbonated drinks, sports drinks, powdered sports drinks, milk drinks, lactic acid bacteria drinks, nutritional drinks, green juice, powdered green juice, etc., and they may be in any form, such as solid, powder, paste, liquid, etc.

Examples of dairy products include yogurt, cream, cheese, butter, powdered milk, and condensed milk. Examples of soups include corn soup, consommé soup, Chinese soup, ramen soup, onion soup, minestrone, clam chowder, potage, seaweed soup, and miso soup, and may be in any form, such as solid, powder, paste, or liquid. Examples of seasonings include soy sauce, miso, sauce, sauce, broth, fish sauce, extract, dressing, and seasoning, and may be in any form, such as solid, powder, paste, or liquid. Examples of premixes are food in which some of the ingredients are mixed in advance, and examples of such premixes include bread premixes, cake premixes, pancake premixes, ice cream premixes, and noodle premixes. Examples of health foods include nutritional functional foods, nutritional supplements, health supplements, functional foods, functional foods, foods with functional claims, foods for specified health uses, supplements, and liquid foods, and may be in any form, such as tablets, capsules, solid, powder, paste, or liquid. There are no particular limitations on the method for producing the food and drink containing the powdered brown algae of the present invention, and the food and drink can be produced using a method known per se.

The present invention will be specifically explained below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[Preparation of powdered brown algae 1: Wakame (leaves and stems)]
(1) Method for Producing Powdered Brown Algae 1) Example 1
900 g of water and 14.4 g of calcium acetate monohydrate (trade name: Calfresh; manufactured by Daito Chemical Co., Ltd.) were added to a 2L stainless steel beaker and stirred at 65 ° C. for 3 minutes to obtain a polyvalent metal ion solution (calcium ion concentration: 0.35% by mass). 60 g of dried Korean wakame was added to this solution, and the solution was then stirred at 65 to 70 ° C. for 20 minutes, after which the solution was removed by filtration to obtain 216 g of primary-treated brown algae. Next, the entire amount of primary-treated brown algae was added to a polyvalent metal ion solution (calcium ion concentration: 0.09% by mass) in which 3.6 g of calcium acetate monohydrate (trade name: Calfresh; manufactured by Daito Chemical Co., Ltd.) was dissolved in 900 g of water in a 2L stainless steel beaker, and the solution was stirred at 65 to 70 ° C. for 20 minutes, and then the solution was removed by filtration to obtain 189 g of secondary-treated brown algae. Next, the entire amount of the secondary-treated brown algae and 900 g of water as a washing solution were added to a 2 L stainless steel beaker, and the mixture was washed by stirring at room temperature for 3 minutes, and the washing solution was removed by filtration. Furthermore, the same washing operation was performed once. The sodium concentration in the washing solution removed at this time was measured and found to be less than 0.005% by mass, confirming that the washing solution had been sufficiently washed. The treated brown algae from which the washing solution had been removed were dried at 90°C for 2 hours in a hot air dryer (test drying oven; manufactured by Hosoyama Neki Co., Ltd.), and then pulverized in an ultracentrifugal grinder (model: ZM200; manufactured by RETSCH Co., Ltd.) at 14,000 rpm and a screen opening of 0.2 mm to obtain 44.6 g of powdered brown algae 1. The moisture content of the powdered brown algae 1 was 4.2% by mass.

2) Example 2
1000 g of water and 15 g of calcium chloride dihydrate (trade name: granular calcium chloride; manufactured by Tokuyama Corporation) were added to a 3 L stainless steel beaker and stirred at room temperature for 10 minutes to obtain a polyvalent metal ion solution (calcium ion concentration: 0.4 mass%). 50 g of dried Korean wakame seaweed was added to this solution, stirred at 22 ° C. for 30 minutes, filtered, and then centrifuged to remove the solution, thereby obtaining 111.2 g of treated brown algae. Next, the entire amount of treated brown algae and 1000 g of water as a washing solution were added to a 3 L stainless steel beaker, stirred at room temperature for 15 minutes to wash, and then filtered and centrifuged to remove the washing solution. Furthermore, the same washing operation was performed once. The sodium concentration in the washing solution removed at this time was measured and found to be less than 0.005 mass%, confirming that the washing was sufficient. The treated brown algae from which the cleaning solution had been removed was dried in a hot air dryer (test drying furnace; manufactured by Hosoyama Neki Co., Ltd.) at 90° C. for 2 hours, and then pulverized in an ultracentrifugal grinder (model: ZM200; manufactured by RETSCH Co., Ltd.) at 14,000 rpm with a screen opening of 0.2 mm to obtain 37.1 g of powdered brown algae 2. The moisture content of powdered brown algae 2 was 4.1% by mass.

3) Example 3
1000 g of water and 12.5 g of calcium chloride dihydrate (product name: granular calcium chloride; manufactured by Tokuyama Corporation) were added to a 3 L stainless steel beaker and stirred at 22 ° C. for 10 minutes to obtain a polyvalent metal ion solution (calcium ion concentration: 0.34 mass%). 50 g of dried Korean wakame was added to this solution, stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes, filtered, and then centrifuged to remove the solution, obtaining 110.6 g of treated brown algae. From this point on, 37.9 g of powdered brown algae 3 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 2. The moisture content of the powdered brown algae 3 was 4.4 mass%.

4) Example 4
1000 g of water and 10 g of calcium chloride dihydrate (product name: granular calcium chloride; manufactured by Tokuyama Corporation) were added to a 3 L stainless steel beaker and stirred at 22 ° C. for 10 minutes to obtain a polyvalent metal ion solution (calcium ion concentration: 0.27% by mass). 50 g of dried Korean wakame seaweed was added to this solution, stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes, filtered, and then centrifuged to remove the solution, obtaining 123.8 g of treated brown algae. From this point on, 38.3 g of powdered brown algae 4 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 2. The moisture content of powdered brown algae 4 was 4.6% by mass.

5) Example 5
1000 g of water and 5 g of calcium chloride dihydrate (trade name: granular calcium chloride; manufactured by Tokuyama Corporation) were added to a 3 L stainless steel beaker and stirred at 22 ° C. for 10 minutes to obtain a polyvalent metal ion solution (calcium ion concentration: 0.14 mass%). 50 g of dried Korean wakame was added to this solution, stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes, filtered, and then centrifuged to remove the solution, obtaining 205.2 g of treated brown algae. From this point on, 37.5 g of powdered brown algae 5 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 2. The moisture content of powdered brown algae 5 was 4.8% by mass.

6) Example 6
500 g of water and 2.5 g of calcium acetate monohydrate (trade name: Calfresh; manufactured by Daito Chemical Co., Ltd.) were added to a 2L stainless steel beaker and stirred at 22 ° C. for 10 minutes to obtain a polyvalent metal ion solution (calcium ion concentration: 0.11% by mass). Korean boiled salted wakame was washed with seawater, the seawater was removed, and then 83.8 g of the seaweed cut into approximately 20 mm lengthwise and widthwise was added to this solution, and the solution was removed by filtration to obtain 132.7 g of primary treated brown algae. Next, the entire amount of primary treated brown algae was added to a polyvalent metal ion solution (calcium ion concentration: 0.11% by mass) in which 2.5 g of calcium acetate monohydrate (trade name: Calfresh; manufactured by Daito Chemical Co., Ltd.) was dissolved in 500 g of water in a 2L stainless steel beaker, and the solution was stirred at 75 ° C. for 1 hour, and then the solution was removed by filtration to obtain 87.6 g of secondary treated brown algae. Next, the entire amount of the secondary-treated brown algae and 500 g of water as a washing solution were added to a 2 L stainless steel beaker, and the mixture was washed by stirring at room temperature for 3 minutes, and the washing solution was removed by filtration. Furthermore, the same washing operation was performed once. The sodium concentration in the washing solution removed at this time was measured and confirmed to be less than 0.005% by mass. The treated brown algae from which the washing solution had been removed were dried at 90°C for 2 hours in a hot air dryer (test drying oven; manufactured by Hosoyama Neki Co., Ltd.), and then pulverized in an ultracentrifugal grinder (model: ZM200; manufactured by RETSCH Co., Ltd.) at 14,000 rpm and a screen opening of 0.2 mm to obtain 11.8 g of powdered brown algae 6. The moisture content of the powdered brown algae 6 was 4.0% by mass.

7) Example 7
1200 g of water and 9.0 g of calcium chloride dihydrate (trade name: granular calcium chloride; manufactured by Tokuyama Corporation) were added to a 3 L stainless steel beaker and stirred at 22 ° C. for 10 minutes to obtain a polyvalent metal ion solution (calcium ion concentration: 0.2 mass%). 194.1 g of Sanriku wakame raw algae was added to this solution, stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes, and then the solution was removed by filtration to obtain 165.1 g of primary treated brown algae. Next, the entire amount of primary treated brown algae was added to a polyvalent metal ion solution (calcium ion concentration: 0.11 mass%) in which 5.0 g of calcium chloride dihydrate (trade name: granular calcium chloride; manufactured by Tokuyama Corporation) was dissolved in 1200 g of water in a 3 L stainless steel beaker, stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes, and then the solution was removed by filtration to obtain 121.3 g of secondary treated brown algae. Next, the entire amount of the secondary-treated brown algae and 1500 g of water as a washing solution were added to a 3 L stainless steel beaker, and the mixture was washed by stirring at room temperature for 5 minutes, and the washing solution was removed by filtration. Furthermore, the same washing operation was performed once. The sodium concentration in the washing solution removed at this time was measured and confirmed to be less than 0.005% by mass. The treated brown algae from which the washing solution had been removed were dried at 90°C for 2 hours in a hot air dryer (test drying oven; manufactured by Hosoyama Neki Co., Ltd.), and then pulverized in an ultracentrifugal grinder (model: ZM200; manufactured by RETSCH Co., Ltd.) at 14000 rpm and a screen opening of 0.2 mm to obtain 15.3 g of powdered brown algae 7. The moisture content of the powdered brown algae 7 was 3.6% by mass.

8) Example 8
1200 g of water and 11.02 g of calcium acetate monohydrate (trade name: Calfresh; manufactured by Daito Chemical Co., Ltd.) were added to a 3 L stainless steel beaker and stirred at 22 ° C. for 10 minutes to obtain a polyvalent metal ion solution (calcium ion concentration: 0.21% by mass). 201.65 g of Sanriku frozen wakame seaweed with the stems removed and only the leaves chopped into approximately 20 mm lengthwise and widthwise was added to this solution, stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes, and then the solution was removed by filtration to obtain 172.1 g of primary treated brown algae. Next, the entire amount of primary treated brown algae was added to a polyvalent metal ion solution (calcium ion concentration: 0.11% by mass) in which 6.09 g of calcium acetate monohydrate (trade name: Calfresh; manufactured by Daito Chemical Co., Ltd.) was dissolved in 1200 g of water in a 3 L stainless steel beaker, stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes, and then the solution was removed by filtration to obtain 127.97 g of secondary treated brown algae. Next, the entire amount of the secondary-treated brown algae and 1500 g of water as a washing solution were put into a 3 L stainless steel beaker, and then the mixture was washed by stirring at room temperature for 5 minutes, and the washing solution was removed by filtration. Furthermore, the same washing operation was performed once. When the sodium concentration in the washing solution removed at this time was measured, it was confirmed to be less than 0.005% by mass. The treated brown algae from which the washing solution had been removed were dried at 95 ° C. for 2 hours in a hot air dryer (test drying oven; manufactured by Hosoyama Neki Co., Ltd.), and then pulverized in an ultracentrifugal grinder (model: ZM200; manufactured by RETSCH Co., Ltd.) at 14000 rpm and a screen opening of 0.2 mm to obtain 13.9 g of powdered brown algae 8. The moisture content of the powdered brown algae 8 was 4.0% by mass.

9) Comparative Example 1
20 g of dried Korean wakame seaweed was pulverized in an ultracentrifugal pulverizer (model: ZM200; manufactured by RETSCH) at 14,000 rpm with a screen opening of 0.2 mm to obtain 19.4 g of powdered brown algae 9. The moisture content of powdered brown algae 9 was 4.8% by mass.

[Measurement of polyvalent metals and sodium contained in powdered brown algae 1]
(1) Measurement of polyvalent metal content For each of powdered brown algae 1 to 9, nitric acid was added and wet decomposed using a microwave sample pretreatment device (model: ETHOS TC; manufactured by Milestone General Co., Ltd.), and then the calcium content and magnesium content were measured using an ICP emission spectrometer (model: VISTA-MPX; manufactured by VARIAN Co., Ltd.). The results are shown in Table 1.

(2) Measurement of sodium content For each of powdered brown algae 1 to 9, nitric acid was added and wet decomposed using a microwave sample pretreatment device (model: ETHOS TC; manufactured by Milestone General Co., Ltd.), and then the sodium content was measured using an ICP emission spectrometer (model: VISTA-MPX; manufactured by VARIAN Co., Ltd.). The results are shown in Table 1.

[Water dispersibility test 1 of powdered brown algae]
(1) Test method 200 g of water was added to a 300 mL beaker containing a rotor (diameter 10 mm, length 40 mm) and stirred at 550 rpm using a magnetic stirrer. 0.5 g of each of powdered brown algae 1 to 9 was added at once, and the time until the powdered brown algae disappeared and were uniformly dispersed was measured and evaluated according to the following criteria. A shorter dispersion time indicates better water dispersibility, and "SS", "S", "A" and "B" were deemed to satisfy the effects of the present invention. The results are shown in Table 1.
SS: Dispersion time is less than 25 seconds. S: Dispersion time is 25 seconds or more and less than 50 seconds. A: Dispersion time is 50 seconds or more and less than 100 seconds. B: Dispersion time is 100 seconds or more and less than 200 seconds. C: Dispersion time is 200 seconds or more.

As shown in Table 1, the polyvalent metal content in the powdered brown algae increased and the sodium content decreased by contacting the brown algae with polyvalent metal ions and carrying out the washing and drying processes. It was also found that powdered brown algae 1 to 8 of the examples, in which the powdered brown algae contained 2% by mass or more of polyvalent metal and 1.5% by mass or less of sodium, had better water dispersibility than powdered brown algae 9 of the comparative example. One of the reasons for the excellent water dispersibility is thought to be that the sodium in the sodium alginate contained in the brown algae was replaced by and excreted with polyvalent metal, resulting in the production of a polyvalent metal salt of alginic acid with a cross-linked structure that is difficult to dissolve in water.

[Preparation of powdered brown algae 2: Wakame (Seaweed)]
(1) Method for Producing Powdered Brown Algae 1) Example 9
300 g of water and 4.8 g of calcium acetate monohydrate (trade name: Calfresh; manufactured by Daito Chemical Co., Ltd.) were added to a 1 L stainless steel beaker and stirred at 65 ° C. for 3 minutes to obtain a polyvalent metal ion solution (calcium ion concentration: 0.36% by mass). 20 g of dried Korean scallions were added to this solution, and the solution was then stirred at 65 to 70 ° C. for 20 minutes, after which the solution was removed by filtration to obtain 53.7 g of primary-treated brown algae. Next, the entire amount of primary-treated brown algae was added to a polyvalent metal ion solution (calcium ion concentration: 0.09% by mass) in which 1.2 g of calcium acetate monohydrate (trade name: Calfresh; manufactured by Daito Chemical Co., Ltd.) was dissolved in 300 g of water in a 1 L stainless steel beaker, and the solution was stirred at 65 to 70 ° C. for 20 minutes, and then the solution was removed by filtration to obtain 46.6 g of secondary-treated brown algae. Next, the entire amount of the secondary-treated brown algae and 300 g of water as a washing solution were added to a 1 L stainless steel beaker, and the mixture was washed by stirring at room temperature for 3 minutes, and the washing solution was removed by filtration. Furthermore, the same washing operation was performed once. The sodium concentration in the washing solution removed at this time was measured and found to be less than 0.005% by mass, confirming that the washing solution had been sufficiently washed. The treated brown algae from which the washing solution had been removed were dried at 90°C for 2 hours in a hot air dryer (test drying oven; manufactured by Hosoyama Neki Co., Ltd.), and then pulverized in an ultracentrifugal grinder (model: ZM200; manufactured by RETSCH Co., Ltd.) at 14,000 rpm and a screen opening of 0.2 mm to obtain 7.3 g of powdered brown algae 10. The moisture content of the powdered brown algae 10 was 5.0% by mass.

2) Comparative Example 2
20 g of dried Korean scallions was pulverized in an ultracentrifugal pulverizer (model: ZM200; manufactured by RETSCH) at 14,000 rpm with a screen opening of 0.2 mm to obtain 18.7 g of powdered brown algae 11. The moisture content of the powdered brown algae 11 was 7.1% by mass.

[Measurement of polyvalent metals and sodium contained in powdered brown algae 2]
(1) Measurement of polyvalent metal content The calcium content and magnesium content of each of the powdered brown algae 10 and 11 were measured using the same method as in [Measurement of polyvalent metals and sodium contained in powdered brown algae 1]. The results are shown in Table 2.

(2) Measurement of sodium content The sodium content of powdered brown algae 10 and 11 was measured using the same method as in [Measurement of polyvalent metals and sodium contained in powdered brown algae 1]. The results are shown in Table 2.

[Water dispersibility test 2 of powdered brown algae]
(1) Test method 200 g of water was added to a 300 mL beaker containing a rotor (diameter 10 mm, length 40 mm) and stirred at 550 rpm using a magnetic stirrer. 0.5 g each of powdered brown algae 10 and 11 was added at once, and the time until the powdered brown algae disappeared and were uniformly dispersed was measured. The results are shown in Table 2.

As shown in Table 2, it was found that the powdered brown algae 10 of the embodiment had better water dispersibility than the powdered brown algae 11 of the comparative example.

[Preparation of powdered brown algae 3: Kombu]
(1) Method for Producing Powdered Brown Algae 1) Example 10
Powdered brown algae 12 was produced in the same manner as in Example 9, except that Korean dried Mekabu was replaced with domestically produced dried kelp. The amount of primary-treated brown algae obtained during the production process was 59.0 g, and the amount of secondary-treated brown algae obtained was 54.1 g, resulting in 8.4 g of powdered brown algae 12. The moisture content of powdered brown algae 12 was 4.8% by mass.

2) Comparative Example 3
20 g of domestically produced dried kelp was pulverized in an ultracentrifugal grinder (model: ZM200; manufactured by RETSCH) at 14,000 rpm with a screen opening of 0.2 mm to obtain 18.2 g of powdered brown algae 13. The moisture content of the powdered brown algae 13 was 4.8% by mass.

[Measurement of polyvalent metals and sodium contained in powdered brown algae 3]
(1) Measurement of polyvalent metal content The calcium content and magnesium content of each of the powdered brown algae 12 and 13 were measured using the same method as in [Measurement of polyvalent metals and sodium contained in powdered brown algae 1]. The results are shown in Table 3.

(2) Measurement of sodium content The sodium content of powdered brown algae 12 and 13 was measured using the same method as in [Measurement of polyvalent metals and sodium contained in powdered brown algae 1]. The results are shown in Table 3.

[Water dispersibility test 3 of powdered brown algae]
(1) Test method 200 g of water was added to a 300 mL beaker containing a rotor (diameter 10 mm, length 40 mm) and stirred at 550 rpm using a magnetic stirrer. 0.5 g each of powdered brown algae 12 and 13 was added at once, and the time until the powdered brown algae disappeared and were uniformly dispersed was measured. The results are shown in Table 3.

As shown in Table 3, it was found that powdered brown algae 12 of the embodiment had better water dispersibility than powdered brown algae 13 of the comparative example.

[Preparation of powdered brown algae 4: Akamoku]
(1) Method for Producing Powdered Brown Algae 1) Example 11
Powdered brown algae 14 was produced in the same manner as in Example 9, except that Korean dried Mekabu was replaced with domestically produced dried Akamoku. The amount of the primary-treated brown algae obtained during the production process was 57.5 g, and the amount of the secondary-treated brown algae obtained was 57.4 g, resulting in 10.0 g of powdered brown algae 14. The moisture content of powdered brown algae 14 was 5.8% by mass.

2) Comparative Example 4
20 g of domestically produced dried akamoku was pulverized in an ultracentrifugal pulverizer (model: ZM200; manufactured by RETSCH) at 14,000 rpm with a screen opening of 0.2 mm to obtain 18.3 g of powdered brown algae 15. The moisture content of the powdered brown algae 15 was 7.6% by mass.

[Measurement of polyvalent metals and sodium contained in powdered brown algae 4]
(1) Measurement of polyvalent metal content The calcium content and magnesium content of each of powdered brown algae 14 and 15 were measured using the same method as in [Measurement of polyvalent metals and sodium contained in powdered brown algae 1]. The results are shown in Table 4.

(2) Measurement of sodium content The sodium content of powdered brown algae 14 and 15 was measured using the same method as in [Measurement of polyvalent metals and sodium contained in powdered brown algae 1]. The results are shown in Table 4.

[Water dispersibility test 4 of powdered brown algae]
(1) Test method 200 g of water was added to a 300 mL beaker containing a rotor (diameter 10 mm, length 40 mm) and stirred at 550 rpm using a magnetic stirrer. 0.5 g each of powdered brown algae 14 and 15 was added at once, and the time until the powdered brown algae disappeared and were uniformly dispersed was measured. The results are shown in Table 4.

As shown in Table 4, it was found that powdered brown algae 14 of the embodiment had better water dispersibility than powdered brown algae 15 of the comparative example.

[Preparation of powdered brown algae 5: Mozuku]
(1) Method for Producing Powdered Brown Algae 1) Example 12
1200 g of water and 9.6 g of calcium acetate monohydrate (trade name: Calfresh; manufactured by Daito Chemical Co., Ltd.) were added to a 3 L stainless steel beaker and stirred at 65 ° C. for 3 minutes to obtain a polyvalent metal ion solution (calcium ion concentration: 0.18% by mass). 40 g of domestically produced dried mozuku seaweed was added to this solution, stirred at 65 to 70 ° C. for 20 minutes, and then centrifuged at 5000 rpm for 15 minutes using a centrifuge (model: HP-20XP; manufactured by BECKMAN COULTER) to remove the solution, and 713.1 g of primary treated brown algae was obtained. Next, the entire amount of the primary-treated brown algae was added to a polyvalent metal ion solution (calcium ion concentration: 0.14% by mass) in which 6.4 g of calcium acetate monohydrate (trade name: Calfresh; manufactured by Daito Chemical Co., Ltd.) was dissolved in 1000 g of water in a 3 L stainless steel beaker, and then stirred at 65 to 70 ° C. for 20 minutes, and then centrifuged at 5000 rpm for 15 minutes with a centrifuge (model: HP-20XP; manufactured by BECKMAN COULTER Co., Ltd.) to remove the solution, and 775.9 g of secondary-treated brown algae was obtained. Next, the entire amount of the secondary-treated brown algae and 700 g of water as a washing solution were added to a 3 L stainless steel beaker, and then the mixture was stirred and washed at room temperature for 3 minutes, and centrifuged at 5000 rpm for 15 minutes with a centrifuge (model: HP-20XP; manufactured by BECKMAN COULTER Co., Ltd.) to remove the solution. Further, the same washing operation was performed twice. The sodium concentration in the washing solution removed at this time was measured and found to be less than 0.005% by mass, confirming that the washing was sufficient. The treated brown algae from which the washing solution had been removed was dried at 65°C for 17 hours in a vacuum dryer (model: VOS-301SD; manufactured by EYELA), and then pulverized in an ultracentrifugal grinder (model: ZM200; manufactured by RETSCH) at 14000 rpm and a screen opening of 0.2 mm to obtain 27.5 g of powdered brown algae 16. The moisture content of the powdered brown algae 16 was 3.9% by mass.

2) Comparative Example 5
20 g of domestically produced dried mozuku seaweed was pulverized in an ultracentrifugal grinder (model: ZM200; manufactured by RETSCH) at 14,000 rpm with a screen opening of 0.2 mm to obtain 17.5 g of powdered brown algae 17. The moisture content of the powdered brown algae 17 was 12.2% by mass.

[Measurement of polyvalent metals and sodium contained in powdered brown algae 5]
(1) Measurement of polyvalent metal content The calcium content and magnesium content of each of powdered brown algae 16 and 17 were measured using the same method as in [Measurement of polyvalent metals and sodium contained in powdered brown algae 1]. The results are shown in Table 5.

(2) Measurement of sodium content The sodium content of powdered brown algae 16 and 17 was measured using the same method as in [Measurement of polyvalent metals and sodium contained in powdered brown algae 1]. The results are shown in Table 5.

[Water dispersibility test 5 of powdered brown algae]
(1) Test method 200 g of water was added to a 300 mL beaker containing a rotor (diameter 10 mm, length 40 mm) and stirred at 550 rpm using a magnetic stirrer. 0.5 g each of powdered brown algae 16 and 17 was added at once, and the time until the powdered brown algae disappeared and were uniformly dispersed was measured. The results are shown in Table 5.

As shown in Table 5, it was found that powdered brown algae 16 of the embodiment had better water dispersibility than powdered brown algae 17 of the comparative example.

[Preparation of food and drink containing powdered brown algae]
(1) Preparation of tablets 100 g of powdered brown algae 1 was mixed with 79.5 ml of water or 119.2 ml of water, molded into granules, and then tablets with a diameter of 8 mm and 0.25 g/particle were prepared using a tablet press. The mixture before tableting had good water dispersibility and suppressed the generation of splinters. In addition, tablets with few tableting problems were obtained.

(2) Preparation of miso soup Instant miso soup [product name: Itsumo no Omiso Soup Akadashi (with Mitsuba); manufactured by Amano Foods Co., Ltd.] was mixed with 160 ml of hot water and 1 g, 1.5 g, or 2 g of powdered brown algae 1 to prepare miso soup. In each case, a miso soup in which the powdered brown algae was uniformly dispersed was obtained.

(3) Preparation of bread 150g of strong flour, 4g of dry yeast, 120ml of milk, 6g of butter, 1g of salt, and 2g of sugar were mixed, and the dough was divided into 50g portions. 1g of powdered brown algae 1 was mixed into 50g of dough, and the dough was fermented for 40 minutes in a fermentation chamber, after which the air in the dough was removed once and the dough was fermented again for 20 minutes. The dough was then baked for 13 minutes in an oven at 200°C to prepare bread. Bread in which the powdered brown algae was uniformly dispersed in the dough was obtained.

(4) Preparation of Udon 150g of strong flour, 150g of weak flour, and 15g of salt were mixed. 2g of powdered brown algae 1 and 50ml of water were mixed with 100g of the mixture, and the dough was left to rest for 2 hours. The rested dough was thinly rolled out with a rolling pin, cut into pieces 3-5mm wide, and boiled in hot water for 5 minutes to prepare udon. Udon with powdered brown algae uniformly dispersed in the dough was obtained.

Claims (3)

A method for producing powdered brown algae, characterized in that the powdered brown algae contains 2 mass% or more of polyvalent metals and 1.5 mass% or less of sodium, the method comprising the steps of contacting the brown algae with polyvalent metal ions, washing the brown algae that has been contact-treated with the polyvalent metal ions, and drying the washed brown algae (excluding, however, a production method comprising a step of treating the brown algae with an acid prior to the step of contacting the brown algae with the polyvalent metal ions) . The method for producing powdered brown algae according to claim 1, wherein the polyvalent metal ions are generated from one or more polyvalent metal ion sources selected from the group consisting of calcium chloride, calcium chloride hydrate, calcium acetate, and calcium acetate hydrate. A method for improving the water dispersibility of powdered brown algae, comprising reducing the polyvalent metal content in the powdered brown algae to 2 mass% or more and the sodium content to 1.5 mass% or less.