JP7569157B2 - Method for producing green food and drink composition, green food and drink composition, and method for suppressing reduction in nutritional components - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for producing a green food and drink composition, a green food and drink composition, and a method for suppressing the decrease of nutritional components.

Green beverages, whose main ingredient is green leafy vegetables, are used as health foods that allow easy intake of vegetable ingredients. Because it is difficult to sell the raw green leafy vegetables commercially, they are usually processed into a dried powder made primarily from the green leaves of plants, which is then stored and distributed, and the green beverage is prepared by dissolving it in water or other liquid just before consumption.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a powder for high-concentration vegetable green juice obtained by granulating whole green vegetable powder and squeezed green vegetable juice. Patent Document 2 discloses a green juice for suppressing blood sugar rise that contains dried powder of barley stems and/or leaves.

JP 2008-086311 A JP 2017-014187 A

In the manufacturing process of the powder used to prepare green juice, there may be a time lag before the raw leaves are processed into powder, during which time the plant's own enzymes cause the quality to deteriorate. For this reason, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose that the enzymes are inactivated by blanching treatments such as hot water treatment, steaming treatment, and microwave irradiation treatment.

However, the inventors' investigations revealed that such conventional blanching treatments cause the destruction and loss of nutrients due to the heat treatment, deterioration in quality, and browning of the green color, resulting in a significant loss of the nutritional components of the raw plant material.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide a method for producing a green food and drink composition that suppresses the destruction and loss of nutritional components from green leafy vegetables, a green food and drink composition in which the destruction and loss of nutritional components is suppressed, and a method for suppressing the decrease of nutritional components.

The inventors of the present invention conducted extensive research to solve the above problems. As a result, they discovered that the above problems could be solved by heating green leafy vegetables at high temperature for a short time (roasting) after harvesting, and thus completed the present invention.

That is, the present invention is as follows.
[1]
The process includes a pan-frying process in which green leafy vegetables are heated at 200 to 400°C for 20 to 240 seconds.
A method for producing a green food or beverage composition.
[2]
The roasting process is carried out in a rotating cylindrical kettle.
A method for producing the green food and beverage composition described in [1].
[3]
The green leafy vegetables are selected from the group consisting of young barley leaves, young wheat leaves, kale, and molokheiya;
A method for producing the green food and beverage composition described in [1] or [2].
[4]
[1] to [3], obtained by the method for producing a green food and beverage composition according to any one of [1] to [3].
Green food and drink composition.
[5]
The process includes a pan-frying process in which green leafy vegetables are heated at 200 to 400°C for 20 to 240 seconds.
A method for suppressing a decrease in nutritional components in a green food or beverage composition.

The present invention provides a method for producing a green food and drink composition that suppresses the destruction and loss of nutritional components from green leafy vegetables, a green food and drink composition that suppresses the destruction and loss of nutritional components, and a method for suppressing the decrease of nutritional components.

1 is a graph showing the sugar content of leafy vegetables obtained in the Examples, Comparative Examples, and Reference Examples. 1 is a graph showing the free amino acid content of leafy vegetables obtained in the Examples, Comparative Examples, and Reference Examples. 1 is a graph showing the organic acid contents of leafy vegetables obtained in the Examples, Comparative Examples, and Reference Examples.

The following describes in detail an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the "present embodiment"); however, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[Method for producing green food and beverage composition]
The method for producing a green food or beverage composition of this embodiment includes a pan-frying step in which green leafy raw vegetables are heated at 200 to 400° C. for 20 to 240 seconds.

As mentioned above, in the manufacturing process of processed green leafy raw vegetables, blanching treatments such as hot water treatment, steaming treatment, and microwave irradiation treatment are carried out to inactivate enzymes that may cause discoloration and deterioration, thereby maintaining the green color of the processed products. However, it has become clear that such conventional blanching treatments cause the destruction and loss of nutrients due to the heat treatment, deterioration of quality, and browning of the green color, resulting in a significant loss of nutritional content in the raw plant ingredients.

In contrast, the method for producing a green food and beverage composition of this embodiment involves heating (roasting) harvested green leafy raw vegetables at high temperature for a short period of time instead of or in addition to the conventional blanching treatment. This allows for the production of a high-quality green food and beverage composition without causing the destruction and loss of nutrients to progress more rapidly than in the case of boiling, etc.

The method for producing the green food and beverage composition of this embodiment is not particularly limited as long as it includes a pan-frying process, and other processes can be performed as necessary. For example, a washing process for washing the harvested green leafy raw vegetables, a cutting process for cutting the harvested green leafy raw vegetables, a refining process for refining the green leafy vegetables after the pan-frying process, and a drying process for drying the green leafy vegetables after the pan-frying process may be appropriately combined. Below, a detailed explanation of this series of processes is given, but the method for producing the green food and beverage composition is not limited to these processes.

In this embodiment, green leafy raw vegetables refer to vegetables before heating, and green leafy vegetables refer to vegetables after heating.

[Cleaning process]
The manufacturing method of this embodiment may include a washing step of washing the green leafy raw vegetables after harvesting. The washing method is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include an immersion washing method in which the green leafy raw vegetables are immersed in water in a washing tank, and a sprinkling washing method in which water is sprinkled on the green leafy raw vegetables arranged on a plate such as a belt conveyor. By carrying out the washing step, soil bacteria, soil, and other impurities can be washed away. In particular, it is preferable to carry out the immersion washing method and/or the sprinkling washing method.

The washing step may be carried out before the pan-frying step, or before or after the cutting step described below. The temperature of the water used in the washing step is not particularly limited, but is preferably around room temperature, for example 5 to 35°C.

[First dehydration step]
The manufacturing method of this embodiment may include a first dehydration step of removing moisture from the green leafy raw vegetables after the washing step or before the pan-frying step described below. The dehydration method is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a method of dehydrating using a centrifuge and a method of dehydrating using a press.

[Cutting process]
The manufacturing method of this embodiment may include a cutting step of cutting the green leafy raw vegetables after harvesting. The cutting method is not particularly limited, and for example, a known cutter or crusher can be used depending on the shape, type, hardness, etc. of the green leafy raw vegetables used. This makes it possible to avoid stagnation of each processor in the downstream process.

The cutting step may be carried out before or after the pan-frying step, and may be carried out before or after the washing step. If the cutting step is carried out after the pan-frying step, it shall be read as a cutting step for cutting green leafy vegetables.

In the cutting process, the average length of the green leafy raw vegetables after cutting is preferably 1.0 to 15.0 cm, more preferably 1.0 to 10.0 cm, even more preferably 1.0 to 7.0 cm, and particularly preferably 1.0 to 5.0 cm. The finer the green leafy raw vegetables are cut, the more likely it is that stagnation in the subsequent process will be suppressed and sufficient processing can be performed. On the other hand, the more roughly the green leafy raw vegetables are cut, the more likely it is that the processing efficiency in the cutting process will be improved. The average length can be determined by arbitrarily selecting 100 green leafy raw vegetables after cutting and averaging them.

[Pot roasting process]
The pan-frying step is a step in which green leafy raw vegetables are heated at 200 to 400° C. for 20 to 240 seconds. By carrying out such a heat treatment, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the green leafy raw vegetables that is promoted by the enzymes, and the smell and sweetness of the green leafy raw vegetables in the obtained juice tend to be improved. Furthermore, by heating at high temperature for a short time (pan-frying), destruction and loss of nutritional components are not advanced as compared to boiling, and a good quality green food and drink composition can be produced.

The processing temperature in the pan-frying process is 200 to 400°C, preferably 220 to 390°C, more preferably 250 to 385°C, and even more preferably 300 to 380°C. By setting the temperature in the pan-frying process to 200°C or higher, deterioration of the green leafy raw vegetables can be suppressed. By setting the temperature in the pan-frying process to 400°C or lower, destruction and loss of nutritional components can be suppressed. Furthermore, by performing heat treatment at high temperature for a short period of time, deterioration in the color tone of the obtained green food and beverage composition and deterioration in the odor of the green leafy raw vegetables can be suppressed, and further, odor generation due to overheating and hardening of the green leafy raw vegetables due to heat can be suppressed.

The processing time of the pan-frying step is 20 to 240 seconds, preferably 30 to 180 seconds, more preferably 40 to 120 seconds, and even more preferably 60 to 90 seconds. By setting the processing time of the pan-frying step to 240 seconds or less, it is possible to suppress the destruction and outflow of nutritional components. Furthermore, by performing a high-temperature short-time heat treatment, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the color tone of the obtained green food and drink composition and the deterioration of the odor of the green leafy raw vegetables, and further to suppress the generation of odor due to overheating and the hardening of the green leafy raw vegetables due to heat. On the other hand, by setting the processing time of the pan-frying step to 20 seconds or more, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the green leafy raw vegetables. Note that, when a batch-type pan-frying machine is used, the above processing time is the processing time by the pan-frying machine, and when a continuous-type pan-frying machine having an inlet and an outlet is used, it can be the average time from when the green leafy raw vegetables are put into the pan-frying machine to when they are discharged.

Specific methods for pan-frying include, but are not limited to, a method using a rotating cylindrical pan. More specifically, the green leafy raw vegetables are heated in a cylindrical pan heated to a high temperature, and the cylindrical pan is rotated to agitate the green leafy raw vegetables, allowing the green leafy raw vegetables to be heated at a high temperature more uniformly. In this case, the green leafy raw vegetables may be heated by conductive heat from the pan, as well as by water vapor evaporated from the green leafy raw vegetables themselves or water vapor sent in from the outside. By using a rotating cylindrical pan in this way, it is possible to produce a high-quality green food and drink composition without causing the destruction and loss of nutrients to progress more rapidly than in the case of boiling, for example.

The green leafy vegetables used in this embodiment are not particularly limited, but examples include chlorophyll-containing leafy vegetables such as young barley leaves and other grasses, spinach, kale, komatsuna and other cruciferous vegetables, parsley, young wheat leaves, angelica tree, young mulberry leaves, molokheiya, and Brussels sprouts.

Among these, at least one selected from the group consisting of young barley leaves, young wheat leaves, kale, and molokheiya is preferred, with young barley leaves being more preferred. According to this embodiment, a green food and beverage composition can be produced without destroying or leaking out the nutritional components of such highly nutritious green leafy raw vegetables.

[Second dehydration step]
The manufacturing method of this embodiment may include a second dehydration step of removing moisture from the green leafy raw vegetables after the pan-frying step. The dehydration method is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include a method of dehydrating using a centrifuge and a method of dehydrating using a compressor.

[Micronization process]
The manufacturing method of this embodiment may include a micronization step of micronizing the green leafy vegetables after the pan-frying step. The micronization step is performed to micronize the green leafy vegetables to powder or to micronize the green leafy vegetables to be used for juicing, and the specific operation differs depending on the form of the green food and drink composition finally obtained. In addition, for example, when making into a powder, it is usually not easy to make into a powder by one-stage micronization, and in such a case, a multi-stage micronization step can be performed depending on the size. The micronization step may be performed before or after the drying step described later, or before or after the drying step.

Specific operations for the micronization are not particularly limited, but include, for example, shredding or grinding the green leafy vegetables. As a guideline, it is considered to crush the green leafy vegetables until their size is equal to or smaller than the maximum raw material size specified by the equipment used in the micronization process.

[Drying process]
The manufacturing method of this embodiment may include a drying step of drying the green leafy vegetables after the pan-frying step. By carrying out the drying step and the crushing step, the green leafy vegetables can be crushed into powder.

The drying process is not limited to heating to evaporate water, but also includes freeze-drying, in which water is evaporated in a frozen state. For example, freeze-dried vegetables can be obtained by pulverizing green leafy vegetables to a degree that still retains some of their shape, for example to bite-sized pieces, and then freeze-drying them.

[Crushing process]
The manufacturing method of this embodiment may include a grinding step of grinding the finely ground green leafy vegetables into powder after the finely ground process. Examples of the grinding method include a jet mill, a ball mill, a hammer mill, etc. The grinding step may be performed before or after the drying step described later, as long as it is performed after the finely ground process.

[Juice squeezing process]
Further, instead of or in addition to the drying step, the manufacturing method of this embodiment may have a juicing step of obtaining a juice from green leafy vegetables after the pan-frying step. In this juicing step, in addition to directly squeezing the green leafy vegetables after the pan-frying step, a method of adding water once to the green leafy vegetables to squeeze the juice while extracting the nutritional components in the green leafy vegetables, or a method of adding water once to finely divided green leafy vegetables to squeeze the juice while extracting the nutritional components in the green leafy vegetables can be used.

The squeezing method is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include decanter centrifugal squeezing, screw press squeezing, belt squeezing, and filtration squeezing. The juice obtained in the squeezing step may be concentrated to a desired concentration in a concentration step. The concentration method is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include a method in which water is evaporated under reduced pressure.

When obtaining a powder during the production process of a green food or beverage composition, in addition to the method of obtaining a powder by pulverizing green leafy vegetables through the refining step and drying step as described above, a juice may be obtained through a juicing step and then dried to obtain a powder.

[Green food and drink composition]
The green food and drink composition of this embodiment is obtained by the above-mentioned method for producing a green food and drink composition. The form of the green food and drink composition is not particularly limited, but for example, it can be a powder of green leafy vegetables. Examples of the green leafy vegetable composition include those in the form of a powder, liquid, paste, or other solid or liquid form, or foods containing green leafy vegetables in these forms as raw materials. It may also be used as a raw material for other packaged beverages.

By undergoing the pan-frying process, the green food and beverage composition of this embodiment is of superior quality, as it does not destroy or lose nutrients as much as boiling would.

[Method for suppressing loss of nutritional components in green food and beverage compositions]
The method for suppressing a decrease in nutritional components of a green food or beverage composition of this embodiment includes a pan-frying step of heating green leafy raw vegetables at 200 to 400° C. for 20 to 240 seconds. Each step of the method for suppressing a decrease in nutritional components can be the same as the above-mentioned production method.

The present invention will be described in more detail below using examples and comparative examples. The present invention is not limited in any way by the following examples.

[Reference example (chilled fresh leaves)]
600 g of fresh young barley leaves, refrigerated at 4°C for 1.5 days immediately after harvest, were cut to an average length of 5.0 cm, and then washed in a tank containing 10 times the amount of water as the fresh leaves. The washed leaves were dehydrated for 1 minute at 1,350 rpm in a centrifugal dehydrator, frozen in a deep freezer (Nippon Freezer, CLN-52UW) (-85°C), and freeze-dried overnight using a vacuum freeze-drying device (TAITEC, VD-800R). The dried leaves were crushed for 30 seconds in a food processor (Iwatani, Silent MILLSER), and then crushed for 30 seconds at 25 Hz in a ball mill (Restch, MM400 (crushing set: stainless steel)).

[Example (roasted leaves)]
600 g of fresh young barley leaves, refrigerated at 4°C for 1.5 days immediately after harvest, were cut to an average length of 5.0 cm, and then washed in a tank containing 10 times the amount of water as the fresh leaves. The washed leaves were dehydrated for 1 minute at 1,350 rpm in a centrifugal dehydrator, and then heated at 300°C for 120 seconds using a cylindrical tea kettle (roasting process). The leaves removed from the kettle were dehydrated for 1 minute at 1,350 rpm in a centrifugal dehydrator, and then dried for 2 hours at 70°C in a household shelf-type food dryer. The dried leaves were crushed for 30 seconds in a food processor, and then further crushed for 30 seconds at 25 Hz in a ball mill.

[Comparative Example 1 (Steamed Leaves)]
600 g of fresh young barley leaves, refrigerated at 4°C for 1.5 days immediately after harvest, were cut to an average length of 5.0 cm, and then washed in a tank containing 10 times the amount of water as the fresh leaves. The washed leaves were dehydrated for 1 minute at 1,350 rpm in a centrifugal dehydrator, and then heated at 100°C for 180 seconds using a steamer. The leaves removed from the kettle were dehydrated for 1 minute at 1,350 rpm in a centrifugal dehydrator, and then placed in a household shelf-type food dryer and dried at 70°C for 2 hours. The dried leaves were crushed for 30 seconds in a food processor, and then further crushed for 30 seconds at 25 Hz in a ball mill.

Comparative Example 2 (boiled leaves)
600 g of fresh young barley leaves, refrigerated at 4°C for 1.5 days immediately after harvest, were cut to an average length of 5.0 cm, then washed in a tank containing 10 times the amount of water as the fresh leaves. The washed leaves were dehydrated for 1 minute at 1,350 rpm in a centrifugal dehydrator, and then heated at 100°C for 180 seconds in a pot containing 10 times the amount of boiling water as the fresh leaves. The leaves removed from the kettle were dehydrated for 1 minute at 1,350 rpm in a centrifugal dehydrator, and then dried for 2 hours at 70°C in a household shelf-type food dryer. The dried leaves were crushed for 30 seconds in a food processor, and then further crushed for 30 seconds at 25 Hz in a ball mill.

The sugar, free amino acid and organic acid contents per dry weight of the four types of leaves obtained as described above - refrigerated raw leaves, roasted leaves, steamed leaves and boiled leaves - were measured using the methods described below. The results are shown in Figures 1 to 3. As a result, it was found that the roasted leaves had the second highest content of free amino acids and organic acids, after the refrigerated raw leaves.

1. Method for measuring sugars 50 mg of each pulverized sample was suspended in 50 mL of water to prepare an aqueous solution, which was then held in a hot bath at 80°C for 30 minutes to extract the components of the pulverized sample into the water. The resulting extract was measured using an ion chromatography device, Dionex ICS-5000+ (ThermoFisher SCIENTIFIC). The "sugars" to be measured here were glucose, fructose, stachyose, cellobiose, raffinose, and maltose.

2. Method for measuring free amino acids 50 mg of each ground sample was suspended in 50 mL of water to prepare an aqueous solution, which was then held in a warm bath at 80°C for 30 minutes to extract the components of the ground sample into water. The resulting extract was measured by an automatic pre-column derivatization method using HPLC. The "free amino acids" to be measured here were glutamine, glutamic acid, asparagine, aspartic acid, serine, alanine, arginine, methionine, tryptophan, and GABA.
Column: CAPCELLPAK C18 TYPE AQ (3.0 mm i.d. x 150 mm) (Osaka Soda Co., Ltd.)
Equipment: Waters HPLC

3. Method for measuring organic acids 50 mg of each ground sample was suspended in 50 mL of water to prepare an aqueous solution, which was then held in a warm bath at 80°C for 30 minutes to extract the components of the ground sample into the water. The resulting extract was measured using a Prominence organic acid analysis system (Shimadzu Corporation). The "organic acids" to be measured here were citric acid, malic acid, succinic acid, acetic acid, lactic acid, formic acid, and phosphoric acid.

The present invention has industrial applicability as a method for producing a green food and beverage composition.

Claims (4)

The process involves roasting young barley leaves at 250-385°C for 30-180 seconds .
A method for producing a green food or beverage composition. The roasting process is carried out in a rotating cylindrical kettle.
A method for producing the green food and beverage composition according to claim 1. The green food and beverage composition according to claim 1 or 2,
Green food and drink composition. The process involves roasting barley leaves at 250-385°C for 30-180 seconds .
The nutritional components contained in the green food and beverage composition include at least one selected from the group consisting of sugars, free amino acids, and organic acids.
Methods for reducing decline.