JP7591788B2 - Powdered ingredients and their usage - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a powdered food ingredient and a method for using the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to a powdered food ingredient containing large dry ingredients that are applied to food and a method for using the same.

Some foods are eaten as is, but many foods are eaten with a main ingredient and a side ingredient that changes the taste, texture, etc. In foods that use such side ingredients, it is desirable to be able to bring both of them to the mouth at the same time due to the above-mentioned effects, and a technology is required to prevent the main ingredient and side ingredient from separating.
For example, in recent years, a method of eating has been adopted in which powdered seasoning is added to a paper bag containing freshly fried French fries and the paper bag is shaken to impart the powdered seasoning to the French fries, thereby obtaining a flavor that cannot be obtained from the French fries alone.
Furthermore, as a technique for preventing separation between side ingredients, the following Patent Documents 1 to 4 disclose a technique for preventing separation between dried ingredients and seasoning powders having different particle sizes.

JP 2017-012148 A JP 2017-012149 A JP 2017-012150 A JP 2017-012151 A

In the above-mentioned method of eating French fries, French fries are the main ingredient and powdered seasonings and the like are the side ingredients, which are then attached to the main ingredient before eating. However, with this method, the side ingredients are attached via the oil present on the surface of the freshly fried French fries, making it difficult to attach large ingredients. In other words, the side ingredients that can be used are limited to very small granular materials such as powdered seasonings, and there is a problem in that large ingredients that would affect the texture as a topping cannot be used.

According to Patent Documents 1 to 4, when a side ingredient is made up of multiple types of ingredients with different particle sizes, it is possible to prevent ingredients with similar particle sizes from clumping together, resulting in non-uniform taste and texture. This makes it possible to form a side ingredient with a more uniform taste and texture. This technology is also excellent in that it allows the use of large ingredients that can have a significant effect on texture as ingredients that make up the side ingredient. On the other hand, the main ingredients exemplified in the above patent documents are, for example, salad in Patent Document 1, somen noodles in Patent Document 2, stir-fried vegetables in Patent Document 3, and ochazuke, udon, boiled noodles, corn soup, soup pasta, etc. in Patent Document 4. All of these ingredients contain abundant moisture, and if the side ingredients are able to hold together, it can be said that they will be attached to the main ingredient unintentionally.

However, it has been found that, for example, when the above-mentioned French fries are selected as the main ingredient and the toppings according to the techniques of Patent Documents 1 to 4 are selected as the side ingredient and the two are mixed, it is difficult for the side ingredient to adhere to the main ingredient. More specifically, there are French fries and boiled vegetables such as boiled edamame that are sold as frozen foods these days, and these can be easily made edible by heating them in a microwave oven, but they tend to change in taste and have a poor texture. Therefore, if such ingredients are used as the main ingredient and a side ingredient that can change the taste and texture is added and can be successfully attached to the main ingredient, it is preferable because it can be transformed into a food with a new taste and texture that cannot be obtained with the main ingredient alone. However, ingredients that can change the texture are often large ingredients, and there is a problem in that it is difficult to create a situation in which the main ingredient, which has poor adhesion by itself, can be sufficiently attached and maintained while being brought to the mouth.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide a powdered food ingredient and a method for using the same that can contain large dried ingredients and more reliably attach the dried ingredients to food.

The inventors who disclosed the technologies of the above Patent Documents 1 to 4 worked on developing ingredients that would change the taste and texture of food, as described above, but found that it would be difficult to achieve this by attaching large dried ingredients to food because of conflicting factors. Specifically, by imparting adhesive properties (stickiness, etc.) to the food to be attached (food to be affixed), it was possible to improve the accuracy of attachment regardless of the properties of the food to be affixed (food to be affixed).
However, when stickiness is simply imparted, when a food with a dried ingredient is picked up, the stickiness is transferred to the hand or the pick-up tool (such as chopsticks), causing an unpleasant feeling, and the flavor and texture may be transferred to other foods eaten together. In addition, it has been found that the sticky component produces a rough texture and the taste change is buried. On the other hand, it has been found that, for example, when stickiness is imparted using a component with a small molecular weight, a sweet taste is produced and the taste change is monotonous. It has been found that many problems occur when trying to improve the adhesion while reducing the dependency on the food to be impregnated. As a result of investigating components that can improve the adhesion accuracy while suppressing these problems, it has been found that by using a starch hydrolyzate having a predetermined dextrose equivalent (hereinafter also simply referred to as "DE value") together with the dried ingredient, the adhesion accuracy can be significantly improved while suppressing the problems, and the present invention has been completed.

That is, the present invention is as follows.
[1] The powdered food material of the present invention is a powdered food material containing a dried ingredient to be added to food,
The dried ingredient has a maximum length of 3 mm or more,
The adhesive component is characterized by containing a starch hydrolyzate having a dextrose equivalent of 2 to 25.
[2] In the powdered food material of the present invention, the bulk density of the dried ingredient can be set to 0.1 to 0.8 g/ ^cm3 .
[3] In the powdered food material of the present invention, the dried ingredients can be dried vegetables.
[4] In the powdered food material of the present invention, the dried vegetables may be selected from the group consisting of onion, garlic, and leek.
[5] The powdered food material of the present invention may contain 5 to 50% by mass of the dried ingredients relative to 100% by mass of the total powdered food material.
[6] The powdered food material of the present invention may contain 1.5 to 13 parts by mass of the attachment component per 100 parts by mass of the total dried ingredient.
[7] In the powdered food material of the present invention, the food may be a heat-treated food.
[8] In the powdered food material of the present invention, the heat-treated food can be a thawed frozen food.
[9] A method for using a powdered food material of the present invention is characterized by comprising an adding step of adding the powdered food material to a food that has been heat-treated.
[10] In the method for using the powdered food material of the present invention, the heat-treated food can be a thawed frozen food.

The powdered food material of the present invention can more reliably impregnate large dry ingredients to the food (implanted food). Therefore, by using this powdered food material, the food (implanted food) can be transformed into a food (implanted food) with a new taste and texture that cannot be obtained by the powdered food material alone.
According to the method of using the powdered food material of the present invention, it is possible to more reliably impregnate large dry ingredients to a heat-treated food (implanted food). Therefore, it is possible to change the food (implanted food) into a food (implanted food) that has a new taste and texture that cannot be obtained by itself.

The present invention will be described below based on specific embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. These embodiments are merely examples shown for the sake of convenience, and the present invention is not limited to these in any sense. The present invention can be modified in various ways depending on the purpose and application. In addition, all publications, patents, and patent applications cited in this specification are incorporated herein by reference as they are.
In addition, in this specification, the description "XX to YY" means "XX or more and YY or less."

[1] Powdered Food Material The powdered food material of the present invention is a powdered food material containing a dried ingredient to be added to food,
The dried ingredient has a maximum length of 3 mm or more,
The adhesive component is characterized by containing a starch hydrolyzate having a dextrose equivalent of 2 to 25.

The powdered food ingredient of the present invention is a food (food to be affixed) that does not contain the food to be affixed (food to be affixed) and is stored separately from the food to be affixed. Even if stored separately, the powdered food ingredient can be sprinkled on the food to be affixed at any time. In other words, the powdered food ingredient is not affixed depending on the food to be affixed, but high adhesion can be obtained by suppressing dependency on the food to be affixed. Furthermore, the addition of the powdered food ingredient can create an excellent adhesion state for the food to be affixed. In other words, the large dry ingredients contained in the powdered food ingredient are sufficiently affixed to the food to be affixed, and this state can be maintained as the food is carried to the mouth.
On the other hand, the addition of the powdered food ingredient suppresses the sticky feeling, and the sticky transfer to the hand or pick-up tool when picked up can be suppressed. Therefore, when eaten with various foods, the flavor and texture can be suppressed from transferring to other foods. Furthermore, the burying of the taste change imparted by the powdered food ingredient and the rough texture can be suppressed, while the sweetness can be suppressed from becoming strong, and the taste change imparted by the powdered food ingredient can be prevented from becoming monotonous. In particular, when an attachment component having a predetermined DE is used, in addition to the above effects, the food is suppressed from clumping, and the food to which the powdered food ingredient is attached can be maintained in a state in which it can be appropriately picked up in an easy-to-eat size. That is, for example, it can be said that a state in which it is easy to pick up with one hand can be maintained. Furthermore, by suppressing the sticky feeling, the chewing feeling can be suppressed when chewing.

(1) Dried ingredients Dried ingredients are ingredients in a dry state. Because they are ingredients in a dry state, they can be chewed in the mouth to impart a certain texture, and can have a significant effect on the food to which they are added, particularly in terms of texture.
The ingredients constituting the dried ingredients are not limited and may be any ingredients, such as vegetables, seaweed, mushrooms, meat, seafood, fruits, etc. That is, dried vegetables, dried seaweed, dried mushrooms, dried meat, dried seafood, dried fruits, etc. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among these, vegetables, seaweed and/or mushrooms are preferred, and vegetables are more preferred.

Of the above, examples of vegetables include root vegetables, leafy stem vegetables, and fruit vegetables. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. In the present invention, among these, root vegetables and/or leafy stem vegetables can be preferably used.

Examples of root vegetables include, but are not limited to, onion, garlic, carrot, burdock, ginger, shallot, turnip, Japanese radish, potato, taro, sweet potato, yam, etc. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.
Examples of leafy vegetables include, but are not limited to, green onions, Chinese chives, Japanese ginger, asparagus, spinach, kohlrabi, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, bok choy, molokheiya, komatsuna, rapeseed, mizuna, lettuce, etc. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.
Examples of fruit vegetables include, but are not limited to, tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, green peppers, paprika, edamame, kidney beans, broad beans, peas, soybeans, black beans, adzuki beans, green peas, nutmeg, corn, etc. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

Among the above, vegetables with strong flavors are preferred, and vegetables belonging to the Allium genus of the Amaryllidaceae family can be used preferably. Specific examples include onions, garlic, and green onions. Furthermore, specific varieties are not limited. For example, onions include yellow onions, white onions, new onions, red onions, green onions, pearl onions, and shallots. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Furthermore, garlic includes white garlic, black garlic, cold-climate garlic, and warm-climate garlic. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Furthermore, green onions include white green onions, green green onions, Kujo green onions, Shimonita green onions, chives, scallions, leeks, red green onions, and sprout green onions. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Furthermore, spices and dried herbs are examples of dried ingredients derived from plants that are not included in the above-mentioned vegetables but have a strong flavor in common. Spices include chili pepper, Japanese pepper (Japanese pepper leaf and Japanese pepper fruit), ginger, mustard, perilla, perilla fruit, knotweed, knotweed fruit, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, dill seeds, fenugreek seeds, etc. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Dried herbs include rosemary, bay leaf, parsley, thyme, basil, coriander, cilantro, tarragon, fennel, dill, chives, oregano, chamomile, arugula, selvatica, lemon balm, lemon verbena, lemongrass, mallow, lavender, etc. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Examples of seaweed include brown algae, red algae, and green algae. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more types. Specific examples of brown algae include, but are not limited to, wakame, kombu, mozuku, tsurumo, sujime, kajime, kurome, and arame, and examples of red algae such as nori, and examples of green algae such as nori.

Furthermore, mushrooms (edible mushrooms) are preferably cultivated varieties, and examples include, but are not limited to, shiitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, maitake mushrooms, buna-shimeji mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms, nameko mushrooms, brown mushrooms, porcini mushrooms, etc. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

Examples of livestock meat include, but are not limited to, meat from animals such as beef, pork, horse, goat, and sheep; poultry meat such as chicken, duck, turkey, guinea fowl, goose, ostrich, and quail, and eggs from these animals; and processed products thereof (bacon, dried meat, cooked mince, smoked products, etc.). These may be used alone or in combination of two or more types.

Furthermore, seafood includes fish, shellfish, crustaceans, and cephalopods, each of which may be marine, freshwater, or brackish.
Among the above, the fishes are not limited and include edible fishes, such as blue fishes (flying flying fish, horse mackerel, sardines, pacific saury, mackerel, etc.), sea bream, salmon, cod, Atka mackerel, bonito, tuna, goby, etc., and processed products thereof (dried fish, cooked mince, smoked products, etc.). These may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.
Examples of shellfish include, but are not limited to, clams, cockles, mussels, scallops, oysters, abalone, turban shells, and processed products thereof (dried fish, heated minced fish, smoked products, etc.). These may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.
Examples of cephalopods include, but are not limited to, squid, octopus, and processed products thereof (dried fish, cooked mince, smoked products, etc.) These may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.
Examples of crustaceans include, but are not limited to, shrimp, crab, krill, and processed products thereof (dried fish, heated minced fish, smoked products, etc.). These may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

The degree of dryness of the dried ingredient is not limited, but the moisture content (mass basis) is preferably, for example, 15% or less. A small moisture content can have a significant effect on the texture of the food to which it is applied, as well as the taste, and can prevent the coexisting applied components from becoming sticky. This moisture content is more preferably 12% or less, and even more preferably 8% or less. The smaller the moisture content, the more significant the effect on the texture of the food to which it is applied. The lower limit of this moisture content is not limited, but is usually 0.1% or more, and can be 1% or more.
The moisture percentage (moisture content) is measured by the normal pressure drying method, the reduced pressure drying method, or the distillation method. In the normal pressure drying method, a forced air circulation dryer is used to heat the sample by convection, conduction, or radiation, and the weight loss of the sample when dried at a constant temperature for a certain period of time is analyzed as the moisture content.

The general shape of the dried ingredients is not limited, and examples thereof include a long shape, a block shape, a flat shape, a ring shape, etc. Among these, examples of long shapes include a columnar shape (including a linear columnar shape, a distorted columnar shape, etc.), a plate shape (including a flat plate shape, a distorted plate shape, etc.), a fibrous shape (including a linear fibrous shape, a distorted fibrous shape, etc.), and a needle shape. That is, for example, onions, garlic, green onions, etc. can be sliced or minced into long dried ingredients. Among the above-mentioned mushrooms, for example, among the long dried ingredients, can be made into a plate-shaped dried ingredient.
Furthermore, examples of the block shape include a cube shape (including an approximately accurate cube shape, a distorted cube shape, etc.), a rectangular parallelepiped shape (including an approximately accurate rectangular parallelepiped shape, a distorted rectangular parallelepiped shape, etc.), an amorphous block shape, etc. That is, for example, mushrooms can be cut into blocks to produce a block-shaped dried ingredient.

The flat shape includes a scale shape (including flat scale shapes, distorted scale shapes, etc.). That is, for example, slices of onion, garlic, green onion, and mushrooms can be used as flat dried ingredients.
Further, examples of the ring shape include a circular ring shape, a distorted circular ring shape, an elliptical ring shape, a distorted elliptical ring shape, etc. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. That is, for example, slices of green onions, etc. can be made into a ring-shaped dried ingredient.

Among the above, when a long shape and/or a ring shape is used, the effects of the present invention can be more suitably enjoyed.
As described above, in order to obtain a sufficient effect of having a significant effect on the taste of the food to which the dried ingredient is applied, as well as on the texture, the maximum length of the dried ingredient is set to 3 mm or more. This maximum length may be 3.5 mm or more, 4.0 mm or more, 4.5 mm or more, 5.0 mm or more, or 5.5 mm or more. The larger the maximum length, the greater the effect on the texture tends to be. Also, the texture tends to be maintained for a longer period of time. On the other hand, although sufficient application can usually be obtained for dried ingredients with a maximum length of 40 mm or less, the maximum length is preferably 30 mm or less, and more preferably 20 mm or less. The dried ingredient may be large, but if it is too large, the taste and texture of the food to which the dried ingredient is applied may be changed excessively.

The maximum length of the dried ingredients is determined by measuring the maximum length of 50 randomly selected dried ingredients from the powdered food material, and the average of the measurements is the maximum length of the dried ingredients.

The bulk density of the dried ingredient is not limited, but may be, for example, 0.8 g/cm3 or ^less , and preferably 0.75 g/cm3 ^or less. The small bulk density can have a significant effect on the taste of the food to which it is attached, as well as on the texture. The bulk density is more preferably 0.70 g/cm3 or ^less , more preferably 0.65 g/cm3 or ^less , particularly preferably 0.60 g/cm3 or ^less , and particularly preferably 0.55 g/ ^cm3 or less. The smaller the bulk density, the larger the individual size of the dried ingredient, and the more significant the effect on the taste of the food to which it is attached, as well as on the texture. The lower limit of the bulk density is not limited, but is usually 0.1 g/ ^cm3 or more, and can be 0.15 g/ ^cm3 or more, and can be 0.18 g/cm3 or ^more .
The bulk specific gravity is a value measured by the method shown in the examples described later.

The amount of dry ingredients contained in the powdered food material (100% by mass) is not limited, but can be, for example, 50% by mass or less. This amount can be further set to 47% by mass or less, further set to 43% by mass or less, or further set to 40% by mass or less. On the other hand, the lower limit of this amount is not limited, but can be 5% by mass or more, 10% by mass or more, further set to 15% by mass or more, or set to 20% by mass or more.

(2) Adhering Component The adhering component is a component for adhering a dry ingredient (adhering food) to a food (adhered food), and contains a starch hydrolyzate having a dextrose equivalent of 2 to 25.

It is preferable that the adhering component does not have any adhering ability (e.g., stickiness) before coming into contact with the food to be affixed. This is because it can prevent the dry ingredients from clumping together before coming into contact with the food to be affixed. Therefore, it is preferable that the component has the property of being able to exert its adhering ability upon contact with the food to be affixed. From this perspective, in the present invention, a starch hydrolysate is used as the adhering component. In other words, by being a starch hydrolysate, the component does not exert its adhering ability before coming into contact with the food to be affixed, but exerts its adhering ability through the presence of moisture, etc., upon contact with the food to be affixed.

The properties of the impregnating component are not limited, but it is preferably in a powder form (powdered, granular, etc.). That is, the impregnating component is preferably a powdered starch hydrolysate. By being in a powder form, it is possible to improve the dispersibility in the powdered food material and increase its surface area. This makes it possible to improve the impregnating performance when necessary. When the impregnating component is in a powder form, it may be a primary powder (single particle powder) or a secondary powder (granular powder, agglomerated particle powder, etc.). When it is a secondary powder, it may be a secondary powder formed by natural agglomeration or a secondary powder formed by various operations such as granulation. Furthermore, when the powdered food material contains other powder components in addition to the impregnating component, the secondary powder may be a secondary powder containing both the impregnating component and the other powder components. Furthermore, the secondary powder may be flavored or seasoned.

Furthermore, since the impregnating component is a starch hydrolysate with a dextrose equivalent of 2 to 25, the powdered food material can be sprinkled on the food to be impregnated at the appropriate time to exert its impregnating performance. This effect is usually exerted by the small amount of moisture contained in the food to be impregnated. That is, the food (food to be impregnated) contains moisture even if it is small, and the moisture can be brought out by heating in a microwave oven (microwave up) or the like. In other words, a state in which water evaporates from inside the food to the outside of the food can be created. By creating such a state, the evaporated water acts on the starch hydrolysate to cause stickiness, and this stickiness exerts the impregnating performance. Furthermore, since the starch hydrolysate has a specified DE value, it can exert the performance of being able to sufficiently impregnate large dry ingredients to the food to be impregnated. That is, it is not impregnated depending on the food to be impregnated, but rather it is possible to suppress the dependency on the food to be impregnated and obtain high impregnating performance, and it is possible to maintain the state in which large dry ingredients are impregnated to the food to be impregnated, making it possible to carry the food to the mouth.

This starch hydrolyzate may be derived from any starch, and there are no limitations on the type and molecular weight of the raw starch. Examples of raw starches include potato, sweet potato, corn, wheat, rice, sago, tapioca, cassava, etc. Furthermore, these raw starches may be waxy or non-waxy, and may be processed starches (puffing treatment, gelatinization treatment (gelatinization treatment), heat treatment, roasting treatment, bleaching treatment, chemical treatment, etc.) or unprocessed starches. These raw starches may be used alone or in combination of two or more types.

In addition, by using a starch hydrolysate with a DE value of more than 5 as the impregnating component, it is possible to prevent the impregnated foods from clumping together due to the addition of the powdered food ingredient. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a state in which the food to which the powdered food ingredient is impregnated (a food in which the impregnated food ingredient and the powdered food ingredient are mixed) can be picked up appropriately in an easy-to-eat size, for example, in a state in which it is easy to pick up with one hand. Furthermore, by using a starch hydrolysate with a DE value of more than 5, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of excessive stickiness and to suppress the chewing sensation when chewing. In addition, it is possible to prevent the transfer of stickiness to the hand or pick-up tool when picking up the food (a food in which the impregnated food ingredient and the powdered food ingredient are mixed). Therefore, when it is eaten together with various foods, it is possible to prevent the transfer of flavor and texture to other foods. Furthermore, while suppressing the rough texture, when a vegetable with a strong flavor is used as a dried ingredient, the flavor can be fully brought out. In other words, it is possible to make it ...

In view of the above-mentioned action, the DE value of the starch hydrolyzate constituting the attachment component may be 25 or less, and examples of such starch hydrolyzates include those called powdered candy, maltodextrin, dextrin, etc. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.
Furthermore, from the viewpoint of more significantly suppressing adhesion between dried ingredients and between adhering foods, as well as the formation of clumps in foods, and more significantly suppressing the transfer of stickiness to the hands or pick-up tools when the food is picked up, the above-mentioned DE value can be 6 or more, further 8 or more, further 10 or more, or further 11 or more.

In addition, by using a starch hydrolysate with a DE value of 25 or less, the taste changes imparted by the powdered food material can be prevented from being overshadowed, the sweetness can be prevented from becoming too strong, and the taste changes imparted by the powdered food material can be prevented from becoming monotonous.
In this way, from the viewpoint of suppressing the impact on taste while preventing the change in taste from becoming monotonous, the DE value should be 25 or less, but can also be 22 or less, further can be 20 or less, further can be 18 or less, further can be 17 or less, further can be 16 or less, and further can be 15 or less.

The upper and lower limits of the DE value mentioned above can be set independently or in any suitable combination to create a range, but in the case of this powdered food material, for example, it can be set to 6 to 25, with 6 to 22 being preferred, 8 to 20 being more preferred, 8 to 18 being even more preferred, 10 to 16 being particularly preferred, and 10 to 15 being especially preferred. Within these preferred ranges, the above-mentioned effects can be more significantly achieved.

That is, for example, starch hydrolysates manufactured by Sanwa Starch Industry Co., Ltd., such as "Sandeck #30" (DE value = 3.5), "Sandeck #2" (DE value = 11), and "Sandeck #150" (DE value = 16.5); starch hydrolysates manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., such as "Pinex #2" (DE value = 10-12), "Glister P" (DE value = 15), "Pinex #4" (DE value = 18-20), and "Pinex #100" (DE value = 2-5); starch hydrolysates manufactured by Showa Sangyo Co., Ltd., such as "VIANDEX-BH" (DE value = 7-11); starch hydrolysates manufactured by Ezaki Glico Co., Ltd., such as "Cluster Dextrin" (DE value < 5); and starch hydrolysates manufactured by J-Oil Mills, Inc., such as "FZ-100" (DE value = 4). These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The DE value is an index of the degree of starch decomposition, and represents the proportion of reducing sugars produced in the starch hydrolysate. In other words, all reducing sugars constituting the starch hydrolysate are converted into the amount of glucose, and this proportion is expressed as a mass % relative to the dry solids content of the entire starch hydrolysate. The higher the DE value, the higher the proportion of reducing sugars constituting the starch hydrolysate, indicating a higher degree of decomposition. On the other hand, the lower the DE value, the lower the proportion of reducing sugars constituting the starch hydrolysate, indicating a lower degree of decomposition.

The DE value of the impregnated component contained in the powdered food material can be measured, for example, by the following method. That is, 2.5 g of the impregnated component is dissolved in water to obtain 200 mL of the aqueous solution of the impregnated component. 10 mL of this aqueous solution is weighed out, and 10 mL of 0.04 mol/L iodine solution and 15 mL of 0.04 mol/L sodium hydroxide aqueous solution are added to form an aqueous solution, which is left in the dark for 20 minutes. Next, 5 mL of 2 mol/L hydrochloric acid is added to the aqueous solution after standing, and then titrated with 0.04 mol/L sodium thiosulfate solution. When the solution turns slightly yellow near the end point of the titration, 2 drops of starch indicator are added to continue the titration, and the point at which the color of the solution disappears is regarded as the end point of the titration. Meanwhile, a blank test is separately performed. The DE calculated by the following formula is regarded as the dextrose equivalent.
DE = (b - a) x f x 3.602 / (1/1000) / (200/10) / {A x (100 - B) / 100} x 100
In the above formula, "a" is the titration value (mL), "b" is the blank value (mL), "f" is the factor value of the sodium thiosulfate solution, "A" is the weighed amount of the sample (g), and "B" is the moisture value of the sample (%).

In this powdered food material, the content of the attachment component is not limited, but is preferably 1.5 parts by mass or more when the total dried ingredients are taken as 100 parts by mass. By having this content of 1.5 parts by mass or more, it is possible to attach large dried ingredients to the food particularly reliably. This content is further preferably 2 parts by mass or more, further preferably 3 parts by mass or more, further preferably 4 parts by mass or more, and further preferably 8 parts by mass or more. Within these preferred ranges, high attachment performance can be obtained while suppressing various conflicting factors in a well-balanced manner.

On the other hand, the upper limit of the content of the adhesion component is not limited, but is usually 30 parts by mass or less. Although it may be contained in an amount exceeding 25 parts by mass, the object of the present invention can be achieved in the range of 22 parts by mass or less. This content is further preferably 18 parts by mass or less. In these preferred ranges, it is possible to obtain high adhesion performance while suppressing various conflicting factors in a well-balanced manner.

(3) Other ingredients The powdered foodstuff may contain ingredients other than the dried ingredients and the impregnated ingredients. Examples of other ingredients include seasoning ingredients, aroma ingredients, food additives (excluding impregnated ingredients), etc. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

Examples of seasoning ingredients include spices (pepper, wasabi, etc.), umami seasonings (monosodium glutamate, sodium inosinate, etc.), seasonings (miso, soy sauce, sauce, vinegar, etc.), flavor oils, acidulants, salts (table salt, rock salt, bittern, etc.), and sugars (glucose, sugar, fructose, etc.). These seasoning ingredients may be contained separately from the impregnating ingredients, or may be granulated together with the impregnating ingredients. These ingredients may be used alone or in combination of two or more.
Examples of the flavoring component include citrus fruits (yuzu, sudachi, kabosu, daidai, etc.), teas (matcha, green tea, black tea, etc.), etc. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

Food additives include antioxidants, preservatives, and colorants. These raw starches may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among these, antioxidants include vitamin C, vitamin E, tocopherol, tea extract, green coffee bean extract, chlorogenic acid, spice extract, caffeic acid, rosemary extract, vitamin C palmitate, rutin, quercetin, bayberry extract, sesame extract, etc. Furthermore, preservatives include ε-polylysine, potassium pyrosulfite, sodium sulfite, etc. Furthermore, colorants include caramel, gardenia, turmeric, paprika, anthocyanin pigments, safflower pigments, red koji pigments, turmeric pigments, carotene pigments, etc.

(4) Method for Producing Powdered Food Material The powdered food material may be produced in any manner, but can be produced by a method including a step of mixing the dry ingredients with the attachment components. In this step, for example, a machine for mixing dry powder or granules, such as a container-rotating mixer (e.g., a drum-type mixer, a screw-type mixer, etc.) or a container-fixed mixer (e.g., a ribbon-type mixer, a drum-type mixer, a screw-type mixer, etc.), can be used. The mixing may be carried out in one stage or in multiple stages.

(5) Use of the powdered food material The powdered food material may be used for any food, but is preferably used for heat-treated food. Heat treatment is preferably a method that can bring out the moisture contained in the food itself on the surface of the food, and/or a method that can add moisture to the surface of the food. That is, any method that can form a food with an appropriate moisture content is sufficient. More specifically, microwave heating, superheated steam heating, steam heating, boiling heating (boiling heating, heating in excess water followed by removal of the water, etc.), high-temperature storage heating (oven heating, etc.), heating in oil (fryer heating, deep-frying heating, etc.), hot air heating, etc. may be used alone or in combination of two or more of these.

The foods to be subjected to such heat treatment are not limited, and include vegetables, seafood, meat, flour products, and further, a mixture of one or more of these. More specifically, vegetables include potatoes (french fries, potato shreds, etc.), beans (edamame, green peas, etc.), boiled vegetables, broccoli, spinach, etc. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. In addition, seafood includes fried white fish, scallops (scallops, etc.), seafood mix (a mixture of two or more of shrimp, squid, octopus, shellfish, etc.), etc. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Furthermore, meat includes sausage, boiled egg, fried chicken, nuggets, fried chicken, meatballs, roasted pork, etc. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. In addition, flour products include pasta, macaroni, etc. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.
Furthermore, each of the above-mentioned foods can be used as, for example, frozen foods or non-frozen foods. Among the above, examples of frozen foods include frozen french fries, frozen boiled vegetables (frozen edamame, frozen broccoli, frozen potatoes, frozen spinach, etc.), frozen pasta, frozen macaroni, frozen sausages, frozen fried chicken, frozen nuggets, frozen fried chicken, etc. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Among the above, the present powdered food ingredient is particularly suitable for use in frozen foods as the food to be coated. Furthermore, it is even more suitable for frozen foods that are eaten by pinching them. Such frozen foods can be made to evaporate a large amount of the moisture contained therein from the surface when heated in a microwave oven, and by applying the present powdered food ingredient in such a state, a more suitable coated state can be formed. When using frozen foods as the food to be coated, the method of use is not limited, but the present powdered food ingredient can be used as a method of using a powdered food ingredient that includes an addition step of adding the present powdered food ingredient to frozen foods that have been heated in a microwave oven. In other words, the present powdered food ingredient can be used as a topping for frozen foods that have been reheated in the microwave.

The powdered food material may be added to the food to be affixed in any manner, but can be sprinkled or mixed in after being sprinkled. When applying the powdered food material, the moisture content of the food to be affixed is not limited, but it is preferable that it is not excessively high. Specifically, the moisture content (by mass) of the food to be affixed is preferably 50% or less. This moisture content may be more than 50%, but by being 50% or less, it is possible to prevent the affixed components from flowing due to excess moisture, making it easier to form a suitable affixed state. This moisture content can further be 45% or less, and can be 40% or less. The lower limit of the moisture content of the food to be affixed is not limited, but it is usually 10% or more, and can be, for example, 15% or more.

Specific examples of the powdered food ingredient include toppings, furikake, mixed rice base, rice ball base, and seasoning powder. Of these, the powdered food is preferably a topping.

The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples. However, these examples are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the present invention in any way.

[1] Preparation of Powdered Food Material The components shown below were mixed in the ratios shown in Table 1 to obtain powdered food materials of Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2.

(1) Dried ingredients Dried ingredients: onion slices, maximum length 25 mm (16 mesh on), bulk density 0.23 g/cm ³ , moisture content 7% or less.

The bulk density of the dried ingredients was measured as follows. That is, a funnel and a storage cup (cone shape with an opening diameter of 50 mm and a height of 53 mm, converted to a volume of 104 ^cm3 ) were set so that the bottom end of the funnel and the top end of the storage cup were spaced 5 cm apart. After that, the measurement sample was excessively stored in the storage cup through the funnel, and then a leveling operation was performed once at the top opening of the storage cup. Then, the mass of the measurement sample stored in the storage cup was measured, and the value divided by the volume of the cup was calculated. The same operation was repeated three times, and the average value of the calculated values was taken as the bulk density.

(2) Adhesive components Adhesive component 1: dextrin with a DE value of 2 to 5 Adhesive component 2: dextrin with a DE value of 13
Adhesive component 3: dextrin with a DE value of 25,
・Adhesive component 4: Glucose with a DE value of 99 ・Adhesive component 5: Starch

(3) Recipe and Other Ingredients Salts, spices, seasonings and sugars were mixed in the following recipes.
For 100% by weight of powdered ingredients,
Dried ingredients (onion slices): 30% by mass
Adhesive component: 4% by mass
Salts (table salt): 10% by mass
Spices (chili pepper): 26% by mass
Seasonings (monosodium glutamate, onion extract powder): 20% by mass
Saccharides (sugar): 10% by mass

[2] Evaluation of powdered food ingredients (1) Preparation of test foods 18 g each of the powdered food ingredients of Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 obtained in [1] above was sprinkled onto (1) 100 g of frozen french fries that had been heated in a microwave oven and (2) 120 g of frozen edamame that had been heated in a microwave oven, and then similarly mixed at a speed of 2 to 4 times per second to obtain test foods 1-1 to 1-3 using the powdered food ingredient of Example 1, test foods 2-1 to 2-3 using the powdered food ingredient of Example 2, test foods 3-1 to 3-3 using the powdered food ingredient of Example 3, test foods 4-1 to 4-3 using the powdered food ingredient of Comparative Example 1, and test foods 5-1 to 5-3 using the powdered food ingredient of Comparative Example 2, as shown in Tables 1 and 2.

(2) Evaluation of test foods 1
Each test food obtained in (1) above was evaluated for the following items, and the results are shown in each evaluation column in Table 1. Before the test, all the inspectors evaluated a standard sample, standardized the scores of the evaluation criteria, and then conducted an objective inspection by five inspectors. The evaluation was performed according to the three-level criteria (2-1) to (2-2) shown below. Furthermore, the evaluation was performed by each inspector selecting one number from the three-level score that was closest to his or her own evaluation. The evaluation results were calculated as the arithmetic mean of the scores of the five inspectors (rounded off to the first decimal place), and the raw scores are shown in Table 2. Furthermore, the obtained raw scores were converted into "◎", "◯", "△", and "×" according to the following criteria and shown in Table 1.
◎: 4.0 points or more 〇: 3.0 points or more △: 2.0 points or more ×: 1.0 points or more

(2-1) Evaluation of the attachment state 5 points: The dried ingredients are attached evenly to the potato/edamame 3 points: The dried ingredients are attached slightly unevenly to the potato/edamame 1 point: The dried ingredients are attached very unevenly to the potato/edamame or not attached at all

(2-2) Evaluation of adhesion between admixed foods (evaluation of clumping)
5 points: Potatoes/edamame are not attached to each other 3 points: Potatoes/edamame are slightly attached to each other, but not in clumps 1 point: Potatoes/edamame are attached to each other and in clumps

(3) Evaluation of test foods 2
Each test food obtained in (1) above was evaluated for the following items, and the results are shown in each evaluation column in Table 3. Before the test, all sensory inspectors evaluated a standard sample, standardized the scores of the evaluation criteria, and then conducted an objective sensory inspection by five inspectors. The evaluation was performed according to the five-level criteria (3-1) to (3-5) shown below. The evaluation was performed by each inspector selecting one number from the five-level score that was closest to his or her own evaluation. The evaluation results were calculated as the arithmetic mean of the scores of the five inspectors (rounded off to the first decimal place), and the raw scores are shown in Table 4. Furthermore, the obtained raw scores were converted into "◎", "◯", "△", and "×" according to the following criteria and shown in Table 3.
Evaluation of taste: ◎: 4.0 points or more, 〇: 3.0 points or more, △: 2.0 points or less, ×: 1.0 points or more Evaluation of touch and texture: ◎: 4.0 points or more, 〇: 3.0 points or more, △: 2.0 points or more, ×: 1.0 points or more

(3-1) Taste: Intensity of spice flavor 5 points: Strong 4 points: Slightly strong 3 points: Slightly weak 2 points: Weak 1 point: Very weak

(3-2) Taste: Intensity of sweetness 5 points: not sweet 4 points: slightly not sweet 3 points: slightly sweet 2 points: sweet 1 point: very sweet

(3-3) Taste: Preference for sweetness 5 points: Preferred 4 points: Slightly preferred 3 points: Slightly unfavorable 2 points: Unfavorable 1 point: Very unfavorable

(3-4) Texture: Stickiness when touched 5 points: Not sticky, and fingers do not stick to each other 4 points: Slightly sticky, and fingers do not stick to each other 3 points: Sticky, but not unpleasant 2 points: Sticky enough that fingers stick to each other and it feels unpleasant 1 point: Sticky enough that fingers stick to each other and it feels unpleasant

(3-5) Texture: Roughness in the mouth when eating 5 points: Not rough at all 4 points: Slightly rough and not unpleasant 3 points: Rough but not unpleasant 2 points: Rough and unpleasant 1 point: Very rough and unpleasant

(4) Effects of the Examples In Examples 2 and 3, an excellent adhesion state can be formed on the food to which it is applied, and large dry ingredients contained in the powdered ingredients can be sufficiently adhered to the food to which it is applied and can be conveyed to the mouth while maintaining that state.
Furthermore, in Example 2, the addition of powdered ingredients can prevent food from becoming clumpy, and food to which powdered ingredients have been added can be maintained in an easily-eatable size that can be picked up as needed.
Furthermore, in Examples 1 to 3, the burying of the taste changes imparted by the powdered food ingredient and the granular texture can be suppressed, while the sweetness is also suppressed from becoming too strong, thereby preventing the taste changes imparted by the powdered food ingredient from becoming monotonous.

The powdered food material of the present invention is widely used in the food industry. Specifically, it is suitable for use as a topping, seasoning, rice mix, rice ball mix, seasoning powder, etc.

Claims (18)

A food ingredient to be applied to a microwave-heated food,
The present invention includes a dried ingredient and an attachment component,
The dried ingredient has a maximum length of 3 mm or more,
The impregnating component contains a starch hydrolyzate having a dextrose equivalent of 2 to 25,
The food material is characterized in that the amount of the attachment component is 1.5 to 13 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the total dried ingredient . The food material according to claim 1, wherein the dried ingredient has a bulk density of 0.1 to 0.8 g/ ^cm3 . The foodstuff according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dried ingredient is a dried vegetable. The food material according to claim 3, wherein the dried vegetables are selected from the group consisting of onion, garlic, and green onion. The food material according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which contains 5 to 50% by mass of the dried ingredient relative to 100% by mass of the entire food material. The food material according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the food is a thawed frozen food. 7. The foodstuff according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the dextrose equivalent is from 6 to 22. A method for using a food material, comprising the step of adding the food material according to any one of claims 1 to 7 to the food. adding moisture to the surface of the food by microwave heating;
and a step of forming an impregnated state by adding a food material containing an impregnating component to the food after the microwave oven heating,
The food material includes a dry ingredient and an attachment component,
The dried ingredient has a maximum length of 3 mm or more,
The impregnating component contains a starch hydrolyzate having a dextrose equivalent of 2 to 25,
The method for producing a food product, characterized in that the amount of the attachment component is 1.5 to 13 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the total dried ingredient. The dried ingredient has a bulk density of 0.1 to 0.8 g / cm ³ The method for producing the food according to claim 9, The method for producing a food product according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the dried ingredients are dried vegetables. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the dried vegetables are selected from the group consisting of onion, garlic, and green onion. The method for producing a food product according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the dried ingredient is contained in an amount of 5 to 50% by mass relative to 100% by mass of the total food ingredient. The method for producing a food product according to any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein the food product having moisture added to its surface by heating in a microwave oven is a thawed frozen food product. The method for producing a food product according to any one of claims 9 to 14, wherein the dextrose equivalent is 6 to 22. In the method for producing a food product according to claim 9 or 15, a food ingredient to be added to a food product after a microwave heating treatment is provided,
A foodstuff comprising a dried ingredient having a maximum length of 3 mm or more and a starch hydrolysate having a dextrose equivalent of 2 to 25 as an attachment component, the foodstuff comprising 1.5 to 13 parts by mass of the attachment component per 100 parts by mass of the total dried ingredient. adding moisture to the surface of the food by microwave heating;
The method for adhering a dried ingredient to a food product that has been heated in a microwave oven comprises the step of adding, to the food product after the microwave oven heating, a dried ingredient having a maximum length of 3 mm or more and, as an adhering ingredient, a starch hydrolysate having a dextrose equivalent of 2 to 25, and containing 1.5 to 13 parts by mass of the adhering ingredient per 100 parts by mass of the total dried ingredient. 18. The method for attaching a dried ingredient to a food product heated in a microwave oven according to claim 17, wherein the food product heated in the microwave oven is a thawed frozen food product.